Meet 'neath that giant Exxon sign

With vacation season behind us, it's amazing how quickly routines return-for some it's like the summer never happened, that's how ingrained habits have become. This is a full week of municipal government meetings compounded by door to door encounters as people running for a variety of state offices reach out in person, by mail and by phone, to try to talk with each of us. Fifty-one days until Election Day-not a moment to waste. And sadly, if you don't know where you're going, any road will lead you there.

This afternoon at five next door to one another in City Hall, it's regular meetings of the Volunteer Firefighter Relief Fund Committee, in Room 209, and the Ethics Commission in Room 210. The Volunteer Firefighter Committee has minutes of a June special meeting posted that mention a July special meeting but there's no agenda or minutes from that meeting so the horizon is wide open for this afternoon, I suppose. The Ethics Commission continues its discussions on amending the language of the actual Code of Ethics.

Tuesday morning at oh bright early, 8:30, it's a regular meeting in Room 335 of the Youth and Family Service Advisory Board who were on summer vacation but are now back in business. I learned from reading the July meeting minutes, that there's a movement afoot to create a Youth City Council (whose meetings, I hope, are better attended than the grown-up City Council) and that they have a Facebook page and a thirtieth-fifth anniversary. I confess to still being a little light in understanding what the mission of the board is or how the rest of us can help.

Tuesday afternoon at five, in the office of the Public Works Director, at 50 Clinton Avenue, it's a regular meeting of the Public Works and Capital Improvements Committee, whose August meeting was cancelled but whose July minutes are right here. Interesting item about the brick paver walkway along the seawall at Howard Brown Park leading me to hope sooner, rather than later, the Heritage Walkway, closed at the Sweeney Bridge since the fire three (?) years ago at the defunct miniature golf, might reopen for recreational walking and bicycling.

And at five-thirty, in the Stanton Middle School, because of the ongoing construction at Kelly Middle (says singn' who would know (and thanks for the tip!)), it's a regular meeting of the Norwich Public Schools Board of Education. That neither the city's website nor the Board of Education's schedule of meetings, reflects the change in locations is a puzzlement to me as is that the Board's website continues to be less than up-to-date, making staying informed more of a challenge than it needs to be.

Wednesday morning at nine o'clock in the Dime Bank Community Room on Route 82, it's a regular (I assume) meeting of the Norwich School Readiness Council (Children First) whose meetings seem to last for protracted periods of time (think Last Man Standing) and generate no meeting minutes of any kind. I'd assume, based on the mission statement and charter, as I understand it, this organization is integral to the success of school-age children of ALL ages, and can probably use an assist from many of us across the community. But if you don't know what they do, or how they do it, it's hard to help.

At six in the evening, in the Wonder Bar, is (perhaps) a special meeting of the Greenville Revitalization Committee whose meeting minutes are few and far between on the city's website.

Thursday at three in the afternoon it's a meeting of the Board of Assessment Appeals in Room 210 of City Hall-if you wanted to discuss/debate/appeal the property taxes assessed against your motor vehicle(s), that's the point of the meeting. Appointments aren't required, but sure seem like a good idea and may be made by calling the Assessor's office at 860-823-3723.

At five, in Room 210 of City is, I assume, a special meeting of the Historic District Commission (it's NOT the third Tuesday which is when their regular meeting is). This is another volunteer panel that had no August meeting but here's the draft minutes of the July meeting. And the Ice Arena Authority meets at six, where else, in the Ice Arena. Reviewing the city's website, this is the first meeting since what must have been a special meeting on June 24th (the fourth Friday vice the third Thursday of the month). For the continued fiscal health of the rink, hope agreements with some of the local high school hockey teams for practice ice can be arranged.

There may, or may not be a Saturday session, on the 18th. The Taste of Italy and the Grecian Festival were two (savory) arguments against having one this past Saturday and I would assume the scheduling may have something to do with how much, or little, progress is made by Team Norwich at its Wednesday sub-committee meetings (don't look for the Team Norwich meeting on the city calendar; you won't find it or any minutes from it either).

Don't be surprised or dismayed when this happens. Old habits are hard to break, and we abandon the familiar, even when we dislike it, only with reluctance, because it's something that we know. We like change but only in the abstract. I'd like to think we're getting better at it, a little more everyday but time will tell. And the poets down here don't write nothing at all. They just stand back and let it all be. And in the quick of the night, they reach for their moment and try to make an honest stand. But they wind up wounded-not even dead-tonight in Jungleland (obligatory fist pump).

-bill kenny