Dynamic duo of the drains: City workers lauded for going above and beyond

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Paul Robie 1
Paul Meservey left,  and Robbie Bernard.

MANCHESTER, NH — I did not know there was a city Superintendent of Sewers and Drains. But I found out that Ned Desrosiers holds that distinction when I reached out to Public Works Director Kevin Sheppard a few days before Christmas to learn more about fan mail a couple of Ned’s employees received from a grateful citizen.

It’s one of those stories that gets lost in the everyday shuffle of life in a big city, but it bears repeating, and sharing.

Resident and dad Tom Ford found himself in a tough situation. It was kind of a pile-on situation of bad luck and bad circumstances going from bad to worse. On top of all the life stuff, the terrible icing on the underbaked cake happened when his son dropped one of his wireless earpieces into a sewer grate.

Perhaps a first-world problem by some estimations, but Tom Ford, being a hard-working and dedicated dad, realized that technology is what it is. The pricey earbuds were going to have to be replaced, one way or another, or his kid would be stuck in a technological black hole.

He figured in a city full of potholes, aging sewer pipes, and parks in need of grooming, his tax dollars had to be good for something more.

So Tom did what most of us would probably figure was too much of a long shot: He called Public Works for help.

It’s a great story, which you can read for yourself below.

When I asked Ned about his dedicated employees, this is what he had to say about  Paul Meservey and Robbie Bernard, the heroes of the day:

“With over 21 years on the job, Vactor Operator Paul Meservey works eight hours a day and on-call 24/7.  Operator Robbie Bernard works right by his side and has been with DPW for over four years.   Together they have rescued kittens, a variety of cell phones, hundreds of keys, rings and countless ducks.  Paul and Robbie not only do an exemplary job as operators, they go a step further and communicate with property owners, giving their best knowledge and information on how non-city related sewer and drain issues can be resolved.”

Below is the rest of the story, as written by Tom.


Dear Kevin:

In today’s society, people are quick to complain about bad service or rude unprofessional behavior, but it seems they seldom take the time to give thanks, credit, and/or accolades when warranted. Today was one of those days, and I will take the time.

To capsulize the backstory, my adult son, living with his mother, has been without a vehicle since totaling his car in the spring. I am giving him my failing car while I buy a used one from my mechanic. Literally as I turned the corner to pick him up, the tailpipe fell off my car. I picked him up and circled back to retrieve it. He jumped out to get it, but as he bent down to pick it up, his VERY EXPEN$IVE wireless earphones, in their case, slid out of his pocket, popped open as they hit the ground, and one of the earpieces bounced out right into the sewer grate. My son was furious.

He looked into the basin, but it was too dark to see and too deep to reach. This was a replacement pair for a previously stolen set. He was inconsolable. The car he was to inherit, already on its last leg, was literally falling apart. To make matters worse, my car deal fell thru, so his whole day was wasted time and effort.

I suggested he call the city’s Department of Public Works on the outside chance that they might be able to help. He resisted, feeling it would be futile. I made the call. A very pleasant woman listened to my story and connected me to a dispatcher who told me he would send someone within a half hour. I brought my son back to the sewer grate and went back to my mechanics.

I got a text message from my son that he could no longer wait and had to get a ride to work right then or he’d have to walk, so he was abandoning hope. As soon as I could, I went back to the corner in question and called the DPW again to touch base. The same woman put my call through to the same dispatcher, a man named Mel. He assured me his men had shown up promptly but no one was there. He listened to my whole story and shared his perspective.

He was patient, understanding, sympathetic and gracious.

He explicitly stated his department’s willingness to serve the people. After taking my name and phone number this time, he assured me his men would respond even quicker this time. Robbie and Paul arrived within minutes.

They were also very understanding and sympathetic. They got right to work. What at first seemed akin to finding the proverbial needle in the haystack eventually yielded a jackpot as the men methodically sifted with long-handled shovel and tongs. They expertly skimmed the water for better visibility and moved the debris with precision so as not to cloud the water. They found it in less than 10 minutes and carefully extracted it on the first attempt.

To me, this was a highlight of a horribly trying day. A true Christmas miracle.

I made a point to call Mel back and share the results. In that vein, I wanted to be sure to share this with their supervisor. Had we NOT found the missing item, I would STILL have been impressed by everyone at his department’s professionalism and explicit eagerness to help. You should be very proud of your staff. I cannot possibly thank them enough.

Tom Ford

About this Author

Carol Robidoux

PublisherManchester Ink Link

Longtime NH journalist and publisher of ManchesterInkLink.com. Loves R&B, German beer, and the Queen City!