Blizzard brings a big dig

LYNN – Joanne Hatzelamprou was livid when she woke up Thursday morning and looked out at the sidewalk and driveway that her 77-year-old husband, Theofane, had twice shoveled the previous evening.The couple own John’s Gift Shop and Ceramic Studio at 120 Franklin St. and live next door.”When we got up this morning we expected the driveway to be back to the way it was with snow piled up from the plows, but not the sidewalk,” she said. “My husband is 77. He’s a perfect example of an elderly person who goes out and maintains his property as they should and then the plows cover it over.”Hatzelamprou said city plows also packed snow into high piles at the corner of Albany and Franklin streets near the store, making it impossible for the couple to enter their business.”I called the mayor’s office and they promised to call the public works, but right now, the snow is still there,” she said.Public Works Commissioner Jay Fink said the storm dumped 18-20 inches on Lynn, depending on the area. “It was another large storm with much heavier snow so there was less drifting. But we had a lot more downed power and telephone lines, cables, trees and branches, so it’s going to take quite a bit to clean it up,” he said.Fink explained the department has received complaints, but not a lot.”The calls we’re getting are about snow being piled out, or from people complaining their neighbor or neighbor’s contractor pushed snow onto their property,” he said. “Fortunately today the sun is shining and the heat on the black asphalt should help with the melting. We’re just asking that people not throw snow into the streets and to be a little patient. We’re doing the best we can with the resources we have.”Fink noted plows pushed downed branches and trees into snowbanks during the storm. “We needed to open up the roads, so the branches were pushed aside. Now we have to go back to those locations with tree crews,” he said. “Most people are focused on the streets, but our priority right now is getting the schools ready for Friday, making sure the kids can walk safely. There are piles of snow on every corner that are difficult to see around. People should slow down and be cognizant when pulling out.”The public works commissioner said the cleanup will eventually include parks and cemeteries where felled trees are the primary challenge.”We are compiling locations where we are performing snow removal, literally throughout the city. We have already started, but I’m not sure when we will finish,” he said.A large tree that toppled across Walnut Street near the Saugus line was removed late Wednesday night. A similar situation occurred on Fays Avenue, when a downed tree pulled on power lines and snapped a utility pole.”We had to wait for the power crews to get there before we could touch it and open up the street,” Fink said. “It took 30 hours start to finish just battling the storm and now we’re in the aftermath mode.”Fire Chief Dennis Carmody said Thursday all the department’s trucks are out on the streets to clear snow-buried hydrants.”Our trucks are all on the road clearing hydrants. Each truck has a map showing where the hydrants are located, but if people want to help dig them out, it would make the situation safer,” he said. “It was slow going during the storm. We received dozens of calls for (tree) limbs and wires down, but no serious incidents. There was a grease fire but it was out on arrival.”Carmody said the city has requested reimbursement for costs incurred by the Fire Department during Wednesday’s blizzard, like the storm that preceded it a week earlier. “It’s too early to know if we will get any of those expenses reimbursed,” he said.Ward 4 Councilor Richard Colucci said the streets in his ward were well plowed. “It’s a little slushy still, but I think they did a good job this time,” he said. “The bigger problem is where do you put the snow?”Inspectional Services Department Director Michael Donovan said school yards and parking lots are being cleared for