North Palm manager's tasks widely varied (PBP)BOB SHANLEY/Staff Photographer
- Ray Howland, dictating a
letter, once helped as bus-
boy in village country club.
North Palm manager's tasks
Retired Howland's
emotions `mixed'
By NORV ROGGEN
Palm Beach Post staff Writer
NORTH PALM BEACH — Ray
Howland retired last week after 10
years as the village manager, a job
that had entailed such tasks as work-
ing as a busboy at the village country
club.
"I have mixed emotions about
leaving," Howland said as he packed
his personal possessions. "There are
a great bunch of employees here. As
a team, they have helped maintain
the villages good reputation."
But there were some difficult mo-
ments along the way, he conceded.
Running a restaurant at the village -
owned country club was one.
"Eventually I got to where I got
the job done in 14-hour days — 10
hours at the country club and four
hours in the office doing administra-
tive work," he said.
Howland remembers when he had
to round up waitresses and take them
to the club so someone would be there
to serve breakfast. Then he would
have to do the busboy's work himself.
"One morning I had to take a
waitress to a chiropractor before she
could serve breakfast to customers,"
he said. "At the golf course, we had
60 carts, but only about 24 of them
could go the entire 18 holes."
But Howland, whose last day was
Wednesday, said he quickly learned a
rule -of -thumb philosophy about vil-
lage residents.
"You can increase their taxes, but
don't mess with their country but
dues," he said.
Howland said it will be a chal-
lenge for his replacement, Dennis
® S
widely
Vane
.d
Kelly of DeLand, to continue to main-
tain the village's neat appearance.
There will be more rental properties,
he predicted, as some residents move
north to escape the area's rapid
growth and accompanying traffic.
The 59-year-old Massachusetts
native said he feels progress has been
made recently in improving the vil-
lage golf course and in joining neigh-
boring governments to purchase Sea-
coast Utilities.
Howland said he plans to stay
active and wants to participate in
some volunteer projects, such as
helping the elderly.
"I see a lot of people living in
condos who don't know where to turn
for help," said the former triathlete,
figure skater and hockey player.
"Some of those people don't get out
for weeks. They need to be more
active. Communities must do more to
help them." I