Congratulations to the nine Leagues awarded Daniel Scharfman Citizen Education Grants. The total amount dispersed in this cycle for the four grants was $2035.
For information on the grant program, click here.
The grant program offers funds to help Leagues carry out events and projects in the areas of citizen education and voter service. Generous contributions to the Lotte E. Scharfman Education Fund have made this successful grant program possible. Please consider donating to the fund. Donations can be made through the website, lwvma.org. A big thank you to those of you who have donated in the past, making this grant program possible.
LWV Arlington: Candidates’ Night
LWV Arlington (LWVA) co-sponsors an annual Candidates’ Night with a Town of Arlington Committee called Vision 2020. LWVA is responsible for contacting/inviting candidates to attend the event where they present their ideas and respond to questions from attendees. The event, held in Arlington Town Hall, covers local positions such as Selectmen, School Committee, Housing Authority, Town Clerk, etc. LWVA prepares the Voter’s Guide for Candidates’ Night, a printed pamphlet that contains a picture, brief biography and response to questions posed by LWVA for each candidate.
LWV of Cape Cod Area: Public Forum on Medical Marijuana
The League of Women out of Cape Cod area will be sponsoring a healthcare forum on April 30 that examines community/statewide issues related to marijuana and its impact on health, with a specific focus on medical marijuana.
LWV Concord-Carlisle: Public Forum on Selecting a New Superintendent
The current Superintendent of Schools for the Concord Public Schools (K-8) and the Concord-Carlisle Regional School District (High School) will be leaving her position in June 2017. The search for a new superintendent is expected to take place in the next 10 months. This League will sponsor a public forum for citizens to discuss and express their views on matters related to the search for and selection of a new superintendent, including the qualities they think most important.
LWV Hamilton-Wenham: Voter Registration and Education Banner
The League of Women Voters of Hamilton-Wenham has purchased a cloth table throw banner with the League logo to support its efforts to register new voters and increase voters’ interest in and knowledge of local government. The banner will be used during voter registration events at local schools, during Candidates’ Night, and at the March 10 Civics Bee – any event where LWV Hamilton-Wenham invites the public.
LWV Harvard: Housing Forums
The Harvard League of Women Voters has launched a series of voter education forums on issues related to housing to look at: difficulties in getting affordable housing approved; housing options for seniors; diversity (or lack thereof) of housing stock. The goal is to both raise awareness and spur people to become involved in one or more activities to adjust zoning as needed; work on important town committees; or work to drive change in the town’s governance structure so that it will be easier to make important decisions regarding housing.
LWV Greater Haverhill: Naturalization/Registration Materials
LWVGH has started attending Naturalization Ceremonies in Lowell and Lawrence, where the League distributes flags, explains to new citizens how to complete the voter registration form, and collects and mails in the forms.
LWV Marblehead: Town Meeting Guide
With input from the Town Administrator and Town Moderator, LWV Marblehead is writing and printing a Town Meeting Guide. The purpose of the guide is to encourage attendance at Town Meeting.
LWV Shrewsbury: “VOTE Tuesday” Signs
These signs will educate and remind the voters of an upcoming, primary, municipal, state and national election and therefore be used at least twice per year.
LWV Westford: “Election Day is Tuesday!” Banner
As the town of Westford no longer wishes to be responsible for the printing, maintenance, and hanging of a banner which provides a visible reminder for citizens to vote, the League of Women Voters of Westford has agreed to take on this project. The banner will be three feet by eighteen feet and will stretch across one of the town’s main streets. It will be printed in red, white, and blue to catch the attention of the townspeople. In addition to “ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY!” the poll hours will be printed, as will our League logo.