THE WRENTHAM CITIZENS ALLIANCE
The Wrentham Citizens Alliance was begun in 1986 by a group of Wrentham citizens who had originally come together to deal with a local environmental issue. By the following year, the Alliance was to hold its first Candidates’ Night – which it has held every year since then – for the purpose of acquainting the town’s voters with the candidates running in the annual April Town Election.
When an earth removal project was proposed on top of one of the town’s most productive aquifers – aquifers being the sole source of Wrentham’s drinking water – members of the original group publicly spoke out in defense of that aquifer and against the Planning Board decision issuing the earth removal permit. Those citizens, including the late Lorraine Metcalf (in whose honor a Wrentham street was named), were then sued by the project proponent. Today most of us take for granted that we have the right as citizens to speak out in defense of our interests as residents without fear of legal reprisal. However, such was not the case then. The courts ultimately dismissed the lawsuits as groundless, but not before those citizens had been placed in considerable legal and financial jeopardy, and had been forced to hire attorneys and defend themselves in court. The State Legislature, using the Wrentham case and others as examples of why such protection was needed, subsequently enacted the Commonwealth’s first anti-SLAPP suit law. (“SLAPP” stands for “Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation.”)
Subsequently, that group of citizens decided to form a formal organization dedicated to the interests of the citizen. The Wrentham Citizens Alliance was formally incorporated under the non-profit corporation laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1988.
From the beginning, the Alliance has included many visible, active members of the community. The original members of the Alliance were instrumental in bringing local cable television coverage to Wrentham’s public meetings, back before the days of the current local cable corporation. Many were pioneers in bringing televised proceedings of local boards into the homes of Wrentham’s residents, working as unpaid volunteers.
The aims of the Alliance are to promote and protect the best interests of the Wrentham community, to encourage and promote a better-informed community and civic spirit, and to maintain the character and aesthetic qualities of the Town of Wrentham. It remains committed to the original intent of its founders: cultivating awareness through education on issues confronting the Wrentham community, and encouraging participation in all aspects of civic affairs. As the Alliance Motto states:
“The Key To A Healthy Community Is A Concerned, Active,
and Informed Citizenry.”
Toward this end, the Wrentham Citizens Alliance hosts its annual Candidates’ Nights prior to Town Elections. It has now been doing so every year for well over fifteen years. It also hosts public forums on various topics of public concern, such as “Taxes and Fees”, “Public Building Projects”, and “Capital Debt.” A panel of the local officials and citizens most involved in the featured area of discussion presents information and answers the public’s questions. These forums are videotaped, and aired on local cable television. Candidates’ Nights and the other public forums, following the model established at the beginning, allow Wrentham citizens the opportunity to hear as well as speak about the vital concerns of the town.
The Alliance’s web site, www.wrenthamcitizens.org , was initiated in 2000. It presents Town Meeting warrants ahead of time and the minutes from those meetings afterward. It also serves as an accessible archive for WCA Newsletters, and as a bulletin board for upcoming events. The website also offers basic information about various Town boards and committees.
In addition, the Wrentham Citizens Alliance annually awards a scholarship to the KPHS senior whose essay best addresses a citizenship topic chosen each year by the WCA Board of Directors. The topic for 2004 was “The Responsibilities of Citizenship”.
Membership in the Wrentham Citizens Alliance is open to all. Please join today!
For more information, call Barry Kassler at 508-384-7733, or Ravi Nadkarni at 508-384-7889.
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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead
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