Not too long ago, Charlestown was having trouble finding volunteers for all of its Commissions and there wasn’t great interest in elections. Most people seemed to think the town was taken care of by good people and therefore paid little attention to the affairs of local government. The results of the 2006 election hit our town like a hurricane. Sure there was plenty of damage, but we did what people do in a disaster, we banded together and we tried to help each other get through the storm.
That difficult and dangerous period for Charlestown bore the precious fruit of an active and engaged electorate. CCA was formed soon after the 2006 election and we now have over 1000 Charlestown residents on our email list. Citizens who perhaps don’t always read the local papers now have a firm grasp on the events and players in their town. People are volunteering for Commissions who had never served before and some commissions have more volunteers than openings.
For all of us, those who have been involved for many years and those who are newly engaged, there is a renewed appreciation of this beautiful place we call home. Our town was threatened and we believed and still believe that Charlestown deserves every bit of our defense.
Get More Involved
There are many ways to serve Charlestown and become more connected to your community. One good way is to get more involved in CCA, but it’s not the only way. Following are some suggestions for ways to get involved
in the life of our town.
Attend Town Council and other meetings. Town Council meetings are usually held at 7PM on the second Monday of each Month and there are often months with a second or third meeting. The Town Hall Calendar gives times of meetings for the Town Council and other commissions. The agendas for Town Council meetings are also available on line.
Join a Town commission. The application form for boards and commissions and a listing of all the commissions is available from the Town Hall web site.
Run for elected office. If you are interested in running for Town Council or Planning Commission or any other elected office, please send an email to mail@CharlestownCitizens.org explaining you are interested in running for election and we’ll get back to you right away.
Join any of the non-profit organizations that serve Charlestown. There is contact information for these groups on our links page.
Take a hike, ride your bike, or go to the park. Sometimes we just need to enjoy the place we live in to reconnect with our community. Discover more about your town which includes part of the North South Trail and lots of other trails. Trail maps are available at the Kettle Pond Visitor Center. Or explore Charlestown using our Guide to Recreation/Conservation Areas. There is also some information about Town recreation programs at the Town Hall web site.
Or take a drive around town and find all the places we have pictured in our web site. If you bring a digital camera along, take some pictures and send them to us and we’ll include them in our web site if we can.
We live in a wonderful community. Enjoy where you live and better yet, find a way to serve your town. You’ll find that community service is one of the most fulfilling things you can do!