By Beth David, Editor
Two of Fairhaven Town Hall’s long time employees retired in the last couple of weeks, marking a time of change in Town Hall.
Town Clerk Eileen Lowney, who served for more than 20 years, retired officially on June 29. And Wayne Fostin, the town’s building inspector, conservation agent, and enforcement officer had his last day on 7/6/18 after 30 years with the town.
Both made it pretty clear that they plan on doing “nothing,” for at least a little while.
Eileen Lowney shows the Lego Creater set “Downtown Diner” that fellow town employees gave her as a retirement gift on her last day as town clerk in Fairhaven on 6/29/18. Photo by Beth David.
In the clerk’s office, some tasty sweets greeted those who wished to linger a bit on Ms. Lowney’s last day. She will be around a bit, though, because she promised to help out her former assistant, the now acting Town Clerk, Carolyn Hurley, “as needed.”
“I have a pool,” said Ms. Lowney, adding that she was looking forward to lounging in the sun with her coffee close at hand.
Her only plans are “fun stuff” with family.
The town hall employees pitched in and got her the new “Downtown Diner” Lego Creator Set. Ms. Lowney has a collection of them, and her love of the Lego series is well known.
Harbormaster Timothy Cox wandered in on Ms. Lowney’s last day, saying he was in the office often, with Ms. Lowney helping him find rules and regulations from day one.
“So I’m a frequent flyer of this office,” said Mr. Cox, adding that they are his office support, processing tickets for him and helping with a list whole of other tasks. “This is the glue of my madness outside.”
“Eileen was an awesome boss,” said Ms. Hurley. “I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from her for the last seven years.”
Ms. Lowney, for her part, said she was sure she picked the right person for the job and to be her successor.
She said she did not think she would miss the place, exactly, especially since she will be back to help out occasionally.
“I’ll be back in two weeks,” she said, and then to help with the primaries. “It’s just a whole different ballgame for me.”
Mr. Fostin hung out in the banquet room of town hall on his last day, with town hall employees and members of the public alike visiting to say their goodbyes.
In 30 years, he has seen a lot of change in the town.
“Most, 90 percent,” is good change,” said Mr. Fostin, adding that he felt good about how the town managed to business in a commercial area and kept the historic area “pretty much intact.”
It’s important, he said, because people move to a residential area because they want it to be residential, and not have “businesses popping up” all over.
“I enjoyed the job. I enjoyed the people coming in to town hall,” said Mr. Fostin, adding that he still enjoyed it. “There comes a point when you say it’s time to move on.”
Wayne Fostin takes the opportunity to razz the Neighb News one last time on his last day as Building Inspector for the Town of Fairhaven on 7/6/18, after 30 years working in town hall. Photo by Beth David.
He has had some medical issues in the last few years, impairing his mobility a bit. He said the first thing is to try and get some of that taken care of.
“I’ll miss the daily interaction with people,” said Mr. Fostin.
He might pick up a consulting gig here and there, but probably will just go back to his wood shed, where he rebuilds furniture.
He wore more than one hat in town and was not always appreciated by those he was inspecting, or denying.
“I enjoyed all the jobs I was doing,” said Mr. Fostin. “It was nice to take a job from inception to the finish, and seeing every phase of it.”
“It’s a good, rewarding job.”
Wayne Hayward, who serves on the Planning Board, said he always found Mr. Fostin to be “respectable” and “honorable” and “someone I could go to it I had a problem.”
He said people have issues with people in charge, but that Mr. Fostin was always fair with people.
He said he will miss it, though, when people could say “Wayne said,” and there was plausible deniability.
“I’m going to lose part of my cover,’ said Mr. Hayward.
Mr. Fostin also received proclamations from the state house of Representatives and the state Senate presented by Rep. Bill Straus and Sen. Marc Montigny’s office. He also received a police and fire department escort home for his “last ride home.”
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