February 15, 2010 — Thanks to a tremendous team effort from County residents, businesses, and public servants, things are beginning to return to normal in Howard County. We're still not there yet, but I can assure you that Howard County Government will continue to work its hardest until the job is done.

To that end, we know that many streets are still not clear from curb to curb. Our crews are using front-end loaders and other heavy equipment to open additional travel lanes and clear hard packed snow from the pavement. This work will be ongoing over the coming days, but because of the limited space to pile snow and the expansiveness of this task, it will take some time before our roads are fully cleared of snow.  In addition, be aware that this snow removal work will at times block traffic. Please continue to use extreme caution and drive slowly when out on the roads, especially at intersections.

I know the question on the minds of parents throughout the county is "When will schools re-open?"  Our Superintendent, Dr. Sydney Cousin, announced this afternoon that schools will be closed on Tuesday. Given that so many sidewalks and bus stops are still snowed in and that many bus routes would still be difficult for the school buses to navigate, as well as the fact that additional snowfall is forecasted for Monday evening into Tuesday morning, the Superintendent, in consultation with our Police and Fire Chiefs, decided this was the best course of action for the safety of all students.   While our crews continue to work to improve roadway conditions along bus routes and entrances to schools, we are asking you to join with your neighbors to clear bus stops and sidewalks. I know there is a tremendous amount of snow to move, but by working together, we can accomplish this monumental task and safely get our kids back into their classrooms.

Along those same lines, many fire hydrants are also buried or obstructed by snow, raising potential safety concerns. If you know of a hydrant near your home, please work with neighbors to clear as much snow as possible. You can also use this unique online tool to locate the hydrant closest to you: http://gis.howardcountymd.gov/GNearestFH/GNearestFHMap.asp.

Again, thank you for your continued patience and cooperation as we work to return life to normal after back-to-back historic snowstorms last week.  Here is some additional information on cancellations and closings for Presidents Day.

Closed on Monday, February 15:

• County Government Offices
• Courts
• Animal Shelter
• Library Branches

Open/Operating on Monday, February 15:

• Landfill
• Trash and recycling services
• Howard Transit

Again, thank you for your patience during this time, and please share this with family, friends and neighbors.

Sincerely,

Ken Ulman
Howard County Executive