Twitching like a Finger (Norwich Meetings 9-13 November)

Everywhere we live can be as large and as small as we wish it to be. We control the definition and depth of what, between ourselves, we call 'my little town.' Norwich, as cities go, isn't a large city, especially if you live in a Bridgeport or a Hartford, but it can seem that way when you live in one of its neighbors, all of which are far smaller. My point? When we in small cities speak of 'them' in city government we're really talking about 'us', since many of the elected and appointed leadership in municipalities of a 100K and less are friends and neighbors.

Last Tuesday across these United States we participated in elections that altered every aspect, or had the potential to alter, of our local governance. In some places, we were choosing a new governor, in many others, state representatives and local government officials as well.

I defer to the bloviating blowhards of The Left and The Right (caps in these cases are a given; the gowns, not so much) on all the chatter channels to tell me why the residents of Moosejaw, Montana, voted to outlaw sippy cups and what that means for healthcare reform. What we should have learned Tuesday is how much there is yet to do across this country to better fulfill the promise of the Founders and to realize the dreams we have for ourselves and our loved ones.

We need to continue to press on, a brick at a time, not through a plate glass window, but on top of the previous brick, to build the foundation that we will use to construct the bridge that takes us from the here and now to the where we need to go. Everyone can do something-that's the greatest joy of local government-each of us can help.

This week there's a lot going on in municipal meetings across and about Norwich, just as there is where you live. You can stand on the sidelines and watch or climb down out of the bleachers and be part of the solution. Like everything else in this country, tomorrow begins with your choice, so let us begin.

This afternoon at five, history in the making (for those keeping track at home) as the first-ever meeting of our first-ever Ethics Commission in Room 335 of City Hall.

Also at five, a couple of miles up the road from downtown headed towards Norwichtown, in the Norwich Public Schools' Central Office (across from the Norwichtown Green) is a special meeting of the Board of Education that learned just days ago it will be looking for a new Superintendent as 2010 begins. The notice says the special meeting is an Executive Session, meaning no public but as an outsider, I'm not sure that's actually the case. Greater minds than mine are looking at that, I hope, because I sure am.

At 5:15 in Gales Ferry, 1649 Route 12, is a regular meeting of the Southeastern Connecticut Water Authority. I couldn't locate their agenda but their 19 October meeting minutes may be found from their main page and are well worth a read especially when you think about how much NASA has expended seeking water on Mars, among other places, because water is an essential element in our species' survival. Makes me wonder what to make of the two appointments from Norwich that seem to have expired some time ago. W.C. Fields had a wonderful quote about water (you were expecting the other one?)but I doubt you'd find it on their website.

At 5:30, again in the Norwich Public Schools' Central Office, is a special meeting of the (Kelly Middle) School Building Committee and at 6:30 back in City Hall, actually in City Council Chambers, will be an informational workshop with the about-to-be former City Council joined by the soon-to-be City Council and Mayor-elect for a presentation by the Norwich State Hospital Development Committee on ideas and objectives that got started all the way back on 30 June 2008 with a second meeting on acquisition of the hospital property on 11 August of that same year.

I have notes from both of those two meetings. Those discussions and more recent ones have been very similar, except (hopefully) for the ending. The Committee has gathered a great deal of information on many aspects of this acquisition and, as our neighbors and friends, have earned the privilege and right of a courteous and complete hearing when they offer their report.

Tuesday morning, either at seven at 23 Union Street (per the city's website) or eight in Room 335 in City Hall (per one of the local newspapers) is a regular meeting of the Youth Service Advisory Board which has NO minutes (so much for 'Sec. 11. Section 1-225 of the 2008 supplement to the general statutes') on the municipal website. Maybe not so coincidentally all of the members' appointments have expired (many over nine years ago) and there are numerous vacancies for which you may wish to be considered. If you don't ask, the answer is automatically 'no.'

Speaking of no, there's no Public Works and Capital Improvements Committee as it has been cancelled. This will be an important committee to watch as the approval last Tuesday of the five million dollar bond package for roads and bridges (and other improvements) will be managed through the Public Works Department by way of input from this committee.

Tuesday afternoon at 5:30 the Board of Education holds its regular meeting at the Kelly Middle School Library. Here's where their meeting minutes are supposed to be, though I didn't find any for October nor did I see a posting of a cancellation or postponement for the 13 October meeting.

At 6:30, says one of the two newspapers serving our area, there's a meeting of the Hearts, Hands & Home Group, in Room 210 of City Hall. There's nothing on the City's website about the group or a meeting, so you're on your own.

At seven, in the basement conference room of 23 Union Street is a regular meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals. I can't find an agenda or the October meeting minutes, and I'm not exactly surprised about that. If the chairpersons of the various boards and committees don't comply with public law and share their meeting minutes with the Office of the City Clerk, the rest of us are in danger of being part of decisions made in a vacuum. (and don't get me started on how well that's worked out around here, okay?)

Wednesday is Veterans Day and, as such, I suspect meetings listed on the city's website for that day are not actually being held, but have been, or will be, rescheduled. However, I'd like to pass along a note about a Veterans Day observance, courtesy of Chief Pudge, that will happen at 11 o'clock Wednesday morning at Taftville's Memorial Park. We always think of Thanksgiving in November, which is good and true but it's more than okay to remember to say 'thanks' to all the men and women who wore, and still wear, the uniform of our nation's armed forces.

Thursday afternoon at 5:15 in Room 210 of City Hall is a regular meeting of the Mohegan Park Improvement and Development Advisory Committee. They meet every two months, and here's their September minutes. From the dates of the appointments and in light of election results, I'd assume one of things on their agenda will be to request reappointments and the filling of vacancies (see my previous remark about volunteering).

And at six, over on (401) West Thames Street (sporadically also known as Route 32) in the Campbell Building on the campus of Uncas on Thames is a meeting of the Uncas Health District. In times of tight economies, there's talk about 'regionalization' as if it were a silver bullet but one of the more successful regional efforts, at least in our neck of the woods, and it has been paying dividends for improved public health and awareness for a long period of time, is the Uncas Health District and its many programs. According to the roster on the city's website it's another group of volunteers whose appointments are in need of 'freshening up.'

And that's pretty much it in my little town, as I wait for the weather to sort itself out and for whatever kind of winter we're going to have to get here, knowing that as night follows the day, it will, at its own pace and in its own time.

"And after it rains, there's a rainbow. And all of the colors are black.
It's not that the colors aren't there. It's just imagination they lack
Everything's the same, Back in my little town."
-bill kenny