The second annual Tooele Children's Health Connection is fast approaching, and this year is going to be even bigger and better than last year! Their goal is to serve 3X as many uninsured & underinsured children as they did last year, and they are going to need the support of the outstanding volunteers in our community to make it happen! They need both medical and non-medical volunteers, to assist with everything from registrations to food service to clothing distribution.

Volunteer shifts are from 8-10, 10-12, 12-2, and 2-4pm. Come and help for a couple hours, or for the whole day on Saturday August 8th! They also need assistance with setup on Friday August 7th between 2pm & 8pm. The event will be held at Northlake Elementary.

Please send an email to tclinccs@gmail.com if you are willing and available to help make this event a success! They need to know:

1. Your name & contact info (phone, address & email)


2. If you have any clinical / medical background.


3. If you speak spanish.


4. What times you are available. (Anytime Friday between 2pm & 8pm to setup, or Saturday 8am - 4pm.)

If you have any questions, or prefer to give your info over the phone, please call Relief Services at 435-843-9955 and ask for Ivette or LouAnn. You can also try Karen via cell phone at 435-830-7953. If you have mentioned in the past that you are interested, please call and confirm that they have you on their volunteer list.

Spread the word! Please send this to anyone you think is interested! Together we can make sure that every child in our community has the opportunity to start the school year healthy & prepared.

Labels: announcement, enews, volunteer

Dear neighbors,

As I write this, I'm at a public hearing regarding the forthcoming Fair Boundaries initiative, which seeks to create an independent redistricting committee. When I ran for Senate last year, this was really the only item in my "personal agenda," and it wasn't to consolidate my power (if elected) but to consolidate Tooele County's power on the state level, regardless of who we choose to be our elected leaders.

At our convention in May, we heard about this initiative and voted, as a body, to support Fair Boundaries in getting the petitions signed. From what I've heard, the County Republicans also have pledged their support. Currently, we expect to have petitions in hand sometime in August. I encourage everyone to visit www.FairBoundaries.org, become familiar with the initiative, and join me in gathering signatures and support for this effort.

This convention also saw a "changing of the guard," as we elected a new chairman, secretary, and treasurer. As an executive committee, we are grateful for our predecessors, Marianne Rutishauer-Andrus, Calleen Peshell, and Valerie Lee, for their dedication and time. As a party, we have relied on their leadership for longer than I remember and it's time to let them have their families and interests back!

As new leadership, we are asking for your support, in time and money. The purpose of the Party is to find and help elect people who will govern our county, state, and country well, and that is something that requires everyone's participation, not just a devoted few. Get involved: register with our website at TooeleDemocrats.org, become aware of what's going on in the community and how you can help out, and chime in on the debates of the day so that our leaders can know what is expected of them. This is a new day after a long, dark night in the land of the free. Let's not sleep in—let's get to work making the world a better place right now.


Toby Dillon

Labels: enews

Following our convention Saturday, I had the opportunity to talk with one of the Republican party leaders here in the county. In the course of our wide-ranging discussion, I asked him, "What do you think is the difference between our two parties here in Tooele?"

"Obama," came his earnest reply.

"You're telling me that, in our county, our values and visions are so aligned that we have to reach out to a national figure to find something to be divisive about?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

As shocking as this revelation was, it didn't much surprise me. As I went around the state during my campaign last year, I heard from disaffected citizens that they were fed up with both parties and that many couldn't tell them apart. In my mind, this is both good thing and a bad thing.

It's a good thing because it means that, despite the name-calling and mean-spirited propaganda that we hear nationally, the reality is that civil dialogue is still possible between opposing parties here in Tooele. This further means that the spirit of compromise, upon which our country was built and is maintained, continues. We have not forgotten our roots.

It's a bad thing, because, as the minority party, we run the risk of assimilation and attrition from our more powerful competitors. If ideology doesn't convince someone to join the Democratic Party, the wealth and promise of power surely must appeal to them from the Republicans.

For those who want to get more involved in creating good government, may I suggest that you bring your chair over to the Democratic Party's table not just because of an ideological affinity, but rather because where there are fewer people, your voice is heard louder? If you want to see change, start with the minority party and build momentum.

For those who have joined the party, I encourage you to post your own thoughts on the subject. Why have you chosen to be a Democrat in Tooele? What do you hope to accomplish through this vehicle of change?

Labels: enews, Values