“What great thanks we owe our Highways crew, for keeping our many rural and dangerous roads open during these bitter, blustery winter days and nights! Starting at 6:30 a.m., and returning throughout each blustery day and into the sometimes magical sunsets, they affirm our desired connectedness to each other.” ~ John Bingham (Essex on Lake Champlain)

We received this photo and reflection from Essex resident John Bingham after the latest ice storm and cold snap. I suspect the sentiment is shared by all of us, but most of us forget to actually express our gratitude to members of the Essex highway department. Their critical work is performed under the most challenging conditions, often for long hours after the rest of the community has turned in to sleep off a blizzard.

Thank you, John, for speaking up for all of us! (And congratulations on this fantastic photograph.)

More Praise for Essex Highway Department

Kyle Williams emailed last night with more timely accolades for the Essex Highway Department.

I would like to pass along my thanks to Bradley French and his crew from the Essex Town Highway Department. I don’t know all the names, but there were four or five people from the town there. We developed a leak in our 2nd floor heating zone on 1/7/2014, and it was spilling water outside as well as inside the house. I received a phone call from Louis Comeau about the leak, and by the time a got over to the house the Highway Dept. crew had already gotten into the house and shut off the water main, shut off the furnace and started pumping out the water in the basement. We still have a lot of cleaning up to do, but we really appreciate the response from neighbors and the town. You will recognize the house on Main Street by the ferry. Colleen’s mom, May Mather, grew up in the house and later spent her retirement years there. ~ Kyle & Colleen Williams

So sorry to hear about the burst pipe, Kyle and Colleen. That’s bad news indeed. But three cheers for the Essex Highway Department (and Louis Comeau) for saving the day!

Essex Highway Department Tribute

We invite you to share your own thoughts about the tireless efforts of our Town of Essex highway department. Do you have any stories to tell? Please feel free to express your gratitude in the comments below.

If you have related photographs please send them to editor [@] essexonlakechamplain [dot] com with “Essex Highway Department” in the subject, and we will publish a photo gallery. Thank you.

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