Landscaper Barry Waller (above) drinks water from a cooler during a break from cutting weeds at O'Donnell Park.

As the hot summer sun pushed the mercury towards the century mark during the month of July, employees from the Landscaping and Environmental Services Divisions, who make their living working outdoors, looked for any possible way to beat the heat.

"We are basically pacing ourselves, taking it light and drinking a lot of cold water," Landscapers Dupree Hicks and Reggie Guion said.
Landscaping Manager Jon Bitzer and his crew, who usually begin
their daily shift at 7 a.m., adjusted their schedule to combat the sweltering rays. During the oppressively hot days the landscapers started their day at 5 a.m., worked straight through their normal lunch break and completed their duties by 12 p.m. The change in schedule has done wonders.

"Starting at 5 a.m. really helps out because we get a lot of work done in those two hours (5 - 7 a.m.) before the sun comes up and the day also goes by faster," Hicks and Guion said. "With this heat the day goes by slow when you start at 7 a.m. especially after lunch, which feels like it takes twice as long."

All landscaping crews are equipped with coolers and each morning a bag of ice was distributed to every landscaper. New light-colored uniform shirts, shorts and wide-brimmed hats also helped make things more tolerable in the heat. Also, when temperatures reached the 95 degree mark, the landscapers had an extra 15 minutes added to their breaks.

Various areas throughout the city were much hotter to work at than others. "Albany Avenue, O'Donnell Park and Dolphin Field (in Venice Park) are a lot hotter because there is no shade," Hicks and Guion said.

Dupree Hicks and Reggie Guion (above) pull weeds in the summer heat at Delaware Avenue Park.

The Environmental Services Division provided all of its employees with shorts and hats. While many employees bring their own water, many businesses throughout the city were gracious enough to provide water to those who didn't or to those who just needed a refill..

Unfortunately for some, such as those employees involved in
vacant lot cutting, the option of wearing shorts is a luxury
they don't have. Lot cutters must wear long pants throughout
the year to avoid the risk of being injured from flying debris.

With the summer heat also comes the threat of drought and this summer was no exception. Environmental Services Manager Daniel Pirillo made sure that his street crews were able to perform their daily duties. "We looked into the statute laws and talked to the Water Authority about potential problems," Pirillo said.