Memories of Sal

The recent passing of Sal Sarvello the former Chief of Police of the Marquette Police Department brought back some great memories. As Publisher of the local newspaper the relationship I had with Sal Sarvello was very important. We needed to trust each other with confidential information, so I had a working knowledge of certain investigations, but Sal and I and the newsroom were aware that we had to keep the information confidential so we did not compromise an arrest. The bottom line is that Sal and I had a great working relationship.

Our relationship was more than just professional, however. Sal and I served as members of Rotary West. Sal was one of the chief cooks in my tent cooking all the burgers and brats for our customers. Sal always brought enthusiasm and fun to our tent during Seafood Fest, which is now called Harbor Fest.

Sal was also part of Rotary West and the lunch buddy program at Sandy Knoll School. Sal was one of the mentors to students at Sandy Knoll. One of my favorite memories from the Lunch Buddy program was when Sal walked in one day to read with his lunch buddy, and his student walked up to Sal and wrapped his arms around Sal's leg and gave him a big hug. Sal was a significant presence because of his size, so when the student hugged his leg he had some real substance to grab hold of and as Sal felt the hug he looked at his student and out came a great smile. It was at that time that I knew the Lunch Buddy program was a success, not just for the students but for the Rotarians as well. We knew from teacher's telling us that we made a difference, but to see it first hand with the hug to Sal's leg, left a lasting impression.

Another fond memory I had of Sal was when I wrote an editorial about the handling of a police matter that I felt was poorly handled. I wrote an editorial but after re-reading the editorial and giving it some time to rest, I decided not to run the editorial. I also took advice from a smart editor that thought better judgement should be used in running the editorial. Even though I was not going to run the editorial I wanted Sal to see the editorial so I took it to him. I told him I was not going to run it, but I wanted him to read it so he knew how I felt. Sal took the page I put in front of him and read it. He then sat back in his chair and looked at me with a very stern look on his face and he said to me, you didn't write this, the janitor wrote this because this is garbage. I knew Sal well enough to know that he got the message. Years later when Sal and I talked about the editorial that never ran and his response to reading it, we always laughed. Sal could also give me information years after the event that he could not give me at the time of the incident. I knew then that the editorial that I did, even though not published, had an impact on the situation and that made me feel good.

I had great respect for Sal and for the person he was. At his funeral I heard several stories about the man and the impact that he had on the Marquette area. As a physical presence Sal came across at times as a big, strong person who may have been perceived as hard to approach. For those of us that got to know him, we realized that he was actually a great guy and a teddy bear of sorts at heart.

I got a nice card from Sal when I retired in July and he told me he appreciated me because I was always a straight shooter with him. I have to also give Sal that same comment back. I am sad that I won't be able to communicate with Sal again, but he left me with great memories, and he left the community with a legacy that will have a long term impact of the Marquette community. Thank you Sal for being you and making all the people you knew better people just through association with you.