Doorperson of the month

Bessie Stirgus, The Heritage, 130 N. Garland Ct.

By Reemaa Konkimalla| Community Contributor

Bessie Stirgus greets each resident at the Heritage with her hallmark warm smile and a hearty hello. Stirgus, who works the nightshift, has been employed at the Heritage as door-staff for 11 years.

Often, a resident will see her in the morning as they head out for the day, and come home

from work to be greeted again by Stirgus. Night duty is different from the day shift, Stirgus explains. “Peace and quiet envelopes you. But one has to be very vigilant of the surroundings and who enters the building,” she said.

Recalling a memorable night on the job, Stirgus tells of when she summoned the fire department for an emergency. An alarm sounded signaling smoke in the building and

Stirgus quickly and calmly notified management staff and the fire department in the middle of the night.Everything was resolved without major incident.

“I value the residents and love what I do,” Stirgus said. “That keeps me going.

I am also responsible for the security and the safety of the building’s residents.”

Stirgus has seen many Heritage families grow and sometimes move out. She said it

has been a fascinating experience for her to watch families evolve, and is part of why

she loves her job.