Steve Burns shares a hug with his job coach, Janis Phillipson, while City Manager Terry Emery (right) looks on. Burns, who has a learning disability, is known in the community for watering the flowerpots in uptown Marysville. He was honored by city staff recently for his work.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Will Channell)
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Watering flowers might seem trivial, but for Marysville resident Steve Burns, it’s something like a vacation.
Burns, who has a learning disability, has spent the past decade watering the flowerpots in the Marysville Uptown area.
“We wanted to recognize your work,” Marysville City Manager Terry Emery told Burns at a recent ceremony in his honor that included several City of Marysville administrative staff.
At that ceremony, Emery informed Burns the city’s parks department was making him an honorary parks maintenance worker. He was presented a proclamation signed both by Emery and Marysville Mayor J.R. Rausch.
“I just want to thank you so much for the work that you’ve provided,” Emery said.
Janis Phillipson, a job coach with the Union County Board of Developmental Disabilities, has worked with Burns for more than two years. For four days per week, residents can see Phillipson and Burns tending to the city’s flowers.
She told the Journal-Tribune he’s a hard worker and never complains.
“I know Steve takes great pride in the flowers,” she said.
Even though the pair’s schedule has them working from 7 a.m. to as late as 11 a.m., Burns often wakes up and gets to work as early as 6:30 a.m. on Saturdays. Phillipson said he calls his watering job his “summer vacation.”
Part of why Burns enjoys the work is it gives him a chance to get out and about. According to her, Burns loves working, in his own words, in “the beautiful downtown of Marysville.”
Emery agreed that the downtown is looking good.
“I think the flowers this year look maybe even a little bit better than they’ve ever looked before,” Emery said. “They’re so full, so beautiful.”
For Phillipson, getting that sort of recognition makes the work she and Burns do worth the effort.
“It’s really something special,” she said.
The brief ceremony was capped by Burns’ birthday the following day. The gathered city staff sang “Happy Birthday” to the new honorary city worker.
“These are all our city employees and people that see every day the impact that you have on us,” Emery said. “This is how much they appreciate the work that you’ve provided us.”