This is the 6th year that Matt DeVall has used his own heavy equipment to clear the driveways of those who are unable to do it on their own – either because of their age and physical limitations or they’re unable to pay someone else to clear it for them.
After the winter’s biggest storm so far this weekend, DeVall posted a message on both the Ask Heber and Ask Midway Facebook pages offering his assistance…When asked why – he said he just wants to help.
“I don’t know,” DeVall said. “It helps the community out. You know, we got 10 – 12 inches of snow, and then the plows come through and make it so people can't get out of their driveway. We have a couple acres of land and I have a skid here. So, I just figured that people need some help. So, I got a little time and the skid is here, so may as well do it.”
A skid steer, sometimes called a bobcat, can move heavy snow quickly. He says his new plow, purchased about four years ago, can do twice as much work as his older one.
When he spoke to KPCW early Sunday morning, just two hours after posting his messages, he already had 10 requests and there were several more messages on his phone that he hadn’t checked.
On a good day, he says he can get some 20 driveways cleared. When asked what people have to say to him, he says he doesn’t stop to talk, because the work won’t get done.
“I don't really stop,” he explained. “I just wave at them and go to the next house. Otherwise, I ended up talking to them for, you know, 30 minutes to an hour - just about random stuff. There are other people that need it. Just a wave and off to the next place.”
The compliments however on Facebook are plentiful – everything from “this is a solid man to “the best human” to “that’s it…you’re going to heaven, no questions asked.”
DeVall says he doesn’t know what it costs him to run the equipment – he doesn’t keep track. But one day last winter, when the snow didn’t stop, he says he spent eight hours a day on the job. He says he’s just happy to help.
