News and Events

League of Women Voters^®
of Needham

News and Announcements about the Needham League of Women Voters

Needham Summit. Back to School. Green Energy Tour. Town Meeting Video. LWVMA Advocacy. Fall Forum 2009. Climate Change. Town Finances. NHS Scholarship. Youth Voting. Organic Lawncare.

Needham Summit on Energy and the Environment

A collaboration of Olin College, Needham League of Women Voters, and Green Needham
Massachusetts is a national leader in aggressively meeting multiple energy and environmental challenges. The Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2020 describes what Massachusetts will do by 2020 toward:

reducing energy costs,
creating energy independence,
accelerating the development of a clean energy economy,
addressing global climate change,
mitigating the human health and financial impact of air pollution

Communities have a vital role to play in achieving these goals. Needham is already stepping up to the challenge, but where do we go from here? What can Needham be in 2020? This important Fall Forum is an opportunity to consider a shared vision and responsibility for our future.
Program:

Conversation with David Cash and Anthony Brooks about the Massachusetts 2020 plan and the roles of the state and communities in achieving it.
Break-out groups on "what's next," + to generate and discuss ideas on what Needham could be in 2020 and how we might get there.

Themes:
Water
Food
Transportation
Energy Sources and Choices
Development: the Built Environment
Energy Efficiency & Conservation

The Green Economy: Opportunities & Skills
Summary by discussion groups

The forum included: interested citizens; town leaders; students from Olin, Wellesley, and Babson Colleges; Needham students; representatives from businesses, houses of worship, and community groups; and legislators.
Information and resources will be maintained and updated at the Summit Resource Page

Back to School - LWVUS Studies the Federal Role in Education

What is the role of the Federal government in Education? Too much?....Too little? The League of Women Voters of the United States is conducting a study of the Federal Government's Role in Education. The results of the study will shape LWVUS' education position and lobbying efforts.
Local Leagues throughout the United States are reviewing the same study materials and answering the same consensus questions.
Should there be a national curriculum? ...and national assessments for our students? Would a greater federal role lead to unfunded mandates? Would it ensure more equitable funding for all students?
The national Study Committee has put together background material. There are detailed reports, and then there are simplified versions of these reports. Choose which works best for you. The shorter summaries may be found at this website. The more detailed summaries can be found at this website.
Our local Consensus Meeting was on Thursday, October 13, at the Needham Historical Society. We invited Don Gratz, Chair of the Dept. of Education at Curry College and former member of the Needham School Committee, and Susan Bonatiuto, Needham Public Schools Administrator, to serve as our experts as we deliberated together.
A Consensus Meeting is a unique LWV event open to LWV members.

Green Energy Tour of Needham Homes

View the Home Energy Tour flier
Click here for more details. If you want more information about individual houses on the Green Energy Tour, click here.

Needham Town Meeting Making Your Voice Count

View the youtube video for Needham Town Meeting Making Your Voice Count
This half-hour program was developed by the Needham League of Women Voters and The Needham Channel. The show will help residents to better understand Needham's representative Town Meeting: what it does, how it works, and how to become a Town Meeting Member. Town Meeting is the legislative branch of our local government. One-third of this 240-member body is elected each year. If you want to know more, please tune in. The show features local officials as well as current and aspiring Town Meeting Members.
Needham Town Meeting: Making Your Voice Count will be shown on The Needham Channel throughout February, 2011 on the Community and Municipal Channels (for information on the channel and time visit http://www.NeedhamChannel.org). It is also available on YouTube.com (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YEsJwlRNDI).
Nomination papers for candidates running for Town Meeting Member (TMM) are available in the Town Clerk's Office now for the Annual Town Election to be held on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. New TMM candidates must obtain at least 10 valid signatures of registered voters in their precinct. The last day to file completed nomination papers is Tuesday, Feb. 22.
According to Town Clerk Tedi Eaton, the following TMM positions will be on the ballot: eight TMMs from Precincts A, C, D, E, F, G, H, and J for three years each; seven TMMs from Precinct B for three years; nine TMMs from Precinct I for three years; one TMM from Precinct C for one year; one TMM from Precinct D for one year; a total of 82 seats. For further information contact the Town Clerk's Office at 455 7510.

LWVMA Advocacy

The League of Women Voters has two separate and distinct roles.

Voter Service/Citizen Education: we present unbiased nonpartisan information about elections, the voting process, and issues.

Action/Advocacy: we are also nonpartisan, but, after study, we use our positions to advocate for or against particular policies in the public interest.

For more specific information about LWVMA Advocacy click here.

Fall Forum 2009 Envisioning a Sustainable Needham

On October 19, 2009 Award-winning architect and urban planner Paul Lukez inspired us with ideas and examples of how suburbs can thrive in the 21st Century. An accompanying environmental fair with town planners and community groups displayed exciting plans for Needham, including bike paths, nature trails, and "smart growth" in Needham center.
For a copy of the event flyer, click here.
For more specifics about the event, click here.

Climate Change

Read a newspaper article about the LWV-Needham 2007 Fall Forum which focused on Global Warming.
In Needham buildable open space is rapidly disappearing. What can each of us do to keep our Town as green and livable as possible? We can plant street trees and take care of the trees already growing in our yards. Here are some of the benefits we derive from the trees growing around our homes. Keep Needham Green with Trees

Town Finances

View a newspaper cartoon about the LWV-Needham and Understanding Town Finances .

Needham High School Scholarship

The League of Women Voters Needham Scholarship is awarded to a NHS graduate who has shown commitment to the LWVN mission to encourage informed and active participation in government; work to increase understanding of major public policy issues and to influence public policy through education and advocacy. This commitment may be shown through

participation in an election-related program[s];

participating in educating voters, and pre-voters, on issue[s] relating to government and/or candidates;

voter registration efforts and get out the vote campaigns;

participation/leadership in an established program which teaches the process of governing [such as, but not limited to, the YMCA Youth in Government Program, Model Congress, Student Council, Political/Environmental programs, etc.]

other activities deemed appropriate to the LWVN mission by the selection committee

Scholarship Winners
2007 Elena Dormody
2008 Alissa Brill
2009 Ethan Bauer
2010 David Robinson

Youth Voting

Read a Needham Hometown Weekly article about how the League is helping to facilitate youth voting.

Organic Lawncare

Click here for a link to a pamphlet about pesticide use on your lawn.
The Water Resources Committee has worked with the Needham Board of Health on promoting the importance of organic lawncare. Read more about organic lawncare.
For more information, contact the Needham Board of Health (BOH@town.needham.ma.us or call: 781-455-7523: FAX: 781-455-0892) or check these websites:

http://www.EnvironmentalLeague.org - "Pesticides Update" to "Poisoning Ourselves: ..."
http://www.greendecade.org - "Committees" to "Committee for Alternatives to Pesticides"
http://www.ci.wellesley.ma.us - "Town Depts." to "Nat. Resources Comm." to "Pesticide Awareness Campaign"

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: February 4, 2012 12:06 PST.