Wetmore's Impact Still Resonates

1/19/2016 7:25:00 AM Wetmore's Impact Still Resonates State senator stood up for veterans, the environment + click to enlarge TGN file photo Robert Wetmore Andrew Mansfield Reporter BARRE  During his time in public office, Gardner-born state legislator Robert Wetmore became well-known for giving voice to what truly is voiceless – the land and water around us. He died on Friday at the age of 85, leaving behind a reputation for environmental activism and of being a loyal friend who is remembered by his peers. “He was a visionary environmentalist. There’s a relevancy to the work he did that stands the test of time,” said former state Sen. Stephen Brewer, D-Barre. While Wetmore grew up in Gardner, he ended up spending his adulthood in Barre after serving as an Army sergeant in the Korean War. As a Democrat, he represented Barre and the surrounding areas for over 30 years, first winning a spot as a state representative in 1964 before becoming a state senator from 1977 to 1997 until his retirement. He began his career at a time when state representatives couldn’t fully live off their salary, and he worked a second job as a lineman for years. During his childhood in Gardner, he would fish along rivers in the local area, being struck by the sight of chemical pollutants in the water caused by industrial factories. “That left a lasting impression on him. He saw a need for somebody to step up to the plate for the environment,” said Brewer. As a legislator, he was a major force behind the state curbing acid rain in the ’70s and was at the forefront of organizing the state’s participation in Earth Day. He made efforts to preserve the Quabbin Reservoir and protect the Ware River watershed, stood up for sportsmen’s rights, being a hunter and fisherman himself, and was an author of the state’s Environmental Bill of Rights. The list of rights became an amendment to the state constitution referred to as article 97 and stipulates that in order for conservation land to be sold, it requires a two-thirds vote from the House and Senate. Brewer, also a Democrat from Barre, succeeded Wetmore as state senator from 1997 to 2015, before retiring himself. He served eight years previous as a state representative. His state Senate seat was won last year by Anne Gobi, D-Spencer. The towns in their district has changed a little over the years, but has remained a geographically large area in rural Central Massachusetts, currently covering Winchendon and Ashburnham to the north, Athol to the west, Monson to the south, and Rutland to the east. All three of them have been supportive of protecting the environment and Gobi is currently against bringing in a gas pipeline through the district. She said “there’s no question” that the nature areas in their district such as the Quabbin Reservoir have influenced their policy views. “We live in an absolutely gorgeous area. People don’t come here for Walmart and McDonald’s, they move here for the open space,” she said. Both Brewer and Gobi developed lasting friendships with Wetmore over the years. Brewer worked on his first senate campaign in 1976 and was a legislative aide of his from 1980 to 1988, learning along the way how to be a respectable legislator. “It’s a lot of work and as Davy Crockett said, ‘You got to be sure you’re right and then go ahead.’ That was a lesson I learned (from him),” he said. Gobi first served in the State House as a representative from 2001 to 2015, before replacing Brewer as state senator. During her first campaign in 2000, she would have meetings at Wetmore’s home. Since that time, they met every week for 15 years. The two would go on hikes together and he taught her how to fly-fish. “He was one of the first people I reached out to for help and we’ve had a very close relationship these past 15 years. He really gave me a boost that I absolutely needed that first election and has been a wonderful mentor from that point forward. He’s been a big part of my life,” she said. Perhaps more than any other area institution, Wetmore will be missed by Mount Wachusett Community College. He assisted with the college converting their energy use to a biomass heating system, which creates electricity through the burning of wood chips. He also did the same for Athol High School. In 1996, the college gave him an honorary degree and in 2004 named a newly constructed wing of their campus after him. He also attended writing classes there after retirement, channeling his creativity into poetry. “He left an indelible mark on Mount Wachusett Community College in so many ways, from his unwavering support of students seeking careers and opportunities through higher education, to his dedication and guidance when we began converting our all-electric campus to all-renewable technologies,” said President Daniel Asquino. Mayor Mark Hawke recalled that he was in college at the time Wetmore was retiring, but knew of him since his father, Robert Hawke, was also in state government as a representative from 1991 to 1996. As Hawke got older and Wetmore stayed in the community, the two got to know each other more, and Hawke called him a “well-respected legislator.” “I actually did see him quite often socially around Gardner. He was very low-key after he left office. I’d always address him as senator,” he said. During his more than three decades of service as a state politician and in retirement, Wetmore never forgot his days serving in the Army during the Korean War. He was a frequent sight at the Memorial Day parade in Barre. As they became friends, Gobi said there were times she’d see him talk about veterans and he would get teary-eyed remembering those that went missing in action and never returned home. “He cared about people, he cared about family, he cared about making things better,” she said. With a distinction as being both a veteran and long-standing state politician working to preserve state land, it is not an overstatement to say Wetmore put his entire force of life into being a public servant. “He was proud to be a legislator and very proud to be a vet. He left a legacy that is matched by very few people,” said Brewer.