Be nice to the new kid
April 26th, 2007
(old photo from the winter, it’s all I had on file)
Last night IÂ was elected town meeting member for precinct 13 (the fightin’ thirteenth!) and am now officially a small part of town government : )
I’d like to think I was elected for my little speech I gave about wanting to help make Framingham a better place, but I think the fact that no one else was vying for the vacancy helped just a tad. Either way, the other TMMs I met were really friendly and welcoming. Soon after the vote, the town meeting was getting ready to start so I was rushed over to a table to sign a form, was asked to raise my right hand and got sworn in. Then I was handed a bunch of handbooks, grabbed a seat and started being a town meeting member. It was funny how fast it all happened.
I had never been to an actual town meeting before, it was really inspiring to hear people from all parts of town voice their opinions. One in particular from precinct 14 (I think it was 14) who got up to speak and said his precinct in downtown may have problems but there are good, hard working people that live there and we need to pull together to make it better. I think so many times downtown just gets dismissed as “slumville” and a hopeless case but people that live there really want to make it a place people are proud of.
I know personally, when I tell people I own a house downtown I get some sympathetic looks like “I’m sorry life hasn’t worked out for you” or I can see in their eyes they picture I my house is practically condemned with a la-z-boy recliner in the front yard. It doesn’t have to be that way though and it’s nice to hear other residents in downtown feel so strongly about that too.
Anyway, I’m excited to be able to be even small part of what goes on in town and find out how it works to make things happen in town.
Hi Michelle,
I thought I recognized you (from your picture) at the meeting last night but when the moderator introduced you as a new TMM I knew I was right.. I was elected to town meeting this year as well. I’ll come say hi tonight if I see you. It will be nice to know someone there that is under 40 too!!!!
Mike
Comment by mike — April 26, 2007 @ 3:07 pm
Three cheers Michelle! Congratulations on your election, and thank you for taking the time to serve your community. I can’t say enough about the importance of Town Meeting (seriously, I could go on for hours). I’m sure you’ll represent your precinct and town very, very well.
Comment by Mitch Cohen — April 26, 2007 @ 3:31 pm
All hail the new rep! Congrats
Comment by Homer — April 26, 2007 @ 3:34 pm
Congratulations! As a renter in the 14th Precinct, I agree with the sentiments expressed by the TMMs. These are good people, and Downtown is waiting with baited breath to be reinvigorated.
Comment by Chad — April 26, 2007 @ 5:32 pm
Congratulations and welcome to Town Meeting!! Best of luck to you and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the Town Clerk’s Office at 508-532-5521.
Lisa Ferguson
Acting Town Clerk
Comment by Lisa Ferguson — April 26, 2007 @ 7:13 pm
Congratulations Michelle, and thanks for joining us. I have served as a Town Meeting member since the day before you, so feel free to ask if you need a mentor! :-> Seriously, it’s good to have a new member, especially from the south side. I agree with the speaker who said that the Hollis Street area is the worst in Framingham, but I also agree that it’s full of good people who can help clean it up and deserve help doing so. As Kathy Vassar said, Amazing Things can be the spark that helps revitalize that area.
Comment by Peter Adams — April 26, 2007 @ 7:15 pm
Congratulations, and I love your blog.
Comment by Patty Hebert — April 26, 2007 @ 7:34 pm
Congratulations! I guess I now know where to come for the scoop on Framingham culture AND politics.
Comment by Justin — April 26, 2007 @ 8:03 pm
I visit your blog once a month (yes, a I have a reminder in my calendar!!!). Your blog helps find the “hidden gems” in town of Framingham and I love exploring them.
As someone mentioned, there are good people who live in and around downtown, care about their neighborhood and downtown, they need to be pulled together to work with one united voice to make it a better fun loving place than it is today.
I hope many of town residents from other precincts in and around downtown will follow your path to be part of Town Government.
Yes, absolutely we need more place like Amazing Things, Danforth Muesuem, ….Artist Galleries….
Comment by Harshal Mulay — April 26, 2007 @ 8:09 pm
Congrats on your becoming a Town Meeting Member. I was a fairly long time town meeting member but I am taking a bit of a break at present time to catch up with my family and my small business. It’s great to see new people, especially those who so obviously care about the town, get involved, keep up the good work!
I love your website, I try to get to it regularly.
Bob Berman
Prec. 4
Comment by Bob Berman — April 26, 2007 @ 11:08 pm
Hey Michelle,
Yes, welcome to town meeting, and I applaud you for joining and caring so much about Framingham. All of us new people are definitely changing the median age of town meeting! (I’m 32) — I think it’s great to have such a broad spectrum of people participating and I’ve actually enjoyed the last few meetings. I’ll be sure you look out for you at the next meeting on Tuesday. Again, congrats!
Paul Jasper
Prec. 8
Comment by Paul Jasper — April 27, 2007 @ 12:41 pm
good idea…bring down the system from within.
Comment by Chaz — April 27, 2007 @ 8:33 pm
Congrats!
Comment by framforum — April 27, 2007 @ 8:34 pm
Welcome aboard to Town Meeting!
Thanks for your kind words and support for downtown,glad I got up and stood up for our neighborhood,there is always room for improvement,but many many more positive things go on and many many good folks live here.Look forward to working with you and others who want to make our area a better place for all.
regards,
Alan Crane Pct. 18
Comment by Alan Crane — April 27, 2007 @ 11:25 pm
Congratulations! You can use your new powers to work your way down your $#@% list. Look out Tin Alley Grill….
Comment by David — April 30, 2007 @ 12:09 am
Congratulations and good luck. My experience with Framingham politics is limited but some areas of the government are quite corrupt. It’s great to see nice, young people get into the government, hopefully eventually displacing the old blood corruption.
Comment by anonymous — May 3, 2007 @ 4:30 pm
Don’t forget to support your local library!
Comment by Kris — May 10, 2007 @ 3:13 pm
Congrats.
By the way if you want to look at a community that has improved its old downtown area look at Southbridge, Massachusetts.
It has had a complete turn around in the last decade.
I had a jobs years ago where I surveyed all the commercial and institutional properties and had a good take on what needed to be fixed. so much so that I was asked to speak to the Town Planners on several occasions but never did.
The plans the implemented had lots of help from industry based in the town, so get to know the large business owners as well. Bose, TJX etc. They are more interested in helping than you might think.
Comment by Christopher J. Swift — February 13, 2008 @ 5:49 pm