Bob Lewis of Derby to Replace Rep. Loren Shaw
After weeks of speculation Gov. Douglas made public the name of the person that he has selected to replace my district mate, Rep. Loren Shaw. I look forward to serving with Bob, a man that I have considered a friend for a number of years. On the down side, another man I respect tremendously, Tom Bailey, wasn’t selected. Tom would have also made for a fine representative. No matter what, the governor had a win win situation on his hands. I sure would have hated to make the decision.
The following is an article that I wrote in September announcing Bob’s retirement as a Fish and Wildlife Warden. It also served as an article to announce his retirement party, a party that I was asked MC. It was a great evening.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife Warden Bob Lewis Calls it a Career after Three Decades in Law Enforcement.
A giant of a man, it’s difficult not to notice Bob Lewis. For the past 30 years the Derby man has been a lawman, first as a member of the Nebraska Highway Patrol, then as a trooper with the Vermont State Police. But it is in his last law enforcement position that many of the people of Orleans County know him – as a warden with the state’s Fish and Wildlife Department.
Bob retired as a warden on August 31. A community retirement party is planned for him at the Elks on Friday, September 14. Although a meal is planned before the beginning of the evening for those who have already pre-registered, the remainder of the event, which everybody can attend, begins at 7:30. This will include sharing memories about Bob as a lawman (yes, even good natured ribbing), and music by Andre Geoffrey and his band.
Bob joined the Fish and Wildlife Department in 1989, taking over the patrol district left vacant by the departure of Roger Webster. That area included the communities of Barton, Browington, Westmore, Brownington, Albany, Glover, and a part of Sheffield. Following the retirement of Normand Moreau in 1996, Bob transferred to that district, a region that included part of Newport, Troy, Jay, Westfield, Lowell, and in the early days, Irasburg. When he took over for Normand, Bob knew that he was filling some mighty big shoes. Normand not only was well-liked and well respected by many of the people of his patrol region, he was considered by many people one of the willyiest wardens in the department, a living legend.
Although Bob and Normand are very different men, and their styles of enforcing the law were vastly different, like Normand, Bob earned the respect of many of the people of his district. While too many of today’s lawmen fail to understand the importance of community policing, most importantly getting to know the people of their patrol region, Bob understood this very well. Bob was a master at meeting people and had a great gift for gab. As important, he knew if he could build trust in the people around him they might someday help him solve a crime, maybe even report a fish and wildlife violation. Besides that, it’s obvious that Bob truly likes people.
Back when I was a reporter I had the “privilege” of inadvertently helping teach Bob what not to do as a warden. Researching a story, I asked Bob, who at the time was relatively new to the warden force, his opinion on a fish and wildlife issue. He happily and willingly shared “his” opinions with me. However there was one major problem with the article. It seems that wardens are not suppose to have an opinion, especially if they contradict the department’s official stance.
I can imagine that Bob was pretty impressed to see his thoughts in the newspaper the next day. He could probably had visions of a promotion dancing in his head. That pride lasted until word got to him that his superior (I believe the commissioner) wanted to chat with him. I really don’t know what Bob was thinking on his way to the meeting, but if he thought he was going to get a pat on his back for setting the record straight that he was right and the department regulations were wrong, he was greatly off the mark. Essentially Bob learned that as a warden his opinion didn’t matter compared to departmental views.
However, this episode transformed Bob and I into great friends. He use to joke that if “I” got him in trouble again he’d throw me in the nearest body of water.
I don’t recall ever hearing of Bob making that same mistake with the media again. However, I remember once Bob telling me about a late night phone call he received from a reporter. A bit under the weather from the need for sleep, and already leery after putting his foot in his mouth with a reporter, good sense would have told him to tell the reporter to call the next day. However, in a tired haze, he answered the reporter’s questions, some of them in great detail.
Waking the next morning, he said he only had vague memories of the previous night’s interview. A bit panicked that he may have again given “his” opinion versus the “department’s” opinion, Bob hurried to get the newspaper, probably envisioning another heart to heart one sided chat with his superior.
Reading the article, most likely while wiping the sweat of nervousness from his forehead, Bob waited to read how again he’d stuck a foot in his mouth, possibly boot and all. Much to Bob’s amazement, he was impressed with how logical he sounded considering he was talking through the fog of sleep deprivation. He survived this encounter with a reporter unscathed.
Bob is already enjoying his retirement, and his freedom to state “his” opinions of fish and wildlife issues. I hope to see a great turn out at Bob’s retirement party. He deserves thanks for his many years at enforcing the law and protecting people and fish and wildlife.
Thanks Bob.