Local News Comments

I've been listening the the scanner..and public works, the police, firefighters.....
All I can say is WOW!
Good job people....good job!
Also, anyone I missed....same thing!

They just shut down Everything...from the high school to the grocery outlet.
Every road is closed except in town itself.
Just heard it on the scanner. 5:23 PM.

I don't know Leaper, sounds like way too much government to me.
Taxed enough already!

Slim

What's the point of paying taxes and fees for the County Roads Department to plow the snow from the streets when needed? There was no reason to close roads throughout the County because the road department failed to do the job. A chain control check points for vehicles not equipped for the conditions could had reduced the pileups.

Perhaps you posters should leave your homes. The roads are a mess. Are scanners and the internet the only way you have to communicate?

For people that are fortunate enough to have a job, this has not been an easy day. What road must you travel to and from work? Do you go around the Rawhide Gap? Do you even know what that is? Do you traverse Lyons Bald Mountain Rd?

How nice it must be to sit in the comfort of your home listening to the scanner knowing that hard working people are trying to make their way home. And, that all we need do is check the blogs so that people such as yourself are on top of the situation.

It is now 8:30 pm. My husband just arrived home. If we had as many snow plows out in force today as we have fire trucks cruising the roads aimlessly maybe.....

Taxi driver that brought me home from doctor's office, stated he saw two plows in downtown Sonora and they DID NOT, and I repeat, DID NOT have their blades down. Does anyone know why???????????

Maybe if people would actually chain up, I could have gotten home at a reasonable hour. This days behavior does nothing to allieviate my distain for people in general.

Thank you to the other government agencies who pleaded and begged county roads to plow & sand "after hours." Especially to help all of the stuck motorists that were out there. It's much appreciated!!!

the roads are ok. The drivers are not. When there is snow on the road a person needs chains. 4 wheel drive with studded snow tires will get you through the small stuff. Without studs it is almost impossible to stop when going downhill on ice. We had to pick up our dog at Twain Harte vet yesterday afternoon. I couldn't believe the amount of cars skidding around with no chains.

....all I can say is this is the epicenter for stupid people!People in the big jacked up 4 wheel drives dont know you need to use 4 high I guess,I seen just as many of then spinning out as I did cars.I got to watch the circus in the 4.5 hours it took me to get home when it usually is 20 minutes.I never broke traction once either...no chains or studs,just a little know how and the right equipt.Lord help yall if this was normal!

Absolute insanity is the only way I can describe my commute home yesterday from downtown Sonora to Ponderosa Hills. Tuolumne Road on the Buckhorn Grade was a parking lot. It took me three hours to get home from Sonora. I was really questioning if I would actually make it home, not because my vehicle had any issues. I have a great 4WD SUV with a rear diff lock button. The problem was all the people who were literally unable to climb the hill and were stuck, preventing the rest of us from going on. Man, did that glass of Merlot hit the spot once I got home.

Ret Co Social wkr, how do you propose the plows clear the roads when within minutes of the start of the snow fall people pack the roads with disabled vehicles because they are too lazy to install thier chains? That snow started sticking almost immedatley, you are completely unrealistic with the level of service you expect. maybe its time to relocate to a town further down the hill?

OF COURSE it is good to be prepared with some chains in the trunk if you live in an area such as this...but in defense of us, and yes i am in that catagory of not being a great driver when it snows...this WAS kind a a freak storm dumping so much, so fast...
usually if i know snow is coming, i get home long before it even hits. i wasn't out driving in it yesterday, but i was on parrots ferry helping people, pushing cars, shoveling snow, just trying to help. i was having a good time because i wasn't stuck, tho my daughters car was and we eventually got it home.
we're human...we aren't perfect...just being nice goes a long way tho..really.

Get Real

I do have a real job, but I also keep track of the weather. When it started snowing I was already in my truck heading home....
Think about THAT. GEE! Someone who KNEW it was going to happened and left for home in time....WOW!
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

You know guys it's not like this happens every day Every body needs to quit whining and stay home if they can't handle the conditions It's not like you can catch every flake before it hits the ground Crews will get caught up everything will be back to normal as soon as possible Or maybe you all should put in for snow plow duty Did any one ever think that maybe the two plows seen in down town Sonora were private owned plows If you really think all these plow drivers don't care about public safety maybe you should put in for their job Until then maybe you should stay where it's warm and cozy And leave the snow removal to the professionals

Stby why would they do that is is where they go to bag on every public worker be it local,county,state of federal doesn't really seem to matter. They would rather sit behind there keyboards and ignorance rather then open there eyes to the real world.

We live in the mountains and it snows here. Be prepared. Too many angry and impatient people cause a lot of problems. Yesterday afternoon I saw a vehicle pull around a long line of cars on Tuolumne Road near Morris. The driver proceeded to pass them even though there was oncoming traffic that was nearly forced into the ditch behind our house.
Better to wait where you are if possible than to be stuck for hours or even worse to cause or be involved in an accident.

Leaperman621
I am one of as you call us the stupid lazy county employees you love to frequently bash. If I could leave at the first hint of snow, like yourself, then there would have been one less person on the road last night. In our office we stay open until 5:00 Monday thru Friday. While some of our employees were allowed to leave, most of us stayed to keep the office open for taxpayers like you. Try walking in my shoes before you start bashing.

Any other snow state, or should I say snow county knows how to prepare and handle the snow. Just not this county or it's citizens. It is laughable.

Romanoff

I do not bash county employees...Neither do I group you as stupid or lazy.
Some of you do outstanding jobs...
look up...look at my first post.
well...
did I HINT?
NO I was responding to a personal attack.

Yes, Romanoff, I agree. Not everyone was able to leave work as soon as snow started sticking (which was pretty much immediately). I teach, and, it started snowing about 50 minutes before school got out. I WANTED to leave, but, you know, there were kids here, and, well, that's my job.

@Get Real
Fire trucks cruising the roads aimlessly huh? Sounds like you are incredibly uninformed and ignorant about the Fire and EMS system. Perhaps you do nit realize the fuel used by these agencies is regulated and has to be accounted for so the "aimless" driving is eliminated? Too bad you probably wrote that sitting at home nice and warm while those crews were up all day and night out in the cold and snow helping people. Maybe we should do staffing cuts for them to eliminate "aimless driving" so when you need them you can then complain because it took them too long to get there? Sorry but there is very little aimless driving by the public service agencies...

Everytime it snows here. Everytime. I just don't get it....

I've been listening the the scanner..and public works, the police, firefighters.....
All I can say is WOW!
Good job people....good job!
Also, anyone I missed....same thing!

I guess that was considered bashing huh kidlady and romanov?