Cal U. closed Monday to allow for crews to plow and clear sidewalks
California University of Pennsylvania employee Ron Lincoski clears the stairs to Manderino Library Monday while the campus was closed as a result of the snowstorm Friday and Saturday.
A towering mound of snow left along the curb on High Street in Waynesburg was a reminder of the weekend’s snowstorm.
WAYNESBURG – On-street parking in Waynesburg was at a premium Monday as borough street crews prepared to start hauling away the towering mounds of snow left along the curbs from Saturday’s snowstorm.
All roads in the borough had been plowed, borough manager Mike Simms said, but that left another issue to be solved.
“Now, the big problem is the removal of the piles of snow along the streets,” he said.
The borough street department planned to use a front-end loader to scoop up snow along the curbs and truck it to a lot near Crawford Field. They expected to begin work in the business district Monday night, after most of the cars that were parking along the street during the day were moved.
Though parking along some of the streets was difficult, the borough lots were plowed, providing places for many of the people who came into work Monday morning.
The borough’s four-man street crew had been out around the clock since the storm hit Friday, Simms said.
“I think everything went well, as well as can be expected,” he said. “Any time you have a snow this deep, you’re going to run into problems.”
He asked residents to remain patient.
“There is a lot of snow, and it’s going to take time,” he said.
Simms said the borough also understands it may take some residents longer to clean up their sidewalks because of the amount of snow that fell. Residents are required to clear their sidewalks within 24 hours of a snow storm. He asked that it be done in a “timely manner.”
Ben McMillen, who owns the McMillen Photography studio in Waynesburg, was one of those people working Monday morning to clear ice and residual snow from the sidewalk in front of his High Street business. The picturesque snow was good fortune for McMillen’s business with three outdoor engagement photo sessions scheduled for couples in Waynesburg and another at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh later in the day.
“People are digging the snow pictures,” McMillen said while he, too, was digging with a shovel. “It’s pretty unique and very neat.”
Meanwhile, local roads throughout the county appeared to be in fairly good shape Monday morning. All five school district had called two-hour delays.
West Greene Superintendent Thelma Szarell said she called a delay to make it a little safer for the students, who with the late start would be picked up by their buses during daylight.
Buses arriving at the school on time Monday morning, she said.
“We are in good shape, all the way around,” Szarell said. “I give the township supervisors credit. They focus on the roads our buses travel and that means a great deal to us.”
The same could not be said for California University of Pennsylvania, which remained closed Monday while its employees were still shoveling sidewalks and stairways to the doors to campus buildings, where as many as 15 inches of snow had fallen by Saturday afternoon.
“Our crews have been working practically around the clock to clear walkways, streets and parking areas,” Cal U spokeswoman Christine Kindl said.
Kindl said big snow piles have taken up a lot of parking spaces used by commuters.
“So crews have been moving the snow to vacant areas on the upper campus,” Kindl said. “It’s a big job.”
All classes and services will resume as scheduled today at Cal U., the university announced Monday night.
The Mid Mon Valley Transit authority suspended bus service Monday in nearby Coal Center because of road conditions there, said Ashley Altemare, marketing director at the transit service. She said the bus service will resume there as normal Tuesday.
In Greene County, road crews were out throughout the weekend plowing the roads and applying cinder. Richhill Township Supervisor Tom Chess said Monday all roads in that municipality were “plowed and passable.”
“We had no major difficulties,” Chess said. “Traffic was light (during the storm) and people stayed home.”
The sunny skies Sunday and Monday also were doing their part to help dry up what remained on the roads, he said.
“The temperature is getting up,” he said, which should also speed the melt.
Perry Township roads also were all passable, township secretary Lila Ayersman said.
“But there are still some places on the ridges where because of the drifts there is only room for one car at a time,” she said early Monday.
Ayersman said she had measured 18 to 20 inches of snow in her yard in Mt. Morris on Saturday. Perry road crews were out Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday, Ayersman said. They went back out early Monday.
“They wanted to make sure the buses were able to get through,” she said.
In Dunkard Township, which was hit hard by the storm, all roads were passable Monday morning, township secretary Michelle Hurley said.
“Some of the roads are just one lane, but that’s because they can’t push the snow back any farther,” she said.
Township road crews had been out over the weekend and were out again early Monday. Hurley estimated about 27 inches of snow fell at her home near Davistown.
Overall, Greene County survived the storm well, said Greg Leathers, the county’s emergency management director. The county had no power outages, no emergency rescues and no need for emergency shelters, he said.
“I think people were prepared and they limited their travel,” he said.
Staff writers Scott Beveridge and Mike Jones contributed to this story.