Riverhead highway department treats elementary kids to truck show-and-tell

Students at Roanoke Avenue Elementary School were overloaded with excitement while learning about the ins and outs of the Riverhead Highway Department and its trusty trucks.

For nearly 15 years, Highway Superintendent Mike Zaleski and his crew have visited local elementary schools to give them a close-up view of the vehicles, offer insight on the responsibilities of the highway department and teach them the importance of road safety.

“My son had separation anxiety when he was a kid, and when he used to go to [this] school, the principal Mr. [Thomas] Payton used to come out and walk my son into school every single morning,” said Mr. Zaleski, the Riverhead News-Review’s 2024 Public Servants of the Year partly for his outreach. “I never forgot something like that, so I always wanted to give back when I’m able to. What a better way than bringing these trucks for show-and-tell — the kids love it.”

Over the last week, members of the department visited Roanoke and three other schools: Pine Tree Day Nursery, Aquebogue Elementary School and Riley Avenue Elementary School.

The two stars of the show-and-tell at Roanoke were the department’s bright yellow payloader and snow plow.

After the presentation, Mr. Zaleski and staffers gave safety-oriented coloring books to the children.

Check out the photos and video of the Riverhead Highway Department truck show-and-tell below.