Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Students invite council to living-wax museum; resident raises racial slur, youth gun concerns on Main Street
Summary
Students invited council to a May 29 school living-wax museum and a resident, Mary Helen Hall, used public comment to report hearing a racial slur used by children and that a 13-year-old told her he was carrying a gun while walking Main Street, urging more teacher awareness and police presence at dusk.
Students and a presenter invited the council to a living-wax museum event on May 29 at the Jake Minini Museum with two presentations, one at 10:00 and another at 12:30; several students named the historical characters they researched and invited council members and staff to attend. A student introduced himself: "I'm Jake Minini," and staff encouraged attendance.
During the public-comment period, Mary Helen Hall, who identified herself as a Norway resident, described two troubling incidents she observed from her residence near Main Street. First, she reported overhearing children use a racial slur directed at a Black neighbor and urged teachers and parents to be aware of what children are learning and repeating. "That word of our black people is long gone ... where are these kids hearing this?" she said.
Second, Hall said she heard a teenage boy say, "I've got a gun I'm carrying a gun," while walking past on Main Street; she expressed concern about teenagers openly carrying firearms and urged more police coverage on Main Street, especially at dusk. Councilors acknowledged the concerns and noted options for follow-up, including asking staff to monitor occurrences and consider increased patrols during peak times.
