How many times will the Village Board and Administration chant their Mantra of Pedestrian Friendly --- when Shorewood's business districts are anything but ?

How many times will the Village Board and Administration express their encouragement for business development in Shorewood, while potential customers dare not try to traverse the mounds of snow and ice separating the streets from the storefronts ?

Along the 4400 block of Oakland Avenue, if you want to patronize a business, try to get a parking spot close to the corner, because that is the only place you can access the sidewalks !

Not that the shopowners have been lax in their efforts to make a passage for their customers.  For my two storefronts on Oakland, we have shoveled paths several times to the street --- only to have them plowed over.  Today, when I tried to move the boulders of snow and ice that the plows left on the parkway --- my shovel literally broke from the weight of the snow. (see pictures below)

I know that the mundane task of trying to make commerce viable along Oakland and Capitol is not as sexy as the Sunrise development sounded --- but hey Board Members and Administration Officials --- the businesses that are here now could use your support to STAY in Business !

Kind of like the $700 billion for Wallstreet --- and nothing for Mainstreet.  Our Village Board would fit right in with the geniuses in Congress !!!

Especially now with the infamous Shorewood Curbs (a customer of mine told me today that her mother almost broke her neck on a Shorewood Curb a couple of days ago) --- how about getting the parkways clear of snow and ice in the business districts.

An all too familiar sight was one I witnessed this afternoon in front of Joe's barbershop at 4417 N Oakland.

A gentleman (probably in his fifties) was driving his father (looked to be about 80) to Joe's for a haircut ..... after circling around to try to find a space to let his father out, he made a U Turn on Oakland to try to nab one where there was "almost" a passage through the snow mounds, and no Shorewood Curb to negotiate.

After a rather clumsy attempt at a U Turn, several back and forth manuevers, and getting yelled at by a passing police officer --- the gentleman helped his father negotiate the parkway to go get his haircut.  I hope they were able to get back over the snow afterwards without injury to the old gentleman.

 THIS IS A PATH WE HAVE CLEARED SEVERAL TIMES TO THE STREET. NOW AGAIN PLOWED IN, I BROKE MY SHOVEL ON ONE OF THE ICE BOULDERS ................ ALSO THIS IS THE WHERE THE ELDERLY GENTLEMAN HAD TO CLIMB OVER THE SNOW AND ICE TO GET TO HIS HAIRCUT

 NOTICE SEVERAL PATHS HAVE BEEN CLEARED TO THE STREET, ONLY TO BE PLOWED IN AGAIN

HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON --- COUNTRY IN A RECESSION --- AND SHOREWOOD'S SHOPPING DISTRICT IS AN ARTIC WASTELAND !!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK ?               YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME !

I have been astounded by the lack of concern for dealing with the Snow and Ice and making Shorewood a Truly WALKABLE Community.

I have to admit that I was becoming discouraged about the lack of response and discussion to my postings on the subject, until Suzanne Rosenblatt added a posting to her blog about the dangers in trying to navigate Shorewood this winter, and the indifference that the Village Administration has shown.

I then met Suzanne and her husband at Schwartz's yesterday --- and after reading her posting, and knowing they had to walk down the middle of the streets to get there as the sidelwalks are Not Walkable --- I knew that this issue has to be pursued further.

(To read Suzanne's posting click here on Thin Ice)

Reading about the Official Indifference by the Village Administration in Suzanne's blog, I wondered just how conscientious the Members of the Shorewood Board of Trustees  are in following the laws they set. 

There are 6 Trustees, and 2 of them have sidewalks covered with Treacherous Ice -- that makes them all but impassable.

To be more than fair, I waited until 5 PM today (Sunday), just in case they needed the weekend to get their salt, ice melt, or just get out there with an ice chopper.  I then took pictures of the offending walks to document their condition.

 To complete my Due Diligence, I am going to cross reference the addresses on the tax records, to ensure I have not taken a picture of a house that someone no longer lives at, or was listed in error on their address listing. 

 After the double check of ownership of the properties, I will post the photos and the names of the Trustees here tomorrow.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ?

Did my civic duty at the Lake Bluff school --- and was amazed that the lot had not been cleared of the snow and ice.

Once you get close to the entrance, there was some clear pavement, but the rest of the lot is a broken hip waiting to happen.

Talking to the Poll Workers --- they said that when they first got there in the morning, even the entrances were treacherous.

Whose responsiblity is it to make sure that the voters --- old and young, able and infirmed --- have adequate access to the Polling Places.

I drove by the Village Hall, and it appeared that a much better job was done there near the entrance, although the crosswalks could have been done better.

Driving by the other Shorwood Schools --- I can see that the School District does not clear its sidewalks.  All of them, Lake Bluff, Atwater, SHS and the Middle School were all surrounded by slippery sidewalks.

Just for comparison, I drove past Riverside School in Milwaukee --- their sidewalks were nice and clear.  The same with the grade school on 9th street just south of National.

It is nice that the School District is going to have Artificial Grass and possibly a Dome at the SHS Athletic Field ---- in the meantime, maybe they can comply with the Village Ordinances and clear their walks !

 WHAT DO YOU THINK ?