Sat., Jan. 17, 2026 (Recap)
by Cecelia Royal, posted January 18, 2026
Co-President Diane Kellegrew opened the packed meeting with a short business item: to approve the Nominating Committee, that over the next several months will assemble a slate of officers and committee chairs for 2026-27. Approved Committee members are Shanti Emerson, Ann Gould, Lani Howard, Paula Stephan, and Sue Van Son. IIn addition, the March 21 Local Scholarship Fundraiser was highlighted, with a request for bake-off participants and silent auction contributors.
The Local Scholarship fundraiser committee touted the March event and announced tickets on sale now for $35.
The Program: Understanding the Role of the Judiciary in Our Democracy
Three judges presented their experiences, knowledge, and deep understanding of the various levels of local, state, and federal judiciary from their years preparing for and working within the court system.
Judge Babineau recounted her journey to the judiciary from a community close to San Diego, where she was awarded a college scholarship and thus began her academic path toward a legal degree and a career start as a public defender in Sacramento. Babineau described the levels of the judiciary, the divisions within those levels and finally how a judge is appointed or elected. She was appointed by CA Governor Gavin Newsom after submitting an application and passing rigorous background checks, concluding in a lengthy final, 3-hour interview. Elected judges are spared much of this process. Babineau, working in the family law court division, finds herself fulfilling her ambition of serving the public in a most effective while still challenging way.
Judge York, with 42 years in the court system, has seen it all in terms of cases and had numerous anecdotal illustrations of how a judge must apply the law. Some of the cases she described involved examples of how an effective jurist must always be conscious of how cultural biases and ethnic filters may affect the judge’s view of a defendant. Those biases must be put aside, and an effective jurist consciously does so every day she is in court. She also spoke about how judges can be censured and even removed from the bench. Judge York has served on those review panels, and she has taught other judges in a judges’ college, a weeks-long preparatory stint to ready them for the challenges they will face in the courtroom.
Judge Kellegrew offered the audience a definition of what a Constitutional Crisis looks like by way of how/when it occurs, when the three branches of government cease to work together; in other words, our system of checks and balances no longer applies. Judge Kellegrew cited examples of near-crisis events in our history: 1832, Worchester v. Georgia, when Cherokees won their court case against the state of Georgia to retain land granted them, but the President (Andrew Jackson) ignored the court ruling and forcibly removed the tribe from the land anyway (to extract the rich gold it contained). History books describe this event as the Trail of Tears, for the many Indians who died on the brutal journey to Oklahoma. Judge Kellegrew’s other examples, with differing outcomes, included Brown v. Board of Education, 1954 (forced integration of schools), Nixon’s obstruction of justice (forcing him to resign the presidency in 1974), Griswold v. Connecticut, 1965, where the US Supreme Court protected the liberty of married couples to use contraceptives without government restriction, Roe v. Wade, 1973, abortion rights, and finally Dobbs v. Jackson, 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade. judge Kellegrew summed up in saying that our judicial and democratic system is not a system that is mechanical but is nuanced and sophisticated and in the end is only as honorable as the individuals who participate in it.
During the Q&A session, Judge Kellegrew addresses the audience at the program’s conclusion, while Judges York and Babineau look on.
Q&A followed, and it can be noted that concerns abounded around the US Supreme Court’s current partisan/executive-leaning rulings. Judge Kellegrew’s last expressed sentiment was implicitly affirmed.
Huge thanks to Kim White, Attorney at Law; and David Ball, Sierra Tech Guy, for sponsoring this outstanding program!
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As always, our meetings are held at Peace Lutheran Church, 828 W Main St., GV
December 2025
Happy holidays to all! Check out all the Interest Group activities in this month’s Lodestone. We hope you’re planning a wonderful season and will find time to join AAUW friends in addition to the other special people in your life. No Branch meeting this month, and we look forward to seeing you when we resume in January.
Sat., Nov. 15: Protecting our Forest Health
Dr. Zettler Mann, SYRCL Exec. Dir., as he addressed the November 15, 2025, audience
Our Connected Landscape: How water, forests, climate and people intersect. Click here for the recording of the program.)
The November program featured Dr. Aaron Zettler-Mann, Executive Director of the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), who shared his deep experience in watershed science and talked about SYRCL’s mission: to restore forest health and water abundance, to educate the public on what needs to be done to achieve these goals, and to inspire the influencers who can directly effect policies/projects that lead to more resiliency in the wake of climate change-related issues and events.
Toward educating us, Dr. Zettler-Mann talked about the four natural intersecting “spheres” that affect climate and earth.
Some of the questions he explored: Why does restoring mountain meadows affect farms miles away? What exactly is a watershed — and why does it matter? What do we mean by “nature-based solutions” to climate challenges? Why is climate change so unpredictable? And what can economics teach us about the government’s role in protecting our environment?Regarding water: he repeatedly emphasized the goal of “slowing and spreading” the natural water resources we count on, to ensure its supply and its nourishment of the biosphere–life as we know it on this planet.
Regarding forest health and forest fires: He promoted the concept of managing forest overgrowth by thinning forest acreage dramatically: a suggested formula involves decreasing an acre of forest from 400 trees to 40. He suggested also that we explore the specific advice from Cal Fire on how to harden a residential landscape by creating fire resistant zones.
Many thanks to our program sponsors, KNCO – Nevada County’s First Choice For News & Sports, and to Westamerica Bank.
October 18: Local Scholarship Recipients, where they are now
Lisa Turlo, Local Scholarship Chair
Former and current Local Scholarship chairs, Ann & Lisa
Lisa Turlo, with assistance from former, long-time Local Scholarship Chair, Ann Shulse, handily opened the October program with an abbreviated, but thoroughly informative, history of Nevada County Branch AAUW scholarships: the different categories, when they started, the numbers served, and the ongoing enthusiasm around the positive impact of education.
Rose Tammi researched and developed a database that included over a hundred recipients since 2000 and attempted to contact those she could (over 50) and connected with nearly 40.
Rhea Williamson, former LS Chair, & Rose Tammi
Branch President, Carol McMillan; Cece Royal; & Event Planner, Nancy Jeffery
In conclusion, information about a fundraiser coming in March 2026 was conveyed via three members who poetically tried to describe the coming festive party. Alas, a bit of buffoonery, but all in all good fun.
We concluded early, before 11 a.m., to enable members to attend the many activities and events in town.
Welcome Back Brunch, Saturday, September 20
Tech Trek July 2025 Video by Ava Johnson
2025 Trekkers and Staff
The Nevada County AAUW year is off to a lively start with its first general meeting featuring a brunch and a program packed with information about the Branch, announcements of the previous year’s gift honorees (Kit Lofgren, Lisbeth Noel, & Bup Greenwood) and, of course, presentations from our charming, and amazing Tech Trekkers.
Jo Ann Schilling and Kit Lofgren, accepting her Named Honoree award
Jo Ann and Bup Greenwood, accepting her Named Honoree Gift award
Lisbeth Noel (Named Gift Honoree) & Jo Ann Schilling
Well attended, with just about every seat taken, the meeting highlighted the Trekkers, recounting their days at camp: what they did, what they learned, and their take-aways on reflection. Ava Johnson edited and produced a film she recorded of the girls engaged in activities and workshops during the July week they became residents on the UC Davis campus. Certainly, for each Tech Trek participant, an unforgettable experience. (Click the link at the top of this article to view.)
Attendees were encouraged between a break in the program’s first and second segments to wander the room and collect raffle tickets from tables that displayed information about the Branch’s many areas of interest and its mission. Five winners received one of the various prizes: Onyx Theatre tickets, Flour Garden gift certificate, or a box of Blue Diamond almonds.
In conclusion, we are launched and now look forward to a full year of programs, opportunities to meet others, engage in Interest Group activities, volunteer, serve our community, and stay connected!
