Shorelines

We have had an unusually high amount of snow/rain mix and consequently, ice, in the past few weeks.  The stores are out of salt - we personally have gone everywhere to find salt from Milwaukee to Menomonee Falls and they have all been out of stock.  I don't think 60% of homeowners are leaving sidewalks icy on purpose - it's just been a rough winter.  In fact, everyone on our block was out clearing sewer grates last weekend to help out, so please don't imply that Shorewood residents are purposefully neglectful.  We're doing the best we can.  Everyone needs to use extreme caution when walking ANYWHERE right now.

Dear Ann

Thank you for your comments.

You are right that salt and ice melt is either very limited or completely out of stock almost everywhere in the area.  I know I had a very hard time getting the rock salt that I got.  

The point of my Posting though was not to "dis" the homeowners who are trying and not able to get the resources -- but the Lack of Concern by the School District and the Village.

The School District should be able to obtain what they need to make their sidewalks safe -- and as a government entity, they have a higher obligation to follow the Village Ordinances mandating for it.

The Village has been sitting back and taking a "Blase" attitude towards this unusual winter from the start.  No one in Village Government has taken an initiative to work on solutions and be Pro-Active.

Of course that begs the question of what they can do ?

1) A few years ago, you could go to the DPW and get all the sand you wanted for your sidewalks --- if they still have that, they should alert the residents to its availability --- if they don't --- they should get it.  From everything I have read, sand is still readily available -- it won't melt the ice, but it will save someone from slipping and breaking their neck.

2) DPW could deliver sand in strategic areas around Shorewood that are easily accessible to the residents.  IE.  School parking lots.

3) DPW could deliver small mounds of sand at the curbside to residents who request it.

4) DPW could start a program to spread sand on the sidewalks of the elderly or infirmed who request it.

5) DPW could interact with groups such as Boy Scouts for volunteers providing snow removal for elderly and infirmed.

I am sure there are a million other ways for the Village to be Pro-Active --- unfortunately, no one seems to want to take the iniative !

Dave

David - Keep at it. I agree with you that Shorewood as a community needs to step it up. Yes, it has been a rough winter but we still need to walk around. As someone relatively new (2yrs) to the community - coming from Milwaukee - with a little more vigilence this could be better. I have never seen an MPS school in the condition that Atwater sidewalks are in at this point (and we were involved with 3 of them).

Walking around Atwater school is trecherous. Getting someone to snowblow (as opposed to plowing) the sidewalks (as St. Roberts does) may improve the conditions. Maybe getting it done sooner (before days have passed and people have walked all over it) would help.

My questions are who is in charge of this? Is it the village? Or the school?

For what it's worth, I found calcium chloride in 20 & 50 lb. bags at the Ace Hardware on Port and bender. Until others can do the same and the weather warms, it's going to be Simon and Garfunkel lyrics I guess!

Slip sliding away, slip sliding away

You know the nearer your destination, the more you slip sliding away

Thanks for clarifying your posting.  I like this idea the best and theoretically, it would be easy for the village to implement through a mailing or something (and it is better for the environment and doesn't hurt the pads of dogs' feet like salt):

1) A few years ago, you could go to the DPW and get all the sand you wanted for your sidewalks --- if they still have that, they should alert the residents to its availability --- if they don't --- they should get it.  From everything I have read, sand is still readily available -- it won't melt the ice, but it will save someone from slipping and breaking their neck.

Doyle seeks federal disaster relief to cope with snow

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has requested federal disaster assistance for 13 southwest and southeastern Wisconsin counties for a major winter storm that hit the area Feb. 5-7.

The counties named in the request are: Dane, Dodge, Green, Jefferson, Kenosha, Lafayette, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Rock, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha.

The counties incurred record or near-record snowfalls of 12 to 19 inches on those dates. To receive federal emergency snow assistance, a location must have received a record or near record snowfall.

"This winter has been unusually difficult and has strained many crews who have worked long days and nights to keep the roads clear and safe," Doyle said. "The storm that hit Wisconsin on Feb. 5-7 was among our worst, and it really hit many local budgets hard.  I am requesting federal assistance to help provide relief to our local governments who have incurred much of these costs.”

Doyle is requesting the assistance to pay part of the cost for emergency protective measures, including state and local government operations to protect public health and safety, such as plowing and salting and efforts to prevent damage to public or private property.

Under a declaration, FEMA would provide reimbursement to local and state agencies for 75 percent of the total eligible costs of equipment, contracts and personnel overtime related to the emergency protective measures used to deal with the snow.