DPW’s Steve D’Angelo Says Goodbye to Long Career

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After 24 years of commitment and dedication to the Town of Franklin, Steve D’Angelo spent his last day of work Friday where his relationship with the town of Franklin began --as an elementary school pupil – at the Parmenter School. Friday, it was rain garden maintenance, just one of the innumerable tasks he has handled over the years with professionalism and can-do.

“Stevie D”, as he’s affectionately known by those who have had the privilege of crossing paths with him, has been a staple in our community for years. As a lifelong resident, born and raised in Franklin, Steve’s dedication goes well beyond the 9am to 5pm hours of the job. Whether he is helping the Garden Club with their annual beautification day, setting up for town events like elections and holiday celebrations, or preparing the fields for the hundreds of athletic events each year, Steve is an old reliable that always gets things done for the community.

When in a pinch, call Stevie D and he will solve the problem.

Though much of his contributions are behind the scenes and lack fanfare, this is exactly how he likes it.

[Steve with a team working on the Parmenter School raingarden, Friday, July 15]

Just a few weeks ago, it was the July 4th Coalition that relied on Steve to help pull together the details involved with turning the town Common into a bustling carnival – and putting it back into shape as a Common afterward.

“We worked very closely with Steve over the past five years; I would say that Steve was and is an asset to the Town of Franklin, the DPW and to the people of Franklin,” said Joe Carmignani, co-chair of the Coalition. “There is nobody that cares more about doing things for the residents than Steve -- any time that we needed help with something he was there for us,” Carmignani added.

Jack Daddario, owner of Daddario Hardware, saw the same thing. “He was always there for the people, doing whatever needed to get done,” he said.

And, even at the Library, Steve was always a problem solver. “When we needed something, especially during and after the library building project, he always came through," said Vicki B. Earls, reference librarian.

Similarly, former Town Councilor Judith Pond Pfeffer recalls several stories involving Steve. When she was first elected, every summer, “very, very early in the morning, I would take a large pail, some wood stain, few paint brushes, brass cleaner and a few rags to the Franklin Library. At that time there were only two wooden benches, each purchased and dedicated to a Town Resident.

"These benches were on the small patio at the side of, the then children’s room in the rear of the building. The patio the benches sat on was basically only utilized by the library personnel. These benches were outside, as they are now in their new resting place, all year long. By mid-summer these benches were in need of a good wash (water was available at rear of library), some new wood stain for protection and the brass plaques to be polished. It was important to me to take care of these benches, as important as it was for me to do this unobtrusively.

“One summer day, I was busy washing down the benches when a man appeared on my right, having come down from the front of the library. I do not know who was more surprised, me or Stevie D’Angelo -- our first meeting -- and he pitched right in!

“I knew of his name and reputation as a Franklin DPW employee and he knew who I was. Who else but the daughter of long-time Franklin School teacher, Maybelle Pond, a lover of the library, and a person highly respectful of long-time children’s librarian Jean Miller, would be up and cleaning and polishing library benches (one of which bore her name)  at 7:30 on a summer morning!

“I encountered Stevie many, many times while serving the Town of Franklin. Stevie was instrumental in the saving of the Spanish-American War gun on the Town Common. Along with Willie Boudreau, who first called me to inform me that the gun, donated to the Town of Franklin from someone with “connections” after the Spanish American War, was to be removed from Common and destroyed. Willie and myself found the gun where it had been unceremoniously dumped behind the DPW headquarters on Hayward Street, and with Stevie on board with saving the gun, we saved it. What other town common has a Spanish-American gun sitting proudly? Said gun is part of our past, part of our history of the Town of Franklin, it deserves its place on the common.

“Stevie has always been an asset to Franklin, and to assist in any way people, whether a resident or not, or a group or a board in Town. He is always knowledgeable, intelligent, extremely capable individual who has always gone out of his way to assist.

“You will be missed.” she added.

“We wish him well in the next chapter of his life. Knowing him he will find a way to stay connected to the community,” added Carmignani.

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