As the marching band faded and the floats disappeared, a new sound took over: the steady hum of engines from the cleanup crew. Central Street stayed loud, this time punctuated by the acceleration of engines.
As lawn chairs snapped shut and families turned towards home, Donavon Pommells, 43, guided his street sweeper up one side of the road and down the other. He pressed the throttle as the vehicle lurched him forward amidst a whirl of brooms, mist and spray.
On the curb, a few onlookers lingered to watch the cleanup in motion. Evanston resident Dan Cagney lifted his daughter onto his shoulders, a vantage point from which she pointed and waved.
“She likes the garbage truck, so this is really her favorite part of the parade,” Cagney said.
While others looked on, Pommells was experiencing a first of his own behind the sweeper’s wheel. Though he has worked the same route for nine years, this was his first time driving the six-ton behemoth for the city’s Sanitation Division during the parade cleanup. He used to drive garbage trucks, which required jumping in and out at every bin lined along the curb. These days, he is behind the wheel of an Elgin Pelican.
“There’s a control for everything,” he said, grinning. “It is almost like there is a switchboard in here.” He gestured, acting as if he were flipping knobs and switches to control the water and main broom. “I’m thrilled still, like a little kid,” he said.
Pommells began training on the machine in late 2024, practicing by sweeping autumn leaves. Now, driving solo at the rear of the parade, he has found solace in the persistent thrum of the engine.
“I get my assignment, and then I can go find some peace of mind while I’m still working,” he said. “It’s awesome. I wouldn’t trade it now for anything.”
The peace Pommells finds as he participates in the parade matters more on this day than on most.
For him, the Fourth of July is a time of remembrance, a holiday steeped in family traditions and shaped by bittersweet memories of his brother, who died a few years ago.
“The Fourth of July was a big thing for us and our kids,” Pommells said. “We’d meet up after work, bring the kids together, and light our own fireworks.”
Now, driving the parade route offers him a way to honor those moments while moving forward.
“A lot of memories still play a part when I’m working here,” he said. “Today I want to take whatever I’ve been through and keep my head up and be happy, and celebrate how far I’ve come.”
Nearby, longtime fellow Evanston resident Karen LaBranche waved as the sanitation team passed.
“They work really hard, and I don’t think they get enough recognition,” she said. “We’re proud of them.”
The streets Pommells sweeps are part of a city his family lived in, loved in and grew in.
“I just want to be able to give back to the city and to the residents,” he said. “I want to make sure everybody’s enjoying themselves, and I am going to take my time and soak in everything that I see.”
As the driver of one of the final vehicles in the parade procession, Pommells often rolls through as crowds begin to thin. But not everyone looks away. Some wave. Some smile. Some shout thanks.
Among them stood Johanna Nyden, a city planner and Evanston native, who exchanged a high five with one of the drivers she grew up with.
“Our Public Works agency is the backbone of our community,” she said. “The parades are great, but it’s always good to remember that there’s people who help us clean up after the parades.”
