12 NOVEMBER 22, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
EDITORIAL
“The city that never sleeps” managed
to get caught fl at-footed
by a sudden burst of snow
on Nov. 15 that brought traffi c to a
grinding, slippery halt.
The snowfall ranged from 2 to 6
inches, depending on where you were,
but that didn’t matter. You couldn’t
fi nd a plow or a salt spreader during
the height of the aft ernoon rush hour,
when the storm was at its worst.
Vehicles across Queens skidded
and crawled across the snowy landscape.
Public transit was a mess;
the buses lacked snow chains and
couldn’t navigate the slick terrain. It
took commuters young and old hours
to get home from work.
The next day, Mayor Bill de Blasio
promised a full audit of the city’s response
(or lack thereof) to the small
snowstorm that crippled the big city.
We’ve been here before.
In 2016, Queens got the brunt end
of a major blizzard that dumped upwards
of 30 inches of snow across the
borough. That storm hit on a Saturday,
and residents started digging out
ESTABLISHED 1908
Co-Publishers
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA SCHNEPS
Editor-in-Chief
ROBERT POZARYCKI
Classifi ed Manager
DEBORAH CUSICK
Assistant Classifi ed Manager
MARLENE RUIZ
Reporters
EMILY DAVENPORT
MARK HALLUM
CARLOTTA MOHAMED
‘Snowvember’ fury
ALEJANDRA O'CONNELL-DOMENECH
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on Sunday. But most residential
streets in Queens wouldn’t be
plowed until Sunday aft ernoon
or Monday morning.
The same thing happened in
2010, under a different mayor,
when the borough was walloped
by a post-Christmas blizzard that
similarly paralyzed Queens and
left roads unplowed for one to
two days.
Still, aft er the Nov. 15 debacle,
de Blasio had an excuse: too much
snow fell at the wrong time, and
there was no way the city could
have prepared for it.
Yes, the storm surprised even
the best forecasters, but how
could the city not even have plows
or salt spreaders at the ready well
in advance of the storm — just in
case the storm turned out worse
than predicted?
“Winter is coming,” Jon Snow
famously said. The city must
stand more ready in its “game
of thrones” against the snow
to come.
THANKSGIVING WISHES
Queens families of all backgrounds
SNAPS
STROLLING THROUGH LONG
ISLAND CITY
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THE HOT TOPIC
STORY:
Modell’s Sporting Goods at
Douglaston shopping mall set to
close early next year
SUMMARY:
Modell’s Sporting Goods, located in
the open-air mall at 242-02 61st Ave.
in Douglaston, will be going out of
business by January 2019, according
to a current employee.
REACH:
15,009 people (as of 11/18/18)
COMMENTS:
once again gather
around the table today
(Thursday) to celebrate Thanksgiving
— a uniquely American holiday
where we celebrate all that we have
and all that makes us a truly fortunate
nation.
Along with enjoying the holiday
with family and friends, let’s remember
those among us who aren’t
as fortunate — and let’s fi nd a way to
comfort them.
We can do our part by supporting
local food pantries and organizations
who tend to the needy all
year long. If you know someone
who’s struggling in other ways that
charity cannot provide, then give
of yourself. Spend time to talk with
them, give them a hug, tell them
things are going to be okay, and that
you’ve got their back.
From our family to yours, have a
special Thanksgiving and a wonderful
holiday season ahead!
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