BY CATHERINE TSAI and AMY HIGGINS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The mail gets through rain, snow and gloom of night, but no one said anything about Powerball.
While mail carriers and airport workers form office pools for tonight's $250 million drawing, dreams of early retirement are dancing in their heads.
In Independence, mail carrier Joetta Insko said everyone on the day shift -- including the postmaster -- pitched in a dollar for the office pool.
If they win, someone else will be stuffing the mailboxes.
"We won't be here," Ms. Insko said.
And if 30 people in the pool for the field maintenance division of the Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky International Airport win, forget about clean runways, secretary Pat Suedkamp joked. Only two people outside the pool would be at work the next day.
"We decided we'd either have to stay until they hire new people or they'd have to shut down the airport," said Ms. Suedkamp, who bought the pool's $155 in tickets Tuesday morning.
While Powerball has the power to make people rich beyond their wildest dreams, it also has the power to empty out an office -- fast. "Everyone is going to retire after Wednesday night, including the owner," said Fred Tallarigo, salesman and Powerball coordinator at Henry Sieve Pontiac in Westwood. "It's going to be interesting."
Twenty-nine of the dealership's 35 employees contribute $5 each, giving them 145 shots at the jackpot. Splitting the jackpot 29 ways still gives each a lifetime payout of $6.8 million.
"You'd be working for nothing," Mr. Tallarigo said.
At the Cold Spring Sibcy Cline office, about half of the Powerball players say they would still work, according to office manager Mary Jo Schuerman.
They have a staff meeting every Wednesday where about 30 of the 35 people in the office pitch in $1 each.
"If we win, half of us will quit our jobs and the other will keep working and invest the money in real estate," she said.
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