Updates related to the current snowstorm

Due to the impending storm the Montague Township Municipal Building will be closed on Tuesday, January 27, 2015.

The Regular Meeting of the Montague Township Committee 

scheduled for January 27, 2015 is cancelled due to inclement weather, and is rescheduled for February 3, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building.

Two sites with weather-related info:

https://www.facebook.com/WeatherNJ

http://theedgeweather.blogspot.com/

Be safe, not sorry -

Close window covering or drapes, especially overnight, to keep indoor heat inside; set aside water for drinking, flushing toilets, etc. in large pots, empty soda bottles, or use your tub if necessary; have flashlights or alternate sources of light ready at hand; have warm layers of clothing accessible + gloves, hats; check on elderly neighbors if power goes out. 

Should you lose power and temps stay well below 20 - allow your inside faucets to maintain a drip to keep pipes from freezing.

For more info http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/duringstorm/indoorsafety.asp

https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content/customer/outages_help/storm_info.html

http://www.oru.com/aboutoru/news/2015012501.html

http://www.sussex.nj.us/Cit-e-Access/webpage.cfm?TID=7&TPID=5496&utm_source=news&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=adhoc

Winter conditions in the past

While this past week icing and our 7" snowstorm have been a bit of a challenge, their severity pales when reading this excerpt from Port Jervis' The Evening Gazette for January 22nd, 1923:

"Early Sunday morning trucks and cars with ten men from G. W. Case Company and Rutan Auto Company's garages started out to open this 14 miles of road, which has been closed for automobile traffic for nearly ten days; and which was one of the most drifted pieces of road in this section. In some places snow banks were eight feet deep, and the farmers were driving through the fields in order to get the milk to the stations with sleighs."
.....
"Superintendent Charac Van Inwegen has had his troubles with the snow drifts between Port Jervis and Huguenot. This road was drifts most of the way to a depth of 3 or 4 feet. Mr. Van Inwegen succeeded in getting through to Port Jervis Saturday night and the first truck came through from Huguenot Sunday morning on this road;"
Port Jervis NY Evening Gazette 1923 - 0141.pdf

In the first half of the 1900's, there were severe snowstorms which impacted Montague. One elderly resident recounted that in those days they used such Big V plows to do the county and state roads.

After one storm, he related: "the banks along the road were close to five feet high". 

Another resident remembered being unable to exit her house for days, as the snow had piled a depth of some feet against her door.

Students who lived up on the road towards High Point Park [before the tracts were given over to the state] needed to have a parent meet them after school dismissed at the foot of the mountain with a horse pulled sleigh, in order to get home, as the road was otherwise impassable.

At least we're not dealing with this:

Voter-approved constitutional amendment will impact NJDEP State parks !!

Passing along an urgent request for advocacy:

Locally, High Point State Park [HPSP] and it's added on Green Acres' parcels will be negatively impacted, if the funds previous to this ballot question does not come through. The Parks division needs assurance of funding of over 20% of the Corporate Business Tax [CBT} funds to be dedicated towards parks capital projects - many of which are now backlogged, while our state parks remain understaffed and underfunded as compared to previous years.

This Fall, folks witnessed interpretative signs at HPSP in need or replacement, some structures and roadways still overdue for repair or maintenance, as the Park lacks sufficient manpower and funds to attend to these and smaller projects - particularly after losing the labor assistance once available from the now closed Deckertown Tpke. correctional facility.

Comments should be filed through Jan. 7th - and directed to OLSAideSEN@njleg.org with a subject line of “Ballot Measure 2 Enabling Legislation recommendations,” or call 609-847-3855.

The Senate Environment and Energy Committee is seeking public comments through Jan. 7th, on language for the enabling legislation which will make the Ballot Measure a law.

Please urge the committee to state in Ballot Measure 2's enabling legislation that ... all state parks should retain the revenue generated in each park from concessions or fees, and that the State Park Service should get dedicated funds each year - calling for a full restoration of funding for capital improvements and stewardship at State Parks and historic sites, at 23% of the Corporate Business Tax-- with at least $16 million to be assured in this coming year from the open space pot, which was last year's amount. This was supposed to be increased up to $32 million in order to help make a dent into the $400 million backlog awaiting attention in capital improvements, before this ballot measure passed.

In addition, please urge the language require that whatever revenues are generated at each park or historic site remains there, dedicated to that entity - in order to enable it to enhance, repair or improve facilities there... instead of such funds being pooled into New Jersey’s general treasury, for use by the other agencies - particularly non-governmental organizations (NGO's) which are eligible for other funding and  also generate funds via the programs they run.

A related article is specific to Liberty State Park.