What Tiverton's 'town grandma' learned from delivering newspapers for 44 years

You'd be hard pressed to find a person in Tiverton who doesn't know Claudia Linhares, who is affectionately referred to by some as "the town grandma."

And she likely knows you, too.

Whether sitting at the baseball field watching local youngsters play or chatting up her fellow Tivertonians while out and about, 84-year-old Linhares doesn't often forget a name or a face — or your address for that matter.

Linhares has been delivering The Herald News to the doorsteps of readers for decades. But on Wednesday, after 44 years, she could finally rest her throwing arm.

Tuesday, Nov. 30, was her final day on the job, as Linhares has officially retired from her longtime paper route.

"It was a very enjoyable time," said Linhares of her time as carrier, admitting Tuesday's final ride felt bittersweet.

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Linhares' paper-slinging career wrapped with little fanfare, watching the sun rise one last time while she made her early morning rounds in North Tiverton.

But she couldn't leave without saying goodbye to customers she's gotten to know over the years, leaving a warm note of appreciation in their mailboxes.

"I'll miss them," Linhares said. "You get to the point where you've been doing it so many years you get to know your customers. ... I enjoyed the camaraderie with the people I delivered to."

No customer's special request was too big or small for Linhares, from holding the paper on a windy day or providing an extra when theirs was lost or buried in snow. "They appreciate it," Linhares said.

And her granddaughter Emily Machado can attest to that.

"Growing up, a lot of people I'd meet would say 'Oh, I know your grandmother from delivering my newspaper,'" said 25-year-old Machado, of Tiverton. "Our family always jokes that almost everyone would refer to us as Claudia's grandchildren, our names didn't matter."

Linhares joined The Herald News in 1977 delivering papers to hundreds of readers on her South Tiverton route before heading to her second job at a Fall River sewing shop. She eventually left the shop job, but did double duty as carrier for both The Herald News and Providence Journal for years.

A lifelong Tiverton resident, Linhares also served notable roles in town. She was a one-time member of the Town Council, as well as president of the Tiverton Little League for 39 years, spending much of her time "at Town Farm at the games, watching people grow up," Machado said.

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Machado said no one ever thought they'd see the day Linhares stepped away from baseball or the newspaper, even after she hurt her throwing arm, and now that she has it's "definitely been a shock."

So what kept her going for so long?

"My grandmother's very social. She loves to know what's going on in the town, she loves getting to know the people," Machado said.

Paper delivery wasn't just a drive-by or throw-and-go for Linhares. When she dropped off papers at the Brookdale Sakonnet Bay assisted living facility she always made it a point to go in and catch up with folks there, Machado said.

While the 3:30 a.m. wake up call to get papers delivered by 6:30 a.m., is no easy feat for some, Linhares said it definitely had its perks.

"Every morning I've seen the sun rise and it's so beautiful," Linhares said. "Tiverton is a beautiful place."

She'll miss the animals she met along the route

She said one of the things she'll miss most are the animal friends she encounters in the still of the early morning, from deer to coyotes to the turkeys that rule the roads in town.

"It's going to get lonesome. I'll miss seeing all the animals," said Linhares.

But encounters with nature weren't always pleasant, peaceful experiences. Linhares claims in her four decades as carrier she's gone through “many cars, a few transmissions and had three cars totaled by deer," which Machado suspects may be an understatement.

Linhares recounted many close calls, including a frightful run-in just last year on Beth Road. "This deer came out of nowhere and jumped over my hood. Praise the lord all he left was a little scratch. It was a traumatic experience."

"I felt like I was Santa Claus and the deer were flying through... it was crazy," she added with a laugh.

Machado joked that during the holidays the family would always sing "The Reindeer Got Run Over by Grandma,” instead of the other way around.

"My dad says that she has come in contact with more deer than most hunters in Tiverton. So maybe she can take up hunting in her off time," Machado said.

Growing up, Machado said her grandmother would always share funny stories from her delivery travels, many of which live on at family gatherings to this day.

"It'll be odd not hearing new stories from her paper route," she said.

Linhares' kids and grandkids, most of whom have assisted her in delivery duty at one time or another as children, each have their own tales to tell. Linhares' surprise encounter with a not-so-welcoming canine on her route is one that gets recounted often.

"She went to run away from the dog because it was chasing her and my dad said the dog caught her right before the chain ended and that she got nipped," said Machado, whose father watched from the car amused at the sight.

The distinct newspaper smell of her grandmother's car as she climbed in for school pickup is something Machado said she'll always remember.

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Neither rain, nor snow, nor Blizzard of '78 ...

Now, as temperatures dip and frost begins to cover the ground once again, Linhares said she's reminded of one thing about her carrier job that she won't miss: braving the winter elements. "I won't miss that at all," she said.

Linhares has set out in wind and rain and even blizzards to get the news to her customers. There are no days off when it comes to daily paper delivery, with only a few exceptions over her decades-long career. One of them being the Blizzard of '78.

The historic snowstorm forced most activity and travel in the region — including paper delivery — to be put on pause for days. "That was tough," she said.

But luckily, she can now experience winter from the cozy comfort of her couch.

"I'll just look out the window," she said.

And though her delivery days are done, Linhares said she wanted to make sure she still always had a Herald News on hand, so her family surprised her with a subscription.

"At first I said 'Oh my god, I'm not gonna have a Herald any longer'" said Linhares, until she realized her family had gotten together to remedy that problem. "It's my Christmas present. ... I said, 'Oh thank you, I really enjoy my paper.'"

From now on when Linhares reaches for a copy of the paper it will be for pleasure, not for work. And it will be delivered to her home by a new friendly face.

More time to spend with family

As Linhares embarks on a new chapter in her life, Machado said she hopes her grandmother embraces the opportunity to slow down, sleep in and try new things.

"She's always on the move," Machado said. "I hope this retirement lets her relax a little bit and do new things that she really wants to and enjoys."

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While it will take some getting used to, Linhares said she looks forward to doing just that and to spending more time with her kids and grandkids, most of whom live in the area.

The family plans to mark her retirement when they get together for the holidays. Linhares, who has a granddaughter in Spain, will be meeting her 1-year-old great granddaughter there for the first time, which she is excited for.

"She loves her family so she just loves being around everyone so that'll be a good time to celebrate," Machado said.

Ashley Schuler can be reached at aschuler@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Longtime Fall River Herald News delivery driver retires after 44 years