ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 18, 1996 TAG: 9601180045
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
Town of Vinton employees received high praise Tuesdayfor their "incredible" job of removing the recent 30-inch snow.
The town's administration and a downtown businessman praised the cleanup efforts, saying nearly all of the downtown streets and sidewalks were open within a few hours after the snow stopped falling.
W. Ray Sandifer, owner of SOS The Office, an office supply business on Lee Avenue, said that of all the Roanoke Valley governments, "only Vinton showed its citizens the courtesy of clearing the snow off the streets, both main arteries and neighborhood streets, rapidly and thoroughly,"
Sandifer, a former councilman, told Vinton Town Council members he traveled throughout the Roanoke Valley after the snow stopped and found that Vinton's streets were the clearest and safest of all.
Sandifer said Vinton's snow removal performance was not due - as some critics said - to having a small number of streets to clear. "I do not believe Vinton has proportionally any more workers or equipment per street mile than any of the other governments involved," he said.
Although the snow was removed promptly, the work was expensive, said Town Manager Clay Goodman. Goodman said he has not received a final cost but he knows it will put a crimp in the town's snow removal budget.
For that reason, Town Council adopted a resolution declaring a local emergency to make Vinton eligible for a share of federal emergency funds.
Goodman said all of the snow removal was done with the town's four full-sized snow plows and one pickup truck with a blade.
All the town's employees, police, firefighters and rescue personnel did "a fantastic job" in clearing streets and removing snow, the town manager said, adding many of the employees stayed on the job around the clock.
LENGTH: Short : 39 linesby CNB