'Elevator Lady' at San Bernardino courthouse takes work to another level

Source: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Calif.迷你倉將軍澳Dec. 26--SAN BERNARDINO -- Connie Hall's job has a lot of ups and downs.The 63-year-old San Bernardino woman operates a historic elevator inside the Central Courthouse. And she has done so for 28 years.She opens and closes the doors herself and physically cranks the lever to get people to the first, second and third floor."That's how I got these muscles!" Hall said, flexing and laughing.There is a larger, more modern elevator on the other side of the Central Courthouse that services all floors in the building.But the manual elevator, and its operator,are a staple in the courthouse.The courthouse was built in 1926 with a passenger elevator serving its original three floors.During a recent remodel, some of the courtrooms were updated and the building was retrofitted for safety but there was great effort not to change any of the historical features of the building, including the elevator, said county spokesman David Wert.Following the renovations in 2011 it was written into Hall's contract that she would have a job until she wants to retire, which she was eligible for eight years ago.She wasn't ready then, and she still doesn't have any plans to stop transporting riders to their destination."As long as I have my health I'll be smiling and lifting them up and lifting them down," she said.Hall got the operator job by chance.She was originally hired in 1985 as "extra help" for the court custodial staff -- part time and on call.One day she was asked to fill in for the elevator operator, who was on vacation."At first, I would let the doors slam, I was so nervous," Hall recalled. "I had to tell people 'Jump in!' Or 'Jump out!'""It was my job to make sure you don't trip, to make sure high heels don't get stuck."She eventually got the hang of the machine and was assigned to operate the elevator at the county offices in San Bernardino.Hall was later transferred to Rancho Cucamonga, where she was ran the construct迷你倉尖沙咀on elevator at the building of the new courthouse.Later she was asked if she wanted to go back to the San Bernardino courthouse and operate the elevator for good."And that's how I became the elevator lady," she said with a proud smile.This year Hall was named the facilities management employee of the year -- not the first time -- and was given the Award of Excellence, which the county gives out to each department."She does a great job," Tawana Ellison, the custodial services chief, said.Hall sees a large amount of people each day -- from lawyers, court clerks and bailiffs to the general public."I get along with them all," she said.Some people come out of the courtrooms and into her elevator smiling, some of them crying."I've learned when to speak and when not to speak," Hall said. "I've learned patience."The conversations are short -- it only takes a few seconds to get from floor to floor -- but that doesn't stop Hall from connecting with people.Attorneys she sees every day know all about her nieces, nephews and grandchildren, whose pictures are displayed on the walls of her "office." Strangers confide in her about what's going on in their lives or how they wound up in a courthouse."I know what's going on, they bring it to me," Hall said.Whether it's decorating her elevator for the holidays and wearing a Santa hat on Christmas Eve, or simply telling riders that everything is going to be OK --Hall does whatever she can to lift people's spirits."In the courthouse there's a lot of negativity, but Connie is always positive. Always," said John Rojas, a sheriff's deputy in the courthouse. "It's refreshing."Rojas said he and Hall have been laughing together for years."That positive contact is important, and it's a delight to have her here," Rojas said.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Calif.) Visit the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Calif.) at .dailybulletin.com Distributed by MCT Information Services倉