Isabella Jancourtz
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On the article Deer Management Discussion Creates 'Uncomfortable Position' for Town Leaders
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On the article Voters Reject Ban on Weston Bow Hunting
Isabella Jancourtz
11:59 pm on Wednesday, May 15, 2013
ReplyIt's a sad day for Weston. Cruelty to animals is the law of the land, and our town forests are no longer a sanctuary for man and beast, but a bloody killing field.
There is no good reason to do this, and so many good reasons not to.
We will revisit this issue next year, God willing. -
On the Blog Post Just the Facts Ma'am, Just the Facts: On Weston Bow Hunting
Isabella Jancourtz
6:30 pm on Tuesday, May 14, 2013
ReplyVote YES on Article 20 to ban hunting on town owned land, tomorrow night at town meeting. The vote should come up by 9pm or so. This is our opportunity to take back our town forests for peaceful, recreational purposes.
Every vote counts! -
On the article Home Sales for the Love of Rescued Animals
Isabella Jancourtz
11:55 am on Tuesday, May 14, 2013
YES YES YES!!!
And, if you've never been to town meeting before in your life, but you love animals and our beautiful, peaceful town forests, all you need to do is show up between 7:30 and 9:00 tomorrow night at the high school auditorium. The tellers will check your name off the list of registered voters, you'll be given a voting card and then join the crowd.
I think the vote will happen after 9pm, because there are 5 articles to be voted on first (Articles 15-19) and then there will be 20 minutes each for formal presentations by proponents and opponents of Article 20 (to ban hunting on town owned land), followed by lively and lengthy debate with questions and comments from the voters (who line up to speak and get 5 minutes each at the mike). Then we all vote.
You could even stay home and watch Weston Media Center's live broadcast on TV until Article 20 comes up. That will give you plenty of notice (an hour or more) to head out to the high school and vote YES on Article 20.
Hope to see you there. Every vote counts!A big thank you to Leslie and Kyle Mann for saving Turtle, and sharing this inspiring story.
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On the article Weston Town Meeting Set for Tonight
Isabella Jancourtz
1:58 pm on Monday, May 13, 2013
ReplyArticle 20 will probably come up on Wed. May 15 rather than at this evening's Town Meeting. This article seeks to ban hunting on town owned land, as was always the case before last Fall, when a decision of our Board of Selectmen allowed bow hunters to hunt deer in our town forests from October 15 to December 31.
The Weston Media Center broadcasts our town meetings live to all cable TV subscribers in town. So, in the remote event that Article 20 comes up tonight, you can head to the High School auditorium in plenty of time for the vote. There will be 20 minutes each for proponents and for opponents to make formal presentations, followed by voter questions and comments.
I hope that the YES votes prevail, and that peace and relative harmony are restored to our town.
Then I hope that the Board of Selectmen, the Board of Health, the Conservation Commission, the Recreation Commission and every other concerned person and agency in town get together to figure out how best to protect our population from Lyme disease, starting with a survey and a public hearing.
Our attention has been diverted from the Lyme problem by consideration of an unacceptable (to many) option which does not work, namely hunting on public conservation land to attempt to reduce a native deer population. -
On the article Weston Election Results: And The Winners Are ...
Isabella Jancourtz
6:59 am on Sunday, May 12, 2013
ReplyDemocracy rules! Congratulations to the winners Doug, Tom, Steve and Alison, and best wishes to all for a good term in office.
Thanks to the beautiful losers, Bill, Harvey, Glenn and me, for bringing the issues up for debate and giving the voters a choice at the polls.
Now on to Town Meeting. I note with interest that the ballot question, a Prop 2 override, passed with 772 to 722 votes. That is very good news for fiscal conservatives, because a 2/3 vote is required to approve the bonding on capital expenditures in the warrant, so there is a very good chance that some of the overpriced, unnecessary projects will be voted down.
Most importantly, I hope that Article 20, which would ban hunting on our town owned land, as has always been the case until last year, is approved by the voters.
Please come to Town Meeting and vote YES to take back our town forests for peaceful recreational purposes. If this article were to be rejected, Weston would be the loser and never again would it be so beautiful. -
On the Blog Post Let's Decide the Old Library's Fate in the Fall
Isabella Jancourtz
6:32 pm on Friday, May 10, 2013
ReplyI received several calls today asking me what the heck is going on. Certainly we have never been this dysfunctional.
Clearly, we need new leadership and I sure hope we get it. Bill Sandalls is the best person to get us out of the mess we're in.
The Town Hall is open all day tomorrow, 8am to 6pm so get out and vote! -
On the article Major Drug Ring Bust Nets Waltham Men
Isabella Jancourtz
6:07 am on Friday, May 10, 2013
ReplyHow much did this operation cost the taxpayers so far?
Any estimates on the ultimate cost of investigating, prosecuting, incarcerating etc?
For what? Pills?
Don't Homeland Security and the FBI have more important things to do, like following up on terrorist tips from Russia? -
On the Blog Post Town Meeting Vote to Fund Coverage of School Committee Meetings and Video-On-Demand
Isabella Jancourtz
6:11 pm on Thursday, May 9, 2013
ReplyI'm going to take Roland's word for it that school committee meetings will be covered if we approve the $150,000 appropriation requested by the Weston Media Center at Town Meeting.
Also, earlier today I e-mailed Gloria Cole, WMC's executive director, to please confirm that school committee meetings would be covered if the voters approve Article 11. Gloria promptly e-mailed confirmation.
I think this battle is won, and I have let Gloria know that I will not be moving to amend Article 11, to require that part of the appropriation be applied to the cost of covering our school committee meetings.
However, in the interest of clarity and especially in view of the concerns of Concerned Parent and others, I'd suggest that the WMC move to so amend its own Article. Then maybe we'll get lucky, approve Article 11 unanimously and go on to debate and to vote on the truly contentious issues on the warrant.
Whoever said "the Revolution will not be televised" never met our Gloria. If we give her the money she seeks, she will get the staff (including many dedicated volunteers) and the equipment she needs to get the job done. -
On the article Weston High Fails to Make Newsweek's Top-Rated Schools List
Isabella Jancourtz
6:30 am on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
ReplyWho cares about Newsweek's ranking? Or any ranking?
We know that our schools are excellent, and that our students are learning, thriving and succeeding here, in college and beyond.
We don't have many of the problems which plague other schools, like bullying, gangs and violence because we teach our children well, how to solve conflict and get along with others.
Our diverse student body is enhanced by our METCO program which brings us students from Boston and by exchange programs with students from other countries.
Thanks to broad community support, our students have many opportunities to engage in extra-curricular activities, including sports, music and drama.
Most of all, when we do fall short, as we have lately with special education programs, we get together and do something about it.
Weston is known for its fine schools and for wonderful, well-rounded service-oriented students. Whatever Newsweek has to say does not change that one bit.
Go Weston!
Isabella Jancourtz
5:44 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013
Mr. Conservationist, you called animal rights activists terrorists in another Patch post today as an excuse for not using your real name.
Here you suggest that I could be charged with harassment for calling the Weston P.D. when my husband and I observed a bow hunter on private property clearly marked "No Hunting."
He had been standing on the other side of a pond and about 50' from our road for some time, because when my husband got home from his walk and told me, I was shocked and decided to walk over with him to check this out. The law does not allow hunting within 150' of a road or within 500' of a house. He was both.
Why did I call the police? Well, the hunter was still standing in the same spot, so I yelled out that he wasn't allowed to hunt there. What was his response? To slink off into the woods, without saying a thing.
This was 8am on November 23, 2012, according to the police report which I obtained today in response to your post. I find it instructive that you are aware of this incident which I reported in the Weston Town Crier several months ago, after the Con Com came out with a report claiming that the hunting had been incident free. But they're still clueless.
In fact, children and adults have been traumatized by seeing wounded deer, running through their yards or on the streets in town.
There is something so creepy about armed men in camo refusing to identify themselves. Same goes for those who rage on the page, hiding behind a pseudonym.