THE HUNTINGTON VOTER

Transcription

1 THE HUNTINGTON VOTER LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF HUNTINGTON P. O. Box Huntington Station, NY Oct/Nov 2018 Colette A. Knuth, President Brenda J. Walker, Editor 1

2 HUNTINGTON BOARD PRESIDENT S MESSAGE Officers This issue of The Huntington Voter takes us through October and November the months that the League is at its most active. Here s what we will be doing. Come join us! President: Colette A. Knuth Vice Presidents: Dianne Slavin Brenda J. Walker Treasurer & Membership Chair: Joyce Whitehead Recording Secretary: Patricia Fuchs Corresponding Secretary: Arlene Forwand Elected Directors: JoAnn Alario-Paulson Elizabeth Hennessy Francine Hyde Judie Gorenstein Barbara Magaliff Rosemarie Sepanski Deborah Cosher- Levitt Appointed Directors: Ann Gardner Arlene Forwand Linda Lessing Mary McLaughlin Honorary Directors Emerita: Irene Ferrand Autumn is when the Youth Committee starts the new academic year of services to our secondary and college age community members. Materials are being developed and school outreach efforts are in full swing. Members of the Issues and Advocacy Committee (formerly the Legislative Committee) are putting together schedules to meet with our Town, State, and Federal elected officials. Decisions about what issues are of priority at each of these government levels are being made. The Voter Services Committee is also working non-stop on confirming the attendance of candidates for our Meet the Candidates forums. This includes designing some of the questions that will be posed to the candidates and developing a format that will allow voters to best learn the positions of the candidates. Members of the Voter Services Committee are also working to make our presence at the last of the fall season festivals as valuable to voters as possible. There is also attention to the work that we will do during the cold days of December, January and February. The Youth Committee will need everyone to help through early spring as they visit schools before exam prep season gets underway. These months are also the best time for you to get on the ground floor of planning for the Voter Services Committee. The Issues and Advocacy Committee will also be looking for volunteers to help in following the state legislature budgeting process and scheduling special meetings with elected officials. This Committee is also looking for issues experts as it expands our much needed issues education. And despite the weather, we hope to coax you out of your warm house during those months with some fun events! All of this work, however, doesn t take our eyes off the current priority of getting everyone in our community to vote. Nationally, New York State ranks 47th in registered voters (66.5%) and 44th in voter turnout (57.2%). These statistics are disappointing but even more disappointing is New York s rank is not that far from the national average. In the heavily promoted 2016 General Election over 36 percent of registered voters stayed home. So, why don t some people vote? By now you know of the League s tireless work to reform New York State voting rules by advocating for early voting and broadening access to Absentee Voting. We also know that people have to want to vote. So what can each one of us do to turn people on to voting? I found the answer to be surprisingly simple. In an evaluation of different get the vote out tactics, Yale University found that authentic person-to-person contact was the most effective way to get people to vote. (You can find a summary of the study at isps.yale.edu/research/publications/isps12-024). So talk to the people you know your friends, neighbors, and your favorite storekeepers. There is probably quite a bit you already have in common. Let them know that you are proud to be a voter. Find out if they know when and where to vote. Tell them that the next time you see them you are going to ask if they voted. And don t forget to vote! Colette Knuth President 2

3 PRESS RELEASE Teaching High School Students how to engage in Politics: League of Women Voters and NYS Social Studies Supervisory Association Release Voter Education Lesson Plan for High School Seniors The League of Women Voters of New York State s Education Foundation and the NYS Social Studies Supervisory Association (NYS4A) are pleased to announce the publication of seven lesson plans for teachers of the New York Grade 12 Participation in Government course. The goal of these lessons is to educate New York State s future voters to become active citizens. Students will develop a better understanding of how public policy is made in New York and learn more about their rights and responsibilities as citizens. The seven lesson plans are designed to provide teachers and students with information specific to New York State. Lessons can be customized to meet the needs of individual classrooms or student interests and are designed to be inquiry-based and non-partisan. The lessons are based on the Key Ideas and Social Studies Practices of the New York State Social Studies Curriculum Framework. The lesson plans could be integrated into existing units or combined for a unit of instruction on New York government. With these lesson plans, Participation in Government teachers would have ready-made resources which will engage high school seniors. Lesson topics include: The structure of New York State Government Individual rights and responsibilities in New York State Voting in New York State The Public Policy Process (Laws) in New York Influencing New York State Government Participating in Political Action in Your Local Community Participating in Community Service in Your Local Community In addition to materials in the lesson plans, teachers are encouraged to consult the Voter Services resources developed and published by the League of Women Voters New York. Updated voter services information, including voter rights, voter registration information, voting locations, find your elected official, and district maps, is available on the League of Women Voters New York website ( The lesson plans were written by three New York Social Studies teachers: Kathleen Argus, Syracuse City School District Jody Butts, Susquehenna Valley Public Schools Robert Keyser, Shenendehowa Central School District and edited by Lisa Kissinger, Social Studies Academic Administrator, Shenendehowa Central Schools, and President of the New York State Social Studies Supervisory Association; Laura Ladd Bierman, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters New York and Jennifer Wilson, Director of Program and Policy, League of Women Voters New York. 3

4 TAKE ACTION! GET OUT THE VOTE! YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE, AND YOUR VOICE MATTERS! GENERAL ELECTION DAY: NOV. 6 We are just a few short weeks from this year s General Election on November 6. Here s what you can do to Take Action: REGISTER VOTERS - Talk to your family, your friends and neighbors and offer to help anyone who needs to register to vote. Forms are available at local libraries, or can be downloaded from Remember that completed forms must be sent to the Board of Elections, postmarked by October 12, for eligibility to vote on November 6. LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT ABSENTEE BALLOTS - Did you know that voters who are unable to get to the polls due to illness or physical disability can request an absentee ballot? Get a form from your library, or download one here and make sure it s completed and returned to the Board of Elections, postmarked by October 30. MAKE A PLAN TO VOTE - Make sure you know your polling place. Find it here and plan ahead what time you will go and how you will get there. If you know someone who might need transportation, arrange to get them a ride. Polls in New York State will be open from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm. ATTEND A VIEWING PARTY - Get together with friends and neighbors to view the election results. STAY ENGAGED - Civic engagement doesn t end on Election Day. The League of Women Voters offers many non-partisan opportunities to stay politically engaged in your community. IMPORTANT DEADLINES - October 12 last day to postmark voter registration form (must be received by October 17) or register in person at Board of Elections October 12 last day to change party enrollment for 2019 primaries October 17 day by which change of address must be received October 30 last day to postmark application for absentee ballot submitted by Erica West turbovote.org WHAT IS TURBOVOTE.ORG? TurboVote is the tool owned by Democracy Works, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization consisting of software developers, public policy wonks and civic organizers funded by the generosity of many, including Knight Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers, MacArthur Fountaion, Ashoka, The PEW Charitables Trusts and Democracy Fund. An easy voting app A QR code is a machine-readable code typically used to store URLs or other information to be read by the camera on a smartphone. The QR below is the URL code for TurboVote is an application that makes voting easy; helping every American vote in every election-local, state and national Sign up at TurboVote by scanning the QR below to receive election reminders, get registered to vote and apply for your absentee ballot. They work to make voting simple and seamless for all Americans so that no one misses an election by using technology. Since its founding, they have worked with colleges and universities, election officials, peer institutions and corporate and nonprofit partners to achieve this goal. By using the TurboVote Challenge in partnership with the business community the goal is to help reach 80% voter turnout by

5 LWV of Huntington In case you missed it The last VOTER issue (Aug/Sept 18) outlined the Issues and Advocacy committee activities and opportunities for participation. There are the musta dos and the wana do s as in our daily lives. The immediate priority for the committee is League dialogue with our public servants on issues of concern. Following good League practices of team visitation; three to four members including the leader who is a district constituent and a volunteer note taker. As such in doing the numbers we need a minimum of twelve (12) members to meet with county legislators of the 16th, 17th and 18th districts. Are you ready to volunteer? Perhaps it is a local town issue that encourages democratic participation. Join us and lend your thoughts as the committee prepares for conversations with the five (5) Town Council members. Numbers count! ISSUES and ADVOCACY Laura Lee Lustbader has consented to serve as committee co-chairperson Respond to either of us if you are able to help out. Our next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Friday, October 5th at 9:30 am. l.l.lustbader@gmail.com or aforwarwand@optonline.net submitted by Arlene Forwand, Chr. Voter Services volunteers have been in high gear all summer with a big pay off in record number of new voter registrations, absentee ballot applications and reminders to get out and vote signed up. To date we have participated in nine (9) voter registration drives at local libraries, assisted at the SPICE youth event in August and had huge success at SUNY Old Westbury where we registered 150 students! Soon we will be registering students at Five Towns College and SUNY Farmingdale. At each event we ask prospective voters if they would like to receive a text or reminder on and about election day. We are providing this service for the first time through an app called TurboVote.org Our other efforts to get out the vote include the recording of a PSA (public service announcement) for the general election that will be distributed to local colleges and radio stations. We will publish public service announcements for all of our Meet the Candidates forums. Look for them in local papers. With summer at its end we participated in the Huntington Unity Day Festival, Cow Harbor Day and the up-coming Huntington Fall Festival. The focus of all of our efforts is to get people registered and then, get out the vote. We will hold Meet the Candidates forums on the following dates: VOTER SERVICES October 22 nd : Meet the candidates for Town of Huntington Town Council and Receiver of Taxes. Harborfields Public Library from 7-9 pm. October 24 th : Meet the candidates for New York State Assembly and Senate. Five Town College, Dix Hills from 7-9 pm. Many thanks to all our member volunteers who are so generous with their time and energy. It is a good feeling to be actively involved in mobilizing the public to become informed voters and to motivate them to cast their ballot in November. Every vote really does count! submitted by Dianne Slavin Date Time Subject Location Oct 4 11:30 am-1:30pm Voter Registration Five Towns College Oct 6,13,20,27 8am Voter Registration with NAACP Northport Market Oct 6 & 7 All Day Long Island Fall Festival/Voter Registration Heckscher Park Oct 8 10am-2pm Voter Registration Farmingdale College Campus Center 2018

6 YOUTH COMMITTEE As the opening of our schools after Labor Day ushered in the new school year, our Youth Committee met on September 5, 2018 to plan ahead for events and programs for the coming school year. We hope to engage our youth and help to educate them about the political process in our country and their responsibilities and rights as citizens. As in the past, we strive to build on our past successes while maintaining what has worked well. As well, we will examine the prospect of working with middle school youngsters and perhaps other groups. The members of our Youth Committee reviewed the programs we brought to high schools last year. We will not be offering Running and Winning in 2018/19 as it is presented every other year. The League will continue to offer Students Inside Albany, Student Day at the Suffolk County Legislature and Vote18. Members of our committee collectively edited our previous letters of introduction which will be presented to school officials. These letters are either hand delivered or ed to assigned school districts. We are happy to announce that all of our local high schools will be covered as well as North Babylon, Deer Park, Central Islip, Brentwood and Wyandanch. In addition, this year we will reach out to St. Anthony s High School. We plan to make contact with the high schools by the middle of October. The Youth Committee will again be present a program entitled Youth Engaging Youth at the Cold Spring Harbor Library on January 17, Supervisor Chad Lupinacci has agreed to be on the panel. Our committee will reach out to students from March For Our Lives and Students Promoting Inclusive Civic Engagement (aka Spice) to be panel members, as well as Northport High School teacher, Darryl St. George. Barbara Beatus-Wegh, from Girls Inc., suggested the possibility of presenting activities at their programs in Brentwood and Central Islip. Seven members of our Youth Committee agreed to form a subcommittee to do a pilot project of Vote 18. We will do our first presentations at Girls inc after school programs on October 22nd, 23rd, and 24th in Brentwood and Central Islip. We members of the Youth Committee of the League of Women Voters of Huntington are firm in our commitment to our youth and energized to begin our work for the school year. The next youth committee meeting will be held on October 17th at Half Hollow Hills Library at 3:00pm. If you are not yet a member of the youth committee but would like to be, please contact Judiel728@a0l.com or FSH1@optonline.net. Our YOUTH ARE OUR FUTURE. submitted by Judie Gorenstein and Fran Hyde GET THE VOTE OUT We are pulling out all the stops and using new tools In our quest to encourage our local communities to GET OUT AND VOTE, the Voter Services Committee including Mary Speed-Perri and Dianne Slavin took the initiative and reached out to the media department of Five Towns College. They were excited to participate in our mission. Five Towns College students produced two public service announcements (PSAs), one in English and the other in Spanish. They played both versions on the campus the week before last years elections. We reached out to local radio stations, theaters and other venues to also air the PSAs. The Paramount and Cinema Arts both in Huntington showed prepared graphics on their screens before scheduled shows. The graphic was produced by our League s President, Colette Knuth. Several radio stations played the PSAs, some placed the written script on their websites. We are going forward with our mission to encourage people to vote this year by reaching out to the same and other venues. Cow Harbor Day Sunday, September 16, was a beautiful end of summer day in Northport Village. Perfect for the yearly Cow Harbor Day Parade and Festival. Our Huntington League had the best spot in the park under an old Oak tree that provided us with well needed shade as we did our annual voter registration. We had six terrific volunteers. We registered 15 people and collected 11 Absentee Ballot Applications. We engaged in great conversations with people as they strolled by and many thanked us for being there. It was a very worthwhile and a truly enjoyable day. Our team in the Voter Services Committee had the idea and we all worked together to put it into action; we will continue to work together and to use new and innovative tools. Our communities, state, and country depends on it. submitted by Deb Cosher 6

7 NEWS FROM TOWN HALL August 7, 2018 HEARINGS: Hearing 2 concerned the 3rd application for zoning change to Platt s Park on the corner of Park Ave. and 25A from R-15 Residential to C-I Office submitted by Dominick Mavella. Everyone knows the present structure, which has been repainted in circus colors with a cross on top. The developer has submitted an application that is almost identical to the ones denied by the previous board. Once again, the Historic Societies are opposed to this development in the Old Huntington Green Historic District. Hearing 3 requires a zoning change in order for a Starbucks to be constructed on the corner of Jericho Tpk. and West Hills Rd. Hearing 4 considered a zone change to R-HS Residential Health Services for property near the Cold Spring Harbor LIRR station on the corner of Woodbury Rd. and East Gate Drive, to construct a 64 bed, senior memory care assisted living facility. PUBLIC PORTION: There were speakers from Long Island Sound Keepers, Peconic Bay Keepers, Save the Village, and Citizens Campaign for the Environment represented by Adrienne Esposito, as well as residents exhorting the Board to amend the C6 zoning laws, which allow apartments over shops and businesses to the detriment of the environment. The harbors of Huntington Bay were cited as the most polluted in Long Island Sound due to overburdened, insufficient sewerage treatment plants, over development, and over population in some areas. Toxic nitrogen levels have caused beach closings due to runoff from fertilizers due to rain and overflow sewerage. Residents warned the Board about the installation by Verizon of 160 Cell Tower Boxes on very tall telephone poles, which emit radio frequency microwaves. These 5 G cell nodes, they believe, are a Class 2 B carcinogen. RESOLUTIONS: Councilman Cuthbertson opposed the new procedure whereby the town attorney reviews all contracts and approves them, and the Board rubber stamps them by voting nunc pro tunc. He believes that approval belongs to the Board members. So he voted NO on 3 contracts that were presented nunc pro tunc. Councilman Cuthbertson stated that that designation belongs to emergency contracts or donations. Resolution 349 concerned new positions and department appointments. Newsday s Editorial headline, LI s family- friends jobs system, began with The Huntington Board performed a little three-card monte with jobs this week. The Long Islander stated, Retired Court of Claims judge, Daniel Martin, who was appointed earlier this year as Deputy town attorney, will serve as the Director the Department of Engineering Services for an annual salary of $146,652. This senior citizen, receiving a pension, is now in charge of a major department. Councilman Cuthbertson decried the lack of transparency, which dissolved civil service positions, and replaced them with new titles, which did not require civil service tests, which were filled by political appointees. Councilwoman Cergol, the other democratic council member, condemned the hiring process. It is hard to witness cronyism in your home town. There was disagreement about the provisions of NYS Open Meetings Law, which was invoked by Supervisor Lupinacci which appeared to keep Councilmembers Cuthbertson and Cergol out of the budget process. September 5, 2018 PUBLIC PORTION: Reverend Artis complained that the Summer Youth Program hired only half the number of financially eligible, qualified students and gave the rest of the jobs to students who did not meet the financial limit. Some residents questioned the building of a health facility on Woodbury road adjacent to the Cold Spring Harbor RR Station. With the future opening of the Grand Central Station access, more people will be riding the LIRR, therefore more parking will be needed. RESOLUTIONS: When the first resolution was read by Town Clerk, JoAnn Raia, Councilman Cook stated that he was going to vote NO on every contract resolution that was presented. He stated that he had no confidence in the law firm the Supervisor had hired to represent the town in the litigation with LIPA. Councilman Cook wanted to hire another firm. Councilman Cuthbertson came to the defense of the Supervisor, stating there would be a whopping conflict of interest if the Town went with Councilman Cook s recommendation. When Councilman Cook stated enough time was not spent by the Supervisor on this issue, once again Councilman Cuthbertson came to the supervisor s defense. The Supervisor said LIPA is our most pressing issue, and that we are pouring all of our resources into it. The Town was awarded $333,000 from FEMA to replace the 22 year old patrol boat, with the Town paying 25% of the purchase price. Grants from the Federal Transit Administration and the State Dept. Of Transportation, along with $43,000 from the Town will pay for 3 new paratransit buses, which last year provided 49,000 rides to doctors and PT appointments, town s nutrition program, etc., as well as new hybrid battery packs for hybrid HART buses. ENACTMENTS: The Town named the Dr. Samuel Teich house on New York Ave. in Huntington Station a historic landmark. There are new rules and fees governing production companies wishing to film in the Town. Blighted properties continue to be notified with action taken by the Town to bring compliance. Gurwin Jewish Geriatric Foundation will build 237 senior housing units in 3 story buildings in Commack, as a Continuing Care Retirement Community. In Other News: RXR is suing its partner Renaissance Downtowns for incurred expenses totaling $2.1 million without RXR s knowledge or consent. Renaissance has started arbitration with a neutral third party, hoping for an amicable settlement. Question: What happens to the Huntington Station revitalization project? The Town Board revoked an agreement with the engineering firm hired to renovate the Conte Community Center in Huntington Station, because of cost overruns. 7 submitted by JoAnn McCarthy

8 JOIN THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF HUNTINGTON LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS of Huntington MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FISCAL YEAR: 7/01/2018 6/30/2019 The LWV is a non-partisan organization. We do not support or oppose any political candidate or party. The League began as a "mighty political experiment" designed to help women carry out their new responsibilities as voters. Our work was soon expanded to support all citizens in making democracy work. It is in and through the local League that members determine, directly and indirectly, what the League does and how it does it. Your Huntington League membership dues support all levels of League activity. As a member you will receive the Huntington Voter newsletter and automatically become a member of the Suffolk County, New York State and the United States League of Women Voters. Member Name(s) Address Phone How do you want to get involved? (Check all that apply). Registering voters Coordinating debates Working with students Marketing Planning events Recruiting new members Speaking to the public Using social media Monitoring finances Meeting with public officials Raising program funding Writing & publishing Do you have any special skills or knowledge that you want to contribute? Membership Type/Dues Payment Individual - $60 Donor - $75 Household (2 or more) - $75 Patron - $100 Student - $5 Also enclosed is a contribution of $10.00 or more to offset newsletter printing and mailing costs. Mail your completed membership application and dues check(s) payable to LWV of Huntington to: League of Women Voters of Huntington PO Box Huntington Station, NY If you would like to make tax-deductible donations (membership dues are not tax deductible) to the League you may do that by writing a separate check to the LWVNYS Education Foundation and mail it to the address above. Contact us at: LWVHuntington@aol.com Updated: 593/18 8

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11 WE ENCOURAGE OUR READERS TO PATRONIZE OUR ADVERTISERS! After a very busy spring, the youth committee has taken a long deserved vacation. We will be scheduling a meeting the end of August to begin planning for the school year. We are looking forward to engaging even more students and schools with strategies learned at LWVUS convention. Our youth are our future. if you are not already on the youth committee and want to be contact Judie at Judiel728@ail.com or Fran at FSH1@optonline.com. The League of Women Voters is a volunteer non-partisan political organization. We do not support or oppose any candidate for public office or any political party. 11

12 Date Time Subject Location 2018 Oct 2,9,16,23 9am Naturalization Ceremony Central Islip Federal Court Oct 15 7pm-9pm MTC-NYS Senate 5th District Focus on Children s Issues South Huntington Public Library Oct 16 11:30am Huntington Town Seniors Northport Library Oct 17 10am Suffolk Cty BOD Meeting Riverhead Library Oct 17 3pm-5pm Youth Committee Meeting Half Hollow Hills Library Oct 18 1pm-3pm Board Meeting Elwood Library Oct 18 3:30pm-4:30pm How to Choose a Candidate Workshop JCC, Commack, NY Oct 22 Oct 24 5pm-6:30pm 7pm-9pm 5pm-6:30pm 7pm-9pm How to Choose a Candidate Workshop MTC-Huntington Township How to Choose a Candidate Workshop MTC-NY State Assembly &/or Senate Harborfields Public Library Five Towns College Nov 6 6am-9pm GENERAL ELECTION Polling Locations Nov 15 1pm-3pm Board Meeting Elwood Library Nov 17 9am Housing Coalition Fall Housing Summit Cinema Arts Centre Nov 21 10am Suffolk Cty BOD Meeting Riverhead Library Facebook Twitter Website cskhuntington@lwv-suffolkcounty.org Phone LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF HUNTINGTON P. O. Box Huntington Station, NY