By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
By noon today, the Conneaut sledding hill was nearly rubbed raw.
Children who had felt cheated by so little snow this winter, threw on their boots, hats and mittens and headed to one of the few sledding hills in flat Wood County.
“They’ve been waiting to try out their sled since Christmas,” said Tricia Hastings as her three children repeatedly went up and down the hill. “April 9, who would have thought?”
Hastings’ children were making the most of the rare snowfall. “It’s really good packing snow. See, look,” said Jenna Hastings as she threw a snowball at her mom.
But while the snowfall brought squeals of delight for sledders, it brought some sighs for spring from others.
Lori Tretter, Bowling Green municipal administrator, said the heavy snow brought down several limbs and power lines in the city. Crews worked through the night to keep the roads clear of snow and branches broken by the six inches of snow.
“The weight of the snow had a great impact,” Tretter said. “When it came, it was fast and furious.”
City road crews reported that at 2 this morning, the snowfall really picked up. “We’re really thankful for those guys,” she said.
While some adults grumbled about getting out snow shovels they had packed away for the season, others welcomed the white covering.
“I’m rare among my peers. I love snow,” said Steve Colon, of Bowling Green, while he waited for his daughter and her friend as they sledded down Conneaut hill. “So what if it’s April, I missed it this winter.”
His children were equally as pleased. “They’ve been playing outside all morning,” he said.
The only thing that would have made it better is if winter would have returned on a school day.
“It was a shock,” said Cassie Boron, of Portage, as her daughter and a friend flew down the hill. “It gets them out of the house, doing something. I’m excited.”
Children made repeated treks up the slippery hill – some bundled up so tight they could barely move – to slide down on their bellies or their butts.
They used sleds, saucers, skis, and inflated tubes to whisk them down the slope.
Lauren Ellis, 7, of Pemberville, had her technique mastered to get maximum speed.
“I go on these lines, then it goes faster,” she said, pointing at ruts from sledders who went before.
The spring snow offered Sienna Robinson, her first chance to sled this season. “My dad pushed me hard,” so she went super fast, she said.
Dad Malcolm Robinson had four children on the hill today, ages 9, 8, 4 and 2.
“They were super excited,” he said. What about Dad? “No so much.”
Macey Johnson, 10, Pemberville, took a break from sledding to build a snowman. “If I fail, I’m going to make another snowball,” she said, pointing to a big sphere of snow sitting on her sled.
Though she was enjoying the late snow, Macey was a little worried that it might still be snowy next weekend, when her birthday arrives. That just won’t do, she said.
“I did the math in my head,” and winter’s time is up, she said.
Many adults agree.
