By Matthew McGevna
The storm dropped a little over three inches of snowfall, mostly rain mixed with ice, but enough to create a mess of the roadways and cancel local meetings.
Residents didn¹t feel the effects of the storm immediately, as schools both opened and dismissed on time. After school activities were canceled, but all government offices remained open.
The next day proved to be a different story, however. Freezing overnight temperatures caused the snow to freeze and create icy conditions on the roadways. Both the West Hempstead and Malverne School Districts closed for the day, as well as Our Lady of Lourdes parochial school in Malverne.
The storm arrived as a late guest for area school kids who had become convinced they were living through an Indian summer, and they¹d never get the day off. As news of the school closings reached their homes, they immediately took to the hills with sleds, tubes, and snow boards in hand.
One popular spot was the slope on the southwest corner of Malverne High School. Dozens of children of all ages spent the day off racing down the icy hill while their parents stood at the top with their arms folded in the wind.
³I¹ve been coming here since I was a kid,² said, Jim Dillon of Lynbrook, who had his two boys with him.
In West Hempstead the hot spot was Hall¹s Pond, where the knoll on the north end of the rectangular shaped park creates a natural slope towards the creek. Local West Hempstead parents say they take their children to this spot because of its close proximity to home, where they can warm up after spending the day in the freezing temperatures.
Those more daring in nature, sleigh ride in front of the gazebo and bail out before they collide with it.
Both Malverne¹s Police Department and Fire Department said the storm passed without incident. Superintendent of Malverne¹s Department of Public Works Paul Jessup said they got the storm under control by starting at around 10 p.m. on Tuesday night with salting the streets on the village¹s 26 miles of road. Jessup said problems with the storm stemmed from the fact that the temperatures dropped so quickly, freezing much of the slush that covered the roadways, but he praised his crew for their ability to keep the roads open and passable.
³I¹m very fortunate I have a very good dedicated department. They take pride in their work. They want to be able to hold their head high with their neighbor.²
But for young Jimmy Dillon, he was glad that the weather wasn¹t so cooperative that they¹d be able to keep school in session.
³If I was in school right now I¹d be in social studies,² he said. Then he got a running start and flew down the hill on his stomach.
Comments about this story? Mal-wheditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000
ext. 205
