JACKSON, Wyo. — The Teton County Library (TCL) announced that its autumn Swap Meet series will give community members the opportunity to discuss hot topics with local elected officials.
Meant to spark a discourse, the discussions are designed to be part book club, part friendly policy debate. Throughout October, state representatives, county commissioners and town councilors will select the news items to be discussed that evening. Each conversation will center around an article that was assigned by the elected officials, which attendees can read ahead of time.
TCL Adult Program Coordinator Leah Shlachter created the series to encourage both a conversation and an exchange of ideas between people who might share different views.
“Local elected officials inherently come with supporters and challengers, so I thought that if they lead discussions about topics they are passionate about, they’d attract participants of diverse opinions,” Shlachter said in the announcement. “It’s a chance for the community to engage with their local officials in a neutral, casual setting. These discussions are meant to ignite curiosity and to create space for much-needed discourse. And they’re supposed to be fun!”
The following topics will be discussed:
- Wednesday, Oct. 1: Primary elections with County Commissioner Wes Gardner and Town Councilor Devon Viehman
- Thursday, Oct. 2: Public lands with State Representative Andrew Byron
- Wednesday, Oct. 8: Bringing back Wyoming wildlife species with State Representative Liz Storer
- Wednesday, Oct. 15: No growth vs. unlimited growth with County Commissioner Luther Propst and Town Councilor Kevin Regan
- Thursday, Oct. 16: Topic to be announced with County Commissioner Len Carlman
- Thursday, Oct. 23: Topic to be announced with County Commissioner Mark Newcomb and Town Councilor Alyson Spery
- Thursday, Oct. 30: Company boycotts with State Representative Mike Yin and Commissioner Natalia Macker
The entire lineup of topics and links to news items can be found at tclib.org/swapmeet. All discussions will take place at 7 p.m. in the fireplace area of TCL’s Main Wing. According to TCL, the discussions will happen after the library closes for the night, so participants should be prompt and arrive before the doors are locked.
