TURNERS FALLS — A group advocating to keep the Turners Falls High School mascot is gathering signatures of registered voters in Montague to add a nonbinding referendum on the issue to the town election ballot.
Group members were at Food City Thursday afternoon gathering signatures. The group has not responded to multiple requests from the Recorder for comment, but has posted about the petition publicly on its Facebook page, Save the TF Indians Logo.
“We recently hit the streets with a copy of a nonbinding referendum and have received overwhelming support from our community! We have referendum sheets circulating in the town of Montague, Gill, and Erving for registered voters to sign,” part of the post said. “As dates and places are verified we will be posting locations where our team will be so you can get there and sign!”
Deb Bourbeau, town clerk in Montague, said a group will likely be sending her office a petition. She said they need 600 signatures from registered voters in Montague to get the vote on the ballot for the election.
She said the town has to have the petition at least 43 days ahead of the vote, which is on May 15.
The group had previously circulated an online petition with about 1,200 signatures for the purpose of gauging support for keeping the mascot, but this paper petition would only include registered voters from Montague. They would need additional petitions in Gill and Erving to get a similar referendum on the ballot in those towns.
The referendums would be nonbinding, meaning the town would not be voting to keep or get rid of the mascot, but to make a recommendation to the School Committee.
Town Clerk offices from Gill and Erving said they had not been approached about petitions in their respective communities.