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Video of Roundtable Discussion on the Preservation and Use of Crystal Lake

Crystal LakeOn February 22, 2021, LWVN hosted for a Roundtable Discussion on the Preservation and Use of Crystal Lake to explore how to balance the competing interests regarding Crystal Lake – the preservation and sustainability of the Lake, and the use and enjoyment of the Lake by the general public.

The discussion began with a presentation by the Crystal Lake Conservancy on the environmental sustainability of the Lake, and went on to explore questions such as:

  • How the rules and regulations regarding the use of the Lake for swimming, boating and fishing compliment the environmental concerns regarding the use of the Lake?
  • How do they compete with those environmental concerns?
  • Do the current rules and regulations concerning the use of the Lake best meet the desires of the general public to use the Lake as a resource for recreation?

 

Saying Thank You and Good-bye – A conversation with outgoing City Clerk David Olson

In the last few days before his retirement, I had the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with David.  Twenty years ago, he came to Newton from the House of Seven Gables to lead Historic Newton, which was housed in the Jackson Homestead.  In 2005, at the time of Ed English’s retirement, David applied for the position of City Clerk and Clerk of the Board of Aldermen (now City Council) and became the eighth City Clerk in Newton’s history.

Let’s now learn about David and how he approached this new and intriguing opportunity to work with the Newton community and others in City Hall.  He brought leadership, innovation, and a focus on talent development to the Clerk’s office that it had not seen before, especially to the Elections Office.  The City Council and the Executive Department will miss David, and so will I!

Thank you, David for all that you have done for Newton!  You are leaving big shoes to be filled.

Marcia Johnson

 

The League Presents: VOTE16 Newton

January’s The League Presents features a discussion with Newton North High School junior Olivia Pozen and Newton North High School senior Coral Lin, co-chairs of Vote16 Newton, a non-partisan, student run campaign dedicated to lowering the voting age in Newton to 16 years.

Olivia and Coral, as one of their advocacy projects,* are working alongside several other students to pass Vote 16 through a home rule petition in Newton. Together with City Councilor Bill Humphrey, Olivia approached the LWVN about having a show on the Vote16 initiative. LWVN has not yet taken a position on the proposed home rule petition.

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LWV US calls for removal of President Trump

January 8, 2021 letter from LWVUS Board President Deborah Ann Turner

Last night, the full LWVUS and LWVEF boards met to consider the events of this week and unanimously voted to call for the removal of President Trump from the office of the president.

And this afternoon, we issued an action alert for people to call their senators and ask them to support impeachment.

This was an unprecedented decision for our organization. As a respected, 100-year-old nonpartisan institution, the League’s action represents the grave and extraordinary nature of this moment in history. The world we live in is fundamentally different after the events of January 6.

Donald Trump showed himself to be a dangerous agitator with the power and will to upend our democracy by force. He is a threat to our republic and to our national security.

We know that this decision will be controversial, but this moment in history demands we protect and defend our democracy. We cannot stand silent as the actions of President Trump this week have demonstrated he is unfit for office. We will not endure the next two weeks and the potential for further damage to our democracy and the world. It is time to remove him from office by any legal means possible, which is why LWVUS supports both impeachment and the 25th Amendment as viable options to ensure safety of Americans and preservation of our republic.

The statement we issued this morning was not a partisan one. As we made clear in the statement, we support the processes that would remove Donald Trump and install Mike Pence as president for the remainder of the term. On January 21, we are hosting a webinar how our nonpartisan and DEI policies intersect and how to navigate them during hyper-partisan times. We welcome everyone to attend.

All of you, our members across the country and around the world, have joined this organization because you believe in the power of women to create a more perfect democracy. Today, we ask you to stand together in this decision to defend democracy as we have for 100 years.

In solidarity,

Dr. Deborah Ann Turner signature

Dr. Deborah Ann Turner
Board President, LWVUS

Happy 100 Years LWV Massachusetts! And Congratulations to our “Formidable Woman” Bonnie Carter!

Linda and Bonnie celebrating 100 years of the LWV 12/13/20

On December 13, 2020, the LWV of Massachusetts celebrated its 100th birthday with a birthday gala attended by over 250 people.

At that celebration, LWVMA honored the “formidable women” from local leagues.  LWVN’s very own Bonnie Carter was recognized as one such “formidable woman” for her over 40 years of work with the league.

We are so proud of you, Bonnie!!

A video montage of the LWVMA’s last 100 years can be viewed below. Read more →

The League Presents: The Evolution of Fun & Entertainment during the Pandemic with Jerry Reilly

We have all been experiencing a difficult 2020 and as we approach its long-awaited end, I thought reflecting on Newton’s Fun & Entertainment during the Pandemic with Newton’s own “instigator” of fun Jerry Reilly would be a nice way to usher out the year.  To accomplish this, Jerry and I had a conversation while he shared video clips showing how fun in Newton evolved from being solely virtual to its migration outdoors and now is coming full circle to having to go back to virtual offerings.

As you watch the program, here are some highlights to look for…

  • Nomad Story Slam with a special surprise for Mayor Fuller
  • Video clips of the Newton Theater Company, Piano Summit organized by Chris Pitts, and Capella Clausura with its leader Amelia LeClair
  • The New City Church sponsored gospel concert, Hope is Rising featuring Reverend Devlin Scott, emcee, and vocalist Katani Summer, a teacher at NSHS
  • Just before “live” entertainment came to its end, there was an outside production of Waiting for Godot at the Durant-Kenrick House.

So please take a moment to sit back, relax and have some fun watching Fun & Entertainment During the Pandemic!

LWVN supports mail-in and early voting for upcoming special elections

December 7, 2020

Dear Representative Lawn,

On behalf of the League of Women Voters of Newton, I am writing in support of House Bill H5111.

As you are aware, Newton must hold a special election to fill city council vacancies that occurred with the resignation of Councilor Auchincloss and the death of Councilor
Ciccone. The pandemic is showing no signs of waning, but rather is escalating across the state and country. The citizens of Newton must feel safe voting in these elections. Therefore, we ask that the Joint Committee on Election Laws support Governor Baker’s request, on the City’s behalf, to allow Newton to use mail-in and early in-person voting for this upcoming election.

One of the League’s core beliefs is to build citizen participation in the democratic process. In order for the League and the City to do this, we must ensure that our election processes are accessible, safe, secure, and transparent.

In closing, thank you for taking this letter of support into consideration when the committee makes its decision.

Sincerely,

Marcia Johnson
President, League of Women Voters, Newton

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