Folks, let me address those commenters, (especially the ones who claim they're from New Jersey) about their remarks on kids returning to school.
First of all, New Jersey sees a lot more snow each and every year than Maryland does. For those so called upstate New york viewers saying the Eastern Shore is acting like babies, you're right in the fact that again, we do NOT get anywhere near the snow fall you get in upstate New York.
All that being said, YOU people need to consider the fact that the people from Public Works here are not prepared for such emergencies. What I mean by that is, our County Executive should send Public Works out to Baltimore or Washington, D.C. and see how the clean up is actually performed.
This sending one truck out to do the job that two trucks need to do is for the birds. You need two trucks pacing side by side, one throwing to the left and the other throwing to the right, PERIOD. If this had been done we wouldn't have the major problems we're having right now.
Nevertheless, I'm no expert but let me say this. I have been driving around, I have seen the end result of what has been done and for what it's worth, my opinion, (along with others) is dead on. The clean up was not done properly in the County and or the City. Just take one good look away from Rt 13 or Rt 50 and you'll see that I'm right.
So to those New Jersey and New York commenters who say the kids have been out of school for too long, while you may be right, risking their lives to get them there is just plain stupid. Put good money after good money Mr. Pollitt and send some of your people to training courses to learn how to do snow removal properly. THEN send our kids off to school.
By the way, the word varification for this Post is, "tards".
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
26 comments:
The difference on the Eastern Shore is we are not experienced with driving in this these conditions. Unlike NY and NJ we rarely get snow like this around here. So for me I'm NOT sending my daughter on that bus today!! If they do have school today...I will drive her myself!! I'm NOT trusting my daughters life in the hands of a bus driver.
Jo, thank you so much for putting the heat on about the schools being open. At 08:15 on 2/16, I just saw the first County snow plow come down my road in Hebron. Thanks Joe and hurry with them pictures, they are moving their arse now.
I have noticed that the road workers have never come back to certain streets to correct the problems! They are simply waiting for the ice to melt.
For example I was travelling down College Avenue towards route 50 (near Bennett school) and suddenly the right lane dissappears!
I was on route 13 turning to go to Lowes and the right lane suddenly is gone!
WTF?
If they didn't do it right in the beginning, I guess I understand. But the road is only half visible. These are 2 lane roads and still haven't been cleaned. All the traffic must then merge into one lane.
Joe, I'm from PA where the snow is much worse and I think your commentary is absolutely correct. It's less about how many trucks and more about proper technique and planning. The clean up has been terrible.
I should add, (referencing New Yorkers and Jerseyites) people here also have no clue how to drive in this mess and do not have the experience YOU do.
That being said, perhaps you'll now re-think your comments when you know that the School Bus drivers have NO experience in these conditions as well. HELLLLLOOOOO!
Well put joe, well put. Plowing couldve def been done more "professionally". But how does a low budgeted city actually prepare for such a catastrophe? ...Ur right, send a few qualified workers to study larger snow fall cities' snow removal strategies. I'm sure most of our leaders were boyscouts so, we should "always be prepared". RIP Blizzard of '10.......
The main roads may have been cleared, but most of the side streets have never been touched. I don't understand why this could not happen in a week. I went to Harford County last weekend, they had much more snow than us and everything was clear...even the way back roads are clear.
I understand we don't have the experience clearing major snowfalls, but I think we can at least get the trucks out and plow/salt the side streets...after a week...absolutely no excuse.
I hope and pray that no one loses their life over the counties inability to clear the side roads.
What about the kids that walk, they have no sidewalk to walk on. These kids are going to be walking down 50. Someone is going to get hit, or a car is going to get in an accident trying to miss them.
Our roads people know how to plow, thats not the problem. Remember how Pollitt stated there were only enough funds to half-azz it one more time? {that was a cpl storms ago} Just as Pollitt didnt prepare for a crunch on the economy, he didnt prepare for what would happen when they half-azz'ed the snow removal....they didnt want to pay overtime so they didnt send out trucks till it had already been driven on {creates ice pack and cant be removed with low mph trucks[safe side street speeds], they sparingly used salt, only made 1 single pass per street per storm everywhere. Now where paying the price by risking the children s safety...because Pollitt cant prepare, manage...or even look down the road....a sad waste of executive salary!
Calm down folks. If everybody takes it easy everyone will get to school safely. Speed and lack of visibility are the main causes of serious accidents. Everyone just needs to be cautious.
To all concerned parents. Be advised that transportation makes the decision on whether schools are open or not .If we feel it is in our kids best interest to keep them home safe we have that choice and it is not suppose to count as an absent. So everyone before pointing fingers should find out all the facts first.
The roads can't be too bad I live very near a school in a 30 mph zone and cars are doing like they always do here 40 to 60 easy. because there is no enforcement of the speed, how safe is that? 8:39 you are right because people can't drive on a good day around here!!!
I could tell a major difference crossing from Dorchester into Wicomico on 50. In Wicomico there were huge patches, at times making one lane unpassable. Also the turn arounds were in horrible shape, come to think of it every turn was in bad shape. I know these guys did their best, but they really need better training on how to push snow for optimal results.
THANK YOU for this post. New Jersey-ans are idiots. Guidos..
I totally agree with this post. I spent a few years in North Dakota while I was in the Air Force. It is amazing to see how great they keep the roads! Absolutely perfect! As much snow as they get I think I saw the kids out of school one day!
I think if Wicomico County and the city of Salisbury cares about the people living there they would have done a much better job. If anyone (children or bus drivers) gets hurt today it is definitely on them.
Thankfully Im not from around here, but having moved here from a horribly managed midwestern state that still somehow managed to have good public services I have no idea how these podunks around here cant seem to do something as simple as snow removal. Although knowing what I know about ineptitude around here it doesnt surprise me one bit. Risk the general publics' safety to save money for more useless BS. What a great place to live. If you cant handle the workload SUB it out to out of work contractor with the equipment to do the job. Its about leadership, organization and competence. No of these qualities are present at the local level around here. Makes my previous residence with all its political corruption seem that much better.
I called Wico roads to tell them about some horrible road conditions and the individual on the phone made it clear that I was lucky to have seen a plow at all. Good to know the standard is so high around here.
Don't send them to Balmer or DC to learn. Send them up to Minnesota, the Dakotas or Wisconsin. Lived in St. Paul a few years.
The two-truck is a great way to go, but you have to have enough personnel to do it. You also have to roads wide enough to do it. Even in the frozen tundra, we didn't have two trucks on the residential streets, especially if cars were on them.
We also had the budgets for it.
Don't forget that other storm too where they were only predicting a few inches and the storm grew or stalled and they kept increasing the accumulation prediction (as if we couldn't look out the window and see it was wrong).
Could they have done better here? Probably, but not as well as Upstate NY and the snowy Midwest. Just different situations.
I think it's not so much a problem with training as so much as a problem with upper management. (Dont get me wrong, they do need to train the drivers better) Trying to save money by not clearing the roads properly is taking a large risk. Trust me, if there were a fatal accident and the city were found negligent, the cost of properly clearing would be a drop in the bucket compared to a law suit.
Additionally, as the poster pointed, roads are not the only problem we still have children who walk to school! The sidewalks are the responsibility of the home/business owners. So lets not throw stones if we havn't done our part as well.
9:45, maybe you need to move back
10:57, of course that's the solution tell those with some sense about them to leave, so your government can continue to shove it to ya..guess you like it that way huh?
Boy Joe, I am glad you are quite the expert. You will be pleased to know that trucks do in fact travel in tandem at times. Please now explain how the county will be able to supply that many trucks in one area at a time. They are too spread out now with the limited number of trucks they have. By the time they will get to some of the roads, they will be so snow packed you won't be able to do anything with them. Joe, I agree with you alot, but I think you are wrong on this one. You have to find a balance between available resources and the job at hand. This wasn't a particularly large snow, we just had alot of wind, which compounded things. Make your next speech be how to squeeze blood out of a turnip. How about you ask to ride along with a truck sometime. You might be suprised at what is being done with so little.
anonymous 6:31, I said, "Nevertheless, I'm no expert but let me say this."
I don't want to hear they were traveling in tandem "at times." In order to get the job done right, this is what is necessary, so we're told and you clearly agree.
In closing, look at many of the ONE LANE county roads. Please don't try to suggest things were done right. I'll agree you did the best with what you had, no problem there. I should add, it's not about me being right all the time. It's about finding solutions to what is clearly a problem.
Joe, you can travel in tandem when the snow all goes in one direction, but the way you are suggesting, you will be bucking traffic. The roads that are one lane is because the wind keeps taking the road over. They are plowed often, but unfortunately, the piles become so high that it takes other types of equipment to be able to move the snow. We had to spend so much time on our main roads to get through the drifting, that by the time we got to the secondary roads and subdivisions, they were packed down ice. We also had dozens of stranded vehicles to contend with that halted progress on certain roads. We would clear a path to them, but had to wait for a wrecker. We have less employees than we did 25 years ago. Our equipment is old. The dumptruck I drive is over 20 years old and has nearly 300,000 miles on it, and they ain't highway miles. Clearing roads ain't rocket science, but factoring in other things such as the high drifting ( out west they put up snow fencing), the stranded vehicles, downed trees ( probably 50), and downed utility lines, yes it was a challenge. I would love to have the available resources that say... the state has. This wouldn't even be an issue because we would be able to salt every road, and have dozens of contract trucks at our disposal. Bottom line, we are understaffed, and underfunded. It isn't a matter of not knowing how to do it. It is a matter of having what we need to do it. You may not agree, and I respect that, but that is the way I see it after dealing with it for weeks.
Just another thing to add, even if only one truck plows a road, it makes a pass down and back. Essentially accomplishing the same thing as driving in tandem. You just do it with one truck instead of two. It is not like only one pass is made on a road.
We just don't have the means for snow removal since we never have any.
Maybe all city & county vehicles could be equipped with a big shovel blade as in NYC. That would help. The garbage trucks could plow as they pick up.
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