The Calm Before the 20-Inch Storm
In Praise of Sherman’s Road Crews
Sherman is currently in the crosshairs of a historic winter system. Forecasts are predicting a record-breaking 15 to 20 inches of heavy snow to bury the Litchfield Hills overnight, threatening to knock out power and render travel virtually impossible by morning.
When a storm of this magnitude hits a rural town like ours, survival and safety don’t depend on the politicians sitting in Town Hall. They depend entirely on the men in the trucks.
As the rest of the town goes to sleep tonight, the Sherman Department of Public Works (DPW) will be gearing up for a grueling, multi-day battle against the elements. Plowing snow in Sherman is not like clearing a flat, straight suburban grid. It requires navigating narrow, pitch-black, winding roads, steep inclines, and blind curves—all while maneuvering tons of heavy machinery on pure ice with zero visibility.
The True Engine of the Town
Lately, this publication has spent a significant amount of ink analyzing the administrative dysfunction, bureaucratic passing-of-the-buck, and micromanagement plaguing the upper levels of Sherman’s government.
But today, we look at the other side of the municipal coin.
The Sherman DPW operates as a masterclass in quiet, decentralized competence. There is no performative politics behind the wheel of a plow at 3:00 AM. There is no passing the buck when a tree comes down across Route 39. These crews do not wait for a First Selectman to send an email or hold a press conference; they simply fire up the diesel, drop the blades, and do the heavy lifting required to keep this town alive and connected.
This is what highly functioning municipal government is supposed to look like: specialized professionals executing their jobs with autonomy, grit, and a profound sense of duty to their neighbors.
How You Can Help
As we brace for this historic snowfall, the best thing residents can do is stay out of the way and let the professionals work.
- Stay off the roads: Do not attempt to drive tonight or tomorrow morning unless it is a life-or-death emergency. Every car stuck in a ditch pulls resources away from clearing the primary arteries.
- Check on your neighbors: With snow totals this high, power outages are a statistical probability. Check in on elderly neighbors or those who rely on well-pumps and electric heat.
When you hear the rumble of the plow pass your house in the middle of the night, take a moment to appreciate the exhausting, dangerous work being done on your behalf. To the Sherman road crews: stay safe out there. The town is behind you.