Scott Penney stands next to the Mechanic Falls Public Works truck he uses as the department’s supervisor on Monday. Penney retired Thursday after working for the city for 29 years. Eriks Peterson’s photo

MECHANIC FALLS — Scott Penney was the “field maintenance man” at the city’s Great Northern Recycling plant in 1995. He said then-City Manager Dana Lee and Public Works Director Larry Piper noticed him and offered him a job.

When Piper resigned after the 1998 ice storm, Penney was appointed head of the department.

In a newspaper article announcing his appointment, Penney praised the efforts of highway workers and the attitude of city residents during the January storm.

After 29 years of service to the city, Penney retired Thursday, still praising the “boys” of the Public Works Department and the citizens they serve.

Penney knows Mechanic Falls.

He grew up in Poland, and his father and uncle owned and operated the JW Penney & Sons Manufacturing Co. in Mechanic Falls. Penney is the great-grandson of JW Penney.

In high school, Penney learned to weld and honed his skills in the family business. One day, a man said to him, “Man, you can lay a pearl.”

For nearly a decade, Penney worked for various companies, welding automotive main frames, fuel tanks, and hydraulic cylinders.

He learned the trade of construction equipment operator at Great Northern Recycling, but until Lee offered him the job in the city, Penney said he had not yet found the direction of his life.

This happened when he enjoyed the work that needed to be done for the city and its citizens.

“We don’t want to impress people, we just want to do a good job,” he said. “…When someone compliments you on a good job and says it’s wonderful, it makes you feel even better.”

In this year’s city report, Penney wrote, “We do so many things throughout the year that it’s impossible to get bored. Each season brings different things that need to be done, and we try to handle each task professionally.”

He added: “The majority of people in this city appreciate the work the guys and I do.”

Penney’s daughter Anne was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, and in a single night, $13,000 was raised at the American Legion Post 150 on Elm Street, where Penney has been a member for over 30 years.

“This city has supported me so completely, I will never forget it,” he said.

Penney and his family were enthusiastic participants in the annual Dempsey Challenge, wearing T-shirts with the “Penney Strong” logo.

He said the loss of his daughter had changed him forever. “It takes its toll,” he said.

As he reflected on his work, he mentioned names from the past, including Plummer, Fifield, Bisbee and Tibbets, with whom he was happy to be associated.

He mentioned Sandy Ballard, who died in June and provided meals to the department during night shifts.

But, said Penney, those long shifts of snow clearing had become too much for him. He admitted that his reflexes weren’t what they used to be. He also said he wanted to break the habit of getting up at 10:5 in the morning and being at work by 20:6.

A meeting to thank him for his years of service is planned for Tuesday from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the American Legion Hall, 41 Elm Street. Refreshments will be served.

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