HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal Star, 1976-01-29, Page 1d•
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U1. . T',t,hr•r"jr <
52. Montlreal. St,
Goder .ch,: Oxzty :•' 1N7, . 2G4 .; .
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• Goderich works and engineering employees have had their hands full -with the,job of snow
'removal working a-s.many' as 16 hours a: day to keep roads clear... Residents always
grumble about•getting. their driveways blocked, by the plows but the men have kept •
- Gbderich s.i reets clear throughout the storm:. (staff photo)
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Mild tem eratures moved into `Southwestern ,Ottario last weekend; Causing considerable
flooding ;of `town streets and hazardous driving conditions. Town employees were busy.
Monday unclogging catch basins to drain water that gathered on maany;Goderich streets.
(staff photo)
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• something there .isn't 100 r "tech thtit is going to stop you. Despite
,I h heavy
snowfall
landdoing • r es, Members•• of the Goderieh Trotting
the ht�atvy snowfall and,netir�record low tc�ntlrtwntutt
lssoeiatinn exercise their horses regularly. (staff- lhoto) •
,
v.
__ople" buying sh°vets or Deli
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•i X DAVE SYIhES • and •tn+many •cases have been County employees .have`
've during
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working 18 hours aday. also, . been. acts r g
When will it everastop? - . , Mr-Meriarrt said that Most... January' . and the 14.
It lots been a common plea of die operators o'the three ' .Snowplows arid seven sanders
=i'' in .Goderieh • these days for road plows ' kand • the:thr. ee have rarely. stopped, County;
shovellers', plowe,rs, • and' sidewalk -plows have; .begun ;ngineer. Jim Britnell, said
drivers and almost anyone duty at midnight, - worked - 'the men are averaging ap-'
ele .who has' long lost that through until 4 p..m. the " proximately • 65 hours • •per'
youthful spirit of adventure Following day' and then week while, snowplow
i'. that snowfalls were made for. •reported back at midnight, 'operators are to ing -.bet;
There i.ertainly isn't too' .Just eighthours later. ween 70 ,and 80 hours per
"' much consol'ation in'f}te fact Goder•'ich �`ot;ks and .'week. Despite 'the,hours, he.
, that much' of the winter 'still Engineering .chairman Dave said," the morale of,the men.
1.i:gs before us. - Gower said . the .town has 'was still good and the public.
But W,..). have been ,spoiled already spent its• snow. has , been understandin-g
lately and: ° the severity' of re'moyat budget for the year 'throughout the storm; '
winter undoubtedly rekindles and will require additional. Me, Britnell estimated that• .
Mel -bodes of past winters that funding: Snow removal has the county has already spent
-">. always seem to outdo the ' already cost the town9$18,000 nearly 51• percent of its 1976.
••W.Orst. Just mentioning the which is already, double East Winter control ,budget and•
drud.get•y.of the• winter in a year's figure of x;9,000.. . estimated that. .cost was:. 32
semi-depre'ssed state • Ho'wet;er,' last .weekend's percent higher thari last year
`, prompts an elder to mention warm .spell :and rains coin- He said the •county,would be
that we _should have...been plicated matters as the works faced witb option of cutting
around- in the winter of'55or, department• . then con- ;hack .some,. snow • removal
back
tttin '49 when winters were centrated their • effort§ "ort ,servic^es, or ,. getting more
e s:.: opening clogged catch' basins money. from '.the :people to
Th ..Goderich. area has to, prevent flooding: There continue it.
• already received six feet of : were, also problems ,in •.the..While,. •town and county
snow this winter .which .rnay, industrial. park area 'where crews -Clear, the roads.: most
.riot be all:that alarming -but plugged di.t'c3e' caused people grudgingly continued
the unusual weather' trends flooding in somefactories and to shovel- out driveways' and
,: Be in the fact:•that hashackhoes had to be rented to sidewalks in what seertied.
... been no periods: -of -incitation. • ,
;_ ed that before they
Th -e snotvingand the blowing <
<..ex-cessw•ater.� snon calm.
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there •
open..di_tches and remove the _ like a futile;effor•t. But"people
could' begin they . wotpd'
probably have to stand :it line -
for a .shovel. ' .
Goderich and area ' hard- •
wart -stores. simply can't get .
shovels.-;rast :enough to , ap
•pease the public appetite'. In
view of `past winters ' most
."stores •were . not ov, er,ly
stocked and .stocks were
depleted! within a day. The' '
best seller was the snow
scoop which is; used to haul
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snow .rather. than; throw it.
Many residents were put on a
waiting, list . until dealers
could '• get stock '.from
wholes,alers.-
The manager of the Pro
Hardwarein Godericlisaid he
'anticipated a. normal winter
and was soon faced with the
problem of having no shovels
at all. He received ;shipment
in last. week and Within ,a
Matter of hours the stock was.
sold. F3ud Jerry of H.O. Jerry
said he didn't even. have time.
to move fresh stock . to the
back of•th.e'store before if was
sold' and .another shipment
had to'be ordered
Mr. S: Knight of Dominion.
continued on page4A�
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and cold temperatures have
been relentless : through
.-`January without a break
between storms. •
A • representative of "the '
governrnent,veather.office•at
Sky Harb•oi Aii-portindicated
there was more snow' in the
area th'icee.years,ago but this
winter i5- unusua) due to the
sust*,�t.ned• length pf" below:
norr'hal ,temper -attires:
January temperatures have
ll�!n. running. f_out• 't.o five
degrees below 'normal
av,erage:..terriperatures arid:,
snow• has not hada chance to . • • .
• The November .snow ac-
cumulation .of 1'3.8 cm. was
w
well belo•the: normal 23 cm
and the G'5' cm received'•in •
Dec-einber`was just a fraction
'..,above ..the normal for the
month. But January has been
a different story and -the north'
of 66; cm M or 26 inches was .
.surpassed early in the month,. '
.The recorded sn'o#Fall to ---
January
=January 24 was 104 cm. or 41'
inches and .additibnal snow
during. the .last week could
push'that-figureto double the
average 'snowfall -for the
month. • '
Although • weary snow
shovellers-are Screaming for
a
.break; snowplow operators
iii the town and county have
rarely had an opportunity to
ge.t out of •their trucks.
Goderich. works department
- foreman Stan 1Vleriam said
,that snowpIow'crews in town
have''' already. logged four
'times as many hours as'fast
year's: total., The crew- has.
- W been working steady, since
January 4 with no days off
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civ ...
t ofortundtel' ir<irt of the -winter drudgery is shoveliing'snow and this year itseems as if
there will -he -ii-o 'nil to it. 1iowei•er Goderich'residen`ts have had itrelatively easy in past
%%inte s :indk the exercise shou•ld•kecp us in shape if it is.any' consolation. (staff photo)
• !Toxo (i.odt�rich residents lir' probably cursing the severity
• Wythe winter htil?"I''oi• most ;t'oangsters it is delightful. Skiffs
Ind toboggans are 'getting a' good workout and .'even .just a --
plain old srtm8•bink provides hour. of fun.' (staff•photo) -
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