"We knew what had to be done." - Wardsboro contractors reconnect town

By Christian Avard
Staff Writer
WARDSBORO — They may be competing businesses, but when disaster struck they answered the call.
Last week two Wardsboro excavating companies began road repairs when outside help was not available.
When Tropical Storm Irene swept through Wardsboro, five homes were lost and several bridges were compromised. Power wasn’t restored until Thursday, Assistant Fire Chief Warner Manzke said.
According to Manzke, Fitzpatrick Excavating and Crushing and Plimpton Excavating were the town’s “lifeline.”
“The two main (excavators) that jumped the fastest were Plimpton and Fitzpatrick. They are family-run companies from town. They were scratching trails and pulling material where they could and accessed material locally,” Manzke said.
Route 100 is Wardsboro’s major road. Tropical Storm Irene showed it no mercy. Route 100 suffered from a dozen washouts and access to local towns was cut off. That was when Fitzpatrick and Plimpton Excavating put aside their competition and worked together.
“We’re all friends but right now everybody has to live here. We’re trying to help everyone out,” Fitzpatrick Excavating co-owner Mike Fitzpatrick said.
Plimpton Excavating co-owner Mitch Plimpton said they acted swiftly because of the devastation they faced.
“We didn’t get asked to do anything. We just went down there,” said. “We had no roads to get anywhere. There were people stuck in their homes for four or five days and we had to get them out. We were the ones with the machinery.”
Fitzpatrick and Plimpton shared equipment and sent their employees to the hard-hit areas. They opened South Wardsboro Road to East Dover Road and North Street. Now motorists can access East Dover, Wilmington, Newfane and Route 30.
The Vermont Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining Route 100 but they were not available immediately after the storm. So the two companies repaired it. They opened up Route 100 from Wardsboro to Dover allowing access to Stratton, Manchester, West Dover and Wilmington.
“Nobody gave us permission. We just started because we knew what had to be done. When we found out about the devastation everywhere else, there was no way we could have gotten permission quick enough. So we just went ahead and did what we were going to do,” Plimpton said. “We put in 120 hours last week. We worked until we couldn’t work. We still have a long way to go.”
The Army National Guard is now assisting in Route 100 repairs. A state civil engineer is working with Plimpton on road repairs. Local excavators Everett and Mark Bills and Gary Urbinati are repairing small roads, but Plimpton said the town highway department is performing the lion’s share of the road work. He expected Route 100 in West Wardsboro to be open to two lanes by Monday. Route 100 from Wardsboro to East Jamaica will take much longer, he said.
“The whole town has thanked us. Every time you drive down the road, there’s someone handing you a water or asking ‘Can I do something for you?’ There are people I barely know who are getting me fuel for my excavator. The town is amazing.”
Fitzpatrick agreed. “Everybody seems to come together pretty good when it comes to disasters like this,” he said.
christian.avard
@rutlandherald.com