I retired from the City of Dublin, Ohio on
May 31, 2019 after working 30 years as
City Forester. The first thing I did was to
stay up late and sleep in! I volunteer as
an usher and concessions person with the
Columbus Association of Performing Arts
(CAPA). Through that, I've had the oppor-
tunity to see great theater, dance, and
other various art programs at CAPA's six
venues in the area. Periodically, I volun-
teer at a catering company whose mission
is to hire those coming off of the streets
from prostitution or human trafficking
and I work occasionally for a local catering
company, serving at corporate and private
events. I enjoy being at the party in my
own way and getting to sample good food.
I also work part-time (12 hours/week) for
a foliage and annual greenhouse, pulling
orders for local florists, garden centers,
Kroger, and Costco. This has motivated
me to brush up on my houseplant iden-
tification skills. I've been taking adult
learning classes, such as one about bread
making and another about how to take
great pictures using my smart phone.
Last year I went to Maine to hike in
Acadia National Park then to Italy on a
mission trip. This year, I will go to Florida
to visit family and hang out with a group
of women friends and then to California
to sight-see and hike. I've been purging
and consolidating around the house
during the winter. I have not worked in
forestry other than to stop and talk with
homeowners when I'm out walking. I did,
however, print business cards to prune
small trees and shrubs for those interested.
—Paula Chope
22 CityTREES
Paula Chope found Elvis on her travels.
