The drive to collect Portsmouth voter signatures in support of a budget referendum reached its goal over the weekend, according to Save Our Schools organizer David Croston. As of Sunday night, volunteers had turned in sheets totalling nearly 1,800 names, providing a comfortable margin over the 1,290 required.

The signature sheets will be delivered to Town Hall tomorrow, Croston said, where the Canvasser's Office will start checking each one. Assuming that enough registered voter names are certified, a date for the budget referendum will be set.

Personal note: I was one of the group that sat around Croston's patio table for several hours last night, scanning the names on every sheet and literally counting everything three times. As it slowly sank in that the goal really had been met, with a good safety buffer, there was a such a feeling of relief and gratitude.

I want to say thank all the volunteers who worked so hard over the past week to make this happen. You were out there walking your neighborhoods, knocking on doors, sitting for hours at tables flagging down walk-by traffic, waving signs, standing (on public property) to catch drivers, mingling with crowds at the high school, getting rained on at the Sign and Drive, and working the line at the transfer station. You got sunburn and stares, maybe had a few uncomfortable conversations, but you persevered. You were out there smiling and explaining, engaging the people of Portsmouth, and bringing back a truly impressive number of signatures. You made this happen. You totally rock. Thank you.

And thank you to everyone who signed. Thanks for your support for the schools and for the democratic process. Thanks for taking the time to stop and talk, to ask questions, to engage in the process, and to put your name down to be counted. We needed every single signature, and you came through. Thank you.

And I want to offer a special thanks to those who plan to vote "no" at the election but who signed anyway. You are showing the true colors of democracy by putting a commitment to listen to the people above position or ideology. You have my respect and thanks.