When do the people in Falls Village intend to make changes in their Town Hall so that they don’t have to keep putting up with these political theatrical presentations, otherwise known as Town Meetings?

2007 is a local election year and there is no time like the present to get the ball rolling.

Does that mean you’re volunteering to man the camera for the North Canaan or FV BOS? I’m sure Marshall would be happy to show you how the machine works!

Maybe it is time to televise how our local government really runs, and perhaps more people will get involved because of it.

It’s also been my experience in town governments in the NWC that P&Z meetings are often more interesting and revealing than BOS meetings. But hey, the cameras can only be in so many places in a month.

Phylis Bernard covers Norfolk

Brian Bartram covers Salisbury

Both volunteer their time….

YOU CAN TOOO!!!

Not only Falls Village, how about North Canaan, and Sharon?

Any volunteers?

Contact me at CATV 6 860-824-4200 and I
will help set this up. THIS IS WHAT LOCAL ACCESS TELEVISION IS ALL ABOUT.

Marshall

First, Vance Cannon, was also allowed to comment about the sale, but not relating to the question under discussion.

Regarding Bishop Wismar, what does the lack of churches in Falls village have to do with the easement? Bishop Wismar was allowed to speak by Craig Toensing, the Parlimentarian. It appeared Mr. Wismar was about to be shut down, like Lisa, when Craig said something to change the mind of the Moderator.

After the meeting I spoke with Vance Cannon. There is NO BUSINESS PLAN. The FVCT has NO IDEA how much the renovations will cost. Vance quite blithely said it could be $500,000. When I asked how they expected to pay for this, I was told “Grants.” So, the number in question is now approaching perhaps $650,000 or more.

I asked Pat Mechare if the FVCT would have to have their books audited by the town, since they took town money. Pat said, “No, they are a private non-profit group..” The town gave the money to the FVCT. PRECEDENT has been set. As long as the future amount is less than $10,000, according to CT Statute, there is no need for a town meeting. The Board of Selectmen can vote, at their regular meetings to give money to FVCT, without a town meeting.

This is what I am angry about. This is a kitchen table deal, cut by the Board of Selectmen and FVCT. Why? I do not know, nor do I care. I do know that perhaps it is time for the eye of television to shine on the Board of Selectmen meetings, then be broadcast on CATV 6. If 2 or 3 people join me, we can do this.

I have lived in Falls Village all my life, born & raised here, and I chose to buy a house here and raise my children in this town as well.

I don’t know too much about politics or the legal mumbo jumbo that is involved in town meetings, but I do know this:
Falls Village is a nice small town, one of the smallest in the State, and I always believed that in small numbers, come great accomplishments. So I was one of those small numbers trying to speak and maybe make a difference! (Maybe make one of those great accomplishments in my life) and was told to be quiet. I thought the people we elected to help run our town government were supposed to serve us, to hear us, to support us, to help us!

I deserve to speak, to be heard, it is my “GOD” Given American Constitutional Right. (See I do know a little about politics!) So what if the only thing on the agenda was to make two votes, and we could all be on our way! Doesn’t a town meeting mean just that - a meeting, to converse, to share ideas, to ask questions? I guess I was mistaken, I grew up in a town I believed in, now that I’m grown, it is awful hard to share that belief with my children!

Fine, Bishop Wismar may have the credentials, but he really had no business commenting. He was not preaching from his pulpit. Like Karen said, the questions were to be only about the easement, which Mrs. Fallon’s question was about and Bishop Wismar’s was not.

I do not know if you know the man, but I had the opportunity to get to talk to him several times, and to learn a bit about his bio, when he was acting as our interim clergy at Trinity Lime Rock after the Rev. Beth Long left and before the Rev. Dr. Rob Clements arrived.

Bishop Wismar’s accomplishments in getting major religious to not just talk to each other but even (in one case) to share Communion have been extraordinary. His life has been one of continuing learning, teaching and serving. I had the pleasure this summer of repeatedly leading the Trinity soccer kids into church while he was Celebrating Mass there, and you can see photos of him with his “Trinity Lime Rock Summer Soccer 2006″ tee-shirt on on the Trinity website.

I don’t know your religious preferences, but if you cannot cut this man some slack on the basis of his age, you might consider doing so on the basis of his accomplishments.

He’s definitely a man worth listening to. I don’t happen to know the person who was “cut off” but it would seem pretty remarkable to me if Falls Village had two residents of Bishop Wismar’s accomplishments, both interested in this issue, and on opposite sides of the matter.

Sincerely,

Geoff Brown