DATE: Saturday, Sept 17, Radisson Hotel-Utica Center 200 Genesee St., Utica, NY

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1 Utica/Rome Voter Issue 64; September 2016 Newsletter of the League of Women Voters, Utica/Rome Metro Area P.O. Box 24 Washington Mills, NY Officers st Vice-President 1stVice- President@lwvuticarome.org Shirley Hilts-Adams nd Vice-President 2ndVice- President@lwvuticarome.org Lorrie Wasielewski Treasurer Treasurer@lwvuticarome.org Nancy Agen Secretary Secretary@lwvuticarome.org Barbara Gibbs Directors: Directors@lwvuticarome.org Dianne DiMeo Carol Fitzgerald Donna Goodwin Lucretia Hunt Karen McBride Mary Monaco Ressie Nesbitt Donna Rubin Barbara Shuck Sally Swierczek Carole Torok-Huxtable GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING HUMAN TRAFFICKING & DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION DATE: Saturday, Sept 17, 2016 WHERE: SPEAKERS: Radisson Hotel-Utica Center 200 Genesee St., Utica, NY Carl Boykin, Director Human Trafficking Prevention New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Melissa Loiacano, Community Education, YWCA SCHEDULE: 9:30 Registration 10:00 Breakfast Buffet 10:45 Speakers Presentations 11:30 LWV Business Meeting COST: $17/person (includes tax & gratuity) To make reservations, contact Trudy Kennedy at or Reservations@lwvuticarome.org by Tuesday 9/13 NOTE: If you have made a reservation and cannot attend, please cancel by Thursday 9/15, or full payment will be billed. attendees not wanting meal, may attend free of charge Nominating Committee: Action Alert Chair: Historian/Archivist: Newsletter: NominatingCommittee@lwvuticarome.org Lillian (Trudy) Kennedy Donna Lomis Rubin Dianne DiMeo Marcelline Bilton Dawn LaGuerre Publicity: Barbara Shuck

2 What do we mean by Non-Partisan? One of the key tenants of the League of Women Voters is the non-partisan approach to its activities around engaging, educating and advocating. In that vein, we do not support or oppose candidates for public office, but do encourage our members to participate in the political process as individuals. As a member of the LWV, please be conscientious of this distinction. When representing the LWV, it is important that we maintain the integrity of being non-partisan and refrain from promoting a specific candidate or political party. Each year our Non-Partisan Policy (which can be found on our website) is reviewed, updated and must be approved. LWV Utica-Rome Nonpartisan Policy Annual Meeting Summary Our 58th Annual Meeting was held on May 21 at Harts Hill Inn. The proposed slate of Officers and Directors, the budget and our local program (to continue monitoring Oneida County Sewer District Permit Compliance and Abatement Project,) were approved for Elected from the floor were Dawn LaGuerre and Marcelline Bilton to fill Nominating Committee vacancies. Shirley Hilts-Adams thanked all for their support of the transition to Leadership Team management this past year. Remarks from the floor: County Clerk (and member) Sandy DePerno expressed appreciation for our service in registering new voters at County Naturalization Ceremonies Rome Mayoral candidate forum in November "a huge success" Should we revive "Observer Corps" presence at local legislative meetings to increase our visibility? Guest speakers Samantha Colisimo Testa and Marie McNeil enlightened us with their experiences in running for office, winning their elections and now serving on the Utica Common Council. Summer Activities LWV, Utica/Rome kept busy over the summer, while enjoying some much deserved rest (knowing that the fall election season will be keeping us busy!). Here is a summary of what occurred over the summer months: BOARD - June 4: Minutes of May 7 and Annual Meeting were approved. A meeting calendar was established (see dates in this VOTER). Topics for General Membership Meetings were discussed and Dawn Laguerre offered to coordinate the September meeting. Agreement to register voters at World Refugee Day (6/8) and Utica City Hall Tax Day (8/1). Board Orientation materials were distributed. LEADERSHIP TEAM - July 19: Planned an all member orientation/social event for 8/24. Reviewed requests for voter registration tables received to date and "woman power" to staff a consideration. The list of offices to be filled in November was also reviewed as well as several county level races that are of particular interest for candidate forum consideration.

3 BOARD - August 6: Minutes of June 4 approved. (Complete minutes are posted on the members only section of our website following approval at Board meetings). Monthly financial reports accepted as ed by Nancy Agen. She noted 990 to IRS was filed, a CD was renewed and Webmaster fee has been paid. Main focus was discussion of targeting registration sites to reach areas where our efforts can have the most impact i.e., employers, health clinics, public events. (Confirmed dates are noted later in this Newsletter). Decisions regarding candidates forums will be made after the 9/13 Primary keeping in mind that MVCC has scheduled a Congressional District forum for 9/23. BOARD/MEMBER ORIENTATION: Aug 24: Held at Lorrie Wasielewski s house, a meeting and orientation session was held in a casual, comfortable setting. Discussion included the League s responsibilities under the Leadership model that was adopted last year. For those unable to attend, a folder of material will be available at the October Board meeting. Board Meetings New Hartford Library 10:10 - noon LWV Meeting Schedule General Membership Meetings Place To Be Announced in each newsletter Sept 17, 2016 October 1, 2016 November 5, 2016 November 19, 2016 December 3, 2016 January 7, 2017 January 21, 2017 February 4, 2017 March 4, 2017 March 25, 2017 April 1, 2017 May 6, 2017 May 20, 2017 NATURALIZATION CEREMONIES NATURALIZATION CEREMONIES Oneida County LOCATION - ARRIVE by 9:30 a.m. Sponsored (All Fridays) Ceremony Begins at: September 30, 2016 Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute 10:30 a.m. November 4, 2016 MVCC Info. Technology Bldg. Aud. 10:30 a.m. Federal Sponsored (All Thursdays) LOCATION - ARRIVE by 10:00 a.m. Ceremony Begins at: September 22, 2016 Ft. Stanwix, Rome, NY 11:00 a.m. December 8, 2016 Pirnie Fed. Building, 3rd Flr. Courtroom 11:00 a.m.

4 ELECTION 2016 Our League has been busy with its voter registration activities for the 3 primaries this year (April 19, June 28, Sept 13) and for the November 8 th General Election, registering a total of 383 people this year, as of this writing. Of those, 190 were from 17 voter registration drives and 193 were during 7 naturalization ceremonies attended by LWV members. These include: May 2 & Aug 1 coordinated with City of Utica Comptroller s Office for citizens lining up to pay their property taxes June 18 Mohawk Valley Center for Refugee s World Refugee Day at Hanna Park Aug 12 in conjunction with RCIL s Herkimer office, participated in Little Falls Canal Days Sept 1 Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency s Health & Wellness Fair Saturdays during July-Sept Oneida County Public (Farmer s) Utica Train Station These registration drives have allowed us to register new voters, allowed voters to update their registrations due to address changes or party changes, and provided absentee ballot applications/information. During these 17 drives, 48 people also registered to donate organs/tissues upon death. Upcoming Voter Registration drives Location Date Time Utica College White Hall (Academic Bldg) 9/12, 14, 15 & am 2 pm Utica College Strebel Student Center 9/21 1:30 4:30 pm Herkimer College McLaughlin College Center 9/14 & am 2 pm MVCC Utica 9/27 (National Voter Registration Day) & 10:30 am 2 pm Pratt School of Art & MWPAI, school cafeteria 9/28 10/7 11 am 2 pm If called upon by a member of the Voter Services Committee to assist with registration at a drive or a naturalization ceremony, please consider agreeing to volunteer. A few hours spent affording people a voice in their government is an invaluable gift. For up-to-date information on the ongoing election season, go to our website ( and follow the links. -Karen McBride, representing Voter Services Committee Friday, Sept nd Congressional Debate to be held at MVCC s Shafer Theater; LWV Utica/Rome will be present to register voters before & after the debate, scheduled to 6:00 pm. Look for details in upcoming s or LWV website GENERAL ELECTION-TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 th (information the League of Women Voters, NYS newsletter) Register in person by Friday, October 14th Register by mail: Postmarked by Friday, October 14th and received by October 19th Apply for absentee ballot in person by Monday, November 7th Apply for absentee ballot by mail: postmarked by Tuesday, November 1st Deliver ballot in person by Tuesday, November 8th Deliver ballot by mail: postmarked by Monday, November 7th and received by Saturday, November 12 th

5 Lu Blanchard Jackie Leisos Anne Popeo Diane Stebbins Germaine Gogel Ken Mazlen Sharon Seth LWV/Utica Rome Website Please visit our website ( for information on upcoming primaries, voter registration opportunities, updates on our activities, and links to many resources. A recent addition to the Home page is links to voting rights: Students Inside Albany In May, 2016, we sent 2 young women to Albany for the LWV/NYS-sponsored Students Inside Albany conference. Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, Proctor High School senior Daileny Guerrero, New York Mills High School senior Jordyn Keeck-Beach, NYS Speaker Carl Heastie NEW YORK WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE Friday, October 7, :00 am to 4:30 pm HOLIDAY INN SENECA FALLS/WATERLOO 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of women voting legally in New York. This milestone in history will be celebrated widely in our state, where the movement for women's suffrage began. We will continue organizing the rich potential for developing cultural and heritage tourism that was begun at the 2015 conference leading to the national women's suffrage Centennial in 2020.

6 (NY Women s Suffrage Centennial Conference, con t.) The Lt Gov and Chair of the New York State Women's Suffrage 100th Anniversary Commemoration Commission Kathy Hochul has been invited to make the Keynote presentation Several special breakout sessions including: - Promoting opportunities and locating funding sources - How your local TPA can help drive business to your site - How to advocate for women's suffrage events and programs Panel discussions about the suffrage movement from 1848 to present $55.00 for Network Members $65.00 for Non-Members Register at: 100th Anniversary Dates November 6, 2017 November 19, 2019 February 14, th Anniversary of Woman Suffrage in New York State 100th Anniversary of the League of Women Voters of New York State 100th Anniversary of League of Women Voters of the United States August 26, th Anniversary of the official certification of the ratification of the 19th amendment by the US Secretary of State

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8 Interested in becoming a member of the Utica/Rome League of Women Voters? Name: Mailing Address: Phone Number: Send this form along with membership dues ($25 for a student membership, $60 for a single membership or $90 for a household membership) to: League of Women Voters Membership Chair PO Box 24 Washington Mills, NY Questions can be ed to: league@uticarome.org

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