FREEPORT – Ed Bradley, former Freeport Town Council chairman and father of current Councilor Sarah Tracey, is Freeport’s 2013 Citizen of the Year.
On Tuesday, the council presented Bradley, who founded the Bradley Family Fellowship in 1999, with a plaque honoring him. Family and friends then held a celebration at the Freeport Community Center.
Bradley, 68, was hired in 1976 by then-Attorney General and former Gov. Joseph Brennan as assistant attorney general, specializing in marine resources, prompting his move to Maine. Bradley and his wife, Jane, were just starting to raise a family in Washington, D.C., where he was a lawyer with the Department of Justice in the Marine Resource Division.
Sheila and Adam Nappi, who serve on the nominating committee for the Citizen of the Year Award, worked together to write a narrative for the award. The Nappis told an intriguing story of the Bradleys’ move to Maine:
“When Ed and Jane revisited Maine to search for a home, they thought it would be neat to live in the Freeport-to-Augusta corridor, somewhere near Bowdoin. They stayed in Brunswick to begin their search. While dining at the Stowe House, they could not help but notice another family – three generations worth. They were the only two sets of customers in the place. The younger parents and the child got up and left. The grandparents were left at the restaurant and struck up a conversation with the Bradleys. The Bradleys shared why they were there. The man said to Ed and Jane, ‘Well, my name is Angus and that was my son Angus and his family that just left. If you decide to move to the area don’t hesitate to give them a call.’
“And so Ed and Jane Bradley found a place in Freeport. They had already rubbed elbows with two future governors. They have been at 04032 ever since.”
Bradley served on the Town Council from 1989-1994, and on the Parade Committee. He was on the board of directors of Freeport Community Services and served on the board at Wolfe’s Neck Farm. Bradley also was part of a task force that brought natural gas to the town.
Bradley formed the Bradley Family Fellowship in appreciation of the “dedication, professionalism and creativity demonstrated by the faculty of Freeport High School.” The fellowship is designed to enable Freeport High School teachers to pursue an activity or course of study that will benefit their classroom teaching. The Nappis also give Bradley much credit in the 40-year history of the Freeport Community Center and Freeport Community Services.
“The Freeport Community Center was Ed’s dream and it wouldn’t have been realized without his dedication and ability to motivate others to help make it happen,” they wrote. “He’s truly an amazing guy.”
A CLOSER LOOK
Past recipients of the Freeport Citizen of the Year Award: 1996, Paul Powers; 1997, Edward Bueter and Fred Fernald; 1998, Frank Garland; 1999, Frank Small; 2000, Edward Bonney; 2001, Vaughndella Curtis; 2002, Louis Marstaller; 2003, E. Ann Westervelt; 2004, Edgar Leighton; 2005, Betsy Ruff; 2006, Mary Sauer and John Hoy; 2007, Dr. Jonathan Strout and Freeport Dental Associates; 2008, Barbara Gifford; 2009, Rodney Regier; 2010, Bob Stevens; 2011, Vicki Lowe; 2012, Tom Wright.
Jane Bradley took this photograph of her husband, Ed, while he was sailing. This week, he was named Freeport’s 2013 Citizen of the Year. Send questions/comments to the editors.
