Photo by Iangdu. / iStock.
SNOWZILLA WAS snowy and blowy, but there were highlights to our shared winter event that went beyond the excuse for a fire and more hot chocolate than is generally good for a person.
First off, Morgan and Julie, who live across the street from me, had brought their Toro snowblower with them when they moved to Washington from Boston a few years ago. So there was Morgan Friday night trudging down the sidewalk on her side of the street and then reappearing along the length of my side of the street. I was out shoveling for the first time; then I went out again, and she was at it again. She continued all day Saturday, when many of us had abandoned ourselves to a cozy chair. She was a rock star!!
But my block wasn’t the only one with a Snow Angel. On the local listserv, “Sally and Bruce” thanked “whoever shoveled our snow this morning…We are so appreciative!” And that led “Elsa” to report that “33rd Street east side was also visited by a snow angel!”
The District and surrounding jurisdictions opened warming centers for the homeless and those who might lose power and heat. Council members sent word far and wide, and that was a welcome fallback position to have.
The Fairmont hotel in the District’s West End had its own warming idea: snowstorm rates of $139 a night from Friday through Monday. For $159 they threw in a buffet breakfast for two. And you could take your doggie along at no extra charge!
Colonial Parking, which runs the parking garage under the big Georgetown Park mall on M Street in Georgetown, extended a warm hand to 250 of its neighbors with a Snowstorm Special, inviting them to park underground for $1 from Friday at 3pm through to Sunday at 5. As the situation became clearer (as in, all the snow that still had to be cleared), they extended the offer through Monday at 5, expecting that their regular parkers would be back to work on Tuesday and would need their spots.
Colonial cited Parking Panda, the parking-spot reservation system, as instrumental in making the scheme work, and thanked Jamestown Properties, owners of Georgetown Park, for authorized them to make the lovely gesture.
Montgomery County announced that those who had parked in county garages to get their cars off the street could stay for free until 9am Tuesday. Metro announced that the gates of Metro garages and lots would remain open until Tuesday at 9:30am.
“Eric” went onto the Cleveland Park listserv to publicly thank Pepco. He had watched them last summer pruning trees and replacing poles and lines and was “grateful to see nary a dark house” on his block.
Also in Cleveland Park, “Judy and Gary” thanked the D.C. Office on Aging and their young volunteer “B” for free sidewalk shoveling.
Giant Food stepped up to the plate, “Warren” reported on Saturday. The company apparently put up a bunch of employees at the Marriott overnight, and the sparkling new Cathedral Heights Giant had staff and fresh food. This despite a delivery truck getting stuck in the snow, along with the tow trucks sent to rescue it!
There were tons of problems and inconveniences during this snowstorm, but there were also lots of people—talking about you, Thomas and Joanna and your beef bourguignon— who went out of their way to make the weekend seem less “problem” and more “opportunity.”
—Nancy McKeon
Nancy is the managing editor of MyLittleBird.
Read more about Nancy.