Seibold To Board: Time To Select A New Name

The painting by Howard Chandler Christy of the signing of the Constitution of the United States is a classic piece of American art. It's also a painting of a bunch of men making rules, no women invited.

And in front of that painting at Stoneham Town Hall Tuesday night, George Seibold made a pitch to change his job title. The chairman of the Board of Selectmen wants to be your chairman of the Select Board ... or any other gender-neutral title he and his fellow members can come up with. Unlike the men in the painting behind him, Seibold recognizes the role of women in government.

"I think the name should be Select Board and not selectmen," said Seibold. "It's keeping up with the times."

While a man proposed the change, the two women on the board were luke-warm to the idea.

"I'm perfectly fine with it remaining Selectmen," said Caroline Colarusso, whose business cards say "selectwoman."

"I would support it if it came before town meeting," said Shelly MacNeill.

Colarusso's main concern was forcing the town to take time and money to change numerous documents. The board's work is what's important, not the name.

Tuesday's discussion wasn't the first time the subject has come up, and it certainly won't be the last. Melrose talked about changing Aldermen, and Newton did the same in 2014. On Monday, the Wakefield Town Meeting voted to change the name of its selectmen to Town Council and put it before voters in April. Concord and Dartmouth have already made the change to Select Board and others, like Stoneham, are now talking about doing something similar.

Next Tuesday at Brookline Town Meeting Article 18 proposes to change Selectmen to Selectwomen. The author's point? Hey guys, how does it feel to be referred to as the opposite gender? If that fails, there's always Article 19, which would change Board of Selectmen to Select Board as well as make other terms gender neutral.

The next step for Stoneham according to Seibold is further discussion by the board, resulting in a consensus on the title. Then it would go before town meeting in April.

The board also began the process that could lead to Stoneham prohibiting all types of retail marijuana stores. Stoneham voters were against Question 4, with 6,859 voting no to the legalization of recreational marijuana, 6,078 voting yes.

Proposed by Colarusso, the board voted 5-0 to hold a special town meeting on Jan. 29. Residents will be asked to vote on an article that would amend the town's general by-laws to prohibit all types of commercial marijuana establishments as allowed by the ballot question approved in last November's election. Prior to the vote, there would be an information session for residents with spokesmen on both sides of the issue.

"I think it would be detrimental to the town," said Colarusso of the possibility of retail marijuana stores setting up shop in Stoneham. With many surrounding towns having already banned the sale of retail marijuana, the board doesn't want Stoneham to be the one area town where you can buy it.

The board also discussed issues with encroachment on the Greenway project, as well as hearing from MWRA representatives on the ongoing issues surrounding their work in town.

Photo by Bob Holmes