Hope Ritchey – Walking, Living and Loving Life at Tuttle Block in Downtown Rutland
One would be challenged to find a more enthusiastic cheerleader for her newly renovated home at Tuttle Block, and life in Downtown Rutland, than Hope!
Hope relocated to Rutland from Kissimmee, Florida in 1990 when she discovered Rutland thanks to her good friend, Bonnie whom she says is more like family than a friend. Religion is another part of her family, she continued, “You’ve got to believe in something, and I know there are many religions, but my Jehovah’s Witnesses are my family.”
In 1990, Hope set herself up with a job at Foley Services and after 33 years, still reports for duty 5 days a week and cherishes it as much as the day she started. “I’ve almost earned seniority,” she chuckles. “There is one person that has been there longer than me at 40 years, so when something needs to get done, I just ask her to make it happen since she has seniority!” She speaks quite fondly of the Foley family, saying they have been wonderful to her for all her time there, and they help her attend shows at the Paramount as often as possible, which she adores.
In March when we met up with Hope, she had just moved back into her newly renovated apartment at Tuttle Block. She is loving it, saying, “I love how Housing Trust takes care of everything so much better than the landlords I’ve had in the past. My apartment is so beautiful and they always fix things right away. Pam, Danielle and Nikitta are such wonderful people.” Hope was quite proud to show her two visitors from Housing Trust how nicely she has settled in and decorated, and what a pleasant view she has overlooking Center Street. “Come look at my view of the Farmer’s Market,” she beamed, parting the curtains on her enormous new windows. “All I have to do is look out here and I can see when they are all finished setting up and ready for me to do my shopping!” When asked to choose what she loves best about living in Rutland, she has no trouble reciting a long list of favorites including, the Farmer’s Market, Paramount Theater, Phoenix Books, and Hand Carved by Ernie. She has also been keeping tabs on Giuseppe’s, announcing, “It just opened!” She misses Three Tomatoes and Clem’s the most, but is happy to have so much nearby.
Hope is a walker. Not just a sometimes walker – a real walker. She appreciates living in the center of Rutland City and enjoys being able to walk to work and tend to her errands downtown without a car. “I have just about everything I need within walking distance along with easy access to the bus for anyplace further. I never learned to drive a car when I was growing up due to my epilepsy disability. In the seventies the medications were not nearly as good as they are today, so it was too risky that I might have a seizure while driving so I never learned to drive, but I was not about to let that keep me down!” Hope says this with the same high level of enthusiasm that is practically Hope’s trademark. “I just love life and I try to be cheerful.” Cheerful, by the way, is the most obvious of all of Hope’s heartwarming qualities.
It was discovered that Hope suffered significant hearing loss as early as the first grade. It turned out to be a genetic condition that ran through most of her family. “That made it hard for me to learn math in school, but I sure did learn to read, and I just LOVE reading books. Any books. Mysteries. Histories. World War I & II books. I was ecstatic when Phoenix Books moved in right across the street a few years ago! It’s my second home where I pick up the daily paper and get the scoop on the newest books coming out.”
Hope recalled, “When I fell on an icy sidewalk last year and broke both wrists last year, I stayed at Bonnie’s for my 3 month recovery. It was hard enough to have two casts on my hands, but sitting around the house for so long was driving me crazy. I couldn’t wait to get back to work.” Judging by the energy and lust for life that Hope exudes, it is a wonder she stayed down for more than a day.