Mom in High Heels Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 The "Polar Vortex" (I swear they're going to start naming sneezes soon) has most of my friends "trapped" home with heir kids. There are tons of posts about how they're going stir crazy, and can't wait for school to start. Ha! That's my every day! Suck it up people! <-I mean that as a joke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 dh's cousin posted this to remind people what can happen during some efforts to keep warm https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152513735709115&set=a.183211954114.157485.162059124114&type=1&theater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I was sitting in the doctor's office today with a sick kid and the television news channel was airing a New York feed. They were breaking into the program with weather updates of 'record cold' and 'winter weather watch/warnings' and 'extreme weather forecasts' and one segment on how to 'brave the severe cold if you must go outside but better to stay inside and be safe.' I commented to a lady also watching and mentioned that family and friends (Pa to VA area) were commenting on FB about how ridiculously cold and unbearable the weather was and how they long for winter to end. And, that it is just waaaaay toooo coooold to even venture outside. She just laughed and commented that she also thought it was funny that the temperatures they call harsh and extreme are just typical winter temps here in Alaska and kids go outside to play in the minus degrees and no one thinks anything of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 It has taken all of my moral resolve not to post something snarky about my being living proof that being home with your kids is not fatal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I was sitting in the doctor's office today with a sick kid and the television news channel was airing a New York feed. They were breaking into the program with weather updates of 'record cold' and 'winter weather watch/warnings' and 'extreme weather forecasts' and one segment on how to 'brave the severe cold if you must go outside but better to stay inside and be safe.' I commented to a lady also watching and mentioned that family and friends (Pa to VA area) were commenting on FB about how ridiculously cold and unbearable the weather was and how they long for winter to end. And, that it is just waaaaay toooo coooold to even venture outside. She just laughed and commented that she also thought it was funny that the temperatures they call harsh and extreme are just typical winter temps here in Alaska and kids go outside to play in the minus degrees and no one thinks anything of it. I don't really get it either. Around here at least one city is talking about canceling school b/c it is cold. I remember walking to school in this type of weather! We made snow angles in the lower banks along the way and climbed the higher ones. I'll be fair and say that maybe they are worried about not having great heating systems and maybe they might not function and they would have a whole lot of kids in a building with no heat. Maybe... :confused1: ETA: I get it in the southern states, but our area does get this type of weather, just not that often. Often enough that most people have the necessary clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Here they are worried about buses not starting or breaking down. Even though we are in a suburb our high school is in the middle of a corn field. If the bus broke down on the way it would get cold very quickly. The kids don't have enough room in their lockers for a lot if warm coats etc. With 40 or 50 below windchills that is definitely a concern . I'm sure some people are quite used to those temperatures. We get below zero sometimes in the winter but not that cold usually. Then again family in SC are freezing with temperatures around 10 but many don't have super warm clothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berta Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Here they are worried about busses not starting or breaking down. Even though we are in a suburb our high school is in the middle of a corn field. If the bus broke down on the way it would get cold very quickly. The kids don't have enough room in their lockers for a lot if warm coats etc. With 40 or 50 below windchills that is definitely a concern . I'm sure some people are quite used to those temperatures. We get below zero sometimes in the winter but not that cold usually. Then again family in SC are freezing with temperatures around 10 but many don't have super warm clothing. I moved to SC to get away from the cold and tonight it's going to feel like ZERO! No one here is equipped to deal with this kind of weather. My winter coat so far has been a sweatshirt. Luckily I still have our cold weather gear from when we lived up north, but no one else around me has anything more than a knit hat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I moved to SC to get away from the cold and tonight it's going to feel like ZERO! No one here is equipped to deal with this kind of weather. My winter coat so far has been a sweatshirt. Luckily I still have our cold weather gear from when we lived up north, but no one else around me has anything more than a knit hat. This is us in north Florida. I had to go out and buy my dds a few things so they wouldn't be too cold tomorrow at school. We used to live a lot more north and had some crazy winters and snow. We became used to that when we lived there, but we've been here for a very long time and we're just not ready to deal with this kind of weather now. It's the same with extreme heat. Where I was born and raised there was crazy hot temperatures and I was fine, but I can't deal with that either anymore. I'm sure I could adjust again but it's not what I'm used to at this moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I don't really get it either. Around here at least one city is talking about canceling school b/c it is cold. I remember walking to school in this type of weather! We made snow angles in the lower banks along the way and climbed the higher ones. I'll be fair and say that maybe they are worried about not having great heating systems and maybe they might not function and they would have a whole lot of kids in a building with no heat. Maybe... :confused1: It's closed here in GA. Kids don't have the gear to walk to school or wait for the bus in -13 windchill weather. Maybe families who ski or just moved here... Last winter my kids didn't need more than a heavy sweatshirt! Plus most schools have trailers with insufficient heating for these temps. Someone said that there's an issue with buses? I doubt the school districts do it just to mess with people. It screws up their calendars and funding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMommy Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Our newspaper today had some kind of headline about what to do with your children if they're on their 18th straight day at home. Please. 18 days? That's nothing! I'm just happy younger ds has a few extra days at home before he has to go back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 It's closed here in GA. Kids don't have the gear to walk to school or wait for the bus in -13 windchill weather. Maybe families who ski or just moved here... Last winter my kids didn't need more than a heavy sweatshirt! Plus most schools have trailers with insufficient heating for these temps. Someone said that there's an issue with buses? I doubt the school districts do it just to mess with people. It screws up their calendars and funding. I edited above to say that we live in the north and do get these temperatures, just not that often. I can understand the southern states not being prepared. But I even heard today that Philadelphia may close schools. That isn't very far south. Shouldn't schools that far north be prepared to deal with the cold? I went to school near the Canadian border, so it's weird to me to think of a city that does get cold temperatures closing school. I pretty much thought it would be obvious why GA or other southern states might have to close school. That makes sense to me. Cities in the north closing seems odd. Schools with trailers as classrooms, I forgot about that. I could see where that might pose a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 One of our cars (fairly new) won't start today even though we started it fairly late yesterday. It doesn't surprise me that some of the school buses won't start. Here another big issue was the wind blowing the powdery snow. Several roads were closed with near blizzard conditions. I think it is a combination of the two. I've lived here my whole life and I've never seen the school closing list so long. This really is extreme weather for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I grew up in International Falls, MN, so this kind of weather isn't a huge deal for me. But I've been worried all day about how the homeless people in southern states where they aren't equipped to deal with this are going to survive. :( We've already been cooped up for over a week because dd had the flu, so a few more days isn't so bad. Most of her activities were still on their holiday break anyway. I don't mind. I've been getting caught up on my reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 It's not exactly facebook: http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2014/01/oh_for_christs_sake_florida.php "If it hits 45 degrees here anytime soon, you can bet patios will open and people will take to the streets ...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 They've set up warming areas locally for the homeless, hopefully people use them. School was cancelled here today, not due to the cold but due to the ice, the outlying roads are especially slick right now and obviously they didn't melt much today. We don't really have the right gear for this kind of weather, dd didn't even have or need a real coat last year, this year I'm really glad she has one, although it is hard to convince the kids to put them on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I grew up in International Falls, MN, so this kind of weather isn't a huge deal for me. But I've been worried all day about how the homeless people in southern states where they aren't equipped to deal with this are going to survive. :( We've already been cooped up for over a week because dd had the flu, so a few more days isn't so bad. Most of her activities were still on their holiday break anyway. I don't mind. I've been getting caught up on my reading. The homeless here have been a big concern for us as well. There were a lot of announcements about blankets, coats, gloves, any winter gear donations being accepted at a few places to be sent to shelters and such. My concern is that there are many here who just don't own those things to donate. We usually get by with a sweatshirt and still wear flip flops all year. I did go to a Target and see they were mostly out of the few of those things they do have so hope others bought them and then donated. We did what we could, but I worry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 They've set up warming areas locally for the homeless, hopefully people use them. School was cancelled here today, not due to the cold but due to the ice, the outlying roads are especially slick right now and obviously they didn't melt much today. We don't really have the right gear for this kind of weather, dd didn't even have or need a real coat last year, this year I'm really glad she has one, although it is hard to convince the kids to put them on! Yes! What is the deal? Its was 8 F (without windchill factor) earlier this week and Dd tried to go out to take care of the pony in a sweatshirt! I caught her and made her put on her coat, hat, gloves, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I know this is crazy but... I'm jealous. I would love to be "frozen in" or snowed in for a few days with DH and the girls, all outside stuff canceled. I'm tired. The coziness of being stuck inside with nowhere to go sounds completely delicious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I know this is crazy but... I'm jealous. I would love to be "frozen in" or snowed in for a few days with DH and the girls, all outside stuff canceled. I'm tired. The coziness of being stuck inside with nowhere to go sounds completely delicious. I wish it were like that, but I've still got to take care of animals even in the cold and not enough is cancelled here to really give me down time. Dh has to walk several blocks to work after he gets to the city too. We have a 4h meeting tomorrow that doesn't look like it is being cancelled either. I should stop snickering about northern towns closing school and start praying for more cancellations. To make things worse, all things water related freeze in this weather which means the geriatric pony's feed can't be soaked or it turns into a grain popsicle, which, sadly does nothing for him nutritionally. But, I agree with your thought! I would love to be stuck here wit no where to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I grew up in International Falls, MN, so this kind of weather isn't a huge deal for me. But I've been worried all day about how the homeless people in southern states where they aren't equipped to deal with this are going to survive. :( We've already been cooped up for over a week because dd had the flu, so a few more days isn't so bad. Most of her activities were still on their holiday break anyway. I don't mind. I've been getting caught up on my reading. My heart is heavy thinking about those who will remain outside these cold nights. I just read a news feature that showed Salvation Army workers delivering hot food and beverages and blankets. They are also trying to escort folks to shelters but there are many who refuse to go inside overnight. Terribly hard to think about. I cannot imagine those super cold temperatures, let alone digest the fact that people are remaining outdoors in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 I don't really get it either. Around here at least one city is talking about canceling school b/c it is cold. I remember walking to school in this type of weather! We made snow angles in the lower banks along the way and climbed the higher ones. I'll be fair and say that maybe they are worried about not having great heating systems and maybe they might not function and they would have a whole lot of kids in a building with no heat. Maybe... :confused1: ETA: I get it in the southern states, but our area does get this type of weather, just not that often. Often enough that most people have the necessary clothes. I went to Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart for high school (all girls), which is in a northern suburb of Chicago. We had to wear skirts, even in the winter. We could wear tights, but they aren't all that warm. Our heat went out for 2 or 3 days, in the whole school. The boarding students had to be farmed out to day students' families because it was too cold for them to sleep there. It was not, apparently, too cold for us to go to school. We were allowed to wear sweat pants under our skirts, jackets, hats and gloves in class, which is not something we were normally allowed to do. The nuns didn't let the weather stop us from learning! ;) I know this is crazy but... I'm jealous. I would love to be "frozen in" or snowed in for a few days with DH and the girls, all outside stuff canceled. I'm tired. The coziness of being stuck inside with nowhere to go sounds completely delicious. Me too! I think the PNW is just about the only area of the country that isn't snowed in! I want snow! Indy does too. He can't believe we haven't had anything more than a dusting. We actually like snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 dh's cousin posted this to remind people what can happen during some efforts to keep warm https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152513735709115&set=a.183211954114.157485.162059124114&type=1&theater All the corrections of due dates are even funnier than the meme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 dh's cousin posted this to remind people what can happen during some efforts to keep warm https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152513735709115&set=a.183211954114.157485.162059124114&type=1&theater While living in MN, we have conceived two children. One born in late September and one born in the middle of October. :lol: Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleEJ Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I was sitting in the doctor's office today with a sick kid and the television news channel was airing a New York feed. They were breaking into the program with weather updates of 'record cold' and 'winter weather watch/warnings' and 'extreme weather forecasts' and one segment on how to 'brave the severe cold if you must go outside but better to stay inside and be safe.' I commented to a lady also watching and mentioned that family and friends (Pa to VA area) were commenting on FB about how ridiculously cold and unbearable the weather was and how they long for winter to end. And, that it is just waaaaay toooo coooold to even venture outside. She just laughed and commented that she also thought it was funny that the temperatures they call harsh and extreme are just typical winter temps here in Alaska and kids go outside to play in the minus degrees and no one thinks anything of it. I remember one particular day when the temps were supposed to get below -50 and they made school optional! My mom made me go!! Edited for spelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 We're pretty tough, weather wise around here. A foot or more of snow in a few hours is normal. Temps in single digits are normal. Kids go and play. Sending our kids out to play in a blizzard just doesn't happen...45 mph winds, snow, and a minus 35 F wind chill...that is foolhardy. I don't care what you do in other parts of the country or how tough you think you are. Blizzards are deadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 We're pretty tough, weather wise around here. A foot or more of snow in a few hours is normal. Temps in single digits are normal. Kids go and play. Sending our kids out to play in a blizzard just doesn't happen...45 mph winds, snow, and a minus 35 F wind chill...that is foolhardy. I don't care what you do in other parts of the country or how tough you think you are. Blizzards are deadly. Yep. The temps alone here are deadly, even without the wind. We go out for a bit, but have a house handy for warming up. When it gets this cold, the warming houses at the ice rinks close. They don't want to encourage people to be outside exercising. Went for a short walk with my daughter yesterday. By the time we got in, her asthma had kicked in. Those with health conditions really do need to be careful. (It was an experiment. Now she knows...) Neither of our cars will start, so we are kind of stuck here. We've done 3 games of Scrabble and cleaned out the mildewy closet under the basement stairs. So it's not been a waste. But we are running out of eggs. The only store we can walk to is pretty well cleaned out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Yep. The temps alone here are deadly, even without the wind. We go out for a bit, but have a house handy for warming up. When it gets this cold, the warming houses at the ice rinks close. They don't want to encourage people to be outside exercising. Went for a short walk with my daughter yesterday. By the time we got in, her asthma had kicked in. Those with health conditions really do need to be careful. (It was an experiment. Now she knows...) Neither of our cars will start, so we are kind of stuck here. We've done 3 games of Scrabble and cleaned out the mildewy closet under the basement stairs. So it's not been a waste. But we are running out of eggs. The only store we can walk to is pretty well cleaned out. I'm sorry about your cars and being stuck. There are driving bans here. I read your line mildewy closet too quickly and thought it was "midwifery closet"! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I'm sorry about your cars and being stuck. There are driving bans here. I read your line mildewy closet too quickly and thought it was "midwifery closet"! :lol: You need to scrub that thing down now and again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 It's not exactly facebook: http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2014/01/oh_for_christs_sake_florida.php "If it hits 45 degrees here anytime soon, you can bet patios will open and people will take to the streets ...." Grrrr! Not to you, but to the blogger. There are several things people don't understand. 1. Acclimation. It's what you get used to. When my family moved to Florida we gleefully got rid of our winter clothes before we left. Within 3 years we were buying winter clothes. It happens to most people who move here. 2. Humidity. A wet cold feels colder, and it's nearly always humid here. When we visited dh's grandmother in Tennessee one December, I remember realizing that their 25 feels like our 40. 3. When the temperature is at 80 or above most of the year (9-10 months), a 40 degree drop is a big difference. Summer, which lasts from May to mid-October, is in the 90's daily with humidity that matches or exceeds the temperature. 4. Our homes are designed to keep heat out, not in. That's a good thing most of the time. However, during those rare times when we have a freeze, it's hard to keep the house warm. You heat it up, and the heat escapes, just like it's supposed to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 dh's cousin posted this to remind people what can happen during some efforts to keep warm https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152513735709115&set=a.183211954114.157485.162059124114&type=1&theater Cute. I'm originally from NJ. My birthday is in October. Most of my cousins have birthdays from Sept. to Nov.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Tallahassee, Florida today! Rare sight. It snowed once when I was at FSU. The snow came in the middle of the night. People were knocking on dorm doors yelling, "Get up! It's snowing in Florida!" We got one inch. It paralyzed the city. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berta Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Cute. I'm originally from NJ. My birthday is in October. Most of my cousins have birthdays from Sept. to Nov.. LOL I'm also from NJ with an Aug. 31st birthday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 LOL I'm also from NJ with an Aug. 31st birthday! My brother is Aug. 28th. I think he has the earliest birthday of anyone in the family. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I grew up in International Falls, MN, so this kind of weather isn't a huge deal for me. But I've been worried all day about how the homeless people in southern states where they aren't equipped to deal with this are going to survive. :( Yes, I'm from the Rockies. School was only cancelled if they got completely overwhelmed with the snow (like three or more feet overnight). Cold never cancelled school. I remember wearing long johns and snow pants to school, and having the teachers direct us on where to hang everything. They would show movies in the gym at lunch and recess if it was truly bad outside. Here though, folks aren't ready. Most people's kids only own a warm coat, and that just isn't enough. I went out to Pilates, and there were about 1/2 the number of usual cars on the road. It was cold going in/out of the building, but not intolerable IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Perception of cold is relative and depends on what you are used to. My Florida based nephew was shivering here in Seattle on a cooler summer night while we were at the Mariners. The rest of us were sitting just fine in summer sandals and shorts. I know a family who moved from India and their first year here, 65-70 was sweater weather. But I bet that a lot of people from Minnesota and Alaska would be immobilized by the heat in parts of India. I am barely able to handle a hot day in Central Florida. So people are complaining about the cold because to them it is cold. People who live in colder climates aren't tougher...they are acCLIMATEd to the weather. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Sorry, no one can acclimate to a blizzard. Do people acclimate to monsoons? Or hurricanes? These are weather situations that KILL people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerine Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 It was colder in Manitoba than MARS. You people were walking to school in MARTIAN temperatures??? I mean, I'm Chicago through and through, and I didn't try to venture out yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Sorry, no one can acclimate to a blizzard. Do people acclimate to monsoons? Or hurricanes? These are weather situations that KILL people. A blizzard is only really dangerous if someone is dumb enough to go out and drive around in it. If you're safe at home, it's just a bunch of snow blowing around. Not all that dangerous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Sorry, no one can acclimate to a blizzard. Do people acclimate to monsoons? Or hurricanes? These are weather situations that KILL people. I have been in a blizzard, hurricane and a full blown monsoon in a part of the world where it is vicious. I did not acclimate - just stayed home. So did everyone else around us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Sorry, no one can acclimate to a blizzard. Do people acclimate to monsoons? Or hurricanes? These are weather situations that KILL people. I daresay Eskimos are more accustomed to snow and dealing with blizzards than, say, me. Or people who live in Nicaragua or Thailand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I have been in a blizzard, hurricane and a full blown monsoon in a part of the world where it is vicious. I did not acclimate - just stayed home. So did everyone else around us. Yeah, that is my point. I think it is ridiculous to say that "people from ------- aren't so tough because they are complaining about ------- weather and our weather is like that on a daily basis and we just deal with it and go about our lives." You can't just go on with life as usual with deadly weather like blizzards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Just a interruption to this humorous thread. There are real reasons to cancel school when the temp is significantly below normal temp for a region. School is cancelled in Northern Virginia outside of Washington DC. 1. My dc have appropriate winter gear for our normal weather. They also have more stuff that makes it possible for them to handle a day like today. However, there is a significant portion of the student population that does not have gear appropriate for "normal" here. They have coat drives at school and they give coats away, but some people still don't get the message or are just too proud to ask. I know that the high school and the elementary school put out regular notices about the availability of clothing/coats, but I don't think the messages always gets to the people who need it. These kids shouldn't be walking to school or standing at bus stops without gloves, hats and better coats. 2. Many schools have trailers. There were high winds this morning--not good for trailers. Trailers are hard to heat. My younger ds's school just moved half the school population into trailers over the winter holiday--this is for a 3 year renovation. The bathrooms are in the remaining parts of the building not being renovated. To get from the sp ed class in a trailer to the reg ed class my ds or to get to art or music, ds walks from trailer to trailer outside. Besides children who don't have good coats going outside to get to class, the bathroom or lunch, it must be hard to maintain the heat in these trailers with the doors opening and closing for everything. 3. Buses. Our district is said to have the largest bus fleet in the country. I realize school buses run in Minnesota, but in Minnesota I'm sure school districts invest in heaters for engines to get buses started in the morning. There is no reason for a district in my state to invest in something like that when the need to use it is rare. I think most local governments try to invest money based on the typical weather pattern. For instance, we have snow removal equipment, but not a lot. So, if we get a 6 inches of snow things will close because it will take a while to get the snow removal finished. In other places that have a lot of snow it makes sense for a government to invest significant resources into snow removal. It doesn't make sense here. The same is true for the colder temps. There is no reason for the local government to invest significantly in making things run smoothly when the temp drops waaaay below average. One thing I noticed in the debate about school closure is the same kids who don't have appropriate clothing probably missed a meal because they stayed home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 A blizzard is only really dangerous if someone is dumb enough to go out and drive around in it. If you're safe at home, it's just a bunch of snow blowing around. Not all that dangerous.Essential personnel HAVE to report for certain occupations. So they aren't dumb...they are being responsible adults...but the weather doesn't care. The blizzard doesn't stop. SMH Edit...and they are dangerous when more non-dumb people lose their power (through no fault of their own, since they dont control the weather ) and have no heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 3. Buses. Our district is said to have the largest bus fleet in the country. I realize school buses run in Minnesota, but in Minnesota I'm sure school districts invest in heaters for engines to get buses started in the morning. There is no reason for a district in my state to invest in something like that when the need to use it is rare. You must be in Fairfax County. I grew up in Reston, and I remember people always quoted that fact about the buses. I never understood why anyone would care who had the largest bus fleet in the country. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 You must be in Fairfax County. I grew up in Reston, and I remember people always quoted that fact about the buses. I never understood why anyone would care who had the largest bus fleet in the country. :lol: The point is they've got a lot of kids to move, not just to neighborhood schools, but also to sp ed programs. Running that many buses means you've got to be really understand scheduling, and understand changing routes by road condition. It is a logistical mess to understand that takes a huge effort beyond putting teachers in classrooms. I think my statistic is old and they were surpassed by Montgomery Co MD a year ago. But actually moving more kids on less bus is harder because you have to carefully examine the efficiency of routes and you can't have routes where children are on the bus too long. A massive amount of analysis must go into making buses run efficiently and moving so many children in a district this large. That's why that statistic is important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 A blizzard is only really dangerous if someone is dumb enough to go out and drive around in it. If you're safe at home, it's just a bunch of snow blowing around. Not all that dangerous. The problem in many areas is that people lose power, particularly in situations where there are high winds or a lot of ice on the trees and wires -- and if the weather is really terrible, the families can't drive to an emergency shelter to get warm. Also, many people's homes aren't well-insulated, so their heating systems can't keep up with extended periods of really intense cold. Additionally, it's also a big problem when there is heavy snow and high winds, because tree branches (or entire trees) can fall on houses and cause tremendous damage and serious injuries. And emergency service personnel often have to be out in the weather, no matter how bad it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 The problem in many areas is that people lose power, particularly in situations where there are high winds or a lot of ice on the trees and wires -- and if the weather is really terrible, the families can't drive to an emergency shelter to get warm. Also, many people's homes aren't well-insulated, so their heating systems can't keep up with extended periods of really intense cold. Additionally, it's also a big problem when there is heavy snow and high winds, because tree branches (or entire trees) can fall on houses and cause tremendous damage and serious injuries. And emergency service personnel often have to be out in the weather, no matter how bad it is. True. Around here, most essential and emergency personnel own vehicles that can get through a blizzard okay. Hopefully the jet stream acting all wonky is just a temporary thing, or we're going to have millions of homes that need upgrades before next winter. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 True. Around here, most essential and emergency personnel own vehicles that can get through a blizzard okay. Hopefully the jet stream acting all wonky is just a temporary thing, or we're going to have millions of homes that need upgrades before next winter. :( :iagree: The weather is getting so weird -- and not in a good way! We have very cold temperatures here, but no blizzard, so even though I've been whining about the cold, I'm feeling very lucky that it's not snowing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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