Nov. 3 Civic Message, Non-Profits to the Rescue

ASTORINO PRESSES CON ED AND NYSEG ON FULL RESTORATION

Says priority are schools and voting places, that Gov. Cuomo says gasoline deliveries returning to normal

 County Executive Robert P. Astorino today (Saturday) conferred with top executives of Con Edison and New York State Electric & Gas, stressing again the need to speedily restore all of the county to full power, with priority to schools and polling places.

Astorino also said that Gov. Cuomo’s office has told him that deliveries of gasoline to retail stations are returning to normal. Generators are being delivered to those stations that have supply but no electric power, he said.

“Again, I am asking all our residents to be patient,” Astorino said. “I know this is hard, particularly as the outages continue and the weather gets colder.”

Earlier in the day, Astorino again spoke directly with Con Ed President Craig Ivey, who assured him that no Con Ed resources are being diverted to New York City. Astorino also spoke to NYSEG CEO Mark Lynch.

“Our biggest priorities are our schools. We want all schools open on Monday,” Astorino said. “After that, our priority is our voting places, which in many cases are in schools. Let me assure our residents they will have a place to vote on Tuesday. We are getting generators for some places. And if a poll does not have power by Monday evening, we will have an alternative, nearby place to vote.”

If a poll location is changed, the county will use its paratransit fleet to transport paratransit riders.

There are 380 polling sites in the county, of which 92 were without power as of 2 p.m. Saturday. In Con Ed territory, there are 142 schools total, of which 107 still were without power at this same time. Con Ed anticipates that number will be down to 55 by Saturday evening.

As of 3:30 p.m. on Saturday about 108,469 Con Ed Westchester customers were without power, down from 120,374 Friday afternoon. In addition, there are about 21,200 NYSEG customers without power, down from 25,499 Friday afternoon. That compares with 1.5 million customers in New Jersey and 750,000 customers on Long Island who are without power.

As to gasoline supplies, Astorino expressed the hope that things will return to normal and urged residents who do not need gasoline not to top off their tanks.

The county’s Emergency Operations Canter continues in operation around the clock to oversee the recovery and coordinate efforts with local governments. After requests for police support came in, the county Department of Public Safety activated its Sheriff’s Emergency Force to supplement local police operations. In addition, all county police offices have been placed on 12-hour shifts to maximize officers for deployment to assist municipalities.

On a daily basis, the county EOC has conference calls with municipalites.

Astorino’s phone conversations Saturday were just the latest with Con Ed and NYSEG  about power restoration. He pledged to keep pressing them.

Message from the Mayor, White Plains:

Power Restoration – Approximately 1,000 Con Edison customers in White Plains had their power restored last night. Con Edison has advised the City that multiple out of state crews have been assigned to work on White Plains outages today.

Throughout Westchester County, Con Edison is transitioning to power restoration after concentrating on street openings and safety concerns. City of White Plains crews have removed all trees blocking roads that do not have wires involved. If a wire is involved, Con Edison must participate in the removal.

As restoration progresses, outage numbers may increase temporarily, as service will sometimes be shut down in order to make a repair.

Con Edison has advised the City that their restoration effort will be prioritized based on:

1)    The nature of the site involved (i.e. – schools, hospitals, nursing homes)

2)    Repairs that will restore the most customers as quickly as possible

Dry Ice – Dry ice is being distributed by Con Edison Today at the Westchester County Center, 198 Central Avenue in White Plains, until 4:00 p.m. or until supplies run out.

Availability of Gasoline – The City has been advised by Federal, State and County officials that the gasoline supply chain remains intact and that gasoline deliveries will continue to be made. Many stations are currently low on fuel or have run out due to high demand. Deliveries are expected today and this weekend. Residents are being asked to be patient.

Gasoline Price Gouging – Westchester County Department of Consumer Protection is monitoring gasoline prices throughout the County. Consumers may report potential price gouging to County Department of Consumer Protection at (914) 995-2155.

City of White Plains Emergency Shelter – The City of White Plains emergency shelter remains open for White Plains residents who need shelter. The shelter is now located at the Community Center, 65 Mitchell Place in downtown White Plains. Cots and blankets will be provided. However, residents should bring with them personal care items, medications and a flashlight. Residents may also want to bring a battery operated radio, books and/or magazines, non-perishable snacks and items to entertain children.

Showers  – The following community facilities have generously opened their doors for White Plains residents without power to enjoy a hot shower. Please bring your own supplies, including towels, soap and shampoo. Also bring personal identification for registration and security purposes. Showers are available for those who need them at the following locations:

White Plains YMCA  250 Mamaroneck Avenue – Hours: Mon-Fri 5:15 am – 10:00 pm, Sat 7:00 am – 6:00 pm, Sun 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

White Plains YWCA  515 North Street – Hours: Mon-Sun 8:00 am – 12:00 noon

New York Sports Club  City Center – Hours: Mon-Sun 5:00 am – 11:00 pm

Planet Fitness  33 South Broadway – Hours: Mon-Fri 5:00 am – 11:00 pm, Weekends 7:00 am – 7:00 pm

Hot Lunch for Seniors @ the Community Center – The City of White Plains Community Center, located at 65 Mitchell Place, will be serving hot lunches through its Nutrition Program this weekend, from 11:30 – 12:30 p.m. Transportation to and from the Community Center is also available between 10:30 – 2:00 p.m. Reservations are required. Please call 422-1424 to make reservations.

Library  – The White Plains Public Library will be open this weekend with extended hours on Sunday. Additional power strips will once again be made available to patrons to charge their electronic devices. Library Hours: Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday, 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Disaster Assistance to Individuals & Households – President Obama’s Major Disaster Declaration for the State of New York, issued on October 30, 2012, has been amended to include Westchester County. The disaster declaration triggers the release of Federal funds to help individuals and communities recover from Hurricane Sandy. This means that Westchester residents can register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and apply for disaster assistance. To learn more about the types of assistance available and eligibility, register with FEMA via any one of the following methods:

• Apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Apply via smartphone at m.fema.gov.
• Call the registration phone number at 1-800-621-3362; those who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.

Recreation & Parks Programs – All Recreation & Parks programs for this weekend are on as scheduled. Ebersole Ice Rink is open for public skating: Saturday – 12:15 – 3:00 p.m. & 7:45 – 9:30 p.m. Sunday – 10:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. (adults only) & 1:15 – 4:00 p.m. (general session).

Please check the City of White Plains website, www.cityofwhiteplains.com, or call the Storm Hotline at 9914) 422-5150 (English) / (914) 422-5160 (Spanish) for additional information.

 

Message from Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner:

7718 residents of Greenburgh still out of power. There were over 9,000 outages a few days ago. 2 Con Ed crews currently working on restoration. We expect 4 more crews to arrive today. I expect significant progress re: restoration of power to take place this weekend.

About a dozen people have offered to put people up in their homes–home angels. If you are FREEZING and want to stay with someone, please advise as soon as possible. If you have power and are willing to invite a FREEZING Greenburgh resident into your home, please e mail me. I’ll try to make the connections.

THEODORE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER WILL REMAIN OPEN THIS WEEKEND 24 HOURS—SHOWERS, HEAT, BEDS, SECURITY, COST: FREE. The Theodore Young Community Center is located off of Manhattan Ave (near Crossroads Shopping Center/K Mart/near 119).  989 3600

Was at the Greenburgh Library this morning. The library is mobbed with people – enjoying the books, comfort, computers, staff, heat. The library is open this weekend.

Non Profits to the Rescue:

United Way’s 2-1-1: With expanded hours of operation since Sunday, 2-1-1 has already taken over 3,000 calls, serving as a resource for people who are looking for information about storm recovery and lessening pressure to 9-1-1 and other government agencies.   United Way is also initiating a Westchester Disaster Recovery Fund in collaboration with Westchester County.  This will address long term recovery, after immediate response efforts have been completed.  Contact:  Shannon Cobb, 203-300-3300

·         The Volunteer Center of United Way:  Assessing volunteer needs and posting opportunities for people to help on their website www.volunteer-center.org.  Contact: Alisa Kesten, 914-980-2574

·         Grace Church Community Center:  Despite its administrative office being without power, its client services have continued to operate.  Staff saw an uptick in the number of people seeking shelter, and its soup kitchen continued to serve a hot midday meal daily throughout the storm and aftermath.  Contact:  Paul Anderson-Winchell, 914-497-9945

·         Open Door Family Medical Services:  Unlike many venues, Open Door kept its doors open in Ossining Monday and Tuesday in order to provide essential medical services.    Port Chester location was closed through Thursday due to power outage, but limited transportation to other locations was being provided. Contact: Lindsay Farrell 914-502-1457

·         MHA of Westchester:  Case workers were out checking on clients, who are people with metal health disabilities. In many cases, these individuals often do not have family and/or friends who they can rely on for assistance, and are typically economically disadvantaged.  MHA caseworkers may be the only ones who connect with them, ensuring that they have what they need.   Staff are covering for other staff members who were affected by the storm to ensure that clients’ needs are met.   Contact: Amy Kohn, (914) 330-6718

·         Westchester Libraries:  Are offering heat, internet access, electricity to charge cell phones, coffee.  Every seat is taken, with folding tables and chairs set up in conference rooms to provide space for as many people as possible.  Contact:  Terry Kirchner, Westchester Library System, 914-674-3600

·         ArtsWestchester: Many arts organizations are offering a place to warm up and charge cell phones.  ArtsWestchester will have a coffee pot going at its headquarters at 31 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, as well as power strips for those who need them.  See an exhibit while you charge.  Contact:  Janet Langsam, 914-428-4220

·         Neighbors Link:  Despite power outage, the center has remained open to serve its clients.  The Day Laborer community will be conducting a clean-up day where volunteer day laborers will come together to help clean up the village sidewalks of debris etc.  They typically do about 2-3 of these a year, and are planning one for next week because of the storm.  Note that most of these volunteer workers are people who also do not have power yet.  Contact:  Marianne Delaney, Development Director 666-3410 x 14

·         Family Services of Westchester:  Ensured that a homebound client received a special oxygen delivery from the Yorktown fire department when her supplies ran low.  Contact: Steve Riordan, 914-872-5286

As the recovery continues, other nonprofits will join Nonprofit Westchester in serving those affected by the storm in the greater Westchester community.