You can tell by the way people talk about him today that R.H. “Bob” Reny was a special kind of man.

He connected with people in a special way. He was a salesman sure, but he was a man who would look you in the eye, firmly shake your hand, inquire after the health of your mother and recall the names of your children.

A truly great man has passed and there are many grieving hearts of those who loved him. There will never be another Robert H. Reny. For those of us who worked for him and with him, he became part of our lives and we would like to think that we became a part of his.

I would like to thank those who voted for me in the June 9 election. I am aware of the responsibilities I am facing and the trust you have shown in me. I am looking forward to working with you all for the next three years.

It was Winston Churchill who said, “The best argument against Democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.”

It wasn’t the first dollar I ever earned but it was close to it. For 35 years I hoarded it away in a scrapbook with never a thought of it being spent, at least until this week.

This summer marks a triumph for our town. Lincoln Academy’s Climate Action Club has spent the year campaigning to reduce the use of plastic bags in Damariscotta. We developed a plan in which reusable bags would be sold in local stores. Now our vision has come to fruition. The bags are coming.

On May 23, a successful town-wide road clean-up was accomplished in Jefferson. Many, many thanks to all the volunteers who helped with the effort.

Harold Benner will be missed.

On Thurs., June 4, a tragic, yet totally avoidable accident claimed the life of Harold Benner within a short distance of his home. He was driving responsibly, as he always did, and fell victim to someone driving on the wrong side of the Rt. 235, most likely at excessive speed.

The battle has been joined. Already we hear that the health insurance industry is investing massively in a public relations campaign to defeat inclusion of any government sponsored component in upcoming health care legislation. Even the “Swift Boat” team is resurrecting itself to join the fight.

The story goes that legendary Lakota Sioux war chief Crazy Horse would ride into battle encouraging his warriors with the war cry “Hoka hey” which, in the context of battle, translates into the cheerful slogan: “This is a good day to die.”

It used to be you could go on an errand and leave your door unlocked. Or, perhaps, the wheelbarrow could sit in the front yard for days, before you got back to completing the chore.

Not anymore.

On June 9, when next year’s town budget comes to the residents of Waldoboro for approval, we have a chance to vote for our priorities. When we read the list of tax-dollar-eating proposals, let’s give careful thought to what we receive for those shrinking dollars, and support the institutions that may best help us out of the financial fix we’re in.

I read in your May 28 issue the reports from the three police stations, namely Waldoboro, Damariscotta and Lincoln County Sheriff departments and their list of people they issued seatbelt violations to. The total number was 108.

It is hard to argue with a fire department. You might as well call a spandex-clad superhero a sissy.

Firefighters, by dint of their profession, are heroic public figures hell-bent on saving lives rescuing people and generally spending long hours in the saddle in the name of community service.