Americana: Snowed

Where are the snowplows of yesteryear? Back in 1956, the Nebraska town of Sidney (pop. 6,300) spent $50 to buy a used Civil Defense truck (1936 vintage), and put a plowing blade on it to clear the town airport of snow. Last fall, when City Manager Merle Strouse decided that the old plow had reached "the last of its days," he investigated new snowplows and found that they cost $25,000, more than twice the $9,800 that the town wanted to pay. He asked the Federal Aviation Administration to help out. The FAA decided that the town really needed a bigger snowplow—for $83,000. In addition, the agency decreed, in order to have a new snowplow there must be an approved airport layout plan, costing $25,000, and a snowplow building, costing $106,000.

The city balked. It did not really mind the federal largesse, but it minded the fact that the federals wanted the town to pay 10%, which by now would amount to $21,000, almost as much as the original new snowplow that had seemed too expensive. So the town asked if it could simply scrap the construction of the snow-plow building. No, said the feds, if it did not have a construction project, it did not qualify for most FAA grants.

Sidney officials have now issued an ultimatum: they will contribute $9,800 and no more. The federal authorities are considering their answer. In the meantime, that 1936 truck may not have seen its last days after all.