Many people have served this town faithfully and with the benefit and improvement of the town in mind. I, as I hope you do, appreciate their volunteer service as an important piece of the American democracy at work right here at the local level. I am moving forward on behalf of the Board to increase our recognition of, if I may, Littleton Volunteer Corps.
In this post, I want to talk a bit about an unlikely association for me, Selectman Reed Augliere. Reed has served two terms as Selectman; he has served on the School Committee and other committees, too.
Reed is an outspoken proponent for open government and transparency in its officials. In fact, this was the fuel behind his incredible driving force. Driven he was. At times, Reed was fierce, fearless and abrupt in his work, but it was always intended to be for the good and benefit of the quieter, less active side of the Littleton people. Reed made sure that public debate looked at more than one facet of an issue and the motivations which drove the debate. If you were trying to push something expeditiously past the Board of Selectmen, Reed would often see to your frustration.
Reed once said to me “Alex, I want to make clear, if you violate the Open Meeting Law, I will turn you in just a quickly as anyone else.” He was also quick to disagree with me on many an occasion. He was a mentor of both what to do and what not to do. And that, on occasion, just plain ticked off some people! Behind the discussion where his points sometimes seemed abstract, he wanted only the purest fundamentals of democracy carried out. He fought virulently to accomplish this. This is the theme, the common thread, that built our friendship. We both believe that the good people, (no, outstanding people) of Littleton deserve to be served with impeccable integrity that is truly representative.
I will be forever grateful to Reed and his Robin Hood-style band of supporters. They brought me to a new, very rewarding place in my life of public service.
Reed, a lot of people think you are a tough guy; I don’t. You have a heart filled with passion for democracy and the people living within it. You have made a real and significant difference that few people will forget and sadly, some people resent. I certainly won’t and don’t. I have had the opportunity to know you during some of the toughest challenges of my life and some of the most rewarding.
It cannot be denied that Reed in his standout style has helped Littleton’s government be more open, transparent and responsive. This should be Reed’s legacy. Let us hope that the people of Littleton he represented can carry the ideal of that legacy forward.
Thank you for your service.
