January 4, 2008

Our Kind of Sleigh Ride!



Could have used this for travel on some Park Ridge streets this week.

Huck the bumps and enjoy some big air this weekend.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about it City? Snow route or not...the schools (specifically Lincoln Middle in this case) need to be plowed, salted and cleared...a priority! This is a horrific situation waiting to happen! 2-3 days after the last snow..the streets are still snow packed and slick. Observed in past snowfalls and years....cars slip and slide into the curb, past the intersection crosswalk at the 4 way stop, and also get stuck at the curb in front of the school dropping off, then the cars have to rock back and forth to get moving again... meanwhile the kids are crossing and getting in and out of cars.....(I saw the principal help push a car out recently)......I'm tired of the city's excuses. How costly and time consuming would it be to drive down two streets with the plow and salt? good grief! ...and while I'm at it.....I tried shopping on Main Street yesterday and the sidewalks weren't all cleared, some not at all, others partially, a few completely......Des Plaines is looking pretty attractive these days, they have a little bobcat type vehicle that plows the merchants sidewalks....this was marvelous to see as I was driving down Oakton early one morning. Maybe if some of the condos around town would actually sell (rather than rent) the City would have more tax dollars to clear up the snow for safety's sake!

Anonymous said...

perhaps it's a message from our city works guys who are STILL working without a contract????

Anonymous said...

Maybe,P.W. (which is down 6 employess since 2000) does not have the manpower to do the Job. Maybe, if people would stop complaining about O.T. paid out to everyone,things could get done. But hey lets save some money

ParkRidgeUnderground said...

Oh man. Your three comments are making the Crew's mouths water!

You are coming from different approaches but are so close to getting to the same target.

You're killin' us!

Anonymous said...

ha! glad to entertain you PRU! Many of us do not have the opportunity to go to Florida when the temps drop and the snow piles up. LIKE THE MAYOR DOES. Perhaps if our fearless leader were actually a full-time resident, things wouldn't be falling apart the way they are.
Those Public Works guys work hard and it's a shame that they are treated like they are. The directive about no O.T. can hardly be blamed on the superiors in the dept. The fish stinks at the head.

Anonymous said...

How is Frimark responsible for the streets not getting plowed - or not getting plowed the right way?

Put the blame where it belongs: On a bumbling city manager, who according to the municipal code is THE "chief administrative officer" with "management and control...of all of the departments of the the City, including the Department of Public Works."

And put the blame on a city council that doesn't ask him nearly enough of the right questions for them to figure out what Schuenke's doing and how he and his elves (Maller, Lambesis) are allocating all the revenue they're taking in.

As for the Public Works employees, so what if they don't have a contract? If they're drawing paychecks, they owe us an honest day's work - which includes their director figuring out an intelligent priority for street plowing and salting, and the workers getting it done in a competent manner on or under budget.

Anonymous said...

isn't Schuenke GONE?

Anonymous said...

Frimark may not be directly responsible, but he and the council should take a large share of the blame. First they tell public works “indirectly” that they want them to reduce costs by telling them “no tax increase.” Then at the same time they refuse to outline what to cut. What do you then expect the result of that to be? Timmy and the gang will not cut their own throats, so they start cutting things that will hurt the public the most. Then when people cry about it the reason they give is they don’t have enough money. It’s right out of the “How to manipulate the taxpayer and elected officials” textbook. And what is our mighty leader Frimark’s reaction to this? He rolls into a fetal position and starts blaming everyone around him instead of holding those in charge responsible and taking a leadership position himself. Face it, Park Ridge is a rudderless ship adrift in a sea of tax and spend.

Anonymous said...

If Schuenke's been able to get away with "cutting things that will hurt the public the most" that's the fault of a City Council being asleep at the wheel.

Anonymous said...

I have grown in in Park Ridge and for the last 40 years I can't recall the streets being plowed adequately. The munite I pass into Niles the side streets are cleared, they are not icy, and it makes Park Ridge PW and the city look like a joke. Actually the joke is on us since we are paying high taxes for a service that sucks!

Anonymous said...

Off Topic...
To Frog - go crawl back under your rock and quit spreading bullshit lies about people you miserable little f---.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

The City in last storm had employee sitting at home and never called them in. MISMANGEMENT

Anonymous said...

Last storm,the BRAINIACS running the snow removal called in scabs (people not employed by Public works) to plow streets using city trucks. Almost 1/3 of the P.W. force wasnt called in. City didnt want to pay O.T. on new years to employees so had scabs plow(or not plow) the streets.You get what you pay for! Maybe Park Ridge should get rid of the beer truck helper and hire someone who really went to Champaign!!!!

Anonymous said...

As i recall, the city already went over budget on salt. So that can also be the issue why your streets were not plowed and salted. Surprisingly it seems like everyone in park ridge drives these huge fancy vehicles. Hmm try turning on the four wheel drive. And if your so proud of Niles, Whos keeping you here in Park Ridge? Its not the Public Works employees fault. get your facts right. When Directors and Asst. Directors dont want to waste anymore money on salt and overtime pay, start crying to those guys.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the city employees or hired drivers could more effectively plow the streets if there were not so many cars parked on the streets instead of on driveways or in garages. Some of the narrow side streets are sheets of ice after a storm. Once the parking on both sides of the streets resumes, there is no way for an oversized emergency vehicle to get down the street. It is a wonder no one has died in a fire because the firetrucks were unable to reach the fire because the streets are clogged with cars.

The city council needs to enact immediately a ban on overnight street parking and to limit parking on the more narrow streets to one side only. If you own or rent a home in Park Ridge you either have a driveway or at least 50 feet across on the alley. Put your cars on your property. If you do not have enough room for all the cars you have then get rid of some of them. This town looks like the city of Chicago with cars parked on both sides of the street from intersection to intersection. Not only is this dangerous it is unsightly and a nuisance.