The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

New Castle News

Cuomo Declares State Wide Emergency; Urges Caution

by

snowstormGovernor Andrew M. Cuomo today declared a statewide state of emergency as a major winter storm has already started to bring heavy snow, sub-zero temperatures and high winds across New York State. A state of emergency mobilizes resources to local governments that otherwise are restricted to state use only and allows the Governor to suspend laws and regulations that would impede rapid response.

The Governor urged New Yorkers to avoid traveling and stay inside their homes until the worst of the storm has passed.

“As this winter storm unfolds, bringing heavy snow and high winds to many parts of the state, I strongly urge all New Yorkers to exercise caution, avoid travel, and stay indoors,” Governor Cuomo said. “To ensure an effective and rapid response to this winter storm, I am declaring a statewide state of emergency, so resources can get to communities where they are needed as quickly as possible.”

Click here to view a copy of the Governor’s Executive Order. Click here to listen to audio from the Governor’s latest winter storm briefing conference call.

Steps taken to ensure readiness include:

Roads and Bridges
The following actions will allow plow operations on critical roadways to be maintained overnight while ensuring driver safety:

· Vehicular traffic will be banned on the following roads beginning at midnight tonight with an anticipated reopening at 5a.m. dependent upon weather conditions: Interstate 84 from the Pennsylvania state line to the Connecticut state line; Interstate 87 from exit 24 in Albany to the New York City border and the Long Island Expressway in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The ban will be enforced with a combination of entrance closures and police enforcement. Violators of the ban will be subject to a Class B misdemeanor.
· Interstate 84 from the Pennsylvania state line to the Connecticut state line will be closed to commercial truck traffic due to the winter weather conditions beginning at 5 p.m. All commercial vehicles including large trucks (over 26,000 pounds GCWR/GVWR), tractors, tractor trailers and buses will not be permitted on the 70-mile stretch of highway. Interstate 84 will be closed to all traffic beginning at midnight. The ban will remain in effect until further notice.
· Motorists using bridges should allow extra travel time and operate at reduced speeds due to wet roadways. As the storm intensifies, high winds and white out conditions may result in intermittent bridge or ramp closures. Certain vehicles, including motorcycles, tractor trailers, step vans, mini buses, trucks with open backs, cars pulling trailers, motorhomes, and vehicles carrying plate glass, may be temporarily barred from using crossings due to high winds and wet roadways.
· A 35 mph speed limit is in effect on the Tappan Zee Bridge.
· There are approximately 470,000 tons of salt on hand across the state to pre-treat roads as precipitation begins.
· All Thruway and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) maintenance headquarters will be fully staffed around the clock for the duration of the storm.
· The contractor building the New NY Bridge, Tappan Zee Constructors, LLC (TZC) will suspend all construction work on Friday due to the impending storm. TZC is currently securing all marine vessels at the project site. Crane booms and other equipment are being tied down, double checked and positioned to avoid any potential damage. TZC will maintain a small crew on site overnight to continuously monitor conditions and respond immediately to any problems.


The New York State Department of Transportation and New York State Thruway Authority have plows available statewide to clear snow and treat roads with salt and are sending additional plows to assist with snow operations in Long Island. NYSDOT crews in will be out before the storm pre-treating the roads with salt to help slow ice and snow buildup. In addition, NYSDOT has private contractors on standby with additional equipment and personnel to be deployed as necessary.

Public Transportation

· Trains will be parked on underground express tracks to keep them safe from the weather, which may curtail some express service on subways.
· The MTA advises customers that cold temperatures and blowing snow may require suspension of some portions of the region’s bus and commuter train operations, in order to protect customers and employees. Customers should avoid non-essential travel and should check service status at mta.info or calling 511 before beginning journeys.
· The MTA has prepped and deployed its fleet of snow- and ice-busting equipment to keep outdoor tracks, switches and the electrified third rail clear of snow and ice. The subway system has almost 220 miles of outdoor track, and vulnerable outdoor areas include the A train in the Rockaways, the N, B and Q trains in Brooklyn and the 5 line in the Bronx.
· Almost 500 people have been deployed to spread salt and clear snow and ice from subway stairways and platforms tonight, with 840 on the overnight tour.
· Personnel have been deployed to help keep bus stops clear of ice and snow. Employees and equipment have been strategically placed to respond to any problems buses may encounter on the road. Special attention is paid to hilly routes which could pose problems. All buses will have chains installed by 7 p.m. this evening, and most articulated buses will be replaced with standard buses, which are easier to maneuver in snow and ice.
· NYCT Buses will have 2,900 buses equipped with tire chains tonight, along with 25 snow-fighting trucks and 10 two trucks.
· MTA Bridges and Tunnels has nearly 100 snow-fighting vehicles staffed and ready and more than 7,000 tons of snow-melt available.
· Subways have six de-icers crewed and operating in rail yards.
· Long Island Rail Road has 16 large pieces of snow removal equipment on the rails, including a large spreader-ditcher known as “Darth Vader.” Metro-North Railroad has five cold air blowers and three snow jets – jet engines mounted on rail cars – to clear snow.
· The LIRR may suspend service for the sake of customers and personnel if snow accumulations reach between 10-13 inches. Crews will be out in force to clear tracks and the third rail used to power electric trains.
· LIRR may also run on modified schedule on Friday depending on overnight conditions.
· LIRR waiting rooms will remain open overnight and through the weekend to give customers shelter as they wait for trains.
· The predicted severity of the winter storm will likely require Metro-North to change its scheduled service. As the evening progresses, train service may be reduced or suspended, depending upon weather conditions, to prevent trains from becoming stranded during the storm. Details will be posted at mta.info and sent to MTA customers via email, text message and Twitter.
· The best way to stay informed about railroad, subway and bus status is to subscribe to up-to-the-minute service alerts right from the MTA. Sign up at mymtaalerts.com for email or text messages.
· Several major long-haul bus carriers will cease operations from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to points north of New York City. Travelers are strongly urged to check with their bus carriers before heading to the terminal this evening and tomorrow.
· PATH service is operating normally.


Power

· The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) has extended its call center helpline hours beginning today, January 2 until 7:30 p.m., and continuing from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Friday, January 3, and Saturday, January 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., if needed, to assist consumers in storm preparation and response efforts. The helpline number is 1-800-342-3377.
· PSC staff will continue to monitor the utilities’ efforts throughout the storm and during the restoration period.
· The electric utilities are prepared to respond to power disruptions throughout the event. In total, approximately 3,800 field workers are available to respond statewide. Additional crews are also available through mutual assistance, if needed.


Airports

· The four New York City airports are open, but airlines are operating on a significantly reduced schedule, with more than 412 flights cancelled as of mid-afternoon. Crews are applying anti-icing chemicals to runways and taxiways to keep them free of ice. In the event that some travelers become stranded, airport personnel are preparing cots, blankets and other essentials to assist customers. All air travelers should check with their carriers before traveling to the airport.


Public Safety

· All specialty vehicles in the State Police’s fleet including ATV’s, snowmobiles and four wheel drive vehicles have been prepared for emergency response use. All emergency power and communications equipment has been tested.
· State Police troopers normally assigned to Traffic Incident Management and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement troopers have been re-assigned to patrol duties for this storm.
· State Police will provide staff to any county emergency operations centers that may be activated to help coordinate responses with local agencies.
· The Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services has staff in Emergency Operation Centers to coordinate state and county responses in affected areas.


The National Weather Service has issued the following information based on the combined winter storms:

· Nassau and Suffolk Counties: a Blizzard Warning is in effect from Thursday at 6:00p.m. until Friday at 1:00p.m. Total snowfall accumulations of 6-10 inches are forecast. Sustained winds of 25 to 35mph with gusts to 45 mph are forecast.
· Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, Richmond Counties: a Winter Storm Warning in effect from Thursday at 6:00p.m. until Friday at 1:00p.m. Total snowfall accumulations of 6 to 8 inches are forecast. Sustained winds of 15 to 25mph with gusts to 35 mph are forecast.
· Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester Counties: a Winter Storm Warning is also in effect from Thursday at 4:00a.m. until Friday at 10:00a.m. Total snowfall accumulations of 8 to 12 inches are forecast. Sustained winds of 10 to 15mph with gusts to 25mph are expected.
· Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Herkimer, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington Counties: a Winter Storm Warning in effect from tonight at 10:00p.m. until Friday at 10:00a.m. Total snowfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are forecast. Sustained winds of 10 to 15mph with gusts to 25mph are expected.
· Jefferson and Lewis Counties: a Wind Chill Warning has been issued until 12:00 p.m. on January 3rd. Winds are expected to be 10 to 20 mph. Wind chill temperatures are expected to be as low as 25 below zero tonight and as low as 35 below zero Thursday night.
· Oswego County: a Winter Storm Warning which is in effect until Friday at 10:00a.m. Total snowfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are forecast.
· Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming Counties: a Winter Storm Warning has been issued until January 3rd at 10:00 a.m. Total snowfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are forecast.

###

Bringing Christmas Cheer: From “Shapiqua” to the Cheyenne River

by

By Sherrie Dulworth

"Elf" Lachaud, Santa and children (Photo courtesy of the Cheyenne River Youth Project.)
“Elf” Lachaud, Santa and children (Photo courtesy of the Cheyenne River Youth Project.)

Growing up in Chappaqua, Laure (Laur) Lachaud knew that the hamlet’s name originated from the Native American “Shapiqua” meaning “Running Water.” But she didn’t know a lot more than that about American Indian history or culture.

But a 2010 volunteer trip to a remote part of South Dakota, with the Cheyenne River Youth Project, (http://www.lakotayouth.org/) near the running waters of the Cheyenne and Mississippi Rivers, launched her education.

Lachaud attended Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua. “I was taking a break from school and had wanted to volunteer for a long time and had looked at different programs,” she said, eventually discovering the Cheyenne River Youth Project.

“I found I really knew nothing about Native Americans,” said the 25-year-old Lachaud. Seeing some of the conditions among the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation (also known as the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe), a virtual lack of industry, entertainment and jobs, was a shock. She learned more about their history, culture and current challenges, and about ways to help make a difference.

Laure Lachaud (right); with Santa; another elf and children
Laure Lachaud (right); with Santa; another elf and children.

This month, Lachaud returns for her sixth volunteer trip where she will join with an international corps of volunteers for the annual Christmas Toy Drive. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lWS1CJ8r4k) This special event delivers gifts to about 1,000 children who otherwise might not have much of a Christmas holiday.

According to the Cheyenne River Youth Project’s executive director and founder, Julie Garreau, these three million square-acres encompass some of the nation’s poorest counties. “We go into a lot of homes and there won’t even be a tree – or there is a tree and sometimes there is nothing under it. We try to change that,” said Garreau, a Lakota Native American. “For many of these kids, the toys from this project are the only ones that they receive for Christmas.”

The goal is to make the Toy Drive highly personal so that each child gets gifts that they have specifically requested, not simply a generic present for a “boy age 5” or a “girl age 10.”

Letters to Santa pour in throughout October and November. In December, they close the gymnasium to store and sort donated toys, and match them with individual requests. Each present is wrapped and has a name tag for the child who requested it.

A group of volunteers
An international group of volunteers.

Before volunteering, Lachaud, a part-time receptionist, had not worked with children. Standing four-foot-ten, she laughed that the other volunteers kept losing her among the kids. But this Christmas Eve, she will again don green elf gear and spend the entire day helping to deliver gifts, and cheer, to the kids. “They are so excited to see Santa and the elves,” Lachaud said. She finds that the joy on children’s faces mirrors her own. “It’s the most fun I’ve ever had,” she added.

The Toy Drive is a special experience, but Lachaud noted that the bigger picture goes beyond that. She hopes to help educate others about the needs and the opportunities to help. “There is so much in the news about the international plight, but I want people to know that there are kids suffering in the U.S.,” she said. “Their situation is so underreported.”

The Cheyenne River Youth Project works to improve both immediate and long-term conditions through an array of family, teen and children’s services. After the New Year, they are launching a new coffee shop, gift shop and a café. According to Garreau, their primary purpose is job creation and youth workforce development. “The goal is to employ young people and teach them work ethics and job skills,” she said.

Laure handing a gift to a child.
Laure handing a gift to a child.

The organization, and Garreau, has received numerous recognitions, including a 2013 Community Service award from the National Indian Education Association. “As a Lakota woman, growing up here, you love your community, you want to make it better,” Garreau said. “Our extended family is very important. For me, I am working to help our community, family and friends.”

Lachaud’s education has continued…about Native Americans and herself. She has met descendents from the same tribe as Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse and learned about their history. She finds that she relates to the Native American dry sense of humor and the importance of family to them. She was surprised to observe how infrequently Native Americans complain about things, like the weather. Shortly after her first arrival, the temperature plummeted to almost 20 degrees below zero and then an ice storm knocked out power for about 10 days. “It has made me complain a lot less,” she said.

Sherrie Dulworth is a Westchester-based freelance writer who covers healthcare, social policy and human interest stories.

Chamber’s Final Meet and Greet of the Year

by

By Grace Bennett

The Chappaqua Millwood Chamber of Commerce hosted an intimate gathering of Chappaqua Millwood merchants at Chappaqua’s King Street restaurant this eve.

Nancy Shenker, its recently appointed president, after pointing out various media attending, emphasized the great customer service in the area that won  her loyalty to living in Chappaqua for 26 years and counting.

“I’m here to do whatever I can to add to the town’s vibrancy,” she told a  a couple dozen area business men and women who came out to “Meet the Media,” network or just say hello.

Nancy and Solveig McShea, the Chamber’s executive director, also encouraged attendees to fill out a Chamber survey intended to give the Chamber new and improved insights on merchant needs and desires.

Spotted upon my own exit: former president and founder of the Chamber Robert Greenstein, now the town supervisor elect.

A December Day that Dazzled

by

Photos by Mike Feist

[Not a valid template]

Editor’s Note: The snow had not yet arrived on Saturday, December 7th; it seemed Old Man Winter was giving our downtown another reprieve and tipping its hat to an autumn that dazzled and was intent on dazzling some more with reasonable temps and clear skies.  Well, thank you Old Man…the day’s morning to dusk roster of activities brought residents with their families out of their homes and into the streets to appreciate everything from an ice sculpting–sponsored by Desires by Mikolay for the Chappaqua Millwood Chamber of Commerce–to resident caroling, a Community Sing featuring  scores by the Chappaqua Orchestra, holiday tunes by the Chappaqua Singers and a Horace Greeley High School choir, who continued to entertain visitors outside the Horace Greeley House too, preceding the New Castle Historical Society’s annual Holiday tree lighting.  Special thanks go to Mike Feist, a senior at Briarcliff high School, for his generous time and his great eye in  capturing  these holiday images for Inside Chappaqua Magazine.

First time Chamber Champ Honorees!

by

Joan CorwinBy Grace Bennett

 A resounding applause and standing ovation went to a teary Joan Corwin, head of the Chappaqua bus company (Chappaqua Transportation, Inc.,), who received a lifetime  achievement award tonight at the first annual Chappaqua Millwood Chamber of Commerce “Chamber Champs” Awards. 

Robert Greenstein, head of the Chamber, cited Joan’s well over 30 years of service to the community.  He noted her prescient fight for legislation against using cell phones while driving back in 2001 and her most recent Herculean efforts to get the roads open and buses through town following Hurricane Sandy.  He said though she employs over 125 people, “Joan knows every bus driver who picks up those kids.”

The first major award of the evening went to Dawn Evans Greenberg as “Volunteer of the Year” for her outstanding work launching  the hugely successful Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival. Next, Paula Barbag and her “Consulting for a Cause” were honored as best new business. Paula noted among other things her company’s  “drive to help organizations build social enterprises.”  

The Making Headway Foundation, which funds research intended to battle pediatric brain cancer, received the best not for profit organization award.  Catherine Lepone, executive director, accepted the award and announced that most recent fundraising dollars are being earmarked toward establishing a new lab at NYU Medical Center dedicated to pediatric cancer research.

Finally, Janet Angier, founder and director of Music in Chappaqua, now in its 20th year, headed to the podium next to accept a “Business of the Year” award and gracefully thank the attendees and the Chappaqua community at large for their support.  

The first annual Chamber Champs took place following a cocktail hour and over a fine buffet dinner at Crabtree’s Kittle House. Prior to announcing the awards, Rob  introduced and honored attendees New York State Assemblyman David Buchwald and  County legislator Mike Kaplowitz, each of whom also addressed  the merchants and various residents and guests who had gathered.

  “The downtown is the heart and soul of the community,” said Rob at the outset, explaining the purpose of the Chamber and the awards. “If it’s not doing well or vibrant, that becomes a reflection of the community.”