Volunteer drivers aid Dennison in removing snow from village streets
DENNISON — Mayor Greg DiDonato said Dennison was blessed that two area residents volunteered to help plow village streets after around a foot of snow fell last Sunday and Monday.
"Our citizens stepped to the plate, and we appreciate it," he said at Thursday's council meeting.
Dennison has three street department employees, but illness has sidelined one of them and another is dealing will family health issues. The third employee is new and had never driven a snowplow before last weekend.
So the village was short-handed when the snow started to fall last Sunday.
On Monday afternoon, however, John Rypien, a Dennison resident and retired superintendent of the Twin City water and sewer plant, called to volunteer his services. He has a CDL (commercial driver license).
He came in around 1 o'clock and plowed streets in the Thornwood Park area until 6 or 7 p.m. that day.
Later, Erin "Bubba" Burdette of Uhrichsville, a former street department employee who now works for the Twin City Water & Sewer District, also agreed to help out after work. He started around 3:30 and plowed streets on the north and south sides of Dennison until 10 or 11 p.m.
Both of them came back and plowed streets on Tuesday, DiDonato said.
"I think things went good. Once we got the help, we went to town. Our streets are clean," the mayor told council.
He noted that he didn't receive many complaints about the condition of roads from residents.
"I really think the street department did the best they could. I am grateful to John Rypien and Erin Burdette," DiDonato said.
Fiscal Officer Kathy Norman also thank Rypien and Burdette for their efforts.
"That's another Hallmark minute in our little village," she said.
In other action, council:
• Gave its approval to DiDonato to take bids for a contract for design engineering services in connection with the Grant Street lighting and storm sewer projects.
New LED lights will be installed in the downtown at a cost of between $190,000 and $195,000, using American Rescue Act funds.
A new storm sewer will be installed on Grant Street from the corporation line to N. Fourth Street. The work will be paid for with a $443,000 Ohio Department of Development Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Grant and $50,000 in American Rescue Act funds.
• Accepted a bid of $4,615 for a village-owned lot at 636 N. Second St. and agreed to sell a lot on S. Third Street to Habitat for Humanity for $3,750.
• Denied a request to move a trailer onto property in the village.
• Authorized DiDonato to apply for a Transportation Alternative Program grant through the state of Ohio to help fund a sidewalk improvement project in the 700 block of N. First Street near the Twin City Medical Center.
• Heard Fire Chief Dave McConnell report that his department had a record-setting year last year, answering more than 1,000 calls.
• Heard Wendy Zucal, executive director of the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum, report that the Polar Express excursion this past Christmas season had more passengers than ever, but it operated with less volunteers than normal because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Appointed Councilwoman Helen Borland as mayor pro tem.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Volunteer drivers aid Dennison in removing snow from village streets
