As journalists, our job requires us to go places we wouldn’t recommend the public go. Often this includes crime scenes, fires and car accidents. We go so the public can get information without having to experience it for themselves. It’s a big part of what we do.
After Sunday I can add another item to this list: Leaving the house during a New England snow storm.
During my normal Sunday evening shift I spoke with several dispatchers and police officers who repeatedly recommended the public stay home if at all possible because the roads were bad. It’s good advice, too. But once I finished putting together my first story of the day about the impending snowstorm, I totally ignored that and went out with Recorder photographer Matt Burkhartt in an effort to capture kids sledding and others enjoying the snow.
This is my first New England winter. I recently moved here from Kansas, and Matt is from Rochester, N.Y. So it goes without saying that he drove.
The streets were nearly vacant, except for the occasional person trying to get ahead on their shoveling. We went to Beacon Field, where we expected to find dozens of kids sledding. Instead we saw about three people and one dog at the park. Fun for them, but not enough for a story. So next, we went to Unity Park in Turners Falls, where we promptly got stuck in a snow bank on a curb that was disguised by the falling snow.
We tried to dig Matt’s car out with no luck. Then, two exceptionally kind and good-spirited Montague Police Officers came to our rescue and pushed us out of the snow bank so we wouldn’t have to call a tow truck. Then as we were trying to leave, we got stuck again and they pushed us out a second time.
As I reported in my other story, parts of the county should expect 12 to 18 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
All of that snow comes with a huge amount of work for local police, fire and medical departments. And that doesn’t begin to touch the work that state and local Public Works Departments will do around the clock to make the roads drivable again.
What does that mean for the readers of this paper? Getting stuck in the snow may not include the moderate amount of embarrassment that comes with having to identify yourself as a reporter to local police officers, but I hope you learn from our mistake on Sunday.
The best advice I can give is what you’ve already heard a million times, so stay off the road unless you absolutely have to drive. If you do leave the house, be prepared and drive carefully. And remember that none of us are above the safety precautions we should take during a storm.
As for me, I’ve learned a very valuable lesson about New England during winter and I plan to stay inside and off the roads for the duration of this storm.
Reach Miranda Davis at
413-772-0261, ext. 280
or mdavis@recorder.com.