Yesterday, the Owl was browsing through the Select Board agenda to see what was up and when, and tucked into the middle of said agenda was “Discussion on the Fire Chief’s Announced Retirement”. Whaaaaaaaat? It took me less than ten seconds to fire off an email to Chief Soar asking if this was a typo, please, and thank you. And the Chief answered, as he always does (we have the most responsive public safety crew on the planet, to emergencies and to random emails) that he had been keeping it quiet because it was all a bit bittersweet.

“I love my job and the Weston Fire Department, but it’s time,” said the Chief.

Chief Soar has been with Weston since February 11, 2008, when he was sworn in as Fire Chief, which has side gigs as Forest Warden and Director of Weston’s Emergency Management Team. As we all know, leading this town’s emergency management team during the worst of Covid was unbelievably time and emotion-consuming, and we all owe the Chief a huge debt of gratitude.

Besides his official roles, the Owl has run into the Chief at all kinds of town events that he could delegate but doesn’t–Town Meeting, Town Clean-Up Thursday at Town Hall, and always at the 9/11 Memorial. Here’s a little secret–while Chief Soar seems intimidating and imposing at 6’4″ plus giant chief’s hat (so like 7’3″), he has a great sense of humor and has put up with his fair share or more of shenanigans from the Wes-TEN. The December 2020 episode with the Chief as Captain America ranks as the most popular show of all time, at least in Weston. Oh fine, Bridgerton may have knocked us out of contention for the Emmys but you have not lived until you see the Wes-TEN park the fire truck. The Chief also let the Owl use the lack of dalmatians in the firehouse as the premise for last year’s April Fool’s post. Still no dalmatian.

As of this writing, I do not have the effective date of retirement (a small family incident involving Owlets missing a bus made me miss this part of the Select Board meeting) but this will be updated along with retirement party news. I say we roll the E-Ones through town with or without Santa. Maybe light up a few fire pits. More soon.