Ever since the elections last November when a small majority of citizens decided to reinstate a criminal for president, many of us have been in shock with disappointment and despair over what was to come. And now it’s here: fascism, what previous generations of Americans fought in WWII. We can no longer conveniently close our eyes to the coup that is this DJT regime. Since his inauguration, the DJT Kleptocracy had made good on the promise of Project 2025 much faster than any of us could have imagined.

So, it is time to act like we continue to care about our democracy. It is time to stand up to this madness, for DJT is a narcissistic psychopath who only cares about himself and those who can flatter him. And just how do we do this? For some, taking to the streets to protest is one way. For others, writing letters, emails, or calling our lawmakers is another. Or, as our excellent speaker from our March meeting, Jena Nelson, suggested, go to the State Capital and speak with our lawmakers, get to know them so we can establish relationships, find common ground, even just an inch, and work with them to develop laws that benefit us all and not just the monied class.

We have every right to be discouraged, depressed, and despairing, BUT we are Americans who love our liberties and MUST stand up or we will be run down by the coming wave of despicable authoritarian actions this Kleptocracy is planning and implementing right now.

“Question Authority” is a bumper sticker I used to have on my car many decades ago when I was involved in the Sanctuary Movement during the Central American Wars as the coordinator of Oklahomans for Justice in Central America. Now is the time to say, “This is not how we do things in this country!”

If we just sit still while our citizenship rights are stripped away, we will have no one to save us. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. So, gird your loins for battle, join with your fellow citizens, and let’s show the rest of the world that we will not go quietly into that good night, but rage, rage, rage against the dying of the light. We are the light.

Democrats have values. Now is the time to put them into action!

I remain,
Virginia Savage

Chickasha City Council
By John Moroney

In advance of the Chickasha city council election on 04/01/2025 we thought it would be useful to lay out some of the basics of how the council is organized.

The Chickasha city council consists of eight council members and the mayor. The council is comprised of two elected members from each of the city's four wards. One member from each ward is elected annually. The member must live in the ward that they represent; however, all registered voters of the city are eligible to vote for that member. The mayor is elected for a two-year term.

The city council also serves as the board for the Chickasha Municipal Authority, which is responsible for the administration and operation of the city's utility and sanitation operations as well as the Chickasha Municipal Airport Authority, which is responsible for the administration and operation of the city's airport.

Chickasha City Council, Municipal Authority and Airport Authority Meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Monday of each month, with the exception of March and December. Meetings are held in the Council Chambers, located on the second floor of City Hall, at 117 N. 4th St., Chickasha, OK 73018.

The Chickasha Industrial Authority (CIA) consists of two Council members, the mayor, two members of the Chickasha Economic Development Council (CEDC), and 2 local businessmen. They manage a trust that is funded by 90% of the hotel/motel tax in the city and are tasked with economic development. The CIA contracts out to the CEDC to actually implement projects for economic development. So, to clarify, the city council sets policy including economic development policy, and the CIA by way of the CEDC implements those policies.

APRIL 26 - SERVICE PROJECT
We will be helping paint and set up new furniture at the Bullock Community Center, 917 1st St, Chickasha, OK. Wear something you don’t mind getting paint on. Time to be announced.

March Service Project Report
We had a great turnout on March 1st for our first service project. We assisted Chickasha Soup Kitchen with setting up three new beds at their community garden, as well as setting up a new birdbath. We really appreciate everyone who came out to help make our community stronger.

Meeting notes from February
Jena Nelson fired up the room at our March 11th meeting. Our special guest speaker encouraged all of us to get more active and detailed specific steps we can take to bring about change on the local, state, and federal level. In particular she recommended using the apps 5 Calls (https://5calls.org) and Oklahoma Legislative Guide to keep in contact with your representatives. We had a good discussion and our candidates for Chickasha City Council, Dr. Ashanti-Alexander, Josh Rauls and Virginia Savage had a chance to introduce themselves. We look forward to seeing everyone on April 8th for our next regular meeting.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

MARCH 27 – MEET THE CANDIDATES - Chickasha Lions Club will have a Meet the Candidates event for Chickasha's upcoming City Council election from 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM at Canadian Valley Technology Center's Seminar Center, 1401 W Michigan Ave, Chickasha, OK.

APRIL 1 – COUNTY WIDE ELECTION DAY – Including Chickasha City Council, Blanchard City Council, Rush Springs School Board, Minco Mayor, and many more. Check the OK Voter Portal for your specific races.

APRIL 8 - MONTHLY MEETING, Precinct & County Officer Elections, 6:30 PM @ Canadian Valley Vo-Tech,
Meeting Room 4, Chickasha, OK

APRIL 26 – SERVICE PROJECT – We will be helping paint and set up new furniture at the Bullock Center, 917 1st St, Chickasha, OK. Time to be announced.

MAY 13 - MONTHLY MEETING, Speaker will be OK State Rep. Jared Deck, 6:30 PM @ Canadian Valley
Vo-Tech, Meeting Room 4, Chickasha, OK