This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
The Longmont Park Operations Division of the Public Works and Natural Resources Department is responsible for the maintenance of hundreds of acres of developed park land including 25 neighborhood parks, 6 community parks, 9 nature areas and over 93 miles of park and greenway trails throughout the city.
The 18 full-time employees and 6 seasonal ones whose responsibilities include regular parks inspections, trash collection, irrigation maintenance, snow removal, weed control, trail maintenance and a whole list of other necessary, but perhaps overlooked activities, are supervised by Ben Grattan. And Grattan’s focus for his employees is to “just do it”.
That’s exactly what one of his seasonal workers put into practice last week as he was parked near Spangler Park, having completed his three-hour regular check of the park’s facilities.
Rudy Aldape noticed a nearby resident using her foot to gather up a heap of broken glass. Rather than leaving her to it, Aldape left his truck, gathered the necessary tools and swept up and disposed of the broken bottle pieces for her. Perhaps not a big deal to Aldape – he was just “doing it” - but it really impressed the Collyer Street resident, who took a photograph of Aldape and made him an instant, if brief, Reddit star.
Aldape is a 33-year-old Chicago native who moved to Longmont as a boy with his family and he attended and graduated from Longmont High. He gives a wide smile when he explains that he is married to his high school sweetheart – they met at soccer practice and also in English class – and now have a nine-year-old.
Soccer was always important in Aldape’s life, although his knees now are not in the best shape for playing. He is proud of the fact that when he was the Spangler Elementary soccer coach he was able to identify latent talent in two of his players who went on to join the Colorado Rapids professional soccer team.
Despite the low Parks Department turnover rate, Aldape is hoping to eventually be able to work full-time, instead of as an April to October seasonal employee. Meanwhile, he enjoys his work helping to keep Longmont’s open spaces clean, tidy and safe, and going that extra mile to provide those extra efforts for our city’s residents.
