Thoughts, Observations On A Long Night At the Library

Maybe you've heard. Reading residents will be voting on a $4.15 million override April 3. When you post your story at 2:30 a.m. there isn't much room for observations, thoughts, and all those extra things from a night at the library. So for better or worse, here goes.

1. John Halsey's proposal of a menu override was consistent with his statements at preview board meetings. His fellow board members seemed surprised at his proposal but it followed his consistent wish to let residents see exactly what they were voting on.

2. With the school override request combined with the town request coming in at roughly $4.7 million you might have thought the starting point for the board would have been a vote on the $4.7 figure. But the number rarely came up after public comment, other than late in the debate when Arena took an informal poll that showed only Barry Berman and Andy Friedmann supported the figure.

3. While the theme of the public comment was put-the-full-4.7-on-the-ballot, most in the room knew that wasn't going to happen, including Yes For Reading co-chairs Erin Gaffen and Michele Sanphy. Both spoke during the public comment period, then Sanphy spoke again later in support of one override question. Get ready for the lawn signs. They're coming.

4. It was a challenging night for chairman John Arena. He's running for re-election this April but was in the difficult position of having to tell the audience/voters to keep quiet. Certainly not the first time someone in a library has been told to be quiet.

5. Arena's desire for a "passable override" was clear to all, right down to a moan from the audience when he mentioned an override well below the final $4.15 figure. He has been challenged as reacting to fear of failure rather than leading the override charge, but Arena said leadership and fear go hand-in-hand. "We can't survive two consecutive failures in a row." In a room waiting for someone to yell "charge," Arena instead urged a number that would pass but well below what the troops wanted.

6. If you picked Friedmann to be the calmest member of the board Tuesday you win. The first-year board member never showed the frustrations others did while supporting one override question and repeatedly pushing to hear from the members of the School Committee. If you feel the comments from School Committee members in support of one question nudged the board in that direction I wouldn't disagree.

7. Before you celebrate the return of the middle school language program remember it's not a done deal. Schools will get less than they asked for in the override so something has to go in their request. The decision will be made at the Feb. 5 meeting of the School Committee back at the RMHS library. It's Topic F under old business and it's scheduled to start at 8 p.m.

8. As the meeting dragged on, sleep was becoming a factor in the override discussion. At one point it was suggested that the final figure be a combination of the total school ask, along with a town figure that would allow Bob LeLacheur to sleep at night. It wasn't that the town manager was nodding off, although if he was he would have had company. LeLacheur's focus was on risk and public safety and he wanted a town figure that would address both and allow all residents to sleep better at night. However you defined sleep, nobody got much Tuesday night.

9. Vanessa Alvarado, Geoff Carom, Autumn Hendrickson, Bob Hayes, Karl Weld, Kaitlyn Mercurio, Deirdre Reily, John Russo, Steve Dion, Mark Becliley, Eileen Litterio, Michele Sanphy, Erin Gaffen, Gary Phillips, Mary Grimm, Michael DiGiorgia, Dan Ross, Mark Docksor, Bryn Burkhart, Linda Phillips, Amy Cole, Matthew McLeod, John Sullivan, Bill Brown, Rebecca Liberman, Josh Goldlust, Phil Logsdon, Kevin Cignetti, Steve Austin, Jennifer Hillerg, George Kachen, Katie Paulson, Carl McFadden, Alicia Williams, Michelle Greenwalt, and Logan Greenwalt all took the time and effort to speak Tuesday night. And if your name is misspelled, don't blame me. Your handwriting stinks.

10. Wednesday morning at the Y, I didn't hear the word override mentioned once. Of course, that could have something to do with Springsteen playing a little too loud in my ear plugs.

Photo by Bob Holmes