April is almost here—I think most of us find this a little hard to believe!  And right now, the weather is very May-like, quite a reprieve from last weekend’s soaking rainstorm.  Every season reminds us of different things; as tomorrow, March 20^th, is officially the first day of Spring, there is a host of topics which may come to mind. There is ‘March Madness’, as the NCAA basketball tournament has already begun. We start the process of MCAS testing (ELA, grade 7, March 23^rd) just as the crocuses are nudging to the soil’s surface. Golfers begin to anticipate the Masters tournament in Augusta in April, students and teachers continue to work hard in their classes, boaters start priming their hulls, parents continue to taxi their children from one event to another, and the planning process for the next school year continues in earnest. The pace quickens so much so fast, it’s almost as if people emerge from hibernation (although we’ve all been busy all winter!), because our schedules suddenly seem much more hectic.  Parents, teachers and students all strive to ‘fit everything in’ before the end of the school year.

This is also the time when we have Town Meeting and Town Elections.  Town Meeting is scheduled for April 12, 2010, while our Town Election will be on May 8^th.  Important decisions will be made by our community which will determine the desired level of services for our town.  Which candidates can best provide the management philosophy which will benefit our students, our town, and our level of services? The opportunity to vote is truly a cornerstone of our democracy.  Often, it is referred to as ‘our civic duty’.  Well, that’s fine, and certainly going to the polls demonstrates an important responsibility which adults in our country and other democracies share.  But I like to think that the level of voting participation from a community also reflects the commitment of a community, especially when the Town Warrant contains Articles which affect everyone in town. This year, no constituency is left out.  Our votes will determine everything from class sizes in our schools, to the quality of curriculum in our classes, to important planning issues, to how our capital improvement money is spent.  Our votes will influence how we allocate our Community Preservation dollars and what easements should be adopted.  So please take the opportunity to exercise your right to vote—the quality of our community depends on it!