Storms Threaten Northeast Work Crews Put In Overtime

University Buildings and Grounds work crews are working overtime because of recent heavy snow accumulation and warnings of continued snow and rain-storms in the Northeast.

Of approximately 70 property maintenance men Harvard employs, most were working in shifts throughout last night, clearing snow; Thomas F. Vacha, central manager of Buildings and Grounds said yesterday.

Buildings and Grounds employees not regularly engaged in grounds upkeep are also working at snow removal. Vacha said.

Joseph C. Wright, foreman of property maintenance, is using "just about every pair of hands he can get," Vacha added.

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The Buildings and Grounds Department is renting heavy snowplows and front-end loaders from outside contractors to aid in snow removal.

Smaller snowplows, tractors, and pickup trucks owned by the University are being used for light maintenance jobs. "That kind of equipment can generally handle three, four, or five inches of snow," Vacha said.

"Without looking at specific figures, I'd say we've had more snow by this time than we've had in previous years," Vacha said.

'At least ten to fifteen per cent of the parking spaces are not able to be used because we don't haul snow away from the university, we pile it into the corners of the parking lots," Vacha said.

"You can get to the point where you can push around a few inches of snow. But if you keep piling it and piling it, soon there's nowhere else for it to go," Vacha said.

"If we get another four or five inches, we could have problems," he added.

Classes meeting during reading period will go on despite the storm warnings, Archie C. Epps III, dean of students, said yesterday. "Harvard has never canceled classes because of the weather."

"Snowstorms, hurricanes--we always go on. That's the original meaning of 'Through change and through storm'," Epps said.