Ice, snow and more ice came abundantly on Jan. 27 and 28, leaving the roads treacherous and parking lots hazardous. My uncle Wilbur and aunt Joyce lived in Charlottesville, Va., for two or three years around 1960; they told us back then that the weather in Charlottesville, though warmer than ours, was more treacherous because they got more ice storms there than we do here.

Well, unfortunately, the ice storms have come with increasing frequency, and they are a different problem than plain old snow. Please pray for the work crews trying to repair fallen power lines, and the families without power.

Down in the country near West Liberty, Margie and her family were boxed in by fallen trees across their drive and across the county road. All their power was off.

When they chain-sawed one tree from its trunk, its movement caused two more trees to fall and they ended up with more blockage than before.

They tried this for awhile with little progress. The next day they managed to walk down to their neighbors’ house and found them without food, so the neighbors five sons went back to the house with them, and the sons cleared most of the food from the refrigerator and took it home with them. They returned later with their Dad and several chainsaws and proceeded to clear the drive first and then the county road.

So both families ended up with food and passage to the state route. God is at work in our world, especially when we are willing to help one another.

The Super Bowl has come and gone. This one was more dramatic than most.

Our local equivalent of the super bowl is the Memorial Day Parade, and though Bruce Springsteen probably won’t be here, Steve Dodgion, who first predicted Springsteen’s greatness locally, probably will be, along with thousands of others.

The Parade Committee will have its second meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9 at the VFW. The meeting hall is entered by the upriver door on the front of the building. Membership is $5.

If you want to help keep the parade going, please come.

Bank workers, construction and courthouse workers, refinery and manufacturing workers, service workers and medical personnel, retirees, house wives, students and business owners are all welcome.

There is only one meeting in February, so come out tomorrow evening and help get the ball rolling for another Memorial Day Parade.

Dan Rapp is pastor of Ohio Baptist Church and a south Ironton resident.