The Mirror Newspapers Reflecting Life Along The Maumee River
BY NANCY GAGNET | MIRROR REPORTER — Those who worked so hard to keep school buildings clean and disinfected during the pandemic will be honored at this year’s Hometown Hero Awards Banquet.
The Maumee school district custodial staff, all 16 of them, will receive a Shiny Apple Award at this year’s banquet. While it is unprecedented to present so many awards at once, the recognition is well deserved, said Maumee Chamber of Commerce executive director Kristin Meyer.
“The custodial staff of Maumee City Schools worked tirelessly to ensure the safety and wellness of the staff and students during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.
Award recipients include Mariam Abdulhadi, Gregg Balcerzak, Jeff Ballew, Benjamin Ballew, Gregory Bartell, Sue Grigsby, Betty Lewis, Julie Martin, Lisa Maulbetsch, Barb Mavis, Kevin Roberts, Roger Snyder, Tami Stoma, Sean Woodson, Lamar Woodson and Eric Rice.
For most of 2020, extra steps were needed to keep the buildings clean, said Larry Burda, the supervisor of facilities. Every staff member stepped up to the challenge with heightened focus on surface cleaning. They also made sure particular areas, such as bathrooms and touch surfaces, were cleaned multiple times each day. Disinfectant foggers were also added to each building, requiring another step in the cleaning process, he said.
“It was just a lot more work – a lot more responsibility,” Burda said.
Throughout the pandemic, attendance was better than ever, and there were no complaints about the work that needed to be done, he added.
“They were engaged. They knew how important it was to keep the kids and the staff safe. They took it seriously, and they knew that what they were doing was making an impact,” said Burda.
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The Maumee Chamber of Commerce Hometown Hero Awards Banquet, presented by Metamora State Bank, will take place on Thursday, August 26 at The Pinnacle.
For information, please call the chamber office at (419) 893-5805.
