Christmas Snow -- December 24-25, 2009 -- Collinsville, OK -- www.cvilleok.com

Sample Previous Coverage:

March 28, 2009 Late Spring Snow

Jan. 28, 2009 Park Sleding

Jan. 27 , 2009 Sleet To Snow

Dec. 14-15, 2008 Ice

Jan. 31, 2008 Snow

Dec. 9-15, 2007 Ice Storm
...

Nov. 23, 2007 First Snow (list)

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Ted Wright -- last update 12/25/2009 (& 12/29) (SnowDrifts.html) www.cvilleok.com
Copyright 2009 -- Collinsville, Oklahoma

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Followup Photos & Comments

City crews were finally removing the snow (that fell 3 days ago) from the downtown parking areas Monday morning. I understand city cost and holiday weekend considerations but it seems it would have been much simplier (before the areas were clogged with cars parking in the way of the plow) either early Monday morning or over the weekend. The city did clear snow from the deadend 12th Street (by closed City Hall) over the weekend. My view of the world is limited to walking just a few blocks since Dec. 24th
(I worked each of those days) but had one viewer complaint about a lack of sand in other iced over roads in the city. -- Ted Wright 11:40am Monday 12/28/2009

I have received two differing opinions (below) on the city's response to the Christmas ice & snow. I think it would be useful for the city leaders to provide the citizens exactly what their policy & responsibilities are as many have differing expectations. I'll slip in a few more of my own comments here: I'm glad that salt is not used, to avoid damage to roads and vehicles. I would like to see more sand used in residential areas. I understand the limitations of plowing ice under snow. I assume ODOT has responsibility on Main St./S-Curve/Highway 20 where my other "lack of sand" complaint was aimed. -- Ted 7:40pm 12/28/2009

Dear Mr. Wright, I take offense to your comments that the city employees didn't do their jobs. My father, Steve Jones, did in fact work Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day sanding and plowing! In fact, he missed both of our Christmas family celebrations because of it. I understand that YOU worked those days as well and are trying to making that clear in your comments, but your pictures that you took for your site's blizzard/snow coverage show those workers doing their job. I hope you had a Merry Christmas regardless. Sincerely, Bridget Lawhead (12/28/2009)

I didn't say anyone "didn't do their jobs", I commented on the choice of waiting to clear the downtown parking area for businesses after they opened Monday when the task would have been easier and more useful if done earlier. I passed on another's comment on the lack of sand. -- Ted Wright

Ted, I am very disappointed with the City of Collinsville’s lack of effort on clearing our streets. 12th street was horrible and my sons truck sat at the fast lube for 2 days because we couldn’t get it up our road. I understand side streets being cleared are a luxury but 12th street heading south out of town is a main road that is used a lot and they were clearing the dead end where no one drives and as of this morning 12th was still not plowed or sanded. I have lived in this town for a long time and graduated here and I don’t think I have ever seen this much lack of effort on the city’s part. What will we do when more comes in on top of this?? -- Lesia Ball (12/28/2009)

The people that shop in downtown (and generate a portion of the meager sales tax that runs this city) don't care if the merchants or the city clears the parking spots, sidewalks, or ramps connecting the streets to the sidewalks ... but they do care that somebody does. It's 5 days now since the sleet & snow fell and I just spent 2+ hours making just a narrow path with my shovel (mostly in the ramps blocked by the plowed snow) for three blocks downtown. There is much more that can be done but I need to get back to my own work. I have another viewer comment on the lack of clearing in Prairie View which I'll add later and hopefully move this entire discussion off the "front page". -- Ted 3:30pm Tuesday 12/29/2009

Ted, My Mom has lived out here or as the city calls it where in Prairie View for 37 years now. The streets over here are never touched by the city. The road over to here (146th) is barely touched and the paper cannot be put in the box because of the ice on the roads. The only trucks put here were two state trucks on Friday afternoon.
-- David Ikenberry (12/29/2009)

Ted, I want to take the time and thank you for clearing snow earlier today downtown. I drove by and saw you shoveling snow and not 15 minutes later, I saw an elder man that had to use one of the ramps that would have been covered by snow if you hadn't have cleared it, walk across the street to a business. My mother works at a business here in Collinsville that still has a snow drift in front of it on the side walk. I went into her place of work and that talk was about how collinsville was lacking with clearing snow compared to Skiatook and Owasso. It angers me that we have this problem considering last week in the collinsville paper, there was an article asking if collinsville was ready for another ice storm. Pam Polk stated that we were ready and everything would be fine if we had another storm, however it proves that collinsville officials will never be ready for an ice storm or even a snow storm. Once again, thank you Ted for clearing the snow off of the walkways. -- GP (12/29/2009) 4pm

I wanted to point out that clearing the sidewalk is primarily the responsibility of the merchant (as far as I know ... not having seen an official policy but with more than 10 years recent history watching ). The Main Street Downtown parking areas have historically been cleared by the city although there is some ODOT/merchant confusion. The ramps (8 per intersection) in the new streetscape area are an unknown responsibility as there is no real history here. The city could have helped by not leaving the plow debris blocking the ramps and in one case leaving a huge snow pile in the middle of the crosswalk just beyond the ramp (10th Street). It seems a bit much to count on the corner merchants as all the downtown merchants benefit when shopper can move from block-to-block. I also wanted to point out that for some snow storms doing very little has been the most efficient policy as everything not in the shade can be gone in 3 days but that didn't fit this case.-- Ted Wright 12/29/2009 4:30pm

Ted - I live in the Stonegate addition and on top of lack of any snow removal off the streets, apparently the trash service has discontinued too. Our trash pick-up date is on Mondays, and here we are on Thursday with a trash can full. It is my opinion that the City needs to explain why there has been such a lack of services from the City.
-- Jim Barton (12/31/2009)

Just an an FYI, my trash was picked up yesterday (12/30) that has been out since Saturday (12/26 for the scheduled 1-day delayed Christmas Friday). I expected a delay with the snow/ice but agree a status/estimate from the city would have been useful. I have had no info from the city for this web site nor found any on their web site. -- Ted Wright (12/31/2009 11am)

4:05pm Thursday 12/31 City Trash Update: Normal Thursday pickup today. Will not work Jan. 1. Normal Friday pickup moves to Sat. Jan 2nd.This week's Monday (12/28) pickup is pushed to next Monday Jan 4th due to the earlier weather delays. -- Per City Clerk Angela Long

Ted,
In regards to the photo and caption "Bill Johnston was one of the merchants taking care of their own sidewalk area with a shovel Tuesday."

HOW DARE HE do such a thing as take care of something himself and not sit on his duff and wait for the government to do it for him!

Will people every stop complaining about something so trivial as snow removal? Do it yourself and maybe even help your neighbor! Now there is an idea.

David (12/31/2009)

David, I'm guessing you are missing the not so small distinction between the sidewalks and the parking area downtown (which is not dedicated to a specific business). Many of the merchants (and other individuals) did the best they could, but only the city owns a snow plow (which we all helped payed for). -- Ted (12/31/2009)