Cazenovia Pilot

Chenango Water Exercise Group: Water Talk

April Cady of Chenango Water Exercise Group sent the following "Water Talk" column for inclusion here. I hope everyone likes it; I've told April that I'll post whatever regular articles she sends.

As I was reading the paper this morning I gazed outside to see the gently falling snow flakes in the air and I thought; “now this is what winter should look like”. As we all know our winter season this year has been a bit atypical in that we have had a lot of rain, sleet, freezing rain, and ice to contend with. Here at the Chenango Water Exercise Group (CWEG) these are some of the most problematic events of Mother Nature we deal with.

As participants come into the building for their morning routines they have to negotiate the treacherous parking lots and walkways. Recently they have been very slippery and dangerous as they use them. For CWEG members it is double jeopardy because a serious fall can cause untold problems and a setback for their health.
Caution is the buzz word this time of year. People slow down a bit as they come and go and when the weather is particularly hazardous, they just don’t come.

I drive a Subaru with full time four-wheel drive but when the slush dominates the roadways I know I feel a bit unsure as I come down Preston Hill to the pool. Slush and ice are much harder to deal with than snow, in my opinion, and I always hope that our participants use sound judgment when deciding whether to venture out on bad weather days. This seems like a good place to once again remind our crowd that if Hamilton Central School is closed due to the weather, then CWEG is as well. Delays on the other hand are the school system’s way of warning us that the roads are treacherous and to use caution when driving. CWEG meets on those delay days, but vigilance is advised because the warning should be obvious.

Our gal-at-the-pool, Heidi, works hard to keep up with the snow and ice that dominates the walkway between Huntington and Lineberry but often it gets overwhelming. I have seen sanding trucks backed up to the doors and spreading the ice melt, but even that refreezes and becomes ineffective. And don’t get me started on “the wall”. Let’s just say that I have seen much more snow, sleet and ice come on the wrong side of the barrier than on the protective side, making the trip up the walk just that more hazardous.

So a word of concern for ALL who negotiate during this crazy winter; take care! Wear the proper footwear, dress warmly so you can take a few extra minutes, don’t rush to get inside despite the cold, we want everyone to get to where they are going in one piece. Make smart choices when the ice and snow come and avoid the problems that occur when there is a fall or even a nasty slip. The winter will come to an end and then we can all ease up a bit when we are on the walks, in the parking lots, or on the roads.