Thursday 10-08-09, The Paris Reporter posted "A Calculated Distraction," re. the quickie meeting that got slipped under the door all so smoothly. In that article, referring to the process for looking for a new town manager, there was the observation that there appeared "a great need for haste."
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a dvd must get 1000 plus. In reviewing the dvd of that meeting taped by NPC-TV, just how much haste becomes clearer. Being able to see - and replay - body language and head turns, "fiddly" fingers and waving hands, one's attention is drawn to comments sometimes missed when just sitting in the audience.
Consider the following dialogue excerpted from 10-08-09 meeting at Paris Town Office:
Ch. Ivey: ......need to make a motion....
Sel. Ripley: Mike made a ...with his memo his desire to have someone on board prior to the new budget system warrants us to...ah...and as you have...we've started...we've put the ad out...we need to move forward in that process.
Ch. I: ...need to make a motion....
How do we want to do it?
Sel. Glover: You say you have put an ad out? or you're going to put an ad out?
Ch. I: [smooth segue] I dunno... [turns to interim town mgr.] Has that ad been put out?
Interim T. Mgr.: No.
Ch. I.: [casual glance back to Sel. G] I've spoken to 'm about it.
There's use of the past tense, here. Mr. R says "you have" "we've started" "we've put." Slip of the tongue? Careless syntax? Thinking out loud? What?
One outspoken selectman out of town for the week; the other asking did you or didn't you; and one deceived public.
Could there have been any prearrangement by anyone before this meeting?
Has there also been a candidate prearranged?
Why would anyone want that?
