(3/29/07)  Here are a few post-election nuggets:

The results:  You already know who won and who didn't, but if you want all the details of vote totals by precinct, and all the Town Meeting results, click here.  Kudos to Town staff for getting all that information up so quickly.  Kudos also to the Bulletin for getting their preliminary stories and results up so quickly, and for putting the Town Meeting results in a useful order.

GOTV:  While voter turnout was a little less than 21%, that was actually pretty good considering there were no ballot questions, which often motivate voters.  Recent voting turnout for the annual election looks like this:

2007    3,373 voters     no ballot question

2006    2,552 voters     non-binding override question

2005    5,737 voters     new charter question

2004    4,587 voters     override question

2003    4,837 voters     new charter question

2002    1,344 voters     no ballot question

2001    3,461 voters     charter commission, CPA questions

2000    3,801 voters     non-binding marijuana question     

Sustainers:  So how did the Sustainable Amherst movement fare at the polls?  100% of their endorsed incumbents retained their seats, while 83% of non-endorsed incumbents prevailed.  Of the new people seeking seats, 65% of endorsed candidates won, as did 63% of non-endorsed candidates.  Overall, according to the site, "SustainableAmherst.org candidates won 60 out of the 71 seats they were vying for (85%)."  [This paragraph was corrected 3/30/07, adding the quote to clarify the results.]

New Coalition:  A group called the Coalition for Education and Services for All provided a list of endorsed candidates in Precinct 5.  As there was no contact information, it could not be determined if the group also provided lists in other precincts.  Of their 9 endorsed candidates for contested town-wide offices and Town Meeting in that precinct, 75% of the incumbents won re-election, and 60% of their new candidates won seats, with a total of 6 of the Coalition's 9 endorsed candidates prevailing.

Get on the lists:  Newly-elected Town Meeting members may wish to avail themselves of a couple of e-mail lists.  The Town Meeting Coordinating Committee maintains a subscriber list for sending important information, meeting dates, each session's motion sheet and so forth, to members.  Subscribers only receive information; it is not an interactive list.  To subscribe, send an e-mail with your contact information to TownMeetingEmailSignup@amherstma.gov.  There is also a privately-maintained interactive Town Meeting discussion list.  New members can join that list by sending an e-mail with name, e-mail address and precinct to amherst_tm@yahoo.com. (That space is an underscore.)  Non-members can read that list's archives here, but can't post to it.

That's dedication:  Many volunteers from the different campaigns logged long hours holding signs around town on Monday and Tuesday, but one deserves extra credit:  Ellie Manire-Gatti was on sign duty for Robie Hubley, despite recent surgery which required her to sit with her very-bandaged foot propped up.  It's tough enough trying to keep warm outside for hours on a cold early morning – and much tougher when you can't move around.

Mark your calendars:  Key Town Meeting dates are coming up:  Wednesday, April 18th is the New Member Orientation and Warrant Review Meeting at the Middle School; Saturday, April 21st is the Bus Tour of relevant warrant article sites; Tuesday, April 24th is a budget orientation meeting aimed at new members but helpful to all; and Town Meeting starts Monday, May 7th.   Stay tuned for more information about specific times and places for all events.

Good week:  On Tuesday, Andy Churchill won his re-election bid for School Committee, and on Wednesday, UMass announced that he and two others from the University were among the winners of the 2007 Public Service Award granted by the Massachusetts Association for Gifted Education (MAGE).  Churchill said the award is in recognition of a conference and classes the three put together to raise awareness of gifted and talented programs that focus on students with high learning abilities who aren't being challenged. He said that such children aren't always at the top of the class, but in fact may be those who are acting out and causing trouble because they are bored by the curriculum.  The work being recognized by MAGE focused on strategies for identifying these gifted students and creating lessons that help them to thrive, which Churchill said is a challenge in times of dwindling resources when much focus is on underperforming students and MCAS results.  A couple of lottery tickets might be in order to test Churchill's current winning streak.

Many Thanks:  Volunteering to serve the Town is a big commitment, one that few are willing to make.  Serving on the Select Board is particularly demanding, and while it must be gratifying in many ways, it is not without its major headaches.  People complain to you, snipe at you and criticize you.  You try your best and get half the credit and twice the blame you probably deserve.  You shine and stumble in a very public arena.  That isn't everyone's cup of tea.  Robie Hubley is among the few who have been willing to accept that daunting challenge, and his time, effort, dedication and good humor were much appreciated. 

 -- Stephanie O'Keeffe