A blogger in the Northeast Kingdom is hoping for a good late winter storm to keep the tourists away from the Danville and Peacham Town Meetings so that he and the other die-hards can have all the civic-minded fun…

I started going to town meetings about 22 years ago, and consider it a point of pride that I haven’t missed one yet. This includes a meeting during a terrific ice storm that left almost a half-inch thick shell on all the cars, trees, roads and power lines. There were only about 12 of us in the gym that year, compared to twoo or three-hundred. I moved to a new town about five years ago and haven’t had a spring storm like that ‘big one’ back in Monkton … um … it might’ve been ‘95 or thereabouts - can’t really remember.

Anyway, we’ve got snow, rain, sleet, ice and high wind in the forecast for tomorrow (Town Meeting Day). Another winter storm, and the spring storm season is just getting off to a great start. I’m hoping for low turnout this year. It makes the meeting move faster and get a little more interesting because only the die-hards and the opinionated show up. Of course that may also impact the Obama/Clinton ratio, but we won’t know in what way although you can be sure we’ll hear about it on Wednesday when everybody will say they know what Tuesday’s weather caused.

I’ve got four 25lb bags of rock salt betting on the ice storm. I can’t lose.

I’ve got to teach a class in the morning at The Academy in the first period, but I’ll be out in time to get to the Danville Town Meeting. I’m also on the board of The Northeast Kingdom Astronomy Foundation which is putting up an observatory in Peacham, so the plan is to rush down to Peacham for lunch and be there for when an article we’re warning comes up for a vote. (We’re asking the town to give the school board the authority to negotiate use of school land for this private observatory which will be used as a resource for the school.)

All this excitement and ice and wind … it’s going to be a great day.

Northeast Kingdom, Town Meetings | 1 Comment »

Here’s a snip from a blogger in the Northeast Kingdom who is looking forward to the Danville Town Meeting so he can practice his Robert’s Rules chops. This was posted yesterday…

Now I have to say, this sounds catty, but I’ve been waiting an entire year plotting my “Robert’s Rules” strategy for the coming Town Meeting. I sometimes practice it and practice counter-tactics. Every now and then I have to think up a strategy, some of which requires that the Moderator know his “Rules”. If he does, I think I can pull off a move. If not, I’m sunk unless I call a “Mr. Moderator, a point of order” to instruct him in The Rules.

Here’s an example: If anyone, during the discussion of a motion, “calls the question”, the house is immediately polled (no further discussion is allowed) on whether or not they want to end debate and put the question being discussed to a vote. Whether the house votes “yea” or “nay” is immaterial. It allows me to gauge the interest in the debate.

One year. That’s all we have. We have our jobs and our lives and our interests and concerns and the Town Report and dang if we won’t mull and ponder and plot and scheme and as soon as Town Meeting comes, I can tell you right where I’ll be sitting: 3/4 the way toward the back of the bleachers in the gym, sort of to the left (from the moderator’s perspective). And at lunch I’ll have the baked ham and slaw and potato salad and cranberry relish and the rolls and butter and a chocolate milk.

Northeast Kingdom, Town Meetings | 1 Comment »