Clad in a T-shirt with the slogan, &uot;I Take Pride in Our Lakes,&uot; Dick Webber cleans off the dock leading to the Pelican Breeze pontoon boat.

Saturday, July 28, 2001

Clad in a T-shirt with the slogan, &uot;I Take Pride in Our Lakes,&uot; Dick Webber cleans off the dock leading to the Pelican Breeze pontoon boat.

It’s probably not really part of his job, but he does it anyway because, like the shirt says, he does take pride in our lakes. &uot;I do it because it has to be done,&uot; he said.

It’s that sense of ownership and love for the lake that prompted Dick’s nomination as Freeborn County’s Outstanding Senior Man. He’ll be honored Wednesday at a special Senior Day program at the Freeborn County Fair, and again at the Minnesota State Fair Aug. 30.

Dick and his wife, Marlys, have lived on Albert Lea Lake for 30 years and love it. &uot;You never know what you’re going to see next,&uot; he said of the wildlife.

Because he’s been boating on the lake for 30 years, he was chosen to be one of original captains of the Pelican Breeze, with Marlys as his first mate. That first year the boat went out on the lake, the pair alone did 52 cruises.

He’s taken over the maintenance of the boat, keeping it filled with gas, cleaning it and changing the spark plugs. He puts it in the lake at the beginning of the season and takes it out at the end. When the boat has been vandalized, Dick has repainted it. He orders the beverages for the cruises.

When the seats on the Pelican Breeze started to look worn, Dick not only got prices on new ones, but sponsors for them as well, a big plus for the non-profit organization. The names of the sponsors are embroidered on the seats.

&uot;There’s a lot of work to it, but I really enjoy it,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s brought a lot of interest to Albert Lea Lake.&uot;

Part of that interest is in cleaning up the lake. He’s been a member of the volunteer lake clean-up committee for years, and recalls the first organized effort, when 1,000 tires and 99 water heaters were hauled out of the lake.

For the Freeborn County Snowmobile Trail Association, Dick got sponsors for the updated map. &uot;I enjoy that. I like going out and meeting people,&uot; he said.

Dick is also a good neighbor. Writes Ken Nelson: &uot;Volunteerism is an art form that, pursued to the point of perfection, requires a talent to recognize the need for a volunteer before being asked to be one. Dick Webber has that talent.

&uot;Several years ago, when I was stricken with a stroke, he was the first to volunteer his time and equipment to mow our tree farm acreage. When winter came, he was there with his snow removal toys to clear a half-mile driveway. The last two Christmas seasons with the donation of hundreds of Christmas trees to a community lake improvement project, Dick Webber was on hand every day to help cut those trees. His Christmas spirit made every volunteer buyer happy they had donated,&uot; Nelson wrote.

He also does the snowplowing on the road for his and seven other houses in the winter.