The Etownian >> Features
Meet the brave members of our snow removal squad
Thursday February 25 2010
Many who grew up in Pennsylvania can recall the blizzard of 1996. Although this recent snowfall was not nearly as bad, the media has dubbed this blizzard “Snowmageddon.” The snow was so substantial that our campus closed down for not only one day, but two. Luckily, snow-shoveling crews on campus made sure that our paths were clear and we didn’t go hungry.Mark Zimmerman lives in Harrisburg and has been working for Elizabethtown College as a carpenter and snow remover for over 15 years.
Zimmerman praised his department’s team work and emphasized, “No two storms are identical, and we’re pretty good at adjusting our snow removal plans to suit each storm. When you get back-to-back large storms like we had the past two weeks, it sort of dominates your life. For the most part, everyone approaches the storms with a good attitude. While we were flattered at Dr. Long’s comments that our ‘efforts’ were ‘heroic’ and appreciate the recognition, many of us see it as just doing our job.”
Zimmerman recognizes that the snow removal team relies on others. “Eric Turzai and his staff do a wonderful job seeing to our nutritional needs to keep us going,” he said.
The motivation for the snow removal squad is clear: provide ways for students to safely traverse to the BSC and academic buildings as quickly as possible. According to Zimmerman, these commonplace activities are signs that the team has done their job well.
Sherrie Kaminski worked the night shift in Facilities Management (6 p.m. to 6 a.m.) for two evenings last week.
“By the third day I was a bit worn down, to say the least. Some of the stress of snow removal comes from having to be constantly alert to all that is happening around you and making sure that things are safe,” she said. “It is not often that we get this much snow at one time. It was nice to see the students out sledding and building igloos.”
Kaminski anticipated long days and nights when she saw the forecast. Her job is well defined in snowy conditions: make places maneuverable and functional. “As a landscaper, it’s almost inevitable that when it snows, we go to work,” she said.
Grounds Specialist Todd Sieber pointed out the burden snow removal places on equipment and keeping oneself going.
“Some of the more difficult aspects are long shifts coupled with abnormal sleep patterns. The volume of these snows was very hard on equipment, and keeping things up and on the front line was an issue,” he said. “Now that the storms are history, we are working on a long list of repairs. One of the more difficult aspects of snow removal at Etown is the need to remove snow from lots with cars in them. All in all, I feel we got through these storms fairly well. It is important to occasionally stop and take in the unique beauty of a snowy landscape, then [get] back to the grind.”
The Etownian >> Features