Montague residents have a chance to voice their opinion on the school board’s removal of the longtime Turners Falls High School mascot, the Indian, during the town’s annual election.
The town has a nonbinding referendum on Monday’s ballot asking voters to retain the Turners Falls High School’s former logo and nickname, the Indians. The Gill-Montague Regional School Committee voted on Feb. 14 to do away with the Indians.
Since Monday’s vote is nonbinding, it has no bearing on the School Committee’s decision. It was brought forward by “Save the TF Indians logo,” a group of residents in favor of keeping the former logo, and was added to the ballot after a Feb. 6 vote by the selectboard.
The group also worked to get the same question on the ballot in Gill and Erving, and was successful in Erving, where it brought forward a petition of 10 percent of the voters, so the question automatically went on the ballot.
In Gill, like in Montague, the group asked the selectboard to add the question to the ballot, but the selectboard voted against it, since at that point, the School Committee had already made its decision, and the board did not want to second guess or question that.
Erving voted on the question last week, overwhelmingly in favor of restoring the school’s mascot. Erving is not a member town of the district, but many children in the district attend GMRSD schools for grades 7 though 12.
In addition to the controversial question, Montague is holding elections for officials to serve in town offices and on the School Committee.
Montague’s polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Voters will be able to elect town officials and precinct representatives for town meeting.
The Montague Town Clerk has sent a reminder to voters that they cannot wear any apparel with Indian logos on it to vote, because of the state law prohibiting campaigning within a 150-foot “transparency zone” around polling places.
Gill’s polls will be open at the Municipal Building in the Fire Station from noon to 8 p.m.
Voters in both towns will have School Committee ballots for the Gill-Montague Regional School Committee. Three seats, one in Gill and two in Montague, will be decided on Monday. Shawn Hubert is running against incumbent Sandy Brown in the Gill race. Cassie Damkoehler is running against incumbents Michael Langknecht and April Reipold in the Montague race, where voters can select two of the three.
Check Recorder.com and Tuesday’s paper for results from the elections.