Battle For Bascom Preview
Quick preview of the epic Battle for Bascom, Wednesday, December 9, 2009.
http://http://vimeo.com/8092942
Lakeshore and Southeast go head to head on UW’s first snow day in almost 30 years.
http://http://vimeo.com/8129628
A snow day for the record books…
The University of Wisconsin-Madison canceled a full day of classes for the first time in more than 30 years. The announcement came around 7:45 p.m. the night before, prompting students to celebrate in true UW fashion. The day off came right before finals week, allowing many the opportunity to have extra time to study.
In the wake of the winter storms that enveloped much of the upper Midwest, Madison residents and local agencies were forced to respond to the hazardous conditions, including suspending bus services for Wednesday.
Madison Metro Transit General Manager Charles Kamp said Metro intends to resume its regular schedule by Thursday.
“We are planning to operate tomorrow, having said that, if there are conditions that occur between now and midnight, the decision may be made to further suspend service,” Kamp said Wednesday afternoon.
City officials declared a snow emergency Tuesday that has so far been projected to end around 7 a.m. Thursday. In a recent statement, officials have said that, should adverse weather conditions continue or decline, the snow emergency may be extended further.
In response to the blizzard conditions, the mayor’s office and various local agencies — including the Streets Department and Madison Police and Fire Departments — have opened the Emergency Operations Center to identify and address concerns and incidents resulting from the snowfall.
“It’s an effort to coordinate services and to make sure everyone knows what is being done,” said Lori Wirth, MFD spokesperson.
Wirth added the combined efforts of the agencies and their different specializations allow a faster and more efficient response to crises of any sort.
Both city and county governments were closed Wednesday due to the conditions. Numerous public services, including garbage collection and public transportation, were suspended as well.
Madison Recycling Coordinator George Dreckmann said garbage collection for residences that are normally serviced on Wednesday would see their collection resume the following Wednesday; recycling will continue as planned Thursday.
Dreckmann added in the case of a snow emergency, all roads are cleared and receive sand or salt rather than just the main routes and those roads that service schools, hospitals and other necessary establishments.
“The streets this morning were in miserable shape — snow removal equipment was getting stuck in the street,” Dreckmann said. “We had to worry about removing snow before we could worry about handling all the refuse collection vehicles on the streets.”
He added that due to the expected drop in temperatures and increasing winds, the danger of ice is being seriously taken into account.
Despite the condition of many of the roads in the area, representatives from MPD said surprisingly few accidents have been reported or necessitated a police response.
MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said police have been responding to instances of downed power-lines and fallen tree branches due to Tuesday night’s heavy snow. He added reports of power loss had been received by MPD and that the majority of these issues had been addressed and corrected.
“So far, our call volume is down, and the police department is very pleased that people have taken the advice to stay off the roads,” DeSpain said.
He added that Madison citizens should continue to exercise caution when on the roads as temperatures are expected to fall drastically and the chances of collisions due to ice are likely to increase.
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UPDATE:
Madison has extended the snow emergency to include today and tonight, according to a statement. Residents are asked to keep their cars off the streets today and tonight. Alternate side parking restrictions will be in effect for those that must park on the street. This means that tonight, residents should park on the side of the street which has odd numbered houses. Violators will be fined up to $60 and may also be towed.
For more information, check back to www.badgerherald.com.
