Temporary workers clearing ditches for flood control in Galatia
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The ditches around the Village of Galatia are looking a lot more clear since October.
The village has a current crew of five workers provided through a flood-related federal grant made available through the temporary employment agency Man-Tra-Con Corporation. The City of Harrisburg took advantage of the program to get workers to clear the city's drainages and Galatia also pursued the program.
The result is manpower paid for by Man-Tra-Con and equipment paid through Man-Tra-Con.
Since October the crew has been working to clear the town drainages. The main drainage is Gassoway Creek at the west edge of town and it has numerous tributaries throughout town.
Years ago a Hardin County Work Camp crew came to the village once a week to perform labor, clearing ditches, culverts and could even remove leaves from ditches in front of people's yards. A staffing shortage all but ended that free labor.
During the May 8, 2009, inland hurricane storm knocked limbs and trees down throughout Southern Illinois. Flooding earlier this year washed a lot of debris from the north down into Galatia's ditches.
"The floods washed it into town, dammed up several areas and slowed the water from getting out of town," Galatia Water, Sewer and Street Superintendent Chad Lambert said.
The workers include Mike Duggins, a former part-time Village of Galatia worker who was already trained to use an excavator. The excavator comes in handy moving piles of limbs and gravel and concrete for rip rap. Duggins has been promoted to part time operator on the crew.
Danny Podobnik of Marion has been promoted to the supervisor position, in charge of operations in case Lambert is gone. Other workers are Rietta Miller of Harrisburg, Liz Harrington of Galatia and Greg Jeffers of Galatia.
Tuesday the five were moving piles of limbs they had cut from one of the drainage ditches into the excavator which was then depositing them into a dump truck. They were also waiting for Man-Tra-Con to deliver a pole saw they could use to clear brush along the ditch.
The crowd around the ditch disturbed a red fox.
"We've had deer running and everything," Harrington said.
Harrington had lost her job of about 37 years as a nurse.
"All of a sudden, what do you do?" Harrington said.
"There are not many jobs out here. This has been a blessing for me. I'd be sitting with no electricity. Plus they said they could find us other work if we are good workers.
"When you get 60 it's a little bit harder."
She said at first the work was difficult. She felt very tired when she came home at night, but she has been getting in better shape.
Harrington and Miller were looking toward the fox and wooly landscape ahead of them. They agreed the thorn bushes are the annoying part of the job.
Lambert says the crew's progress has been admirable and they have been accomplishing the goal faster than he expected.
"The guys we've got are a good bunch, but I'm afraid they're going to work themselves out of a job. I tell them, 'Pace yourselves,'" Lambert said.
He estimates the crews have so far removed 150 dump truck loads of brush, lumber and debris out of the ditches working five days a week for eight hours a day.
Once the ditches are cleaned the crew will be working on several washouts that need repaired since the flooding.
Temporary workers may work up to 1,040 hours, until they receive $12,000 in wages or work for six months.
The program also benefits local businesses as Man-Tra-Con buys the power tools from Horton's Small Engines and clothing from S.I. Workwear.
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DeNeal receives e-mail at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.</li>
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