LWV of Hamden-North Haven

Join Us for the 2013 Hamden/North Haven LWV Annual Meeting!


The Hamden/North Haven League of Women Voters

Cordially Invites You to Our

2013 ANNUAL MEETING
open to the public!
June 17, 2013

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Park Central Tavern Restaurant
1640 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, CT  06517

Cost is $35/person

Dinner includes: Cheese Board and Buffet of Mixed

Green Salad, Black Pearl Organic Salmon,

Organic Grilled Chicken Breast and

A Delicious Dessert Board

Guest Speaker: Shahid Abdul-Karim
Community Engagement Editor, New Haven Register

Topic - "Muslim Americans: Up Close and Personal"

Please R.S.V.P. by Wednesday, June 12th to
Andrea Aldrich
andreaaldrich@yahoo.com
(203) 530-6890

Make checks payable “LWV of Hamden/North Haven”, mail to Louise Brundage, 165 Santa Fe Avenue, Hamden, CT  06517 

“Here we grow again,” smiles Elona Vaisnys, membership co-chair, as the Hamden-North Haven League of Women Voters welcomes new members.

Ann Martinuzzi brings to the League a background in real estate, strategic planning, contract negotiations, and business. She relocated from Michigan where she owned a hair salon and was a broker. She was also a residential brick sales representative and for 21 years served on the board of Best Block, a family-owned manufacturer and distributor of masonry and landscaping retaining wall systems products. For 17 years she also volunteered as a docent at the Detroit Institute of Arts years, which is not surprising, because Ann has a B.A. in graphic design from Michigan State University. She also has an M.A. in business communications from Eastern Michigan University.

After moving to Hamden last year, Ann began volunteering for Arts for Learning Connecticut. She was soon asked to join the board and is now Development Associate for Arts for Learning Connecticut that promotes art in schools, libraries, community centers, businesses, and wherever else art can enrich lives.

Diane Hoffman brings to the League extensive civic experience. She has served on the Hamden Clean and Green Commission, the Hamden Earth Day Planning Committee, and on Charter Reform Now (Hamden adopted a new charter in 2011). She was active in the Hamden Alliance for Responsible Taxation, volunteered for the Sage Services of CT money management program, and presented banking information at New Haven area senior citizen centers. She was also a facilitator for the UCONN Cooperative Extension System Women's Financial Management Seminar series, treasurer of the Shoreline Salvation Army, and serves as secretary for the Dunbar Hill Civic Association.

Diane works at Chapel Haven Inc., an educational facility for adults with cognitive disabilities and was formerly with Civic Education Project Inc., an international organization providing western style education in Central, Southern and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Mongolia. Diane has a B.A. in social work from Southern Connecticut State University and an American Institute of Banking Diploma and a Williams School of Banking Diploma from Williams College.

The League of Women Voters, active in all 50 states, seeks to increase citizen understanding of public policy issues and to make citizens more aware of how we are governed. LWV seeks to influence public policy through education and advocacy but is serious about neither supporting nor opposing political parties or candidates. Men have been joining LWV since 1974 and now head two of the 27 local Leagues (chapters) in Connecticut. To discuss joining the League, call 203/248-8035, writemembership@lwvct.org, or visit www.lwvct.org

Sunshine Week Conference -

Everyday Exposés

How to Use the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act to Uncover Information in your Community

Wednesday, March 27, 2013
6:00 p.m.
Rocky Top Student Center
York Hill Campus, Quinnipiac University
305 Sherman Avenue, Hamden 

The free event is hosted by Quinnipiac University and co-sponsored by the New England First Amendment Coalition, Connecticut Foundation for Open Government, Connecticut Library Association, Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists, and the League of Women Voters of Connecticut. 

The panel discussion will be moderated by Lynne DeLucia, editor of the Connecticut Health Investigative Team.  Panelists include:

• Beau Berman, investigative reporter, WTIC TV
  
• Bill Cummings, investigative reporter, Hearst CT newspapers
  
• Matt Kauffman, investigative reporter, Hartford Courant
  
• Jill Konopka, reporter, WFSB
  

Light refreshments will be provided. Free parking is available.

The North Haven High students who attended the “Breakfast with the Legislators” for extra credit were surprised to find it “really interesting.” Sitting at a table with their state Senator and Representative was awesome.

The League of Women Voters of Hamden-North Haven “Breakfast with the Legislators”, held January 26 at the North Haven Holiday Inn, featured all but one state legislators representing Hamden and North Haven: Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney, District 11; Senate Minority Leader Pro Tempore Len Fasano, District 34; Speaker of the House Brendan Sharkey, District 88; Rep. Michael D'Agostino, District 91; Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield, District 94; and Rep. Dave Yaccarino, District 87. Andrea Aldrich, League Voter Services Chair, organized the event. Elona Vaisnys was the moderator.

Sen. Looney, co-chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Working Group of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Bipartisan Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention and Children's Safety, the legislators, and the audience were presented the League of Women Voters of Connecticut proposals for gun-related legislation. There were questions on security in schools (asked by a high school student), on the affordable housing law intended to provide housing for single families that allows developers to build big buildings instead ((Rep. D’Agostino invited the questioner to testify on that subject in Hartford, which she did), and about rumors that legislators don’t get enough advance notice to read bills before voting on them. The Senate Majority Leader replied that legislators have time to read the bills before voting, but the Senate Minority Leader Pro Tempore countered that the minority office does get bills with hundreds of pages of background information at the last minute. He assigns staff to read different parts and brief him but would like to have the time to read the information for himself.

The League of Women Voters seeks to increase understanding of public policy issues, to influence policy through education and advocacy, and to encourage informed citizen participation in government. LWV neither supports nor opposes candidates for political office and members may belong to any political party. Men have been LWV members since 1974. The League is active in all 50 states.

To discuss joining LWV, contact Elona Vaisnys, 203/248-8035, elvais@comcast.net

The Hamden-North Haven League of Women Voters will hold a “Breakfast with the Legislators” Saturday, January 26, 8:30–10:30 a.m., Holiday Inn, North Haven, 201 Washington Avenue (please note new location). Ample parking. Advance registration is
appreciated, please call Andrea Aldrich, 203/530-6890. Donation $5.00.

“We hope many people come to have breakfast with their elected representative,” says Andrea Aldrich, Chair of Voter Services for the Hamden-North Haven League. “You acquire a different feel about what goes on in the state legislature after you have had a breakfast with the person who represents you in Hartford,” she adds.

The League of Women Voters of Hamden-North Haven will hold a pre-primary debate by the Democratic contenders for the 91st House seat of retiring State Representative Peter Villano.  The endorsed Republican candidate has no primary opponent.

The pre-primary debate between Democrats John Flanagan and Michael D’Agostino will be held Thursday, July 26, 7:45 p.m., in the Cultural Arts Center on the 1st floor of the south (new) building at Whitney Center, 200 Leeder Hill Drive in Hamden. The debate is free and open to the public. Parking is on the upper level of the Whitney Center parking garage.

Flanagan and D’Agostino will run against each other in the August 14 primary, and the winner will face Republican candidate Joseph Bertini on November 6.

To vote in the primary, you must be enrolled by August 13 in the party holding the primary.

The last day to register to vote in the November election is Nov. 5. You do not have to be enrolled in a political party to cast a vote in November.

The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes political candidates, works to increase understanding of public policy issues, seeks to influence public policy through education and advocacy, and encourages informed and active participation in government. It welcomes civic-minded women and men of all political persuasions. For more information, call
203-248-8035 or write Membership@lwvct.org; also visit www.lwvct.org.

The Hamden Patch reports:

Three energetic members joined the Hamden-North Haven League of Women Voters and hit the ground running.

Andrea Sangrey Aldrich, until recently the town/urban planner for the Town of Darien and the City of Bridgeport and now Program Manager of Grant Research Affairs of the Yale Medical School Cancer Center, is the new Voter Services Chair for the Hamden-North Haven LWV.  Read the full story on Patch.

John Flanagan and Michael D’Agostino
will face each other in the August 14 primary, to
determine who will be the Democratic candidate
for the 91st House seat currently held by retiring
State Representative Peter Villano. The endorsed
Republican candidate has no primary opponent

The League of Women Voters of Hamden-North
Haven is sponsoring a pre-primary debate
between the two Democratic contenders on
Thursday, July 26 at Whitney Center. The debate
will be held at 7:45 PM in the Cultural Arts Center
on the first floor of the south (new) building. It
is free and open to the public. Parking will be
available on the upper level of the parking garage.