With almost 36 years of work under his belt, it’d be tough to argue that anyone knows their way around Goodrich High School better than its custodian, Glen Arden.
Considering he’s in the building from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., not to mention waking up at 3 a.m. in the winter to plow snow off the parking lot, and mastering the uses of 80 different keys, Arden has definitely put in his time.
However, on Monday night, that changed? the school board officially approved and announced his retirement.
‘I’m happy for him, but I’m sad he’s leaving. He’s just a wonderful person,? said David St. Aubin, GHS principal.
‘And when he walks out of that door he’s going to take so much knowledge with him. He knows every inch of the school and is going to be missed dearly.?
Arden knowing every inch of the school is no exaggeration. Even before he started doing custodial work in September 1974, Arden was no stranger to the the high school, he’s a 1960 Goodrich graduate.
‘After I graduated I started working with Ed Bohlen doing building construction,? said Arden. ‘But in ?74 there wasn’t much work in the building trade. Ed was on the school board and he got me a job as a night custodian for three years, and I’ve worked the day shift ever since.?
Arden remembers the school when it was smaller, there have been many additions and renovations since he first started working. ‘I’ve seen a lot of changes here, and I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. Students that went here when I started have kids, graduating now.? And like most custodians, Arden’s witnessed a lot of exciting student life, senior pranks, and finding ‘inappropriate notes? became commonplace.
For the most part though, Arden claims he just does what needs to be done. Along with the help of the other high school custodians, Doug McAbee, Chris Thorman, and Rick Martin, he makes sure everything is ready when students and staff come into school. That includes making sure everything is clean, restocked, and safe. Doing so requires access to a lot of places, which requires a lot of different keys. Arden keeps track of about 80 different keys that unlock everything from paper towel dispensers, to the auditorium, to the track’s pole barn, to the main doors. ‘They call me the key-man, because people come to me a lot to open doors and things like that. Most of the keys I can identify and know where to use. But whoever gets the keys when I go is going to have a fun time searching through them,? Arden joked.
Staff and students know Arden will be irreplaceable. ‘He’s been a fixture in Goodrich,? said Vice Principal Mike Ellis. ‘It’s funny, not too long ago some of the staff and I were looking through old football programs and we found one from when Glen played on the school team. Part of Goodrich history will leave when he does. You can’t replace Glen Arden.?
Arden will be officially retired on July 1, and although he’ll miss the school, he’s ready to leave. ‘I’m going to miss all the people. You really get to know everybody and they’re a great bunch of people to work with, but my wife will keep me busy. I’ll be back to visit, but I figure I’ve been here long enough.?