Last Updated: February 17, 2010

Plowing through the Winter Wallop

• Adam Grohman
Last week, with weather forecasters outlining a near-blizzard for our region, all within the community prepared for the wintry onslaught. While school children spent extra minutes praying for a heavy downfall and diligent adults prepared their stockpiles of essentials like milk, bread, and eggs, others prepared for the snow by making sure that equipment was ready to go out to brave the worst that winter was sending our way.
Amidst the maelstrom of wintry weather, a host of agencies are sent out to clear the roads and make sure that those who do have to venture out on the roads have a clear and safe path. As temperatures dipped and as the cold front traveled across the region and began unloading its snowy mixture, the men and women of the Nassau County Department of Public Works, one such agency who are responsible for this task, started their engines.
During and after the snow blanketed our area, crews of the Glen Cove Garage of Nassau County worked to clear county roads. Road Supervisor William Mahoney commented on the efforts that go into the massive efforts completed by his crews on many of our region’s main traffic arteries. Mahoney said that, “our snow preparation begins in the summer with multiple meetings led by Superintendant John Gallo. During these meetings, we cover all aspects of the coming winter. This starts with months of equipment maintenance and training. We also do a thorough inventory of our equipment and resources insuring we will have all parts needed for repairs after a snow operation.”
Mahoney then outlined how the crew gets started when the snow starts to cascade from the clouds above. “When the first storm hits our men and trucks are ready to go in a very short time. The first and probably most important thing to do at the beginning of the storm is to put down a good layer of salt. This insures the surface of the road will not freeze during the later plowing operation. All of the men are then working on their assigned routes insuring that the roads are safe during the worst of the storm. When the storm begins to weaken, we begin to start our finer work; the men will form teams of trucks and plow the entire road from curb to curb.”
Mahoney commented on the confusion of responsibilities for local municipalities and counties during snow operations. “One of our biggest problems is that the public doesn’t really know the responsibilities of the various agencies. The state, county, towns, and villages get lumped together in most people’s minds. Unfortunately, while the county puts much more time, energy, and expertise in the snow clearing process, we get lumped in with the other less tended roads.”
During the last stages of the snow clearing operations, Mahoney said, ‘the crews then sand all roads again insuring that there is no ice causing a potential danger for motorists. Unlike some other municipalities, the county does not go home until ‘all’ roads are safe. After a large snow fall, we will come in at midnight and clear away the snow in front of the many merchant stores who depend on those parking spaces for their customers.”
Mahoney commented in the wake of the winter storm that he was thankful for many within the community who noticed the excellent job completed thanks to the “effort of our crew from the Glen Cove Garage of Nassau County.” Mahoney explained that the efforts would not have been possible if it was not for the hardworking crew who braved the cold and the elements to get the job done. With the possibility of snow remaining a viable threat in the upcoming weeks, the crew of the Nassau County Road Maintenance Department and the other men and women of local and village crews who go out in the middle of the storm to clear the snow, will stand by ready and able to help their community plow through the worst that winter sends our way.

 

---