Exec - 2nd & 4th Mondays, 7:30pm, Contact Chair
Budget - Contact Chair
Communications - First Tuesday, 8pm, Contact Chair
Fundraising - Last Wednesday, 7pm, Contact Chair
Office - First Friday, 7pm, Contact Chair
Outreach - First Thursday, 7pm, Contact Chair
Political Action - Contact Chair

Want to help turn out voters for the primary elections? Sign-up to be a neighborhood leader. Learn more here. Email secretary@ycdemocrats.org to get involved.

What we've been talking about

• Yamhill County Clerk, Brian Van Bergen, is leaving his elected position in June, and said he plans "to finalize and certify the primary election here before leaving." The law provides that the Board of Commissioners shall appoint his replacement, but that person would only serve as clerk until a new clerk was elected in the November election. Read more here.
• Last week, a Newberg woman filed a class action lawsuit against Philip Forve, chief petitioner in the recall campaign against Commissioner Berschauer. The complaint calls for injunctive relief “for filing a recall petition that contains false statements related to the public office subject to the recall.” Read more here.
• McMinnville Mayor Scott Hill resigned last Tuesday. Read his statement here. Mayor Hill recommended Council President Remy Drabkin to take over as interim mayor until voters determine who will serve the remaining two years of his term in the November election. The Council will vote on his recommendation at its April 26 meeting and will appoint an interim Council Member to replace Drabkin if she becomes interim mayor. Read reporting from the News-Register here.
• Last week, Yamhill County Commissioners Lindsay Berschauer and Mary Starrett decided to scrap the criteria the Board previously set for awarding ARPA grants to nonprofits in favor of using their own personal judgment. Read about it here.
• The Oregon Values & Beliefs Center recently polled Oregon residents, finding that Oregon school boards have low public support. Read the story here.
• The Yamhill County Peacemakers weekly rally for Ukraine made the News-Register. Read the story here.

• The Democratic candidates for CD6 participated in a zoom forum. Watch it here. They were also interviewed about who they would vote for if they couldn't vote for themselves. Watch the video here.
• The Republican candidates for CD6 participated in a forum hosted by the Yamhill County Republican Women group. Watch it here.
• Yamhill County Commissioner candidates participated in a forum at the Chehalem Cultural Center. Watch the video here. Read reporting by the Newberg Graphic here. Read notes from the forum here. Read written responses from candidates here (only responses received by the deadline were published).
• Democratic State Representative candidates Elise Yarnell Hollamon and Victoria Ernst were both interviewed by Howie Harkema on Speaking Frankly. Watch Elise's interview here and Victoria's here.
• House Majority PAC made a nearly $1M ad buy on behalf of Carrick Flynn, one of many Democratic candidates in the CD6 primary. Other candidates put out a statement condemning the donation. Read it here. Read stories by The Hill, the Statesman Journal, the Newberg Graphic, Oregon Capital Insider, and Willamette Week.
• The Newberg Graphic published an article on Mary Starrett's third run for Yamhill County Commissioner. Read it here.
• The Yamhill County Employees Association endorsed Doris Towery and Beth Wytoski for Yamhill County Commissioner.
• The Oregonian endorsed in the CD6 primary race. It chose Andrea Salinas on the Democratic side and Ron Noble on the Republican side. Read the article here.
• The Oregon Capital Insider recently published a story on the outlook for the Republican gubernatorial candidates. Read it here.
• Read about the tours Yamhill County Commissioner Casey Kulla has been hosting for Democratic CD6 candidates here.

• Help the Yamhill County Democrats conduct a survey to find out why so many registered Democrats didn't vote in the recall election. Access the phone bank here.
• Gallery Theater is requesting folks in the community share the impact the Theater and the arts have had on their lives with the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners. Commissioners Starrett and Berschauer indicated at the meeting last week that they didn't understand the value the arts bring to the community. Learn more here.
• Add your name to the list of supporters calling for removal of the Consent Decree limiting the ability of Tribal members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to hunt and fish on their ancestral lands. Click here. Read Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy's opinion piece in the Oregonian here.
• Sign the petition to rename Columbus Elementary School in McMinnville. Click here.
• The Chehalem Cultural Center wants your input on how to make the Center more inclusive for all. Complete the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) survey here.
• Want to help people in Yamhill County experiencing homelessness? Volunteer at the Newberg Emergency Shelter. Information here. You can also donate by purchasing items from the shelter's Amazon wishlist here. Read the shelter's newsletter here. Encompass Yamhill Valley also provides support to this population. Learn more about them here.
• Volunteer with McMinnville's low-barrier shelter on Fridays. Volunteers are needed for 4 shifts between 8pm-8am, including two meal shifts. Sign-up here.

• Reminder: the Food Bank at the First Baptist Church in Dayton (300 Flower Ln.) is open every other Tuesday from 4-6pm and is accepting donations.
• Donate to Turtle Dove Shelters, Inc. here. Turtle Dove Shelters provides shelter for homeless individuals through the design, construction, and donation of portable, semi-permanent shelters.
• Donate to Patton Middle School's Backpack Drive here. The Patton Boutique, a resource room designed to help students with unmet needs, is collecting backpacks for students in need.
• Donate to the McMinnville High School Resource Room here. They are looking for: tampons, brushes, bandaids, women’s deodorant, umbrellas, hooded rain jackets (new or gently used), and sweatshirts (new or gently used). The Resource Room is for any MHS student who is having trouble getting their basic needs met. The MHS Resource Room has clothing, school supplies, hygiene products, and non-perishable family meals. Email agreene@msd.k12.or.us or kcarlson@msd.k12.or.us if you'd like to volunteer.
• Want to provide assistance to people affected by the war in Ukraine? Donate here.

• The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde have opened sponsorship applications for reimbursement in the following areas: Emergency Preparedness and Energy Generation, Health and Fitness, Healthy Foods, and Technology. Learn more here.

• Planning Commission member
• Historic Landmark Committee member

PCPs elect County Party leadership, decide which candidates and issues to endorse, and how to spend money.  Become an integral member of our County Party, and submit the write-in form before May 17th. You will need to ask 3 friends (you can be one) in your precinct to write in your name on their ballot. Write-In Form

Peace Now Rally - Standing in Solidarity with the People of Ukraine
Wednesday, April 20, 4:30-5:30pm
(recurring every Wednesday)
NE 2nd & Adams Streets, McMinnville

Democratic Candidate Forum for the NEW Congressional District 6
Thursday, April 21, 7pm
Event information here

Congressional District 1 Candidate Forum for Commissioner for BOLI
Thursday, April 21, 7pm
Zoom link

House District 23 Candidate Forum
Saturday, April 23, 7pm
Zoom link

Yamhill County Democrats Monthly Meeting
Thursday, April 28, 7pm
Register

Women Build & Brunch
Fundraiser for McMinnville Area Habitat for Humanity
Saturday, May 14, 11-1pm
Maysara Winery, McMinnville
Register here

Sheridan School Board Meeting
Wednesday, April 20, 6pm
435 South Bridge Street, Sheridan

Yamhill Planning Commission Meeting
Wednesday, April 20, 7pm
City Council Chambers 205 S Maple St., Yamhill
Zoom link

Amity City Council Special Meeting
Wednesday, April 20, 7pm
Amity City Hall
Zoom link

Dundee Budget Committee Meeting
Thursday, April 21, 7pm

Yamhill County Board of Commissioners Meeting
Thursday, April 21, 10am
Yamhill County Courthouse, room 32
Zoom link

Lafayette Planning Commission Meeting
Thursday, April 21, 7pm

McMinnville Planning Commission Meeting
Thursday, April 21, 5:30pm
Zoom link

Emergency Newberg City Council Meeting
Thursday, April 21, 4pm
Zoom link

Newberg Library Advisory Board Meeting
Thursday, April 21, 7pm
Newberg Library - 503 E Hancock St.

Carlton Planning Commission Meeting
Monday, April 25, 6pm
Zoom link

Sheridan School District Bond Committee Meeting
Monday, April 25, 6pm
435 South Bridge Street, Sheridan

McMinnville School Board Meeting
Monday, April 25, 7:30pm
800 NE Lafayette Ave, McMinnville
Zoom link

Willamina School Board Budget Committee Meeting
Monday, April 25, 6pm

Yamhill Water Advisory Committee Meeting
Tuesday, April 26, 3pm
Zoom link

McMinnville City Council Meeting
Tuesday, April 26, 5:30pm

Newberg Affordable Housing Committee Meeting
Tuesday, April 26, 4pm
Zoom link

Newberg School Board Meeting
Tuesday, April 26, 7pm

Dundee Tourism Committee Meeting
Wednesday, April 27, 8:30am

Willamina Budget Committee Meeting
Wednesday, April 27, 6pmWest Valley Fire District Station 8, 825 NE Main Street, Willamina

McMinnville School Board Budget Committee Meeting
Wednesday, April 27, 7pm
800 NE Lafayette Ave, McMinnville

Sheridan School Board Budget Committee Meeting
Thursday, April 28, 6pm
435 South Bridge Street, Sheridan

Willamina West Valley Fire Board Meeting
Thursday, April 28, 6pm

Dundee Budget Committee Meeting
Thursday, April 28, 7pm

Yamhill Carlton School Board Meeting
Thursday, April 28, 6pm
YCSD Boardroom, 120 N Larch PL. Yamhill