To our readers: Hook delayed by snow in Philly
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Dear Readers,
Even though the Hook always bears a Thursday publication date, many of you have grown accustomed to picking up copies on Wednesday afternoon at some Charlottesville locations. Not this week. The near-Philadelphia plant where the paper gets printed has experienced near-blizzard conditions today, so the Hook can’t begin hitting the streets until mid-day tomorrow. We apologize for the delay.
Sincerely,
Hawes Spencer, Editor & Publisher
Well they aren’t delivering the US mail today either
St Halsey, it seems the postal workers are on a school schedule now.
If schools are closed, the postal service is too. :)
Darn, I’m one of your loyal fans that knows exactly where to find the Hook on Wed. afternoons, and will miss it. I posted this at a previous blog, but perhaps worth reposting, for all those unsure of what constitutes a “true blizzard”.
As I sat at my desk at 5:30am this morning, the phones began to ring, but there was no one there; the lights flickered, but stayed on; the wind howled in the tall oak trees, and the world was white with blowing snow; having grown up in Buffalo, New York, I wondered– is this the blizzard some have been wanting to see ?
Growing up in Buffalo, as a child, I lived through many a blizzard and only remember the excitement of playing in the snow; building snow forts, which we made into little houses and stayed in for hours; turning the backyard into a frozen pond for skating, and drinking lots of hot chocotate. But, my parents would tell a different story –and no I never remember losing power.
A piece in today’s Washington Post by Jonathan Capehart reminded me that true blizzards are not all fun and games, and perhaps we were lucky this time.
He writes: ” I’m from Upstate NY-Albany and Buffalo..I can’t keep quiet any longer about the abandon with which the word ” blizzard” is being bandied about….According to the National Weather Service, a blizzard requires certain conditions: There must be sustained wind or frequent gusts to 35 miles an hour or greater, and such falling or blowing snow that visibility is reduced to less than a quarter-mile. Moreover, these conditions must prevail for a minimum of three hours.
Forgive me but: I lived through Buffalo’s Blizzard of 1977 (houses buried in snow, winds gusting to 69mph, thousands of cars abandoned, people stranded, bone chilling cold). That experience gave me an appreciation of what a true blizzard is….I think the best definition comes not from the National Weather Service but from my colleague and fellow Buffalonian Tom Toles:” It’s Really scary. You can’t see a thing-and you think you are going to die.”
And now Washington is being hit again, much harder than we are, the momentary white-out at 5:30am in my yard has given way to glorious sunshine, and the Post writer may in fact be experiencing a Buffalo-type blizzard, I for one am glad to be here.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/02/snowmageddon_was_bad_but_dont.html
fair trade, and organic.
Where’s Al gorelioni?
He could fly them in with a private jet.
Why don’t you guys have it printed locally? Where is the love for Virginia businesses?
I agree Buffalo Girl - like the guy in the article you quoted said, the word blizzard is being “bandied about” far too cavalierly. I’m tired of all the hyped up drama words that the media uses to describe something of a normal caliber. Maybe because the modern lifestyle lacks enough excitement, people are a little too eager to make mountains out of molehills and use all this dramatic language to describe things that don’t deserve it. Enough already.
Is BuffaloGirl really Robert Frost?
Glad we get it online, plus there arent any fun comment threads to follow in the paper edition.
The Christian Science Monitor recently gave up printing on newsprint and now is all website. I wonder whether the Hook might consider doing the same?
I sure hope not. I like to pick up a few copies of The Hook when there is a story of interest that I wish to preserve. One of the most recent where I picked up a dozen copies was when they did their “Tarnished Badge” story.
And the story damn well fit one of the cops it was written about. The parents at Albemarle High School were ready to lynch him from the nearest tree.
Patsy- too expensive I am sure- same reason The Daily Progress is not printed locally either.
Also, the quality fo the printing is most likely better coming from the Philly area.
Paperless
BITE YOUR TONGUE !
I am set in my way’s and I like the real deal in hand :) . I learned quick with my Kendal , it’s just not the same !
I will use the Kendal for an ice scraper ……give me something I can hold onto like my weekly issue of the Hook .
I just come here to spout off at the mouth :) .
Dakota
P.S The Staunton News Leader has a printing press for sale , they farmed their printing out to the Daily News Record . Maybe the Hook can print their own .
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe
Why isn’t The Hook printed in Virginia?
Tina- I would guess cost, quality and format. Call The Hook and ask them.
I don’t know where CvilleWeekly is published, but everything about it is of lower quality. The Hook’s paper, and clarity of type, make it a superior product and my guess is - that, combined with cost, necessitated going out of state. Please don’t ever think of going paperless, the art design of the covers and layout is phenomenal and I enjoy this publication in print more than any other. Thanks to all the Hook staff out front, and behind the scenes, that produce this- joy of a weekly, year in and year out.
ah ha’s
Did you have a point to make ?
Dakota ——> snickers
The Hook is miles ahead of the Cville Weekly in graphics and layout. Much more elegant and better use of whitespace. Cville’s covers, in particular, are very chaotic– but not in a good kinetic way, either. Kudos to the Hook’s art director!
Dakota, if you ever come home and discover that someone has removed the apostrophe key from your keyboard, t’was me.
Reality Check
LMAO . How could I destroy the written beauty of the English language without my apostrophe . I just hope my 11 grade AP english teacher never reads blog’s …. I loved that Women style and would never want to let her down !
I agree with your comment’s (ooops) about the Hook Layout . The ease of reading and layout is refreshing .I find the journalism to be the hardest hitting in the area on the tiff issues . It feeds my chaotic mind so well.
Now before the nay sayer’s jump up, fair warning , I am hard headed and set in my way’s , you have a better chance of removing a T BONE from a pit-bull;s jaws than change my opinion on the journalism found at the Hook . Save you your keystrokes and banter for somebody that is easily persuaded .
Dakota
I’m in blizzard country the panhandle of Maryland on the West Virginia line, don’t ask, not here by choice, and yes, they did have a blizzard over the weekend, 20 foot drifts piled on the roadside, snow still blowing and drifting across the road and the state of emergency in West Va and Maryland has brought the National Guard to the scene. Having interviewed several of them, even they are in a quandry, where to put all the snow-in some places 60″ in 3 days –the editor of the local paper is so tired that all he could write today in the Morgan Messenger was :
“Dear Reader,
Been digging snow, fighting the blizzard and trying to stay warm, just like you probably have.
Not much time for heavy editorial thoughts. The snow’s heavy enough!
Hope everyone out there is making it through okay.
Don’t forget to thank the people who do you a good turn in this rough season.”
We got alot of snow, but I now understand, from first hand observation, why the Hook was late–has this ever happened before ?
Like I mentioned earlier-
Harry February 11th, 2010 | 5:55 am
Tina- I would guess cost, quality and format. Call The Hook and ask them.