Hillsborough Police Chief Paul Kaminsky blessed the timing of Friday night’s snowstorm, which brought about seven inches of snow to the township, according to the state climatologist’s office.
Chief Kaminsky said that there had been about 15 motor vehicles incidents and about seven disabled motor vehicles during the storm, but he considered that minor because the bad weather essentially greeted residents on a Saturday morning, when fewer people are on the move.
Deputy Mayor Doug Tomson said Tuesday night that 28 township trucks and 27 contractors worked from midday Friday to about 11 am Saturday to clear the 225 miles of township roads.
One of the biggest complications came with school busing in the hilly western part of the township. Buses with high school students had trouble driving up the slick roads and students were given the choice of walking or calling parents. (Most walked.)
The school and transportation department decided to revert to past practice of transporting pupils instead to a central location at the Neshanic Reformed Church lot on Amwell Road.
The decision affected Woodfern, Auten Road Intermediate and Middle School children who live in the area.
Parents were notified through the Instant Alert system.
The late switch irritated one parent who told the school board Monday night that she had to scramble on minutes’ notice to pickup her two boys.
Jenny Macias of Montgomery Road said that her sons, who are first and 2nd graders, normally get off the bus at the end of their driveway at about 3:16 to 3:19 p.m.
On Friday, she said, she received a phone call at 3:07 that she had to meet her children in 10 to 15 minutes at the church lot.
She said “the school district let me down” in forcing her to act on little notice, and the township didn’t take necessary precautions to make the roads safer.
Superintendent Jorden Schiff said decisions on weather-related closings, openings and early dismissals were among the toughest administrators had to make. Every storm is unique, he said, and prognosticators said the most aggressive snow wouldn’t come until 7 or 8 p.m. That weather turned worse earlier, he said.
Dr. Schiff said he was aware of the inconveniences, and didn’t want it to happen again. He said officials would talk about in again the next week.
All district schools had a two-hour delayed opening Monday due to icy road conditions.
All district schools had a two-hour delayed opening Monday due to icy road conditions.

