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To the Editor:

After watching the surrounding area go through the challenges that Mother Nature presented us with for the past few weeks, I’ve had time to think about the past leadership of our town.

I think back to when there were several deaths in our family. Gerry Spates, town manager at the time, along with other town employees under his direction, were the first ones to our house with coolers of ice, cases of water, paper plates and so on.

I have seen him on the street at night taking cups of warm coffee and cocoa or water to maintenance guys that were down in the ditch fixing broken waterlines. There were also times when not enough men came in to push snow and he jumped on a tractor and went out to help clear the roads in town.

He worked with countless organizations to make this town a more inviting, better place to live and raise a family. Some leaders sit around and tell others what to do and other leaders roll up their sleeves and help get the job done. There is more to management than making numbers work.

Gerry Spates was a leader that put the Town of Farmville first. I think it’s time for the Town of Farmville to acknowledge and recognize him for the progress and achievements that were made during his 41 years of leadership. Mr. Spates, job well done.

G.R. Cyrus Jr.

Farmville