We should all be proud that our state's most famous product claims Franklin County as its home. And it's not because we make the most syrup, sugar or candy - it's because we make the best, and no one can argue otherwise.
As someone who has had a real passion for public service and campaigns for my entire life, it’s fair to say that I’ve marched in more Maple Festival parades than I’ve watched, and I have to thank the 30 or so friends and family that came out to march and show their support on Sunday in bright yellow and gold t-shirts.
When I worked for Governor Douglas, I was always so proud to walk, boasting to him and other staffers about our community, our downtown and our people.
Now that another parade has passed us by, I’d like to take a few moments to talk about one person in particular.
Every time I’ve walked in the parade, for myself or with a candidate, I’ve always run into Mr. Ed Brehaut, sitting in a lawn chair, in the same spot on the grass in front of the old Grand Union shopping center.
“Mr. B” was my fifth-grade social studies teacher at St. Albans Town
Central School in 1995, where he was well liked by students as a fair, entertaining and engaging teacher. I entered his class with a budding interest in civics and government, but like many ten year-old boys, I
was more concerned with sports and socializing than with the 2nd Constitutional Convention or how a bill becomes a law.However, that didn't deter Mr. B., and over the course of the year I became fascinated by the narrative of our nation's founding, the birth of liberty and the system of government that emerged from our revolution.
Mr. B was the first of many to direct me down the road of public service and government, and for that I am forever in his debt. Thank you, Mr. B.
And so each year during the parade I seek out Mr. B, there where he always is, to reconnect for a brief moment, shake his hand and to jokingly remind him that “it’s all his fault.”
But it’s not a joke.
Those of us who were lucky enough to grow up in this community all have teachers and coaches who, when we were young, saw something in us and set us on a path toward a future we could pursue with passion.
I want to thank the people of the City of St. Albans for allowing me the honor of representing them in the House over the last two years. Now, as the legislative session winds down, the campaign season starts, and I’ll begin to consider the path toward November's election that will allow me to represent our community most effectively.
I look forward to continuing the fight for St. Albans - and those like Ed Brehaut, who make it special.
Sincerely,
Rep. Dustin A. Degree
St. Albans City
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