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Winter weather in Mansfield brings a seasonal set of challenges for the borough’s heroes. Our fire fighters and ambulances need cleared streets in case of emergencies. Our police need ice and snow cleared so they can patrol the borough. However, their work cannot be done without the help of Mansfield’s devoted snow removal team.

Chris McGann, Borough Manager, talked with me about the challenges involved with ice or a snowfall. Chris primarily relies on the National Weather Service for his weather information. Knowing what to expect helps Chris, with Alan and Jeremy, the Borough employees who are responsible for snow plowing, plan their strategy for clearing the streets of town.

These two dedicated employees are responsible for maintaining 10.35 miles of borough streets. The borough is divided into north and south, and each employee cares for the streets in their assigned area. There are also three parking lots to clear, including the Borough Building parking lot on South Main Street, the lot at 1 Wellsboro Street and the YMCA lot. The sidewalks adjacent to borough properties must also be maintained. Penn Dot is responsible for 6.08 miles within the borough which includes North Main Street, Decker Street, East Elmira Street, Cole Street, East Wellsboro Street, Lambs Creek and Route 15.

Every snowfall is different, and the time required to keep roads cleared and safe varies. If the snow is soft and powdery, it may be a quick, easy clean up. A heavy, wet snow with ice is a completely different matter requiring plowing and salt. If the snow falls quickly, the clean-up may just take one pass through. A storm that lasts hours may require the plows to repeat their routes through town several times. Whether the storm hits during the day or during the night, Alan and Jeremy will be at work until the job is done.

There are 844 parcels of land in Mansfield, and the borough employees do their best to plow everyone out as fast as possible. “Please have patience and don’t drive unless necessary when the roads have not been plowed or treated” urged Chris. “Check in on your neighbors and help each other with shoveling sidewalks and driveways.” The borough has a Facebook page (mansfield.borough) where important information is posted. There is also a website with a vast amount of borough information.

We thank you Alan, Jeremy and Chris for taking care of our borough streets and being our Winter Heroes.