"Was your city adequately prepared for the recent wintry weather?"
(asked at Crossroads Shopping Center on 11-22-96; published in the EJ on 11-24-96)

Charles Smith, Artist, Bellevue


"No. Streets didn't get plowed very quickly. It's understandable, but they could make arrangements to lease or borrow plows from other parts of the state within a few hours."

Jim Cranford, Software training co. administrator, Seattle


"I work on the Eastside and I saw no evidence of anything being done as far as snow removal. But I didn't expect anything. I basically think that as far as cost-effectiveness is concerned, we have too few snow days a year to spend taxes on equipment."

Judi Cooke, Travel consultant, Everett


"No. I'm from Buffalo, NY, so I know how to drive in snow. But going from Everett to Bellevue, it took me over an hour to get about six miles so I finally turned around and went home... They're not really prepared for snow here in any way."

Tracy Shrum, Poker dealer, Bellevue


"It came on awful sudden, but I don't think Seattle or Washington are ever ready for snowfall. I'm from Alaska and they start plowing as soon as the snow starts falling. And they salt the roads so you don't have the ice."

Erva Hanson, Credit discounter, West Seattle


"I believe so. I work in Bellevue and live in West Seattle -- I travel 16 miles -- and the roads were perfectly clear the morning after the snow. In fact, the only place where I slid was in the parking lot at work!"

Heather Esp, Stock manager, Bellevue


"I'd say yes, but the bus was a little disappointing. I wanted to get to downtown Seattle and the bus was stuck... I never did make it to Seattle."

© 1996 by the Bellevue, WA-based Eastside Journal (née Journal American) newspaper.

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