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CALENDAR

Tues. Nov. 15. B.E.T. LWV Coffee, How This Year's Election will Affect the County Legislature, with Janet Zagoria of the LWVW County Government Committee. A member of the LWV of Briarcliff- Ossining- Croton-Cortlandt (BOCC), she has been active on voters service. She earned both her Masters and Doctorate degrees from Columbia University and is a free-lance writer and editor, most notably on Soviet political history.
The LWVW County Government Committee members regularly regularly monitor County administrative-legislative relations, the budget, election developments (meeting with the Board of Elections to discuss problems and how we can help), revaluation and consolidation (on which the LWVW has stands), housing and, currently, County Charter revision. Recently Janet and co-committee member Adelaide DiGiorgi observed the redistricting talks on the Board of Legislators Legislation Committee and roundly criticized the process.

All B.E.T. LWV Coffee programs are at 9:30am at the Bronxville Women’s Club, 135 Midland Ave., corner of Tanglewyld, one light north of the Bronxville High School.

PAST EVENTS

Tuesday, October 4th, 7:00 - 9:00pm Why taxpayers may be facing another bailout. Hosted by the LWV of Larchmont/Mamaroneck Mamaroneck Public Library, 136 Prospect Avenue Speaker: Elisabeth Radow, Chair, New York State LWV Hydraulic Fracturing Committee

Wednesday, Oct. 5 LWV of B.E.T. Program on Hydrofracking Part 1: showing of the film "Gasland", directed by Josh Fox, About hydrofracking, a way of drilling through rock for natural gas, its effects on people’s health and the pollution it brings around and beyond the drilling site, Wednesday, October 5, at 3pm, Eastchester Public Library, 11 Oakridge Plaza off Rte. 22.

Tuesday, October 11, 6:00 – 9:00pm Celebrating Eleanor Roosevelt Sarah Lawrence College, Donnelley Lecture Hall in the Heimbold Visual Arts Center Join LWV B.E.T. & Sarah Lawrence College in celebrating Eleanor Roosevelt’s birthday with a lecture by Brigid O’Farrell, author of She Was One of Us: Eleanor Roosevelt and the American Worker.

Wednesday, Oct. 12 LWV B.E.T. Program on Hydrofracking Part 2: Workshop on final NYS Environmental Impact Statement with speaker Susan Van Dolson of Westchester for Change, identifying parts of particular concern to Westchester residents, including detrimental affects on the air we breathe, the water we drink and our human health and crafting the most effective response. The opportunity for public comment ends on December 12, 2011 after which drilling permits could be issued at the State’s discretion. The workshop will be 7-9pm, Eastchester Public Library, 11 Oakridge Plaza off Rte. 22.

Thursday, October 13th, 7pm, Single Payer Health Care
Lubin Graduate School at Pace University, 1 Martine Ave., White Plains, Speakers: Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, NYS Health Plan, Bill A7860/S5425 (Gottfried/Duane) & Dr. Elizabeth Rosenthal, PNHP

Thursday, October 13th, 7pm, The Legislative Process in Government, Highlighting a Case Study–The Community Effort to Successfully Rezone Warburton Ave. Beczak Center, 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers

Saturday, October 15, 5:00-7:00 PM A Wine Tasting Fundraiser to Benefit the League of Women Voters of New York State Home of LWV Rye, Rye Brook, Port Chester President, Deborah Reisner, 21 Norman Dr, Rye, NY $75 per person or $250 Sponsorship (2 people and recognition)

Monday, October 17 beginning at 7:00 pm the East Yonkers neighborhood association’s debate will be in the Reisinger Auditorium, Sarah Lawrence College, Monday, October 17 beginning at 7:00 p.m. Invited are candidates for Yonkers Mayor and 5th Yonkers City Council District.

Tuesday, October 18th, Coffee. "A Medicare for the Future...Trimmed Down with our Health Built up."

Thursday, October 20th A Social Get Together, to address fund-raising letters. Everyone welcome! 10am at the home of Julia Pomeroy.

Thursday, October 20th, 7pm Federal Affordable Care Act, Ins. Exchanges Lubin Graduate School of Pace University, 1 Martine Ave., White Plains Speakers: Assemblyman George Latimer & Charles Bell, Consumers Union

Sunday, October 30th, from 4 to 6 p.m The LWV BET will sponsor a candidates meeting for the Town of Eastchester at Eastchester Town Hall. There will be a debate for Town Council members, one for the candidates for District 10 County Legislator, and another for candidates for District 15 County Legislator. Invited candidates for Town Council are Joseph D. Dooley Jr. (R-IN-C), Glenn D. Bellitto (R- IN-C), John V. Filibert (D-WF), Anita L. Rosner (D- WF); for District 10 County Legislator, Sheila Marcotte (R-IN-C) and John Fitzpatrick (D-WF) ; and for District 15 County Legislator, Gordon A. Burrows (R-C), Theo Moustakapoulos (D-IN) and Delfim A. Huesler (WF). Supervisor Anthony Colavita R-IN-C, who is running unopposed, will make a brief statement.

Tuesday, Sept. 20. Journal News Columnist Phil Reisman on “The Current Fiscal Climate and What It Means to New Yorkers".

Tuesday, June 21. June Coffee. To discuss the future of our local league. You may also send your comments by email (bronxvilleleague@aol.com) or letter POBox 321, Bronxville 10708. We look forward to your input! We need your email address so we can continue to keep you informed.

Tuesday, May 17.  May Coffee. Our Nuclear Neighbor – Friend or Foe?  Deborah Brancotta, Attorney with Riverkeeper, will speak to us about the issue of nuclear energy and, in particular, problems concerning Indian Point. .

Thursday, May 26. NYS Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) Open Meeting Laws. Speaker Robert Freeman, Exec. director, Committee on Open Government, NYS Dept. of State.

April 21 Annual Meeting and Luncheon Honoring Si and Vicki Ford.

March 25 Special LWV Luncheon with NYS Court of Appeals Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye, Honored Guest of The League of Women Voters of Larchmont-Mamaroneck, Joined by The Leagues of Women Voters of New Rochelle, Rye, Rye Brook and Port Chester, The Leagues of Women Voters of Westchester County and New York State.

The March Coffee was an interesting program on debunking urban legends and political rumors, as well as wading through exaggeration and twisting of the truth which often happens in the media and political arena and, even, on internet websites which people regard as reliable sources. Hmmmmm.....how reliable are they really?

The February Monthly Coffee was on hydraulic fracturing with Marion Rose from the Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition and Susan Leifer from the Lower Hudson Group of the Sierra Club.

The January Monthly Coffee Meeting was an informal discussion of Wikileaks.

The Holiday "Coffee" we had this year was a warm, low-key and very pleasant event. The day was cold, the coffee hot, and, as always, there were delicious goodies to munch on. Unlike the formal gathering of prior years, this one had no speaker and no program. We, the Leaguers, were the center of one another's attention. Bronxville's Mayor Mary Marvin dropped in, as did Eastchester Town Supervisor Tony Colavita .and we were delighted that they did. Although some of us missed the holiday tradition, I think, in the end, we were just as happy with what we had. The "Coffee" was a rare chance to simply visit, and talk - a real "time-out" from the holiday rush and pressure outside. Yes, we are activists, but the League as "haven" is also quite appealing!

Monthly Coffee: Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010,OUR LOCAL FIRE DISTRICT and what can be done about ESCALATING BUDGET COSTS. Our speaker was PAUL CHRYSTAL Former Fireman and Eastchester Fire Commissioner.

At our "Coffee" on Oct. 19th, Pat Harriss re-introduced us to redistricting and the critical role it plays in assuring a representative democratic government. By federal mandate, redistricting is done after every census to ensure that the states are fairly represented in Congress according to their populations and that districts within the states are redrawn to do the same for their own legislatures. States, of course, have fixed boundaries. Districts within a state do not. And therein lies the challenge.

New York State is famous (infamous!) for gerrymandering; allowing, in effect, the candidates to choose their voters (instead of the other way 'round) by drawing boundaries that include only their supporters. That's possible because its the party in power that does the mapping, which is then approved by the legislature it controls. The system is so effective that, out of 3000 elections held since 1982, only 39 were won by non-incumbents!

Ideally, all districts should be of equal size in population, compact, cross as few municipal boundaries as possible, and maintain party parity so all major parties are equally represented. The League is working to help achieve that by advocating change in the current process. There are 3 bills in the Senate now that address this. The League supports S1614B, which you can find on its web page. You'll read, and hear, much more about this throughout the year because it is a League priority. Expect more about it in the media as well.

On Sept. 21, our "Coffee" featured Chuck Bell, Programs Director of Consumers Union, publisher of the familiar Consumers Reports. Chuck spoke to us last spring about the Health Care Bill in general. This time he gave us an up-date with a time line about which provisions were going into effect and when.