After 14 years, paper carrier calls it quits

Friday, September 1, 2006

After delivering papers for the BannerGraphic for many years, Steve Albright -- known by his friends as 'Stevie' -- is moving on.

"I just figured it was time for a change after 14 years," Albright said.

Albright, who was born and raised in Greencastle and still lives here today with his wife Janet of 19 years, will be taking a new job at Almost Home on Tuesday. He said this change has been his own personal choice.

He said his legs have been hurting and now is just the time to stop his 3-4 hour delivery of 170 newspapers around town.

BannerGraphic Publisher Randy List said Albright will be missed.

"I can't think of a more dependable person and I know we will all miss seeing him delivering papers as he walks through the downtown area," List said. "He was truly one of our best goodwill ambassadors."

BannerGraphic Circulation Manager Becky Underwood said that his route is not an easy one to walk.

"The fact that he walks those routes everyday is amazing to me," Underwood said.

BannerGraphic General Manager Daryl Taylor also finds another aspect of Albright's route amazing.

"Steve always brings my paper at the same time," Taylor said.

And Taylor knows when the press starts each day. He said even if the press is an hour behind, Albright always gets his paper to his house between 4:30 and 4:45.

Albright, known as a reliable carrier around town, said this wasn't necessarily what he felt he was called to do when he was was growing up.

"I would have loved to be a school teacher," he said.

Yet, the aspects he could have taken into teaching, he has taken into his job as his customers have always commented on the smile he always has on his face and his reliability.

Albright said before he took this job he worked at DePauw University for 12 years before he decided he wanted something different.

He thought this job at the BannerGraphic would be good for him.

"I thought it would be fun," Albright said.

Yet, that fun can also meant putting up with varying Indiana weather conditions.

Taylor not only works with Albright but is also one of Albright's customers. He said that when its really hot outside his family would offer Albright a drink. He said he told Albright that he had a fridge in the garage and that Albright could just walk right in with the garage door open and get himself a cool drink. No matter how hot it was Albright refused to go in Taylor's garage because he didn't want anyone to think he was breaking in and stealing. Instead Taylor would leave a cooler out with a drink in it, to help cool Albright off. Albright, an honest man, accepted that offer.

He said he has met many different people through work and just around town, so a lot of people have gotten to know him. So many in fact, that he doesn't always know the people who just talk to him around town.

"A guy called me a legend," Albright said of a person who found out he was leaving his job recently. "I was just doing the best job I could."

Underwood said that she knows Albright is well thought of on the job by his co-workers and by his carriers.

"He's done an excellent job and he's always been very thoughtful about his customers," Underwood said.

He said there are no real funny or interesting stories from his 14 years on the route, although one time a dog tried to bite him. But he said he will miss aspects of the job.

"I'm going to miss my customers," Albright said. "It's been a nice experience working here."

Now, it's time for him to leave the job where he said, "Everybody knows you by name."

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