Teacher has students involved in town affairs
By Samantha C. DePoy
Staff Writer

STRONG – A school assignment is changing the face of some northern Franklin County town meetings.

Foreheads not furrowed by tax increases, road repairs, firetruck purchases and comprehensive plans are joining the crowd.

Let the wrinkling process begin.

In the past, the makeup of the crowd at the annual town meeting in most rural Maine towns is more representative of the Rat Pack generation than the rap one.

But an assignment issued by SAD 58’s Mount Abram High School government teacher Barry London is working to change that, one town at a time.

For the past few years, London has made it mandatory for all of his American government students to attend an annual town meeting, preferably in their hometown.

Although many of them aren’t old enough to vote, this March 65 students from the two sections of his class will witness what London calls “the purest form of democracy” at the annual meetings either in Carrabassett Valley, Kingfield, Eustis, Phillips, Avon or Strong.

Most of them are juniors and seniors.

Despite the students’ vows that they’ll never be selectmen or members of the Planning Board, London knows it’s inevitable that one, or some, of his students will up at the head of the room calling a meeting to order one day.

The sooner they make a connection to their community and learn firsthand how government works, the less intimidated they’ll be, he said. He said he hopes the assignment helps his students feel more comfortable with government, and maybe even want to be a part of it.

London said the reason he has students doing everything from writing mock bills to attending Planning Board meetings is to cultivating good citizens.

Eighteen-year-old Stephanie Hood admitted she has never been to a town meeting, and if it weren’t for London’s assignment, she didn’t have plans to go any year soon.

But at 9 a.m. Saturday morning, as some of her generation was exercising the opportunity to sleep in late, Hood was at the Strong annual town meeting grabbing a copy of the town report and settling in to exercise her right to rock the vote.

Older people, like those at the town meeting, see things differently than those of her generation, she said. While Hood was quicker to raise her hand in support of spending money, she noticed those around her were a little slower on the draw.

Classmate Tim Kennedy, 17, revealed that he was reluctant to come, especially because he isn’t old enough to vote. But once he settled into his seat, Kennedy was transfixed on the action.

“Everybody is here that we know and they’re all speaking their voices. They don’t hold anything back,” he said. “I like listening to this stuff. It’s great.”

But, Kennedy admitted he was surprised at how heated the exchanges got.

“I thought the fists were going to start flying. I just sit back and laugh, but after it goes on for 20, 25 minutes, I just want to tell them to shut up and move on,” he said.

The confrontations he witnessed didn’t turn Kennedy off. In fact, it might have even been a selling point for next year, when he’ll be 18 and able to raise his hand.

“I’ll be back next year to put in my word,” Kennedy said. “And because I like to argue.”

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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