The Town Crier - so bad it makes me want to cry
I got ye olde Town Crier in the mail today. What a piece of work. Let's take it a piece at a time...so I won't choke.

Council Actions

This is bad. Item 7 says "CM Badders moved to obtain professional appraisal of certain Town properties. Vote 4-0". Two people present at that meeting, one a council member, told me tonight that the council deferred action until the cost and process for the appraisal could be researched by Town Administrator Patrick Prangley. They did not vote to do this. History is being rewritten as we watch.

2004, or 1984???

A Riverdale Park Gem

CM Badders writes a very nice note about the MNCPPC park in the neighborhood to the northeast of Rte 1/E-W Highway, and what a much better place it is than the "six residential building lots" (which the rest of us know as the Field of Dreams). Among the features he mentions are the soccer field (be sure to avoid kicking the ball into the "unnamed tributary" of the Anacostia running right through the middle of the park, which looks a lot like an eight foot deep concrete-lined ditch) and the basketball court (which has no basketball hoop at the request of the town council). Focus that attention, Ray!

Mayor's Report

Finance "...we [i.e. the town] may be able to have a positive fund balance for the [last] year". My oh my. "EMERGENCY"?

Committee Vacancies "If you are interested..." I spoke to the mayor last night about serving on the MUTC committee; he told me I wasn't qualified. Be sure you are qualified as well as interested! I think "must agree with Guy on everything" is the main qualification.

Results of Complaints made to State Agencies This one's a little subtle. There were two complaints -- I complained to the Open Meetings Compliance Board, and they issued a ruling. That covers the first four points. Somebody else made a totally separate complaint to the State Prosecutor, who didn't find evidence of wrongdoing. Putting it as point number 5 implies that it is part of the previous four, which it wasn't. The Open Meetings Compliance Board found plenty wrong!

Enough for one night.

Update 27 October 2004 05:25: added link to ifyoupaveit.org for "certain properties"
- posted by Alan K. Thompson @ 9:06 PM