Story posted Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Lights Out
Public Works Crews Work Hard To Remove Holiday Decorations
By DENISE FLEISCHER Lifestyle Editor
The weather has played a big role in Rosemont's Public Works staff removal of holiday decorations.
"Down time has been going pretty good. So we're cranking it out," said Department of Public Works Director Michael Raimondi.
Hauling out the Village of Rosemont's holiday displays is no small task. Installation begins in September and runs through December.
"There's probably close to a million lights throughout the village, in all the parks and interchanges," Raimondi explained. "Putting them up takes three, two-man crews, September through November."
In November, there's a need for more man hours, so crew members focus their eight-hour days on installation. Raimondi coordinates the job and has three other supervisors out on the streets. Two hydraulic lifts are used from September to late November and then one of the village's lifts is added. Safety issues are followed closely when using the lifts.
Assisting in the time-consuming process of light inspection is the Cook County S.W.A.P. (Sheriff's Work Alternative) program participants.
"They come in from January to March and they do the wrapping and testing of all the lights. This helps tremendously," stated Raimondi. "They've been doing this for the last six to eight years."
When the lights need to be replaced, action is taken.
"We go out for bidders every year, lowest bid wins when we need new lights," he stated. "Every item is budgeted."
Then there's the maintenance, installation and replacement of the snowman. The huge inflatable goes up three to four days before the lights are installed.
Take down of all the lights begins immediately after New Year's Day.
"We're still working on taking everything down. We're hoping to be done, have everything tested and wrapped up by the end of February," he said.
Raimondi began working for the Village of Rosemont's Public Works department in 1985 and became director in 1999.
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