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Patrick Planning More Town Hall Meetings04:49PM / Monday, May 25, 2009
 | | Gov. Deval Patrick at Great Barrington's town hall meeting last year. |
BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick will hold 15 "town hall meetings" across the state — including in Adams and Pittsfield — over the next few months as part of his commitment to encourage civic engagement and, as he has frequently said, be a governor to the entire state.
A series of 10 well-attended forums were held last summer, including one at the gazebo in Great Barrington that attracted a large crowd from around the Berkshires. This summer, the governor, who has a home in Richmond, will host two meetings in the Berkshires.
Last year's meeting in Great Barrington focused a lot on health care, education and the presidential election. With citizens welcome to ask questions, the forums this year are likely to center on the state's financial condition along with the perennial issues of health and education.
The summer town hall meeting tour kicks off Tuesday, May 26, on the village green in Dennis. The Adams forum will be held on Tuesday, July 14, at 6:30 p.m. and the Pittsfield forum on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 6:30 p.m. The locations for the Berkshires have not yet been announced. Another forum in Chicopee will be held Thursday, Aug. 6, at 6:30 p.m.
"As we work to overcome the challenges of today, it is important that the citizens of the commonwealth are involved in the process," said Patrick in a statement. "I look forward to this opportunity to learn how state government can better serve its people."
The meetings are part of Patrick's efforts to make state government accessible for all people in the commonwealth. Citizens are encouraged to attend and discuss the issues. Last year, the governor held town hall meetings in Salem, Hull, Amesbury, Holyoke, Milton, Webster, Rehoboth, Athol, Great Barrington, and Hyannis.
The town hall-style meetings are open to the public, giving residents a chance to talk directly to the governor about issues they care about most, including the economy, the state's budget challenges, and the Patrick's efforts to push for reforms on Beacon Hill. For more information, visit www.mass.gov/governor/townhall.
Update: The date for the Adams forum has been changed to Aug. 13 at 6:30 p.m. |
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iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary. Comments are closed for this article. If you would like to contribute information on this article, e-mail us at info@iBerkshires.com |
| Good for Adams. Now that we're rid of "I'm in charge" MacDonald, perhaps the town can engage in some Civic and "civil" engagement. | | from: Townee | on: 05-26-2009 12:00AM
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