Franck Felix started working at The Ponds at Foxhollow as an intern while in high school. He was hired when he graduated 20 years ago. This month The Ponds threw him an anniversary party for his two decades of hard work, commitment, and positive attitude.
The general manager Edward Pelkey considers Franck more than a staff member. “Not only has he always been an extremely reliable employee who produces excellent work, but he’s part of the family. Often he eats lunch with our assistant manager. Sometimes he writes us letters from home, and he mails them to us.”
These letters each contain a meticulously hand-colored shape, with a label written in equally-neat handwriting. “I’ll get a letter with nine hearts one day, then nine circles two days later, very neat and thoughtfully done,” said Beth O’Brien, assistant manager. “Along with having lunch together when we can, he makes every effort to find me, and say hello and good-bye to me before and after every shift. That’s a nice way to start and end the day for both of us.”
Franck is known to like animals. Along with his two horses at home—Cherokee and Gunner—he is the self-appointed manager of the Pond’s goldfish. Staff often see him running across the field to feed the fish. Because of this 20-year habit, the Pond claims to have the largest gold fish in the Berkshires. A blue heron aware of these hefty gold fish often comes to feed, unless Franck is there to shoo it away.
“I’m nervous,” Franck said to his BCArc job coach Jessica Faille before the party started.
“You can’t have a bad day when you are with Franck,” said Jessica. Franck replied, “You can’t have a bad day with you.”
Franck spends a part of his working day singing while performing housekeeping chores. The setlist includes an original tune he wrote, called, “The Fabulous Franckie.” Asked for the lyrics, Franck sang: “I do my routine, you know what I mean, you know what I mean: way to go! Cool beans!” Repeat a few times.
You can’t throw a party for Franck without serving spicy hot food—any kind of food, as long as its spicy hot—and a supply of Mountain Dew. While party goers filled their plates with mildly hot wings and pizza, Franck was at his table with Beth, eating extra hot wings and drinking his Mountain Dew. “I’m not nervous anymore.”
