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 !

It has been very rough on the small businesses in Shorewood this winter, as the Village is unable to deal with the snow that blocks their business entrances from the street.  I have written many blogs about that and it is still a problem, but not one that I will address in this Posting.

I am very sensitive to the snow and ice situation, as I have had both a hip and knee replacement in the past four years.  The last thing I need is to try to traverse ice and snow when patronizing a business.

 I have an empathy for the small "mom and pop" businesses, as their resources are often limited to the person minding the shop (many of them elderly ladies and gents) --- for the most part, they do admirably with their sidewalks in front of their stores.

This evening I was trying to patronzie two of the largest businesses in Shorewood -- Pick and Save http://www.roundys.com   and Walgreens www.Walgreens.com .,

In my opinion, based upon how they DON'T provide safe access to their stores, they do not deserve the patronage of our community.

Pick and Save --- Forget It !!  24 Hours after the storm, their parking lot is still a treachoreous mess of slush, ice and snow.  I could not see the slightest effort having been expended to make their parking lot safe and accomodating to their customers.

Walgreens was Almost ok ---  Actually their lot was remarkedly well taken care of (Pick and Save could use them as an example) BUT --- the walkway to the actual front door of the store, was a narrow little path, between two mounds of snow, and was packed down with ice and hard packed snow.

I was hoping to be able to park in a nicely cleared lot at both businesses, and use my cane to make my way to the businesses without slipping and snapping my new knee or hip apart.  But there was no way I could have made it with any confidence, without pulling out my walker for the treacherous journey for each establishment.

Sooooooooo I said Goodbye to both ---- I'll patronize businesses that care about the safety and convenience of their customers --- and I hope you all do the same !!

 WHAT'S YOUR OPINION --- PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW