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 !

 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.