CSEA members turn out to clean up “It was a good thing to help out. I’m glad we went.” Above, Edric Boney, who traveled with a group from Long Beach, surveys the situation. “It was a good thing York were joined by to help out, said Montgomery County DPW Mechanic, Mike Chase “I’m glad we went.” Madison County “snowfighters” join battle CSEA members at the Madison County Highway Department are used to battling snow. But when the call for help came from their colleagues in Western New York, the Madison County workers didn’t hesitate to drive 175 miles to hard-hit Lackawanna, pitch in, and help clear snow out from the massive snowfall that blanketed the area in November. Four CSEA members left for Western New York on a recent Friday and didn’t return until the following Monday. Over their three days in Lackawana, the crews worked opposite 12-hour shifts, with two workers on, two workers off, helping haul away more than six feet of snow that had been dumped from the massive lake-effect snow event surrounding the Buffalo area. Making that trip with two large dump trucks, were Heavy Equipment Operators Joe Barres, Wally Eaton and Rick McCormick, along with Tree Trimmer Joe Stevens. Barres said the City of Lackawanna needed their help. “They just didn’t have the equipment to move all that snow,” he said. Stevens said many of the roads were blocked with cars that had been stuck and abandoned. “The road we worked on; we started cleaning with a bucket loader, because you couldn’t even get in there with the larger trucks,” he said. Eaton said that the people living in the area, some whom had been trapped in their homes for days, were very appreciative of their efforts. “We had people coming out and thanking us, bringing us water, coffee and snacks,” he said. “It was a real experience,” said McCormick. “It was great to see how happy we were making the people there.” Recognizing their efforts, the Madison County Board of Supervisors recently presented the four workers with plaques and certificates. — Rich Impagliazzo, Therese Assalian and Mark M. Kotzin January 2015 The Work Force 11 snowstorm. Barres Stevens
Work_Force_January_2015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above