By Sharron Luttrell
The roads in Mendon are clear and plow drivers are catching up on their rest after working 30 hours straight through a major winter storm Sunday through Monday night.
Unofficially, 18.5 inches of snow fell in Mendon during the Feb. 22-23 nor’easter.
Highway Department Superintendent Jonathan Dudley said high winds, heavy snow and downed trees combined to make the blizzard the most intense he’s worked through.
“Most of the guys down here have never seen a storm like that,” he said. “I’ve never had to deal with a storm of that intensity.”
The Highway Department’s entire 13-member crew was on the job, fueling their work with “coffee and a lot of food,” Dudley said. The 10 full-time and three part-time employees worked alongside eight plowing contractors to keep the town’s 56 miles of roads clear.
“We are very appreciative of the Highway Department’s efforts and dedication to ensuring public safety,” Town Administrator Jeremy Stull said in an email. “We thank residents for staying off the road and allowing crews to do their work. This was a storm of historic proportions and our folks responded in equal measure.”
Police Chief David Kurczy said high winds and heavy snow aside, police work was calm during the storm. There were a few minor fender benders, but mostly drivers stayed off the roads.
School Superintendent Maureen Cohen noted that the Mendon-Upton Regional School District facility team worked overtime to get the schools ready to reopen on Wednesday.
“They go above and beyond in making sure it is safe and so our students and staff can return,” she wrote in an email. Noting that snowbanks have risen higher as workers run out of room to stack the snow, Cohen asked that drivers be cautious while entering and exiting the school driveways.
Along with the schools, town offices will reopen Wednesday after being closed Monday and Tuesday because of the storm and subsequent cleanup. Trash pickup has been delayed by one day this week.
Karen and Steve Parent measured the snowfall the old-fashioned way, but had to extend their measuring stick when the accumulation threatened to bury it. (photos courtesy of Karen Parent)
