Thank you Street Department for helping us through snowstorm

Well, it appears we’ve survived our second snow event of 2022. Even though there are still some patches of snow on roads in various shaded neighborhoods, the streets, for the most part, are clear and in good shape.

I ventured into Bella Vista midday Thursday, less than a day into the big storm. The streets were well covered by then and snow was still coming down. Highway 71 through town was basically a one-laner on either side of the yellow stripes in the middle, and a good speed limit for me and my vehicle, which doesn’t have four-wheel drive, was anywhere from 10-15 miles below the set speed limit.

Most of the time there were no other vehicles in sight, making for even better traveling conditions.

I was able to navigate the roads in and around Blowing Springs Park and the lower portion of the dam at Lake Ann on my snow photo safari, looking for interesting sights — and any activity — produced by what the National Weather Service out of Tulsa would later declare as a 10.5-inch deposit of snow and some sleet on top of our dear Bella Vista.

Sledders flying down the dam at Lake Ann were indeed having a blast. It made me think back to my younger days navigating a sled down the frozen streets of the Skyline Terrace subdivision where we lived in Harrison. Back then, walking back up the hill after an exhilarating run was a piece of cake. Last week I got winded just watching these youngsters setting a quick pace back to the top of the dam for yet another white-knuckler to the bottom.

They also appeared better prepared than I to stay out for the entirety of fun, all bundled up against the gray day’s chill. Me? Well I had my boots, gloves and trusty Carhartt coat, but one of my boots had apparently sprung a leak and my feet were getting cold as I tromped around in the snow.

I sure could have used a bread wrapper or two to keep my feet dry. That was the only way to go back in the day, the greatest snow hack ever. My mom would snuggle my feet into a plastic Wonderbread wrapper before helping me put on my boots — I was wearing so many layers it was hard to bend over — to combat a full day of snow fun with my Skyline Mafia buddies.

I know these days bread is one of the items people run to the store to buy ahead of a snowstorm. I think growing up with five kids to take care of, my mom’s pre-snow runs to the store for bread were to make sure she had enough wrappers for 10 feet.

Since I don’t live in the Bella Vista hills on either side of Highway 71 I’m not able to see in person what the snow did to those streets, but I was able to keep up somewhat through the posts on various Facebook pages. Members of those groups did a good job communicating to others — through messages and videos — what the streets were like and what progress was being made to get them clear.

And it appears, for the most part, that Bella Vista Street Superintendent Mike Button and his crew were able to keep the roads passable.

I know they had already been working by the time I slid into town on Thursday. Even though the main road was basically a one-laner going north and the same going south, it was still smooth and manageable, cleared as much as possible, and I know those same street crews were on the job at various locations, trying to keep the roads as manageable as possible.

Our street department and its crews are to be commended for their efforts and attempts to keep the roads as easy to navigate and as safe as possible during the two snow events we’ve had thus far.

I’ve always felt their jobs, especially during inclement weather, are hard to do, much like those of our safety and medical personnel. And hard to do may in fact be a huge

understatement, but I’m certainly glad they’re making the sacrifices necessary to do the job for us.

I’m sure they wished they had more hands on deck during times like these, and I wish there was some way to get more help for them. But until that time becomes possible I’m sure they will continue plugging along, doing what needs to be done to make sure we have the safest ways possible to get around. Our street crews are to be commended for doing the best they can during situations like we experienced last week.

The snow was pretty and left beautiful sights of a winter wonderland throughout Bella Vista.

But I’m good for now. This latest one will hold me until, say, December — anybody up for a white Christmas? — or even into the next year.

This one’s memory will stay with me for a while, to be recalled many times in July and August, I’m sure, when we’ll be begging for cooler temperatures.

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