(UPDATED 8:14 p.m.) Cheshire Schools Staying Closed Monday, No Trash Pick-Up

UPDATED: Sunday, 8:14 p.m.
The following was released by the town early this evening. It will serve as the last update of the day:

All town roads will be passable by the end of the day. The sheer volume of snow has required multiple pieces of equipment, including payloaders and backhoes, and all available town crews and staff have been working around the clock since 7 a.m. Friday.

The widening of intersections and clearing of roads curb-to-curb will begin on Monday, and it will most likely take until the end of the week to complete the clean up.

Residents are asked to please not blow or plow snow back into the roads; it can freeze and create dangerous conditions.

The parking ban is still in effect until further notice.

Trash and recycling collection will be delayed one day for this week (normal Monday pickup will be on Tuesday, normal Tuesday pick up will be on Wednesday, etc.); please try to place your containers in a cleared area of your driveway off the street. Also, collection will most likely take much longer than usual, so please leave your containers out if they have not been picked up by the usual time.

Town offices will be open Monday, however, some town services or programs may be cancelled. The Pool will be closed indefinitely due to the collapse of the bubble during the storm. All Artsplace classes are cancelled for Monday, and the Senior Center and The Yellow House follow the school schedule for their programs.

Schools are closed Monday, February 11, 2013.

Many local businesses have not yet had their parking lots cleared and are not open; it is suggested that residents call ahead.

Please do not call the Police Department and PLEASE DO NOT call 911 unless you have a true, serious emergency.

To our residents: your cooperation and willingness to help a neighbor during this historic storm is deeply appreciated.

UPDATED: Sunday, 2:56 p.m.
There's an issue facing plows now that is only serving to slow down recovery and snow removal efforts - motorists taking to the roads.

Many people who now have the ability to travel are doing so, plow drivers said Sunday afternoon, and the added motorists on the road are making it difficult for snow removal teams to clear the roads of snow without having to stop for passing cars.

"It seems people who have been able to get out have gone out now," said one plow driver, who wished not to be named. "It's making it difficult for us to maneuver on the roads and is slowing us down."

Officials are asking residents to remain off the roads unless completely necessary and to give the plow drivers time to get to different areas. The delays in snow removal efforts are keeping the plow trucks from getting to other areas that haven't been addressed yet.

As the challenges continue to crop up, Cheshire School Superintendent Greg Florio has made the decision to keep schools closed on Monday. A decision will be made later as to whether the district will be able to open later in the week.

ORIGINAL STORY
Cheshire officials said Sunday morning that although there is still a lot work to be done before the town is free from the grip of more than 30 inches of snow left during a blizzard at the start of the weekend, they could have all roads passable by mid to late Sunday afternoon.

Police said the goal at this time is to have each road passable for emergency purposes by 2 p.m. before returning to widen roads and removing the massive amount of snow. Right now, emergency access and access for Connecticut Light & Power remain the top priorities, officials said.

As of 11:30 a.m., there were six Cheshire customers without power, according to CL&P records. The number is up one from the previous total, which was five customers Saturday night.

CL&P officials said Sunday that it's not uncommon for additional outages just before power is restored. Across the state, there are still 21,235 customers without power.

Officials said it will be days before everything returns to normal, expressing concerns that the amount of snow is just too much to handle in a short period. It is unknown how this could effect schools, although a decision is expected to be made later tonight.

"I have coordinated a regional call with superintendents for 5:30 p.m. tomorrow evening," said nearby Southington School Superintendent Joseph V. Erardi Jr. "Shortly thereafter I will be able to update all on the status of school on Monday."

Make sure to like Cheshire Patch on Facebook and follow on Twitter for breaking news, daily updates and more!