Local Groups Prepare for Town Elections

Ken O'Brien

Well, the New Year has come and gone, and in Southbridge that can mean only one thing - the start of election season.

While town elections don't happen until June, various local groups are already preparing for the event.

There is of course the town council as a whole (or at least seven of nine) who are hoping to place their planned charter distortions on the ballot. Their nefarious ambitions were bolstered today by an email from state representative Peter Durant (R - Spencer).

Decorum?

Ken O'Brien

Southbridge Town Council Rule 19a. says:

"Councilors Forum will be an agenda item on each regularly scheduled Town Council meeting. The purpose of Councilors' Forum is to conduct Council business."

At December 19th's council meeting the council chair began by lecturing the assembled citizenry of her intention to see that proper decorum would be maintained during meetings. Any interruptions by catcalls or applause would result in removal of the offenders from the hall.

As a less than subtle punctuation to this admonition, one only had to notice the presence of four police officers in the council chambers.

Apparently, however, adherence to proper decorum is more a function of how favorably your conduct is viewed by the chair rather than by its actual propriety.