Tribal maintenance crews rewarded
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POLSON — Lawrence Mays wakes up every morning at 2 a.m. and takes a look at the weather outside.
If it’s snowing, he calls or texts the other members of his crew.
“He’s the weatherman,” crew member Connie King said.
Mays is the foreman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal skilled maintenance crew in charge of snow removal. Mays, Daniel Brown, King, Sonny Martinez and Tom Quequesah use trucks, four-wheelers, sidewalk plows and shovels to clear snow from the parking lots and sidewalks of all the tribal buildings in Ronan, Pablo and Polson.
That includes the Indian Senior Centers, the Head Start Centers, the Tribal Complex, the fitness centers and Tribal Health. Another crew covers Elmo, and St. Ignatius has its own group of workers, too.
On Wednesday, Feb. 26, Patsy Orr, who cooks at the Flathead Indian Senior Citizens Center in Polson, honored the maintenance crew with a free lunch since they do such a great job taking care of the center’s sidewalks and parking lot.
Over roast beef, string beans and potatoes, the workers thanked Orr and talked about their job.
King, who is lead groundskeeper, said, “I love to mow. I’ve got a Cadillac mower.”
“Snow removal is the best,” Mays said.
They all agreed fixing plugged toilets, actually the “entire sewer section,” is not a favorite of anyone’s.
The crew agreed that one of the “really good things” about their jobs is when they get a letter of appreciation.
CSKT Tribal Chairman Ron Trahan recently sent the group a letter thanking them. They pinned it up in their office, and they feel proud to know they’re appreciated.
