The Hound spent much of the weekend traveling around Lake County to see how road crews fared in tackling the midweek storm. Far and away the worst roads were in Gurnee. The Hound has seen better roads in Gstaad when he romped with the Royals last winter. Perhaps they need Swiss plow drivers in Gurnee.
Most of the communities had their roads down to pavement by Sunday, except, that is Gurnee. The Hound hears from longtime Gurneeans that this is the worst job they've ever seen. Apparently, the village used its newfangled reverse 9-1-1 to notify residents that road crews ran out of salt and they were suspending plowing side streets. That was the afternoon of Feb. 5.
True to their word, The Hound has been told, no side streets were plowed and by today had turned into ice roads. The History Channel had this program last year called "Ice Road Truckers" about truckers who carry mining materials to a diamond mine way, way up in northern Canada. Why this was on the History Channel, The Hound is unsure, but it was pretty entertaining. The truckers had to drive on this ice road.
While driving around Gurnee, it occurred to The Hound that ice road in Canada might be just like the streets in Gurnee. Kind of like an adventure except you not pulling down big Loonies for driving over an ice road. One could also compare Gurnee roads to washboards, but that might be kind. Especially between tonight and tomorrow when three to six inches of snow is expected. The Hound shudders to think what those streets will look like by then.
According to the village's Web site, "The goal of the Village's snow removal plan is to have all of the streets cleared in eight hours, in the event of a four to six-inch snowfall." Guess that didn't happen. Anybody can move snow when it's four to six inches. The big dogs do it when there's 10 inches on the ground and more falling.
The Hound noticed parking lots at Gurnee Mills looked better than the village's sidestreets. Maybe the village should think of outsouring snowplowing to private operators, who haven't seemed to run out of salt.
Or maybe investigate hiring a Swiss as the director of public works.
I can understand being out of salt, but Gurnee could still plow even if just a little. Something is better than nothing
THE HOUND SEZ: Ya think?
I have to agree with you in regards to the roads in Gurnee...it seems every time there is snow accumulation, Gurnee comes up with another excuse as to why the roads are not plowed. They say Grand Avenue is a State Highway (which it is) and the State's responsibility, yet you can drive on a clean Grand Avenue from Sheridan Road to about Green Bay Road, and then a snow covered road from Green Bay to about Route 45, and then Grand miraculously becomes clean again...guess those State Plow Drivers lift the blade going through Grand huh? Or is it that the other jurisdictions would rather clear it Grand than wait around for the State? Last winter Grand was untouched in Gurnee for 3 days and Dick Durbin had to get involved. Pathetic. I think it is time for Gurnee to get a new mayor...
THE HOUND SAYS: Good points. But if Gurnee is surrounded by state and county roads, just what do the village's crews plow? Mainly sidestreets and neighborhoods, is as far as The Hound can tell. The supervisors obviously couldn't keep up with something.
Routes 41, 21 and 132 are state roads. Delany Road north of 41 is a county road; Stearns School Road is a county road; Hunt Club Road is a county road; Washington Street is a county road. How about O'Plaine, Gages Lake and Almond roads, county or village?
Have to say the county crews did a good job on their parts of the bargain, with the roads down to pavement.
If there was an election in April, anybody seeking re-election would be booted, but the next election is April '09 and voters seem to have a short memory.
I find it interesting that the Gurnee Mayor is now admitting that the village screwed up, even though it was a pretty lame admission. Too bad she could not make the Village Board Meeting and say it in person. Oh, wait a minute, isn't it her job to be at the Village Board Meeting? No douobt this will not be the last thing she screws up before April 09 so there is hope yet for Gurnee!
THE HOUND SEZ: Sounds like a snowjob to these big ears. It is a little odd that she was unable to make the first Village Board meeting after village crews couldn't plow the streets she's in charge of. Then she has Village Administrator Manager Jim Hayner read a letter explaining why the village didn't clear the streets. Hope she's not setting Hayner up to take the fall. Instead of a letter, why didn't she just use her newest toy, reverse 9-1-1, to verbally tell all village residents why her administration fell down on one of its main jobs: Keeping the streets snow free?