Above: Former Selectwoman Donna McDaniel making public comments at a previous Annual Town Meeting. Now she’s walking residents through how they can participate. (photo by Chris Wraight)
If you’ve never been to a Town Meeting, you might wonder what’s entailed. In an effort to encourage participation, Southborough’s first female selectman, Donna McDaniel is offering a Guided Tour on local cable.
By tuning into Southborough’s Government channel, you can find out what is expected of you, from grabbing handouts and signing in to basic commenting and voting procedures. The program began airing recently, and will be repeated this week as we get closer to the April 16 meeting.
A Guided Tour of Southborough Town Meeting
From the first stop to collect handouts and check your name on the voter list through the moment the Town Meeting “dissolves” (completes all its business), this half-hour program on Southborough AccessTV guides you, newcomer or veteran, through the form of self-government unique to New England. The narrator/guide is Donna McDaniel, a veteran of 42 years of Town Meetings and the town’s first woman selectman, elected after six years as MetroWest News reporter and now in her 32nd year as a biweekly Villager columnist,. She freely admits to an enduring fascination with the ups and downs of a community governing itself—debating every town-changing zoning proposal and purchase, whether a computer, police cruiser, or street sweeper. Donna introduces the major players and the role of the various town officials while also offering tips on how voters—the most important participants in the Trottier auditorium—can participate effectively. The broadcast schedule for this program is below and at www.southboroughmediaaccess.org.
“Southborough Town Meeting with Donna McDaniel” is a sample of much more to come on Southborough Access TV. In addition to the broadcast dates for “Town Meeting” below, also check the SAM schedule for meetings on topics like the controversial Main Street project and the May 7th Candidates Night prior to the May 12 Town Election.
If you would like to learn how to operate a camera and/or have ideas for programs you would like to produce, see www.southboroughmediaaccess.org or send questions to info.southborough media access.org.
The schedule for “Southborough Town Meeting with Donna McDaniel:” on Channels 38 (Verizon) and 11 (Charter)—same for both: At 7:30 pm April 2 and 4. At 8 pm: April 1 and 3. At 8 am: April 5 and 11:30 am: April 6. Also see schedule for Ch. 37, the town government channel.
I appreciate Donna McDaniel’s doing this. I will definitely watch the Guided Tour.