When you work in the tundra

From Malverne’s Department of Public Works, Christian Stolba, Dave Terrizzi and Carl Guadagno, left to right, manage the Friday morning garbage pick-up with a smile and a great sense of comradery despite the weather.

Rossana Weitekamp

Peter Glamkowski, a former village resident and a postal worker for the Malverne Post Office, was outfitted for the sub-zero real feel temps as he delivered mail on St. Thomas Place.

Rossana Weitekamp

Tom Carlin takes a break in between monitoring the village’s parking meters to flash his 1,000-watt smile.

Rossana Weitekamp

John Carter from National Grid was found bundled up and ready to read meters on Church Avenue in Malverne.

Rossana Weitekamp

These two guys from the Department of Public Works were so cold they didn’t stop to give us their names, but they did continue to pick up the trash.

Rossana Weitekamp

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It was a day not fit for man or beast.

Despite the relentless, Siberian conditions we’ve endured lately, February 20 was one for the books. We woke up to a morning temperature of four degrees — with a real feel of -24 — and it didn’t get much better as the day progressed. Even the clear sky and bright sun barely managed to move the needle on the intensity of the cold, which froze fingertips within seconds of exposure.

Yet, despite the arctic conditions, those who work outdoors kept village operations humming, faithfully doing their jobs for hours in a frozen world, with most keeping a sense of humor throughout it.

It’s one thing when you run from your car to your destination in these sub-zero climes, but quite another when you spend your whole day outdoors lifting garbage cans, writing parking tickets, delivering mail and maintaining law and order.

This week’s Neighbors page is dedicated to the police, sanitation, postal, utility and other workers who continue to brave this long, hard winter. Say thanks when you see them. They're the lifeblood of the village.