Sterling's loss is a loss for many
Sterling's loss is a loss for many
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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