Dear Friends of Women in Black,

Please join us this Saturday, March 9, as we march down Main Street for women’s rights on International Women’s Day! We are going to have the great brass band, Tin Horn Uprising, members of Resisterhood singing, rousing speakers, chants, resolve, and fun! Please make a sign (some will be available) and join us for what we think will be a memorable and exciting day.

We’ll start at 11 AM in front of the Elting Library, 93 Main Street, hear 1-minute talks from co-sponsors and then march to Water Street Market and back. People can then join our regular 12:45 – 1:30 vigil,  which will be dedicated to women’s rights. New Paltz Women in Black is proud to be sponsoring this action, with many co-sponsors signing on.

You can sign up for this event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2633615856681082/

“Our action calls for an end to violence against women and all vulnerable and marginalized members of our society. We stand for reproductive justice, equity in the workplace, and full equality and respect for all. We stand against racism, sexism, anti-LGBTQ bigotry, and threats and discrimination against immigrants. We urge people of all genders and identities to join this action in solidarity with women’s struggles for their full human rights here in the U.S. and throughout the world,” – Lead organizer Donna Goodman of New Paltz Women in Black

See you Saturday!

In Peace and Solidarity,

Barbara Upton

AAUW Kingston: NYC Bus Trip
Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Note: There are bus seats available for $45 to do your own thing in NYC  
(9 AM departure, 7:30 PM return).
Contact: Lynn Gore (845-687-9210, lynngore54@gmail.com) 

The Band’s Visit

The Band’s Visit at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre
243 West 47th Street, NYC

Overview:  

“One of the most ravishing musicals you will ever be seduced by…A Broadway rarity seldom found these days outside of the canon of Stephen Sondheim: an honest-to-God musical for grown-ups…Directed by David Cromer with an inspired inventiveness that never calls attention to itself, ‘The Band’s Visit’ flows with the grave and joyful insistence of life itself…Close to perfect musically…A miraculous show.” — Ben Brantley, The New York Times

Itinerary: April 3, 2019
9:00 AM: Leaving Kingston Plaza (near Hannaford’s)
9:20 AM: New Paltz Park and Ride pick up
11:00 AM: Drop off near the theater
11:30-1:00:  lunch on your own (or you may join a group and eat with me, restaurant tba)
1:30 PM: Ethel Barrymore Theatre
5:15 PM: Pick up near the theatre
7:10 PM: Drop off at New Paltz Park and Ride
7:30 PM: Return to Kingston Plaza

• It’s past time for the #PaycheckFairness Act, which would help break harmful patterns of pay discrimination. The public overwhelmingly supports it and women and their families cannot afford to wait. @PowHerNY #Ledbetter10 #Equalpay
• Ten years after President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter #FairPay Act, women are still battling the #wagegap. Tell Congress it’s past time for the #PaycheckFairness Act. #Ledbetter10 @PowHerNY #Equalpay

Tuesday, November 6, 2018, is Election Day!
Please get out and vote.
Encourage your friends, family, and co-workers to vote too.
We have congressional, state, and county races, and a ballot proposal (Ulster County).

Ulster County: Turn Your Ballot Over!
There is an important proposal on the back of the ballot:

Proposal Number One: “Shall Section C-10 of the Ulster County Charter be amended to provide for the creation of an independent Redistricting Commission, designed to exclude political influence in revising county legislative districts, as proposed and unanimously approved by the Ulster County Charter Revision Committee?”

Polls are open in our area from 6 AM to 9 PM.
Call me if you need a ride to the polls.
Susan H, 845-389-3961, susan-holland@usa.net

Election information (LWV website)
http://www.vote411.org

Board of Elections websites
– Dutchess County:
http://www.dutchesselections.com/
– Greene County:
http://greenegovernment.com/departments/board-of-elections/
– Ulster County:
http://ulstercountyny.gov/elections
– NYS:
http://www.elections.ny.gov/

Amending the County’s Charter

– an item on the November 6 ballot in Ulster County

Upcoming information sessions to be held on 10/11, 10/13, and 10/24

The League of Women Voters of the Mid-Hudson Region will host three forums to explain the referendum that Ulster County residents will be voting on on November 6.  Specifically, voters will be asked if the County’s Charter should be amended to allow the creation of an independent County Redistricting Commission.

This proposed change comes from the unanimous recommendation of the County’s Charter Revision Commission.

The first event will be held on Thursday, October 11 at 7 PM at the Senior Center, 207 Market Street, Saugerties.

Under the proposal, a new Redistricting Commission will be created every 10 years, following each census.  No elected officials will be permitted to serve on the Redistricting Commission, and principles will be established regarding the method for creating districts.  The final legislative district map will not require approval by the County Legislature.

This new process has been designed to exclude political influence in revising county legislative districts.

Members of the Charter Revision Commission will be on hand to present and explain the results of their work over the past year so that people might understand the proposal before Election Day. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers.

There are two additional informational events planned: one at City Hall, 420 Broadway, Kingston on Saturday, October 13 at 10 AM and one at SUNY New Paltz on Wednesday, October 24  at 7 PM at the Terrace. Each event will last approximately 90 minutes.

These community forums are free and open to the public. For more information, call 845-340-2003 and leave a message. Calls will be returned promptly.  See also:

https://www.facebook.com/events/727417097617321/

Come out Tuesday night to watch
No Choice: a documentary
(and stay for the panel discussion afterward)

Tuesday, October 2
7:15 PM
Rosendale Theatre
408 Main Street
Rosendale

Listen to several brave women — and one male doctor — tell their stories,
and think about what America would be like for men and women if Roe v. Wade
were no longer the law of the land: if there were no choice.

Did you know? —
New York State does not have a Women’s Health Care law.
If Roe v. Wade were to be overturned, NYS would revert to laws from 1970.

Panel after the screening to discuss election impact on reproductive rights:

Moderator:
Joshua Holland, journalist

Panelists:
Amanda Marcotte, writer
Ruth-Ellen Blodgett, president & CEO of Planned Parenthood Mid-Hudson Valley

More information:
http://www.rosendaletheatre.org/2018/08/07/no-choice/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1853340481416820/
https://billmoyers.com/story/no-choice/

Questions? Call Lynn Gore, 845-687-9210

Did you vote on the three 2018 AAUW National bylaws amendments?

The voting deadline is tomorrow, Saturday, June 9 at 9 PM EST, so please take a moment now and vote if you haven’t yet!

Check your in-box for an email from AAUW National (on April 25 or May 9, for example) and click on the Vote Now button to get started.

If you can’t find such an email, you will need your member ID and voter PIN. Check the back cover of your Outlook, call AAUW National at 800-326-2289, or send an email to connect@aauw.org.

To vote, go to: https://www.aauw.org/resource/national-election/

Questions? Call or email me at susan-holland@usa.net, 845-389-3961.

Thank you!