Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Tim Myers
A former Army diesel mechanic, Tim Myers joined Whitman County Parks as a ranger on Aug. 1, 1986.
He got here by way of the line between West Germany and Czechoslavakia in the Cold War and the “Irish Railroad.” He retired in May after 31 years with Whitman County Parks.
Tim Myers also served as fair director, county facilities director and director of developmental services.
His last day was May 31, fulfilling his requirements and concluding his career alongside his wife, Jennie, who retired this year from the Lewiston School District.
“It was a surprise to everybody,” said Doug Flansburg, a longtime county Parks board member going back to the time Myers was a ranger. “I really enjoyed Tim, he communicated real well with the board, he always kept us informed.”
His replacement has not yet been hired.
“We’re gonna miss him, that’s a huge wealth of knowledge,” said Dave Mahan, park ranger for Wawawai and Klemgard Park. “That’s a huge hole, a resource for help, advice, anything. He’s a very knowledgable guy. He knows a lot about a lot of things.”
Myers grew up in Cheney and joined the Army after high school in 1978.
Wanting to learn how to work on big diesel engines to make a career, he trained at Fort Knox and spent two-and-a-half years in West Germany.
Returning home, he enrolled at Eastern Washington University in the joint-degree program, wildlife recreation management, with WSU.
Afterwards, Myers began a master’s program, but dropped out after a semester for a job as a childcare counselor at North Idaho Children’s home.
His career was underway, and the seeds for where he would end up were already in place. In the summer of 1985, he worked for the Army Corps of Engineers out of Lewiston, inspecting parks which included Wawawai Park on the Snake River.
As part of that, he did a presentation at the former Palouse Pioneer Day Camp at Klemgard Park, where he taught kids how to make whistles out of willow branches.
He was hired as a Ranger/Operations Coordinator for Whitman County Parks, starting Aug. 1, 1986.
It was a time of much activity for the department, which had a full-time program coordinator on staff and ran things such as an adult basketball league in Colfax, youth soccer league, cross-country ski lessons and a ropes course at Elberton.
The start
Myers spent the first part of his life in Myrtle Creek, Ore., the son of a Christian minister. The family then lived for five years in Prosser before moving to Cheney.
In the Army, Myers served as a diesel mechanic for a cavalry unit, which acts as a mini, self-supported Army.
“Coming out of high school, I didn’t have a lot of direction. I thought I wanted to be a mechanic on big diesel trucks,” Myers said.
Ultimately, his thoughts turned elsewhere from engines.
“It seemed a limited future,” Myers said. “I had always been an outdoorsy person, camping, hunting,” he said.
A formative experience earlier may have been an influence. His uncle Wayne worked for Douglas County, Ore., in forest management. When young Tim and family would visit, the two-way radio was on, crackling, his uncle listening for fires.
Now looking back on a career, Myers’ favorite part comes to mind.
“The philosophy that the Parks has,” he said. “It’s family-oriented, providing safe, family-oriented programming and activities.”
Through the range of his career, one of Myers’ biggest responsibilities was running the fair.
“The real strength of the fair is the volunteers,” he said. “The superintendents of those buildings, all working to make the experiences for the kids.”
His work with Developmental Services beckoned after that.
“It’s all about making sure that our individuals are taken care of,” Myers said.
As part of his job, he formed a housing subcommittee and the county worked with Community Action Center to develop residential units.
“That was the hallmark I’d like to hang my hat on with Developmental Services,” Myers said. “We absolutely have the best supported living, bar none, throughout the state.”
To-do
One of Myers’ first big projects was putting in a new well and irrigation system at Klemgard Park.
“It was like all the projects through the years,” Myers said. “Frustrating and gratifying. Frustrating when you’re doing them, gratifying when you’re done.”
By the later ‘90s, after various changes, including budget cuts, the Parks’ focus turned mainly to lands.
“Our priorities have always been keeping up the parks,” said Myers.
Myers and Jenni, who were married in 1983, spent his first seven years with County Parks living at the earth home at Wawawai Park.
Tours of the 1980 earth home took place every Sunday during the summer, and there were often issues in the park.
“It was a 24/7 job. It still is,” said Myers.
In 1993, the family, which now included two children, moved to Colfax when Myers was named Superintendent of Parks and Facilities. He did that for seven years, taking care of the courthouse and other county buildings. In 2000, he was promoted to Director of Parks, Fair and Facilities Management. For five years, he was the head of Palouse Empire fairground.
“He served the county well,” said Bob Reynolds, current fair director, who was hired by Myers’ predecessor Mike Werner in 1989 as an operation coordinator.
Myers also acted in that role as park ranger – helping out during fair week.
“I have very fond memories of working with Tim at the fair,” said Reynolds. “We did everything from tech to toilets.”
From 2005 until his retirement, Myers remained as County Parks Director and became Director of Developmental Services.
“I thought he had great diplomacy in working with a broad variety of people,” said Flansburg.
Over time, the Parks were at various funding levels. Parking fees were charged in 2005-07.
“The state will say the Parks are a non-mandated service,” Myers said. “Our residents here have a mandate to have parks, it’s obvious by the use. And when someone moves to an area they want to know: what’s the housing like, what’s the schools like, what are the parks like and the trails.”
Deciding to retire, Myers’ decision came together over the winter as his wife was set to complete her career.
“My wife met her rule of 90 in Idaho,” Myers said, of the education contract. “I had met my requirements, we sat down and did the math and decided, hey, we’d like to retire together.”
Jennie was named the American Legion Lewis-Clark Valley educator of the year in May.
Predecessor
For County Parks, Myers succeeded Werner as director, who served from 1972-2000.
Myers informed county commissioners of his retirement plans March 20.
Still a hunter (elk, turkey, deer) and fly-fisher, he has phased out of one of his original outdoor passions of whitewater rafting. First learned during college at Eastern, he and a friend, Terry Lewis, rafted through much of the ‘80s and early ‘90s on the Santiam River in Oregon, the Salmon in Idaho, the Lower Lochsa River and the North Fork of the Clearwater.
They made their own rapids guidebook, just for their own reference.
On the North Fork of the Clearwater was the hardest stretch Myers ever did; the 300 to 400 yard run of the “Irish Railroad.”
He only did it once.
Now retired, he and Jennie will keep living in Colfax and take a trip to Hawaii with their kids in October.
“We just plan to take retirement one day at a time,” he said.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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