The winter season has worn out its welcome on every front. While hoping the snow this past Monday was the final blast, it appears another may be on the horizon. Somewhere out there, spring is hiding.

Despite unusual amount of wintry blast, the public works of Shepherdstown has met the challenge every time and has served the public above and and beyond measure.

We salute the staffers who have spent countless hours plowing, salting, sanding and standing outside in freezing weather the deal with frozen pipes, flooded streets and every other catastrophe that could come upon them. The community is truly in your debt.

If only the entire county and state could take a lesson from the work of the Shepherdstown crew. Roadways in the county, including major thoroughfares like Route 340 and Route 9 saw many hours of one lane, barely plowed for traffic to inch along. Upon reaching the state lines at Maryland and Virginia, drivers found cleared pavement and smoother sailing.

Undoubtedly, we have not had a winter like this in several years; however, we are in a location where we face the change of seasons. Preparing for winter should not be based on a mild few months last year. We never know when Mother Nature will make our area a winter wonderland and we need to be prepared for an entire potential season.

Let us all hope that the official start of spring really brings the spring weather. But, if not, we need to be prepared for the last gasp of winter and make sure that we are able to treat our streets and roadways and plow sufficiently for traffic to pass. While people should stay off the roadways, it is often not possible to do so, especially for police, fire, rescue and other medical personnel who have to be out. This winter should teach us all to plan accordingly and be prepared.