Just when you thought you heard it all about weather-related complications along the path around Falls, a new situation crops up. Such was the case on Friday.
Midweek predictions had been that Thursday was going to be a rough morning with freezing rain and significant snowfall. The storm was a little slow in developing, with later forecasts indicating the precipitation would start midday. Finally, the precipitation started midafternoon as a rain/snow combination. Based on the radar, the heavy snow was going to be in northwest Wisconsin, as had been forecast. A ballgame for that evening had been canceled.
A Thursday night cruise proved to be a little tricky once the journey hit the roads off the main highway. The heavy front-wheel-drive Bonneville seemed to have been designed for snow conditions, but lack of traction proved to be a challenge. In many of those locations, the rain softened whatever snow remained on the surface, and the term “greasy” was quite appropriate.
As the night wore on, rain continued to fall. Later, the Friday morning temperatures had dropped, the surface was frozen, the wind picked up, but there had been minimal accumulation of additional snowfall. The usual 5 a.m. cutoff for a decision for cancelling classes or a having a late start passed with no real concern.
The drive into town was an interesting story. The Bonneville’s tires provided good traction, but visibility was spotty to say the least. The fresh, light snow created occasional whiteout conditions in open areas.
By 6:30 a.m., it really was too late to call for a late start, since many parents were already on their way to work and could not make child care arrangements. The stop at the bus garage was interesting. When the buses returned to the parking lot after the previous afternoon’s route, there were a few inches of slush in the lot. Overnight the slush froze.
In a few cases, the result was that the slush had formed a “tire boot” that prevented more than one bus from moving under its own power. Tow chains had to be used to unlock the grip the ice had on the tires and free the buses.
This was the first time in anyone’s memory that a bus got stuck in the spot where it was parked the previous night. It added another page to the journal titled, “Beans, Buses and Basketball: The Things That Can Get a School Leader’s Stomach Churning.”
For some connected with the business, this year’s weather has helped to make retirement look better than it used to. In fact, a couple of drivers seemed ready to head out the door even before the first dandelion is scheduled to blossom in bright, school bus yellow.
Speaking of retirement, it seems that is a popular topic in the media. Just recently we ran across an article on the best states for retirement. Another was the 10 best cities for retirement. While some people may look to retire in warmer climes, northern Wisconsin is still a strong draw. Perhaps it is a bigger draw for those people who can afford to be someplace else when Mother Nature’s precipitation and temperature patterns can handcuff a vehicle to the parking lot.
An individual considering retirement also has to be a quick study about Social Security. A person spends a whole career paying into the fund and not thinking much about it. But when the time is near to draw Medicare and access Social Security retirement payments, it can be amazing how much a person does not know.
The Social Security Administration has a number of great online resources, but it is hard to beat the personal service provided by the staff at the Green Bay office.
The touch screen that greets visitors at the front door can seem a little impersonal, but efficiency is a priority. Working through the touch screen options gave insight into the wide array of services provided through the office.
It was fascinating to see the variety of ages and languages represented in the waiting room. Given the weather of recent weeks, we suspect that multiple languages were used to express the same thoughts, many of which cannot be published in this family newspaper.
Categories
