It’s saddening when one experiences this firsthand or hears about it from a third party. Many years ago, Pendleton ODOT had eradicated their snowplows due to low accumulations of snowfall over the years. Now, when Pendleton is in need of them, they are gone.

It costs more to purchase new plows than it does to have kept one and performed maintenance on it while it sat. Surely, one could have been spared for situations such as this.

The community cannot wait for other ODOT sectors, such as Hermiston, for example. They are needed in other areas to clear snow and keep roads drivable and safe for drivers.

Since Friday, Feb. 12, Pendleton has accumulated more than 16 inches of snow. On Monday, Feb. 15, nine semitrucks were stranded in highly traveled streets and intersections and had to chain up where their trucks sat. Multiple truck trailers were left in company parking lots because they had to be somewhere else to pick up other loads. Elderly residents could not travel in town because road conditions were poor and unsafe.

The community is in turmoil with no snowplows to assist in clearing roadways for safe passage of community members, workers that are trying to deliver goods to the community and workers that need to find a place to rest because of the weather.

Rebecca Favorit

Pendleton