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October 11th, 2024
Dear Neighbor,
2024 Women Legislators of MD Retreat!
This past week the Women Legislators of Maryland had a fantastic and productive retreat as we prepare for the upcoming 2025 Maryland Legislative session. I am so thankful to Speaker Adrienne Jones, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, and our generous Chairwoman Joseline Peña-Melnyk for hosting us in the HGO committee room. A special thank you goes to all our presenters & attendees! I’m humbled to work alongside such brilliant women leaders as the President of the Caucus.
As President, my focus for this retreat was to strategize with our members on how the Caucus can maximize our impact on issues important to women in Maryland. This means concentrating our collective effort behind three main priority issues for the Caucus. The first is child care, an issue I’ve discussed at length in previous newsletters that is vital to women and families across our State.
The second priority for the Caucus is the Women’s Pre-Release Center, an issue we are partnering with the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus to help support its construction. I look forward to announcing the final priority as we get closer to the 2025 Session. I am so thankful to the past presidents and members who have helped the Caucus get to where it is today, and I look forward to continuing to grow our influence in the coming years!
Vote YES to Women's Rights!
A special thank you to Reproductive Justice Maryland and our Maryland Democratic Partycoordinated campaign for organizing this past weekend's rallies across the State! It was an honor to speak to folks at the Annapolis rally! Do-Something Democrats spoke to thousands of neighbors about voting YES ON 1 & electing pro-choice candidates from the bottom to the top of the ballot!
If you’re looking for more ways to make an impact, please join me, Karen Nelson, and Erin Bradley at The Vineyard at Dodon on October 16th for an evening supporting the effort to enshrine reproductive rights and abortion access into the Constitution. Please sign up, bring a friend, and get ready to enjoy a night of leading women making sure Maryland VOTES YES on Question1!
For more information and buy tickets, please click here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/rsvpdodon
Let the Voting Begin in Anne Arundel County!
Time to lock in blue votes in Anne Arundel County! We are less than 4 weeks away from Election Day and every day is a chance to make an impact! 💙
A special thank you to everyone who has found the time to get out and support Democratic Senate Nominee Angela Alsobrooks, Democratic Congressional District 3 Nominee Senator Elfreth, and ALL our amazing board of education candidates around the State!
Time is of the essence! ⌛ The deadline to register to vote by mail is October 15th at 5 PM, and early voting begins October 24th. Mail-in voting has already begun. ✉️
The conversations we have while door-knocking truly can influence this election's outcome. With deadlines approaching, getting active now is more important than ever! Your contributions are so incredibly appreciated, and none of these candidates could do it without you!
For more opportunities to get involved see below.
Saturday, October 12th, 2024:
12-3pm, meet at Solley Elementary with BOE Candidate Erica McFarland
Sign up HERE!
12-3pm meet at MDP HQ
Sign up HERE!
3-5pm, meet at Shady Side Elementary with BOE Candidate Jeremy York
Sign up HERE!
3-6pm, meet at MDP HQ
Sign up HERE!
Sunday, October 13th, 2024:
10-12pm, meet at Rise Up with BOE Candidate Dana Schallheim
Sign up HERE!
12-3pm, meet at Germantown Elementary School with BOE Candidate Joanna Tobin
Sign up HERE!
12-3pm meet at MDP HQ
Sign up HERE!
3-6pm, meet at MDP HQ
Sign up HERE!
To work the polls during Early Voting, sign up HERE!
We will also be hosting canvass launches daily 12-3pm and 3-6pm (except Monday) out of our Annapolis and Glen Burnie field offices.
Sign up HERE for Annapolis!
Sign up HERE for Glen Burnie!
Additionally, we will be phone banking from our Annapolis and Glen Burnie offices almost every day!
Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday 6-8pm
Saturday 11am-7pm
Sunday 2-7pm
Sign up HERE for Annapolis!
Sign up HERE for Glen Burnie!
Sign up HERE to make calls at home!
Pumpkins with a Purpose! 🎃
🎃 Recently, my family went to our favorite annual Pumpkins for a Purpose Patch St. Martin's Lutheran School of Annapolis is hosting their annual pumpkin patch benefitingLight House - Homeless Prevention Support Center.
💙 I loved speaking with the wonderful volunteers from Temple Beth Shalom of Annapolis/Arnold, Md.
The location, the volunteers, nonprofit donating raffle items - all coming together for wonderful organization & cause. Truly a beautiful example of how special our community is at coming together for a great cause.
🎃 NEW HOURS! ⏰
🕰 Thursdays and Fridays 2 PM - 6 PM
🕰 Saturdays and Sundays 10 AM - 6 PM
⛪ St. Martin’s - Spa Road Annapolis
🧵 Halloween QUILT Raffle back donated by Annapolis Quilt Guild
Education on the Ballot 🗳️
Please join me on Thursday, October 17th from 6 to 8 PM for an evening in support of two INCREDIBLE Board of Education candidates, Joanna Bache Tobin Board of Education District 6 andFriends of Jeremy York!! They are teacher-supported and bring the type of bold leadership our students need.
This event will be crucial to seeing them both win in November, and I can't wait to have you join me on the 17th!
Get your tickets by visiting Joanna's websitewww.joannaforboardofed.comor Jeremy's www.voteyork.org
100% Dedicated to our Environment 🌎
💚✅ I’m so excited to announce that I’ve received a 100% from the Maryland LCVfor my voting record on crucial environmental policy in the 2024 Legislative Session! Protecting our environment and combating climate change are some of the most important issues we face today. I am ready to keep fighting for an equitable, healthy, and green Maryland!
Order Free At-home COVID-19 Tests
Stay safe and healthy as we head into cold and flu season! Free COVID-19 tests will be available to every U.S. household beginning next week. Each household is eligible to receive 4 rapid, at-home tests. Just enter your name and home (or residential P.O. Box) address, the U.S. Postal Service will ship the tests to your home at no cost.
For more information and to order yours visit: COVIDTests.gov
¡Celebramos Dia de Los Muertos!
The City of Annapolis invites residents and visitors to join in the celebration of the 2024 “Festival del Día de los Muertos" or “Day of the Dead Festival”. The event will feature amazing folklore artists, traditional Mexican food, attractions for children, local artisans, raffles, and much more!
The event will take place from 3 PM to 8 PM on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at Maryland Hall.
Entrance to the festival is free. Hope to see you there!
Learn more by clicking here!
🌳 Community Canopy
The City of Annapolis is partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation to offer free trees to homeowners to help expand the urban tree canopy. 🌳🌲🍃
Though the first deadline has passed, you can still put yourself on a waitlist to be notified if reservations open up in your area again. Residents who would like to request their free trees (maximum two free trees) can make a reservation online at www.arborday.org/annapolis.
This is a pickup event and trees will be available at the Kenneth R. Dunn Municipal Pool in Truxtun Park on October 17th.
🍂 Finally Fall in Annapolis!
🎃🍁🧡 Happy Fall! As the weather gets cooler and the leaves turn brown, many of our local Annapolis organizations and businesses are preparing for stellar fall celebrations. Check out these Fall festivals and celebrations!
Sunday, November 3 - First Sunday Arts on Inner West Street from 11 AM to 5 PM Road closures and parking restrictions on West Street and Calvert Street from 7 AM to 6 PM For more information, visit www.innerweststreetannapolis.com/first-sunday-arts-festivals.
October 10th to 14th - Annapolis Sailboat Show (Downtown Annapolis) Starting at 10 AM each day along City Dock. For more information and to buy tickets, visit https://annapolisboatshows.com/sailboat-show/
Saturday, October 19 - Community Rummage Sale at Pip Moyer Recreation Center from 8 AM. to 12 PM For more information, visit www.annapolis.gov/189/Recreation-Parks.
Sunday, October 20 - Maryland Avenue Fall Festival from 10 AM to 5 PM For more information, visit www.mascma.com. Road closure and parking restrictions on Maryland Avenue from State Circle to Cumberland Court. Prince George Street remains open.
Saturday, October 26 - Day of the Dead at Maryland Hall from 3 PM to 8 PM. For more information, visit www.annapolis.gov/1412/Juntos-con-Annapolis.
Sunday, October 27 - Crab Cake Haunt from 10 AM to 8 PM. Road closures and parking restrictions on Annapolis Street and Giddings Avenue from 7 AM to 9 PM.
🍻Raise a Glass to Reading
In celebration of AACPL’s recent book sanctuary announcements, lets raise a glass to the Freedom to Read! Join me and visit Forward Brewing, Pherm Brewing Co. and Crooked Crab Brewing Co. during the month of October as each brewery has created an exclusive libation to support AACPL. During the fundraiser, 20% of all on-site sales during the release events will be donated to the library to support enhancements at all 16 branches!!
October 1 - 5:00 to 7:00 PM – Forward Brewing
October 12 - 12:00 to 3:00 PM – Pherm Brewing
October 24 - 4:00 to 7:00 PM – Crooked Crab Brewing
There will be a new limited edition, pint glass this year and are a complimentary gift with a $10 donation or more while supplies last. Click here for more information!
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
As we celebrate #HispanicHeritageMonth make sure you check out Anne Arundel County Public Library's wonderful slate of programming, educational resources, and reading lists celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America!
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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at your local library by attending fun, educational events.
Come play ¡Lotería!, a popular board game that originated in Mexico and is played throughout Latin America.
Enjoy live salsa and traditional Mexican folk dance performances, and delight in a lively concert by Guatemalan family band Marimba Linda Xelajú.
Dance with Arte Flamenco as they teach you a sevillanas (short dance) and learn about the history of flamenco.
Test and expand your knowledge of Hispanic culture at Hispanic Heritage Month Trivia Night and Music Bingo.
Learn to paint like Frida Kahlo, be inspired by artist Fernando Llort, make a Dia de los Muertos ofrenda (shrine), create an Aztec-inspired mosaic and explore the art of Argentine gaucho hats.
Read and rhyme with weekly bilingual storytimes in English and Spanish - no prior Spanish (or English) needed to enjoy!
Check out this events calendar to find additional Hispanic and LatinX interest events and programs. Looking for programs presented in Spanish? Visit the Hispanohablantes event calendar!
Enrich your knowledge of Hispanic history and cultures using the library’s digital resources.
Stream movies featuring Hispanic actors and films highlighting history and achievements in the arts and media using Kanopy.
Delve into the lives of historical and contemporary Hispanic Americans like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, John Leguizamo, Rudolfo Anaya and Gloria Anzaldúa using a Biographydatabase.
Brush up on current events in Latin American countries with newspaper databases, available in English and Spanish.
Learn about LatinX and Hispanic cinema, theatre, art and more using a Fine Arts database.
Discover the history behind Hispanic traditions, cultural migration, societies, immigration and more using U.S. History and World History databases.
Explore Referencia Latina, full-text Spanish language database that offers content on a broad range of topics from a variety or sources, including magazines and reference books.
Want to learn Spanish? Check out Mango Languages or Rosetta Stone Library Solution, two online language-learning programs you can use free with your library card.
Choose your next read from curated lists of books written by Hispanic American authors.
Check out booklists for kids, teens and adults. There is also a list of recommended books in Spanish!
Download books by Hispanic authors in eBook and eAudiobook formats to enjoy instantly using Overdrive/Libby.
Looking for more books written by Hispanic and Latinx authors? Use NoveList’s “Advanced Search” feature to generate a list of books by authors with specific ethnicities and cultural identities.
Additional Spanish language community resources and services from Anne Arundel County Public Library Latino Outreach (ALO) can be found on the Hispanohablantes page.
You can follow me on Facebook, X, and Instagram to learn about volunteer opportunities, community resources, legislative updates and much more. If you have any questions or concerns, you can always contact my office by email at Dana.Jones@house.state.md.us or by phone at 410-841-3211.
Stay safe and healthy,
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