WAITSBURG – The holidays are typically the season for spreading good cheer, but for Ffrazure Earthworks Excavation, doing good deeds appears to be everyday business.

Ffrazure Earthworks spent much of summer and fall in Waitsburg as a sub-contractor for Moreno-Nelson, which was contracted by the city to install sidewalks. Stories abound about how the company went “above and beyond” as they performed work in the city.

Nancy and Jack Otterson, who live on W. 4th St., said they were “very aware” that their fence and rose bushes were on city property and understood when the city required that they be moved in order to install sidewalks. When Ffrazure Earthworks learned that the roses had to be moved, they dug up the bushes with their equipment, moved them to their new location, then had an employee help replant them.

“When they were digging up the bed with their big scoops, Mike stood out there with a pan to collect and save any daffodil bulbs that came up. How often would that happen? I still get goosebumps thinking about it,” Nancy said.

Nearby neighbor Cathy Lambert agreed. She expressed appreciation for the extra gravel the company spread in front of their lot and their friendly attitude.

One neighbor had removed several locust trees from his lot. When Owner Mike Frazure saw him trying to chop out a five-foot stump with an axe, he went over and used his machinery to remove it, Lambert said.

On the other side of town, E. 6th St. resident Pam Alexenko said she was worried about not being able to jump the sidewalk-in-construction during her many trips in and out of her home each day.

“When I mentioned it to Mike, he immediately offered to make me a bridge. As it was, they completed the walk in sections and I only had to go down one lot to walk around the construction, but he still offered to make a bridge,” Alexenko said.

“They were just great people and very friendly. When he learned that my mom had died he came over and expressed his regrets. He didn’t even know me,” she said.

Waitsburg School District Maintenance Director Colter Mohney said he heard several comments about the company making temporary driveway and sidewalk approaches for people.

He said Ffrazure Earthworks was extremely mindful of school property and did a “phenomenal job” of putting everything back together properly once work was finished.

They let the district use some of their equipment to move large grass piles and helped repair damaged conduit buried in the Preston Hall parking lot, never charging for the asphalt that was used.

Mohney, who is also an EMT, said he arrived at one call before the ambulance did and Ffrazure Earthworks was working at the property.

“When I told them what was going on, Mike quickly spread gravel, packed it down and made an approach so that ambulance personnel could use a gurney when they arrived,” Mohney said.

“Dealing with construction is never pleasant. But they made it so much better,” Otterson said.