West Wildwood Seniors Wake to Shoveled Walks

WEST WILDWOOD – After a four year hiatus, part of West Wildwood’s small town charm on this back bay borough came home again when borough officials, police officers and public works employees took to the streets to shovel snow from driveways and walkways of senior citizens and those with health issues.
With a wind chill temperatures hovering below zero and a blanket of freshly fallen snow awaiting them, three police officers, four Public Works employees along with Borough Administrator Christopher Ridings and Borough Commissioner Scott Golden took to the streets to begin the process of digging out.
Ridings said the crew started its work at 4 a.m. by plowing streets. Work began on driveways around 6:45 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m. “We had a list of folks in town who were seniors or who had health issues. The list had about 45 residences. We plowed those driveways, did the sidewalks and did the steps.”
The work crew also assisted residents who needed assistance in moving snowplow-piled snow from the base of their driveways.
“We did dual operations,” explained Ridings. “They continued to plow the streets and they brought the backhoe out that cleared out the driveways.” According to Ridings, the borough’s new backhoe rose to the occasion of clearing the snow. “It was ideal.”
Snow shoveling can be a daunting task for the elderly and those with medical issues. According to reports, shoveling snow, slippery conditions and cold temperatures can be a deadly combination for seniors and those with compromised systems.
“A lot of our seniors are in no condition to shovel their walks,” said Ridings. “Shoveling snow kills a lot of people each winter.” He added with several inches of snow outside and no one to help them to shovel it from their properties, many seniors feel isolated. “Even though they have no place to go, they want to be able to go so they’ll shovel their walks.”
The snow shoveling team included senior: Ptlm. James Dodd; Ptlm. David Daniels; Ptlm. Greg DeCecco; William Null; Francis Pelligrino; John Stroman; Joe Rodrigue; Golden and Ridings.
Ridings said he believes the borough is one of the only towns in the area that provides this service to seniors. Snow shoveling had been a tradition in West Wildwood prior to 2008 and took a four-year hiatus.
“From 2008 through 2012 there had been a hiatus of the senior snow removal program,” said Golden. “We’re happy to have reinstated this program. This program is vitally important to the safety and welfare of our community. Because we’re such a small community we’re able to provide this service.”