ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 9, 1996 TAG: 9601100042
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PULASKI
SOURCE: NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
Pulaski town officials are asking for the patience and cooperation of townspeople in getting town streets cleared of snow.
Town Manager Tom Combiths said Monday that town crews have 78 miles of street, not counting alleys, that must be cleaned. While it might seem that some melting Monday afternoon should have made things easier, he said, it actually reduces cleaning efficiency by half because it makes the snow heavier and more difficult to plow.
Other problems include cars parked in streets, people piling snow that they have shoveled off sidewalks or driveways back into the streets after they are cleaned, sleigh-riders and even pedestrians, he said. "All this just complicates the problem."
All these factors tend to slow cleaning operations, as does the need to haul snow away from the downtown business section, because there is no room to pile it there.
Combiths said the town hauls away 100 dump-truck loads of snow from the downtown area every three to four hours. That much snow represents the clearance of about half a block, he said.
Another reason people might not see town clearance crews as often as they think they should, he said, is because the crews must also run interference for rescue squads and police units when they need to get through to make emergency calls.
He said that residential streets with one lane plowed will have at least two more visits by snowplows. If possible, he said, people should try to wait to clear the ends of their driveways because the later trips through by plows will block them again. "I know it's a hardship," he said.
Combiths said elderly or handicapped residents who get their driveways blocked by plows and need medicine or assistance should call the town 980-1000 number, and crews will give their driveways priority.
He said he hoped citizens would understand about these factors that tend to slow street clearing and do what they can to alleviate them.
LENGTH: Short : 44 linesby CNB