Snowplow Brings Blizzard Of Memories – Yankton News

Snowplow Brings Blizzard Of Memories

Yankton News BY RANDY DOCKENDORF randy.dockendorf@yankton.net

WAKONDA — When the South Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT) displayed a snowplow at her school, teacher Tina Lee saw more than a massive piece of equipment.

The Irene-Wakonda instructor watched her pre-schoolers marvel at the snowplow’s size and power. The DOT brought the plow to the Wakonda and Centerville schools as part of the Walk to School safety program and the “Name The Snowplow” contest.

But for Lee, the display brought a blizzard of memories surrounding her late father, Richard “Dick” Slowey, who worked decades for the DOT. Slowey, who passed away in September, first worked in Irene and then Yankton.

For Lee, the DOT visit offered closure after recently losing her father. The snowplow also symbolized his dedication to keeping others safe during miserable and even dangerous weather. The family connection continued another way as her husband, Kim, formerly worked for the DOT.

“For me, the (school) visit was very personal. My dad just passed away, and this brought back many good memories. It was just kind of a final farewell to him,” Lee said.

“The kids in my class knew my dad did that (machinery operation) for his work. When they could actually see the snowplow, it was just a great connection between my dad and them.”

Lee described the DOT’s visit to the Wakonda elementary school as a humbling experience for her. She used it as a teachable moment, telling her students not only about her own father but also the important work that all highway workers perform during their daily duties.

“Because they are so young, I kept it simple for the kids in my class,” she said. “I was able to tell them my dad worked for the DOT. He had to get up early (during threatening weather) because he had to get out on the roads while it was still snowing. He would plow the snow off the road so … we are riding on safe roads.”

In her story, Lee used the example of the students’ own parents heading to work or trying to take the children to school during bad weather. In either case, the DOT workers and others were working to make travel possible for everyone.

“The kids recognize the snowplow operator as someone who is helping them out, and they can make that connection with my dad and others who serve us,” Lee said.

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Thanks to a new DOT contest, the recent visitor to the area schools had a name — Frosty the Snowplow.

Last winter, the DOT rolled out the first-ever Name the Snowplow Contest. People in each DOT region were invited to submit their names for the 12 snowplows that cleared the state’s highway system.

In the Yankton region, a Beresford student submitted the winning “Frosty The Snowplow” name. The second annual naming contest is underway and runs through Nov. 30. In December, the SDDOT will announce one officially named snowplow within each of the 12 SDDOT areas.

“The contest was designed to engage people across the state with the SDDOT in a creative way,” said Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt. “Safety on our roadways is our number-one priority, and snowplow operation and winter driving awareness are vital to keeping people safe.”

The snowplows had previously made appearances at Yankton schools, according to Tanya Liska with the DOT office in Yankton. This time, the plows were taken to the two area communities as part of “Walk To School Day,” she said.

The program promotes safety of all types, including walking, bicycling and watching for cars, Liska said. The students also receive safety items such as bicycle lights, helmet lights and slot bracelets that reflected and illuminated the pedestrian or rider.

During the recent DOT visit, the students had the opportunity to inspect and even get into the snowplow for a hands-on experience, Lee said.

“Because my pre-school students are littler, everything seems so big to them,” she said. “Here, they have this big piece of equipment. They could get into the seat and see things up high. They also saw the parts with the sand and salt mixtures.”

In addition, the DOT brought a safety message covering everything from using crosswalks to watching out for vehicles. The students also learned the meaning of lights, sirens and other methods of alerting the public about a dangerous situation and the need for first responders to move quickly.

Also, the youngsters learned about the importance of giving snowplow operators enough room on the road for their work and safety, Lee said.

The snowplow operators make many sacrifices in order to serve others, Lee said.

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“I just remember it was sometimes hard for our family,” she said. “He missed a lot of my younger brother’s activities and Christmases with the family because he was called out to work during a snowstorm. He also had to sand a lot (on the highways).”

According to his obituary, Slowey grew up in the Irene area and returned after the military to live in his home area for 25 year.

When he was promoted to foreman, he moved to Yankton, where he resided for the past 29 years. In his role as foreman, Slowey arrived first at the shop during a storm to determine the weather and road conditions before assigning roads to his crew members, Lee said.

“They would go in before a snowstorm and sleep on cots at the shop if they knew they would be needed for a three-day blizzard,” she said. “They had to take their lunches so they had food while they were gone (on duty) and were separated from their families.”

But snow wasn’t the only challenge facing the highway crews, Lee said.

“When the Jim River was flooded and they had to close the roads, Dad and the others had to stay out in their vehicles (during the flooding) to make sure everyone was all right when there was water over the bridge.”

While Slowey made sacrifices, he also received a great deal of appreciation from those whose lives relied on him and other highway workers.

“He got a lot of ‘thank-you’s’ from people in the Irene area. He always made sure that Highways 46 and 81 were cleared and they never had to worry about the icy or snowy roads,” Lee said.

“They would say, ‘We know that Dick Slowey always has our back,’ and they always felt like he treated them well.”

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As part of the “Name The Snowplow” contest, SDDOT has created snowplow and winter driving weather awareness coloring sheets, crossword puzzles and word finds for families and classrooms. Materials are available for download at https://dot.sd.gov/media/SDDOTKids%20ActivitiesBook.pdf.

For more information and to submit a name, visit the SDDOT website at SDDOT Snowplow Naming Contest - South Dakota Department of Transportation.