At their recent meeting, the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Water Commissioners jointly appointed Mr. Hugh Hurley, currently Chairman of the Planning Board, to fill the Water Commissioner seat vacated by long-time Commissioner John Noyes. Noyes retired on November 30 after 51 years of service on the board.
Hurley was one of three interested candidates who were all “great, great candidates that are very involved” as Water Commissioner David Churchill said. All the Town Officials offered praise for the candidates and echoed that it was a tough decision.
“If I think of the people in town that I hold to the highest regard, [these] three [candidates] are on the top ten list,” said Selectman Jerry D. Lawrence. “They are always there for the town and for the people of the town.”
“These nights are the hardest,” Selectman Eldon F. Moreira added.
The Selectmen and both Water Commissioners, as well as Water Superintendent Richard Krugger and Assistant Water Superintendent Phyllis Bickford, offered words of praise for the retiring Noyes.
Selectmen presented Noyes with a proclamation honoring his long-time public service, stating that he “embodies all of the finest qualities of leadership and is a true public servant to whom we can all learn from and strive to emulate.”
Krugger fondly remembered Noyes serving as a Commissioner when the Town began pumping its own water. “John has been here through all the building process [of the Water Department],” Krugger said. “I think he’s done a great job. I learned a lot from him. He’s a great man.”
“It’s been an honor to be with you on that board for 24 years,” Commissioner Don Asack said to the former Commissioner. “John has always brought stability to the board.”
When offering remarks as to why he should be appointed, Hurley said, “I know I’ll never fit into John’s shoes. He’s put the bar quite high.”
Hurley has been appointed to a five month term, at the end of which the Town will elect a Water Commissioner to complete the remaining one year left in Noyes’ term. They will also vote for a Water Commissioner as current Commissioner Churchill’s term of three years expires in 2010. The Town’s Election Day is scheduled for April 10.
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