LWV OF WESTON PREVIOUS EVENTS:
Including the most recent - the revival of the League Legislative Wrap Up in 2011


Watch the LWV of Weston's "Legislative Wrap Up 2011" HERE

SENATOR TONI BOUCHER AND REPRESENTATIVE JOHN SHABAN ATTENDED
The event was moderated by Laura Smits and questions from the audience included topics such as impact of income tax change, closing of Southbury Training School, CT economy and tax impacts vis a vis surrounding states.  And AMAZON tax impact.


The scene - Daugherty Commission Room, Weston Town Hall, Saturday morning, June 11, 2011;  Moderator Laura Smits, Sen. Toni Boucher and Rep. John Shaban;  Each legislator described their own "take" of the Session, and gave a balanced view of what lies ahead.  The FORUM reproduced photos of Sen. Boucher and Rep. Shaban with captions.



Weston LWV happenings - click on photo for more information!
The Super Bowl of Local Politics... "SPEAK UP XIII" FEBRUARY 7, 2004 ("The Town's Business Is Your Business:  Direction From the People to Their Government"); "Speak Up" reports from events in last 3 years - recent history: 2002-2003; 2001-2002; 2000-2001;

International Affairs...
Westport NEWS reported FIRST BETTY HILL FORUM ON INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS;


                                                      

H2O: Ridgefield/Wilton/Redding/WESTON LWV Program
Clean Water For Southwestern CT—Will It Be There For Our Children?
November 12, 2003
7-9 pm
Meadow Ridge Life Care Center, Georgetown, CT

Coffee/Dessert         7:00-7:30

I. Welcome/Introductions—LWV       5 mins.

II. What Is a Watershed? Why Are They Important?     10 mins.

Pat Sesto, Director, Environmental Affairs, Town of Wilton
• Local watersheds, how they work
• Water quality issues—point and non-point source pollution
• Water availability—future supply of drinking water (reservoirs and aquifers)

III. Water Quality, Water Quantity, and Taking Action—Panel Presentations 15 mins.

a. Dick Harris, Director, HarborWatch and RiverWatch, Earthplace, Westport
• Water Treatment Issues
• Monitoring, treating point-source pollution in the Ridgefield/Wilton area
b. Jessica Kaplan, Coordinator, Norwalk River Watershed Initiative (NRWI)
• NEMO Video—Luck Isn’t Enough    10 mins.
• Non-point pollution—implementing federal mandates…   15 mins
• NRWI—A model for communities, purpose, action plans
c. Cheryl Dunson, Drinking Water Specialist, League of Women Voters of Connecticut     15 mins.
• CT’s endangered reservoir lands.
• Learn how our reservoir lands can be sold for development and what you can do to permanently protect them.
IV. Q & A.          End @ 9 pm




OPENING MEETING SEPTEMBER 11, 2003 AT WESTON LIBRARY:
Legislative Review given by State Senators Judith G.Freedman, John McKinney and Representative John Stripp;  Weston FORUM reporter present (article for next week's paper).  Good audience of 30 persons present, questions about the session answered - Weston netted a $41,000 increase in State of Connecticut funding after all was said and done!   Moment of reflection asked by President Failla at opening.  Photos HERE.

As reported by reliable source...
NOVEMBER 21, 2002, Weston Library, Leagues of Women Voters of Wilton and Weston presented a forum on...
Fairfield County: A Region At Risk?
Power Lines, Traffic, Highway Gridlock and Casinos...members of four (4) area LWVs present (Redding, Wilton, Westport, Weston) to find out what's cooking:
League heard from the experts...pretty full house at Community Room (@45 people present), great questions;  emphasis on Casino Traffic during Q&A.
Bob Wilson, Director, SWRPA South Western Regional Planning Agency, enjoyed the discussion, was very impressed with League questions.  Wilton and Weston SWRPA reps there, too.  Paul Hannah, Wilton First Selectman & Energy Task Force & Working Group - gave excellent backgrounding on these issues.

In preparation for "Fairfield County: A Region At Risk?" the Weston LWV hosted another meeting earlier in the year...


The Honorable Emil Frankel (then Selectman) at "Speak Up"...previews transportation issues to surface later.



TRANSPORTATION CONVERSATION:  (Westport NEWS report)
The Honorable Emil Frankel, Assistant Secretary of Transportation, addressed the League of Women Voters of Weston on Friday, October 25, 2002.  Many people in Weston and surrounding towns attended this special and personal event, and Emil was as we all remember him--a great communicator, funny, intellectual and above all else, a person who gives honest and direct answers to difficult questions!

The League is having produced a video of the "Transportation Conversation" for later broadcast on both the Town Channel #73 as well as Channel #71--to go out to all of lower Fairfield County Cablevision customers.




"SPEAK UP 2002" took place on Feb. 23, 2002...

LWVs of Weston and Redding interviewed (for LWVCT) Sen. Freedman and Rep. Stripp;  event took place in Redding (Mark Twain Library)...discussion about Transportation and Campaign Finance...the issues for '02 "Short Session?"

An invitation...to League of women Voters members:
From Senator Kevin Sullivan...following up on Wilton League meeting this Fall:
"School Daze" school scheduling for student performance (this bill did not pass in '01)
Tracey Nichols, Senator Kevin Sullivan's Legislative Assistant invites League to an informational meeting, concerning school scheduling reform.  It will take place on January 30, 2002 from  4 p.m.. to 6 p.m. in the Old Judiciary room at the State Capitol.

As you may recall, Senator Sullivan proposed legislation last session that would prohibit high schools from starting instructional lessons before 8:30 in the morning that did not pass.  Despite evidence that early school start times have adverse effects on teenagers, due to their biological body clock, there are powerful hurdles even for school districts that want to change.

School bus contracts remain tied to common school start time patterns, so school districts must bear the cost of individually varying from the pattern.  Interscholastic sports schedules and practices remain inflexible and are routinely given priority over larger school scheduling decisions that affect the vast majority of students.  Above all, educators and education policymakers do not yet sense that parents or students demand change.

Senator Sullivan has scheduled an informational meeting to further discuss this issue.  The meeting will include a presentation by Craig Vana, the Executive Director of Special Initiatives from Minneapolis Public Schools.  Minneapolis public schools implemented later start times for high school students in 1997 and has been tracking its effectiveness.  Craig was a high school principal at the time of the change.  He will touch upon how the changes were implemented and what effects the changes have had on the students. The meeting will provide an opportunity to better understand the issues involved and to have an open dialogue on how to proceed with this statewide effort.

Senator Sullivan encourages our participation.  Questions or concerns--please call Tracy Nichols at (860) 240-8634.



Click HERE for WESTON LWV SPECIAL EVENTS...

League Brainstorming Session 6-14-01...
Summer Brainstorming Session Thursday, June 14...10:30-1am (Brown Bag Lunch)
30 Salem Road (dessert & beverages provided)...word on the street is that this was a meeting NOT TO HAVE MISSED...LWV taking action to inform public about significance of referendum and the rules that apply (including absentee ballots).


LWVCT Convention 2001 Report:
Fresh from Convention '01 in Hartford this report from Co-President...this early highlight surrounds the immediate ACTION taken by the Convention to write a letter to Senate Majority Leader to PLEASE leave the funding for the KELDA purchase as is;  lobbying by telephone was done as well...if the KELDA lands are ultimately saved, the LWVCT will know that it did its best to rally support and didn't give up...more to come (about other activities).!
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May 18 (Friday) Annual Meeting '01:
Business session report...news officers elected as nominated...
2nd ANNUAL BETTY HILL FORUM ON INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS...
Speaker at luncheon was Dr. Mark LeClair: "New Directions in Global Trade:  Searching for Alternatives to the WTO System."  Questions and answers and a wonderful day all around!  (Westport NEWS and Weston FORUM attend...watch for our report of THEIR report (s)!!!  Three dozen attend and hear Betty Hill herself speak in introduction...StateLWV Board members present, students, too...both FORUM and Westport NEWS reported most flatteringly about the event and Betty Hill's remarks.
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Speak Up 2001: agenda for the upcoming year in Weston looks serious:

Co-President moderates, Board of the LWV and a potential member are pleased, and the citizens are in a dark mood as troubling issues are voiced...MORE.



Election Reform Meeting in Weston Town Hall Tuesday, 2-27
Brown Bag Lunch in Weston Town Hall--Registrars of Voters attend from towns around Weston as well as Weston's own!!!  More than two dozen hear from LWVCT specialists!  Now everybody is interested in the subject!
News story on related matter from the Hartford COURANT...


SPEAK UP 2000 sets Town of Weston agenda for the year!

"Speak Up 2000" was an undeniable success.  At the beginning, panel talks among themselves, nervously;  First Selectman Hal Shupack answers a tough question;  Selectman Woody Bliss explains how it would be possible to get through our problems;  standing to answer a pointed question on school readiness is Superintendent Dr. Janet Shaner (in distance).  For more "who, what, when, where why and how":   Click here for close up view of SPEAK UP 2000...



For an explanation of affordable housing...
What percentage of Weston's housing stock is considered AFFORDABLE by State of Connecticut definition?
Affordable Units Added Between 1990 and 1998
 

NEW TO CONNECTICUT AND WESTON? Want to know the who, what, when, where, why and how to vote in our State? Call the local Registrars of Voters in Weston at (203) 222-2686.  To link to the LWV of Weston's KNOW YOUR TOWN DIRECTORY ON-LINE, click below:
KNOW YOUR TOWN DIRECTORY

LWVWeston's Home Page