DPWs in GR and Bloomfield agree: worst storm in decades

GLEN RIDGE, NJ — A winter storm coupled with a nor‘easterner deposited up to 12-inches of snow in Bloomfield and Glen Ridge on Wednesday, March 7. The combined results of snow and moisture produced the toughest storm the public works departments of both communities have faced in memory, according to their directors.

“As far since I’ve been here, 24 years, with trees coming down, it was the toughest,” said Glen Ridge DPW Director Bill Bartlett this past Monday.
Neighboring Bloomfield DPW Director Anthony Nesto agreed.
“The guys here said it was the worst,” Nesto said last week. “We got a foot of snow and the weight. That was the biggest thing, with wires down and trees.”

Both departments began work early
the day of the storm.
“We started at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday,” Bartlett said. “We worked through to Thursday afternoon. We did lose power in some of the areas, but it’s all been restored.”

Glen Ridge had nine plows on the streets. Four crews worked the north end of the borough and three crews were in the south. Two ground crews handled Glen Ridge municipal areas.

For the purpose of plowing the streets, Bloomfield is divided into nine parts, each with three sections.
Municipal parking lots are also cleared of snow so residents can clear their cars from the street.
“We put plows on everything,” Nesto said.

In Bloomfield, some DPW workers put in 32 straight hours.
“They came in at 7 a.m. on Wednesday and worked until Thursday, 7 a.m., and then their regular shift,” Nesto said. “They rested and hydrated. We worked hand in hand with Bloomfield Public Safety.”

Bartlett said one of his big trucks, an International, could not be used to plow because of damaged wires and tree limbs hanging too low over the roadways. The International was used instead to salt the streets at the beginning and end of the storm. Glen Ridge used 35 tons of salt and two municipal trees came down. Numerous private trees were damaged or uprooted, but Bartlett did not have a count on those. Anyone driving through the borough this past weekend saw a considerable number of torn branches and toppled trunks.

Nesto had between 25 and 30 plows working at any given time.
“But there are 405 streets in Bloomfield,” he said. “Each guy has to plow 15 streets. That’s a big number. It was tough keeping up with the storm, but I think most residents were satisfied.”

The Bloomfield DPW received about 45 calls from residents concerned with power lines and tree limbs. Ten township trees and four on private property came down.

In Bloomfield, one township tree fell against a house in the 400-block of Broughton Avenue. Nesto dispatched DPW employee Bob Schlaefer.
“He can climb a tree like a raccoon,” Nesto said. “Not too many climbers out there. The other guys do bucket work.”

Bartlett said he had minor damages to plows, but they were already being repaired. He had no major breakdowns. Nesto said he received one call for flooding and sent a plow to clear a Llewellyn Avenue catch basin to take care of that.
Both men await spring.