NORTHBRIDGE, Mass. - School has been canceled in Northbridge Wednesday due to snow.
Calls to parents began rolling out at 6 a.m. A snowstorm which began early in the morning is expected to worsen during the morning commute.
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Low: 38°
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Sun 5/26
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Comments (16)
I, too, used to feel that they are eager to hit the nuke button and cancel school. But, it's far better to not have school buses on the road and kids waiting at bus stops, or walking to school, where cars could slide into them.
It was a different story years ago because there were fewer cars on the road, and people actually knew how to drive.
Jethro,
I agree and thanks for the update Nbridge 101, on it being a half day already for the School system.
There was already a half-day scheduled for Wednesday. If the school was given a delay, the kids would have gone in at 10:00 and left school at 12:25 - therefore the day was cancelled, because going in for 2 and a half hours doesn't make sense.
Times have changed. Time was that we went to school when there were several inches on the ground and it was still snowing. I remember sitting in school staring out the window wondering if they would let us go early, then watching the busses pull up at noontime to take us home. (I walked a mile after getting off the bus) Our driver one year came down Mendon Road and didn't make the turn on to Quaker and went over the stone wall. I walked two miles that day. The point is, we didn't wimp out every time we saw a snow flake. It was school no matter what.
There wasn't a delay because the students have a half day of school today. The teachers had been scheduled for an in-service day.
Oldman, the bottom line is, when the weather necessitates treating the roads, you treat the roads. Regardless of whether school is in session or not. People have to get to work safely, delivery trucks need to drive through town, and daily life needn't be interrupted by the kind of weather we had today - not in this day and age - we certainly have the equipment to get the job done.
I don't need to read this year's road treatment policy. I PAY THE DPW to do a job, as does anyone else in town paying property taxes. Again, this has not been a tough winter - there is money in the budget for the DPW to do their job so that others can get to theirs safely and on time.
Enough already, with the blind support of anyone who works for the town or works in town management. Same old story - how dare the tax payers have an opinion, right? Sickening.
stillaranch,
I am reserving comment on when today's Snow & Ice Operations began, that may only be answered by our DPW Officers and Town Officials. Usually the DPW Director or his Executive Officer are at the Board Of Selectmen Meeting following a Storm. To do a review with the Board Of Selectmen of how the Snow Operations went and to answer any questions, maybe they will also review this storm at the next Board Of Selectmen's meeting.
On the informative 2012-2013 DPW Snow and Ice program I would imagine our Town Official's would have had to approve it before sending it out to the Taxpayers? I would imagine their must have been a public comment time frame on it also?
On the Budget I thought the DPW Official at the last Board Of Selectmen's Meeting advised the Snow and Ice Budget of $70,000 had been used up and they are now deficit spending on that? If I recall?
Plus I think the DPW's annual $1 Million Dollar Budget may have been level funded at that amount for seven or eight years?
EXACTLY - a delay would have been much more appropriate. I used to walk to school in worse weather. The forecast calls for the snow to stop midday.
Oldman - "you may wish to make some relevant phone calls" to the DPW and remind them to salt the roads prior to a "storm" and a few snow plows should be out there as well - you know, to prevent liability. This new DPW guy must have slept in. Just saw the first plow and it's 9:00am. If the roads had been treated the schools could have been delayed or biz as usual.
stillaranch,
Sometimes our Municipal & School Leaders are in a 'NO Win' situation, if a potential safety incident may have happened with the Snow Storm would people maybe thus be bantering 'why was their School open'? Plus potentially shifting their concerns on to the School Administration for having School, maybe a no win situation? I remember a few years ago when a School Bus got stuck in snow on Rocky Road. Parent's were very upset at the School Administration for not calling off School on that day in question, if I remember correctly.
Plus I think the Town's Municipal Liability Insurance Policy premiums may be over $100,000 a year. So liability may also be a concern in potentially Massachusetts being an above average Law Suit's filed per the 50 State average, if I recall?.
You may wish to review the Town's new 2012-2013 Snow and Ice Program it may answer some of your concerns on Plowing and Sanding. A copy is on the Towns website, and a copy was sent in the recent Voter list certification sent out by the Town. I think the Town's DPW Executive Officer recently discussed it at a Board Of Selectmen's Meeting.
Will the Hockey team be playing Worcester tonight as planned
before the Worcester Sharks Game?
brucekc,
If their is still a possible 'Snow Emergency' in the big City Hills of Worcester you may wish to make some relevant phone calls before going.
Maybe the 'watch word' is 'LIABILITY' not Wimp's?
We are raising a bunch of kids that will grow up to be WIMPS like tracy a delay yes but all day you have to be kidding me.
Since when is 2 inches a storm? Im all for a delay to ensure our childrens safety but I agree with the previous comment, wimps lol
Wimps.