Portland Sun
PORTLAND WEATHER

City employee also pens creative writings




Portland Street Maintenance employee Dan Gribovicz waters the hanging baskets on East Market Street. BONNIE FUSSELL

Portland Street Maintenance employee Dan Gribovicz waters the hanging baskets on East Market Street. BONNIE FUSSELL

There is an old saying – do what you love and love what you do. That saying describes Portland Street Maintenance employee Dan Gribovicz. 

He works part-time on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; walking around Portland watering plants and picking up litter. The area he is responsible for runs north and south from Gala to Longview and east and west from Searcy Lane to South Russell. He also keeps the parking lots looking clean and the various islands at certain intersections free of weeds and trash.

But he is not just a city maintenance worker. He is a poet who has two 20-gallon containers full of lyrics he has written. Some are poetry and others are meant to be sung. While he hasn’t tried to sell any of his creative writings, he has collected his favorites and bound them into a book he titled Nascent Snapshots with the subtitle Little Stories.

“I’ve always loved music all my life. As a child, when taken to weddings I would sit by the stage to listen to the bands. I’ve always wanted to move to the Nashville area because I love music.” Gribovicz said.

Dan Gribovicz holds a book with a collection of his favorite creative writing pieces. SUBMITTED

Dan Gribovicz holds a book with a collection of his favorite creative writing pieces. SUBMITTED

It took him five years to convince his wife, Patricia, to move to the area from Ohio. According to Gribovicz, they both say this is the most comfortable place they have ever lived. He took the part-time job with the city to have more time to write.

He has taken responsibility of caring for the nine flower baskets hanging on the light poles on East Market Street. He spent several hours watching videos on how to take care of geraniums, especially the Zonal geranium, which is the type in the baskets. He waters, fertilizes, and deadheads the plants on a regular basis.

Vice-Mayor John Kerley, who heads up the Preservation Beautification Committee, said, “Dan has been working part-time for the Street Department since October 2018. He not only keeps our city looking so clean, but he waters all of the many flowers and green areas we have here in Portland and does it with a smile and kind word for everyone he meets. 

“I really think we could say that he is the ambassador of Portland. I want to encourage everyone that when you see Dan to take time to say hello, you will be glad you did.”

As residents look around town, they realize the pride Gribovicz takes in the appearance of Portland. He is always smiling, and if you slip up behind him quietly, you might hear him singing a song he has just written.

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