Revize Software Systems:New Webgen

Breaking News - Storms etc

Hurricane Sandy updates (scroll down for past updates):

For immediate release to all media

Wednesday, November 7, 4:25 PM

Orangetown Town Board will meet tonight as planned (7 PM police commission, 8 pm public hearings on town budget and Blauvelt Fire District budget).

However, given the severe weather tonight, the Town Board plans to continue the public hearings to its next scheduled meeting on Tuesday, November 13, 2012. This will ensure that taxpayers who are unable to attend tonight are able to participate in the public hearing as it is continued on Tuesday.

Contact:

Andy Stewart, Supervisor

office- 845-359-5100 x 2261, astewart@orangetown.com

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7, 10:45 AM UPDATE

Dear Orangetown resident,

Below you will find some useful information regardingSandyrecovery effort as well as the “nor’easter” coming tonight.

The Town would like to thank all the emergency service workers, O&R crews and contractors who have been working around the clock in response to Hurricane Sandy. Our own staff in the sewer, highway, police and other departments have been under enormous pressure and truly shown their resolve. I will have a complete update on the Town’s storm response and related costs available soon.

The Town ofOrangetownhas received hundreds of calls and e-mails from angry residents who are unable to contact O&R or who did not receive helpful and accurate information when they did. I re-print one below with names deleted to give a sense of the plight of our fellow townsfolk.

Also, there is a public hearing on the proposed 2013 Orangetown budget tonight at town hall, 8 PM. Budget docs, including a list of recently proposed budget cuts to reduce the tax increase can be downloaded at www.orangetown.com off the homepage. I will conduct my usual Q&A with town residents at 6 PM, and there is a police commission meeting at 7 PM.

Sincerely,

Andy Stewart, Orangetown Supervisor

CONTENTS:

WEATHER UPDATE - NOR'EASTER TODAY, EVENT AT TOWN HALL: ENERGY CONSERVATION WORKSHOP: Nov. 8, STORM DEBRIS REMOVAL INFO, ORANGE AND ROCKLAND, SHELTER, WARMING CENTERS, PUBLIC INFORMATION, SCAMS, CABLEVISION CREDIT, LETTER FROM A TOWN RESIDENT - "PLEASE HELP"

NOR EASTER UPDATE FROM ORANGETOWN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (11/6/12)

The approaching storm will be a "Significant Coastal Storm.” Our area is in a High Wind Watch from 6AM Wed through 6AM Thu. The forecast track is still uncertain, what is forecast, is wind and precipitation for a period of 18 hours. We are expected to have winds starting on Wed morning after 6AM and increasing in speed throughout the day. The peak of the wind is forecast for around 9PM Wed. Winds are expected to be 20-25 mph sustained and gusts 35-45 mph and may peak as high as 60 mph. Depending on the track of the storm we will receive rain or snow. The National Weather Service has not called it for sure yet. If the storm stays closer to the coast we will receive higher winds and rain (1"-2"). If the storm moves farther from the coast we will receive lower winds and wet snow (2"-4"). The peak of the precipitation will be at approx 9PM Wed. Moderate Tidal Flooding is predicted with the storm and is forecast from 1'-2' along our area of theHudson River. This storm will last for 2 high tide cycles. The cooler temps we are experiencing will continue through Friday. Improving weather and normal temps will start Friday.

EVENT AT TOWN HALL: ENERGY CONSERVATION WORKSHOP:

Unwaste NY/Orangetown Enviromental Commitee - Unwaste Your Home - A Free Workshop on Saving Energy at Home- Thursday, November 8, 2012, 7:30 PM, Orangetown Town Hall, 26 Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY. For more information, call Jeremy Schneider, Hudson Valley unwasteNY Field Organizer 914-419-1982 or Alexis Starke, Orangetown Environmental Committee 845-359-2327.

STORM DEBRIS REMOVAL INFO

Landscapers for Orangetown residents may bring their debris to the Rockland County Transfer Station on Route 303 and 59 free of charge.

Residents of Orangetown may also bring their debris to the Orangetown “Drop-Off” Center at 119 Rte 303, also free of charge.

Landscapers are not to pile debris along the roadway. Any landscaper who leaves a pile of debris along the roadway may be charged for the transport by the Town ofOrangetown.

ORANGE AND ROCKLAND

Residents can keep checking the "Outage Map" on www.oru.com for Estimated Restore Times. If you do not have access to the Internet, call 1-877-434-4100 for your ERT.

Many residents are not aware that O&R may not know about an outage unless it is called in. If you have not called in your home’s outage, please do so immediately. To report an outage call O&R’s Customer Service Phone Number is 1-877-434-4100

Dry ice distribution for today is Boulders Stadium, 10-noon. (I realize this is late notice, but I get these emails at the last minute from O&R – editor)

O&R Storm Update: PEARL RIVER, NY, Nov. 6, 2012, 3 p.m. --- Power has been restored to 90 percent or 225,000 of O&R electric customers whose power was knocked out by Hurricane Sandy.

Over 3,500 employees and contractors, the largest emergency response workforce O&R has ever assembled, continue to rebuild the Company’s transmission and distribution systems to restore power to the 24,500 customers who remain without service.

O&R expects to return power by day’s end Saturday, Nov. 10 to almost all of its customers. Extensive repairs will continue around the clock to restore those customers who remain out of service after Saturday. In a large-scale electric service restoration, scattered isolated areas and where devastating damage has occurred are the most difficult to resolve, and as a result are among the last to return to service.

Orangetown continues to advocate on behalf of specific institutions and neighbors for restoration.

SHELTER:

The County shelter is located at Rockland Community College Field House,145 College Roadin Suffern. Bedding and light snacks will be available, all other personal items and medications should be brought with residents using the facility. The facility is pet friendly.

WARMING CENTERS:

Town Hall is continues to offer guest wireless, re-charging and basic comforts, 7 AM – 9 PM.

Libraries inPearl Riverand Blauvelt are open for business and a nice place to go if you don’t yet have power and heat.

PUBLIC INFORMATION: TheCounty ofRockland has set up a Phone bank for public inquiries. The phone number is 845-364-2020 (Info Rock).

SCAMS: In the aftermath of the storm, residents are asked to be aware of scams and to check all utility workers' identification. Residents are also asked to use extreme caution with itinerant individuals and companies who solicit your business regarding storm repair work.

CABLEVISION CREDIT: Cablevision Systems Corporation announced Optimum customers can receive credit for any full or partial day during which they were unable to access Optimum services as a result of Hurricane Sandy, even if the disruption was caused by a loss of electrical power. The company is asking customers to call after their Optimum service is restored, so it can calculate and apply the full credit to which a customer is entitled.

LETTER FROM A RESIDENT – “PLEASE HELP”:

From:
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2012 9:18 AM
To: TOWN BOARD
Subject: HELP PLEASE - Day 9 and xxxx Lane in Pearl River still has no power!

Good Morning Gentlemen,

My name isXXXXX. It is day 9 and we still have no power. We were trapped in our development Monday afternoon until Tuesday afternoon last week for a day, because there is only one way in and out of xxx and trees were blocking the road. The xxx Fire Department happen to be answering a call on our street when the trees came down. They had to abandon their truck. I seriously don't think those trees would have been removed the next day had that fire truck not been stuck here with us. Then came the gas shortage. I went to nine gas stations and they were all closed. We were running out of gas. I did not know how I was going to heat my home, keep my refrigerator going or feed my kids because I have an electric stove . My neighbor at XXXX went toWestchesterCountyto get gas for our generators. We are all so fed up. Everyone is exhausted and stressed out. May residents have had to leave their homes, some of us have generators and some of us don't. It was 27 degrees inPearl Riverthis morning. I am lucky to have a generator, but I am limited to what I can do. Our generator was not working at first and was giving us many problems. If it weren't for a new neighbor at XXXX, who is a mechanic, our family would be in great despair. This is ridiculous and we all want so badly for our lives to get back to normal. Please help us! Can you please find out and tell me why we still don't have power. We are feeling so forgotten and now this Nor'easter is coming with a mix of snow/rain and winds of up to 50 mph.

Sincerely,

XXXXX

PAST UPDATES FROM TOWN HALL

O&R will distribute DRY ICE from Vet's Memorial Park, Orangeburg, Monday Nov. 5, 10 AM - Noon.

I have been advocating for local distribution of ice, since the Pomona location is hard to get to and the schedule is unpredictable. O&R will staff the distribution of dry ice on Monday at Vet's park, in partnership with the Town of Orangetown. First come first served.

3PM - Saturday Nov 3

The Orangetown Highway Department Drop Off center will be open Sunday, November 4 from 8:00am to 2:30pm.

"SANDY" UPDATE FROM TOWN HALL - as of 11-2-12, 6:45 PM)

As Town Supervisor, I have been doing everything I can do support storm recovery efforts.

I have joined other elected officials in advocating for faster and smarter action by O&R via conference calls, press conference and facilitating more direct cooperation between O&R crews and our Town highway department. I believe this advocacy effort has had some impact, since, for example, O&R fixed the broken utility pole on Rte 303 by the highway dept today and restored power to the highway and sewer treatment plant. This narrowly averted shut down of the treatment plant due to lack of diesel for the backup generators powering the plant.

Advocacy has also resulted in O&R accepting a list of prioritized roads to work on from each Town, and then sending a crew to work directly with us, securing downed wires, so we can rapidly remove trees from roads. This level of cooperation is quite new.

Nonetheless, people are extremely frustrated with the slow rate of power restoration and we continue to advocate stridently on behalf of residents. O&R is being scrutinized as never before by local officials, the governor and the Public Service Commission and there will be a thorough analysis of what has worked and has not worked following this storm, at all levels.

As Town Supervisor, I have been doing everything I can do support storm recovery efforts.

Town Hall is open as a comfort station with free public wifi, bathrooms, etc, 7 AM – 9 PM weekdays, and 10 AM – 5 PM Saturday and Sunday.

For your convenience, I have compiled and posted on the Town website many of the informational updates I am receiving from various sources. They include:

Rockland County Emergency Operation Center with helpful contacts
County Executive Vanderhoef on gas rationing
Dept of Labor, re: storm-related unemployment payments available
GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES ROCKLAND COUNTY ADDED TO MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATION
Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. – “we’re doing our best”
South Orangetown Central School District – “hoping to open Monday”
Anne Marie Kelly, Rockland County Board of Elections – “go to your normal polling place, you don’t need electricity to vote”
Bus Service Alert – free rides
Nyack Village Alert

Please have a look CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD and share useful information with your friends and neighbors.

Yours, Andy Stewart, Orangetown Supervisor

"SANDY" UPDATE FROM TOWN HALL - as of 11-1-12 at 1:39 PM)

ORANGE AND ROCKLAND

I was in a room this morning, Thursday, with all town supervisors, highway dept superintendents and our state reps, all hammering on O&R for better cooperation around recovery effort on local roads. For obvious reasons, O&R prioritizes getting their main transmission lines up and running, but our highway dept CANNOT TOUCH a tree that is tangled in overhead wires until an O&R technician secures the wire and confirms the tree is not energized. So we have dozens of highway workers waiting to tackle trees...

As a result of our demands, O&R is now accepting lists of tree/wire road closures from each town (sounds like common sense, right?), and O&R will seek to follow Town guidance on prioritizing tree work that does not involve complex work on transformers or repairing utility poles, ie, prioritize the simple and fast fixes that will enable the Town to open the maximum number of roads as quickly as possible. Work continues through the night tonight.

O&R has crews in Orangetown, especially in the Sparkill area this morning. With each passing hour more customers have their service back.

Every substation is back up.
O&R is not providing any timeframe for restoration of power to any officials or customers. Their original estimate was “10-15 days”
Of 14,000 customers who lost power in Orangetown, 11,000 still do not have power.
112,000 in Rockland County lost power, 67,000 still don’t have power.
43 Orangetown Town Rds are closed and many must await O&R technicians before Town highway can remove trees.
Crews from all over the USA are working in Rockland with more on the way.
O&R cooperated with Town EMS to get radio base on Clausland Mtn up and running
Many traffic signals are still not working, but the main roads are clear for the most part.
Please report all electrical emergencies to 845-434-4100 or http://www.oru.com

TOWN SERVICES:

Town Hall is operational with a comfort station, guest wireless service and powerstrips to recharge phones and computers and medical equipment. Hours are 7 AM - 9 PM Friday, and 10 AM - 5 PM Saturday and Sunday, as space is available.

Public meeting tonight at Town Hall - 7 PM for police commission and budget review; 6 PM for general Q&A on storm, budget or other matters. We are working toward a state deadline to complete town budget for 2013. There will be a budget hearing on Nov. 7 at 8 PM.

Please report any safety hazards to theTown Police at 845-359-3700

HALLOWEEN:

The Town is recommending extreme caution when leaving the house after dark due to lack of lighting and existence of downed wires that may be "live" with potential for fatalities. The Town does not endorse Trick or Treating activity at this time.

ELECTIONS:

Voting machines have arrived in Town Hall from the County, and elections have not been canceled. However, it is unclear at this time which polling places will be open.

SCHOOLS:

Closed Friday, not clear when re-opening.

SHELTER:

RCC fieldhouse has showers and overnight sleeping facilities and is “pet friendly”

We have weathered Hurricane Sandy. Our Police and Highway crews are out working to maintain public safety and clear our roads. We continue to urge our residents to stay off the streets and stay indoors as much as possible.

Further notifications: Sign up for NY Alerts (www.nyalert.gov), a system that offers phone, text message and email notifications for severe weather. Checkwww.orangetown.com for updates from Town Hall.

Please forward this notice to Orangetown residents.

Sincerely yours,

Andy Stewart

Supervisor

Town of Orangetown Emergency Services FAQs

(updated Wednesday, October 31, 2012, 3 PM, to the best of current information)

Where’s O&R?

Town is advocating stridently for rapid response to high priority areas but cannot speak on behalf of O&R. O&R has told us they will first repair transmission and substations and work towards repairing local distribution.

Report electrical outages to O&R 1-877-434-4100

Town employees CANNOT touch trees if O&R has not yet secured the wires.

O&R is distributing wet or dry ice from Boulders stadium 2-5 PM Wednesday, October 31 only.

General Advice

Report all hazards to Orangetown police 359-3700 for appropriate dispatch. Avoid any wires at all costs and beware that generators can make wires live.

Please treat every intersection like a 4-way stop.

Help your friends and neighbors in need, especially the elderly and sick.

Town Services

Town Hall Comfort Station and Wireless Access point- 7 am to 9 pm daily, 24/7 access for urgent medical need. No overnight shelter or facilities available.

Available Services – Residents are welcome to re-charge mobile devices and medical equipment and access wireless service. Please do not bring powerstrips. Be courteous if others are waiting for an outlet; medical equipment has priority. Children must be supervised.

The building will be open 24 hours a day for people needing to recharge medical equipment.

Justice Court is operating under its normal schedule.

Trash and Recycling – The regular schedule is in effect for Town of Orangetown.

Leaf Pick Up – Leaf pick up has been suspended until further notice. Please do not pile leaves near storm drains.

Brush Pick Up –The Town is conducting storm cleanup now; pile brush on the side of road, not on the road. Regular brush cleanup starts next week with normal greenwaste removal schedule in effect; leaf pick up will resume after that.

Building Department – limited services, operating out of Town Hall.

Parks Department – parks are closed, except Broadacres Golf Course

Human Needs

Ice availability – please notify Town hall if you know where ice can be bought, 359-5100

Hospitals – Both Nyack and Good Samaritan Hospitals are fully operational.

Shelter – A 24-hour shelter is available at Rockland Community College.

Wireless/re-charge points: Orangetown Town Hall, Pearl River public library is open. Please report any other public wireless access points you know of.

Halloween

The Town ofOrangetowndoes not recommend trick or treating today due to down wires that may be hidden by leaves. There is no curfew at this time. The annual Halloween Trick or Treating festivities inPearl Riverhave been cancelled but will be rescheduled.

School closings - It is our understanding that allRocklandCounty school districts will remain closed through November 2 and will reopen on Monday, November 6.

Businesses Open

Supermarkets open – Northvale Shoprite, Pearl River Shoprite, Nanuet Stop&Shop and Pathmark, Pomona Shoprite are open. Some will only accept cash or a check; no debit or credit cards.

Gas stations – Reportedly open in Nanuet, Pomona, Northvale, Pearl River but cannot guarantee that they have gas.

ATM – TD Bank in Pearl River is open.

Boil Water Advisory

The Rockland County Health Department along with United Water/NY officials are advising that all residents living in the following areas boil all water used for cooking or consumption until further notice. DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water certified for sale by the New York State Department of Health. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.

Residents affected are as follows: Residents living in the Village of Piermont on Route 9W, Castle Road, South Broadway, Ash Street, Piermont Place, Hartz Terrace, VWF Way, Crescent Lane, Tweed Boulevard, as well as residents in the Village of Grandview on Route 9W, Tweed Boulevard, Tree line Terrace, South Broadway, Ferris Lane, Old Mountain Road, Shady Side Avenue, Townsend Avenue, and Wells Lane.

Elections and polling places - Rockland County runs elections. As we learn information about which polling places will be open we will update this FAQ.

FEMA claims – At this time Rockland has not been declared a federal disaster zone for the purposes of FEMA reimbursement for storm damages.

For more information:

Go to www.Orangetown.com for updated information and to sign up Orangetown email alerts or for NY Alert,

Wednesday, October 31, 2012, 12:30 PM

Supervisor Andrew Stewart and Chief Kevin Nulty have cancelled all Halloween activities and ask all residents to postpone trick or treating until Saturday, November 3, 2012. Pearl River Chamber has cancelled Halloween activities scheduled for Wednesday in Pearl River.

Town Hall has guest wireless service in addition to basic comfort station services (re-charge medical or electronic devices, bathrooms, etc.)

Public bid opening for town contract to provide chemicals to golf course -- postponed from Tuesday to Friday, Nov. 2, bids due at Town Clerk by 19:30 AM, public opening to take place at 11:00 AM.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 12:30 PM

Town services:

Town Hall is open for urgent business and available as a comfort station, to re-charge cell phones, and we are working on providing wireless access for the public but it is not yet available. 359-5100

For Drop Off Center at highway dept, please call ahead to be sure it is open 359-6500

Parks are closed, Joe Clark Trail is impassable.

Building Dept has limited service available - emergency inspections, informational service, but no document retrieval until further notice.

Dry ice will be distributed today, Tuesday, October 30, from 1pm to 3pm at the Provident Bank Ballpark, Pomona, NY. Also, there are some gas stations and supermarkets

Electricity:

O&R estimates that power will be restored to the majority of customers within 10-15 days. At present about 300 O&R crews are out doing damage assessment and starting work first on substations and transmission lines, then main roads, then local roads. Obviously this process is going to take longer than anybody would like. See www.oru.com for details. Please report all electrical emergencies to 845-434-4100 or http://www.oru.com

In Orangetown:

70 streets are closed due to tree damage with many involving utility wires that will not be cleared until O&R gives the green light for work
There was one death in Pearl River
We have backup power at Town Hall, Highway and DEME/Sewer,
Travel restrictions are no longer in effect,
About half town residents are without electricity,
United Water and Nyack Water have full pressure and should have no interruption in service.
The TZB, Thruway, PIP, Rte 303 and other main roads are open.

You can help by:

Staying safe and taking care of yourself, family and neighbors. Assume downed wires are live.
Reporting safety hazards to Police non-emergency #359-3700
Report open vital businesses like supermarkets, gas stations and hardware stores to supervisor@orangetown.com and we will post this information for the public.

Rockland County has opened an emergency shelter at Rockland Community College in the Field House. Please enter the site via the main entrance on the upper level.

Please forward this notice to Orangetown residents.

Sincerely yours,

Andy Stewart

Supervisor

Monday, 10/29/12 at 1:50 PM

Cancellations:

Traffic court, Monday 10/29 - CANCELLED

Public opening of bids by Town Clerk, scheduled for Tuesday, 10/30, at 11 AM - CANCELLED

NOT CANCELLED: Town Board meeting for Tuesday evening is currently NOT cancelled, pending risk assessment to take place Tuesday morning.

Update on "Sandy"

Town of Orangetown Town Hall will be open Monday and Tuesday, October 29 and 30, but some non-essential offices may be closed or under-staffed. Our Emergency Operations Center is set up in the new courtroom with representatives of relevant town departments, emergency responders, utilities and local institutions. Town Hall is open for temporary refuge only.

Orangetown Police Department will respond to all emergencies. Please only use 911 for Police, Fire or medical emergencies. Please call 845-359-3700 to report non-emergencies.

Orange & Rockland will not be repairing power outages until the wind speed drops below 40mph which may not be until Wednesday, October 31. Please report all electrical emergencies to 845-434-4100 or http://www.oru.com

Rockland County has opened an emergency shelter at Rockland Community College in the Field House. Please enter the site via the main entrance on the upper level.

Orangetown Parks facilities are closed to the public until further notice.

Orangetown Justice Court will be closed Monday evening October 29.

There are no significant changes to forecast and impacts. The National Weather Service expects the brunt of the storm winds to come later today and last overnight into mid-morning Tuesday, with the expected peak of the storm around 10 PM tonight. Winds forecast for 40-55 sustained, 85 MPH gusts this afternoon and tonight.

There is a flood watch for the area.

We urge all our residents to stay indoors and off the streets.

E-mail storm photos to supervisor@orangetown.com to help in documenting stormwater activity in Orangetown. Include time, date and location. Report clogged storm drains or flooding to town police.

Supervisor Stewart declared a state of emergency in Orangetown earlier today, a legal action necessary in case of need for official restrictions on travel.

Forward this notice to Orangetown residents.

Sincerely yours,

Andy Stewart, Supervisor