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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
November 22, 2007     Shelton Mason County Journal
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November 22, 2007
 
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What's Cookin'? . ' Scott's sense of humor sells wel By REBECCA WELLS Scott Wallace has it all. "I've got the best of everything," he says. "I've got a great family. I've got a great wife. I've got a cute kid and the greatest dog." Topping it all offby living in the great town of Shelton, he says he almost has to pinch himself some- times. His job as a lead checker at Top Foods in Olympia, where he's worked for almost 17 years, is also wonderful and not just because of the pay. "I'm there for the people," he explains. "I'm one of the lucky guys in the world. I have found my niche in life." WHEN SCOTT was a young boy, his father Warren Wallace told him he was going to be a salesman, just like him. His father worked in sales for Moore Busi- ness Forms. "If I ever turn into half the man my dad was, I will be the luckiest guy in the world," Scott says, call- ing his father "the greatest sales- man in the world." Scott did learn salesmanship from his father. By his freshman year in high school, Scott began working as a radio disc jockey for the local AM radio station in his hometown of Butte, Montana. Reading commercials over the air was part of his job. "It was kind of strange to be cruising down the street and all a sudden have" a radio commercial come on," he remembers• Though it was fun, he could never really get used to hearing his own vice on the radio. LATER, HE WAS the head waiter at the Frederick and Nel- son restaurant for seven years be- fore the establishment closed and he moved on to Top Foods. Now he considers his check stand as a stage where he is allowed to ham it up for 40 hours a week. "I've always had a public job. I've always had to sell," he says. "My dad was right: I'm a salesman. He sold paper. I sold myself." In fact, last year he attended a work meeting where one of the chief executive officers of the cor- poration asked him to describe his job. "I gave him the standard defini- tion of my job. I told him I don't really have a job. Actually I'm al- lowed to go to Top Foods for 40 hours a week to play," he recalls with a chuckle• "I've got the best job in the world, because I get paid to be flirting with beautiful wom- en, talking to nice guys, playing with little kids." He says he'd "do it for free, but no, they make me take the paycheck• So yeah, I'm the luckiest guy in the worl d . Hon- estly, I'm blessed." ALL OF THE employees at the store are all like a giant family to him. "I spend as much time with those kids as I do at home and I love them all," he says. "All in all, we're the best family that I've ever worked for." Even before he came to Top Foods, he was already enjoying some of these same benefits at Frederick and Nelson• "It was great! It was another one of those jobs where I had beau- tiful older women Who would come in and they'd give me money for bringing food to them. If they came over to my house for dinner, I'd still do the same thing," he quips. FLASHING A CHEERFUL smile behind the counter at Top Foods, Scott Wallace has fun entertaining customers. "So customer service is definitely my thing•" "And I get to be a goofball for a living!" he adds with a laugh. Since he is the last person cus- tomers see at the store, his goal at the check stand is to make sure they walk out the door with smiles on their faces. "IF I CAN GET you walking out with a smile, you'll be coming back with a smile," he says, since the last thing customers think of when they leave will be the first thing they remember when they return. To this end, he is now known as the "smiley-face sticker guy" at the store, since he gives smiley-fhce stickers to all of the children and even the "big kids" who are yoqng at heart and spot his sticker col- lection• His customers aren't the only ones he has fun getting a grin out of, either. April Fools' Day hap- pens to be his favorite holiday and he has a ball in the role of a prank- ster, pulling practical jokes on his co-workers. For instance, when he worked in the store's bakery, he wrote a note to the bakery manager, stating he was going back with a rock-and-roll band he had played with when he was sti]l living in Montana and they had decided to go back on the road. Supposedly, this was his two weeks' notice. In small letters at the bottom of the note, it instructed the manager to turn the letter over and see "April fools!" on the back. TRUTH BE TOLD, Scott actu- ally had been the lead singer in a rock band. "Honestly, it was one of the toughest jobs I've ever done," he says. On the scale his band was performing at, there were no road- ies to perform the grunt work fbr him and his fellow musicians "so when you set up and you break down, yeah, that's all you," he re- members• "So yeah: glamourous sounding; tough job." These days, his "groupies" are a bunch of ladies at least 75 years "young" who pay him faithful vis- its every Wednesday morning from area retirement homes. This is the day the store changes its weekly advertisements and the floor is quieter than during the weekends, making it easier for them to shop. All of the store's electric shoppers are all charged up and ready for action• "I have a harem of octogenarian girlfriends and I love every one of them," he jokes. "My wife doesn't mind that I've got all these 'girl- friends,' 'cause she's met my 'girl- friends.'" Scott and his wife Sandi have been married for 21 years and have a son, Jamie, who is a junior at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. "HONESTLY, IWE got the greatest family in the world," Scott says proudly. For example, he says his moth- er, Ginny Wallace, lives in the Lake Limerick community and still looks young and beautiful, after all these years. While he was growing up, his parents ran a standard "Ozzie and Harriet" household. "[ came from a weird thmily: We were normal," he says: "My dad's tblks were as kind as they came; my mom's tblks were as kind as they came and hey, I'm a great, lucky genetic swirl! I got the best of all of those." He says he inherited his parents' gregarious, fun-loving personality, which he has found works well in sales industries. His wife has a job in an office, working tbr the Wash- ington State Department of Social and Health Services. "IF I HAD TO work in an of- fice for a living, I'd go crazy," Scott says. "My office is my sales floor at Top Foods. I got the biggest office in the city." Scott and his family moved to Shelton in 1984, following his sis- ter and brother-in-law, Robin and Dann Gagnon, who both teach lo- cally. Coming from a town in Montana known for having what used to be the world's largest truck-operated copper mines, Scott is thrilled to live in Western Washington. Right after he first moved to this state, he made a point of waking up very early one morning to go surfing in a wet suit at Westport and from there heading up to the mountains to go skiing later that afternoon. Then he called his friends back in Montana, who couldn't believe he could manage to go surfing and skiing in the same day. Shelton's particular location is also ideal for him, because it's nestled in woodsy scenery, yet not far from major cities. "We've got the best of both worlds," he says happily. "I MEAN, people complain about the rain in the Northwest, but it's so beautiful and it's so green because of the rain," he says. When he's not at enjoys relaxing at home, reality television shows ing in the summer. When he also likes to ski. gymnastics in high to be an acrobatic skier ries slowed him down. Lately, though, his have been having the with him. Not long ago, smile was featured in a pearance on a recentl commercial for Top "That's been a lot of how they punished me (Please turn to lllb OPEN HOIL00E NOW.MI;ER Join us Fo el:esboe.Ts eceve a coapboenza Thus.-FRL-SaT. I I a.w.-4 W. 3 SIDED 1800 Wood Stovd Features • Unique ly Window Design • Ah drawer w/safety lid • Mobile Home Approved . W wood 01niom • Ultra Quiet 130 (FM 81ower • Brushed Nickel or Gold Door, Louver & Trivet _00tss9 . "ltpnHlq The Flanw For Every brIP' 377-6655 4090 W. St. Swy. 16 • Sremerton (At Gorst on Waters|de) (206) 842"356 www.heritagefireplaceshop.€om -"I just love how Our Community Creaqt Union treats you hke aperson. They really focus on your neea00, not on fees!" - Andrea Barnes Mason County Fairgrounds 2007 Swap Meet Schedule 9:00 a.m. - 5'00 p.m. Friday-Sunday Nov. 30 - Dec. 2 10' x 10' indoor booth rental $50.00 Set up Thursday FREE PUBLIC ADMISSION Call now to reserve your booth! 427-7789 Our00 it Un" more than just business. Here, it's Shelton • Elma • McCleary 800.426.5657 • www.ourcu.coO Anyone living or working in Mason or Grays Harbor County can join. Page 16 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, November 22, 2007 What's Cookin'? . ' Scott's sense of humor sells wel By REBECCA WELLS Scott Wallace has it all. "I've got the best of everything," he says. "I've got a great family. I've got a great wife. I've got a cute kid and the greatest dog." Topping it all offby living in the great town of Shelton, he says he almost has to pinch himself some- times. His job as a lead checker at Top Foods in Olympia, where he's worked for almost 17 years, is also wonderful and not just because of the pay. "I'm there for the people," he explains. "I'm one of the lucky guys in the world. I have found my niche in life." WHEN SCOTT was a young boy, his father Warren Wallace told him he was going to be a salesman, just like him. His father worked in sales for Moore Busi- ness Forms. "If I ever turn into half the man my dad was, I will be the luckiest guy in the world," Scott says, call- ing his father "the greatest sales- man in the world." Scott did learn salesmanship from his father. By his freshman year in high school, Scott began working as a radio disc jockey for the local AM radio station in his hometown of Butte, Montana. Reading commercials over the air was part of his job. "It was kind of strange to be cruising down the street and all a sudden have" a radio commercial come on," he remembers• Though it was fun, he could never really get used to hearing his own vice on the radio. LATER, HE WAS the head waiter at the Frederick and Nel- son restaurant for seven years be- fore the establishment closed and he moved on to Top Foods. Now he considers his check stand as a stage where he is allowed to ham it up for 40 hours a week. "I've always had a public job. I've always had to sell," he says. "My dad was right: I'm a salesman. He sold paper. I sold myself." In fact, last year he attended a work meeting where one of the chief executive officers of the cor- poration asked him to describe his job. "I gave him the standard defini- tion of my job. I told him I don't really have a job. Actually I'm al- lowed to go to Top Foods for 40 hours a week to play," he recalls with a chuckle• "I've got the best job in the world, because I get paid to be flirting with beautiful wom- en, talking to nice guys, playing with little kids." He says he'd "do it for free, but no, they make me take the paycheck• So yeah, I'm the luckiest guy in the worl d . Hon- estly, I'm blessed." ALL OF THE employees at the store are all like a giant family to him. "I spend as much time with those kids as I do at home and I love them all," he says. "All in all, we're the best family that I've ever worked for." Even before he came to Top Foods, he was already enjoying some of these same benefits at Frederick and Nelson• "It was great! It was another one of those jobs where I had beau- tiful older women Who would come in and they'd give me money for bringing food to them. If they came over to my house for dinner, I'd still do the same thing," he quips. FLASHING A CHEERFUL smile behind the counter at Top Foods, Scott Wallace has fun entertaining customers. "So customer service is definitely my thing•" "And I get to be a goofball for a living!" he adds with a laugh. Since he is the last person cus- tomers see at the store, his goal at the check stand is to make sure they walk out the door with smiles on their faces. "IF I CAN GET you walking out with a smile, you'll be coming back with a smile," he says, since the last thing customers think of when they leave will be the first thing they remember when they return. To this end, he is now known as the "smiley-face sticker guy" at the store, since he gives smiley-fhce stickers to all of the children and even the "big kids" who are yoqng at heart and spot his sticker col- lection• His customers aren't the only ones he has fun getting a grin out of, either. April Fools' Day hap- pens to be his favorite holiday and he has a ball in the role of a prank- ster, pulling practical jokes on his co-workers. For instance, when he worked in the store's bakery, he wrote a note to the bakery manager, stating he was going back with a rock-and-roll band he had played with when he was sti]l living in Montana and they had decided to go back on the road. Supposedly, this was his two weeks' notice. In small letters at the bottom of the note, it instructed the manager to turn the letter over and see "April fools!" on the back. TRUTH BE TOLD, Scott actu- ally had been the lead singer in a rock band. "Honestly, it was one of the toughest jobs I've ever done," he says. On the scale his band was performing at, there were no road- ies to perform the grunt work fbr him and his fellow musicians "so when you set up and you break down, yeah, that's all you," he re- members• "So yeah: glamourous sounding; tough job." These days, his "groupies" are a bunch of ladies at least 75 years "young" who pay him faithful vis- its every Wednesday morning from area retirement homes. This is the day the store changes its weekly advertisements and the floor is quieter than during the weekends, making it easier for them to shop. All of the store's electric shoppers are all charged up and ready for action• "I have a harem of octogenarian girlfriends and I love every one of them," he jokes. "My wife doesn't mind that I've got all these 'girl- friends,' 'cause she's met my 'girl- friends.'" Scott and his wife Sandi have been married for 21 years and have a son, Jamie, who is a junior at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. "HONESTLY, IWE got the greatest family in the world," Scott says proudly. For example, he says his moth- er, Ginny Wallace, lives in the Lake Limerick community and still looks young and beautiful, after all these years. While he was growing up, his parents ran a standard "Ozzie and Harriet" household. "[ came from a weird thmily: We were normal," he says: "My dad's tblks were as kind as they came; my mom's tblks were as kind as they came and hey, I'm a great, lucky genetic swirl! I got the best of all of those." He says he inherited his parents' gregarious, fun-loving personality, which he has found works well in sales industries. His wife has a job in an office, working tbr the Wash- ington State Department of Social and Health Services. "IF I HAD TO work in an of- fice for a living, I'd go crazy," Scott says. "My office is my sales floor at Top Foods. I got the biggest office in the city." Scott and his family moved to Shelton in 1984, following his sis- ter and brother-in-law, Robin and Dann Gagnon, who both teach lo- cally. Coming from a town in Montana known for having what used to be the world's largest truck-operated copper mines, Scott is thrilled to live in Western Washington. Right after he first moved to this state, he made a point of waking up very early one morning to go surfing in a wet suit at Westport and from there heading up to the mountains to go skiing later that afternoon. Then he called his friends back in Montana, who couldn't believe he could manage to go surfing and skiing in the same day. Shelton's particular location is also ideal for him, because it's nestled in woodsy scenery, yet not far from major cities. "We've got the best of both worlds," he says happily. "I MEAN, people complain about the rain in the Northwest, but it's so beautiful and it's so green because of the rain," he says. When he's not at enjoys relaxing at home, reality television shows ing in the summer. When he also likes to ski. gymnastics in high to be an acrobatic skier ries slowed him down. Lately, though, his have been having the with him. Not long ago, smile was featured in a pearance on a recentl commercial for Top "That's been a lot of how they punished me (Please turn to lllb OPEN HOIL00E NOW.MI;ER Join us Fo el:esboe.Ts eceve a coapboenza Thus.-FRL-SaT. I I a.w.-4 W. 3 SIDED 1800 Wood Stovd Features • Unique ly Window Design • Ah drawer w/safety lid • Mobile Home Approved . W wood 01niom • Ultra Quiet 130 (FM 81ower • Brushed Nickel or Gold Door, Louver & Trivet _00tss9 . "ltpnHlq The Flanw For Every brIP' 377-6655 4090 W. St. Swy. 16 • Sremerton (At Gorst on Waters|de) (206) 842"356 www.heritagefireplaceshop.€om -"I just love how Our Community Creaqt Union treats you hke aperson. They really focus on your neea00, not on fees!" - Andrea Barnes Mason County Fairgrounds 2007 Swap Meet Schedule 9:00 a.m. - 5'00 p.m. Friday-Sunday Nov. 30 - Dec. 2 10' x 10' indoor booth rental $50.00 Set up Thursday FREE PUBLIC ADMISSION Call now to reserve your booth! 427-7789 Our00 it Un" more than just business. Here, it's Shelton • Elma • McCleary 800.426.5657 • www.ourcu.coO Anyone living or working in Mason or Grays Harbor County can join. Page 16 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, November 22, 2007