Who's Who

I thought it would be useful to introduce people to town councilors, budget committee members, etc. Give a little info about who these people are and my impressions of their civic lives. Maybe in the future I'll come up with a snazzy title for this series of posts, but for now you get the picture.

My hope is to make connections for people. It's easier to send an email or write a letter when you know a little something about the people you're addressing. And while I'm on the subject of sending letters I have this advice---just do it. If there is an issue that you have an opinion about and you're unable to attend a meeting, or you just want to make sure that your voice is heard, send a letter or email to the town council. Their info is on the town website. My experience with writing to them has been pretty positive and I do believe that they listen. Some more than others, to be sure.

So, back to my introduction...

I want to talk about Ed Carmichael. Honestly, I don't know much about him. He just joined the Town Council in March and has been fairly quiet at meetings up to this point. I suppose I could do a Google search and post his bio, but that's not my intention for this post. No, I just want to give you MY impressions of people based on the interactions I've had with them.

I stood next to Ed most of the day on voting day. The fact that he was there ALL DAY wasn't lost on me and signaled to me that, if nothing else, he takes this seriously. But, in personal interactions he's been a little lukewarm. I've appreciated his response to emails but there really hasn't been much substance and I have a feeling he's not really the poetic type.

So my opinion has been... meh.

Until last night. Last night was the Newmarket Elementary School PTA Spring auction. It's only the 2nd year we've done it and it still needs to find its stride. This is a community event and the committee that puts this together does an amazing job, but getting people there has been a little challenging. I would love to see town councilors, school board members and other town leaders attend this event, but few (none) do.

So I was truly thrilled when Ed Carmichael and his wife walked through the door. They don't have any ties to the school other than being interested in the town and I LOVE that they came. It was a pleasure to talk with them both and I hope they were able to pick up a deal or two.

Thank you, Mr. Carmichael.