Terry Cowgill

Live Blogging the Town Meeting

May 2, 2008 on 6:03 pm | In Main |

9:20 p.m. It passed 364-175!

9:15 p.m. Charlie Vail just told me 490 people got ballots but about 13 left before voting. They are still counting.

9:08 p.m. As we wait, Sally Spillane tells me the only reason so many people showed up is that “transfer stations are the only spontaneous meetings places for adults in the Salisbury-Sharon area. That’s why this meeting was so well attended.” I would add that I’m sure the politicians want to preserve transfer stations. They love to campaign there. Just ask Andrew Roraback.

8:50 p.m. Allen Cockerline moves to take the vote and dozens of people fall all over themselves to second. Much laughter. There is confusion. 2/3 majority needed to end the debate. The only way to tell without a voice vote to end the debate is to have people stand to signify their approval. Motion carries almost unanimously. People start to fill out their yellow ballots. Cockerline deserves a medal! Bless him!

8:40 p.m. Curtis Rand gave an impassioned defense of Joe Cleaveland telling him his property is NOT for sale! Applause …

8:38 p.m. Jeff Livingston asks what “other municipal uses” the Luke Fitting porperty could be used for. He then says, “I’ve heard that language before.” Then he talks about the war in Iraq as an example of deception. Many groans …

8:33 p.m. Mike Larose is trying to start a war with Sharon: “Is she a good neighbor to us? … We are not Sharon’s dumpster. Let her step up to the plate.”

8:26 p.m. The question of whether Millerton would join in has come up. Palmer said he would not support it: “We don’t need more garbage.”

8:15 p.m. Bob Palmer is making a compelling case against staying at the Hotchkiss site. He referred to the presence of all that skunk cabbage as evidence that modern state wetlands regs would virtually prohibit significant expansion at the Hotchkiss site.

8 p.m. Blah, blah, blah, reading the call and lots of other details.

7:50 p.m. People are are still streaming as moderator Charlie Vail lays down the law. The balcony is rapidly filling up.

7:40 p.m. and we show no signs of starting. Check that, 7:42 and Mike Fitting is making the church’s disclaimer so it looks like we’re underway.

7:25 p.m. Mike says the line is still stretching out ot Main Street. We could be looking at an 8 pm start.

7:15 p.m. Mike Flint says there are people lined up out the side door of the church all the way to Rt. 44. Mike says if it we can get this many people to a town meeting, then Salisbury should buy property more often

7 p.m. and there’s already 100 people here. I’ll bet the balcony will be full.