As part of the Westfield Historical Society’s First Wednesday Luncheon series, The Historical Society will be presenting a talk on March 6, 2019. The speaker will be Dr. John Lesher speaking about the Federal Redistricting System. The event will begin at 11:45 AM at the Echo Lake Country Club, located at 515 Springfield Avenue, Westfield.
With an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and his PhD in Political Science from Rutgers University, Dr. Lesher has studied the redistricting process which was the topic of his doctoral dissertation. Redistricting was a requirement of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and was amended in 1982.
Dr. Lesher will address an overview of the decennial process of Federal Redistricting including census count and apportionment of the 435 seats in the House of Representative among the states from which each state’s allocation of Representatives are elected and sent to Congress. It is a complicated process taking about 2 years to complete and which is most often accomplished out of sight and out of mind of the general populous. It has only been in the past few years, that public awareness of the importance of this once-per-decade exercise has emerged, and concern for the electoral abuse known as gerrymandering has become quite vocal. Many complain about the abuses of district formation, but relatively few people outside the ranks of career politicians truly understand the process and how that process can be manipulated for political gain.
Those wishing to attend the luncheon may make a reservation by calling or emailing Carol at 908-654-1794; westfieldhistoricalsociety@gmail.com. Reservations and payment must be received by noon Friday, March 1st, 2019. Please indicate if there are special dietary instructions. The luncheon fee of $35 (WHS members) or $40 (non-members) includes a three-course meal, coffee/tea, and gratuity. The luncheon fee may be mailed to Westfield Historical Society, P.O. Box 613, Westfield, NJ 07091; or paid online by clicking the “Registration” tab above. Westfield Historical Society memberships will also be available at the luncheon.
Echo Lake Country Club is at 515 Springfield Ave, Westfield, NJ. For Echo Lake County Club dress code information, visit: http://www.echolakecc.org/club.
The Westfield Historical Society is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Since 1968, the 501(c)(3) non-profit Westfield Historical Society has worked to preserve, interpret and encourage interest in history, Westfield, and its residents through educational efforts and community outreach programs.
For further information on the Westfield Historical Society and its activities, or to volunteer, call (908)654-1794 or visit www.westfieldhistoricalsociety.org; and like us on facebook!
