Snow business is no business in Muskegon: City Hall and Muskegon County buildings shut down for a snow day

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- Legal News photos by Diana L. Coleman


By Diana L. Coleman
Legal News


Snow days, snow days. Not just for the kids this time. Wednesday, Feb. 2, the Muskegon City Hall and the Hall of Justice were closed, and county employees were able to stay home. With the safety of its employees in mind, the city and county closed down all but emergency services after Tuesday night’s storm.


The Mission for Area People supper house had to close at a time when the area’s homeless needed a hot meal. Volunteers from many area churches and non-profit organizations staff the supper house, and the volunteers were unable to get to MAP.


It has been decades since the city and county have closed due to snowfall. The blizzard of 1978 shut down most municipalities and businesses in Muskegon county for five days, but staff in the county clerk’s office and the city manager’s office thought the last snow day was Jan. 25, 1982, when Muskegon received 22 inches of snow in twelve hours.


Those of us who have lived along the lakeshore for most of our lives are used to heavy snowfall and have the equipment or plans in place to get moving when Mother Nature dumps on us. Muskegon Schools were back open on Thursday, while many neighboring communities remain closed.


The police, fire, and public works department employees did not get a snow day. What they got instead was the effects of the snowstorm. The police and fire departments not only had business as usual, but also responded to more calls for accidents, slide offs, and medical alerts due to conditions.


The snow warriors behind the plows in the county, cities, townships and villages worked vigilantly trying to fight back the blowing and drifting snow. All area businesses, schools, municipalities that closed assisted those plowing by keeping them off the roads so they could do their jobs. Instead of shaking a fist at the plow driver because you have to clean out the end of your driveway one more time, wave and give them a thumbs up for the great job they are doing for us on very little sleep or down time.


Many area roads have only been opened with one lane, areas near Lake Michigan were open until Thursday, but plows were working around the clock to get everyone out and roadways pushed back to the shoulder and curbs as soon as possible. The few days of sunshine and no snow which followed the storm helped them greatly.


Snowstorms often bring out the best in Muskegon county residents as they pitch in and assist neighbors, the elderly, and those less fortunate by shoveling, plowing, or running errands for those who are housebound by the weather.


No shortage of snow this winter means great fun for winter sports enthusiasts, winter festivals, and those snow jockeys trying to make a living plowing snow. Go snow!

 

 

 

 

 



 

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