Falls Village Voters Affirm Support for Theater

FALLS VILLAGE — With little fanfare, voters at a town meeting approved granting an easement Tuesday to the Falls Village Children’s Theater Company to repair a septic system on town-owned property behind the R&D Emerson building on Main Street.

At another meeting in December, by a margin of 72-8 voters approved a donation by the town of $25,000 to the nonprofit theater company to help with the $150,000 purchase of the building for use as a performing venue and community center.

But without the easement, the sale could not have gone through. Tuesday’s meeting gave opponents of the donation one last opportunity to stop it.

After a motion was made to approve the easement, moderator Fred Petersen opened the floor to discussion. Cyril Wismar, a longtime Lutheran bishop, said he lamented that churches have lost the role they once had in young people’s lives, creating a void in communities such as Falls Village.

"My concern is if we defeat this motion we will be telling our youth we don’t care much about them," Wismar said to much applause.

Vance Cannon, vice president of the theater company, said the Emerson family received no other offers on the building and that if the easement was rejected, the 100-year-old building would likely sit unused and fall into disrepair.

Lisa Sallon asked why the theater company couldn’t use another town building, such as the former town hall and the current senior center at 107 Main St. (one building away from the Emerson building).

Petersen told her the question did not pertain to the motion on the floor and so would not be entertained.

When the vote was taken, only a few nays could be heard. Still, there was some grumbling in the hallway after the adjournment. Some people wondered why there was never a public hearing on the $25,000 donation or any official forum in which questions could be raised about the theater company’s finances and business plan. Others wondered why Wismar’s comments were allowed while Sallon’s were not.

However, one erstwhile opponent of the project struck a conciliatory note. In a comment left on this writer’s blog on The Lakeville Journal Web site at tcextra.com, radio talk show host Mike Flint said, "Case closed. The people of Falls Village had plenty of information and have made their choice at a democratic town meeting. For those who did not show to make their voices heard, you have nothing to complain about. Good luck to the town of Falls Village and to whatever group is buying this building."

In the only other agenda item, voters unanimously approved a new four-year contract for teachers at the Lee H. Kellogg School.