1992-2001: From Trial by Fire to a Town Rebuilding

David Palmer was honored by several speakers last Thursday as he stepped down after almost nine years as president of the Randolph Area Community Development Corp. following is his speech, eloquently summing up the community rebuilding after the fires of 1991-92.

And now the last word is mine.

The terrorist attack of two weeks ago evoked within me, as I am sure for you, a numb disbelief as the events of September 11th were forever seared into our minds. That was a day of demarcation against which our future course as a nation will be determined.

In reaching for a comparable historic moment, Pearl Harbor was often mentioned. In searching my life experience for a comparable event, that evoked the same numb disbelief and which would also be a "before and after" demarcation, caused me to remember the evening of July 8, 1992.

At 4:45 p.m., I was wrapping up a day at the Stagecoach with a quick call to Pam about plans for heading right over to play tennis as I got home. While on the phone, there were the first few wails of fire truck sirens out on Main Street. I told Pam I would see what was going on before heading along. Needless to say, like many of you, I really didn’t get home that evening as we witnessed Main Street’s third devastating fire within 7 months.

Unlike September 11th, we were not attacked by foreign enemy and, thank God, there was no loss of life. The devastation, though, was our town, and images from that fire, I think are also seared in our minds. Randolph, the town we call home, had come to look like a bombed out war zone.

From that night to tonight is a definite chapter in my life. This chapter is marked by accomplishments by this community that we would probably not have thought possible prior to having to face the test of building, brick-by-brick, a future for Randolph.

Of course we did not do this alone. From the federal level a great investment has been made through the leadership of Senators Leahy and Jeffords and federal agencies concerned with community infrastructure improvements, economic development, and housing. So too, from our state government, Randolph has been a showcase model for preserving a town’s historic legacy while infusing a vitality for a new century. So yes, we have had significant allies. But the motivation in all that has been accomplished, the impetus and the perseverance to completion, has squarely been ours.

And the accomplishments are impressive—from our "Tom Sawyer Day" painting of the fence across the burned out cellar hole, to decorating that fence with Christmas wreaths from community groups to the quick work on erecting the "Ag-Bag" by the late fall of ’92 and the perseverance of the Winslow family to keep their store in there, to the build-back with partnership of the Winslow family and the Clara Martin Center of the three-story building in the heart of our downtown, the build-back by Bill Hauke of the Brooks Store. There were also the persistent efforts with Pomerleau Development to bring a new supermarket to town, the tight collaboration with the town through two phases of streetscape improvements, the building of a new parking lot on Pleasant Street, the restoration of the Freight House to serve the operations of the stagecoach and the return of passenger rail service with Amtrak’s "Vermonter." Later came the transformation of the empty building on Lash Road to the Ayers Brook Center housing for family and child service community organizations; the six-year program of providing loans to improve the town’s housing stock; the purchase and major renovations to Jacobs Trailer Park, the revolving loan program; the town’s resolve finally to build a new elementary school.

Finally we look forward to the completion this fall of the renovation of the Red Lion Inn building so that this cornerstone to Randolph’s historic downtown, valiantly saved during the July ’92 fire, can serve the community for another 100 years. And the effort in working with DuBois and King, and the town, state, and federal government to create a future for the 1911 Village School building.

How could all this be accomplished? I still don’t know! But I am glad to be have been along for the ride.

(Here, Palmer thanked R.A.D.C. board and community members for their contributions.)

Next, I must thank Jeff Staudinger. Having worked with Jeff for the five years he was RACDC’s Executive Director, I know now that Jeff didn’t really always know how we were going to get over the next mountain but he could point to it and get us all running in that direction and somehow we would get over it, and the next one, and the next one after that. It was sometimes criticized of our early efforts that we did not know enough about what we were doing. In hindsight there actually may have been some truth to that, but with Jeff’s great energy and dogged persistence we got things done anyway and if there were things we didn’t know, we sure learned a lot along the way.

Thanks to Laura Morris for six years on staff and a person whose dedication to this town and organization is not surpassed by anyone. The "we can do it" buoyancy of her spirit has helped make all the things which need doing, seem more easily accomplished.

Thanks to Christine Maloney for five years on staff. RACDC was fortunate to catch a rising star with Christine where her organizing of the Housing Advisory Council, writing the implementing the Housing Improvement Grant, renovation of Jacob’s Trailer Park, and completion of funding and construction of the Red Lion Inn stand as major accomplishments for the improvement of housing in Randolph. But is that enough to give to her community? Apparently not. Of course, Christine is now studying to become a doctor, too.

And thanks to Gene Talsky, who is right at his second anniversary with the organization. I think Gene has done a masterful job in coming into our Economic Development position from outside Randolph. Gene, in a highly competent manner, has made himself a key contributor on the Village School Project, a sought out expert of telecommunications infra-structure for the area, and able administrator of the small business Revolving Loan Fund.

RACDC’s chief ally in all that has been accomplished is Randolph’s town government. I must particularly acknowledge the leadership that Gwen Hallsmith brought to her term as Randolph Town Manager and likewise express thanks to the leadership the town continues to receive from its current Town Manager, Mel Adams. And in concert with these two, we have the leadership given to the town’s future by Carolyn Tonelli through her long tenure as Chair of the Selectboard. Most of what has been accomplished would not have been possible without these three key people.

I would like to thank Dick Drysdale for the support of the Herald of Randolph and his participating for seven years on the RACDC Board of Directors. If there can be such a thing as a "Conservative/Progressive," I think that is Dick, always very careful to test the cost and practicality of plans while looking to the future towards which we must inevitability must move.

I have to thank Pat French for years of service to the Board of Directors that extends back far longer than mine, when the legacy with Neighborhood Housing Services is considered. The development of Joslyn House and Red Lion Inn are both projects that should have Pat’s name inscribed on their cornerstones. This is an apt metaphor because Pat, in his quiet, confident manner, has very much been a cornerstone for the Randolph’s development efforts for a long time.

I must thank John Hoyt, who like Pat, has a history of involvement that extends back to the NHS days. No one is more diligent than John in fulfilling the responsibility of a Board member to study and know the information presented. John has also, in his position as Treasurer, been unfailing in his exactness for detail and full familiarity with the financial reports of the organization. These skills and his always present participation are part of John’s sense of contribution of himself to this community.

I would like to thank Peter Butterfield for the very careful articulation he presents on the principles of the organization’s actions. As all issues have multiple perspectives from which they can be viewed, Peter’s leadership assures an examination of our choices and their consequences.

Thanks to Steve Metcalf for his incisive political savvy and coalition building that successfully accomplished the new Village School project.

Thanks to Sue Sherman for always bring a reality check through asking if what we are doing really makes sense, and yet always being open to the possibility that trying the improbable like buying Jacob’s Trailer Park, can be worked out to a good conclusion.

And thanks to Jack Cowdrey for being our "ear to Main street" and making sure that while we conjure lofty thoughts that we keep our feet on the ground.

Thanks to Bud Bowen for knowing those things that none of us know anything about, like how to keep our tenants at the Ayers Brook Center content and that the plumbing works and walks are shoveled.

And thanks to Sharon Rives, the Board member that the President of every board should have. "I can do that; Give me that job; Here’s my report on my assignment," are Sharon’s regular responses, coupled with always fully engaging the discussion at hand.

And thanks to the many, many other, people, the mention of whom by name, time unfortunately does not allow. But you can see with all these amazingly diverse talents and skills possessed by the people with whom I have worked, my job really was really very simple—well at least the outcomes anyway successful.

So what’s been most important to me for these 8 and a half years? It has been building community. And thanks to each of you for building that sense of community for me.

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