What are they afraid of?

Did they worry I would stage something symbolic: arrive bearing American flags or perhaps wearing a parody T-shirt (the pirate flag over town hall) or just that I would feel compelled to mention that Monday, September 10’th marks the sixth anniversary of the Select Board’s ill-timed decision to restrict the display of 29 commemorative flags in our Rockwellian downtown?

Wednesday morning I noticed a Select Board meeting posted for that night. So I emailed Katy and was told it had been cancelled. I had forgotten that because of my Open Meeting Law complaint the Select Board now posts the Zoning Meetings they wish to crash (and two did last night--but that’s one shy of a quorum).

So then I requested time for the next available routine meeting of the Select Board that just happens, coincidentally enough, to be the evening of September 10—The Eve of Destruction.

A Umass Physics Professor once tabulated everyone who spoke during an entire Town Meeting ten years or so ago. And yes, I came in #1 for number of times speaking BUT I also came in #1 for least amount of time, on average, per speech. Vince O’Connor, not surprisingly, came in as the most longwinded.

I’m brief and to the point. It would have taken me less than three minutes (standard time allowed on the floor of Town Meeting and recently suggested quota for Select Board public discussions) to press my case for declaring this busy intersection in South Amherst a School Zone.

But then, that would have left me an extra minute or so, at an open microphone, on live TV, on an auspicious anniversary. Hmmm…


In a message dated 9/5/07 9:44:52 AM, Amherst AC writes:
Hey Kate,

Can I get on the agenda for September 10'th to talk about making Pomeroy Lane intersection with Rt. 116 a School Zone so the DPW can paint a crosswalk and put up a "school zone" sign???
Larry

From: Seaman, Katherine
To: AmherstAC@aol.com
Cc: gerryweiss@comcast.net; Manager, Town
Sent: Wed, 5 Sep 2007 12:00 pm
Subject: Agenda Request

Hi Larry,

Your item will be heard at the September 17, 2007 Select Board meeting; more information about times, etc will follow. If you have any questions, please contact Gerry Weiss, or Laurence Shaffer.

Thank you!
~Kate