Vault update Details are often scarce when we're selecting a photo for our weekly "From the Vault" feature. Our archive photos are arranged in an old filing cabinet alphabetically by person/subject, but they usually come with little more context than a name, and if we're lucky, a date and short blurb about it. The May 2 photo showed three people attentively reading over some papers in what appears to be the municipal court room in Middletown. A few short details were scribbled in the margin of the photo: "Ray O'Grady, David Handlin, Fran Hanley, look over election totals. Middletown." There was no year, no indication of who or what was up for vote, no explanation on what the relationship was between the three subjects. But thanks to one of them, we've learned that this was actually a historic night for Middletown. Fran Hanley saved a copy of the Nov. 9, 1988, article, "Voters defeat government referendum," and e-mailed a scanned version to us. On Nov. 8, residents voted 14,818 to 12,963 to maintain the Township Committee form of government instead of switching to a mayor-council system. Hanley was a member of Save Middletown, a group opposed to the change, and O'Grady was the township's mayor at the time. Hanley offered this recollection of the moment in an e-mail to the Independent on Friday: "On this particular election evening, town hall was nearly bursting at the seams with spectators consisting of party loyals from both sides of the aisle, members of ACT (Association of Concerned Taxpayers), and Save Middletown members and supporters. ACT was responsible for gathering the necessary number of signatures to have a change of government referendum placed on the ballot. As a result of ACT's actions, leaders from many township organizations and volunteer groups came together and formed an umbrella opposition group called Save Middletown. While Save Middletown was against a government change, they strongly supported the Republican candidates running for election. "At first glance, those pictured appear to be worried. We were! Each time a township employee posted the government change referendum votes on the blackboard, ACT displayed signs of entering paradise, and stopped short of bursting into song and dance. Rightly so! It appeared they were on their way to victory. The high numbers Save Middletown was anticipating, in key voting districts, just weren't materializing. As we continued to tally the returns from each district, it became clear to us that something had to be wrong. "While Middletown residents were charged with voting on a municipal change of government referendum, also on the ballot was a state mandate-state pay county referendum question. Even though Save Middletown members were very concerned with the government change vote tallies, the good news was Rosemarie D. Peters was about to win a seat on the Middletown Township Committee and George Herbert Walker Bush appeared to be on his way to the White House. Word finally trickled down that the referendum results were transposed, and it now appeared that the government change referendum was going down. As reported in the Independent, the day after the election, the scene resembled the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. As the township clerk's staff quickly began changing the numbers on the blackboard, Save Middletown members and supporters breathed sighs of relief, and as they exited town hall a joyous calm seemed to spread through the group. The government change referendum was defeated by approximately 2,000 votes. "After the election, members of ACT and Save Middletown lobbied the Township Committee to further study the government change issue. As a result of their efforts, the Middletown Township Committee adopted a resolution creating the Form of Government Study Committee and appointed supporters from both groups to serve." - Karl Vilacoba