Put me in, Coach ~ Annual Town Meeting and Baseball
|
At a recent editorial meeting to discuss The Citizen’s upcoming Annual Town Meeting coverage, Mike Rosenberg, a former Selectman, told a story about a Cub Scout troop that attended Town Meeting. Mike was in the lobby chatting with people when one of the cub scouts burst through the doors, eyed Mike and said, “This is sooo boring!”
Mike’s story reminded me of the time we had a visitor from France. My dad, a big Red Sox fan, thought it would be a treat to take our visitor to see his first American baseball game in person. Unfortunately, the guest was bored silly. It’s likely his boredom was rooted in the fact he understood nothing about baseball or what was transpiring on the field.
An argument could be made that the Cub Scout suffered from that same degree of boredom. And in reality, neither baseball nor Town Meeting has to be boring…once you know what’s behind it.
Bedford has always had a reputation of being really well run, and Town Meeting is vitally important. Town Meeting is where you get your chance to have a voice in how Bedford is managed.
Going back to the baseball analogy, it’s your chance to play GM and vote on how the game is played. (And in terms of people watching, you could do worse!)
At The Bedford Citizen, we cover what’s going to happen at Town Meeting: the Warrant Articles, the budget, and a whole lot more. There also is a great Guide put out in 2012, “A Guide to Bedford’s Open Town Meeting.”
So get in the game! Have your voice heard!
And in the meantime, check out some additional resources.
* Bedford Annual Town Meeting Glossary: Town Meeting Glossary
* The 2021 Town Warrant: Final
Related: League of Women Voters Hosts Warrant Review
This News Can’t Wait
Remember when you had to wait for a local weekly print newspaper to be delivered to learn last week’s news? Thankfully, those days are over, and you don’t have to wait anymore.
The School Committee’s decision to bring kids back to school full time couldn’t wait. The latest news about Covid-19 here in Bedford can’t wait. And decisions made at Town Meeting shouldn’t wait either.
Today, the Bedford news you need is waiting for you when you go online, check Facebook or Twitter, or even check your inbox.
News that can’t wait until next week takes time and energy to produce….
Short Takes from the Housing Partnership ~ May 2021
The Bedford Housing Partnership welcomed new members Margaret Siciliano and Kate Reynolds at their May 3 meeting and thanked retiring member Jean Hammond for her years of service.
For the benefit of the new members, the meeting focused on a review of the proposed LIP “Friendly 40B” project at 330 South Road, a proposal that first came before the town in 2018. Liz Rust, Regional Housing Services Office (RHSO) Director outlined the steps to be taken in the process. She emphasized that a Friendly 40B gives the town leverage in requesting some concessions – perhaps an improvement in traffic patterns, etc.- and that there is still ample opportunity for public hearings and input from residents. “It’s basically a negotiation with the developer,” she said.
New Story Walks® at the Library ~ First Up? Big Bug by Henry Cole
The Library just installed the first of six planned StoryWalks® around the building. This project has been funded by a grant from the Bedford Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.