Nice to see interest in what's going on

Last night's Palestine City Council meeting drew a standing-room-only crowd into the council chambers at city hall. Normally, the "crowd" consists of the city department managers, the cable access person broadcasting the meeting from the back of the room, me and maybe a half dozen other people. A good many in attendance last night came because their kids were being recognized by the city for their outstanding efforts in the YMCA Youth & Government programs at Westwood and Palestine High Schools and Palestine Middle School. Still, several dozen (maybe three dozen or more???) were there to hear discussion and witness the votes regarding the old Senior Citizens Center property on Kickapoo Street and the contract to provide senior services at the new facility (still being renovated) on N. Church Street. As a journalist, you're not supposed to take sides and I try not to. I'm not taking sides now. But I did notice a few things about the group that came for the senior center votes. First, they showed up on a rainy night, regardless of which way they wanted the vote to go. Second, most of them made their preference known by donning baseball caps printed with "Support Your Seniors" on the front. Third, they fit the voting (and newspaper reader) demographics - the generation either nearing retirement age or at it. Let me reiterate - I'm not "for" or "against" either group represented in the senior center discussions. I don't have a dog in this fight, so to speak. I'm just glad to see people taking notice of what's going on in their local government and participating by being present. Come back again.