Thanks John

John Brown's resignation as mayor of Troy caught me off guard Wednesday night.

Coming at the very end of the city council meeting, I had thought I was heading back to the office in Libby to simply write a story about the council approving an electrical rate increase.

Obviously, I was getting too comfortable.

I'm still somewhat shocked.

John Brown has been Mr. Troy for the past five to seven years working tirelessly on project after project especially the magnificent Roosevelt Park.

I know he was involved in the community before that. He didn't hit my radar screen until 1996 or 1997 when was giving the city council reports about what the planning commission was up to. His infectious community spirit was obvious then.

When he got on the city council in 1998, he literally jumped in with both feet. He was in the middle of the discussions of land trade atop Lake Hill, at the center of the sewer project and pushing the council to go for the state emergency grant to patch the city's ailing water mains. And then he grabbed the vision of a new city park on the remaining land purchased for the sewage treatment plant.

Brown became the proverbial right man in the right place at the right time as far as the park development. He put a lot of personal sweat and gobs of time into the development of Roosevelt Park. He was reined in some by his own council and he fought toe-to-toe with the county commissioners to see that Troy got a first-class park.

He was successful. And Troy is richer for it.

We can only thank him, wish him good luck and, most importantly, personal peace. - Roger Morris