If the back-to-back snowstorms that dumped a dozen inches on Johnston were a hockey game, it would have been called a hard-fought battle on the boards, with the Department of Public Works eking out a 2-0 victory.

“Last Friday’s storm was one of the worst I’ve ever worked,” said Arnie Vecchione, Johnston’s public works director. “It was not so much with the 7-1/2 inches of snow, but the length of the storm.”

There were power outages throughout Johnston, and Vecchione reported that DPW crews had to remove 25 trees that were blown down onto the roads.

“And in some cases, like on Paolino Avenue, a huge tree went tumbling down and onto a roof across the street and also took power and cable lines down, as well as a pole,” he said.

Although Monday’s storm didn’t blanket the town with as much snow as last Friday’s storm, it was a near carbon copy as far as its duration.

“This was again a long and drawn-out storm,” Vecchione said. “We worked from 3 a.m. Monday morning right through the day and night into Tuesday morning. Our guys deserve a lot of credit for what they did. They stayed on the job and never went home.”

Vecchione additionally praised the public works office staffers, who also remained on the job.

“They were a huge help, especially working the telephones, answering complaints, and directing our drivers to certain areas where a rescue vehicle might have to go, if need be,” he said.

As was the case in both storms, as well as the season’s first snowstorm in January, Vecchione said “we treated all the hilly roads first with our brine mixture of water and salt, and then took care of the flatter ones. We’ve got a good system, and I’m proud of the way our guys keep all the roads as clear as possible.”

Also beneficial have been Johnston’s two new Mack trucks, which Polisena approved and purchased last year.

“They’re great vehicles,” Vecchione said of the huge vehicles. “They’re both great tools for our crews.”

Vecchione additionally recently received a new police radio that he said has been an “extremely valuable piece of equipment in the three storms this winter.”

“When the mayor’s out on the roads, he can call me about cars being parked on certain streets where there’s a parking ban,” Vecchione said. “Then, I can call our guys immediately to dispatch additional help to a certain area. It’s a valuable radio, If I need the mayor or [Chief of Police Richard Tamburini] – or thy need me – then can reach me instantly. But let’s hope we’ve seen the last of the snow, for at least a while.”