The Shorewood DPW has not been given the manpower or capital resources by the Village government to deal properly with big snow falls like the one last Friday.  With their trimmed back staff, the DPW workers are putting in very long hours, and they do not have the kind of equipment they had in the past for moving snow.

 Despite the limitations put upon them, the folks at DPW used innovation to vastly improve access to the storefront businesses along Capitol and Oakland after last Friday's foot or more of snow was dumped on Shorewood's streets and sidewalks.

In the past the paths that the merchants cleared to the street were soon inundated with snow from the street plows, and access to the businesses was almost none existent for their customers.

This time however, the Shorewood DPW used front end loaders to clear the streets to the curb --- and stockpiled the snow in large mounds along the street.  This method left the paths the merchants cleared open for the customers to access the sidewalks from the street, and provided more parking opportunites for the patrons.

Admittedly this is not as good as actually clearing and removing the snow, as they do at Bayshore, but in light of the limited resources that the Village Board gives to the DPW, they did the very best they could with  what they have.

We can only hope that at some time the Village Board and Administration realize that the folks at DPW are overworked and lack the capital equipment needed to fulfill the mission thrust upon them.

 IN THE MEANTIME --- TO ALL THE FOLKS AT DPW --- THANK YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE !

 What do you think ?                Please feel free to leave a comment !

 As readers of this blog know, I have written "ad nauseam"  :-)  about the lack of consideration for small business parking in areas where there is No Construction Work being done, but No Parking signs are left posted --- and tickets are written for patrons of businesses and residents who might have "logically" thought if there is No Work going on, parking for a few minutes should be ok --- Wrong !!

Contacting the Officials that Be had not been very productive, as the finger pointing (Construction Crews, DPW, Administration, Police, BID) invariably followed a circular pattern, 

I am happy to report that Guy Johnson, the Shorewood Village President, as he promised,  has taken an interest in this situation and is reviewing it with the Village Administration and DPW.

Will there be an immediate change to the current practices ? 

I don't know ---- but I am encouraged the process is being reviewed ---- and that the plight of the hapless small business owners is now a consideration.

WHAT DO YOU THINK.  PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT BELOW.
 

 Frequent readers of my blog --- both of you :-) --- may recall that last fall when the Village was starting the Streetscape project, they had NO PARKING signs all along Oakland Avenue --- for days at a time when NO WORK was being done.

This week --- AGAIN --- on the 4400 block of North Oakland, which is heavily concentrated with small businesses that rely on walk in traffic --- the street has been marked NO PARKING all week although there has been NO WORK done.

Obviously, when they are working in the area, the construction crews need to have the street cleared of parked cars.  

But when they are not working in a retail area --- even if it is for one day only !!!! --- why can't they take the signs down or cover them.

Again --- let me ask of the  Village Government --- the Village Board Members --- the Administration ........... do ANY OF YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN SHOREWOOD ????

WHAT DO YOU THINK ?  PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW !