MOUNT GILEAD — Hickory Lane residents were delighted and comforted to hear the low roaring sound of Steve Hart’s snow blower Tuesday morning.
Three or four inches of snow blanketed the streets and driveways and temperature dropped to 24 degrees with a wind chill in the single digits. The National Weather Service issued a travel advisory for the area and most schools were closed.
“I heard the sound of a motor outside and thought, ‘It must be Steve out there with his new snow blower,’” Laurie Young, a neighbor on Hickory Lane, said.
Young recalled that Hart had worked for Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for many years and knew that he was used to getting up on snowy mornings for his job.
“He’s done a great job for us, cleaning off our driveways,” Young added.
“I just really appreciate him,” Young’s neighbor Pat Nesbitt said. “It’s really great he’s willing to do this. It’s really a blessing.”
Nesbitt said that Hart absolutely won’t take any pay, even for gas for the snow blower. She said he told her he “really enjoys getting out in the snow and cleaning off the driveways for his neighbors.”
Hart, who retired as a member of Mount Gilead Village Council in 2015, served as a council member for 24 years.
“He always has a big smile on his face when I step out in the garage to thank him,” another resident on Hickory Lane remarked.
