Tim Clancy remembers a story former U.S. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert told him about his first visit to Auburn.Â
Due to the 2000 census and the decennial redistricting process, Boehlert's congressional district changed. The new territory, what was then the 24th Congressional District, included the city of Auburn and the southern half of Cayuga County.Â
It was a new area for Boehlert, so he decided to visit Auburn and Owasco Lake. What he found was that despite being "the new guy in town," Clancy recalled, the people — his future constituents — were kind to him.Â
"He and his wife, Marianne, they weren't sure what to expect," Clancy, Boehlert's former chief of staff, told The Citizen on Tuesday. "Like anything, there were always local issues. But at the same time, people were so genuinely welcoming in Cayuga County and particularly in Auburn. He never forgot that."Â
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Boehlert, a moderate Republican from Utica who served in Congress for a quarter-century, died on Monday. He was 84.Â
During his congressional career, Boehlert chaired the House Science Committee and became a leader on environmental issues. One of his major achievements was adding language to the Clean Air Act to address acid rain and protect the Adirondacks.Â
Boehlert, who was first elected to Congress in 1982, was a longtime congressman when Cayuga County was added to his district ahead of the 2002 elections. After the district lines were revised, a Republican primary challenger emerged. Dr. David Walrath, a Cayuga County surgeon, challenged Boehlert for the GOP nomination.Â
Walrath had the backing of the Cayuga County Republicans, according to Cherl Heary, the longtime chair of the local GOP committee. But Boehlert went on to win the primary.Â
It was after the primary victory that Heary said Boehlert changed her into a believer.Â
"He was a genuine person, one of the best guys I've ever worked with, really," she said in an interview Tuesday. "Every week he would call me and say, 'What can I do for you this week, Cherl?' It was such a refreshing thought that he was always worried about what he could do for his constituents and his party leaders rather than what we could do for him."Â
For a representative with a large district that included all or parts of 11 counties, Boehlert was focused on his work in Cayuga County. Guy Cosentino, a former Auburn mayor and columnist for The Citizen, remembers that one of the main concerns in 2002 was whether Auburn would have a congressional office.Â
Boehlert, Cosentino explained, could have closed the office due to the constraints of the House budget. But when he campaigned in Cayuga County, he pledged to keep an office in Auburn — and did.Â
When Boehlert officially became Auburn's congressional representative in 2003, he hired Sue Dwyer, who is now Cayuga County clerk. Dwyer had worked for another longtime Cayuga County-area congressman, former U.S. Rep. Jim Walsh. Dwyer remembers Walsh telling her, "You're going to like him."Â
"He was one of the best mentors I ever had," Dwyer said of Boehlert.Â
After Dwyer was elected county clerk, Boehlert hired Trish Dellonte to work in the Auburn district office. One of her lasting memories is how Boehlert would remember everyone he met by name and remember the stories they shared with him.Â
"He was genuine in his outreach and he spent a lot of time going throughout the district and a lot of time in our area," Dellonte said. "He cared about the people. He cared about the district."Â
Boehlert was able to secure millions in funding for Auburn and southern Cayuga County, including $3.1 million for revitalizing the city's downtown area and $3 million for the Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology at Cayuga Community College. He made numerous trips to the county — Cosentino said Boehlert would keep a tally to remind attendees at events how many times he had visited the county — and would make unannounced visits on his own time.Â
Clancy has fond memories of those visits to Auburn and the Finger Lakes region. He said that Boehlert loved going to the Harriet Tubman Home and Seward House Museum in Auburn and showing people around the landmarks.Â
"It was really a point of pride for him," he said.Â
Boehlert is survived by his wife, four children and six grandchildren. Funeral arrangements have not been finalized.Â
Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.