Have you ever fallen asleep to a peaceful snowfall, only to awake the next morning to the streets perfectly clear and ready for your morning commute? Chances are this is a fairly regular occurrence if you live in Edina, whose Public Works Department has a reputation for providing top-notch snow removal.
But who are these magical heroes of Edina’s snowy streets, constantly working to make our community safe on the road? One of the spartans of the snowplow is Edward Von, who has worked for the City for 20 years, and as part of Edina’s street maintenance team for the past six years. Preparation for snow removal begins in the fall and, luckily, is complete by mid-October. (Who can forget the infamous Halloween blizzard of 1991? They can never start too early.)
Winter days begin early for Von, who wakes up at 3 a.m. to begin the morning plow, loading his truck with salt and supplies along with the 21 other plow drivers. Snow removal shifts can go anywhere from four to 12 hours, depending on the amount of snowfall, with snow being pushed onto curbs and hauled to places like Bredesen. “I can’t even tell you exactly how much salt we go through in a year,” says Von, “definitely over 500 tons per order.”
