Neither snow, nor rain, nor gloom of night will tempt this courier again.

Tim Park, Rhododendron’s postmaster, is retiring. September 30 was his last day. So what is he going to do October 1?

“I’m going to sleep in,” Park said. “But you’ll still see me around.”

Park has been in the service of the postal department “for 37 years, 10 months,” he said, and has
held his Rhody post since 1999.

Retirement will allow this stalwart of the community to spend more time with
his “other job,” which involves his activity with Sandy Actor’s Theater.

He serves on the theater’s artistic board and is presently in rehearsal for
“Leading Ladies.”

“I’ll have more (theater) time,” he said. “But I’m not sure how much more
time I can be involved. I’ll also have more time to be involved with my church
(Church on the Mountain in Welches).”

Park returned recently from a vacation in China, visiting his son who is
teaching English.

“I would like to live overseas somewhere,” he said, looking down the road.
“But I’m just dreaming.”

Park reflected on some of the difficult times during his tenure in
Rhododendron.

“Getting through (the Mountain community) during rain, floods, heavy snow,
it’s wild and unpredictable,” he said. “Trying to get the mail out around here
can be a real challenge.”

He remembers the heavy snow of three years ago when no mail could leave
Portland, and it was three days before Christmas.

Everything finally arrived on Christmas Eve.

“We had six feet of snow here so we divided up routes among all of us,” he
said. “But we got it delivered. There was no power, 35 degrees in the office, I
won’t miss that part of the job.”

He’ll miss the constant contact with the community, but not the bureaucracy
and the hours.

“I’m not a morning person,” he said. “I won’t miss that.”

But he’ll definitely miss the cookies.

“Those customers will know who they are,” he said.

Park took the time to thank his fellow workers.

“This is a wonderful place to work,” he said. “The people are hard-working,
cooperative and always go beyond.”

Postal clerk Gayle Kosel will assume Park’s position on a temporary basis.