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When looking at the West Easton roads, compared to Wilson streets a block from my house, it is my nature to wonder why ours are untreated.

I felt it had to be due to somebody selling it to aliens, who trade gold for it.

It seems the real reason is the same problem seen last year. Nobody has salt – again.

Wilson just used the last of their salt and are reportedly out.

It isn’t just West Easton and Wilson with salt problems. Almost every community in Lehigh Valley has run out and those that do have it are using it in lighter applications in an effort to forestall running out.

Yesterday’s snowstorm saw roads plowed efficiently, but plummeting overnight temperatures froze compacted snow on roadways into thick layers of ice on secondary roads that were either lightly salted, or not salted at all. Those freezing conditions also resulted in the salt used not performing, as it should.

Driving conditions remained hazardous on these secondary roads this morning, causing schools to close in fairly late announcements.

I watch these announcements closely. Between my computer, the TV, and other bus drivers, I can get a sense of how the morning will turn out if the weather, or roads, is questionable. My job requires me to be on the road and picking up my first student before school district drivers are even leaving their bus lots. It also requires me to go down roadways that larger school buses wouldn’t even attempt.

This morning I saw the roads in the background, as weather reporters talked about the temperatures and conditions on the television. While the major highways were clear, the secondary roads were either white, or shined with ice.

While some might find it easy to blame the council, or our road department, for our road conditions lately, I can’t blame them. If they don’t have the salt, the roads can’t be salted.

But, I still don’t think we need a proposed $90,000 public works building to store salt and trucks, should they tell me that’s what they need to ensure our roads are cleaned.