Clear the way!
By Molly Cassidy
Meridian Times news staff writer
Sgt. Don Lound of the Meridian Township Police Department may own a gun and a badge, but he said nagging parents and unresponsive kids describes the relationship between the police department and its residents, at times.
“Sometimes, you feel like you’re talking to little kids; we’re not just saying it to say it,” Lound said.
However, looking back at last week’s amount of snowfall and lack of accidents, Lound said residents proved they were listening.
Last week, 12-17 inches of snow fell in Michigan, according to various weather reports, which led to Michigan State University suspending classes, restaurants such as Chili’s in Okemos temporarily closing and CATA buses shutting down.
“Any call was a surprising call; we got maybe two,” Lound said.
In preparation for the snow, the police department canceled a training officer program so more officers could be on the road, and to ensure the department had its four-wheel-drive vehicles ready for subdivision roads that had not been plowed.
“I think a majority of the residents adhered to what they had to and didn’t go out unless they had to and it lessened our workload,” Lound said. Work was so slow Lound let an officer go home a little after noon, Lound said.
Lilian Chavira, an Okemos resident and home business owner, canceled her dessert deliveries to customers once the snow fell.
“I took the whole day off and stayed inside with my kids,” Chavira said.“I’ve been busy all weekend making up for the time off, but the snow was just too much.”
Residents may have kept off the roads once the snow hit, but the night before, people were readying for the winter storm.
“People pre-planned and were out shopping before with plans of waiting the storm out,” Lound said.
Pennsylvania native Adelle Lever, 20, said she went out with her boyfriend who lives in Michigan the night before to stock up on supplies.
“People were out shopping like us as if it was the new millennium all over again,” Lever said. “We rented a scary movie, bought some soup and grabbed some eggs and bread before they (Meijer) ran out.”
This week, Meridian Township residents can expect chances of snow flurries the majority of the week according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather service.