Grateful For MBTS Outdoor Town Meeting Success

Posted

To the Editor:

I write to thank the voters who attended town meeting on Monday evening.  Held on the Manchester Essex Middle/High School’s Hyland Field, this was an unusual setting, probably the first outdoor meeting in the Town’s history.  Not unusual at all, however, was the thorough preparation by Town employees and committee members.  We were able to complete the town’s essential business and dissolve the meeting in a little more than an hour.

The efforts of many residents and town and school employees made the unique logistics work.  The Board of Health, and especially Dr. Deborah Bradley, helped me develop a protocol

to ensure the safety of participants.  Individual residents and whole families convened at the Scout House to assemble packages of materials for the meeting.  Sierra Miller, Claire O’Brien, Jackson Strout, Nathaniel Bradstreet, Marissa Bradstreet and Whitney Hammond delivered the packages to every household.  Tom Kehoe coordinated the distribution with his usual skill. 

Town Clerk Christina St. Pierre oversaw preparation and logistics for the meeting with her customary attention to every detail.  Josh Wauldron and Andy McGilvary of the Middle/High School staff were generous with their time.  Shawn Johnson and his crew from the Department of Public Works set up the field.  Volunteers at the meeting itself included Registrar of Voters Eileen Buckley, and Sally Curry, Tiffany Marletta, Cheryl Marshall, Sonja Nathan, Kathy Ryan, Alison Anholt-White, Laura Wright and Patricia Wright, and Tyler Erdmann videotaping with equipment provided by 1623 Studios.

This was truly a team effort.  I am grateful to be part of that team.

Two members of the Board of Selectmen are retiring at the end of their current terms.  Muffin Driscoll and Arthur Steinert have served with distinction, Muffin for three terms and Arthur for one.  It has been a privilege to work with both of them, and I know they will both continue their involvement with the Town in different ways.  I’m sure I speak for all residents in thanking them for their service and commitment.

Sincerely yours,

Alan Wilson

Town Moderator

Manchester

town meeting, outdoor, covid-19