I did.

I went back to the right.

Maybe you should.

One more minute.

Okay.

We're good.

So sorry for the delay.

By law we have to wait till seven o'clock.

Anyways, welcome to uh the People's House in North Kingston for this uh great occasion.

I'd like to call this meeting to order, uh pursuant to around general laws forty-two-six uh dash six C.

Uh meeting of this uh excuse me, notice of this meeting is opposed to the Secretary of State's website.

I'd ask everybody to uh stand with me and join us loose to the flag.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Um our agenda next is public comment.

Nobody has signed up according to the clerk, and I don't know if anyone wants to speak.

Uh but now uh would be the opportunity for the public to speak.

Okay.

Uh this week, and she um gave me some good news that I'd like to share with everybody and that'll make our community proud.

Um every sports season I ask uh the principal and and the um uh athletic director for how we did in our athletics and other uh uh events at the high school and uh the principal wrote back to me and told me that uh some excellent news and um music news.

Uh in particular fifty-three students accepted into the Rhode Island All State Ensembles.

Of those fifty-three, seven are ranked number one in the state uh on their instrument in their age category.

Uh six are ranked number two, three are ranked number three, and twenty-eight are CTE music students.

Um we also had uh seven students from uh Wickford Middle School and six uh students from DMS uh make the renowned All State Ensembles.

So our music department, which uh I know many of us had our kids go through it, uh continues to shine.

In athletics, uh girls volleyball team won the division one championship, which I know I mentioned last time.

Uh girls' soccer team won the division one championship also.

Uh unified volleyball team won the division two uh state championship, and our football team won the division one uh Super Bowl.

So let's give a ground applause for our so we have some um I'd call administrative business on the agenda and then we'll get to the uh uh uh selection or presentation to the councils and administration votes, and then after that we are going to also uh possi or possibly appoint um some town officials.

So uh that's for our tonight's agenda.

And uh the first item we're gonna do is approve the last meeting uh minutes, uh November eighteenth.

Do you have a motion?

So moved.

Second.

Aye.

Any opposed, the ayes have it.

Next is a presentation to the outgoing town council.

And for that, I'm gonna go over here if I may.

Sorry about that.

Before I uh make the presentation to the outgoing council members, I would like uh to congratulate everybody, and I do mean everybody who ran for office uh this past election.

I assure you uh that whether you won or lost, uh you made our community a better place.

And I want to thank everybody for participating, those people who did to participate in our democracy.

Uh it is not easy to do so, and you put yourself out there, and this uh councillor appreciates it, and I think the entire community does also.

With that, Miss Katie Anderson, would you come over here?

In 2020, on a whim, uh Katie decided to run for town council.

She did so, even though she had a lot on her plate.

In fact, I would argue it's was already full.

She had a young family and a full-time job.

And during her tenure, her family expanded and responsibility at work expanded.

Yet she continued to make important contributions to the council and our community.

I want you to know, Katie, your impact to our community will have long by last your tenure here.

I also suspect that your impact has had an your I also suspect that you've inspired many young uh ladies in our community to see that they can have it all.

So congratulations.

Uh, thank you for your service to our community, and I'd like to present you with this gift right here.

So, my my kids, my husband and my parents came to the last meeting, so I gave my farewell speech there.

Um so I'll keep it brief so you don't have to hear it twice.

Uh, but just thank you so much to all the wonderful citizens of this town, staff, my fellow counselors.

This has been such an honor and a privilege to serve all of you, and I'm just very, very grateful.

Thank you so much.

Larry Mandel was a career diplomat, representing and protecting the interests of our country in numerous locations around the world where he was stationed at.