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Power outages

Ready… Set… Chappaqua Winter!

November 29, 2014 by The Inside Press

Judy McGrath’s photo of a tree that fell on Hardscrabble Road near Douglas Road; the area was without power for many days.
Judy McGrath’s photo of a tree that fell on Hardscrabble Road near Douglas Road; the area was without power for many days.

By Eileen Gallagher

For some, winter is a time to embrace the cold and all the activities it brings. Skiing, skating, and sitting by a crackling fire are big draws for those that are more “snowbird” than “sun worshiper.” Though seasonal tufts of snow can be fun, many residents recall winters that were a significant challenge (Superstorm Sandy is still quite fresh in everyone’s memory).

During the first real storm of the season, on Sunday, November 2nd of this year, fallen trees left several homes without power for much of the day. Communication was steady as Supervisor Rob Greenstein updated residents via Facebook on the current status of ConEd service calls and road closures. Though the storm was unusual due to the sudden but predicted high winds, it was a sobering reminder of seasons past.

Several residents were kind enough to share their winter woes, and ways to prevent a repeat of past misfortunes. Joyce Wong will never forget the blizzard of 2011. As a matter of fact, people often ask her if she is expecting visitors during the winter before making their own plans, because there is usually a travesty with the weather for Wong and her guests.

“I saw the power line snap,” recalled Wong, describing the tree limb that fell on the ConEd line to her home from the street. It was the year that 10 inches of snow fell very quickly, and the resulting loss of power prevented her from pumping water from her flooded basement. Six days without power left Wong cooking meals on an outdoor grill. Her husband was able to purchase one of two remaining portable generators from a hardware store, which enabled the use of either a toaster or a television. Visitors from Washington, D.C. had to stay with the Wongs while Amtrak and Metro North remained out of service.

The Wong family front yard was blanketed with Sandy’s October snow.
The Wong family front yard was blanketed with Sandy’s October snow.

“People had lived here for years and never lost power,” said Wong.

Hurricane Irene was very challenging for Judy McGrath. No power for three days kept her sump pump from operating, leaving a flood in her basement. Coupled with Sandy, which left her home with no power for four days, the storms were the reason the McGrath’s purchased a whole-house generator for their home.

One of McGrath’s neighbors had a generator during Irene, and was kind enough to allow other families to hook into it. “Three basements were kept pumped by one generator,” said McGrath. When she decided to install one, between the paperwork, variances, and fees, the process took much longer than expected, and was quite onerous.

Sandy caused problems for many, but some experienced much longer outages than others due to blocked roads. Shiyang Paskowitz had no electricity for two weeks in 2012, and her family was stranded in their home for the first few days with no ability to even phone or text. Neighbors worked together to cut downed trees into movable pieces and clear the road for accessibility. After that, the Paskowitz family was able to drive to Washington D.C. to stay with family.

Erin Ringham had just moved from one house in New Castle to another when Sandy struck. Unfortunately, her new home did not yet have a generator. The home she had sold was the only one in the neighborhood with power, however, and she heard from friends that the new owners were providing neighbors with hot cocoa and coffee during the outage. It wasn’t long before Ringham’s new home was equipped with a generator.

What do all of these women recommend others do to prepare for winter?

In addition to a generator, McGrath suggests roof heating cables, which are low-current electrical cables that can be turned on during a snowstorm to prevent ice from forming. This would allow homeowners to avoid frozen gutters and the dreaded ice damming many experienced with the snow of 2014. Wong urges people to fill gas cans at the first mention of a major storm, using an additive such as “Sta-Bil” to keep the gas in good condition for longer storage. Paskowitz recommends having insulation installed in the attic, as well as a tall ladder to allow for immediate removal of snow and ice from the roof.

Joyce and Stanley Wong captured this striking image of Sandy’s large tree destruction.
Joyce and Stanley Wong captured this striking image of Sandy’s large tree destruction.

What is New Castle doing to prepare for winter? According to Greenstein, the town is in good shape as far as salt supplies, with enough on hand to handle up to four storm events with more on the way. The town has added to the DPW plowing staff for a primary crew of 17 with five more as back-up, all having received the Cornell University operations and safety training. Two new salt spreaders are being added to the fleet, as well as rented sidewalk-clearing Bobcat. Most importantly, the town has established an Emergency Preparedness Committee. Per Greenstein, “There are many emergencies that can impact New Castle. The most common are severe weather, power outages and flooding. Although these emergencies cannot be eliminated, we can reduce the risk of injuries, property damage and economic impact through individual and community preparedness.” The purpose of the committee is to assist in planning and preparation for emergency operations.

“Be Prepared,” the famous Boy Scout motto, has its merit. Preparing ahead of a storm or blizzard benefits everyone. For instance, gathering necessary supplies before conditions get hazardous keeps people off the roads. Powering up phones and devices before a potential outage provides access to town and police updates. Keeping trees trimmed and monitored make falling limbs less likely to take down power lines or gutters.

Finally, Paskowitz summed up the best way to stay safe during winter storms; “When the weather is bad, STAY HOME!”

Eileen Gallagher, her husband, two sons, and two dogs have been happily living in Chappaqua for over 11 years. Previously an accountant and elementary school teacher, she is now a freelance writer and enthusiastic volunteer both in town and beyond. 

Standing next to the exposed roots of an uprooted tree, the Paskowitz children (Anna, Lyle and Kate) show, by comparison, the size of the loss of many mature trees, this one on Marcourt Drive.
Standing next to the exposed roots of an uprooted tree, the Paskowitz children (Anna, Lyle and Kate) show, by comparison, the size of the loss of many mature trees, this one on Marcourt Drive.

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Power outages, snow, Storm

Technology in Town: Changing the Way Chappaqua Works

August 16, 2013 by The Inside Press

hurricane-sandyBy Rachel Neuburger

The purpose of technology is to make life safer, easier, and more interesting for people everywhere. This has certainly been the case in New Castle, where recent technological initiatives have changed the way the town functions. New technological advancements and communication developments cover all facets of life in Chappaqua; here are just a few examples of the myriad benefits residents and students have received over the past year:

Adjusting Post-Hurricane Sandy

The ferocity of Hurricane Sandy, the infamous late-October storm, took many by surprise. Seventy percent of households in Chappaqua lost electricity, and schools were closed for almost two weeks as the town went through the lengthy process of rehabilitation. Sandy was a wake-up call for the town, as it was clear that the traditional system of communications would not suffice if a similar natural disaster were to occur in the future.

Before and during the hurricane, the town utilized a system called Nixle to cover its communication needs. The system sent advisory messages to citizens containing important safety information and reported road closings via text messages and email. What this system lacked, however, was an element of vital importance in emergencies: a telephone component. “The more information we can get to the residents,” said Town Administrator Penny Paderewski, “the better it is for everyone.”

Hence the reason, in early January of this year, a new safety system was introduced, called CodeRED. This new alert system sends not only emails and text messages, but also delivers “robo-calls,” pre-recorded messages with safety updates, to both cellular devices and home phones. These telephone messages are of particular importance during emergency situations–such as devastating hurricanes–and can be sent by the Town Administrator or Commissioner of Public Works.

coderedlogoIn addition to the implementation of CodeRED, the town has also established a new mapping system, viewable by residents on their computers, that shows where road blockages are during major weather situations. Just like CodeRED, this system will only be in operation during significant storms.

Bringing Schools Up-To-Date

The Chappaqua school district is dedicated to applying emerging technology to the learning experience–a commitment embodied in the hard work done by the district’s Technology Department. Led by Director of Instructional Technology Darleen Nicolosi, the department looks to evolve the understanding of what it means to be a 21st-century learner, and to help students use technology creatively, productively, and responsibly.

One of the most prominent and lauded examples of the Technology Department’s work can be found in the L.I.F.E. School, an alternative-learning community at Horace Greeley High School. For the 2012-2013 school year, the L.I.F.E. School received a grant for a one-year iPad program for juniors. According to program director Jon Hirsch, the iPads serve as an enormous game-changer for students, greatly benefiting the collaborative and research-oriented environment for which the program is known. The iPads are used to make videos, presentations, and projects, and their Internet capabilities allow for the use of Twitter and messaging as learning tools. “They are very helpful for communication and organization,” said L.I.F.E. school senior Olivia Sackler.

While Chappaqua high school students reap many benefits from the Technology Department, the department’s initiatives extend to all students. Elementary school classrooms are well equipped for the modern learning experience: each contains a Windows computer cluster with one computer connected to a presentation monitor.

In addition, the music classrooms at the elementary schools are equipped with SMART boards and other SMART technology that enhances music lessons and allows students to view concerts from the convenience of the classroom. With these tools at hand, younger students can learn in an interactive fashion, exploring the wealth of learning opportunities that will be available to them in years to come, while simultaneously establishing fundamental research and study skills.

Perhaps the most unexpected and unique of this year’s technological initiatives, however, can be found at Seven Bridges Middle School: through a Chappaqua School Foundation grant –one of the most common sources of funding for technological projects–art students use Cintiq drawing tablets to design three-dimensional artwork, which is then produced in real life using a state-of-the-art 3-D printer. This printer has greatly enhanced the art and graphic design classes offered at the school.

While thus far this incredible design tool is only in use at Seven Bridges, middle school students across the district have access to many other tools, including Macbook laptop carts. These laptops have been used in every core subject as well as in language, art and music courses, and come with programs such as Garage Band, iMovie and iPhoto, which are often used in class projects.

Public opinion has been highly positive for improvements introduced this year, and the Chappaqua School Foundation is consistently supporting new initiatives with its many grants and projects. As these and copious other recent technological initiatives show, the town of New Castle and the Chappaqua Central School District are devoted to using 21st century innovation to make life easier, safer, and more enriching for all residents, whether they are raising a family or learning their ABCs.

stripes bookRachel Neuburger is a senior at Horace Greeley High School. Growing up, her favorite book was A Bad Case of Stripes.

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: codeRED, Power outages, storms, technology

Power Update

November 8, 2012 by The Inside Press

Power Update and November 6th Video update from Supervisor Carpenter and Co. Legislator Mike Kaplowitz.

In the past 24 hours the number of crews has increased to 61 bucket trucks with more than 100 utility workers restoring power in New Castle. Con Edision continues to estimate that the vast majority of customers will have power restored by Sunday at 11:59PM. Many should have power restored prior to that.   As of this morning there were 11 road blockages remaining. All New Castle roads will likely be cleared today.

Click HERE  or on the photo below to watch video.

Video Courtesy of Chamber member Get Reel Productions
400 King Street, Suite 3
Chappaqua, NY 10514
914-864-1921
www.getreelproductions.org

Filed Under: New Castle News Tagged With: electricity, Power outages

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