Around the Ville

Ice Jams on the Ohio River

The unusually warm weather and heavy rain we experienced this past week caused dangerous ice jams to form on area creeks, streams and the Ohio River. As the rain quickly melted the snow, water ran into the streams and river and when more snow began to fall this combination of snow and rain created pressure underneath the ice causing it to swell and break apart. When large chunks of ice are carried downstream, they can get jammed under a bridge or a more narrow part of the river which is why they are called ice jams. It reminds me of an ice berg…..where only the top is visible but hiding underneath is the massive ice berg.

When I was in high school a friend of mine lived in Hopedale and I have wonderful memories of ice skating on a pond near her house. Many of us would skate for hours at night and keep warm by a fire we built with old rubber tires. We never thought about falling through the ice or even breathing the toxic fumes from the tires. We just had fun.

Sometimes I think we have to look under the surface of things to see what is really underneath. For many years the Ohio Valley experienced a declining economy and population from lower production of steel and coal. The steel mills and coal mines caused the area’s growth and brought many people to the area.

If you grew up in the Ohio Valley you probably have good memories of what it was like when the economy was good. If you are new to the area you may wonder why things are like they are. Even though you may not see the massive ice berg underneath the water’s surface, it is still there. And even though you may not see the many hidden treasures in this area, they are still there and this blog will focus on revealing them. Even with our bad economy, (which was bad when the rest of the country was good), we have much to be thankful for.