WHO WE ARE
The League of Women Voters of North East Westchester (LWVNEW) serves Bedford, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, North Salem & Pound Ridge, New York. We are your local league.
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LWVNEW is part of a national, nonpartisan political organization. The League takes positions on issues but never endorses or opposes candidates or political parties. The League encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
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When you join LWVNEW, you also become a member of the Westchester County League, the New York State League, and the League of Women Voters of the U.S. This provides our members with opportunities to get involved at these levels as well if they so choose. Our group's focus is overwhelmingly local and voter service is a huge part of our core mission. We register voters and hold candidate forums in the spring and fall. We facilitate the creation of the online Voters Guide, which provides valuable information about candidates, candidate forums, and polling places.
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Our youth outreach efforts include voter registration drives at area high schools and the selection of local students for the Students Inside Albany (SIA) Conference. SIA is an annual program sponsored by the League of Women Voters of New York State Education Foundation which brings together 60 high school students from across the state for a first-hand education about New York’s government. The program is designed to increase high school students' awareness of their responsibility as future voters in representative government.
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No matter what your age, the League of Women Voters of North East Westchester is committed to providing voter education and information to local residents.
The 2023-2024 LWVNEW Board
President: Susan Ferris Rights
1st VP & Vote 411: Bob Boffa
2nd VP & Membership: Lisa Pizzurro
Treasurer: Lynne Landau
Secretary: Bruce Rights
Directors: Del Bashkow, Nancy Gould Ralphs,
Peter Parsons
A Brief History of the League of Women Voters of the U.S. Click here
A Brief History of LWVNEW
Prior to 1966, residents of the Town of Bedford who wished to join the League of Women Voters turned to the League in the neighboring town of Pound Ridge. There was a connection between the towns, both exurban, about forty miles north of New York City and mainly residential. In addition, Pound Ridge students attended schools administered by the Bedford central school district.
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A TYPICAL LWVNEW YEAR July 1 to June 30
Fall
Candidate Forums for Contested Local Races
Candidate Forums for Contested State Senate
& Assembly Races
Voter Registration
Vote 411/Printed Voters Guide
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Winter
School & student outreach for Students Inside Albany
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Spring
School Board Candidate Forums
Student Voter Registration
Students Inside Albany Conference
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Other
Monthly Board Meetings
Various Committee Meetings
Various Voter Education Events
Monthly Newsletter
Summary of LWVUS Policy Positions Click here
Nonetheless, Bedford women wanted a League of their own; state and national issues were fine to study in Pound Ridge, but local Bedford issues needed a Bedford League. The members of the Pound Ridge League were wonderfully helpful in guiding the Bedford women through the steps to organize a new group: the League of Women Voters of Bedford.
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As the idea of a Bedford League circulated, women of all ages responded with enthusiasm. They formed a provisional League, signed up for study groups, and gathered information about the town, its civil servants, organization, and areas in need of improvement. And they made positive connections with the officials in charge.
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The provisional League was a happy, busy group. Mimi Mendelson, the first president of the Bedford League, recalls that at the first meeting of the "official" League she was excited to see about one hundred women in the audience. The first study group they undertook was on clean water.
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In 1968, the Bedford League issued This Is Bedford, a sixty-eight page booklet offered to the community for $1.25. It contained in clear prose basic information about town offices, schools, town planning, and libraries, along with maps and charts. In 1976, the booklet was reissued but updated to include the information for Lewisboro, which had joined the Bedford League in April 1972. The name of the group was now the League of Women Voters of Bedford-Lewisboro.
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Our founding president in 1966 was Mimi Mendelson, followed by Ruth Preston, Muriel TenDyke, Barbara Kornfield and Peter Rose, Betsy Lebowitz and Janet Rems. In 1978, we voted to add North Salem to our chapter and in 2016, the name was changed again to League of Women Voters North East Westchester, or LWVNEW. Our area now consists of the three previous towns as well as Pound Ridge and the Village of Mount Kisco.