The seven plow truck drivers, one sidewalk plow operator and two pickup truck drivers in the Freeport Public Works Department have piled up some pretty impressive numbers since the blizzard of Jan. 27, and the three big storms and one smaller storm that followed it.

It all came to a head on Feb. 2, when a prolonged snowstorm dumped another 10 inches of snow in town. The beleaguered crew wound up the week-long stretch in style, spending all night last Thursday and much of Friday morning clearing out the streets and sidewalks, and depositing the snow in the growing mountain at the town snow pile on Snow Road.

Little changed this week, when several more inches fell Sunday on into Tuesday morning.

“That (Feb. 2) snowstorm alone, we ran 36 straight hours,” said Earl Gibson, superintendent of Freeport Public Works. “We ran 31 hours for the blizzard. I try to bring them in every six hours and give them something to eat with something catered, for 30-45 minutes.”

Credit the Freeport Subway for a major assist.

“They donated a round of sandwiches, chips and soda,” Gibson said. “It’s more healthy than your typical junk food. The two Circle K stores gave us free coffee, and Melanie Sachs came in with a tray of food she purchased on her own.”

Sachs is the executive director of Freeport Community Services, and chairwoman of the Town Council.

Jennifer Therrien, store manager for the Freeport Subway on U.S. Route 1, said it was store owner Loran Goodrich’s idea to donate the food.

“They’re out there keeping us safe,” Therrien said. “He wanted to do something to give back to the community.”

During the Friday overnight cleanup, workers picked up snow pushed off the sidewalks by contractors, hired by the various businesses.

“The contractors started at 10 p.m., and we started at midnight,” Gibson said. “The guys are already telling me how many days it is to spring. These kinds of days are trying to everybody’s patience, my crew and the public included. I’m extremely proud of my crew. They have done a remarkable job.”

Tammy Morrissey, public works office assistant, said that the town has received more than 80 inches of snow for the season. Last Wednesday, following a slight lull in the action, they took a collective big breath.

“Today, they were all chipper, and said, ‘Let’s have another one,’” Morrissey said on Feb. 4.

The stretch from Jan. 30 through Feb. 2 was particularly tough on the crew.

“In the 36 hours that we just came off,” Gibson said on Feb. 4, “I’ll guarantee you my drivers were not out of their trucks for more than three hours. In 36 hours each truck averaged 350 miles. I don’t like that number.”

Gibson said that his overtime budget for a fiscal year that ends on June 30 is 64 percent spent. Public works has used all of its $7,000 allotment of sand, and 60 percent of its $120,000 allotment of salt.

“It’s not as good as I wanted,” he said, “but I’m comfortable with it.”

According to Town Manager Peter Joseph, from Jan. 27-Feb. 2, Freeport received approximately 44 inches of snowfall The average annual snowfall for Freeport through the past 30 years is listed as 84 inches.

Joseph said the town is divided into seven regular plow routes each approximately 12 miles long, and it takes anywhere from two to three hours for a driver to make one pass over his or her route.

He also reminded residents that no parking is allowed on public streets or in turnarounds during winter storm events, and the winter parking ban, from 11 p.m-7 a.m., will continue until April 15. Freeport residents are allowed two 5-gallon buckets of sand per storm. Sand is now located adjacent to the silver recycling bullet on Hunter Road in front of the Public Works Facility.

The Snow Road, behind Freeport High School, is so named because the town snow pile is there. The mountain of snow measures about 16 feet tall, according to Earl Gibson, superintendent of Freeport Public Works. Staff photo by Larry Grard