I remember, over twenty years ago, as I traversed the ice covered and bitterly cold Campus of Southern Illinois University on the day after the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.

I almost fell on the ice, three or four times, and it was in the single digits, temperature wise, and I decide that I would try again on the second day of class which was Thursday.

I am amazed at the quality of snow and ice clearing that has occurred on the SIU Campus over the past few days.

I first experienced the various parking lots of businesses around town and was so disappointed to see that there had been little to no snow removal or ice melt applied.

Our Mall, which would be the premier retail establishment in our small city…looks like, virtually nothing has been done.  I can recall the time, not to long ago, that the Mall management would have been all over the remediation of snow and ice on their parking facilities.

My friend and former colleague, Brad Dillard, and his wonderful Grounds Maintenance Staff, have done yeoman’ work over the past ice storm and snow storm and Arctic Temperatures…such as have not been seen in our area of the country for twenty years.

I was thinking of my Buddy, Ira Tripp, and the laughs and good fellowship that we had the other day at a Civil Service Council Meeting…and then…almost immediately thereafter his working, along with the entire Grounds Department, untold hours, in order to make the Campus safe for our students and staff and faculty.

Having worked on the Campus for over thirty-two years, I have witnessed, on many occasions, the herculean work that the members of the Grounds Staff put forth in the most difficult of conditions.

I like chancellor Montemagno.

I like him and I will tell you why.

The chancellor regularly recognizes the work of the dedicated professionals of Plant and Service Operations.

I was on Campus today…it was ten degrees…with a chill factor of four below zero.

Have your ever spent much quality time in temperatures as low as today?

The dedicated technicians of the Grounds Department spend countless hours in these dangerous temperatures to ensure that the mission of the Southern Illinois University goes forward unimpeded.