I've known Cliff for almost two decades, he was the relatively new Chief when I became the publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. The PD was in the little brick building on the corner of 4th and Spokane Street and my newspaper office was just down the block.
Don's Pool Hall was across the street and fewer than 7,000 people lived in the city. Cliff and his family became a good friends, our respective children graduating and growing up and going off into the world as we stayed in touch. Christmas Eve or any gathering of friends at the Hayes' always involves spirited competition, legendary Trivial Pursuit bouts in which Cliff often prevails. It's funny to think that when our friendship began, neither of us had quite reached the age of 40. Lots of things have changed in these past decades, in our lives and in our community. There are nearly 20,000 more people calling Post Falls home, I'm in my second year on the Post Falls City Council and in a few short weeks a new era in local law enforcement will begin.
When anyone retires, the best legacy of all is that everything is better for the effort. Cliff leaves Post Falls with a respected and forward-thinking police department and with a well-qualified and well-prepared successor in Captain Scot Haug.
Knowing Cliff as I do, I doubt he'll pick up a fishing pole and row off into the sunset. I'm sure he'll take a page out of the Frank Henderson - Bob Potter - Paul Anderson retirement manual and find some way to contribute to the community.
Coeur d'Alene Press story HERE.
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