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Local Planning 2020

Dear LWVN Members,

On April 15th, you are encouraged to join the Board for our local planning session from 7:00 – 8:00 pm.  Due to the current circumstances and in the interest in your health and safety, this meeting will be held virtually by using Zoom, see below for information.

This is a very important meeting as we will be making recommendations to the full membership for review and approval at our annual meeting in June 2020.  As you consider what issues for study and action are important to Newton, I have attached the following:

We ask that you please review these documents and plan to participate as your thoughts and ideas are critical, probably more so than at any other time in our history.

We look forward to your participation.  Please join us on Zoom.

About Zoom

You can join a Zoom meeting by computer or by phone. You do not need a Zoom account. Read more →

Volunteer Opportunity – Celebration of the Adoption of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Dear Members,

Women’s Equality Day is celebrated in the United States on August 26 to commemorate the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex.

In preparation for this important day this summer, the Board is looking for members who have an interest in history, excitement for this important achievement for women, time and energy to help plan event(s).

If you are interested, please send an email to info@lwvnewton.org and let us know how you would like to be involved.

Sincerely,

Marcia Johnson

Civics Challenge – Inaugural Event for the LWVN

In line with the League’s main objectives of educating citizens about their civic responsibilities and to increase participation in government, LWVN held its inaugural Civics Challenge on March 1st at the Cabot School.  We had 9 teams consisting of family & community groups,  middle school, high school, and college students, teachers from NSHS, and a group from the Newton TAB.

City Councilor Josh Krintzman and former Alderman Brooke Lipsitt were our informative and entertaining masters of ceremony. Our judges for the evening were Linda Morrison, Courtney Rau Rogers, and Sue Flicop.

Please join the LWVN in congratulating the three winning teams:

  1. The Newton South History Department:  Tucker Ahlers, Ashley Chapman, John Greiner & Lillian Robinson
  2. The Grads:  Michel Costello and John Lovett
  3. The Proud Lions:  Cathy Borgesen, Kevin Cheng, Dylan Dincer, & James Farmer

We want to thank the Village Bank for its support of the event; Congressman Joe Kennedy for the donation of the pocket constitutions which were given to all participants; State Senator Cynthia Creem and Represenatives Ruth Balser & Kay Khan for donating a tour of the State House as our first place prize.  In addition, our first place winners received signed copies of E is for Election Day by Gloria Gavris.

Last but by no means least, we want to thank the
LWVN Civics Challenge planning & organizing team:

Jennifer Abbott, Karen Manning, and their extraordinary leader Frieda Dweck

LWVN Topic Meeting – Climate Action Forum

On February 26th, the LWVN held  a very important  Climate Change Forum at the Scandanavian Living Center where we had approximately 90 people in attendance.  We were pleased to have had the Leagues of Framingham, Needham, Wayland, Wellesley, and Weston as co-sponsors.  We also want to thank   Launa Zimmaro, legislative specialist   for climate change and energy from the LWVMA who helped to organize this event and recruit the exceptional panelists that included:

  • Craig Altemose, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Better Future Project
  • Jordan Stutt, Carbon Programs Direct of the Acadia Center
  • Audrey Schulman Co-Founder & Executive Director of HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team)
  • Zeyneb Magavi, HEET Director

We were also joined by State Senator Cynthia Creem who closed the meeting with important remarks regarding the The FUTURE Act  legislation for which she is the lead sponsor.

Additional information and resources from the forum.

Please join us in thanking Frieda Dweck for organizing this very successful event, along with her team of Jen Abbott,  Lisa Mirabile, and Karen Manning who worked diligently to promote the event to the League and the wider community.

 

Jane Leighton Award 2020 Nominees

It is time for LWVN members to think about the Jane Leighton Award recipient for 2020.  As a reminder, the Jane Leighton award was created in 1980 with the following proclamation.

  • Whereas Jane Leighton has for many years given generously of herself as a volunteer to the League of Women Voters, and
  • Whereas, she has contributed her wisdom and strength to further the goals of the League, and
  • Whereas, she has always willingly served in whatever capacity she has been called upon to fulfill, and
  • Whereas, she has consistently brought humor and goodwill to all who worked with her,
  • Now therefore we, the League of Women Voters of Newton, create in her honor “The Jane Leighton Volunteer-of-the-Year-Award” to be given each year to that member who exemplifies some of those qualities that we treasure in Jane.

Based on this  proclamation, I am writing to invite you to submit recommendations of members who you think should be considered a nominee for the 2020 Jane Leighton Volunteer-of-the-Year-Award.

You can do this by sending name(s) to me at  marcia@marciajohnson.org by March 20th.

Sincerely,

Marcia Johnson