The Associated Press: Spokane digs out from record-breaking snow

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Spokane residents were trying to dig out Tuesday after a month of record-breaking snow collapsed roofs and clogged streets.

The center of a snow-laden supermarket roof in north Spokane collapsed Monday evening, prompting the evacuation of that store and adjacent businesses. A fire official said only one minor injury was reported.

The roof collapse came as Spokane set a monthly record for snowfall, at 59.7 inches, after 8.3 inches were recorded in the 24-hour period ending at 4 p.m. Monday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Ellie Kelch. That's more snow than the area receives in a typical winter.

The previous record of 56.9 inches was set in January 1950. Snowfall records in the area have been kept since 1893, Kelch said.

Feb '08: Spokane Mayor Mary's snow job falls on deaf ears

And now it appears Mary Verner has adopted Hession's mantle of management through reticence.

At least that was the Verner M.O. during Spokane's recent "snowpocalypse."

Civic heartburn over the city's slow and spotty system of snow removal is the new mayor's first real test of leadership.

Give Verner a big fat frigid "F."

True, the mayor is finally communicating on the issue.

But for most of last week, when residential storm angst was highest, the mayor was more absent than a heat wave.

Calls and e-mails have come to me all week asking the question: Where's Mayor Mary?

Aw, let's not be too hard on the mayor. Verner had larger issues on her mind.

The newspaper, in fact, just received an invitation from the mayor asking us to join her for a meeting in the downtown library.

The purpose of said meeting? To discuss the creation of a "strategic action plan to address the ways that climate change and global oil depletion may impact our ability to continue offering top quality service to our taxpayers."

You can't make up stuff like this.

Climate change? Oil depletion?

Oh, Lord. We elected Alice Gore.

Seattle: City's garbage takes flight

Jim Conchie of South Seattle said his garbage hadn't been picked up since two weeks before Christmas.

He said Mayor Greg Nickels should stop pushing ambitious global climate initiatives and concentrate on core city services, such as garbage pickup and snow removal.

"It's time for the mayor to give up all his high-flying fantasies and get back to providing basic services," said Conchie, who lives east of Columbia City.

Conchie said the high winds had blown trash throughout his neighborhood, making it look like "a Third World city."