MARATHON REMEMBERS COUNCILMAN FRANK GREENMAN

-


Franklin Greenman was a pal of mine lengthy earlier than we served on Marathon’s inaugural metropolis council. I revered him as native legal professional … however I actually appreciated Frank as an individual. He was all the time respectful, partaking, clever and a down-to-earth human being.

Because the incorporation query labored its approach via the group of Marathon, I typically noticed Frank at a lot of our get-togethers and conferences. I sat beside him when then-state Sen. Daryl Jones held a city corridor assembly at Marathon Excessive Faculty. At the moment, Jones was not satisfied that Marathon ought to incorporate. The senator heard various earfuls from residents who believed in any other case and spoke their minds. At one level throughout this exasperating assembly, Frank leaned over to me and stated, “He simply doesn’t get it!”

It took some further cajoling, however Jones lastly did signal on to the incorporation invoice, with then-state Rep. Ken Sorenson sponsoring it within the Florida Home. The referendum passed off on Nov. 2, 1999 and handed by a two-thirds majority.

Frank and I hit the marketing campaign path; Frank ran for Seat 4, I ran for Seat 2. We have been each victorious, together with Bob Miller (Seat 1), Randy Mearns (Seat 3) and Jon Johnson (Seat 5). Every member of that first council introduced their very own distinctive skills and backgrounds to the job. We labored nicely collectively and actually acquired quite a bit completed within the 4 years that Frank and I sat collectively on that dais.

Frank and I didn’t agree on every part, however I actually revered his selections and his factors of view. One in all his traits I actually admired was his skill to try to see all sides to a given concern and his skill to maintain an open thoughts. In a Weekly article about Frank from January 2022, I stated, “What Frank delivered to the council was a way of imaginative and prescient for the town, attempting to make it higher in each doable approach. His positions weren’t set in stone, and he was very open-minded. If somebody confirmed him an concept or an angle that he hadn’t considered, he would possibly change his place proper there on the dais.”

One of many extra contentious points we confronted was the redevelopment of Sombrero Seaside. Via lack of fine communication and distortion from the coconut telegraph, a lot of residents have been satisfied that we needed to show Sombrero Seaside into Miami or Fort Lauderdale Seaside. An preliminary workshop on the difficulty did little to ease folks’s minds, so we scheduled a second workshop that I as vice mayor would chair. It went significantly better, and our Sombrero Seaside was named one of many prime seashores within the U.S.

After the workshop, Frank wrote me a letter that I nonetheless have held on show in my workplace. He wrote, “I’m scripting this in acknowledgement and gratitude for the superb job you probably did chairing the Sombrero Seaside workshop. I do know, to a certainty, that in case you had not been in cost, together with your endurance and humor, in addition to your apparent dedication to get job completed, that workshop would have been a catastrophe, as an alternative of the success that you simply made it. I’m proud to be on this council with you, and particularly happy with the way in which you represented the very best we could possibly be final Wednesday.”

I’m fairly positive that Frank knew I felt the identical approach about him and his service to our metropolis; I solely want I’d had an opportunity to inform him yet another time. Franklin Greenman handed away in his new dwelling in Seattle on Nov. 26 at age 77. We ship our condolences to his spouse Judy and his three lovely daughters, Suzie, Kelley and KG. From educating at Marathon Excessive Faculty, to his regulation apply, and on to his public service, Frank Greenman made a distinction. There is no such thing as a higher tribute or legacy than that.

————

Wish to have some two-wheeled enjoyable this Saturday? Be part of the 5th annual Elf Trip for Presents In Paradise on Massive Pine Key! The journey begins Saturday at 5 p.m. on the Massive Pine Bicycle Middle, and goes to the Moose Lodge and Coconuts earlier than winding up at Boardwalk. Beautify your bikes, gown as your favourite elf, and have some old style vacation enjoyable for an incredible trigger!

Share this article

Recent posts

Popular categories

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recent comments