There’s only one problem with bringing an idea to Truro’s Board of Selectmen: you can end up challenged to make your idea real.
That’s what happened to Brian Boyle. In August he suggested that the town might improve communications with a regular electronic newsletter.
Good idea, the Board agreed. So why don’t you put something together and we’ll see how it works?
You can see the results for yourself.
Before the launch of the newsletter the Selectmen had wrestled for years with how to stay in closer touch with the town, residents and non-resident taxpayers alike. A few years back, Selectman Jan Worthington even suggested that the Selectmen publish a newsletter.
But nothing came of the idea, until Brian stepped forward and volunteered. And the town is significantly better thanks to his efforts.
Truro is filled with similar stories of volunteers who have improved the life for all of us. They are as central to our town’s character as our open spaces and dunes, knitting us together in a strong and sustaining fabric of community.
The landscaping around the community center? The work of Candy Crawford, who designed the project and raised the necessary funding. The Ag Fair? Thanks go to three busy parents who turned a good idea into a great event, then made it even better the next year, Francie Randolph, Steph Rein, and Dave DeWitt.
The Tuesday lunches at the Community Center? A volunteer effort. Puma Park? Truro Treasures? All part of a long list of projects created by volunteers with the enthusiasm and energy to see a need and fill it.
You can be part of that energy. Volunteer to help with next year’s Ag Fair or at Truro Treasures. Join Castle Hill or Payomet, the Friends of the Library, the Friends of the COA, the Friends of the Rec Department, or the Friends of the Playground.
The town is sure to benefit. But you’re likely to see a personal payoff, too, to feel more closely connected to the neighbors, to meet new people and have some fun in the process.
Help Wanted
You learn fairly quickly as a Selectman how much the town’s business depends on the hours and elbow grease of the men and women who serve on Truro’s boards, committees and commissions.
The numbers alone are striking. In a town with a year round adult population of just over 1200 there are 189 people currently serving. Some are elected, like the members of the Planning Board or the Library Trustees. Others are appointed, like the Zoning Board of Appeals or the Conservation Commission. But all of them play a critical role in setting the town’s policy and direction.
Should you consider serving? No experience is required, just a commitment to meet the challenges that present themselves.
Make no mistake: the work is often hard, and always time consuming. There is always more work to be done, just as there are always positions of responsibility waiting for people to fill them. But the payoff for those who step forward comes in personal satisfaction, knowing that you have had a direct and serious impact on life in the community.
Interested in the arts? There are openings right now on both the Concert Committee and the Cultural Council.
Concerned about environmental issues? Consider the Open Space Committee, the Pamet Harbor Commission, the Recycling Committee, or the Energy Committee.
No matter what subjects engage you there are ways to participate, from the Cape Light Compact or the County’s Human Rights commission to the Commission on Disabilities, the Board of Health, the Taxation Aid Committee, or the Recreation Commission. And since all committee sessions are open to the public and posted on the town’s web site, you can sit in on an meeting or two to get a better understanding of the work at hand.
Signing up is easy, too. For an Application to Serve just call Town Hall, (508) 349-7004, ext. 10, or drop by Julie’s Dupree’s Town Hall Office, or visit the town’s website: www.truro-ma.gov. Or just click here.
Vox Populi
Have a gripe? Or an idea of how the town could do something better? You can always corner me or one of my colleagues on the Board of Selectmen at the Post Office or the Transfer Station and give us a piece of your mind. We were elected to represent you; the more we hear about how you feel the better a job we can do.
But there’s another way to get your point across, and to reach a larger audience at the same time. Come to one of our regular meetings, every other Tuesday, and speak at the public comment section.
You’ll have the attention of all five selectmen and the Town Administrator, plus anyone who watches the broadcast on cable TV or the webcast on the Truro website.
Be careful about what you suggest, though. As newsletter editor Brian Boyle can attest, you might just end up being challenged to see if you can turn your suggestions into something of real and lasting benefit for the town.
Sincerely,
Curtis Hartman
Chair, Board of Selectmen
eNewsletter@truro-ma.gov
(508) 349-7004