Winthrop Tackles the Snow

By Sue Ellen Woodcock

Winthrop Department of Public Works Director Steve Calla said his crews worked very hard, going for over 24 hours to keep snow and ice off the streets and sidewalks.

The one, two, three punch the area got last Thursday, Saturday and Sunday into Monday piled up the snow well over a foot, while it did not bring the town to its knees, it did present a challenge. Calla said the older equipment they use was one challenge.

“Our mechanics work very hard pre and post storm to ready the aged units for the next storm,” Calla said.

Calla noted that although his crew is one of the most dedicated and committed teams, it is understaffed with little ability to rotate crews during a storm.

“This can be extremely demanding during lingering events,” Calla said. “Working 24 hours plus is not uncommon to ensure our streets, sidewalks, town buildings and municipal lots are cleared and safe for passage.”

Another challenge Calla faces is obtaining salt for long-duration storms. The salt storage shed holds about 400 tons of salt. It may seems like a lot but it takes about 100 tons to treat the streets of Winthrop. Sometimes the salt is used much quicker than it can be delivered.

Winthrop school students were given three days off from school, with students at the Fort Banks School getting an extra day due to a burst pipe.

Police Chief Terence Delehanty said the storm went smoothly with everything around town up and running after the storms. Fire Chief Paul Flanagan didn’t report any problems with the storms or with any flooding due to high tide.

A winter parking ban is in effect to April 15th for the winter storm events. Parking bans were enforced whenever the possibility of at least three inches of snow is in the forecast. According to the police log, over 20 vehicles were towed during the storms.