Weekly Newsletter January 27, 2025

Dear Democrats,

What a week it’s been, trying to keep up with the damage that Trump is doing to the things that I care about, things like civil rights, voting rights, foreign aid, LGBTQ rights, compassionate immigration policies, Ukraine, NATO, the census, on and on. And I’m sure that you have your own list that grows every time you turn on the news. It’s overwhelming, inundating, trying to drink from a firehose. But as David Litt in The Contrarian points out, this is a very clever strategy on Trump’s part, this shotgun approach convinces people that he is strong and decisive. Litt recommends that we go small and ignore Trump as we push back. Focus on one thing that Trump’s actions are already making worse. Talk about one person with diabetes and what it will mean for them if the price of insulin goes back up to its old level. It’s easier to focus on one action that everyone agrees is heinous, he says, than $40 billion or $400 billion. But we do need to push back, at all levels, each of us in our own way.

Upcoming events in the next few weeks 

Events flagged with an * have  more information below.

1. The Nacogdoches Community Coalition will meet at 5:30pm on Monday, January 27, in the Little Zion Baptist Church, 305 Shawnee Street discuss final preparations and arrangements for the Black History Expo.

2. POSTPONED The 21/7 Association will have their monthly meeting at noon on Tuesday, January 28. The meeting has been moved to Memorial Hospital’s Auxiliary Conference Center, 1204 North Mound Street. Contact Nancy Niehaus for more information.

3. CASA of Deep East Texas, the Court Appointed Special Advocates, presents their Texigras 2025 fundraiser ball on Saturday, February 1, at 6:30pm at the Fredonia Hotel and Convention Center, 200 North Fredonia Street. Get your tickets now by calling  their offices at (936) 560-4711.

4. *A Celebration of Life for Sara Dumas will be held on Sunday, February 2, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm,  at the Nacogdoches Senior Center,  1601 West Austin Street. All are welcome.

5. The last day to file for a position on the City Council or NISD School Board is Friday, February 14.

6. The Black History Expo will be held from 10:00am until 2:00pm on Saturday, February 22 at McMichael Middle School.

Sara Dumas - March 4, 1933 - January 1, 2025

Sadly, Sara Dumas passed away on January 1st. She was a bright light in East Texas, a dynamic activist who lived every day fully engaged in trying to make her town, her communities, our state, and our country better places for everyone. She was a tremendously effective supporter of Democratic values and principles. For every challenge she frequently said “I want to DO something” - and then she did. We extend our condolences to her family, and we remember her with awe and gratitude.

There will be a Celebration of Life for on Sunday, February 2, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm,  at the Nacogdoches Senior Center,  1601 West Austin Street. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Sabine County Food Bank or to the Nacogdoches Senior Center.

Nac Dems

At our last monthly meeting we established six committees to help organize our activities during the next couple of years, focusing especially on local issues and elections. So get involved, contact a committee chair, and get to work!

o   Education - Gale Chenault

o   Communication – Karen Allen

o   Search - Tory Free

o   Event -Betty Jacobs

o   Finance and Fundraising - Sean Hightower

o   Watchdog -Anne Keehnen

Nacogdoches City Council

The Nacogdoches City Council will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, February 4, at 5:30pm, in the City Hall, 202 East Pilar Street. See the City’s “Friday Update” for more information about meetings and more on their Facebook site https://www.facebook.com/CityofNacogdoches. Agendas for city meetings can be found at https://www.nactx.us/agendas. Meetings are streamed at www.nactx.us/1198/Channel-21.

Commissions and Committees

The Planning & Zoning Commission will meet on Monday, February 10, at 5:00pm in City Hall.

Nacogdoches County Commissioners

The Nacogdoches County Commissioners Court will meet on Tuesday, February 4, at 9:00am in the Commissioners’ Courtroom, Suite 170 of the Nacogdoches County Courthouse, 101 West Main Street. Recordings of meetings are posted on the county website.  

NISD School Board meetings

The NISD School Board will have a regular meeting on Thursday, January 30, at 5:00pm in the E.J. Campbell District Support Center Annex, 420 South Shawnee Street. Go to their website for more information.

Nacogdoches County Hospital District

Nacogdoches County Hospital District Board of Directors will meet on Tuesday, January 28, at 5:15pm in Memorial Hospital’s Auxiliary Conference Center, 1204 North Mound Street. For information about the Hospital District go to their website https://nachd.org.

Major holidays and events in Nacogdoches and elsewhere in the near future

            2025 list coming soon…

Stay dry out there!

Mike Strong

Nac Dems