A cat infiltrated Chilmark’s annual town meeting twice Monday night. The double-pawed cat strolled the aisles during its initial visit to the Chilmark Community Center, and got a few strokes across its back by folks who’d just seated themselves.
Select board chair Jim Malkin carried the cat just outside the community center as the meeting got underway. Later, the cat came back, much to select board member Warren Doty’s surprise. As Doty was expounding on the Peaked Hill Pastures warrant article, he noticed the cat had re-entered the community center and slid into the seat rows.
“The cat came back,” Doty said, and laughter swept through the voters. The return of the cat seemed to boggle Doty’s mind.
“A cat walked in the door and is here for town meeting, and we put the cat outside, and now the cat is back,” he said. “I don’t understand.”
Select board chair Jim Malkin once again scooped up the cat, and brought it outside the community center.
