Chatham’s Town Government Channel 18 broadcasts many meetings, both on cable and live streaming. There still seems to be issues for some surrounding downloading archived files, however.
As a former Chatham Selectman myself, here’s the kind of meeting I would have liked. Using simple desktop digital video technology, I’ve boiled it down to about 7 minutes — which still is probably too long for some. But a good chunk of the interminably long opening credits remains.
This past week’s meeting focused primarily on issues surrounding South Beach. At over seven minutes, this may feel like a longer online video. But for those who are familiar with such meetings, and especially those who have served, this is paced like a bat out of hell.
On the first of December I finished up a major writing and photography project. It had consumed the better part of the past 6 months for me, and had taken longer than expected – partly because of technical issues (my computer is old and slow) and partly because of environmental conditions (it was raining or foggy when I needed it to be clear). So when I raised my head up and finally had a chance to look around, it was the smack in the middle of the holiday season. And it has never been so welcome.
First off, Thanksgiving had just wrapped up, but I was still in a thankful mood. I still had 4 weeks in which to get things together, coherently, for Christmas. As typical of my gender, I will give thought to gifts for loved ones as early as the day before Christmas Eve. But I’ll wait until the shopkeeper is walking to his front door with key in hand at 9 PM on the 24th before I relent and make a commitment to actually buy presents.
This practice, more often than not, benefits local merchants. After all, your store has to be within a few minutes’ drive of my house. And open. Otherwise, everyone on my list runs the danger of getting a pint of outboard motor oil, a pack of Camels and king size-Baby Ruth from Cumberland Farms.
Also, the holidays mean I can’t really get started on anything new until after they’re over. Instead, I can throw any leftover creativity into being in the spirit of things. I don’t think I’ve ever had a tree, in the house, up and decorated all before the winter solstice. Fake trees don’t count. Nor do trees that were up due to lack of taking down from the previous year (I feel that any Christmas tree you eventually have to dust has lost any spiritual or cultural meaning, and is automatically demoted to simply furniture).
Christmas cd’s in the stereo – up. Outside lights – up. Big red ribbon with bells that plays “Sleigh Ride” whenever Sofie presses the button (meaning every chance she gets) by our front door — up. Video I took of Santa arriving at Chatham Fish Pier – uploaded on my YouTube channel.
And I find myself, not one full week into December, with the luxury to contemplate the holidays. Come to think of it, it is kind of funny that we have one holiday of giving thanks, followed by one of giving presents, and then finally one that is about new beginnings and making resolutions – clustered around the absolutely longest nights of the year.
Quite a demonstration on what a lack of sunlight – or fear of the dark — will do to the human mind. It can actually get us to behave in ways that we wish we did the rest of the year. Decently. Kindly. Generously. Maybe even nobly.
Now I juxtapose this against the next upcoming event to grab our attention: the presidential primary season.
As we get closer and closer to the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, the behavior on display provides a striking contrast to the season we are now in. So I’ll use the spirit of the holidays to judge the candidates.
(read the rest of the column at The Cape Cod Chroniclehere)
