Post Office in Vail

Gerald R. Ford Post Office in Vail, Colorado

Vail Daily
July 27, 2007
By Edward Stoner

VAIL — Susan Ford Bales stood beside a giant postage stamp that depicted her father, the 38th president. She choked on her words as she spoke to Vail residents, many of whom befriended the Fords over their years visiting here.“A lot of you have seen me grow up in this town, and I have very many fond memories,” she said.

Bales helped rename the Vail Post Office in honor of her father, President Gerald Ford, who died in December. Ford and his family were longtime homeowners in Vail and Beaver Creek.

From helping Vail secure the 1989 World Ski Championships to running a charity golf tournament to helping build the Beaver Creek Chapel, the Fords’ contributions to the valley were widespread.

Bales read a letter from her mother, Betty. The renaming was a great tribute, Betty Ford wrote. She listed fond memories of Vail — summer wildflowers, Fourth of July parades, the ski slopes.“Vail will forever remain in our hearts,” Betty Ford wrote.

President Bush signed the legislation to rename the post office after President Ford in March. The President Ford 41-cent stamp will be available Aug. 31.

Content for this article provide by Edward Stoner with the Vail Daily.
To learn more about the Vail, Colorado Post Office Re-Naming, please visit: http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20070727/NEWS/70727034