NEWPORT — Today marked the retirement of Hazel M. Santaw from Columbia Forest Products, after approximately 25 years of service.
Born in Newport, she graduated from N.C.U.H.S.
Santaw stayed at home for the first several years to raise her family.
She worked several years in the late 70’s and early 80’s, then returned to Columbia Forest Products on December 4, 1989 as a clipper operator and worked for 1 year.
In ’94, she worked as an inspector at Hedma Corporation in North Troy until the business closed a year later.
During ’95 through 2000, she held a seasonal job making Christmas wreaths at Spates the Florist.
She was rehired at Columbia Forest Products on July 23, 2001, as an unspliced piler.
During her employment, she held positions as wholepiece grader, defect clipper operator, booker/marker, Ruckle splicer operator, service, and unspliced grader of which job she held the last 18 ½ years, up until her retirement.
Santaw lives in Newport. She and her late husband Robbie Santaw raised 3 children, Carrie, Kristy, and Cody.
She has 7 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren.
Santaw’s retirement plans are to spend more time with her new grandson.
She also plans to travel to Maine and Florida and visit her special niece in Alaska.
She enjoys reading, cross-stitching, watching westerns, maintaining her flower gardens in the spring/summer and hopes to take up bicycling again.
She plans to become more active in the V.F.W. and Eagle’s clubs, as well as rejoin the American Legion in Newport.
