Musings: A snow job I really needed
Robert Lowell shovels in East Moriches Dec. 15 after the weekend snowfall. Credit: Tom Lambui
I want to thank the Town of Hempstead for not plowing my block again. I called them on Dec. 14 after our first snowfall of the season, and no one answered, nor was there a way to leave a message. I called the next day, Monday, and spoke to a woman who said she would relay the message. Well, they still didn’t plow the street all day Monday.
We had an ice rink for a block. We could have charged people to skate and play hockey or curling. Our block could have made back the taxes we pay the town.
I moved to Oceanside in 2001. For many years, the town did a great job of plowing our block. I don’t know if it was the same driver every time, but he was always polite and would ask where we wanted the snow piled. He would even help plow my neighbor’s driveway. If we had shoveled before he arrived, he would never block our driveways.
Since 2020, we either have not been plowed or a terrible job of plowing was done. After the prior big storm, we didn’t get plowed for three days. I called several times without any success. On the third day, my wife had to go to work and her car got stuck on the block.
A friend got someone to plow. I don’t know if my block has been “deleted” or the person responsible for it is in the witness protection program.
— Randy Perlmutter, Oceanside
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