THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

Because the decommissioned light cruiser USS Little Rock noe resides in Buffalo harbor, the Navy decided it would be a good idea to commission the next Little Rock, one of the over priced and under capable Little Crappy Ships program, in Buffalo. Between a few delays in its departure and a wicked cold spell, it is now stuck in the ice at Montreal.

The commissioning of the USS Little Rock was held in Buffalo last month, on a day so cold that people’s breath billowed through the air as they spoke.

Partway through the ceremony, snow began falling — sideways — on the thousands of attendees.

It might have been a sign.

Still, none of it stopped a string of military officials and a bundled-up delegation from Arkansas from singing the praises of the Navy’s newest warship for more than an hour.

One Navy official spoke of the combat ship’s “adaptability, speed and maneuverability.” A Navy chaplain bowed his head in prayer to bless the Little Rock before it sailed to its home port, Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville.

“We commend this ship, the USS Little Rock, to your care and divine providence,” the chaplain said. “Grant them fair winds and following seas.”

Despite the benedictions, the ship’s maiden voyage has gotten off to a rather inauspicious start. A week after it was commissioned, as it made its way up the Saint Lawrence Seaway, the USS Little Rock became trapped by ice near Montreal.

It has remained stuck there since Christmas Eve, the Toronto Star first reported, thanks to “unusually heavy ice conditions.”

A Navy spokeswoman told The Washington Post that other ships had made it through the area without trouble in late November and early December. Because of bad weather, the USS Little Rock’s departure from Buffalo had been pushed back after its Dec. 16 commissioning, and it was further delayed during a routine port visit in Montreal, she said.

“Significant weather conditions prevented the ship from departing Montreal earlier this month and icy conditions continue to intensify,” Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Hillson said in a statement. “The temperatures in Montreal and throughout the transit area have been colder than normal, and included near-record low temperatures, which created significant and historical conditions in the late December, early January timeframe.”

Temporary heaters and 16 de-icers have been added to the USS Little Rock, and its crew members — some 70 officers and personnel in all — have been given new cold-weather clothing while staying on the ship for training and certification during the delay, Hillson added.

“Keeping the ship in Montreal until waterways are clear ensures the safety of the ship and crew, and will have limited impact on the ship’s operational schedule,” she said. “While in port, the crew of Little Rock will continue to focus on training, readiness and certifications.”

This is bad and good. The Little Rock will stay until the ice is gone because its hull is too thin to hazard a trip through ice filled waters. The extra time will allow for more training so hopefully it won't hit any other ships in passing. Now if it was only mission capable or even had a mission.