Auburn Mayor Lee Young is serving her last week in office. She has been, without a doubt, the driving force behind the recent downtown revitalization and business development projects across the city.

An energetic woman with a ready smile and stern resolve, she has served the city well. But, after three terms, she’s ready to hand her gavel to former City Councilor Norm Guay.

But that doesn’t mean she’ll disappear from the scene.

Young, who was active in civic service long before her election as mayor, intends to remain involved in the Auburn Hall Building Committee that is overseeing the renovation and expansion of Auburn Hall. When that structure is complete, it will jointly house Auburn municipal and school governments and it will be a centerpiece of the downtown.

She also intends to remain involved in the Festival Plaza project, helping to raise money to complete this modern and colorful public park. And, she’ll continue serving on boards for the Boys and Girls Club and the YWCA, both vital agencies for children and families in the Twin Cities.

That doesn’t sound like a woman heading for retirement.

Today, as Young enjoys her first day as a private citizen in years, she can take pride in her public work. In knowing that during her tenure she was a leader with vision who inspired those around her and led the city out of a fiscal crisis.

Young, who has full confidence in her successor, says she will keep in touch with the city staff. “But mostly, I guess I’ll just watch.”

We doubt that very much.

She may be “looking forward to watching things grow in the city,” but she won’t be watching from the sidelines. We expect she’ll be actively involved doing what she does best – getting people to see her vision and work toward a common goal.


Fast response
Once again, the city of Lewiston has demonstrated that public safety is a top priority.

Last spring, after we pointed out the hazards of missing plates on the base of streetlights and the potential for someone to stick a hand in there and get hurt, the city promptly replaced the plates and has kept them on.

On Friday, we pointed out that the city really ought to install some kind of orange barrier along the canal to block access to the water along Main Street. By Monday morning, a clearly visible temporary fence had been installed.

That’s prompt action and we applaud the city for its attention.
jmeyer@sunjournal.com

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