The Highway Department

When I returned the graffiti removal materials yesterday to Rick Lambert at the highway dept down on River Street he gave me a tour. This is where it all happens! It's the headquarters of salt sand and men and women in day glow yellow who drive the city trucks, street sweepers, lawnmowers and front end loaders.

Rick showed me the winter storm room upstairs. They have numerous maps of the city streets tacked up on the walls with magnets, glow markers, and charts depicting the five neighborhood zones. They have a box filled with routes in alphabetized binders for the street sweepers and snow plow drivers. Inside each binder they have that zone's major and minor streets listed. They have a cardboard box full of two-way radios.

On the first floor there's offices and an open space lunchroom with a few tables and chairs an upright industrial fan, a soda and juice machine and two full-sized fridges. They even have a print shop in the cellar for making new city street signs.

I loved seeing this other world. It is amazing what the highway department does to keep our city clean, plowed and running well all year round. I am impressed. And they are always kind and cheerful when I see them out on my walks with Lily.