Vince Kieta served community well

TOPIC: Vince Kieta
OUR VIEW: He served Radcliff well

For those who make frequent trips to Saunders Springs Nature Preserve in Radcliff, one of the people to thank for it is the late Vincent Kieta.
He was someone who did plenty for the city of Radcliff as a 15-year member of city council as well as one of the backbones of the nature preserve.
Kieta died last week at age 78 after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.
He leaves behind a legacy of accomplishment in the city where he lived. Some people are difference-makers in life and that was Vincent Kieta.
If he was behind an effort, friends say he was behind it 110 percent and would be a staunch supporter until its completion.
Said current city councilman Don Yates, who served on council with Kieta: “He worked endless hours on that (Saunders Springs), he used his own monies and his own equipment. Vincent and Marvin (Logsdon) were the two people in the beginning who really worked at this and made it work. If he (Kieta) dedicated himself to a project, he was totally dedicated to it. That’s just the way he was; he was a super guy.”
Kieta also was a past chairman of the Radcliff Forestry and Conservation Board and a lifelong resident. His family was among the first to support incorporation of the community.
He was a big part of the Radcliff community who saw Radcliff's growth from infant stages to now.
When Kieta died, with him went institutional knowledge of how far Radcliff has come over the years.
His commitment to the city won't be forgotten for many, many years to come. Every time someone goes to Saunders Springs, they should thank Kieta for his role in making the nature preserve a reality.

This editorial represents a consensus of The News-Enterprise editorial board.