Cold doesn’t stop workers
Published 8:31 pm Friday, February 12, 2016
![A little snow and cold is not deterring “Lady Liberty” Robert Jones from promoting Liberty Tax Services. The company provides thermal warmers to help their outdoor promotional figures stay warm, Jones says.](https://www.suffolknewsherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2016/02/use-cold-jobs-1.jpg)
A little snow and cold is not deterring “Lady Liberty” Robert Jones from promoting Liberty Tax Services. The company provides thermal warmers to help their outdoor promotional figures stay warm, Jones says.
The Statue of Liberty braved snow flurries to tout Liberty Tax Services Friday afternoon, wearing a hoodie, coat and thick gloves beneath his flowing robe as he waved at passing motorists on North Main Street.
“It’s a little chilly, but I don’t mind,” said Robert Jones, a Portsmouth resident who moved to Hampton Roads in January. “As long as it’s above 0 degrees and it’s not windy, I can handle it.”
Although schools and city offices in Suffolk closed at noon Friday, downtown Suffolk had not seen any significant accumulation on roads as of 6 p.m. Friday.
The National Weather Service had Suffolk — along with the rest of Hampton Roads and Northeastern North Carolina — under a winter weather advisory until midnight Saturday.
Night temperatures this weekend will plunge to the lowest this year to date, said Lyle Alexander, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Wakefield office. Temperatures are expected to drop to a low of 13 degrees on Saturday and 19 degrees on Sunday, he said.
During the day, temperatures will reach highs of 31 on Saturday and 27 on Sunday, Alexander said.
“It’s going to be cold, but it will warm up a little on Monday,” Alexander said. “But we’re expecting a little snow to start Monday morning.”
Dustin Burkey, who works outside regularly in cold weather, says the key is wearing layers.
On Friday, the owner of Burkey Landscaping was gearing up for a busy weekend. He had already hitched his new snowplow to his pickup, with expectations that a couple of corporate clients in Suffolk and northeastern North Carolina may need parking lots cleaned up on Saturday. He had also packed his truck with 20 bags of magnesium chloride, a pet-friendly compound that melts ice, to put down after he scraped the parking lots.
Burkey says he will bundle up, wearing a couple of pairs of sweats, a hoodie, hat and gloves to stay warm. He often takes Bruno, his 65-pound, three-legged dog, with him on calls.
While it can get cold, Burkey says he expects to stay warmer and drier this year because he can do more from inside the truck with his new plow.
Jones is scheduled to spend five hours in costume along North Main Street again on Saturday.
Liberty has told employees to come inside if it is raining or snowing hard, Jones said. The company also provides thermal warmers that can be worn inside shoes or gloves to stay warm, he said.
“I used to live in Alaska,” said Jones, waving as a passing car honked at him. “I can handle this just fine. I’m just grateful to have the job.”