VIDEO: Scenes From the Snowy Little City

February 6, 2010

The second major storm of the 2009-2010 winter season changed life in Falls Church CIty, albeit temporarily. People spent their weekend shoveling snow, left their cars at home, and instead took to major routes on foot or ski. Click the video box to watch.

OPINION: Please Be Patient, Crews Are Doing Their Best

By GEORGE BROMLEY
Falls Church Times Staff

February 6, 2010

Sinclair Lewis observed in Main Street that winter in Minnesota is not a season, it is an industry.  That has never been so here and hopefully never will be, but some people in The Little City are under the impression that it is and that our side streets should have been plowed by sunset.

Many weren’t and some might not be plowed until sunset on Sunday, though not for lack of effort.  The City crews have not gone home.  They worked all through last night and will work well into tonight.   They catch a few hours sleep on cots at the Property Yard.  They are doing their best and more, but neither they, nor anyone else here, can clear a record amount of snow in record time.

I know snow, having often seen more in a winter than Falls Church sees in a decade.   I know how hard it is to move it, wherever it falls.  Two feet of snow is a challenge for any city, little or large.  I think the City crews did a great job in December and will do so again.

Emerson wrote that patience and fortitude conquer all things.  So they do.  Please be patient and accept that we at home tonight have the easier of the two duties.

Is a Picture Still Worth 1,000 Words?

By STEPHEN SIEGEL
Falls Church Times Staff

February 6, 2010

It’s been said for generations that a picture is worth a thousand words. We writers might dispute that, but sometimes a photo just says it all. Like the photo below of the Falls Church Times yard sign, peeking its little head above the snowbank, struggling to be seen.

Keep at it, little fella! With a little help from a strengthening sun, you’ll be visible again in no time.

Evening Update From City Hall

From Barbara Gordon
Director of Communications

February 6, 2010

The snow has stopped but residents are urged to still avoid driving for their safety and to allow crews clear passage for plowing.  Crews will continue working this evening to clear streets.  Broad and Washington streets and snow emergency routes are passable, but crews are still reducing the huge mounds of snow which block sightlines.

Work has just begun on neighborhood streets and it will take a couple of days until all side streets are clear of snow.  Residents are asked to be patient.  Because of the magnitude of snow it will take more time to clear all streets.  As of 5 p.m. power was restored to most if not all residences.  Some outages still may occur.  If they do, residents should call Dominion Power at 1-888-667-3000.

The Library and Community Center will be closed on Sunday.  Decisions will be made tomorrow regarding the opening of City government and schools.  Cancellations for Monday include the GEORGE bus, special pickups, brush, and Christmas tree pickups.

Updates will be posted on the City web site tomorrow morning and tomorrow evening.  General information about inclement weather tips is also available on the City web site www.fallschurchva.gov

It would be most helpful to dig out the snow around fire hydrants so they are visible and accessible in the event of an emergency.   Next week the postal carriers also will appreciate those who clear snow from around curbside mail boxes.

Blizzard No. 2 Hits Falls Church

By FALLS CHURCH TIMES STAFF

February 6, 2010

Falls Church was hit with its second severe storm of the season this weekend, with snow starting at 10 a.m. Friday and ending around 5 p. m. Saturday.   Here are some images from around town, courtesy of Alison Kutchma.

Latest Snow Update from the City

February 6, 2010

Falls Church City Communications Director Barbara Gordon  has supplied the following information:

As of 9:30 a.m, 20 inches or more of snow has fallen so far in the City. Some power outages are reported. Because snow is still falling, City snow removal crews are concentrating on keeping Snow Emergency Routes open; sidestreets will be plowed later.

Because of the huge volume of the heavy snow, there are limited places where the snow can be dumped, so residents are requested to be understanding. After the snow stops falling, after residential streets are plowed, the City will continue to move and remove the snow that piles up, but it will take several days.

To assist with effective snow removal – and for safety – the City urges residents to stay home and stay off the streets. Skiing and sledding on snow emergency routes especially slows down snow removal.

As reported yesterday, the Library and Community Center will be closed today, Saturday and also closed Sunday.

Residents are urged to be patient and stay safe. Report power outages to Dominion Power at 1-888-667-3000. Each resident out of power should make the call; don’t assume your neighbor reported the outage.

Peppe Announces for City Council

February 6, 2010

Falls Church City School Board Chairman Ron Peppe has announced his candidacy for City Council in the May 2010 election.  Peppe has served on the School Board since 2006, and as Chairman since 2009.  He is  Vice President for Legal, HR and Compliance for Canam Steel Corporation.

Peppe will seek the endorsement of Citizens for a Better City.  In his announcement, Peppe said, “When I thought about running again for office in Falls Church, I thought about how to best use my knowledge of education, finance, public works, human resource issues, etc. and how to apply the skills I have gained over the years at helping groups of people achieve consensus on tough issues.”

The Falls Church Times policy on local election coverage is:

• Make no endorsements
• Promote informed, civil dialogue on election issues
• Provide equitable, impartial coverage of candidates

Out for a Saturday Morning Drive

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Falls Church Times Staff

February 6, 2010

It’s 8 a.m. Saturday morning — do you know where your car is? Hopefully inside a warm garage and not like mine was — parked out on the street.

Actually, the car I got in at 6 o’clock this morning belongs to my daughter, who uses it to pull a horse trailer. That’s a good thing, and that’s why I used it to drive into work this morning.

The good news is that at 5:30 a.m. the street outside my cul-de-sac had not been plowed. If it had, I would have needed to spend a long time with a snow shovel, digging out the car.

Instead, I spent a long time with a broom, pushing and sweeping the snow off the car.

My daughter’s friends call her car the “fire truck,” because it’s big and it’s red. It has huge tires and it drinks a lot of gas. Finally, I thought, it’s going to get used for what it was designed for.

I headed out from Gundry Drive to Annandale about 6 a.m., driving in the tire tracks of other vehicles. But at the intersection of Annandale there was a car ahead of me, its wheels spinning. So I pulled over to the left (oncoming) lane. But when my big red fire truck met the combination of a slight hill and over a foot of unplowed snow, all four wheels began spinning and forward movement ceased. I had to back down, make a running start, and repeat a couple of times as the truck pushed down the snow. Eventually I broke through to Annandale, which had been plowed.

From there, I had no more problems. Broad Street was plowed as was Washington Street, as was Sycamore, as was the ramp to I-66, so I made it into the District without incident, driving 25-30 mph on I-66.

Then things got hairy. The E Street ramp was plowed, but the Virginia Avenue ramp was not. I took it at speed, trying to stay in others’ tire tracks. Big Red made it up the hill, but when I turned to the left, Red kept going straight. Fortunately, I was going slowly enough not to be dangerously out of control. With some to-ing and fro-ing I made fresh tracks in the snow and got to the plowed portion of Virgina Avenue and thence to work.

Purpose of this story: take your Saturday drive in the snow vicariously through me. I did it so you don’t have to! Yes, so long as you stay on main roads, you might be able to get around. But to go anywhere else — call a fire truck.