The Joy of - Inside Chappaqua

The League of Women Voters
of New Castle is a very welcoming
group. Whether one is new to town
or a longtime resident, joining and
attending their events adds a new
dimension to life by acquiring a
breadth of knowledge and meeting
fellow residents. “Through the
League, I have met many intelligent
and interesting community members
that I would not have crossed
paths with otherwise,” LWVNC
Membership Committee chair Lea
Barth observed.
Candidates’ Night is one of the most
popular forums held by the LWVNC.
In this nonpartisan discussion, residents
are afforded the opportunity to
learn about the qualifications of each
person running for office.
Candidates on the local and state
levels including those running for the
House of Representatives, are invited
to speak in the fall and those on the
slate for the school and library boards,
appear in the spring.
12 Inside Chappaqua May 2013
I N A N D A R O U N D T O W N
The LWVNC: A Vital Member of the Community
By Sarah Ellen Rindsberg
League Volunteers at New Castle’s Community Day.
One of the former participants at
Candidates’ Night is Town Supervisor
Susan Carpenter, who is a huge
proponent of the LWVNC. Carpenter
spoke highly of their program on climate
change too. She recommends the
LWVNC to anyone interested in being
“informed about anything from very
local issues to international concerns.”
Carpenter was on center stage
in March at the LWVNC’s annual
“Conversation with the Supervisor.”
Sheila Miller Bernson and Jennifer
Mebes Flagg, Co-
Presidents of the
League of Women
Voters of New
Castle mentioned
that this is always
“a highly anticipated
event.” (All
subsequent quotes
attributed to the
LWVNC were
provided by the
co-presidents.) It
provides a special
setting in which
residents listen
intently to Carpenter’s
remarks and
then pose questions
which are
answered in a very
candid manner.
The effectiveness
of the LWVNC is
evident in local
politics. When a
vote was scheduled
to determine
whether the
current method
of electing town
board members
would be changed
from an at-large (where all voters can
vote for all seats) to a ward system, a
lengthy investigation was conducted.
The LWVNC described the subsequent
education process:
“The League held a community
forum where the advantages and
disadvantages of the current and
proposed forms of government were
presented to New Castle residents.
The League then advocated against
the change by writing a Letter to the
Editor of NewCastleNow detailing our
position and handing out flyers to the
community explaining what adopting
this system would mean to New Castle.
The Referendum did not pass.”
At community day, representatives
are on hand to respond to all manner
of queries regarding voting. This past
fall, the LWVNC registered over 150
voters at events held throughout the
county. This spring, a voter registration
drive will be held at Greeley. The
LWVNC also encourages civic participation
by attending and distributing
information on voting at ceremonies
for recipients of the Girl Scout gold
awards in town and for newly naturalized
Americans at the courthouse in
White Plains.
And, yes, in an era where the issue
of gender equity is still of paramount
importance, men are also vital members
of this organization; constituting
20% of the current 100 members. In
addition, Bruce Gilchrist served as
president in 2003. The LWVNC also
participates in meetings on global
issues at the United Nations. Last
spring, members attended a presentation
on human trafficking. The LWVNC
said that “Several New Castle League
members have had the privilege of being
Alternate UN Observers.”
Future programs include a forum
on health care, co-sponsored by the
Chappaqua Library, on May 7. This will
be followed on May 15 by the annual
meeting and luncheon (which is open
to all) at Crabtree’s Kittle House where
the featured speaker will be Assemblyman
David Buchwald. On May 16,
Candidates’ Night for the school and
library boards will take place at the
Chappaqua Library. Further information
on the LWVNC is available at
www.lwvnewcastle.org.