Off the record

A snow to remember

The obvious talk of the town the past two weeks has been the weather. Everyone we’ve talked to cannot recall a snowstorm like the one this past week. Up to 20 inches of snow fell in the county.

I remember two big snows when I was younger. It snowed 12 inches in the early 1970s when I was in junior high or high school and in 1979 when my daughter was a baby but those were different because the snow fell during a five or six-day period not in 24 hours.

If it wasn’t for four-wheel drive, we would have been short-handed Feb. 8 when we were trying to get the papers laid out or we all would have camped at the office until the next day when the city crews removed the snow. When the papers were sent to the printers Feb. 9, I gave everyone a ride home because employees’ vehicles became stuck in the snow and wouldn’t budge.

Never have I seen snow drift as quickly as it did that day. I watched from the window by my desk as the snow on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse became flush with the retaining wall. We took a yardstick to the snow pile and it measured nearly 19 inches. That photo landed on the front page of this past week’s newspaper.

It had been a mad dash the past couple of weeks to get the newspapers laid out and sent to the printer before the electricity went out. But, wait. The electricity didn’t go out this time. The lights flickered once or twice but stayed on.

The city, county, and state crews and independent snow removal services really outdid themselves this time. We know it’s their jobs for which they are paid but everyone deserves a pat on the back for a job well done. So, well done, crews. We hope you don’t need to get out that bobcat or snowplow any more this year.

*****

On this page, there are statements from Brad Seacat and Mayor Mary Olson regarding the rumor incident in March.

When the story broke, we asked the Seacats to comment but they declined, and stated they would make a statement when the time was right. So now, the time is right and this is their statement. Since they made allegations, we were obligated to get Olson’s statement as well.

We hope these statements will put this issue to rest — its final rest. Enough said — let’s move on.

— susan berg