NY town leaders say it's OK to cheer, but not boo, at public board meetings

Cheers? Yes. Jeers? Not so much.

Officials in the New York town of Riverhead, in eastern Long Island, have adopted a code of public behavior for town hall meetings that bans booing.

Newsday (http://bit.ly/WNrKnB ) reports the Riverhead Town Board voted 4-1 to approve the proposal earlier this week. Councilman James Wooten was the lone dissenter.

The town council deleted a measure that also would have banned applause.

There are no penalties for violators.

Supervisor Sean Walter says the town copied guidelines in other towns. He says the rules are designed to let meetings run more smoothly.