Traffic 'improvements'?

The News Herald reports that the State of Ohio (and Chardon residents) will pay about a million dollars to improve traffic flow in the town, and particularly around the town square. In particular, they'll allow two-way traffic on the north and south ends of the square. In all the years I've been driving there, you had to go around the square in one direction, and what is the big deal about that? There's never more than a couple cars waiting at a light in town, and reported number of cars during rush hour is about 50-100, that's all. So what's the deal? Bruce Farren (who would be more credible if he weren't living in Florida!) commented:

"For the sake of approximately 200 vehicles over the course of one hour, the historic and traditional town square is going to more closely resemble just about any other faceless town. Town leadership needs to realize that once they have altered the town square to create added traffic lanes, it will never go back to what it was. It will be lost forever. Just so 210 vehicles over the span of 60 minutes -- roughly 3.5 cars per minute -- can move just a little bit faster. That is progress?"

I happen to agree with him. Of course, I'm no more credible because I mostly live in CT, but at least I pay taxes in Chardon! As long as they don't mess with Short Court Street, which has always been a favorite of mine because you go round the square in a counter-clockwise fashion, but in the middle of the east side of the square, you can make a left to short-circuit having to go ALL the way around. But the neat thing is, because of the one-way round about, you make a left onto the lefthand side (the south side) of the roadway of Short Court. Correspondingly, if you get all the way around to the other side, you might want to cut across to the east side, and you make a left onto the north side of Short Court. In other words, it is about a 100-ft space of road which behaves like a British road, not an American one! Just another unique feature of life in Chardon - please don't mess that up!!

Snow Belt

Well, despite a mild beginning to winter, Chardon - undisputed snow capital of Northeast Ohio - has gotten hit with plenty of the white stuff in the past few weeks. With over 3 feet falling since January 15, and 8 inches alone this past Monday, its back to chilly normal for that part of the world. Link here, not that this is really news!

I admire Chardon-ites, because they just don't get upset about it. I'll call Paul and ask if its snowing, and he'll say, yeah and tell me what a great time he had cross-country skiing and how peaceful it was. No griping about travel and getting around or shoveling and plowing. It is what it is.

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day - a very special holiday if you live in Chardon! Let's hope the little rodent has a gray and cloudy day.