Snow team battles elements

The snow they could handle. The cold they could deal with.\nBut the ice?\n"We'd be better off with 10 inches of snow," Campus Division Manager Dave Hurst said in his office Sunday afternoon, as he orchestrated the removal of ice and snow from miles of IU streets and sidewalks.\nThat battle continues this morning, as all of the division's crew of about 40 began another shift at 4 a.m.\nThey worked until 7:30 p.m. Sunday night, focusing on the roads. This morning, they began focusing more on sidewalks.\nCompared to the last few years, this winter has been extreme for Bloomington. But until this weekend the numerous few-inch snowfalls were mostly just bothersome.\nThe latest storm, which brought a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain over the course of more than 24 hours, has been a more substantial challenge.\nWhen it gets this bad, everyone becomes a snow removal person, said Hurst, as he pointed out rough spots on campus from his Jeep.\nOn Sunday, tree trimmers brushed snow and ice off the steps of University buildings like the Student Recreational Sports Center. Janitors cleared snow off the steps and sidewalks surrounding their own buildings. Others spread ice melt and used motorized brushes to clear sidewalks around the Indiana Memorial Union, Main Library and other heavily-traveled areas.\nAnd in areas like the Sample Gates, where salt damages the brick, hand-held shovels and brushes were the only answer.\nThis time around, brushes have been more effective than blades, and a stronger, one-to-one sand and salt mix is working well, Hurst said. They had been using a two-to-one mix.\nThe ultimate goal is to get students, professors and staff to and around campus without wrecking their cars or falling on the ice.\nStill, Bloomington Hospital anticipates more injuries from falls today, said Karina McGuire, the hospital's emergency department coordinator. That's because most people stayed in on Sunday.\nIt was a different story for the campus division crew, which began receiving calls from Hurst Sunday morning. By late afternoon, about 25 had arrived to fight the ice.\nWhile several local church services and activities were canceled, that is rarely an option at IU, Hurst said. In his 11 years here, classes have been canceled only once.\nSo the campus division is doing its part, Hurst said.\nHe only hopes students will do the same.\n"What we can't control is how individuals respond to it, by wearing appropriate shoes and not riding bikes," Hurst said. "Common sense plays a big part"