This may not surprise you, but occasionally, Cathy and I just take off driving to see what we can see. Last Friday afternoon we headed out north of town and decided to turn off at Mann Creek Reservoir. We then went north past the Mann Creek Campground and headed toward the lookout. Cathy was questioning my choice of driving this way. She was not that impressed with looking at trees that had lost their leaves and were now just “gray.”
However, in just a few miles we were into the evergreens and her opinion of the scenery changed. The trees were dusty from summer and fall road traffic, but the sight of the evergreens was refreshing.
A little ways later, I stopped to point something out to Cathy. At first Cathy didn’t understand what it was I was trying to show her but then she caught on. There, on a log, was snow. The snow had melted from the trees and the ground but had remained on the fallen log. About then, we realized that there were also a few flakes falling.
We continued on up and came to snow on the tree branches, followed by snow on the ground, followed by snow on the road. We stopped to get out and stretch. The dog loved the snow and kept checking out the creek, the trees, the snow, and whatever else she could smell.
Even though winter is cold and can become dreary, there is something about the first snow of the season that is just special. There is something about the brisk air on the skin and the need to bundle up. Maybe it’s because it is a change. Maybe it’s because the Holidays are coming. Maybe it’s just because we have an excuse to slow down. Whatever the reason, the first snow is special.
Well, so much for talking about the weather.
In City news this week, the Street Department will be finding out within the next week or two whether the City has been granted $2,000,000 to fund rebuilding parts of Commercial Street and repairing the Monroe Creek bridge.
As you may recall, Commercial Steet, as one of the older roads in town, was never designed to accommodate the semi-truck traffic that now uses this road. It was built for the much lighter trucks used three-quarters of a century ago. Also, the Monroe Creek bridge on Commercial Street is experiencing cracking and if left unchecked will require weight restrictions. Weight restrictions and commercial trucking do not go well together.
If these issues are not addressed the truck traffic now using Commercial will be using the State Highway one-ways, namely Main Street and Idaho Street, to go east-west in town. Due to the number of residences along Idaho and Main Streets, the City considers this project to be a safety priority.
The City should also be finding out shortly if we are the recipient of a grant to help fund a City-wide traffic study. The study would help identify potential choke points and possible solutions related to future growth within the City and surrounding areas. If we are not the recipient of this grant it is my understanding that there will be other grants available for the same purpose.
In other news, Wayne Wallace, the Electrical Department Director would like to thank everyone who called last Sunday morning to report the power outage. By identifying where you called in from, the Electrical Department was able to quickly locate the cause of the outage and save time in getting the power back up and running. Sooooo, THANK YOU!
Also, Mick Campbell, the Public Works Director, would like those of you who use the small trash cans to wheel cans off the curb and into the street. Also, please do not place the cans between or near cars. The garbage truck lift arms require room to pick up the cans. Nearby cars and the hydraulic arm are not compatible companions.
Also, if you live in a cul-de-sac, please move the cans further into the street than just off the curb. This will then accommodate the turning radius of the garbage truck. Our drivers and our insurance company will thank you.
Well, that’s it for this week. I hope the cooler weather isn’t too much of a shock after the beautiful fall. Weiser really is a great place to live, work, and play!
You must be logged in to post a comment.