Off to a Bumpy Start

by Amy Fernandez

A year ago we started preparing ourselves for surprises at Westminster 2013 when we learned about the split venue and reinstatement of class dog competition. We had months to get used to those changes before Hurricane Sandy hit New York. Unfortunately, that was timed pretty close to Westminster’s closing date. The devastating news reports possibly caused some exhibitors to rethink the idea of coming to New York this year-especially since the primary show site was situated right on the Hudson River.

Luckily, the Piers survived Sandy unscathed. Despite that, this year’s entry didn’t come close to Westminster’s new limit of 3200 dogs. Mother Nature threw another wrench in the works Wednesday when news broke that a record blizzard was predicted to hit greater New York on Friday. Could the timing be worse?

We’ve had virtually no snow this winter, but New Yorkers tend to get a bit edgy these days when they hear STORM WARNING. All three airports began canceling flights on Wednesday. Metro North, New Jersey Transit, and the LIRR announced emergency train schedules and planned to suspend service early on Friday. Schools closed, as did many businesses.

I drove into New York early Friday morning to do a presentation for DJAA. The roads were a bit slippery, but there was no snow. On the other hand, traffic was very light. Unfortunately, so was attendance. Many people encountered travel delays getting here for Westminster events, despite the fact that the storm never amounted to much in New York. The brunt of the blizzard skipped the five boroughs and the city’s total accumulation was about 8 inches. Instead, it traveled across Long Island Sound. Boston was buried. Connecticut got hit with 18-24 inches. For many parts of Long Island it was a record snowfall that descended hard and fast. Rush hour motorists on the Long Island Expressway were buried in snow, stranded in their cars overnight. Many parts of Suffolk County are still snowed in, no plows in sight.

New Jersey also caught a break, and snow didn’t interfere with travel plans out to the Meadowlands specialties. By Saturday afternoon, New York streets were cleared and mass transit was back on schedule. Nothing has been canceled, and everyone is slowly but surely making their way into town for the fun. See you there bright and early in the morning!

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Posted by admin on Feb 12 2013. Filed under Current Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.