P’ville Spared Worst Effects of Sandy But Challenges Remain
After Hurricane Sandy slammed much of Westchester County, local officials and residents in Pleasantville were left picking up the pieces from the brutal storm that packed such a heavy punch.
Power outages, though not as extensive in the village as neighboring communities, varied from street to street as local diners and coffee shops crammed in customers looking for a warm meal. Lines at local gas stations were in some cases more than a mile long–before supplies disappeared.
One man walking along Marble Avenue remarked out loud how the scene on Thursday and Friday reminded him of the late 1970s when gas shortages plagued the country.
Village Administrator Patricia Dwyer said earlier in the week essential personnel worked 24 hours, with Dwyer and Police Chief Richard Love among those who slept in a village facility.
“We were very happy to report that when daybreak came we had a very good handle on where our trouble spots were on Tuesday morning and what we had to attack right away,” Dwyer said on Friday. “We did that. We had good collaboration and coordination with residents and with our partners in emergency response and by Wednesday we were waiting for power.”
Both Dwyer and Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer said there have been no reported injuries from the storm. Many of the 911 calls were in connection with property damage and downed wires, Dwyer said.
The Pleasantville School District was one of the few in Westchester that opened Thursday and Friday, albeit with two-hour delays.
Into Saturday, about 25 percent of residents in the village remained without power. Con Edison issued a statement Thursday estimating “to restore the vast majority of customers” in the county by Nov. 11.
“We are on a conference call every day with Con Edison and in touch with them multiple times every day so we’ll see how it develops,” Scherer said. “Hopefully we can get some crews here earlier in that timeframe rather than later. That’s obviously our goal.”
Besides power outages, gas shortages have also been a source of frustration. Police were seen at open stations during the week, maintaining order and helping with traffic. By Friday, every gas station in the village seemed to be barren. Station owners placed caution tape across the pumps. Gas shortages are expected to be resolved within a few days and rationing is not being considered, Scherer said.
“Given the cautious optimism about what we heard, how long this will last we’re not contemplating anything like that here,” Scherer said.
Paul Singh, owner of the Citgo station in Pleasantville on Route 117, said he ran out of gas Friday morning. The line extended back to Pace University from early Thursday morning until Friday when he ran out of gas.
“People were very patient. Some people were frustrated.” Singh said. “…We tried to help everybody but now we are out, waiting for the delivery. Whenever we can get it, we’ll have it and we’ll serve the community.”
While residents coped without power or gas, local businesses were booming. Pleasantville Pizza had a sharp increase of customers since power went out. Jackie Sinis, whose husband owns the business, said she didn’t recognize 80 percent of the customers. She figured many of them came from Chappaqua and Briarcliff, two neighboring areas that were hard hit with widespread power outages.
Pleasantville Diner was also packed with hungry customers, a reminder of the nasty pre-Halloween snowstorm that hit last year. Owner Jack Mourouzis said starting Tuesday night the restaurant has been “very, very busy.”
“We fit a lot of people,” Mouzouris said. “We did the best we can. We tried to serve the community.”
Scherer said the busy businesses have been a silver lining in a mostly grim situation.
“We’ve got a bunch of Pleasantville businesses that stayed open when they could have closed and have been there to help people out in ways that go beyond and above what you expect of your average merchant,” Scherer said. “That spirit is much appreciated.”
