Select Board to decide what is allowed on Green

Date: 2/9/2009

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



LONGMEADOW What is allowed on a Town Green?

This is the subject being tackled by both Candy Glazer of the Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee and Town Manager Robin Crosbie.

A town green is a common open area which is used for community events, such as celebrations or public ceremonies -- such as Long Meddowe Days, the annual celebration of the settling of Longmeadow.

Last May, during Long Meddowe Days, the Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee (LDTC) was asked to remove political signage from their tent at the festival. Glazer felt that this request was in violation of the the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment. She sent a letter to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) about the incident and Attorney Bill Newman, Director of the ACLU of Western Massachusetts Legal Office, spoke on this topic at the Feb. 2 meeting of the Select Board.

Newman pointed out that "any town common is the quintessential town forum" and an ideal place to share opinions.

"We come in peace but we come to defend an essential right of everyone," Newman told the Select Board. "We're talking about peaceful political statements."

He asked that if the town is going to consider restrictions for what is allowed on the Town Green that they do "with utmost respect."

Crosbie said the LDTC's signs weren't the only things that caused issues at last year's Long Meddowe Days. She has been working with the Parks and Recreation Department to come up with rules for the Town Green, which will be reviewed by Town Counsel, Attorney David Martel.

"The rules will be very precise about what's allowed and what's not allowed," Crosbie stated. She added that currently, the rules state that signs could be supported by individuals but not by groups of 20 or more.

The Select Board will be reviewing and approving Town Green rules before the next Long Meddowe Days, scheduled to take place in mid-May.