Public Works honors Legends at luncheon

After five years as an annual awards banquet, the annual Perryville Public Works Hall of Legends induction ceremony was held during a special luncheon in the city department’s newly constructed Legends Hall, located on the Public Works campus on South Kingshighway.
The brainchild of former Public Works director Mark Brown, who resigned earlier this year, the Legends Hall of Fame is intended to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the community in the arena of public works.
This year, the honorees were a former assistant water superintendent who also worked in the natural gas department, and a former city mechanic and beloved firefighter.
“We stand on the shoulder s of those that come before us,” said city administrator Brent Buerck, “and appreciate their contributions. We appreciate their families living with the responsibilities and requirements of the public works jobs all those many years and are very proud of the two men we inducted.”
The first inductee, Charles D. Blandford, was hired by the City of Perryville on Aug. 13, 1970, as assistant water superintendent.
According to an introduction read by city clerk Tracy Prost, Blandford worked with many different employees during this time with the city in several different positions.
Blandford transferred to the natural gas department as a maintenance worker in 1981, before being transferred to meter reader in 1985.  
“Charlie read meters with Melvin Weber until August 1994,” Buerck said. “Then Charlie and Tim Paulus read meters until April 27, 2007, when he retired from full-time meter reading.”
Not long after, Blandford came back to work as a part-time meter reader and read meters for the city until June 21, 2009, when he decided to fully retire.

Blandford, who attended the luncheon along with his wife, Gail, and daughter Dawn Roberts, accepted the honor from Perryville Mayor Ken Baer.
The second inductee, Richard L. LaRose, was the city’s lead mechanic, responsible for maintenance and repairs on all city vehicles and equipment.
The award was announced by city gas superintendent Tim Britt.
LaRose was hired by the city on June 26, 2000, working with fellow hall of Famer Wayne Walker until Walker announced his retirement in 2006.
On April 1, 2017, LaRose was promoted to lead mechanic, a position he held until his death on May 13, 2018, after collapsing while assisting with cleanup efforts following the city’s annual Mayfest celebration. He was 59.
In addition to his time with Public Works, LaRose spent 25 years as a member of the Perryville Fire Department, serving as a firefighter, engineer, and captain.
Following LaRose’s death, Brown said, “ “We have a Legends Hall of Fame, but we’re going to need a new designation, because Richard LaRose was a titan.”
On hand to accept his plaque from Baer were two of LaRrose’s children, Toshua LaRose and Ricky LaRose.
Past Legends Hall of Fame inductees include Howard Blair and Terry King in 2014, Harold Schubert and Melvin Weber in 2015, Ronald W. Berkbuegler and Melvin D. Niswonger in 2016, brothers Wayne and Lowell Walker in 2017, and John Heck Jr. and former Perryville Mayor Henry F. Weiss in 2018.