Lunch and smoothies were on the boss.
One year after his crew put in long hours while some of his guys slept on floors, tables and even a PACE bus on the premises during the Feb. 2, 2011, blizzard, Orland Park Public Works Director Ed Wilmes had lunch brought in for his workers. And he manned the blender to make some smoothies for them and placed little umbrellas in them as well.
He said he wanted to show his appreciation for his crew and wanted to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the event, which dropped more than 20 inches of snow in the village. He added that no taxpayer money was used for the lunch.
The free lunch gave the plow and truck drivers a chance to recall stories of an unusual couple of days – and nights – on the job.
Dan Slewoski, a Manteno resident who has been plowing for 13 years, said that when he plowed on 108th Avenue last Feb. 2, he got stuck for the first time ever.
“It was a county road and we plowed their road so we could get to our routes,” Slewoski said. “I lost track of the road and fell into the ditch. The worst part was that I was under power lines. Then the thunderstorm started. I thought the power lines were bouncing off the truck. I thought my truck was being fried by power lines. Then I realized it was just the thunderstorm.”
Dave Faltin of Tinley Park said he lost track of the days and that the driving was “treacherous.”
Frankfort’s Ryan Callaghan remembers plowing for 16 hours and sleeping on the floor of the Public Works building.
“It was wild — the plowing was difficult in some ways because it was a blizzard,” he said. “But it was easy in a way because there wasn’t much traffic on the road.”
Frank Rollins, who commutes to Orland Park from his home in Chicago, said “no one else plowed as well as we did. It was a lot better here than in Chicago.”
Wilmes had several memories of the event and credited the office workers who stayed extra hours to man the phones and credited Mayor Dan McLaughlin for lending his plowing skills, working six hours in a light truck.
“How many mayors do you know who would pitch in like that?” Wilmes said. “How many mayors do you know who have the skill to plow snow? It just showed that on that day, everyone pitched in.”
