WESTBOROUGH – The Westborough Town Seal Review Committee will host its second information gathering session through Zoom from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16.
The information-gathering session will provide Westborough residents another opportunity to offer their perspective on whether the town seal should be changed and, if so, what symbols a new seal should include.
Committee discusses time limits on informational session comments
Committee members discussed their first information-gathering session, held on Nov. 15, and made plans for this upcoming session at a meeting on Dec. 2.
In that, committee members reflected on the amount of time allotted for residents to speak, which had been three minutes at that first session. Some residents had wanted more time to speak.
“I thought we shouldn’t be so restrictive on the time limit,” said committee member Wendy Mickel.
Committee Co-Chair Nick Argento later clarified in an email to the Community Advocate that the committee decided to keep the three-minute guideline for this next session, with the chair of the meeting having the discretion to allow residents who exceed that limit to finish their comment.
Committee to reach out to stakeholder groups
The debate about the current town seal centers on its depiction of a cotton gin, which was invented by Westborough resident, Eli Whitney.
Many have expressed concern about the machine’s role in industrialized cotton production in the South and, by extension, its role in American slavery. Some others have argued, though, that the seal should remain unchanged as it honors Whitney’s Westborough roots.
The Town Seal Review Committee will eventually draft a recommendation for town meeting action to keep or replace the seal. It also discussed, Dec. 1, 13 groups that Select Board member Shelby Marshall had suggested it reach out to. Those included Westborough Connects and the Lions Club among others.
Committee members divided up the groups to reach out individually.
The Zoom meeting ID for the upcoming information session is 959 4450 4877. Residents unable to attend can submit a comment to be read at the meeting to [email protected] or leave written comments at the Town Clerk’s office. Those should include their name and address.
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