BANGOR (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- "It's my last day on the job," exclaimed Bangor Department of Public Works director, Dana Wardwell.
Friday's snowstorm is the first of the season for all of us.
For Wardwell, it's also his last snowstorm, at least in his current role.
"I'm retiring after 32 years here at public works," added Wardwell.
He spent the past fourteen years in his current position as director, but he wasn't always working in an office.
Wardwell was out on the streets for many years, spending a lot of time in storms. One historic storm in particular.
"It has to be the ice storm of '98," Wardwell remembered.
He said it took a long time to clean up from that storm, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.
He was working as a city construction foreman at the time.
"I remember the one night in particular where it was kind of quiet, there wasn't much wind and you could hear the freezing rain hitting everything, but then you'd hear a crack and a branch would break and then you'd hear it crashing to the ground," reminisced Wardwell. "There were transformers blowing and it was a pretty eerie night."
"He has got some pretty big shoes to fill," said incoming DPW director, Eric Willett.
With 2 1/2 years at the department already under his belt, Willett said he's looking forward to this new opportunity.
"I'm up for the job," said Willett. "I look forward to it. Dana's been preparing me for quite a while now to fit into this position. The amount of knowledge that that man has inside of his head, it just amazes me."
"It's kind of fitting that I leave on a snowy day," said Wardwell of Friday's snowfall. "Just another day at public works!"
Wardwell said he doesn't have a lot of plans for retirement but he expects when he gets home Friday night, there will be a list of things for him to do around the house.
He's also looking forward to spending more time with his family, especially his grandchildren.