Sticking around

Jobs are scarce in most places these days, but Baker County soon will have four pretty good ones available.

All are with the county’s road department.

In a confluence of retirements rare for the sheer durations involved, four road department workers either have retired, or intend to do so by May 28.

That includes Rick Holden (35 years), Lee Swiger (34), Rick Badgley (33) and Darrell Conklin (30). We salute these four for keeping at a job that we often take for granted. Not many people thank road workers for a smooth trip, but getting stuck in the mud can inspire almost anyone to complain.

The upside of the retirements  (well, other than the obvious ones for the foursome) is that four jobs with better-than-average pay and benefits are opening just as Baker County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate nears double digits.

“I’m sure we’ll see a lot of applications,” Helgerson said recently. “I know there are good people out there.”

Four were good enough to stay on with the county through at least six presidents.

We hope Helgerson can find four others who will stay in Baker County as long as their predecessors did.