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Former Hayden mayor still serving

Dick Panabaker plans to spend a lot of his forced retirement from politics in his Hayden shop working on his collection of Nash automobiles, including the restoration of this 1950 Ambassador. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)
By D.F. Oliveria daveo@spokesman.com(509) 319-0354
Dick Panabaker plans to spend a lot of his forced retirement from politics in his Hayden shop working on his collection of Nash automobiles, including the restoration of this 1950 Ambassador. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)
Dick Panabaker plans to spend a lot of his forced retirement from politics in his Hayden shop working on his collection of Nash automobiles, including the restoration of this 1950 Ambassador. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)

Dick Panabaker

Planting his arm on the freshly painted front end of a 1978 Jeep pickup, Dick Panabaker gazed at the car parts strewn around his Hayden garage.

“I’m not going to live long enough to get on all of this,” the gray-haired man said with a chuckle. “I don’t know what my wife is going to do if I tip over tomorrow.”

For about the past five years, that was all the 68-year-old needed for his retirement. Greasy tools, a beat-up car and time to tinker.

But eventually the former Hayden mayor and county commissioner had to stick his head out from under the engine.

“When I looked at what was going on in our country, I thought, ‘You know, I’ve got time and a little bit of knowledge, maybe I could make a difference and help the town,’” he said.
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* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "Huckleberries Online." Read all stories from this blog