The Soultown! Volume III: Issue 11 NOVEMBER 2019 | Page 19

COVER STORY
people. I was once underprivileged. Helping the
hopeless is important to me.”
“The side of my brain likes things organized,”
Betts adds, “I find a wall, a white board wall or
and I’ll write close to it. I’ll put all the businesses
... everything I’m working on the wall. I post all of
my goals and the Universe, or God listens. I said
I am going to start a tech center and eventually,
we got it.
Kabba discussed some self-help books in
leadership to be shared with coordinators and
young business entrepreneurs, “My go-to is John
Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,
Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point and The
Outliers. There are many more out there, but
these are the ones I can easily reference as
times are changing with the trends of technology.
Although I have a business degree, I am a lifelong
student. I want to teach the youth all I know and
also learn from them.”
Results from a 2018 Pew Research Center
survey finds that since 1990, jobs in science,
technology, engineering, and math have grown by
79 percent, and are expected to grow an additional
13 percent by 2027. This means it is essential for
educators to find a way to engage students early
to build their coding knowledge, and virtual and
augmented reality platforms may be the answer.
The Clubhouse Network is an international
community of more than 100 Clubhouses located
in 20 countries, providing youth with life-changing
opportunities for over 25 years. The Best Buy
Teen Tech Centers and the Computer Clubhouses
are designed for project-based and production-
based learning opportunities. It provides a
creative, safe, and free out-of-school learning
environment where young people from under
served communities work with adult mentors to
explore their ideas, develop new skills, and build
confidence in themselves through the use of
technology. Teens in middle and high school are
welcome to drop into the center and try out the
available technologies.
At any of the Best Buy Teen Tech Centers and
The Computer Clubhouses, the youth can learn:
3D printer, Adobe Creative Cloud, Animation,
Apple iMacs, Button maker, Circuit Easy Press &
3D Sublimation Heat Press and much more.
On behalf of The Soultown Magazine, we
would like to thank The Clubhouse Network,
the Best Buy Teen Tech Center of Las Vegas
and all of the West Coast Coordinators for
having SOUL! ,
VOTING CHANGES • WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Iowa Legislature passed a new voter identifica-
tion bill in the spring 2017 session. Hereʼs what it
means for all voters, according to the Black Hawk
County Auditor's office.
Be Prepared:
1. Register to vote in the precinct where you live at
least 10 days before the election.
2. Always take your driverʼs license/non-operatorʼs
license with you to vote.
Voter Law Changes
• Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, registered voters must
show a driverʼs license or non-operatorʼs ID before
voting.
If you do not have your ID, in 2018 only, you will be
asked to sign an oath that you are who you say you
are. You can then cast a regular ballot. In 2019 and
on, a registered voter can verify/attest for two
people.
• If you do not have one of those IDs, you will
automatically be issued a free Voter ID card. The
state started mailing Voter ID cards in December
2017.
• If you did not receive the Voter ID card or lost it,
the BH County Auditorʼs Office can re-issue one. Call
833-3007.
Absentee Voting
An absentee ballot may be requested 120 days
before the election. Absentee ballots will be mailed
starting 29 days before an election (used to be 40
days).
Absentee ballots must be received 10 days before a
general election and 11 days before other elections.
Absentee ballot voters must include their Iowa
driver's license/non-operatorʼs ID number or their
Iowa voter ID card's PIN number on the absentee
ballot request form.
Registering to Vote
If you are already registered, you do not have to do
anything unless you move within the county or
outside of the county.
Online:
-
https://mymvd.iowadot.gov/Account/Login?
ReturnUrl=%2fVoterRegistrationRegister
By mail: Print the form, fill it out completely in
pen, and mail it to: Black Hawk County Auditor
Election Department, 316 E 5th St., Waterloo, IA
50703
Register In-person: Black Hawk County
Courthouse, 316 E 5th St., Waterloo, IA
Cedar Falls City Hall, 220 Clay St., Cedar Falls, IA
Other locations listed at: http://www.co.black-
hawk.ia.us/208/Registration-Locations
No straight party voting is available in Iowa now. Be
sure to vote for all of the offices/ballot issues listed
on the front and/or back of the ballot.
Special Groups:
High School Students - If you are 17, but will be 18
years old by the general election, you can register to
vote.
College Students - If you are going to school in Cedar
Falls or Waterloo, you can vote there. You must have
an ID that has an expiration date on it. A
college/university ID cannot be used.
Returning Citizens - Those convicted of a felony can
request restoring their voting rights after their
sentence is discharged. Complete the form on the
Iowa Governor's web sit under Services/Executive
Clemency (https://governor.iowa.gov/constituent-
services). Frequently asked questions about
restoring voting rights are on that same page.
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE NAACP?
Monthly Meetings:
2nd Thursdays
515 Beech St.
Waterloo, Iowa 50703
•
President -
LaTanya Graves
Blackhawk County
Branch
waterloonaacp.org
Email: waterloonaacp
@gmail.com
Facebook:
facebook.com/
waterloonaacp
P.O. Box 304
Waterloo, Iowa 50704
Nov. 2019 • The Soultown International Magazine • Celebrating 2 years • Connecting Our Cultures to Our Cyber & Conscious Communities • thesoultown.com
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