June 2025 Commentator

CALENDAR

June 18, 2025, Annual Meeting, Akasaka Hibachi and Sushi, 6:30 PM

June 14, No Kings Rally, Morristown Town Hall , 11 AM in

June 23, 2025, Rally and Hearing regarding Formosa Plastics, 8:15 am at Town Hall

July 27, 2025- Back-to-School Store Voter Registration, Location to be announced

PRESIDENTS’ MESSAGE

On June 18th, we are holding our annual meeting at Akasaka Hibachi and Sushi Restaurant in the Livingston Shop-Rite shopping center. We will enjoy each other’s company, as well as good food and conduct our business meeting. The agenda will include presenting the slate of officers, reviewing the past year’s activities and voting on a budget for next year. Dinner cost will be $25 and there will be multiple menu choices available. We urge all of you to attend. Watch for a flyer with all of the details.

The slate of officers will mostly remain the same. Amy Ipp and Robin Weiss will continue as Co-presidents; Laurie Babij will continue as Secretary, Debra Schein will continue as Treasurer, Andy Babij will continue as Membership Chair with Amy Ipp and Judith Friedman will remain as Voter Service Chair. We are losing two Board members: Ellen Lazer will no longer serve as Co-secretary and Shiela Lee will no longer be Webmaster and Social Media coordinator. We thank them for their excellent service and wish them the best. We need

someone to maintain the website, set up so professionally by Nishna Makala and Shiela. If you have the necessary computer skills, we need your help. Shiela volunteered to provide training. Please let us know if you are able to step up. We also have openings on our Executive Board. This is not a heavy lift. It involves attending about three meeting each year to help guide our policies and decisions. We also need help with fundraising. Other than participating in the LWVNJ fundraising drive, we have not conducted any of our own

fundraising activities. We need your help and creative ideas to raise additional funds. We cannot survive on dues alone. Again, let us know if you want to help.

We received a great deal of positive feedback about our May plastics panel. It was even amplified to the LWVUS environmental committee which has been looking at these issues on a national level. All three presenters were very knowledgeable and passionate about issues surrounding plastics pollution and specific actions regarding Formosa Plastics, headquartered in Livingston. There will be a rally/press conference at Town Hall in Livingston on June 23th at 8:15 and the hearing will be held at the Municipal Court at 9:30 AM. Watch for an article about the program that will appear in next week’s West Essex Tribune.

Once again, we are participating in the National Council of Jewish Women’s Back 2 School Store. To be held on July 27th, this event will provide the opportunity for underprivileged children to “shop” for school supplies, books and clothing to start the new school year. They will be assigned personal shoppers and get to choose from a vast variety of donated items. We will have a table there to register voters (parents) and provide voter information. Please let us know if you can help out at this event.

The two recipients of the Grace Russo Memorial Scholarship were presented with their awards by Amy Ipp, Robin Weiss and Scholarship Committee Chair Judith Friedman at a ceremony at Livingston High School on June 5th. Honoring our beloved former Vice-president Grace Russo, the annual scholarship is given to students who exemplify public service to the community. The two scholarship recipients this year were Raya

Sapherstein, who was one of the Livingston High School League Chapter’s Co-presidents and has been active in our League and other activities and Romeela Anand, who also has been actively involved in civic and community service. Awards will be given out. The selection committee consisted of Judith Friedman, Robin Weiss, Joan Balash and Nora Lichtenstein.

Membership

There are presently 58 members. Approximately 41 members will get their renewals through their email prior to their due date of September 1, 2025. Since membership renewal notices will be sent via email from LWVUS, be sure to check that they aren’t delivered to your SPAM folders.

Voter Service

In addition to the Back 2 School store, we hope to register senior citizens at some of the local senior housing facilities in the area. Judith Friedman will coordinate this. We also plan to be a co-sponsor of NCJW’s National Voter Registration Day event this fall on September 16th. We will keep you posted on these events.