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BY MATTHEW G. SOLOVEY msolovey@leader.net
Tuesday, February 01, 2000 Page: 3
As the first major snowstorm of the year took the area by surprise last week,
snow-related problems came to light once again. According to Nanticoke Police
Chief Chester Zaremba, the same problems arise each year. “It’s a problem in
Nanticoke,” Zaremba said. “It always has been.” But according to Zaremba,
there’s not much the police department can do for several situations. One of
several problems includes the clearing of snow. “Nobody wants snow on their
property,” Zaremba explained. “Nanticoke is unique in that the houses are
close together, especially in the older sections of town. People need a place
to put the snow.” The closeness of the homes doesn’t allow for much room for
snow removal, creating tension between neighbors. “We have residents saying
‘Don’t put it in front of my house.’ People have actually come to blows over
this. Where do you put the snow? There are no answers.” Zaremba said the
department responds to complaints relative to the amount of snow that has
fallen. When large amounts fall, Zaremba said the department responds less to
complaints. “During the blizzard of 1993 we didn’t even touch those
complaints. Where were people going to put so much snow?” One place not to
put the snow is onto the street. “There’s an ordinance against it,” Zaremba
said. “The City of Nanticoke pays $40 an hour for people to plow. That on top
of city employees. Then we have people snowblowing the snow back on the roads.
They’re defeating the purpose.” Not only does the practice create more work
for the plow trucks, but also creates a hazard. “A lot of the time, so much
accumulates it becomes dangerous. A car can be traveling on a rather cleared
road, only to hit one of these snow patches. It’s very dangerous.” In the
past, Zaremba said citations have been issued. In one case, an arrest was
made. “We will do the same thing in the future. If we get a complaint, you
will get a citation. This is something we don’t want to see in Nanticoke. We
can’t have that,” he said. Zaremba also suggested that residents living along
the emergency snow routes or on streets that are often plowed do their best to
move their cars for easier snow removal. The emergency snow route streets are
Front and Espy Streets, Middle Road, Main, Kosiuszko, Prospect, Market and
Hanover Streets. “In case of an emergency, those streets would be kept clear,”
Zaremba explained. Zaremba also asks that residents do their best to clear
their sidewalks. “We ask people to shovel and clear their sidewalks off so
nobody slips and falls,” he said. He also noted that the city does have an
ordinance requiring snow removal in front of your property. A newer problem
involves the use of quadrunners and snowmobiles on the roads, especially in
the Hanover Section. “It’s illegal,” Zaremba said. “It shouldn’t happen and
someone is going to get hurt.” With each snowfall, Zaremba said the problems
decrease. It’s the first storm of the season that usually creates the most
havoc. “It was the first big one,” he said. “Where do you put the snow? How
do you dispose of it and how do you keep your walks clean? “You’re living in
Northeastern Pennsylvania in the middle of January. You have to deal with the
snow and you have to get along,” he concluded.