Cory Galliher
CUMBERLAND — After working with the city for more than four decades, 81-year-old Marvin Myers, Cumberland’s property ownership program coordinator, is retiring.
A 22-year-veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Myers began working with the city March 16, 1970. He plans to retire April 1.
Myers was initially hired under Cumberland’s urban renewal agency where he worked in relocation. “When people and businesses were moving away from downtown, I helped get them paid and found homes for them,” said Myers.
He grew up in the Cumberland area and graduated from Fort Hill High School in 1947. Myers joined the Air Force immediately after graduating and served tours in Okinawa and Hawaii. He retired from the Air Force in 1969.
In 1983, Myers was given the additional responsibility of working as the parking manager with the Municipal Parking Authority. He stayed with that job for 18 years, and since then Myers has done a wide variety of jobs for the city.
Currently Myers handles the maintenance of the downtown mall, working with Downtown Manager Ed Mullaney. He also works as the labor relations representative for federally funded contracts that come in through the city. He has handled demolition contracts for removing old and blighted properties.
“The different jobs just come up,” said Myers. “People would leave and the jobs would come up and I’d take it over.”
Myers said that despite his various responsibilities, he never felt overworked. “I never really found myself being overloaded with work from this,” said Myers. “Sometimes it got a little hectic with a bunch going on, though.
“I’ve worked for everybody here, I think,” said Myers. “Pretty much everybody here knows me by now.”
“I’m a real fan of Marvin’s,” said Mullaney. “I think he’s a real unsung hero. He has been behind the scenes to make so many fine things happen downtown that he wouldn’t be given credit for because he’s in the background.”
Mullaney added that one job that Myers has always excelled in was selecting the Christmas tree for each year’s downtown celebration. “One of his last official duties was getting the tree for 2009 and I think he saved the best for last,” said Mullaney.
“I’m really going to miss him,” said Mullaney. “But I think he’s got everything so organized and structured; the show will go on but we know where he lives. If we need some advice, I think he’d be willing to give it. I have a lot of admiration for him.”
“(Myers) has done an awful lot for us over the years,” said Cumberland Mayor Lee Fiedler.
Fiedler said that Myers is taking the city up on a retirement offer. “We’re realigning (Myers’) jobs to be done by other people instead of hiring replacements,” added Fiedler.
“He’s done a good job,” said Fiedler.
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