The Observation Deck

Finally, a little snow. We all know there will be more to come and so now is a good time for everyone to remember to clear your sidewalks. Don't forget, our kids need safe sidewalks to and from school each day. If you, or if you know someone who is unable to clear the snow from sidewalks please call the city for help. For more information, read an article about the "Clear-4-Kids" Campaign; http://lakewoodobserver.com/read/2011/10/05/clear4kidsa-community-effort-to-raise-snow-removal-awareness.

If you would like to help make the "Clear-4-Kids" Campaign a success this winter please join the "Clear-4-Kids" committee of the Lakewood Family Collaborative next Thursday, January 26th, at 12:30pm at the Lakewood Women's Pavilion. We'll be meeting for about 30 minutes to discuss the campaign and how to make a positive impact this winter.

Not only is it sad that the LARGE majorty of residents don't shovel their walks to provide safe passage ... but can you imagine if existing Snow Clearing ordinances were actually enforced??? ... the City's coffers would be overflowing! I walk a LOT all around town, and I often mentally add up the $$$$ that is not being realized because (I can only conclude) someone somwehere at City Hall doesn't deem uncleared sidewalks a public safety issue.

I think this is a great program! I'm glad there is a group of people in Lakewood willing to put this together and execute it - what a great contribution. I hope the support and execution grow and grow over the years.

Maybe by this time next winter I won't have to walk in front of my kids on their way to school clearing a path as I go.

Corey

Peter Grossetti wrote:Not only is it sad that the LARGE majorty of residents don't shovel their walks to provide safe passage ... but can you imagine if existing Snow Clearing ordinances were actually enforced??? ... the City's coffers would be overflowing! I walk a LOT all around town, and I often mentally add up the $$$$ that is not being realized because (I can only conclude) someone somwehere at City Hall doesn't deem uncleared sidewalks a public safety issue.

Peter

I am willing to bet that is because a great many of of elected officials do not shovel their
own walks. I did a photo expose on this a year ago. I could drag out the images again I suppose.

FWIW


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Corey Rossen wrote:I think this is a great program! I'm glad there is a group of people in Lakewood willing to put this together and execute it - what a great contribution. I hope the support and execution grow and grow over the years.

Maybe by this time next winter I won't have to walk in front of my kids on their way to school clearing a path as I go.

Corey

Hi Corey,

Yeah I'm excited about this too. I know at one of the meetings attended by someone from the City (I wish I remembered her name, she was great) she hammered out the responsibilities of businesses-- and made it clear that whoever was there (not the corporate owner) had the responsibility of clearing the snow. We saw immediate results at the Speedway on the corner of Franklin and Warren. I'm hoping that there will be an article in the paper about the ins and outs of this. The City said the key was enforcement, that the laws are on the books. Everyone agreed that it would be hard for people to follow the law if they didn't know what it was, which is why the water bills and recycling notices have the Clear for Kids campaign now.

The one thing any of us can do is make sure we get our own walks shoveled, and look around on your street to see if anybody might need help. The City has shovelling programs for senior citizens, and they could probably use help identifying landlords who need to be updated on what the City's snow clearing requirements are. I'm hoping they have fliers that can be put in mailboxes so that tenants can alert landlords, etc.

Maybe Kristine can come on here and give an overview of the things we learned about how the law works with residents and businesses in terms of shoveling.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Peter

I am willing to bet that is because a great many of of elected officials do not shovel their
own walks. I did a photo expose on this a year ago. I could drag out the images again I suppose.

FWIW

I think that these photos would be very inspirational.

Betsy Voinovich

Forget the kids, I still walk to my parent's house from work for dinner (and back to work when I'm done). I'd say 15% of the people on their side of the street shovel. I don't mind the snow. It's the ice that eventually builds up that is troublesome.

If I may make a suggestion: Maybe we should encourage some of the kids to be little entrepreneurs (or even volunteers) and shovel the sideways. Nice after-school program, know what I mean?
That would, however, require them to get off their couches, stop playing video games and do some actual fat-burning work.

Roy Pitchford wrote:That would, however, require them to get off their couches, stop playing video games and do some actual fat-burning work.

Yeah it would be horrible if we made them walk through 1" - 2" of snow and burn off some of those snackables.

Of course, we could just strap salt spreaders to their backs and solve a couple problems at once.

J Hrlec wrote:Of course, we could just strap salt spreaders to their backs

I know one group that would be all for that.


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