By RICHIE DAVIS

[ Originally published on: Saturday, January 09, 2010 ]

DEERFIELD -- After 55 years in public service, Ted Lewis of Wendell was speechless as he was recognized Friday as Franklin County's 27th Recorder Citizen of the Year.

Lewis, who served 38 years as a member of the Wendell Selectboard, was honored by about 250 business and community leaders from throughout the region at a Franklin County Chamber of Commerce reception. In addition to the $500 Recorder cash prize -- half of which he will donate to Hospice of Franklin County, Lewis was presented with citations from Congress, the state House and Senate and the Greenfield mayor's office in recognition of a lifetime of helping fellow citizens.

''You're going to have to build a new wall in your house to hang all of these tributes,'' said Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, who called the selection of the former selectman by a five-member citizens panel ''a wonderful choice.'' In his 16 years of working with the town, Kulik added, ''Everything that I've ever had to do in Wendell has involved Ted. … His ability to bridge the sort of older, traditional part of Wendell with the newer part of Wendell. He has been such an incredible part of the fabric of that community and has accomplished so much that this is especially fitting recognition of his lifetime of service. Ted is the type of person who doesn't crow about his accomplishments; he just goes about his work and helps other people and contributes to his community.''

That became clear as the 80-year-old honoree -- uncharacteristically dressed in a dark suit, with a boutonniere and an American flag pin in his lapel, stepped up to the microphone after Recorder Publisher Dennis Skoglund awarded him, emphasizing Albert Einstein's words, ''The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.'' After several minutes of trying to express his gratitude, Lewis softly uttered ''I agree with you,'' and following resounding applause, his daughter, Deborah, expressed his appreciation for him.

''I know he appreciates this greatly,'' she said, following up with her memory of her father being summoned to Warwick Prison Camp after an escape and he later returned with the inmate, bringing him into their kitchen.

''He's done just so much for the town,'' she said, ''getting calls at all hours of the night, and it's true, he'd go out and pull people out of ditches.''

Lewis, who also served as an assessor, an organizer of the town's volunteer Fire Department, as town road boss, and as the main force behind building Wendell's town offices, library, gazebo and veteran's memorial, was praised by state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst, for his ''really phenomenal record and achievement.'' Rosenberg added, ''You are the model citizen, and you are an exemplary public servant. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything you've done for all of the people in your community and the whole county.''

Friday's event had to be postponed and moved to Yankee Candle Co.'s Employee Fitness Center from its originally planned Dec. 22 venue at Deerfield Academy following a Dec. 17 fire at in the basement of the school's dining hall.

A juggling tribute to Lewis by area entertainer and motivational speaker Rob Peck contributed to the flavor of what is normally a holiday event. Still, the hall was also decorated with giant candy canes and 10 Christmas trees, reminding the gathering that among Lewis' many good deeds was to give away thousands of Christmas trees over more than 30 years. Only one tree from the family's three-acre Christmas tree farm was ever sold.

Other Recorder citizens of the year have included Al Dray and Philip Gilmore of Deerfield; Pearl Care of Erving; Theodore Martineau of Montague City; Rolland Gifford, Marion Taylor and Marvin Shippee of Shelburne Falls; Amy Clarke, Marjorie Reid, Edward Tombs, Irmarie Jones, Jean Cummings, David McCarthy, Charles Carter and Arline Cohn of Greenfield, the Rev. Stanley Aksamit, John Carey and Richard Kimball and Shirley Lovett of Turners Falls, Albert Diemand of Wendell, Frank R. ''Bud'' Foster and William Shores of Bernardston and Marian Holbrook of Northfield, Allan Adie of Gill, Geneva Lawson of Orange, Adelia Bardwell of Whately.

 

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