Kay Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I'm with Bob, snow days rule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nj2va Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I'll get some pics for ya Bob. And I'll try to measure. Never done that, kewl...tomorrow is doable. I've been in a daze - had to have my kitty put to sleep Monday evening. She was a total sweetheart and my buddy for 14 years. The storm the next day was perfect...as was the work closure...and going through it with you weenies was great distraction. So thanks y'all, especially for the laughs. Sorry to hear about the kitty but I'm glad the snow could bring you some joy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nj2va Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I've never seen such heated debate over school closings. Constant harping here and now a cwg firestorm. Maybe its just me but idgaf about it at all. I fookin loved snow days as a kid. Major fond memories. I hope my kids have as many as possibl. Seriously. I don't get the obsession over it unless you're directly impacted by it (your kids go to school there, etc). I think administrators are in a tough spot either way - you can't please everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoda Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I'll get some pics for ya Bob. And I'll try to measure. Never done that, kewl...tomorrow is doable. I've been in a daze - had to have my kitty put to sleep Monday evening. She was a total sweetheart and my buddy for 14 years. The storm the next day was perfect...as was the work closure...and going through it with you weenies was great distraction. So thanks y'all, especially for the laughs. sorry to hear about the kitty Kay... but I am glad as well you enjoyed the snow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoda Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Seriously. I don't get the obsession over it unless you're directly impacted by it (your kids go to school there, etc). I think administrators are in a tough spot either way - you can't please everyone. Or a teacher but in todays world, everyone has to have an opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Thanks for the sympathies, guys. I would've liked to be in a good mood for a good snow, instead of miserable...but at the same time it was soothing, beautiful...a gift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nj2va Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Or a teacher but in todays world, everyone has to have an opinion. Yeah, pretty much...just another thing to discuss on here. In addition to guitars, cars, and planes. BTW, where do you teach and what subject(s)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I was surprised by the original article. I feel for the school administrators. They're on the firing line no matter what they decide to do about schools. Jason has been the steady guiding light so I suspect he'll be a little more reticent about writing a similar article in the future though I'm sure it got hits. CWG is a top player on the web nationally at this point.. while this was a local topic.. I think with that top player status comes more of the things the informed weenie public doesn't like about places like the weather channel. Views, shares, conversation.. in a lot of ways that matters as much as substance, though I think eventually that might shift again as the internet becomes supersaturated with fluff. While I thought it was kind of a strange topic, I must admit I read most of the comments and learned a few things. And in the end.. the media's job is sort of to get those kind of debates going. So, there's definitely some value. Not sure CWG was the right venue.. maybe a "tip" for another part of the Post. While we are "big" nationally.. our core readership will remain critical. Don't want to alienate them over a relatively trivial topic that maybe we don't have a full understanding of. Good way to get thru the post-storm doldrums though. I can never be fully against a solid trolling effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVclimo Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 The roads I've traveled in Frederick Co are mostly snow covered, with exceptions of major highways. So probably 80% of bus roads are snow covered. Still think school should be in session. There are two ways out of my neighborhood and both involve traveling 3 miles before reaching roads that get plowed and treated. One has been passable, though still treacherous, the past few days. The other runs through exposed farm fields, and has about 18" of drifted snow depth on it. There's no way buses could get around here. And that doesn't take into account areas nearby with elevation.Our youngest is in Pre-K, and has class each week Tue-Fri. Since his Christmas vacation started on 12/20, he has been to school on only 6 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterWxLuvr Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 (sigh) I know a few weeks ago things got heated when I said schools should have closed for the cold. I felt that way because the cold--or the wind chills at least--were so unusual. Despite what people say, it does snow here. I'm not sure why schools need to close when there is 1/4 inch of snow on the roads and people drive in at least that every year. I get that it's all relative, but there is no reason why roads shouldn't be cleared by now. First night, fine. Second day..sure. But tomorrow is Friday lol. This isn't the Great Blizzard of 2013 which forced CT to bring out payloaders to clear snow. The roads warmed a little on Monday. The snow that fell melted just a bit on the bottom. Once the temps fell there was snow and ice bonded to the surface of the less traveled roads. They've been plowed multiple times but that bottom layer isn't going anywhere without some sun and/or warmth. Many roads out here are susceptible to blowing and drifting as well. But you're right, people are out everywhere. There's no reason to close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoda Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Yeah, pretty much...just another thing to discuss on here. In addition to guitars, cars, and planes. BTW, where do you teach and what subject(s)? Accotink Academy in Fairfax County. Geography. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 And now I'm going to go all literary on your a*%es with some snow-related prose from James Joyce's "The Dead". Read the story years ago and this snow passage came to mind this week...and now I will take my maudlin self off to make dinner...and back to school closings... “It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nj2va Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Accotink Academy in Fairfax County. Geography. Excellent, good for you. I hadn't heard of that school so I just googled it and read about its mission. My sister has been a Special Education teacher in NJ for years. I have a lot of respect for teachers but hold special education teachers at an even higher level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usedtobe Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 CWG is a top player on the web nationally at this point.. while this was a local topic.. I think with that top player status comes more of the things the informed weenie public doesn't like about places like the weather channel. Views, shares, conversation.. in a lot of ways that matters as much as substance, though I think eventually that might shift again as the internet becomes supersaturated with fluff. While I thought it was kind of a strange topic, I must admit I read most of the comments and learned a few things. And in the end.. the media's job is sort of to get those kind of debates going. So, there's definitely some value. Not sure CWG was the right venue.. maybe a "tip" for another part of the Post. While we are "big" nationally.. our core readership will remain critical. Don't want to alienate them over a relatively trivial topic that maybe we don't have a full understanding of. Good way to get thru the post-storm doldrums though. I can never be fully against a solid trolling effort. I think the your comment about not alienating the core followers is a good one as people will stop reading if they decide they don't like you they may stop reading you. Plus we really don't know much about the dynamics involved in making a decision about schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoda Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Prince William and Fairfax opening two hours late... hooray for more sleeping in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw baltimore wx Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I've never seen such heated debate over school closings. Constant harping here and now a cwg firestorm. Maybe its just me but idgaf about it at all. I fookin loved snow days as a kid. Major fond memories. I hope my kids have as many as possibl. I loved snow days as a kid (straining to hear my county on the Harden and Weaver show on the AM transistor) and I still love them now. Thanks for the sympathies, guys. I would've liked to be in a good mood for a good snow, instead of miserable...but at the same time it was soothing, beautiful...a gift. Sorry about your cat, Kay. A friend of mine down the street is going through some tough decisions with her 17 year old cat. He's in liver failure and she's decided yesterday to try treatment instead of putting him down, but as of this afternoon the vet isn't sure it's working. She doesn't want him to suffer, but she doesn't want to put him down if he can be happy and healthy for another year or two. Letting go of our pets is hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nj2va Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I loved snow days as a kid (straining to hear my county on the Harden and Weaver show on the AM transistor) and I still love them now. This totally reminds me of when I was a kid too. We'd turn on what was the equivalent of WTOP up in central NJ and listen to the school district closings, which were announced in alphabetical order. NJ doesn't have county school districts; instead each individual town/city is its own district so there'd be a bazillion closings announced at a time. I can still hear the guy going through the districts...."Bedminster, Bernardsville..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw baltimore wx Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 This totally reminds me of when I was a kid too. We'd turn on what was the equivalent of WTOP up in central NJ and listen to the school district closings, which were announced in alphabetical order. NJ doesn't have county school districts; instead each individual town/city is its own district so there'd be a bazillion closings announced at a time. I can still hear the guy going through the districts...."Bedminster, Bernardsville..." I'll never be one of those old people that says, "When I was a kid, we had to go to school even if..." We were off school for snow days then just as much as now. The only difference I can see is that back then we used to get a 2 hour early dismissals a lot. That doesn't seem to happen as much now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gymengineer Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Hmmm...that Jason post has attracted a WaPo education columnist to weigh in. Dueling headlines. I'm sure the Post loves the views Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gymengineer Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I'll never be one of those old people that says, "When I was a kid, we had to go to school even if..." We were off school for snow days then just as much as now. The only difference I can see is that back then we used to get a 2 hour early dismissals a lot. That doesn't seem to happen as much now. For your area, probably. For my county too... I grew up in the county that I now teach in, and the "rules" are pretty much the same. We didn't close or delay in the cold days of February 1996 and we didn't do so this month either. What is kind of a weird fascination for me is that the NoVA large school districts that used to always be in lockstep with their counterpart MD districts have peeled off and started to close for less than they used to. There used to be regional phone-conferences of area school systems to discuss what each other was doing--- I have no idea whether that still continues, but that used to get the alignment between Fairfax and Montgomery, and Loudoun and Frederick, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravensrule Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I've never seen such heated debate over school closings. Constant harping here and now a cwg firestorm. Maybe its just me but idgaf about it at all. I fookin loved snow days as a kid. Major fond memories. I hope my kids have as many as possibl. This board has so many dominant personalities they would argue if the sky is blue or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Hmmm...that Jason post has attracted a WaPo education columnist to weigh in. Dueling headlines. I'm sure the Post loves the views Had to google to find it so : http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/01/23/lets-stop-whining-about-school-snow-closures/ Her first two bottom bullet points are funding issues.. which I agree with. I mentioned budget in one of my few comments on CWG. Everyone's crunched still these days and I am sure that both maintenance and new buys are down overall. Even the "sidestreet" which runs in front of my place is in mediocre shape and it's a crossroad to CT Ave. This area sucks at snow removal for a place that does get some every winter. Complacency? (carry over from cold topic) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravensrule Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 St. Mary's 2 hr delay... fascinating how the MD schools are open/delayed and VA schools closed EDIT: Prince William 2 hr delay... so that stops that That is because real tough people live in MD . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowfan Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 The stuff at the bottom of her article is entirely irrelevant to this particular topic, imo. Meanwhile, the MD counties across the river are laughing and glad they're not the target of such criticism. Hmmm...that Jason post has attracted a WaPo education columnist to weigh in. Dueling headlines. I'm sure the Post loves the views Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gymengineer Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Had to google to find it so : http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/01/23/lets-stop-whining-about-school-snow-closures/ Her first two bottom bullet points are funding issues.. which I agree with. I mentioned budget in one of my few comments on CWG. Everyone's crunched still these days and I am sure that both maintenance and new buys are down overall. Even the "sidestreet" which runs in front of my place is in mediocre shape and it's a crossroad to CT Ave. This area sucks at snow removal for a place that does get some every winter. Complacency? (carry over from cold topic) Wait, the link doesn't show up for you right under the CWG forecast on the www.washingtonpost.com front page? It does for me... Yeah, I am beginning to think road conditions are a mini-version of 2/07. That's pretty amazing that in DC, you're still seeing that kind of road condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nj2va Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 That is because real tough people live in MD . St Mary's changed to a closure. So much for being tough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Wait, the link doesn't show up for you right under the CWG forecast on the www.washingtonpost.com front page? It does for me... Yeah, I am beginning to think road conditions are a mini-version of 2/07. That's pretty amazing that in DC, you're still seeing that kind of road condition. I haven't really looked around all that much. My road is off the main road but it runs in a small loop basically serving three or four condo complexes so maybe it's not super high priority. The fairly busy commercial service alleyway is part snow part sheet of ice tho as well as I found walking the dog and falling back there earlier. Main roads are fine of course as are the sidewalks here but that's partly my condo association is exceptionally good at clearing snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitchnick Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I haven't really looked around all that much. My road is off the main road but it runs in a small loop basically serving three or four condo complexes so maybe it's not super high priority. The fairly busy commercial service alleyway is part snow part sheet of ice tho as well as I found walking the dog and falling back there earlier. Main roads are fine of course as are the sidewalks here but that's partly my condo association is exceptionally good at clearing snow. for all the money you probably pay in monthly condo fees, they should probably melt it and heat it until evaporated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I-83 BLIZZARD Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 That is because real tough people live in MD .Real tough Marylanders move to PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WEATHER53 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Washington DC, below zero wind chills-Again! Single digit to 0 temps and snow cover not melting. I think I'm flippin' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.