Students attend meetings, learn the ins and outs of town government

MATTAPOISETT — At a Tuesday night meeting of the Mattapoisett Select Board, all the usual people were there: Select Board members, concerned citizens, town employees and community reporters. 

But sitting in the back row were two unfamiliar faces — Old Rochester Regional High School students, who watched the meeting and took notes on a paper copy of the meeting agenda. 

Seniors Andrew Porter, 17, and Alyssa Vieira, 18, were there on assignment from a local history class taught by Old Rochester Regional High School teacher Colin Everett. 

The class, which covers the history of the Tri-Town and greater New Bedford, includes a unit on municipal and state-wide civics where honors students are given a project to attend a municipal meeting, take notes and give an in-class presentation on what they learned. 

“I hope they walk away with a better sense of how local government works in Massachusetts,” said Everett. “And the easiest way to get someone to be active [in local politics] is to have them feel comfortable. If they go to a meeting and realize that the meeting is there for the public … and they have a place to be heard if they have a concern”

Porter and Vieira both learned something from Tuesday’s meeting. 

“I thought it was really insightful,” said Porter. “I learned a lot about town government and just different discourse on policies. Even though it was a lively discussion, everybody still communicated very professionally.”

Tuesday’s meeting included a vote on the town’s new flag policy, as well as discussion between Mattapoisett Tree Committee Chair Sandra Hering and the Select Board about a town project to widen sidewalks, which would result in trees being cut down. 

“I noticed that multiple people on the board definitely have different personalities,” said Vieira. “It was entertainment, kind of, to watch them talk professionally but also keep their opinions.”

While neither student plans to attend more municipal meetings any time soon, citing a heavy high school workload and previous time commitments, they both said the meeting was a positive experience. 

“If I do get more spare time and I am older and I do still live here, I would attend these,” said Vieira. “I feel like I’d have a blast here.”

According to Everett, the most common comment he hears from students who complete this project is: “That [meeting] was actually interesting.”