BETHEL — After several inches of snow fell in the Bethel area on February 17, high winds continued to blow, creating massive drifts and multiple clean ups for Bethel area snow crews that have continued for three days.

Matthew Jones, of Cross Excavation, sent four dozen workers out to clear snow from driveways and parking lots. He said wind and snow drifts were his biggest challenge in this storm. “We’re still out there, day after day, because it just keeps blowing,” said Jones.

He said the challenge is, “being out there in the middle of the night with a front end loader, (as he was recently) so Mrs. Smith can get out of her driveway, why? … because we love Mrs. Smith.”

Because of the intense drifting they have needed to return regularly to, “open areas, fields, farms, and roads with no trees like Otter Brook (in East Bethel), Flat Road (in West Bethel), the North Road (in Bethel) and anywhere else that is not protected or not in the forest,” said Jones.

He ticked off the equipment they use: skid-steers, heavy trucks, pick up trucks, and one-tons. Then added: “man-with-a-shovel, snowblowers, or torch,” too.

Asked what area they cover, he said:  Bethel, Newry, West Bethel, Mason Township, Albany, Bryant Pond, Woodstock, and Greenwood.

“So basically the SADD-44 area?”

“SADD-44 [parking lots] too,” he said.