The Eastsound Planning and Review Committee would like to increase community awareness of and participation in local issues and public meetings.
“We want to have fun engaging the citizens in planning, and provide educational facts. For the next two Saturdays — June 20 and June 27 — we will try an old way of getting the word out: a Town Crier,” says EPRC Chair Gulliver Rankin.
The Town Crier (aka Freddy Hinkle) is doing three-min speeches around town from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting at the top of each hour at the Farmers Market.
No commercial or partisan announcements will be aired. The Town Crier’s informational speech will be given at various locations around town as well as at the Farmers Market.
EPRC will pay for this service as part of its community outreach and no commercial or partisan content will be allowed. A flier with all of the information will also be available.
According to Rankin, the three purposes of the Crier are:
1) To give information on community meetings with times and locations; and county projects affecting Eastsound (A to Main Street stormwater, Mt Baker Road trail)
2) To solicit public opinion on planning issues through surveys carried by the Crier
3) To publicize fun facts and leading questions of island life, focused on increasing self-reliance and community preparedness.
This is a trial run with input from the local business, Farmers Market, tourists and community solicited to determine if this is a positive solution and should be continued, says Rankin.
If you have any information that fits the criteria and needs to be heard contact Gulliver Rankin at 622-6090.
