In Poland, expect either a Ferland or a Nash to have a hand in everything of substance.

POLAND – When it comes to town affairs, two family names crop up as traditionally as Maine corn.

Local folks can remember many town firsts started by someone named Ferland or Nash. And it doesn’t take newcomers long to come across a plaque or a sign with one of those names engraved for posterity.

One such plaque is the W. Ballard Nash Sr. Community Service Award, given to an outstanding citizen each year. This year at the annual town meeting, 86-year-old Lionel Ferland Sr. received the honor for participating in town politics on the local, state, and national levels for more than 60 years.

Ferland’s life reads like a history of rural Maine. Born in Lewiston in 1918 of immigrant French-Canadian parents, he moved with his parents in 1922 to Poland where they started farming. Two generations later, corn and cattle prices still find prominence in family conversations.

“The people in my family have been farmers since the middle 1600s,” said Ferland. “And you know, I was very happy to hear the price of cattle has just gone up.”

Part of life’

In rural communities, farming brought people together and garnered political clout. As a member of the Excelsior Grange for more than 65 years, Ferland and his fellow farmers had to deal with issues such as road conditions, taxes and the well-being of their neighbors.

Grange support often led to political office, as was the case for Ferland, who served as a selectman between 1953 and 1977. His son Lionel Ferland Jr. carried on the family tradition by serving as selectman between 1977 and 1989 and again from 2001 to 2004.

“We were all just brought up with public service as part of life,” said Ferland Jr., who decided not to run for another term this year, “but it was time to let someone else have a turn. And it’s time for me to take care of other things.”

Father and son reflected on their years as selectmen and agreed that most issues that mattered to people 50 years ago are the same today.

“Keeping the tax rate stable and at the same time being able to offer services that people need are always concerns,” said Ferland Jr.

A few memorable events and accomplishments for Ferland Sr. included getting state and federal resources to rebuild roads, bridges and homes that were wiped out by three hurricanes in 1954.

Because there wasn’t always a town manager, Ferland Sr., as board chairman, also instituted the town’s first revaluation, in 1955. Without money to hire professionals, Ferland Sr. and his fellow selectmen took on the unenviable task of deciding how much people’s property was worth.

The toughest job

Then in 1962, two large forest fires threatened the livelihood of Poland and its residents. Ferland Sr. recalled getting everyone organized to fight the fires as one of his toughest jobs.

Once the town’s volunteer fire department got going in the late 1960s, Ballard Nash, whose name is on Ferland’s award, became a well-known public official. As fire chief and a regular contributing writer for the New Gloucester weekly newspaper, Nash slept with the scanner on and coordinated emergency services.

Nash’s wife, Pat Nash, served as the town’s Rescue Department chief and continues as the town’s health officer going on 30 years now. Nash will be administering immunizations this week to the town’s emergency staff and volunteers. She recently left the Board of Selectmen after serving for nine years and opting not to run again.

“I’ve enjoyed all of it,” said Nash. “At first, I used to take things very personally when people got upset or would call to complain. Now, I think I’m much stronger and more outgoing.”

Nash also actively participates in Poland’s Historical Society. She and Ferland Jr. planned and orchestrated the town’s bicentennial celebration in 1995. Both plan to continue to be involved in town issues.

Nash recalled that her husband first received the town’s community service award just before he died in 2000. Since then, four other recipients have earned the honor of town recognition.