May 2007 League of Women Voters Arlington, Massachusetts www.lwva.com Calendar Saturday 5/5 9 am to 1 pm Arlington Recycles Day! See page 16 for details. Tuesday 5/15 7 pm Tuesday 5/29 7:30 pm Friday-Saturday June 1-2 Sunday June 10 6:30 pm Board Meeting at Carolyn Parsons home, 23 Brewster Road. All members welcome. Richard Duffy speaks on Arlington s Second Century: 1907-2007 as part of the Town Bicentennial program. See last page for details. LWVM Convention, Marlborough, Mass. Visit www.lwvma.org to get a registration form. Annual Meeting at Meredith Zona s home, 1 Andrews Way. Our guest speaker will be John Worden, retiring Town Moderator. Look for your Annual Meeting workbook about May 26. Gov. Deval Patrick addresses the crowd at Day on the Hill April 10. See story on pages 14-15. More photos on pages 8 and 15. Photos by Phyllis Maddox Carolyn Parsons: President CarolynMParsons@msn.com Judy Petrie: Membership judyapetrie@yahoo.com Kim Haase: Bulletin Editor c.haase@comcast.net Margaret Reiners: Bulletin Mailing preiners@library.nesl.edu
May 2007 League of Women Voters of Arlington, MA Page 2 President s Message Hello, I must begin on an unfortunate note. The League does not have a person willing to accept the nomination for President of the League in Arlington for next year. I feel guilty! At the next board meeting the Board will discuss how the League will function. Now, for a plea! Please come to the next board meeting and/or Annual Meeting to prioritize what will be on the League s agenda. Should the League have a table at Town Day? Who will organize this event? Is there someone willing to formulate a budget with the Treasurer for the next year? Who will be on the Nominating Committee? The League also needs members to just come to a board meeting. Some meetings have been sparsely attended resulting in a lack of constructive dialog. Please come! On a much happier note, Candidates Night went off without a hitch despite a number of candidates not responding until the last minute as to whether or not they would participate. (Election laws preclude a debate taking place if there is a contested seat but only one candidate in attendance!) The League thanks Angela Olszewski and Ilana Rhodes for soliciting the wonderful raffle prizes. We made $150, which certainly pays for the paper goods, etc. Debra Jenney and Grace Dingee set up and served the refreshments and cleared away the leftovers. All was efficiently handled. No need for even a small twitch from me. The League thanks Joan Martin for updating, putting up and taking down the Arlington Votes signs. A truly heroic effort was made during that awful rain and wind storm. Elizabeth Thompson s presentation that shined a light on how women have shaped town government for the 200 th Anniversary celebration was absolutely wonderful! A few Leaguers have received a number of comments beginning with I didn t know, which is high praise coming from an audience largely made up of historical society members. On a sad note, the LWVA has made a donation to the Arlington Boys and Girls Club to honor the memory of Paul Leone. Carla Leone is a member of the Arlington League and a past president. Carolyn Parsons We extend a warm welcome to our newest member: Frances Lewis 111 Valentine Rd. Arlington, MA 02476 781-646-3805 Quicky737@aol.com The BULLETIN is published monthly except during the summer and December by the League of Women Voters of Arlington, PO Box 461, Arlington, MA 02476.
May 2007 League of Women Voters of Arlington, MA Page 3 Historical Lecture Focuses on LWVA By Kim Haase Note: Many thanks to Elizabeth Thompson for lending me the slide notes for her talk; this article is based very closely on them. KH The Arlington League s role in shaping town history was a major focus of Elizabeth Thompson s March 27 lecture in Town Hall, From Without and Within: How Women Have Shaped Town Government in History. The lecture was part of the series sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society and the Arlington 200 th Anniversary Committee. Thompson began with Arlington s Revolutionary past, moved to the women s suffrage movement, and continued with a focus on four main areas of town life in which women played a major part: Local government Education The environment The library system In April 1775 Mother Phoebe Batherick was digging dandelions near Spy Pond with her musket close at hand. When six retreating British soldiers who d run out of ammunition approached, she captured them and handed them over to the Minutemen in the town center, saying, Tell King George that an old woman took six of his grenadiers prisoner. Thompson took Mother Batherick and the dandelions (used to make a medicinal potion) as an emblem of the evening s themes: women s quest to have a voice in human affairs along with the tenacity, determination, and strength to use it. Dandelion comes from the French for teeth of the lion. She cited the 1774 letter where Abigail Adams wrote, If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation. It took over 100 years for women in Massachusetts to gain any such voice. In 1879, the year after a women s suffrage amendment was first introduced in Congress, women won the right to vote in School Committee elections. In 1896, Mrs. John Peatfield became the first Arlington woman elected to the School Committee. In the meantime, many women were active in civic affairs. The Arlington Women s Club, founded in 1895, registered women to vote, gave evening classes, advocated the appointment of a tree warden, pushed to extend library hours reflecting the 4 main themes of women s involvement--and sponsored a district nurse. Among the Club s most active members were the sisters Ida, Eliza, and Caira Robbins, members of the town s leading philanthropic family, which oversaw the design of the Library and Town Hall, among many other civic activities. (Continued on page 5)
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May 2007 League of Women Voters of Arlington, MA Page 5 Historical Lecture Focuses on LWVA (Continued) Arlington women were elected to the School committee in the years 1896-1899. However, fewer and fewer women voted in these elections. Many were discouraged by their limited voting rights and complete lack of role in budget-making a key to political power while others opposed women s suffrage, taking the traditional limited view of women s sphere. Both pro-suffrage and anti-suffrage groups were active in town, particularly before the 1915 referendum in which Massachusetts men voted down women s suffrage by a large majority. One star of the suffrage movement was Blanche Ames, an Easton resident, who was a talented activist and cartoonist and the grandmother of Arlington citizen Oakes Plimpton. After women s work in World War I convinced more and more men of their abilities, the 19 th Amendment finally passed in Congress and the state legislatures in 1920, an event that was reported in the fine print of the Arlington Advocate among the wedding and birth announcements. In that year, the National American Woman Suffrage Association became the League of Women Voters, which encouraged women to use their new power to participate in a non-partisan way at the grassroots level in shaping public policy. Arlington didn t form a chapter of the League until 1949, but Arlington women quickly became active as voters, officeholders, and civic activists: Edna Caroline Pierce, the first to hold an office other than School Committee member, was elected Town Clerk in 1924 and held the office for 12 years. Victoria Dallin fought for 31 years to establish a branch library, finally succeeding in 1938. (Continued on page 7) LEONE & LEONE ATTORNEYS AT LAW A GENERAL PRACTICE LAW FIRM EXPERIENCED IN REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS AND PROBATE MATTERS ALSO CONCENTRATING IN: CONDO CONVERSION - WILLS AND TRUSTS ESTATE PLANNING - GUARDIANSHIPS PROBATE MATTERS - BUSINESS LAW DAVID A. LEONE - JOHN D. LEONE SUZANNE M. LEONE 637 Massachusetts Avenue Arlington, MA 02476 (Tel) 781-648-2345 - (Fax) 781-648-2544 www.leonelaw.com - John@LeoneLaw.com Initial Free Consultation
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May 2007 League of Women Voters of Arlington, MA Page 7 Historical Lecture Focuses on LWVA (Continued) Annabel Parker Wood was active in war relief, the Woman s Club, the Advocate, the Friends of the Drama, the Garden Club, Zonta, and the Boys Club, and finally was one of the founders of the League of Women Voters of Arlington, along with Peg Spengler, Maud Thompson, Matilda Bradford and others. The LWVA s first project was Our Arl ington, a guide to town government published in 1951. In 1951 the town s government structure included a Moth Superintendent, but no Town Manager. The League spearheaded a campaign for the Town Manager form of government, using its characteristic method: Study the issue thoroughly and reach a position. Educate the voters, organizing a series of public meetings. Take action, in this case by leafleting every household in town on behalf of a Home Rule petition to change the form of town government. The campaign succeeded in 1952, in a close vote. The LWVA continued to lobby on issues with the State Legislature and with members of Congress, and Arlington women continued to seek office. State Representative Eleanor Campobasso served Arlington and Somerville from 1964 to 1978. Showing her environmental concern, she succeeded in passing a bill preventing dumps from being located near houses. The LWVA s next major effort, in 1970, focused on redistricting. Up to then, town meeting members were allocated to precincts based not on population but on the number of registered voters. This meant that, for example, Precinct 3 had 9 Town Meeting members, while Precinct 11 had 30. Precincts were also disproportionate in physical size. Moreover, town officeholders were also at-large Town Meeting members, further weighting the representation of certain precincts. As a result, power in town did not fairly reflect the distribution of the population. One of the hurdles to redistricting was its cost to the town, so LWVA volunteers assisted the Selectmen with the statistical work involved in reapportionment and redrawing district lines. The reapportionment passed Town Meeting in the fall of 1970, and League volunteers went door-to-door to get an accurate population count to meet a tight deadline for the next local election. Major workers in this effort included Ann Smith, Peg Capron, Peg Donovan, Carma Forgie, Bette Pinckney, Marion Savio, Virginia Thayer, Alice Verney, and Lenore Winkler. The LWVA also supported the random listing of candidates on the ballot with the incumbents marked as such the way they are listed today. The next indicator of women s progress in Arlington was the appointment of Ann Powers as the first woman Selectman, in 1973. A little later Peg Spengler of the LWVA became the first elected woman Selectman and served for seven years. Spengler was a mainstay of civic life, as a 45-year Town Meeting member, a member of the Finance Committee, Redevelopment Board, and chair of the town s 350 th anniversary celebration. Through her service on the Permanent Town Building Committee, she chaired the capital campaign for the renovation of Robbins Library. She also served the Commonwealth as a member of the Board of Trustees for State Colleges and the Board of Higher Education. Her last public project was the preservation of the Old Schwamb Mill. (Continued on page 8)
May 2007 League of Women Voters of Arlington, MA Page 8 Historical Lecture Focuses on LWVA (Continued) Another mainstay of the LWVA in the 1970 s and after was LWVA member Murdena Campbell, who was also a member of the Planning Board, the Finance Committee, and Town Meeting. In the 1980 s the LWVA took the lead on environmental issues. Along with a committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church, they campaigned successfully to have the town collect household hazardous waste. Eventually they succeeded in joining with other towns to create a regional collection site in Lexington, eliminating the space, traffic constraints, and costs of the local collection site. Also in the 1980 s, the LWVA began its campaign to renovate Robbins Library, which was antiquated, undersized, and lacking in access for the disabled. With Bette Pinckney (LWVA member and Library Trustee) as the tireless Chair of the Legislation Team and with many other town officials and organizations working together, they worked to obtain state legislation, a local bond issue, and private funds. The bond and legislation passed in 1987, and the capital campaign (chaired by Peg Spengler) raised nearly $500,000, far exceeding the goal of $350,000. The final result is the Library we know today. The Robbins sisters would have been proud. In 1990, the LWVA again focused on another environmental issue, this time recycling. They campaigned successfully for mandatory newspaper recycling, again volunteering to save the town money and labor by organizing the distribution of the new recycling information to every household. In the mid-1980 s and again in the 1990 s, the LWV remained active in educational policy, with League members like Katharine Fennelly and Janice Bakey serving multiple terms on the School Committee, and as members campaigned in support of debt exclusions and tax overrides for the schools. Thompson concluded by saying that as women continue to be active in Arlington affairs, we should remember how hard they have worked to have a voice and to shape our town government, education, environment, and libraries over the years. The world is run by the men and women who have a voice and who show up to use it as a 1908 suffragist wrote, to find their own place in the grand scheme of the universe. Rep. Jay Kaufman engages in a lively discussion with Arlington High School history students at Day on the Hill. Story on pages 14 and 15.
May 2007 League of Women Voters of Arlington, MA Page 9 LWVM Affordable Housing Study: Part 5 The Role of Local Housing Authorities in Massachusetts By Clare Gordon & Mardie McKenna LWVM Affordable Housing Study Committee members Note: Sources for this article are online at www.lwvma.org/affordablehousing.shtml. Previous articles in this series covered the need for affordable housing, zoning laws, and Chapter 40B, 40R and 40S. This article explains the work of local housing authorities and rental voucher programs. Chapter 121B of 1969 codified previous Massachusetts housing laws and enabled all cities and towns to create and operate a local housing authority (LHA). Currently there are 253 LHAs in Massachusetts, with significant differences among them based on local factors as well as the number of housing units in the community built or supported by government. Although operating in local communities, LHAs are technically part of state government. Housing authorities in Massachusetts have five board members. In towns, four members are elected and one is appointed by the governor. In cities, the mayor and city council appoint four members (one representing labor, one representing tenants, and two appointed by the mayor) and the governor appoints the fifth member. Housing Authorities Powers & Responsibilities The principal power of LHAs is to administer public housing and voucher programs that serve lowincome residents. They do this under regulations of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which establishes income guidelines for occupants and fair market rents based on median incomes for each area of the country. HUD also sets the contribution toward rent of occupants (usually about 30% of household income). Massachusetts LHAs currently operate more than 227,000 state and federal housing units. This includes 50,000 federal and 34,000 state units of public housing. They are also responsible for the majority of federal and state vouchers and other types of housing. LHAs are responsible for accounting and reporting their activity to the state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), which regulates all state programs and administers many of the federal programs. In addition to ongoing activities such as maintaining properties, screening applicants and collecting rents, the LHAs have other important powers. They may receive loans, grants and annual contributions from state or federal sources; purchase, lease or hold lands; contract for construction; borrow money; invest in securities; and engage in certain tax agreements. They are charged with working with local officials to study housing needs and living conditions in the community, and respond to the findings by providing housing for low-income families, and elderly and disabled people. With no independent source of funds, most LHAs have recently been strapped to maintain the publicly-controlled units they have and must depend on other mechanisms and community groups to initiate new developments. Rental Voucher Programs: Section 8 and MRVP Tenant-based programs or mobile vouchers are an effort to provide affordable rental housing for lowincome individuals and families outside of public housing developments. The largest programs in Massachusetts are the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program (usually called Section 8, from the federal law that (Continued on page 1 1)
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May 2007 League of Women Voters of Arlington, MA Page 11 LWVM Affordable Housing Study: Part 5 (Continued) first authorized it) and the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP). Several smaller programs are available for specialized populations, and Section 8 funds now include some project-based vouchers. The reasons for tenant-based vouchers include flexibility and choice for tenants, dispersal of disadvantaged households, involvement of the private sector in housing the poor, and potentially faster responses to changing housing needs. The main disadvantages are that tight housing markets don t provide a reliable stock of needed housing and that marginal properties are subsidized during falling markets. Funding for both the federal and state voucher programs has been cut in recent years well under applications by eligible households. Federal Section 8 funding amounts did not match inflation during the last six years, so numbers of vouchers have had to be cut while waiting lists lengthened or were closed. In 2006, Section 8 served 74,443 households in the Commonwealth. At its peak in 1990, the state-funded MRVP assisted over 14,900 households with tenant-based vouchers, but in 2005 it assisted 1,544. These cuts have exacerbated the numbers of homeless families since vouchers are the most flexible way to supply emergency housing. Warrant Article Recommendations By Pat Lieberson The League of Women Voters of Arlington supports the following fourteen warrant articles to be considered at Town Meeting beginning April 23. The League supports articles 5, 8, 10, 20, 29, 55 and 71, which are concerned with protecting the quality of the environment and valuable historic resources. Article 5 allows designated spaces for the parking of shared vehicles in Town or commercially owned lots. Article 8 allows the use of permeable paving materials in parking and loading spaces, and Article 10 requires that the development or redevelopment of property does not increase the stormwater flow from the property. Both would reduce flooding, promote soil recharge and reduce pollution of the Town s water resources. Article 20 codifies the specific rules and regulations of the Town s recycling program, making enforcement easier. Article 29 would study the feasibility of placing shelters at major bus stops, to be paid for by advertising, in an effort to encourage use of public transportation. Article 55 would study the feasibility of extending the Liberty Ride Tours to historic sites in Arlington. Article 71 would adopt the Arlington Sustainability Action Plan and place a priority on its implementation in order to maximize energy efficiency in Town operations and promote such efficiency for residents and businesses. The League supports articles 15, 18 and 70, which deal with effective governance. Article 15 would allow the Town Meeting Procedures Committee to consider changes that might encourage more citizens to become Town Meeting Members. Article 18 would move the Data Processing Dept. from the Comptroller s office to that of Town Manager, which more accurately reflects its current functions. Article 70 would allow members of local boards to miss a single meeting and still vote on an adjudicatory decision if the member had fully informed him or her self on the evidence submitted at the meeting. This would prevent the boards from having to start hearing processes over again. (Continued on next page)
May 2007 League of Women Voters of Arlington, MA Page 12 Warrant Article Recommendations (Continued) The League supports Article 9, which would make changes to the affordable housing bylaw so as to make condo units more affordable for more people and to make rents more affordable to a lower income group. The League supports Article 12 under our positions on social and economic justice. It would prohibit the taking of private property under Eminent Domain for transfer to another private party. Such taking could only be for transfer to the Town of Arlington for a public facility or use. The League supports Article 13, which requires the Treasurer to include with one tax bill each year written information on the property tax exemptions and deferrals available to Arlington taxpayers. This article was withdrawn last year when Town Meeting was assured that this would be done without having to make it a bylaw amendment. Since it was not done during the past year, it is time to make it a bylaw. The League also supports Article 51, which takes through Eminent Domain a strip of land near the new Dallin School for a sidewalk in the interest of pedestrian safety. The League of Women Voters (LWVUS) has studied political issues and taken stands since its inception in 1920. When the Board of the Arlington League of Women Voters (LWVA) decides which articles in the warrant we will support or oppose, we utilize the principles that the League at the U.S., Massachusetts, or Town level has already endorsed after careful study. We gather information to establish the intent and probable outcome of an article and determine whether it promotes better governance and public policy as expressed in existing League principles. Most Articles fall outside the scope of our existing principles, so we do not take a position on them. We hope you will appreciate that these recommendations do not come from a quick vote of a small group, but come out of a careful process of investigation, discussion and consensus. In turn, we expect you to look into these issues for yourselves and to vote in the best interest of the Town. LWVA LEADERSHIP 2006 2007 Carolyn Parsons, President 781-646-9309 Jean Potter, Organization VP 781-643-5571 Meredith Zona, Organization VP 781-648-2753 Patricia Muldoon, Action VP 781-648-1019 Patricia Lieberson, Local Action VP 781-646-1987 Kathleen Colwell, Treasurer 781-646-4522 Deborah Sirotkin Butler, Secretary 781-646-8204 Joan Martin, Voter Service Director 781-646-0752 Merri Shaw, Candidates Night 781-646-8542 Angela Olszewski, Finance Director 781-648-8649 Clarice Gordon, Publicity Director 781-648-0004 Katharine Fennelly, Voters Guide 781-648-1794 Judy Petrie, Membership Director 781-643-1753 Kim Haase, Bulletin Editor 781-643-3429 Margaret Reiners, Bulletin Mailing 781-646-9611 Janice Bakey, Email Coordinator 781-643-4345 Phyllis Maddox, Webmistress 781-646-4362
May 2007 League of Women Voters of Arlington, MA Page 13 2007 Candidates Night Recap and Thanks By Merri Lea Shaw The League had another successful Candidates Night on March 29, 2007. Town Hall was full, and around 150 people attended the event. We heard the voices of many people candidates and audience members people dedicated to Arlington and wanting to make a difference. I would like to thank the candidates for running for public office, for caring about our town and giving their time to participate in this public forum. Over 35 Town Meeting Member candidates attended and were available for questions. All of the eleven town-wide candidates took part in the event. Our moderator, Margaret Coppe, Board Member and former President of the Lexington League of Women Voters, was instrumental in the success of the evening. Eleven candidates participated, representing all five offices in the election, and each group received two questions. Margaret kept the event running smoothly, which allowed for an additional question to the School Committee candidates. I appreciated her gracious efficiency and thank her for her time. Thanks to the timers and League members, Janice Bakey, Jan Blodgett, Jane Culbert, and Nancy Sweeney, who juggled the stopwatches and time cards to ensure equal time for all candidates. Thanks to League member and owner of Open Eyes Video, Glenn Koenig, who produced and directed the live cablecast and provided the video production equipment. Thanks also to the production crew, Jackson Beutler, Lucas Gradwohl, Aidan Wilcox, and Danny Wolf; the crew coordinator, Charlotte Pierce; and the Arlington Studio support staff, Jeff Munro and Lakis Koulouris. Thanks to the Ottoson News Network. I am very appreciative of the cablecast volunteers for the amount of work and effort they contributed to broadcast this event. They made it possible for those unable to attend to view the candidates and make an informed decision when voting. Thanks to Patsy Kraemer and Jane Howard for their roles in organizing this event. Thanks as well to Dave Palmucci, for handling so many details and requests during set up. Thanks to Kathy Fennelly for producing the Voters Guide, a truly monumental task. Thanks to Angela Olszewski for organizing the raffle with donations from local businesses. The raffle brought in $155. Many additional League members made the night run smoothly. Judy Petrie staffed the League table and fielded many questions. Clare Gordon publicized the event. Gwen Hooper and Jane Howard served as official greeters, guiding and answering questions for the candidates and the moderator. Refreshment volunteers were Grace Dingee, Debbie Jenny and Victoria Ford who did set up, staffed the refreshment table, and provided food and supplies for the evening. Meredith Zona also provided supplies and picked up the food and flower donations. Cleanup after the event was handled efficiently by Kim Haase, Patricia Lieberson, and Lenore and Howard Winkler. Carolyn Parsons took care of numerous details in the tasks for the event. To all, including those I may not have mentioned, many thanks! Special thanks to Carolyn Parsons, Angela Olszewski, and Judy Petrie for providing a wealth of information and guidance for me and for never tiring of my endless questions. Candidates Night was successful because of the generosity and commitment of many League members. It was a pleasure to work with all of you.
May 2007 League of Women Voters of Arlington, MA Page 14 Arlington Sends Largest Delegation Ever to Lobby for the Poorest Among Us by Patti Muldoon This year Arlington sent its largest delegation of League members and students to Day on the Hill, the annual lobbying day organized by the state League. I led a delegation which included Deborah Sirotkin Butler, Clare Gordon, Dr. Cheryl Hamlin, Marian King, Colleen Kirby, Phyllis Maddox, and new member formerly from Lexington, Erna Greene. Our League hosted 25 Arlington High School juniors and seniors with their teacher Jay Barry. The students were from the Advanced Placement class in American History. Over the last several years Jay and several students have come. This year all the students in his large class wanted to attend; some talked about how excited they were to have the opportunity to join us at the State House. They seemed fully engaged and asked wonderful, challenging questions. This year s annual lobbying day organized by the state League focused on the theme of the Faces of Poverty in Massachusetts. I d say this was one of the most interesting and enjoyable Days on the Hill I ve yet experienced. Immediately after grabbing coffee and pastry at 9 am in Nurses Hall, we went directly to the hearing room around the corner for a meeting kindly arranged by Rep. Jay Kaufman. (Unfortunately the hungry students had to throw out what they couldn t wolf down, because we weren t allowed food in the fancy newly-renovated room.) We had a wonderful back-and-forth discussion with Jay. He often leads and almost always supports League priorities. Then we continued our discussion with Rep. Will Brownsberger. One of Will s goals is to change the size of school zone parameters for drug-related sentencing an issue that predominantly affects poorer citydwellers. We hurried down to a full Gardner Auditorium at 10:00 to hear Governor Deval Patrick. After a standing ovation, he addressed the many areas in which he announced significant progress in improving state government. Next we had presentations and Q&A with: Noah Berger, Director, MA Budget and Policy Center Lyndia Downie, President, Pine Street Inn Sylvia Ferrell-Jones, CEO, YWCA Boston League Program Specialists As the Justice Specialist, I addressed the concerns that those who are poor, sick, and minorities are disproportionately represented in our prisons. When I called for education, not incarceration, the whole audience applauded. Clare Gordon, our other Specialist from Arlington, wasn t feeling well, so her presentation on basic human needs was given by Cathy Dowd, LWVM Vice President. (Continued on next page)
May 2007 League of Women Voters of Arlington, MA Page 15 Day on the Hill (Continued) After the presentations and after the students toured the State House, most of us met with Senator Bob Havern in his sizeable office. As usual, he graciously provided a pizza lunch for the crowd. We reviewed League priority bills with him, then he regaled us with stories. As cosponsor of our endorsed bill to require health education in the curriculum, he passed along a comparison made by a nurse to a class. Beached whales die from their weight crushing their lower organs. A very young girl who gets pregnant can expect to have lifelong problems with her kidneys if her pelvis isn t developed enough to withstand the weight of the baby she carries. So it s important to give students the full information so they can be informed about their choices. Bob obviously made a deep connection with the students. That morning the Governor challenged us to lobby at the State House more than just one day a year. LWVM President Madhu Sridhar assured him that the League is present 365 days a year, doing our job. While I don t aspire to doing quite that much lobbying, I hope we can all respond to Action Alerts via email and the Bulletin over the next two years to move our priority bills through the many hurdles to getting legislation passed. Thousands of bills are filed, but usually only 1-200 bills are passed each legislative session. To pass key bills on health care, education, affordable housing, environmental stewardship and other priorities, we will all need to speak our minds to those who determine our fates and the fates of the poorest among us. Rep. Will Brownsberger talks about issues with the students. Erna Greene, Patti Muldoon, and the students listen to a presentation at Day on the Hill.
May 2007 League of Women Voters of Arlington, MA Page 16 To Celebrate Earth Day The Town of Arlington is holding its own COMMUNITY RECYCLES DAY Saturday, May 5, 2007 Come to the DPW Yard at 51 Grove Street Drop off your old sneakers so they can be recycled into new gym floors. 9 am 1 pm Got Books will collect all types of old books, including textbooks, CDs and Videos. Abitibi Paper Recycler container is at the Town Yard permanently to collect all types of papers and magazines. See your old TAX documents shredded! GET A NEW BLUE RECYCLE BIN And Uncle Sam Stickers and tattoos
May 2007 League of Women Voters of Arlington, MA Page 17 The LWVA welcomes new members at all times! LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF ARLINGTON Membership Application/Renewal Form **Fiscal Year runs from April 1 to March 31** Name Precinct Date Address Zip Occupation Telephone Email Basic Membership Dues.. $50 2nd member in household.. $23 Student (full-time).. $20 Contribution to help the LWV in Arlington, add $ TOTAL ENCLOSED $ If $50 is a hardship, please pay wha t you can and let us know that this is your dues payment. MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: League of Women Voters of Arlington MAIL TO: Kathy Colwell, 60 Claremont Ave., Arlington, MA 02476 *********************************************************************************** Please check areas of interest and activity even if you can t be actively involved THIS year. SPECIAL LEAGUE ACTIVITIES Join the Board. Position: Action: phone calls letters Bulletin: mailing soliciting ads Membership Nominating Committee Publicity Writer Voter Service: Rides to the polls Candidates Night Voters Guide Attend State League s Phonathon Be a discussion leader at local meetings Fundraising activities Offer meeting refreshments Post fliers and deliver brochures Host a meeting in my home FOLLOW ISSUES, KEEP LEAGUE AND COMMUNITY INFORMED Congress/Presidency/Election Process Discrimination/Equal Employment/Civil Rights Education/Child Care Environment/Recycling Health Care Justice/Courts/Prisons Land Use Taxation/Budgets/Deficits Transportation/Urban Policy Voting Rights Warrant Articles Review Welfare Policies/Basic Human Needs Women s Issues Zoning/Community Development/Land Use OBSERVE AT SKILLS LEAGUE COULD DRAW ON TOWN BOARD MEETINGS* Computer database Fundraising Selectmen (Mondays) Graphic design Writing articles Redevelopment Board (Mondays) Desktop publishing Other School Committee (2nd & 4th Tuesdays) Web site maintenance Conservation Commission (1st & 3rd Thurs.) Membership development Housing Authority Moderating meetings *Some of these can be seen on cable TV BEST TIME TO CALL YOU: (for phone tree reminders) Call before o clock
Town Bicentennial 2006-2007 Program Series Arlington s Second Century: 1907-2007 Richard A. Duffy, Historian and Author Tuesday, May 29, 2007 Town Hall Auditorium, 730 Massachusetts Avenue 7:30 p.m. The Arlington development boom began shortly after the town s one-hundredth anniversary, and the pace of change has continued unabated. Enjoy a lively illustrated look at how the role of town government has evolved to both respond to change and, indeed, to help modern residents have a voice in shaping community transformation. Co-sponsored by The Arlington Historical Society and the Arlington 200th Anniversary Committee League of Women Voters of Arlington Post Office Box 461 Arlington, MA 02476 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 8891 May 2007