Jackson bids fond farewell to city shop position

Amy Baker-Jackson has been a familiar face at the Cornell city shop for more than a decade, serving as the administrative assistant/part-time assistant deputy treasurer. Now, after 10 1/2 years, Jackson has decided to retire from the position, after a compromised immune system and the COVID- 19 pandemic, played a decision to stay at home.

However, Jackson won’t be idle, as she already has a parttime job lined up in data entry from her home. Although Jackson loved her job with the city, it was necessary to focus on her health.

“Being from home will be better,” she said.

When she started in May of 2010, Jackson learned how to do data entry and reports for the state (water and wastewater) each month.

“That’s a lot,” she said.

Jackson also billed the companies who haul in sludge and completed a lot of filing. Her duties didn’t stop there, as she also worked in the city hall office, as part of payroll, and manning the city office if the staff there happened to be off.

“When you work here, you’re doing both,” said Jackson.

Over the years, she’s seen a lot of changes, especially in technology. Perhaps the best change, came when the shop got a new computer system – with two screens for her to work on. At first, Jackson couldn’t believe that would be a good situation, but she ended up loving it.

Jackson says it made her work so much easier, as she can reference one screen, while working on another.

“I wish I had two screens at home,” she said.

She’s also seen a lot of workers come and go, as many of the veteran employees have now retired. The workers have become like a second family to Jackson – a family full of teenage boys.

“These guys,” she said, smiling. “They like to play jokes.”

Once, and she never did find out which guy did it, someone tied an air horn under her chair, so when the chair moved, the horn went off. She’s also come in the office to find the image on her computer screen flipped upside down, among many other practical jokes taking place.

Although she thinks of her co-workers as second family, Jackson admits it will be nice to spend more time with her husband, Jim (who works part-time for Bruce Adult Family Homes), and their four kids, and 11 grandkids together.

The couple also enjoys camping, with their camper.

“We camp a lot,” said Jackson. “Maybe we’ll even do more than that now. It’s a nice get-away.”

As part of her last days of work, Jackson trained her replacement and continued joking with her co-workers, firmly stating that she is available for consultation and the occasional drop-in visit.

“I am going to miss it,” she said. “And they haven’t seen the last of me.”