| Author |
Message |
    
Joe R.
Citizen
Username: Ragnatela
Post Number: 155
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 23, 2005 - 8:45 pm: | 
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Ok the worst is over and I actually took the car out about 2:30. Down Baker Street (clean), through village (clean), down Valley (clean to the SO border. South Orange? As of 2:30-3:00, there was still plenty of work to do. The difference between the 2 towns was remarkable. South Orange Ave between Valley and SHU still had large patches of snow, whereas Maplewood was scraped down to blacktop. Good job, MPWD!
Now for the rant. We have all had the experience of having the town plow jam the bottom of your driveway with sludge. I finally got mine cleared by 12 noon. When you work on that with a snowblower, some of it goes back into the street. I had a friendly visit from the local gendarme who politely asked me to get the snow out of the street, which I did, but the irony is inescapable.....they take the snow out of the street with the plow and pack it into your driveway. You remove it and put some (not all) of it back into the street and they make you remove it. Ah, my hands are just sore from pushing my cheap snowblower, I'll get over it. |
Zoesky1
Citizen
Username: Zoesky1
Post Number: 665
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 23, 2005 - 9:25 pm: |
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Maplewood did a great job on the snow. At last, our taxes seem to be paying off!!! |
Local_1_crew
Citizen
Username: Local_1_crew
Post Number: 358
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 23, 2005 - 9:29 pm: |
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taxes paying off?!?! HA! i saw a Union truck going around snow blowing peoples sidewalks. i asked them if this was a part of the towns municipal service and they said yes. now those people are getting their moneys worth! |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7320
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 4:30 am: |
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In some places the sidewalks are owned by the municipalities. I know this was the case when I was growing up in Albany, NY and one of my wife's brother in laws in the Public Works Superintendent in a small city in Massachussets where this is also the case. He started getting calls before the snow started on Saturday.
Maplewood did a great job. The streets were passable, if snow covered, by 8:00am and by noon most every street was down to blacktop. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3726
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 7:51 am: |
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I cannot agree. How am I supposed to call in to work and say "our roads aren't cleared yet, so I have to work from home" when school buses are running down my street?
And what of the children in this community? If you can't count on a snow day after a storm like this, what else is life is stable and secure for them? Sure, maybe we can "see blacktop", but what will the subsequent cost of the mass adolescent feelings of depression and insecurity be? Is this really work "seeing blacktop"? |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7326
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 8:16 am: |
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I did notice that there were fewer than the normal number of people at the train station this morning. Is it possible that some people are, uhm, stretching the truth? |
Joe
Citizen
Username: Gonets
Post Number: 654
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 10:23 am: |
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Greentree,
I agree with your sentiment, but what did you do to make this more than sentiment? For my part I built a snowfort and bombed every snowplow that came down my street--letting the drivers know how much they have been despised by me ever since my childhood. There were many days in my childhood where they totally screwed me, making it possible for school to open on time, when I was fully expecting a snow day which is why I didn't do my homework. |
Sgt. Pepper
Citizen
Username: Jjkatz
Post Number: 578
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 10:41 am: |
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OK, here's a question -- the plows completely buried our discarded Christmas tree. So are those trees going to lay there until Spring now? Or are we expected to dig them out? |
Zoesky1
Citizen
Username: Zoesky1
Post Number: 666
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 11:09 am: |
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The weirdest thing is that my tree guys showed up this morning to trim oak branches from my enormous pin oak. This requires sending a guy about 75 feet up into a giant tree with ropes, chainsaw, etc. They had to literally shovel their way into the backyard to even get near the tree. This has been pending since October; I knew they would show up one of these days, just didn't know when, and they picked today, of all days...now if you were Savatree, why on earth would you pick the first Monday after a snowstorm to finally go trim someone's oak tree? This was the absolute LAST day I expected to see these long-awaited dudes show up. Maybe they figured the snow was extra cushioning in case they fell out? (just kidding) |
Mayor McCheese
Citizen
Username: Mayor_mccheese
Post Number: 98
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 11:46 am: |
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Zoe-
Maybe they chose after the snowfall for safety. If they fall they will land on a foot of snow. Before they only had the ground. Although... I don't know how much a foot of snow will help when you fall 75 feet. But, it's better than nothing. |
jet
Citizen
Username: Jet
Post Number: 708
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 11:50 am: |
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I think the folks @ DPW did a great job , as usual. |
redY67
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 582
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 12:01 pm: |
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sgt pepper a few years ago our tree was buried as well. We had to wait for the snow to melt before they finally picked it up..... |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3727
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 12:42 pm: |
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Sarge-
I raised this exact issue last week. But, yesterday I dug our tree out & planted it upright in a snow bank. I figured what the heck. TS asked me if I was going to redecorate it, but then the wind blew it over & I gave up.
Joe, I ashamed to admit that I took no action. I was not part of the solution, so I guess I am part of the problem.  |
marian
Citizen
Username: Marian
Post Number: 549
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 1:01 pm: |
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Who's responsible for clearing the sidewalk on Valley by the Maplewood Country Club's golf course. (I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say...the Country Club?)
It was in really bad shape this a.m. and there's no sidewalk on the other side of Valley to walk on. Gotta love those Country Club neighbors of ours! |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3728
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 1:20 pm: |
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Marian-
What are you complaining about? You are getting a groovy new 100+ foot tall fake tree to look at. And think of the additional revenue the club is getting. And how much they are saving by not clearing the sidewalk. Geeze.
Can't you just be happy for them?
 |
Duncan
Supporter
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 3834
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 2:31 pm: |
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Or call em up and tell em to clean the sidewalk because god knows how much they could lose in a suit on a slip and fall with soft tissue injuries. |
slipknot
Citizen
Username: Zotts
Post Number: 20
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 3:22 pm: |
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The sidewalk on Valley from the HS towards Taras is a mess, with all the kids walking back and fotrh. I assume this is the Township but it could be the home owners. It's a mess |
amandacat
Citizen
Username: Amandacat
Post Number: 771
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 5:59 pm: |
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Slipknot, should be the town's responsibility IMHO, but it's actually the homeowners. I know for a fact that at least one stretch of Valley was cleared yesterday after hours of back breaking shoveling by the homeowner, only to have all that hard work undone overnight when the plows came through at top speed and redeposited all that nasty, chunky dirty Valley Street snow back on the sidewalk. It's like Sisyphus and the rock sometimes . . . |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4815
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 8:20 pm: |
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The town did a great job clearing most of the streets but a really poor job on the sidewalks. None of the sidewalk on the south side of Oakview Avenue in Memorial Park was cleared this morning. By this afternoon, much of the sidewalk was cleared but the bridge still had several inches of snow cover.
Bob:
There were many more people at the train station around 5:50 AM this morning than usual. I think a lot of people concerned about availability of parking spaces and train delays aimed for the earlier trains this morning. |
Waxwings
Citizen
Username: Waxwings
Post Number: 16
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 8:37 pm: |
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Joan - Perhaps you are not aware of the fact that when big snows such as this one hit, all available DPW workers have to remove snow and/or ice from the roads first...and then they get to work on the walks around and through the parks and Township buildings? When there is a storm as big as this one was, it takes more time to get the roads cleared, therefore the guys were a little late in getting to the walks. Remember; the men work 16 straight hours...4 hours off...16 hours on...until all is done. It's a grueling and often thankless job. |
sac
Supporter
Username: Sac
Post Number: 1806
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 8:45 pm: |
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I noticed that there seemed to be some contracted snowplows this time. (Trucks with various landscaping company names on the sides.) I had never observed this before ... is it a new practice for big storms? Definitely makes sense. Maybe they should do something similar for the public walkways. I heard something on the radio where New York City was looking for snow shovelers and would pay $9-13 per hour for anyone who met their criteria (legal to work, etc.) |
Bill232
Citizen
Username: Bill232
Post Number: 4
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Monday, January 24, 2005 - 9:42 pm: |
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Don't forget to dig out your fire hydrants and please don't bury them when clearing your sidewalks and driveways. Adopt a hydrant with your neighbors. Take note where they are on your street. Any delay in locating a covered or frozen hydrant when needed at a fire can be serious. |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4818
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 5:09 pm: |
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Waxwings:
More an observation than a rant. I think the DPW did a fantastic job! Everyone involved is to be congratulated on a job well done.
I just wish that more motorists would realize that it is sometimes necessary to share the roadways with pedestrians when the snowfall is this severe. |
eb1154
Citizen
Username: Eb1154
Post Number: 341
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - 7:22 pm: |
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Joe,
There is a town ordinance stating that it is illegal to deposit any snow on the roadway.
Most people don't come out to shovel until the snow plows are done. (atleast the smart ones) Therefore, the snow thrown in the street will stay in the street creating a safety hazard for motorists.
When the plows were done on Sunday there was black top showing everywhere, by 6:00 p.m. it looked like the plows never came out. This is very frustrating to the plow operators, they work 24 plus hours to clean the streets only to find the roads covered again by the homeowners and the contractors.
There is also the cost factor. When the people throw the snow back in to the street we need to re-salt and sometimes re-plow. This is an added expense that should have been avoided.
I'm not ranting at you, I'm just explaining why you were stopped.
Overall, I think this snowstorm went pretty smooth. The streets were opened fairly quickly, and I didn't hear any of the plow operators complaining about getting cursed at, having anything thrown at them, or even someone trying to hit them. |
Joe R.
Citizen
Username: Ragnatela
Post Number: 158
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 4:41 pm: |
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eb: I understand and agree with that policy. The problem is, if you have a sidewalk and a 2 foot grass strip between the curb and the sidewalk, you have a problem because the plow takes the snow out of the street and dumps into your driveway 3x the amount that God put there the night before. Then, I have to store all of that crap between the sidewalk and the curb or move it to another location on the property. As a practical matter, the plow takes street snow and dumps it in the driveway so the homeowner can dispose of it. See what I mean? Believe me, the amount of residual snow that ended up back in the street in front of my house was not plowable. |
e roberts
Citizen
Username: Wnwd00
Post Number: 291
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 5:48 pm: |
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joe, you are missing the point. if everyone had used your logic then there would be a fairly significant amount of snow back in the street that would need plowing and dont forget that on days like today when during the day some snow melts then refreezes at night there is a possibility of a large ice build up on the road because DPW had already plowed and you felt the need to toss the snow back into the street.
a pile of snow in your yard near your house or driveway is not a public safety concern but snow back onto the roadway that can cause an unsafe situation is so the greater good is to keep the streets clear. |
Joe R.
Citizen
Username: Ragnatela
Post Number: 162
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 10:42 pm: |
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e roberts: I get the point,you missed mine. I cleaned up the street, I didn't leave it there. I was just commenting on the irony. Everybody take a deep breath. Don't call the Justice League on me. |
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