Local man to help with clean-up

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UTAH —   Hans Melhus, foreground, on site in Utah with the Conservation Corps.

NORWAY —  Hans Melhus of Norway is headed to New York to help with the Sandy clean-up.

Since March, he has worked for the Utah Conservation Corps as a crew leader and his contract was due to end November 19. He finished his regular work assignments with his crew last Wednesday.

At least 12 members of the Utah Conservation Corps are headed to New York to aid in the recovery efforts. It is unknown at this point where they will go or what exactly they will be doing, according to his mother, Brenda Melhus.

"However," she says, "they are skilled in chainsaw use and will likely be working to clear fallen trees and other debris, move sand, distribute food, coordinate volunteers and support other general relief efforts as they arise."

Melhus will drive his belongings back to Maine and deploy directly to New York. He will reconnect with the other members of the UCC at that time to begin work on Tuesday of next week. They are scheduled to work in that area for a month.

The Utah Conservation Corp is an AmeriCorps program.