As sleet and snow turned the city into a big slush pile, “Big Daddy” and a team of snowplow drivers hit the roads for their first big storm of the season.
Big Daddy (pictured second from right) wasn’t looking forward to the day. The dearth of flakes this season came as a blessing — holidays home with the family, no all-night shifts. But when the white sprinkles of the season’s first Nor’easter started falling Tuesday, he and his crew of plowers sprung into action.
Big Daddy, aka Rich Christensen (pictured), combed the streets all night from 10 p.m. laying down sand then making sweeping loops through major thoroughfares. When he rolled up at noon Wednesday, he’d been driving all night.
Christensen oversaw six snowplows through the storm.
Snow flew up out the sides of the truck until—Bam! —a heart-stopping jolt broke the smooth stream of spray. “That’s a manhole.” Those unexpected blips pop bolts from the plows, sending them back to the shop every couple hours.
That’s exactly what had just happened to Steve Mustakos (pictured). He stopped by the garage on Middletown Avenue to get some new bolts on his plow. Then he headed to the Westville — that’s where the best hills are.
Unlike Big Daddy, Mustakos had been awaiting this day for months. “This year was bad. We were praying and praying for snow. The bosses get mad when we say that— ‘no snow!’”
Snow means overtime pay, 16-hour shifts. Good money. Last time this year, Mustakos had been out 12 times already. This season, his plow barely touched the ground; Tuesday was his second time out on the roads.
The bizarre warmth has saved the city big bucks. As of Tuesday, the city had spent only $56,136 compared to last year’s $206,981. That’s $150,136 in savings before Tuesday’s storm hit.
To Mustakos, the loss of work “hurts.” Sending slush flying through the Westville streets Wednesday, he was glad to be back on the road.
p(clear). 
In Westville, he met up with his buddies Pete and Albert “Big Al” Miller (pictured) to wipe the streets clean in a three-pronged team formation.
p(clear). “Ten points if you hit a can!” called Pete over the radio as an empty blue garbage container got struck down by the force of snow. Five points for spraying a car, joked Mustakos. Negative points for a manhole — “You try to avoid those.”
p(clear). 
Out on the road from 8:30 p.m. Tuesday to midday Wednesday, Mustakos said his buddies help him pass the time. With their company, “you don’t think about you’re tired.” The team got off for an afternoon break for a nap and some soup. The were set to return to the roads at 11 p.m., when cooling temperatures threatened to turn slush to ice.