Election reflection

I’m not a politically engaged person as a rule, but once in awhile something grabs my attention and moves me to action. Two years ago, right around this time, it was the management of our local famers’ market. The terrific market manager was suddenly and inexplicably fired, and I worked with a few other local residents to stage a takeover and transformation of the market. Today, the manager (who we restored to his role) has made the market a thriving local community resource. It was satisfying to effect a positive change in my neighborhood.

This year, we have a similar situation on the governing board of our town. It’s hard to imagine the level of vitriol over a five-person, volunteer board that oversees a small community. One toxic presence makes a huge difference.  Two positions are open on the board this fall, and I’ve been working to elect board members who can do the same for our town as Chris Hall, our market manager has done for our market. For me, this race is a sort of bell weather: can sincere, hardworking candidates win out over rumor and fear mongering?  If not in Kensington, then where???

Last weekend, the opposition plastered the public median leading to our town with their campaign signs. My neighbor came to me very upset and I called the campaign head to see if we could get some of our signs there. But ours were all up in local neighborhood yards. So I had a flash of inspiration, remembering the old Burma Shave signs.  I’ve mentioned them before. I got some poster board and lath, and made these. I placed them in two groups of four, all near the opponents’ signs.

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Few Supporters?                                         Don’t be fooled…
Lots of Signs?                                              Better yet…
Put them here…                                           Vote with your neighbors
Where no one minds.                                 For Toombs and Gillette

The idea was to undercut the power of all those signs, and to inject a little humor into the race. But I guess the humor was a little too close to the bone. Within an hour, the last sign “For Toombs and Gillette” was missing, and I made a replacement. But by afternoon, all eight had disappeared.  On Sunday I made a new sequence:

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As of last night, they were still up. In any case, it’s been a welcome distraction from the bigger election, which looms today. Let’s hope the results help the nation and our little community thrive in the same way the farmers’ market has!!

PS on November 7: Gillette and Toombs won by a 3 to 1 margin!