From the Clerk's Office

November will be a busy month as we will have the State Election, Fall Town meeting, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.

I was recently wondering what the origins of Town Meetings were in New England. What I found out was that Massachusetts’s residents began holding Town Meetings over 350 years ago, shortly after the Puritans arrived from England, seeking liberty.

One reason that Massachusetts’s colonists revolted against Great Britain was the British attempt to ban most Town Meetings except by permission. In 1774, British Soldiers tried to stop a Salem Town Meeting in progress, but the citizens barred the door of their town house and continued to meet.

On the American Revolution's first day of fighting, members of the Lexington militia gathered on the town common at around 2:00 in the morning on April 19, 1775. There they held an impromptu open-air Town Meeting to "consult what might be done" about the British soldiers marching from Boston.

There is a lot to running a Town meeting, if you are interested in researching it further you can go to the Secretary of State website: www.sec.state.ma.us look under Town meeting and you will find a booklet called “A Citizens Guide to Town Meetings”. This booklet explains all aspects how a town meeting is run in the State of Massachusetts.

Special Town Meeting
On October 24, 2022 the Town held a Special Town Election to see if the Town would appropriate $24 million to fund the construction of a new Public Library. There were over 600 in attendance. The auditorium was full so we had to utilize the gym as an overflow room. The vote was 405 in favor and 207 opposed. The vote did not pass as it needed a 2/3 majority to pass to spark a special ballot question election. I want to thank everyone who came out to vote. I also want to thank the workers behind the scenes, Police, Fire, the folks checking people in, it got a little busy for a while, but everyone maintained and we got through it smoothly.

Election News
Early voting ends on November 4th. The State Election will be held on November 8, 2022. All precincts vote at the Seekonk High School gym. The voting takes place from 7:00AM - 8:00PM

Annual Fall Town Meeting - November 14, 2022
The Town Meeting will be held 7pm, Monday November 14 at 261 Arcade Ave. Seekonk High School auditorium.

The warrant will be available to look at on the Town Website: www.seekonk-ma.gov or if you want a copy, please come to the Town Hall we will gladly give you a copy. They will also be handed out as you go into the meeting.

Hope to see everyone turn out for this important town meeting. Get involved – your opinion and vote matters!

The Seekonk Senior Center is reaching out to families who may need a Thanksgiving dinner basket, or a Christmas dinner basket. If you, or someone you know is in need please give the Senior Center a call at (508) 336-8772 and they will assist you in this wonderful giving back to the community program.  The deadline to sign up for Thanksgiving is November 16 and Christmas deadline is December 15.

They will also be doing several other wonderful programs: Adopting a family for Christmas and Sponsor a Senior. For more information on how you can adopt a family or Senior in need please call the Senior Center.

Seekonk Annual Tree Lighting Event will be held December 3, 2022. 5:00pm- 8:00pm at the Seekonk Town Hall, 100 Peck Street. The tree lighting will be at 6:00pm.

There will be ice skating by the playground starting a Noon - 8:00pm. (some skates will be available to borrow) There will be musical entertainment and a visit from Santa Claus arriving in a fire engine. There will also be Holiday themed activities and crafts, hot cocoa, cookies and refreshments. It’s a wonderful time for people of all ages and a great way to kick off the Holiday Season. There are many in need in our community please don’t forget your canned good contributions for Doorways Food Pantry.

The Annual Seekonk Town Election 2023 will be held Monday April 3, 2023. Nomination papers for offices up for election will be available mid-December in the Town Clerk’s office.

You must obtain a minimum of 50 signatures from voters registered in Seekonk. A street address) not a P.O. Box is required from each person signing your papers.

Elected positions available in 2023:

• One seat for the Board of Assessors (3-year term)
• Two seats for Board of Selectmen (3-year term)
• One seat for Housing Authority (5-year term)
• Two seats for The Library Board of Trustees (3-year term)
• One seat for Town Moderator (3-year term)
• One seat for the Planning Board (5-year term)
• One seat for the School Committee (3-year term)
• One seat for Town Clerk (3-year term)
• One seat for Water Commission (3-year term)

Town Hall will be closed on November 11^th to celebrate Veteran’s Day.  Please take a moment to think about and thank a veteran for their dedication, service and sacrifice for our Country.

The Town Hall hours for the week of Thanksgiving is as follows:
Monday & Tuesday 8:30AM - 4:30PM
Wednesday 8:30AM – 12:30PM
Thursday & Friday – Closed

Lorraine and I wish everyone a Thanksgiving filled with health, laughter, family, friendship and of course great food.