Excessive snowfall keeps street crews busy

Boosts sales of snow removal equipment

BY SARA SYVERSON

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Abundant snowfall has kept city and county street and highway crews busy and boosted snow removal equipment sales at local businesses.

According to Brown County Highway Engineer John Grindeland, as of Friday morning county teams had plowed most of the main roads in the county, and will spend more time leveling off snow banks at intersections.

"We're blowing some snow back (at the intersections) so we don't have as much drifting," said Grindeland. "The ditches out there are getting full."

Grindeland reminds people they should drive only when they have to. "It's just plain common sense," he said. "It costs us a whole lot of money to go out and rescue people."

Grindeland said that snow plow operators put their lives on the line to plow the snow.

"December is usually the worst, and hopefully it's all downhill after this."

City of New Ulm Assistant Street Commissioner Jerry Christiansen said the New Ulm street department is "getting lots of practice" this season.

"Yesterday (Thursday) it was tough because the snow kept falling all day," said Christiansen. "We probably plowed three times. It takes more fuel, more time and more plow blades."

"We've changed how we plow the streets," he also said. "You'll find us 'tandem plowing,' where one plow follows another. We get the snow pushed to the curb faster."

Blowing winds at the north and west edges of town cause drifting conditions, and make the snow plows' job difficult, Christiansen said. Snow accumulation has not been this great since 1996.

The city street department is under-budgeted for overtime for 2000, he also said.

But the snow has also brought some good business to local companies.

Mark Retzlaff, owner of Retzlaff's Ace Hardware, said sales of snow removal equipment have been good this season.

"[We've had] a bad four years," said Retzlaff, "This is the winter we've been waiting for. We've sold a lot of new and used snow equipment, and a lot of service. Our inventory is very manageable."

Most people buy snow blowers instead of shovels, Retzlaff said.

"Shoveling snow is hard on the heart. [People with heart conditions] are relying on their powered snow blowers more than ever," said Retzlaff.

Jack Grausam, store manager at Runnings Fleet & Farm in New Ulm, described sales of snow removal equipment as being "brisk" this season.

"We're experiencing above average sales because we're experiencing an above average winter," said Grausam. "It's not a big shock to us in this business. We buy for winters like this. Our problem is that our vendors were not prepared. Re-orders have been difficult, but we're managing."

Shovels and snowblowers are selling well, and heater sales have been "remarkable," Grausam said.

Citizens and visitors in New Ulm are urged to pay close attention to yellow "bucks" (signs) with flashing lights, indicating that snow will be removed from 1 a.m. to noon on certain days, city officials say. Vehicles will be towed if parked in areas with the flashing signs.

Snow will be removed from the downtown area of New Ulm from 1 a.m. to noon on Saturday.