In order to be eligible to receive the prestigious Award of Honor, employees who drive in the course of their duties must complete 10 years or 100,000 miles without having an at-fault accident behind the wheel. This year, only 1/2 of 1 percent of Alabama employees qualified.
Chester grew up picking cotton and then worked in the timber industry before joining Postal Service ranks 25 years ago.
Now, he is a vibrant, exuberant 70 year old who radiates a positive outlook that spreads to all who cross his daily 96-mile path. "We are like family in the office and out on the route, too," he said. "I love working here."
He is also a preacher and credits his faith with helping him to remain safe. "I do a lot of praying," he said. "Every day, I go out on my route in peace, and I come back to the office in peace.This is a good job, and I want to stay safe in it."
With a third of Chester's route being on gravel, country roads, he adds that regular vehicle maintenance is an absolute necessity and is another contributing factor to his perfect safety record. "I keep my car in good condition," he said.
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| Millport Postmaster Tangy Furr with Rural Carrier Chester Shaw |
"Chester is a wonderful person," said Millport Postmaster Tangy Furr. "He always has positive things to say, is courteous and polite, always comes in with a smile, never complains about work, and always is willing to help others."
This willingness to help extends beyond the office to Chester's customers. One morning as he was delivering mail , he thought that he saw something moving on a long driveway. At first, he didn't know what it was, but upon closer examination, he realized that it was an older man who had fallen and had been unable to get up.
"He had been on the ground for over an hour," Chester said. He helped the man and prevented what could have been, especially in such a remote rural area, a tragic situation.
Thank you, Chester, for being such a positive influence at the Millport office as well as an admirable representative of the Postal Service in your community.
Postmarks also wishes to thank Tangy Furr for telling us about Chester and for sharing the picture.
