YOUR COMMENTS

Yes, running a business is hard work, but it's not like the media hasn't been trying to warn people of this! All winter long, I've been hearing warnings on the radio and TV about the dangers of heavy snow. Considering the consequences, why would you ignore the warnings? It's not difficult to look at the roof before going inside. I'm not a homeowner yet (soon!), but I have cleared snow off a roof this winter. My grandmother's, and I'd like to add she lives 1/2 hour away and I haven't even BEEN to her house this winter, let alone walked into the building every day! I'm just saying that I didn't even have to look at the roof to know that she needed it cleared off ASAP.

And fine, maybe he knew and maybe he didn't have time to get up there himself. Fine, hire someone to do it for you! Knowing that the roof hasn't been cleared and knowing this storm was coming, clearing that roof should have been high on the priority list. Life isn't going to wait just because you're too busy....
- Jen, Groveton

Everyone should know a contractor who can take care of any homeowning things that can occur....People need to get a roofer and takecare of it when its needed.. All this snow heavy and many ft weve had, no one seems to shovel off their roof. By themselves or with a contractor it should be done. Everyone shovels their driveways and paths to their doors no one looks at thier roof until it leaks and causes mold and amillon other things such as water damage.
The roof protects your whole house, and people like to cheap skate their way out of taking care of it all the time!
My roof is always taken care of my husband is in the business and knows what to do.
- Michelle, MANCHESTER

While I agree that running a business, especially a restaurant is hard work, with the recent roof collapses from all the heavy snow, the priority SHOULD be a sound structure. It is easy to say "Oh, well he had other things to do".. but if your family member had been in there, and he or she was hurt or even killed, you would be singing a totally different tune.. But instead, we say "shucks, oh well. He was busy" and move on to the next lastest headline.
- Beth, Raymond

I'm sure the owner wasn't clueless, but when you're limited in terms of your time, budget, and perhaps ability, shoveling a roof off is just another thing you have to do that sometimes doesn't make it to the top of the "to-do" list.

I have a feeling the owner of this particular business was busy trying to run the restaurant and got caught up in everything other than getting his roof cleared or arranging to have it cleared.

Have you ever cleared a roof yourself? I have. It's hard work. VERY hard work. Especially on a roof that's high and/or with a steep pitch. It's also dangerous.

The fact that this popular eating spot is out of business and the owner and his employees are out of work, for however long, is an awfully hard lesson for anyone to have to learn, so what say we cut these people some slack and say, "there but for the grace of God".

Or maybe off to help clear a neighbor's roof and help lighten the load.
- Michael J. Curtiss, Allenstown

Brian, With all the other more immediate concerns of a small business owner you can't blame him for not thinking about this. It's not about cluelessness or carelessness. The fact of the matter is that roof collapses even in heavy snow years are relatively uncommon. In other words, lighten up.
- George B, Merrimack

Why is it folks will rush to say a business owner has some kind of "responsibility" when something unpleasant happens?
When was the last time you consciously thought to check the snow load on your roof?

Peace
- Joel, Nashua

Don't business owners have a certain amount of responsibility to ensure that the roofs of their businesses are under the maximum amount of snowloading?

Thank God no one was hurt, but was the building owner really that clueless concerning the load on the roof?
- Brian, Litchfield, NH