When 31-year highway department veteran Curt Davids announced his retirement this spring, Vincent Orlando knew just the man to fill his shoes.
“He has the respect of the men, he is very responsible and he has 15 years in the department,” Orlando said in an interview this morning. “I knew he could do it.”
Roger Tabor, a lifelong Orient resident, took over as deputy superintendent of the highway department last month. “I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to work under many great superintendents,” Tabor said today. “I can’t thank Vinny enough for the opportunity now to do my own duties as deputy.”
Tabor began working in the Southold highway yard 15 years ago as a heavy equipment operator. He was promoted five years ago to an assistant foreman. And last month, he began his new position of deputy superintendent of the department, managing the department crews and communicating with the public.
“We have an excellent team here, we really do,” Tabor said. “There’s nothing we can’t handle together.”
Tabor began his new position on the day of a snowstorm February 8, which brought half a foot of snow to the East End. “I was thrown to the wolves right away,” Tabor joked today. “But everything went very smoothly.”
Coincidentally, a snowstorm also hit Long Island on Orlando’s first day as Southold’s highway superintendent in January 2014, when the blizzard dubbed Hercules brought heavy snow and winds to the region.
“Ironically his first day was pretty similar to my first day,” Orlando said.
Orlando said he chose Tabor for the position because of his years of experience and the competence and responsibility he’s displayed on the job.
“When you have someone who assumes responsibility, gets the job done and does it well, no matter how difficult – he’s very competent,” Orlando said.
