The Orangetown Highway Department started holding open houses to give the public a closer look at the department.
"We wanted to encourage people to know what we do, what types of equipment we have and how the guys use the equipment," Orangetown Highway Superintendent Jim Dean said.
The 16th Annual Orangetown Highway Department Open House is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the facilty at 119 Route 303 in Orangeburg. The event includes tours and demonstrations, but the big draw is the vehicles.
"The kids love it," Dean said. "We give out free t-shirts to the first 50 kids. I usuall have a line. They show up around 9:30 and wait.
"The kids have fun climbing all over the trucks. Most kids love big trucks. Parents can ask questions and see that we take a lot of interest in maintaining the equipment that we have."
Dean said the department also has recycling bins and bags available. Normally, residents can only pick up those items on weekdays, but they try to have at least three weekend events when they are available during the year, including Pearl River Day and the Orangetown Police Department Open House.
There will be representatives present from the Orangetown Police Department, Rockland County Sheriff's Department, Oraganic Recycling, Inc., Keep Rockland Beautiful and the Rockand County Solid Waste Management Authority. They will be available to answer questions about their organizations.
The Highway Department Open House is run in conjunction with the American Public Works Association's National Public Works Week, which is May 20-26 this year.
The "Highway Helper" t-shirts will be given to the first 50 children in attendance.
