AUBURN – With a healthy helping of good-natured ribbing, members of the Auburn Business Association hailed Dick Gleason, president of Gleason Media Services, as the 2008 Auburn citizen of the year.

The ABA bestowed the honor on Gleason at a banquet at Lost Valley on Thursday night.

Accolades came from Gov. John Baldacci and members of the state’s congressional delegation, as well as municipal officials. Gleason received the key to the city and numerous compliments for his civic service and community support.

Then, led by master of ceremonies Art Boulay, several speakers poked fun at Gleason’s business and civic accomplishments.

The ABA departed this year from its tradition of keeping the award a secret from the recipient. Gleason’s name was announced several weeks ago, and Gleason said he thinks it was a good decision.

“By allowing the free flow of information it has enabled more people to know about the ABA and all the good that they do,” Gleason said.

He also said it takes the pressure off those who were entrusted with keeping the award a secret.

Gleason said an even more important result is that the ABA, and all groups who honor members, are able to “send a message loud and clear to the world that we want to affect the actions of our citizens by telling them that community service matters.”

Gleason concluded by telling the audience, “Take one step forward. Spread the word of community values. We need it now.”

Boulay set the tone of the humorous speeches as he repeatedly made tongue-in-cheek references to Gleason’s “empire building” of five area radio stations that supposedly had brought him “incredible wealth” – much of which he spent to buy the favors of the ABA award committee and speakers, Boulay joked.

The new format included an opportunity for Gleason to pick several of the people who would speak.

“What were you thinking when you asked your accountant to talk about you?” asked Tom Robustelli of the accounting firm of Robustelli, Rotz and Soucy.

Suzanne Goucher, president and CEO of the Maine Association of Broadcasters, an organization which also has honored Gleason, followed suit.

“We are going to spend an evening of digging deep into Dick Gleason’s past,” Goucher told the audience.

Chip Morrison, president of the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce, kidded Gleason about his talent for delegation. He said Chamber members working on projects initiated by Gleason would often ask, “Just what is Dick doing on this?”

Connie Cote, whose Sunday morning French-language radio broadcast is now heard on Gleason’s WEZR 1240, thanked him for making possible a continuation of her 45-plus years of community broadcasting.

Gleason’s tenure of one year on the Auburn City Council also came in for some roasting by Acting Auburn City Manager Laurie Smith. She noted several of Gleason’s accomplishments, and ended by revealing that he always tried to hurry up the Monday night meetings “so he could get home to see ‘Dancing With the Stars.'”

Several past recipients of the ABA Auburn Citizen of the Year award were present, including the first one, Clarence Cole, who was honored in 1974.

At the conclusion of the meeting, ABA president Linda Hertell passed the gavel to incoming president Mike Williams.