THE NORWAY DOWNTOWN Development Authority recently received a Toro Workman UTX side-by-side to help with watering the flowers on Main Street. From left are Brock Johnson, Norway Wastewater Treatment plant supervisor; Sheryl Swiontek, Norway Wastewater operator; Justina Blazier, BOSS Snowplow Giving Ambassador; Noah Williams of BOSS; Katie Roell, BOSS marketing communications manager; and Debbie Hood, Norway DDA.

NORWAY — Thanks to a donation of a Toro Workman UTX side-by-side from the Toro Company Foundation, Debbie Hood no longer has to get by with a hand-me-down golf cart as she waters flowers for the Norway Downtown Development Authority.

Nearly every day for past three summers, Hood travels down the length of Main Street in Norway taking care of the 36 flower beds, including planting them in the spring.

When Hood started three years ago she worked out of the trunk of her car. Eventually the DDA inherited a golf cart that was rigged up with a small water tank, which meant making frequent trips to fill the tank.

Hood’s new ride now has a 110-gallon tank, meaning she can water the plants in no time at all.

“My watering goes much faster, so it is really nice,” Hood said. “I am able to carry plants in there when I am planting downtown and I can put some of my supplies in there as well.”

Hood said the Workman is also used on Thursdays during the open air market to speed up putting the traffic barricades in place.

The journey to get the side-by-side began when Norway Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor Brock Johnson was directed to the Toro Company Foundation by neighbor and BOSS Snowplow employee Arnold Miron.

Johnson was assisted in the grant application by Norway Wastewater Operator Sheryl Swiontek in developing the scope of where the donation would be used and also with the writing of the grant proposal.

It was through Miron that Johnson was put in contact with Justina Blazier, BOSS Snowplow Giving Ambassador, who gave Johnson directions and guidance on the application process.

“Through The Toro Company Annual Product Donation Program, we are pleased to deliver a quality product to the City of Norway Downtown Development Authority for their beautification efforts. This program has helped contribute to and strengthen many nonprofits by providing quality products, minimizing their costs and enabling them to do what they do best. We are proud to be stewards in our community for this program,” Blazier said.

“So the process of filling out the application to the point of receiving the item was probably almost a year, but it was well worth the wait,” Johnson said. “To see how happy (Hood) is using it — and it is just an awesome fit for the downtown. It is an awesome thing that these guys do there at BOSS/Toro.”