One thing about getting older is that you begin to recall episodes of life that were particularly challenging. And extremes of the weather can offer you those life experiences that are seared into your brain. Who can forget the Labor Day Storm, the Blizzard of ’66 or any period when we’ve received over a foot of snow within a short period of time?
For people living in Syracuse, the ability to remove snow became one of the things we hung our hat on. We are the snowiest city with a population of our size (which is about 147,000 people and falling).
Remember the time when the streets were not a worry when planning an event? It snowed, but “so what, get your boots on and let’s go!”
But today with Doppler, that ground hog, the Internet and other weather prognosticators we know what’s coming and most of the time how much.
When it snowed in the past there would be a virtual army of plows employed by the city, with its force of large vehicles and dozens of independent small trucks to handle many of our tiny side streets.
In recent years when snow hits Syracuse the coverage is as even as the Thornden Park landscape. Streets that I’ve never seen snow-covered are now thick with snow, at times 6 inches or more, while one street over is as clean as a driveway after a good shoveling.
The first idea is to cast blame on the plow drivers, but you really can’t blame them. How many bodies do we have working today compared to the days when the streets were universally scraped clean? The next in line to blame are those who set up the schedule for snow removal, but you can’t blame them because they’re working with reduced staff.
So I propose the following, since the city is in dire straits financially and we all have to pitch in to help. I’ve developed a list of 10 things you can do to cope with our Syracuse snowfall and snow-related issues (perceived or real):
Top 10 Things you can do to cope with Syracuse Snow
10. Pour some whisky in your coffee and look out the window.
9. Use your own shovel and while removing snow proceed to the middle of your street.
8. Pretend it’s not there (easy after following number 10).
7. Keep up-to-date on the drama surrounding the Citizen Review Board
6. Follow the news about the selection of the next councilor-at-large
5. Don’t worry. There are no jobs in the city so there’s no place to go anyway
4. Pretend this is the Winter Olympic Village!
3. Go to Clinton Square and put your bare feet in the fountain now!
2. Watch the cancellations scroll on the television news
1. Stand in line at Price Chopper surrounded by hordes of shoppers buying milk.
Spring is just around the corner!
Ken is editor of Urban CNY. Reach him at [email protected].
