Wendy Penner likes to be able to âpop inâ to a town government meeting remotely on her computer. ¶ Sheâll typically view discussion about the agenda item she finds of interest, possibly add a comment and then pop out of the meeting and get on with her evening. ¶ Penner, a member of the Williamstown COOL Committee, said she likes many aspects of the now-ubiquitous remote civic meetings through Zoom or other teleconferencing software.
âItâs like a whole new paradigm â a whole new world,â she said. âAnd a lot of it has been absolutely fabulous. I think there is a democratizing element in some ways. More people can access the meetings, and they donât have to rearrange their whole lives to go there in person.â
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âShe has a great plan to move the department forward.â â Robert W. Bishop Jr., chair of the Dalton Select Board, speaking of Sgt. Deanna Strout. The board picked Strout as the town s next police chief.
It took the Dalton Select Board just 15 minutes Thursday to select Strout as Daltonâs next chief, pending contract negotiations. âShe has a great plan to move the department forward,â said Robert W. Bishop Jr., chair of the Select Board, in an online session.
In a short review of the qualifications of three finalists, all board members ranked Strout â who has served with the force for 23 years and said she grew up dreaming of this career â as their first choice.