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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (May 26, 2004)
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, May 26, 2004 Page 8 Bob Richardson ‘canceling out’ ... (Continued from page 1) COOL IN POOL - Saturday, June 12 is set for the grand reopening of the Cave Junc- tion Swimming Pool from 1 to 5 p.m. There will be free admission, hot dogs and soft drinks. Photo shows (from left) pool manager Robin Paulson, assistant manager Lora Rice and city employee Steven Bethke. At left, Bethke works on maintenance. There is a possibility that the high-dive board will have to be removed because of structural damage, but Mayor Ed Faircloth said the city might replace it with a slide, and a lesser slide at the shallow end of the pool. (Photos by Shane Welsh) Kathy Heald leaving CJ Post Office By CHRISTINA HILL Correspondent Most people don’t have the luxury of “retiring” at 55, let alone at any age younger than that. However, Kathy Heald, the hard-working chief window clerk at the Cave Junction Post Office, will opt out in a few months. And the best part is, she’s not even 50 yet. “The Postal Service is trying to downsize, so they offered anyone who was at least 50 years old or has had at least 25 years of service an early out,” said Heald. Heald, who has been married to Dean Heald since 1986, is the mother of four children. Kitti Keigtes and Alicia Fox are Heald’s two older daugh- ters. Her two younger chil- dren are Michael and Jenna Heald, who are still in school. Heald also has a granddaughter, Aydan. Keigtes and Fox are preg- nant and “due any day.” Kathy Heald “I’ve always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but never had the chance,” said Heald. “So, now this way, I can do all the things that I’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t, like being with my two children that are home. I also get to do gardening, yard work and canning, which is really nice,” she said. “I also do a little Ebay on the side,” said Heald. “It’s great because I go to yard sales, and that’s where I find the stuff to resell on Ebay. It’s almost addicting.” Illinois Valley Little League Board of Directors would like to express the deepest of apologies to Illinois Valley Open Door. We are very grateful for their sponsorship of a Little League team this year and look forward to having them as a sponsor next year. With your support our children enjoy a good baseball season year after year. Heald began her career with the U.S. Postal Ser- vice in 1975. She started as a letter machine operator at the Santa Ana Post Office in California. After travel- ing all over Oregon in search of the perfect home, Heald finally settled in Kerby and took her new job at the Cave Junction Post Office in 1981. According to Heald, “It just felt like home here.” She now lives in Cave Junction. “It’s a great crew at the Cave Junction Post Office,” she said. “Everyone is great to work with. The postmaster is great to work with. He worked with us when we wanted time off and gave me extra time off to be with my kids around the holiday times,” said Heald. Heald’s co-workers have also been through thick and thin with her, but always stuck by her side, she said. “I had breast cancer two years ago, so the crew got together and donated their hours,” she gratefully recalled. “Whether it was their vacation hours or their holiday hours, they gave them to me. I made it through with all their help,” she said. “That was a really spe- cial time that they pulled together because there was no way I could make it without them,” Heald said. The exact date of her retirement has not yet been set, as details are still be- ing worked out. However, she is anticipating retire- ment from her 29-year ca- reer in just a few months. Elementary Schools Menu Sponsored by ‘Illinois Valley News’ 321 S. Redwood Hwy. 592-2541 Get that unbeatable combination now with Auto, Fire, Life or Commercial insurance from Farmers Fast, Fair, Friendly Service NOW WITH TWO LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU! 128 S. Redwood Hwy. Cave Junction, OR (541) 592-4541 (next to Treehouse Florist & Gifts) 134 N.W. ‘E’ St. Grants Pass, OR (800) 888-6704 THURSDAY, MAY 27 *Chicken burger, cheeseburger, pepperoni pizza, super sub sandwich, fiesta salad FRIDAY, MAY 28 *Cheesy pretzel, hamburger, cheese pizza, turkey & cheese sandwich, chicken Caesar salad, pudding MONDAY, MAY 31 *Memorial Day no classes TUESDAY, JUNE 1 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2 *Unavailable at press time Tell your friends, ‘I saw it in the I.V. News.’ As postmaster, a few of Richardson’s responsi- bilities include the CJ Post Office’s finances, the di- recting of employees and personnel clerk, mainte- nance upkeep and much more. He is also an area trainer for new postmasters in Southwestern Oregon. Richardson’s road to a successful career began in 1966. “When I got out of the Air Force, I went to work at a mill in Klamath Falls and soon realized that was- n’t what I wanted to do,” he said. “So, I took the Post Office Dept. test; that’s what it was called back then in 1966. And I was hired soon after. I was hired on Memorial Day 1966 and will be retiring basically on Memorial Day 2004,” Richardson said. He began as a clerk/carrier making $2.23 an hour. No matter how many hours he worked, he wasn’t paid overtime. “You just worked and got straight time for how- ever many hours you work in a week. It was quite a Bob Richardson challenge,” he said. For the first 19 years of his career, Richardson traveled throughout the Pacific Northwest and quickly moved through the ranks. “In 1978, I went to Ketchikan, Alaska as post- master,” he said. “I was the director of Customer Ser- vice for over 55 post of- fices over 250,000 square miles,” Richardson said. He also spent time in Linwood, Wash. as super- intendent of mail, and in Klamath Falls. Since 1985, he’s been in Cave Junc- tion. “It’s really been half my life,” he said, “but I believe it’s time to make a change. The Post Office is changing fast. There’s a lot more automation.” Richardson is married to Mary Lou Richardson and they have three chil- dren together. Their daughter is Bobbie Arnold. Robert Jr. Richardson is their oldest son and Brian Richardson is their young- est. They are also the proud grandparents of five grandchildren. “One of the most spe- cial times in my career was on Saturday, May 22,” said Richardson. “The postmas- ters in Southern Oregon gave me a retirement party. That was pretty neat. “Also, working in Alaska was an outstanding part of my career. The scenery and the people were unbelievable,” Richardson said. On the Memorial Day holiday Monday, May 31, when Richardson officially will retire, his crew at the CJ Post Office will host a retirement party for him at a restaurant. A replacement as post- master will be announced. Suspect in CJ pursuit still sought It’s possible that the driver of a vehicle in a high-speed pursuit in Illi- nois Valley wanted to avoid arrest under several felony warrants, according to Josephine County Sher- iff’s Office. The chase began around 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 20. Speeds reached 90 to 115 mph, after pursuit began in Cave Junction and ended some- where along Waldo Road when the driver eluded deputies. The vehicle, a blue Toyota 4-Runner, was found rolled over off a trail off a dirt road. The driver was not located. He was described as a white male person with dark facial hair including a goatee. Those with informa- tion about the driver are asked to phone the sher- iff’s office at (541) 474- 5123. Don’t drink and drive! There are old pilots and there are bold pilots. But there are no old, bold pilots. - Anonymous -