BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN -- Sheldon Strand, law director for more than 21 years, will give his closing argument to the city early next year.
Mr. Strand, 66, is retiring at the end of January. On the same day he ends his career in Middletown, Mr. Strand also will hang up his political hat and resign from his role as Liberty Township trustee.
"Why am I leaving the city? It's just time," Mr. Strand said. "My wife, Gabrielle, just retired Oct. 1 from teaching at Liberty Elementary School in Lakota. I intend to maintain a private practice of law, which I've done all these years. But Gabrielle and I also plan to do a great deal of traveling."
Mr. Strand, a Liberty Township resident, said he has enjoyed his years with the city and will take away many fond memories.
"In the 22 years I've been here, we've won the vast majority of all the cases the city's been involved with," Mr. Strand said.
Mr. Strand, who has not tendered his official resignation but has expressed his plans to retire, said City Manager Ron Olson will choose his successor.
"I would think they would want someone with experience like my assistant Les Landen," assistant law director for nine years, said Mr. Strand, president of the Ohio Municipal Attorneys' Association, and president of the Middletown Bar Association.
Mr. Olson said he has "nothing saying (Mr. Strand is) going to leave yet, so I'm not comfortable commenting
until I have something official about his plans."
As for choosing a successor, "We'll just go through the normal search process we use," he said.
Bob Shelley and Margy Conditt, Liberty Township's two other trustees, will select a replacement on that board. Mr. Strand's four-year trustee term does not end until Dec. 31, 1999, but he said the law requires that he retire from both at once.
"I've thoroughly enjoyed my three years as a township trustee," he said. "It's a growing township and needs direction to make sure that growth properly occurs."
City Commissioner and Former Police Chief Earl Smith said Middletown will miss Mr. Strand's expertise.
"He's been a very steady hand for the city in general -- anticipating problems and keeping us out of trouble," Mr. Smith said. "Sheldon's been the law director through some rough years, and through several annexation battles. He's done an excellent job. He was very, very helpful to the police department while I was there."
Darlene Evans-Bailey, the law department's administrative secretary for 20 years, said she is preparing herself for his departure.
"It will really be strange to walk in here after 20 years and see someone else at his desk," she said. "I can't imagine what that will be like."
