Amid the uproar surrounding enforcement of the sidewalk snow removal ordinance, it’s been heartening to hear a number of stories about neighborly gestures around Lawrence.

Either in phone calls or letters to the Public Forum, people have told stories about someone, often someone they didn’t even know, arriving with a small tractor or simply a shovel to help them clear their sidewalks after recent storms. In some cases, people simply arrived home after a holiday out of town to find that their sidewalks or even their driveway had been cleared by an anonymous good Samaritan.

Such random acts of kindness were a bright spot in what has otherwise become a pretty contentious topic of conversation in Lawrence. This debate is likely to last far longer than the recent snow and may demand further attention from the Lawrence City Commission.

A fair number of local residents thought it was unreasonable for the city to order them to clear their sidewalks in sub-freezing temperatures. There are, of course, a number of options to people shoveling their own walks, and the city did make some effort to set up a system that would match volunteers with people unable to shovel for themselves. That system was publicized during recent snows, but did the supply of volunteers keep up with the demand?

Some residents were simply angry at the whole idea that sidewalks are their responsibility. They didn’t ask for that sidewalk; they don’t want that sidewalk; why should they have to shovel it or pay someone else to do the job? Of course, according to current ordinances, they also are responsible for maintaining the sidewalk and replacing it if necessary, which is a whole added topic for city officials to consider.

On the other side of the coin are those who need to walk on city sidewalks. They grew impatient with what they characterized as “whining” about snow removal. Pedestrians also have rights, they said, and people who must walk where they are going shouldn’t have to deal with slick, snow-covered sidewalks.

The amount of snow that has fallen in Lawrence in the last couple of weeks certainly has put the sidewalk snow removal ordinance to the test. However, such snowfalls aren’t typical in Lawrence and recent complaints about the ordinance may not be a problem in a more normal winter.

After seeing how the ordinance has worked, city commissioners may consider some changes in the law or improvements in the system that assists people unable to shovel. If the city is going to have an ordinance on the books, it needs to enforce it, but there may be reason for commissioners to review the law to see if it is both enforceable and fair.