Making A Difference: Templeton's David Bergeron

Making A Difference: Templeton's David Bergeron

MARY L. MOREAU
For The Gardner News

It is not uncommon in our New England cities and towns to come upon individuals who dedicate a decade or two to their communities.

However, it is rare to find an individual like David "Dave" Bergeron, who has served the town of Templeton for 45 years in various capacities.

Dave has been active in Templeton since moving to Otter River precinct of Templeton in 1969. The reason for Otter River, he said, came about because his mother-in-law who had moved there six months earlier said it was a great town to live in and coincidently, there was a nice house for sale just a short distance away.

Dave and his first wife, the former JoAnn Arsenault of Gardner, bought the house and the rest is history.

His appointment to Otter River Combination 3 of the Templeton Fire Department in February of that year was the beginning of his decades of involvement.

With two others, Dorothy McKellick and Pauline Landry, he and JoAnn dispatched from their respective homes, as the central dispatch service in town was non-existent until 1971.

It was in 1972 that a group of firefighters from all the town precincts thought of and discussed forming a town rescue squad. They felt the need was there, as emergency personnel and ambulance service had to be requested from other area communities when an accident occurred in town and it was not unusual that those ambulances were busy with other calls, Dave said.

The firefighters bought a van and retrofitted it, a noted improvement from the previous use of a cruiser with a stretcher. Paul Pease was the certified emergency medical technician because of his work on the Stratton Mountain, VT, ski area, until about 1973, when Dave and Jim Greenwood received their EMT certification in Fitchburg.

The new Templeton Rescue Squad was supported through annual drives, with some of the funds invested into long term CDs for the future.

It was kept a free service and not a burden on the town. Funds were raised for the better part of 20 years, in the amount of possibly $5,000 annually in the 1970s and in later years, $20,000, which was used for supplies and associated charges for the service.

In 1976 Dave was appointed town accountant, serving until 1986. During that time, he was appointed with Richard Paine and Alex Yackowski to the communications committee, which at the time was acquiring equipment such as radios.

Trying his hand at politics, he ran  for selectman twice, once against Selectwoman Gladys Salame and Selectman Dana Putnam, both unsuccessfully. "Then I decided to stay away," he said. He was elected to the Board of Assessors in 1993, serving until 2006.

Dave is well known as town moderator, being drafted as interim moderator in 2004, when there was no moderator available. The board selected him for the session, which turned out to be the single largest meeting ever, attended by 890 voters on the question of the landfill — at the time an incinerator was being considered. The "hot issue" he said, was defeated.

It was at this time that emergency communications moved to a central dispatch center after the town bought the former Welfare Building in Templeton Center in order to be closer to the police station.

He got back into moderating again in 2012, when he was asked to run for the post. With no time to conduct an election campaign, he still received 984 votes, the largest number ever on a sticker campaign.

"As moderator, you are in control of the town meeting," he explained, noting he announces the rules at the beginning and prides himself on fair control of the session.

"You have to make sure all people have the chance to speak. Nothing personal, only on issues, or gavel them out of order. You do what you have to do to have control. I respected everybody."

When asked to run again in 2013, he agreed to one more year. The last town meeting he moderated was March 29. He treasures an engraved gavel he was presented, passing the other one to Michael Gary, the new moderator.

Dave said he has had many joys, among them his family, his children and serving Templeton.

"I totally enjoyed serving the town. I think way back to the fire department, when we destroyed our clothing in fires.  We still are a community and have to care for each other."

At 70, he works full-time as manager of the Cumberland Farms Store in Baldwinville. He has held this position for last 15-20 years.

His wife, JoAnn, passed away in 1999. He now resides in Baldwinville with his second wife, the former Jessica White. He has a daughter, Sandy, and a son, David; four grandchildren and one step-grandchild.

His daughter, son-in-law and their family reside in the original house in Otter River.

A social person, Dave intends to remain active. "I'm not going to become a couch potato," he commented.

"I have to have a reason to get up in the morning, to have somewhere to go, to see people, hear their sorrows or joys."

After so many years of involvement, it would seem out of character for him to do otherwise.