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Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Sterling's loss is a loss for many

Sterling's loss is a loss for many

By George Barnes TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
george.barnes@telegram.com

I first met Jeff Ritter in Templeton a few years ago.

By that point if I showed up in Town Hall it was because of some problem the town was facing. We were not regularly staffing the town's meetings, but I am a resident and will always be interested in town affairs.

As many people know, Jeff died suddenly, unexpectedly and tragically this week. Sterling lost a wonderful man and a dedicated public official.

But the first time I met Jeff, who was town coordinator, I went to his office to talk about one of the wave tops we news people cover. The wave tops are often harsh and difficult. The wave top I was looking at was part of ongoing troubles in Templeton. For quite a while the town had been going through what can be best described as, er, unpleasantness. It had the equivalent of the Hatfields and McCoys feud, although I will not say which side represented one or the other. Jeff Ritter landed smack in the middle of that mess. I really wanted to ask him if he was insane to take a job at such a time in a town that seemed to be endlessly feuding.

Templeton does not pay much money to its employees. Jeff was hired by the side that was in control of the Board of Selectmen at the time. I expected an unpleasant reception because I had difficult questions to ask. He surprised me.

It was not the last time Jeff Ritter would surprise me, but not knowing him well, it was an eye-opener.

Jeff could have put me off for a week. He was really busy, or at least seemed to be, but he welcomed me into the office. I sat down and started probing the town's wounds. He must have been frustrated with the way things were going, he would not attack his, and the current board's attackers. He remained positive and optimistic. He said only good things about Templeton and his hope of making things better.

I walked out thinking, "Hmmmm, nice guy. Really nice guy. They'll eat him alive."

They did not eat him alive, but he did fall victim to the town's feud. In 2012 he resigned after a new board was elected through a recall election. Jeff was a class act, even as he was pushed out the door.

That should have been the end of him. I felt bad for him, but Templeton politics at the time changed daily. His supporters returned to power and he was rehired. He ended up spending two years in Templeton and dealt with a lot of difficulties, including contentious override and recall elections. He was struggling to pull the town up from a $500,000 deficit when he left.

No one ever blamed Jeff for the deficit and no one blamed him for taking a job as Sterling town administrator. It was a good career move and a nice short commute for the Harvard resident.

In Sterling I had the pleasure interviewing Jeff about his new position. It was obvious from the start he was in a good place. There was no talk of troubles or financial difficulties. Sterling was a financially sound and welcoming town. He talked to me about how much he liked the town and enjoyed the people. As usual, he had a positive outlook.

Journalists are expected to be a little jaundiced about public officials. We are probably too critical. But talking with Jeff was infectious. He really loved what he did for a living. He told me how proud he was to be certified as a small-town administrator.

It is sometimes hard to imagine someone being happy running a small town. He was paid peanuts compared to the hefty salaries town managers receive. I asked Jeff what was in his future. He said he was doing what he wanted to do. He loved his job, the town, and the challenge of making small towns work.

I understood absolutely how he felt. I love the small, under-appreciated communities as well. Sterling found someone this year who appreciated its charm and importance. That it lost him too soon is really sad and unfortunate.

Contact George Barnes at george.barnes@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @georgebarnesTG

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