Today’s council meeting was dragging through a protracted debate about the joys and sorrows of the city’s current garbage contract, when quite out of the blue the p.a. system in chambers erupted with a thumping disco beat from some unidentified source. The music left council president Barbara Johnson speechless, but our mayor, seated at the far end of the dais, jumped right into some righteous dance moves.

“Turn down the lights,” somebody called out, as the mayor ducked and swayed, and the audience exploded in laughter.

Just as quickly as it had appeared, the music quit, leaving the mayor a bit red-faced, but smiling.

Later, we ran into the audio technician responsible for the brief funkadelica, who was chatting with Council Member Ralph Remington. He told us how he had mistakenly piped in the music and we told him how much the mayor had appreciated it.

CM Remington said he got a kick out of it, too, but would’ve requested a different tune. “Some Tupac,” he said, referring to the late gangsta rapper. “That would’ve got us going.”