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— Quincy Massachusetts News by Quincy Quarry News – News, Opinion and Commentary
Cold enough for you?
An old fishing photo
The weather outside has been frightfully cold in recent days and so froze hard Friday’s doubleheader of modest snowfalls’ in terms of their total depth.
Also frightful outside were Quincy’s streets given their seeing at best a low salt diet of snow clearing was for the most part a bust other than sorta/kinda on primary arterials in Quincy.
Those cared for the City of Quincy anyway as the Department of Conservation and Resources did its usual job of plowing and salting of its run of Quincy Shore Drive and Furnace Brook Parkway.
Accordingly, today what with a light coasting of snow forecast to likely hit Quincy as well as elsewhere in the Greater Boston area, Quincy Quarry News unleashed its Citizen Road Monitors early this morning to check out local roads in advance of the expected snowfall, especially given how the City of Quincy dropped the plow in its so-called response to last Friday’s modest snowfalls.
Snow
byu/tunamelldt inQuincyMa
Black ice happens
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After all, given wicked cold weather in recent days, any snowfall or other precipitation could readily turn into black ice.
In any event, at roughly 7:30 AM this morning the Quincy Quarry News newsroom had been advised that there were no signs of any pre-treating of local streets with salt or brine, much less the pre-positioning of snowplows, salters and/or brining trucks on the mean, cold and soon to likely be snowy streets of Quincy when snow is expected to began falling around 9 AM.
In short, good luck for last minute Christmas shoppers and holiday travellers as well as Santa Claus tonight.
Gotta take care of last minute Christmas shopping!
A Quincy Quarry News exclusive image
A Quincy Quarry News Update: shortly after 10 AM and thus well after the Quarry first published this Quarry story, Quincy Quarry News Citizen Road Monitors finally spotted snow clearing equipment on Quincy’s main streets. In turn, such likely triggered at least four hours of holiday rate pay for their likely but undertaking of a quick spreading of salt and perhaps dropping plows on probably only local arterials before calling it a day and then heading off to wrap up last minute Christmas shopping.
Snow season brings back an entertaining memory regarding snow removal in Quincy.
Recall one year that plow drivers were paid by the inch of fallen snow. Not sure how that might have been figured, since snow amounts vary widely from one location to another — Boston might get 6 inches, Weymouth could get a dusting and Quincy might get 3 inches. And, of course, the amount could vary within a city or town, even street to street. In any case, it was such a wonderful idea that it only lasted one winter.
That was an idea that only the meteorological geniuses in City Hall could have concocted. I don’t recall whether it was a Koch regime scheme or not, but it sounds like something the Lord Mayor would try.
Asterisk,
Yes, the per inch of snowfall payment model for paying snow clearing contractors was a Koch Maladministration idea.
Especially amusing was how it only became know that this payment approach had been sh*t canned years earlier when a city councillor asked how it was working out.
Needless to say, those in attendance were rolling on the floor laughing when some kochster had to answer the ask.
Also needless to say, no word was provided as to how badly the per inch model had played out financially for local taxpayers.
The latest chapter in Quincy’s ongoing saga of winter preparedness, or lack thereof. Apparently, the city’s approach to snow forecasts involves crossing fingers, squinting at the sky, and maybe sprinkling a little optimism instead of rioad salt. Meanwhile, residents are left wondering if the ‘salt reserves’ are just a euphemism for a pile of expired sidewalk chalk in the DPW garage. Pro tip for City Hall: Snow forecasts in New England aren’t exactly a surprise —— try prepping like you’ve seen a calendar before. But hey, nothing says ‘winter wonderland’ like skating to work on untreated roads!