The Shorewood DPW has not been given the manpower or capital resources by the Village government to deal properly with big snow falls like the one last Friday.  With their trimmed back staff, the DPW workers are putting in very long hours, and they do not have the kind of equipment they had in the past for moving snow.

 Despite the limitations put upon them, the folks at DPW used innovation to vastly improve access to the storefront businesses along Capitol and Oakland after last Friday's foot or more of snow was dumped on Shorewood's streets and sidewalks.

In the past the paths that the merchants cleared to the street were soon inundated with snow from the street plows, and access to the businesses was almost none existent for their customers.

This time however, the Shorewood DPW used front end loaders to clear the streets to the curb --- and stockpiled the snow in large mounds along the street.  This method left the paths the merchants cleared open for the customers to access the sidewalks from the street, and provided more parking opportunites for the patrons.

Admittedly this is not as good as actually clearing and removing the snow, as they do at Bayshore, but in light of the limited resources that the Village Board gives to the DPW, they did the very best they could with  what they have.

We can only hope that at some time the Village Board and Administration realize that the folks at DPW are overworked and lack the capital equipment needed to fulfill the mission thrust upon them.

 IN THE MEANTIME --- TO ALL THE FOLKS AT DPW --- THANK YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE !

 What do you think ?                Please feel free to leave a comment !

 The weather forecasters are predicting 12 to 18 inches of snow starting on Friday. 

Last week when we had much less snow, Shorewood businesses suffered as the parkways became virtually insurmountable barriers to their storefronts for potential customers (see pictures in my last posting).

Last Saturday when our business was open on Oakland Avenue (4400 block) we didn't have enough customers to cover the overhead --- much less, God forbid, make some money !!

You may recall from my last posting, about the poor guy who was taking his elderly father to get a haircut at Joe's Barber shop at 4417 N Oakland --- it was amazing that neither one broke a leg or ankle slipping and sliding over the snow and ice thrown onto the parkway by the snowplows.

So what do the Shorewood Merchants have to look forward to this weekend ?

Does the Village Board or Administration have an "action plan" in place ?

Will the DPW clear the parkways with their front end loaders ?

Or should we (and other shopkeepers) just keep our doors closed rather than lose more money ?

Oh, and By the Way ----- with 12 to 18 inches of snow, what are the Village's plans for the sidewalks, alleys, & crosswalks ?

Any Village Board Members or Administration Officials who have any information on how this storm will be dealt with .... please feel free to use the Comment Section below and clue the rest of us in on the plan.

 BTW --- COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOME FROM ALL READERS ....

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 !

 Winter has again come into being with a vengence this year.  Snow --- thaw --- ice --- snow --- Ad Nauseum.

 By and large the homeowners and businesses have seemed to do a pretty good job in clearing their walks.

It is still a shame that the Village no longer clears the snow in the commercial areas between the curb and the sidewalks ---- it is a strong impediment to potential customers for the shops --- and belies Shorewood oft repeated self proclamation of "pedestrian friendly".

One business that has certainly not gone out of its way in clearing its walks is the Northshore Bank on the corner of Oakland and Lake Bluff.  As you can see from the pictures below, walking along either Oakland or Lake Bluff, can be hazardous to your orthopedic health !

 The route along Lake Bluff is the "sidewalk bus" which many of the students at Lake Bluff School and the parents travel twice a day.  It would especially be nice if it was clear for all the mothers I see pushing strollers as they accompany their students.

It is also noteworthy that North Shore Bank's neighbors east of them on Lake Bluff and north of them on Oakland, are also scofflaws in regards to their walks --- see pictures below.

I would hope that with these walkways being in such a heavily traveled part of the Village, and in such prominence, that the Shorewood PD would start having some "heart to ticket book conversations"  in enforcing the snow and ice removal laws.

 NORTHSHORE BANK BRANCH OAKLAND AND LAKE BLUFF

 LAKE BLUFF SIDEWALK ALONGSIDE BANK

 OAKLAND AVENUE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF BANK

 RESIDENTIAL SIDEWALKS TO EAST OF BANK

 SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF APARTMENT BLDG NORTH OF BANK

 WHAT DO YOU THINK ?                         YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME !

 As readers of this blog know, I have written "ad nauseam"  :-)  about the lack of consideration for small business parking in areas where there is No Construction Work being done, but No Parking signs are left posted --- and tickets are written for patrons of businesses and residents who might have "logically" thought if there is No Work going on, parking for a few minutes should be ok --- Wrong !!

Contacting the Officials that Be had not been very productive, as the finger pointing (Construction Crews, DPW, Administration, Police, BID) invariably followed a circular pattern, 

I am happy to report that Guy Johnson, the Shorewood Village President, as he promised,  has taken an interest in this situation and is reviewing it with the Village Administration and DPW.

Will there be an immediate change to the current practices ? 

I don't know ---- but I am encouraged the process is being reviewed ---- and that the plight of the hapless small business owners is now a consideration.

WHAT DO YOU THINK.  PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT BELOW.
 

 Frequent readers of my blog --- both of you :-) --- may recall that last fall when the Village was starting the Streetscape project, they had NO PARKING signs all along Oakland Avenue --- for days at a time when NO WORK was being done.

This week --- AGAIN --- on the 4400 block of North Oakland, which is heavily concentrated with small businesses that rely on walk in traffic --- the street has been marked NO PARKING all week although there has been NO WORK done.

Obviously, when they are working in the area, the construction crews need to have the street cleared of parked cars.  

But when they are not working in a retail area --- even if it is for one day only !!!! --- why can't they take the signs down or cover them.

Again --- let me ask of the  Village Government --- the Village Board Members --- the Administration ........... do ANY OF YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN SHOREWOOD ????

WHAT DO YOU THINK ?  PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW ! 

Just about 10 years ago the merchants on North Oakland had to endure a disastarous summer of (non) business as Shorewood tore up the street and sidewalks and made North Oakland the "Jewel of Shorewood" !!

Now Shorewood is at it again (obviously they didn't get it right 10 years ago) as the street is a two lane mess, sidewalks and crosswalks are torn up --- and the business owners are Hurting .....

But according to recent comments from the Shorewood BID reported in Shorewoodnow.com  ---

"We are turning what could be somewhat of an inconvenience into an exciting way to attract customers and keep them coming back for the quality products and personal service that Shorewood is known for," BID member Barb Caprile said."

Barb --- you just Don't Get It !!!  It is NOT an "inconvenience" for the merchants on North Oakland --- it is a Financial Disaster. 

Talk to the guys at Mautz Paint -- this should be one of their busiest times -- and their business is way down.  If you don't have GPS with the optional topographical map feature --- trying to patronize the Wick Family's store is all but impossible. 

And just in case the project moves along too quickly --- according to the Village Website, construction will be suspended for most of the month of July to accomodate the 4th of July parade and the Criterium Bicycle Race.

Hmmmmm --- did the BID ever think of re-routing the Bike race so that the Oakland merchants can get back to business as soon as possible ?  As I noted in my blog last year, the Bike Race actually Hurts the Majority of the Businesses on Oakland -- yet the BID keeps it going, and against all evidence otherwise, the BID claims they do it for the Businesses !!!

Why not relocate it to another business area in Shorewood and let them enjoy all the boost to business the Bike Race brings -- NOT !

And since the 4th of July parade is Mobile by Nature --- how about a different route so work can continue on the Oakland Construction. 

I think most of my business neighbors would agree we with me when I say --- Let's Get the Damn Thing Done and Give Us Back our Customers ----  Please !!

 WHAT DO YOU THINK ?  YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW !