Community Profiles
by Janine Giordano |
Mayor reminisces about village life
For the last 40 years, Leonard Butler has seen the village of
Richfield Springs thrive, struggle to stay alive, and now, court the
opportunity to revive.
Except for three years spent in Pittsfield, Mass., Butler is a
homegrown New Yorker. Born in Cooperstown and a Richfield Springs
resident for at least the last 40 years, he remembers the bath houses
behind the Rosewood Terrace and recalls when big bands, like Tommy
Dorsey, used to play at the roller skating rink. “They had great wooden
floors to dance on,” he said.
“You can’t find a better place to raise kids,” said Butler, who,
along with his wife, Betty, has raised four children of their own as
well as their first granddaughter, here in Richfield Springs.
Prior to serving the village as a board trustee, beginning in 1979,
Butler kept involved with things, through sports organizations and his
children’s participation. If the organization didn’t exist, he said he
would just start one.
Where there was a need, Butler would get out there, rally together
other parents and community members and fund raise until every possible
penny that could be raised was collected. “We did paper drives, bottle
drives, bake drives. You name it, we did it,” he said with a chuckle.
His blue eyes light up when he talks about the old days, noting, “Those were the best years.”
Oftentimes, “the best years” meant struggling to balance his job
responsibilities at Remington Arms in Ilion with his responsibilities
as a dad and board member. There were times he would, while working the
second shift, leave work to attend a meeting, then go back to work and
clock in.
Now that he’s retired, Butler said he spends a lot of his time
“doing housework, sitting (around), and delivering papers. It’s a funny
thing. When I was a kid I’d sell day old newspapers to my neighbors for
a penny. Now 70 years, later I’m delivering newspapers
again.” Butler said he has taken up a newspaper route, delivering
the Utica Observer-Dispatch to keep himself busy, “even though it
doesn’t pay much.”
At least “a couple of days a week I’m at the village office. More
hours than I get paid to spend on the job,” he added, which is a
part-time position that pays approximately $3,400 a year.
Sitting in Chef’s Diner last week, Butler paused numerous times to
say hi to a friend, or chat with a local, always offering a salute or a
wave and a smile.
“We’ve got some great restaurants here,” he pointed out. “I’m not a
connoisseur of pizza, but that pizza shop (New York Pizzeria) makes
great pizza. Now there’s a good example of how an outsider came in and
decided to invest his money here. It makes me feel good to see this,”
he said.
When he recollects about various villagers who started businesses,
or someone who added something to the community over the years, the
phrase “he was a helluva guy” or “they were great people” peppers his
memories. In fact, there was constant praise for anyone referenced by
Butler.
But when asked what his own greatest accomplishment was,
particularly as a board member or as mayor, he replied, “it’s not about
me. It’s not me, it’s them. A mayor can only be as good as his board,
and I’ve got a great board.”
As a servant of the village, Butler said he has had to watch
businesses and families come and go. “It’s been good watching things
progress, but then I worry when businesses close and move out, like the
Great American. Although we did get a beautiful Price Chopper. I worry
about the future. I hope that as time goes on we’ll continue to see
tourism pick up. We’re fortunate that we live so close to Cooperstown.”
Why does he do it? Why has he chosen to serve the village for more
than a quarter of a century? “I do it because I like it. People
come to the meetings and (complain) about little things, some people
can’t look at the good things in the community. We have a new $2
million water system, we own the police barracks, we have a good little
community here. We’ve got great roads, great sidewalks. Look at the
flowers we had this year. Tom Shypski did an outstanding job with the
flowers. People just don’t take time to stop and look at the flowers
anymore.”
When it comes to living life, Butler, who described himself as
“anchored in Richfield Springs,” said people need to learn how to be
happy. “Be considerate of other people. Just enjoy life. Don’t be
afraid to be happy. It doesn’t take much to be happy,” he said.
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