Lewiston-Auburn 
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Photos on a series of panels at the Maine MILL help tell the story of Maine’s labor force in the early 1900s.
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Photos on a series of panels at the Maine MILL help tell the story of Maine’s labor force in the early 1900s.
Lewiston Public Works plow truck driver Rick Dubuc controls his plow and wing with levers inside his truck Thursday in Lewiston. Dubuc was one of 31 employees who were tackling the storm at 8 a.m. "This is my office for 16 hours," Dubuc said. "I have had one coffee today. Two is looking pretty good."
Dispatchers Rose Dufour and Scott Davis work together Thursday morning at the Lewiston Public Works garage. "We have been straight out," Dufour said about the calls coming in. "We started with drivers that ignored the parking ban, then the wires started coming down, then the trees and now the traffic lights are down. We are getting calls for everything. It's nonstop.” Dispatch received 140 phone calls between midnight and 8 a.m. Thursday, said Davis.
Rick Dubuc's plow truck passes a man shoveling his driveway along East Ave in Lewiston. "This ranks up there with one of the good ones," Dubuc said about Thursday's snowstorm.
Lewiston Public Works plow truck driver Rick Dubuc, left, talks with driver Danny May, as the two meet up in a parking lot Thursday to discuss strategy for plowing roads in Lewiston. Dubuc and May ran tandem during Thursday's storm. Tandem is when two plow trucks are offset with one behind the other so that a larger portion of the road is cleared of snow.
Lewiston Public Works plow truck driver Danny May clears the intersection of Main and Sabattus streets in Lewiston on Thursday morning. May ran tandem with driver Rick Dubuc. Tandem is when two plow trucks are offset with one behind the other so that a larger portion of the road can be cleared of snow.
Lewiston Public Works plow truck driver Rick Dubuc, left, gives a thumbs up to old friend, Mike Brissette, while the two pass each other on East Ave in Lewiston. Dubuc said plow drivers and equipment operators are a small circle of people, so they tend to know each other. "Could not ask for a better operator," Dubuc said about Brissette, who drives for Gendron & Gendron. The two have known each other for over 40 years.
Lewiston Public Works plow truck driver Rick Dubuc picks tree limbs out of the dump body of his truck Thursday at the Lewiston Public Works Operations Center on River Road. Low hanging branches due to heavy wet snow found their way into Dubuc's load of sand and salt mix.
Lots of snacks are kept on hand at the Lewiston Public Works garage during large storms such as Thursday's snowstorm. A lot of businesses close during large storms, said Highway Operations Manager Reggie Poussard. "Drivers are fed well," said Poussard. "No matter what the weather is like."
Rick Dubuc's plow truck passes a stranded motorist on Grove Street during Thursday's snowstorm in Lewiston. Dubuc said he plowed Grove Street four times between midnight and 9 a.m.
Lewiston Public Works plow truck driver Rick Dubuc plans to retire in July after 15 years of driving for the City of Lewiston. He grew up plowing for his family's car wash business on East Ave. "You know those kids that went to work before they were allowed to," said Dubuc. "I'm that kid." Dubuc said he doubts Thursday's storm will be his last before he retires.