Thursday, March 31, 2011

Funny or Not?

As an April Fool's joke, an employee of an AM News Radio station manufactured the story below about snow removal in Evanston, IN. Funny or cruel? You decide!

EVANSTON, Ill. (CBS/WBBM) — Some angry Evanston residents have been calling City Hall to complain about the city's new snow removal program, as detailed in the community newspaper the Evanston Roundtable.

But it turned out to be an April Fool's story.
As WBBM Newsradio 780′s Mike Krauser reports, Evanston is dealing with a budget crisis, and a huge bill for the blizzard back on Feb. 2 and 3, which dumped 21.2 inches of snow on the Chicago area.
So, the Roundable reports, their solution is to charge for snow removal.
The Roundtable reports under the new plan developed by the city's Snow Czar, Pearl Le Blanc, anyone who wants snow removed in front of their homes will be required to buy a "snow removal sticker."
The plan was approved at a heated City Council meeting on April 1, the Roundtable said.
Residents who participate will rent orange traffic cones from the City of Evanston, and will affix daily snow removal stickers to the cones. The stickers will cost $2.25 per day, the Roundtable reported.
No sticker, no removal.
For an additional $2 fee, a driveway clearance sticker is available. This sticker will direct snow removal crews not to pile snow in front of your driveway while clearing the street, the Roundtable reported.
In the event of a snowfall greater taller than the 22-inch orange cones, the City of Evanston will also offer mylar balloons to stick on the cones. The balloons will have the stickers already attached, and will raise the cost of the sticker to $4, the newspaper reported.
The plan goes into effect when the first snowfall of next season comes, in late fall or early winter, the newspaper reported.
Shawn Jones is the author of the fictional story.
"I certainly thought that the snow czar, Pearl De Blanc, would clue a lot of people in early on," Jones said, "also the fact that this article came out on March 30 and referenced an April 1 city council meeting."



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