Pitching in and cleaning up

On his way to clear Missouri Southern parking lots and sidewalks, Bob Harrington, director of the physical plant, slipped and fell on the ice at his home.

This was not the first time his leg has been broken. Thirty-five years ago, Harrington was in a motorcycle accident, physically excluding him from the Vietnam War. His wife, Crystal, saw the accident as a godsend, keeping her husband from the war.

Ironically, the same leg that kept Harrington home was the same leg that was broken in serving Southern. Other members of the maintenance crew have fallen, as well, in clearing the ice for students and faculty.

The grounds crew is not the only organization working on the accessibility of the University. Custodial personal, a private contractor and workers from the carpenter’s shop have all contributed. While most telephone lines were down, the security department became the center for communication. Several different departments have chipped in to chip off pieces of Old Man Winter’s scorn.

If the University could award purple hearts and medals of honor, they would go to the crews working hard on Southern’s campus.