Local man nourishes plants, hearts
Daniel Martynowicz
Greg Linse waters flower baskets on Main Street during a hot August afternoon. Linse volunteers his time to the task every day of the week.
Daniel Martynowicz
As evidence of Linse’s hard work and dedication, brightly colored red and purple flowers adorn Main Street Ronan during the summer months.
Daniel Martynowicz
Princess and Miss Squiggles accompany Linse on a 4-wheeler and patiently wait for their owner to complete his work.
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RONAN— These days, a true volunteer dedicated heart and soul to a worthwhile task is difficult to find. Most volunteer work is performed after work or during free time. It might be fair to say most volunteers perform their good works when their “important” or “necessary” work is done.
Greg Linse is Ronan’s exception to the rule.
A volunteer by trade, Linse offers his time every day during the late spring, summer and early fall to help make Ronan a more beautiful, welcoming place. Spending much of the time aboard a 4-wheeler on Ronan’s streets and sidewalks, he can be seen watering plants, flowers and trees on a daily basis.
Ronan Chamber of Commerce beautification committee member, Ronna Walchuk, has known Linse his entire life. The bottom line, she said, is that they wouldn’t be able to do it without him.
“He volunteered and we were delighted that he did,” she said. “He’s such a nice man and even on the weekends he’s out there watering. We’re very fortunate to have a person like Greg who’s willing to help out our community.”
His route takes him past several local businesses where he is a welcome sight to friends and strangers alike. He often stops to say hello and offer some good-natured ribbing.
Ronan Power Products is just such a business. Advertising manager Shelly Cordis said that he does a great job and his visits never cease to brighten the employees’ days.
“We always enjoy when he comes in ... He’s good for jokes,” she said.
With an easy smile and kind demeanor, Linse rides around atop a 500cc quad with two of his three dogs. On this particular day, he’s brought Princess and Miss Squiggles to help him water. All three dogs are trained to ride on the vehicle with him.
“It wasn’t that hard to train them,” he said. “You just tell them to sit and stay.”
Linse said his favorite parts of the job are working outside all day and that when work is done, it’s done. The job doesn’t follow him home, as most tend to do.
The simplicity of the work, purity of the job and kindness of the man may serve as an interesting analogy for the value of honest labor and goodwill in today’s fast-paced world filled with cost-cutting shortcuts. To Linse, the lack of pesticides and fertilizer in the presence of pure water matters a great deal.
“No chemicals involved,” he said. “Just water, period.”
