On last week’s front page, Dick Spear’s retirement from the Nobleboro Select Board was announced. Especially as the run-up to annual town meeting season begins, we feel it is an appropriate time to devote some editorial space to outgoing Nobleboro Select Board member Dick Spear and to call for others to get more involved in their local governments.
Over the course of two separate tenures on the school committee and the select board, Spear has devoted 35 years of service to his town. By any measure, that is a track record to be proud of.
For much of that time, certainly during his 23 years on the select board, Spear and his storehouse of institutional knowledge was a backstop of sorts for town business. For the most part, he either had the answer, knew where he could get the answer, or was smart enough to know when to admit he didn’t.
While not all may always agree with the methods, his service and dedication sets a standard that others can strive for.
There are plenty of other hardworking taxpayers in Lincoln County volunteering their time and energy to serve their community. Spear was a local kid who wanted to give back to his hometown and give back he did.
Spear is from a generation that understood small town politics, knowing that power of compromise. He didn’t care where you were from or what your politics were; the salient issue was always the needs of the town.
That’s the kind of political practicality that Maine was historically known for.
Spear departs mid-term citing concerns about his health, and we wish him well as he focuses on his and his family’s needs. While it must be a tough choice for him, it is probably the right decision, although it is a loss for Nobleboro.
The good news is Spear is not going anywhere, he said. He will be available by phone and glad to help out if and when Nobleboro needs him again.
In almost every town in Lincoln County, you can find one or two key people who have the same passion and commitment as Spear. As some of the old guard wind down their watches, it is time for new people to step forward and keep our local governments operating with a focus on what is best for the communities they serve.
