By NANCY WILMOT
NEWPORT —On Tuesday, April 3rd, the townspeople of Newport gathered for the annual Deliberative Session at the Newport Opera House.
Moving here from Claremont 12 years ago, my husband and I were excited to finally be able to experience a real, and what we had heard could be a rousing, “Town Meeting.”
Unfortunately, though, the very year we moved here, Newport switched from the Town Meeting to the SB2 model, a two-part process that would eliminate the single-session Town Meeting.
With the new method, there would be a Deliberative Session that would allow voters time to ask questions, engage in debate and propose amendments to articles that would be followed up a month later with an official voting process.
Fifty-three citizens assembled at the Newport Opera House on April 3rd. It probably goes without saying that not everyone in attendance was on the same page of agreement about the articles that would be discussed that evening.
There, however, was one time when everyone was firmly planted as one. We were honored with a moving performance of our National Anthem by Anna Caccavaro, a senior at Newport High School and a resident of Croydon.
I stood there listening to this remarkable young lady, and my heart filled with pride for our nation, this awesome community, and this 17-year old star in our midst.
Anna is in the final phase of selecting the college she will attend this fall. She will be pursuing a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre and is looking at the University of Arts in Philadelphia, the Manhattan School of Music or the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
Anna is a high honor student who has mastered the art of balance. Currently ranked third in her class, she balances her academics with a rigorous schedule of performances.
Most recently Anna starred in “Footloose” at the Lebanon Opera House, and she is now preparing for her role in “The Laramie Project” that will be held in Claremont on April 27thand 28th.
Beyond her accomplishments, though, what is remarkable about Anna is her heart that shines almost as brilliantly as her voice. She is just one example of the many amazing students who are part of the fiber of this community.
Without a doubt, this young lady instilled in the people that evening feelings of hope and pride in the youth of Newport. We don’t have to look too hard to realize that our community is extraordinary.
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