With memories lingering from last year's sharp criticism of their snow and ice cleanup, Baltimore County road crews launched into the weekend snow removal with fervor, earning high praise in many quarters.
To make sure everything went well over the weekend, County Executive C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger III was out Saturday and Sunday checking road conditions and visiting the highway division shops.
The kudos came from the executive and others, including callers to radio talk shows and postmasters.
It was all in sharp contrast to last year, when outraged citizens blistered the radio airwaves with criticism of Roger B. Hayden, then the county executive, and county road crews for the way they dealt with the winter storms. Mail deliveries were missed because of uncleared roads, and politicians questioned the effectiveness of public works officials in dealing with snow and ice removal.
Mr. Ruppersberger wanted to make sure he didn't get the same criticism this winter. One of the first things he did after taking office Dec. 5 was to meet with public works officials and analyze last year's snow removal problems. He said a glaring weakness was an inadequate number of supervisors in the field.
"I realize that last winter was an unusual one, but I wanted to make sure we had the personnel we needed this year, as well as the materials and equipment," he said.
Yesterday, roads were clear enough that all county schools except those in the Hereford zone opened on time. Schools in the northern part of the county, where drifting snow had covered roads again in places, were closed for the day.
The drifting in the rural areas kept about 200 road crew members busy during the day. Seventeen trucks remained on duty throughout last night to battle drifting snow and handle icing problems.
At the height of Saturday's storm, which dropped up to a foot of snow in some areas of the county, more than 500 employees and 185 trucks were out salting and plowing streets and roads, C. Richard Moore, chief of highways and the snow removal commander, said yesterday.
"Right now, the crews we have out there are mopping up some problem areas," Mr. Moore said.
He said that in some areas where roads cut through open farmland, drifts were 6 to 8 feet deep.
Those drifts were cleared, and crews stood by waiting for more, Mr. Moore said.
On Saturday, callers to WBAL radio praised the work crews and Mr. Ruppersberger for their reaction to the storm.
"Going around this weekend and today visiting the crews, I tell you they feel a real sense of pride in what they accomplished," Mr. Moore said.
Mr. Ruppersberger, who toured the county in a police-driven, four-wheel-drive Jeep Cherokee, shrugged off praise for himself.
"I only look as good as the job the employees under me do," Mr. Ruppersberger said. "The work crews, the supervisors, they deserve all the credit for things going smoothly this weekend. It shows that if you give them the resources and the encouragement, they can do anything."
John Tolbert, supervisor for 5th District and 6th District shops, said that in his 18 years with the county, he had never seen an executive visit his shops, in fair or foul weather.
Mr. Ruppersberger stopped at the two north county shops Saturday morning.
"I just dropped by to tell you guys what a great job you're doing," Mr. Ruppersberger said at the District 5 shop near Falls and Mount Carmel roads, shaking hands with a few truck drivers who were drinking coffee during a brief respite from plowing roads.
Among those pleased with county road-clearing efforts were several postmasters, who said they had little trouble delivering the mail.
"All mail is being delivered," said Glen Arm Postmaster Pat Donohue. "We're really pleased with the way the county cleared the roads."
Matt Cheney, the Parkville postmaster, said the mail was going through but that "it's just taking us a little longer."