Greenburgh Health Center to open soon!

The new Greenburgh Health Center (Knollwood Road) is nearing completion. Furniture should arrive in mid December. And, the center should be open to the public in early 2013. Judith Watson, executive director of the Greenburgh Neighborhood Health Center, gave me a tour of the new building on Friday afternoon. I was very impressed and and pleased with what I saw. The building, which is across from the Greenburgh Library and next to the Social Security offices, is spectacular! Spacious. It's going to be one of the jewels of the town-something we all will be proud of. The center has some exciting initiatives planned for the community, once they open--including a children's play area in the building.

The center is being built with $12 million dollars in stimulus funds from the federal government. Our community was very lucky to receive one of the regions largest stimulus grants from the fed's. The Health Center provides excellent quality comprehensive primary health care services. For information about the Health Center visit www.greenburghhealthcenter.com. The Health Center is independent of the town and county governments and receives funding from the US Department of Health & Human Services. The Greenburgh Health Center is a satellite site of the Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center, Inc. The town had to approve plans for the new health center --a vote I'm proud to have cast.

The Center will continue to serve residents of Greenburgh at their current location: 330 Tarrytown Road until they move into their new building.

PAUL FEINER

EDGEMONT COMMUNITY COUNCIL FACEBOOK POST CONTAIN WRONG INFO ABOUT WESTHELP

Robert Bernstein, former head of the ECC, likes to post inaccurate info on the ECC facebook page. Much of the time I ignore the half truths, misrepresentations. Tonights post was so off and wrong, I thought I'd correct it on my blog. Sent this to the head of the ECC.

A short note advising the ECC that your post tonight re: WESTHELP (on the your facebook page) is very inaccurate.



The town intends to lease out the WESTHELP property. We have been showing the property to a number of developers and believe that some of the bids will be acceptable to all parties. It also looks like the town will be able to generate more revenue from WESTHELP than I projected in my proposed 2013 budget! We will finalize our decision (re: who we will rent out the property to) no later than Dec 20th ( probably sooner). We hope to have a lease in place in January.

I had hoped that the County Legislators representing Greenburgh would attend our meeting on Tuesday (or whenever they can meet with us). The goal: to work together. To rent out the property quickly. To compare the tax implications of each proposal received so that we can keep your taxes as low as possible.



I request that you post my comments on your facebook page.

PAUL FEINER

county legislators jenkins, shimsky, williams, smith and county exec invited to meeting with Greenburgh Town Board re: WESTHELP property bids

I have invited county officials to a joint meeting with the town board to discuss the WESTHELP RFP responses the Town Board is receiving. The Town Board will be meeting on Tuesday at 9 AM (meeting is open). We will review the proposals we have received and need to know if the county will support the bids that will generate for the town the maximum revenue and worthwhile public purpose.

---

From: Paul Feiner
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 11:57 PM
To: Shimsky, Mary Jane; Jenkins, Ken; Williams, Alfreda; Smith, Michael; Town Board; Townclerk; Bart J. Talamini; Timothy Lewis; County Executive (WEB); Plunkett, Kevin J.; 'bsmith@blueridgelp.com'; 'drewskifix@aol.com'; 'mayorelmsford@aol.com'; 'hartleyc197@gmail.com'; 'mayorporcino@ardsleyvillage.com'; 'mayor@hastingsgov.org'
Subject: RE: you're invited to work session on Tuesday at 9:00 AM to review WESTHELP proposals -- Board to make decision no later than Dec 20

It's very important that our Greenburgh representatives try to make this meeting. This will be the first item on the agenda. The Town Board and I want to have a lease signed in January and we need to know, before we approve our budget, if the county will allow the town to select a tenant that will give us the maximum rent for the property.
Every $40,000 we receive in rent means that we can lower taxes in the villages and in the A budget by 1%.

We can start the meeting at 9 AM--and you'll be out in less than one hour. The meeting will be televised. I mentioned at the Town Board meeting tonight that the Greenburgh Legislators have been invited to this important meeting.

PAUL

---

From: Shimsky, Mary Jane [mjs2@westchestergov.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 10:15 PM
To: Paul Feiner; Jenkins, Ken; Williams, Alfreda; Smith, Michael; Town Board; Townclerk; Bart J. Talamini; Timothy Lewis; County Executive (WEB); Plunkett, Kevin J.; 'bsmith@blueridgelp.com'; 'drewskifix@aol.com'; 'mayorelmsford@aol.com'; 'hartleyc197@gmail.com'; 'mayorporcino@ardsleyvillage.com'; 'mayor@hastingsgov.org'
Subject: Re: you're invited to work session on Tuesday at 9:30 AM to review WESTHELP proposals -- Board to make decision no later than Dec 20

It's the middle of budget season - will see what I can do

From: Paul Feiner [mailto:pfeiner@greenburghny.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 10:05 AM Eastern Standard Time
To: Jenkins, Ken; Shimsky, Mary Jane; Williams, Alfreda; Smith, Michael; Town Board ; Townclerk ; Bart J. Talamini ; Timothy Lewis ; County Executive (WEB); Plunkett, Kevin J.; brian smith ; drew fixell ; elmsford mayor ; hartley connett ; mayor porcino ; peter swiderski
Subject: you're invited to work session on Tuesday at 9:30 AM to review WESTHELP proposals -- Board to make decision no later than Dec 20

The Town Board will be receiving proposals for the use of the WESTHELP site on Monday, December 3^rd. We will be posting all the proposals on the town website (www.greenburghny.com) on Tuesday. I would like to invite you to the Town Board work session on Tuesday, December 4^th at 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM. The purpose: to review each of the proposals. To analyze the financial implications to the town re: each of the proposals. And to find out if the county has any objections to any of the proposals. If the county is going to veto any of the proposals we need to know the reasons sooner, rather than later.
It is important that we approve one of the proposals quickly. The Town Board will be voting on the 2013 budget by December 20^th and the revenues we will be receiving from the WESTHELP site will impact residents financially. The more revenue we receive—the lower the taxes will be.

I hope you can attend this work session.

PAUL FEINER

meeting Tuesday to preserve Sprainbrook nursery

Sprainbrook nursery has been a community asset for many years. Earlier this year Al Krautter, owner of the property, announced plans to sell the property. His goal: to sell or lease the property - preserving the land as an organic agricultural entity rather than allowing it to be demolished and turned into brick and mortar and stone.



A community meeting is being held at the nursery tomorrow evening (Tuesday, November 27th at 7:30 PM) to exchange ideas -to come up with a plan so that Al Krautter's dream can be turned into realty. The meeting will be held at the Sprainbrook nursery at the Krautter house above the upper garden center.



I hope to see you at this important community meeting. If you know of individuals interested in helping Mr. Krautter and the fans of Sprainbrook nursery preserve this property as an organic agricultural entity - please encourage them to attend the meeting. Let's not wait until it's too late to save the property!

PAUL FEINER

reasons to be thankful in greenburgh

Thanksgiving is a time to think positive and to be grateful for the good things that are happening. During the past year (since last Thanksgiving), our community has been blessed with many things that I think we should be thankful for....

OUR TOWN EMPLOYEES---During & after Hurricane Sandy our employees worked long and hard trying to help you get your quality of life back. Roads that were closed had to be re-opened, debris and obstructions removed, streets patrolled to make sure your property was safe, questions responded to and complaints followed up. Town staff responded quickly to requests for assistance from Con Ed. During the year they try to be as helpful as possible with any matter you have (many department heads come in on Saturday and Sundays and work late in the evening).

NO FLOODING AFTER HURRICANE SANDY - The town did not experience any significant flooding after Hurricane Sandy. Prior to the hurricane (during the past year) the town (working with Elmsford) cleared obstructions from the Saw Mill River and checked drains and removed obstructions. We hope that our proactive initiatives were helpful.

OUR HOUSE ANGELS-- After the hurricane many residents volunteered their homes --providing warm and comfortable shelter for those without power. Many of the house angels did not know their guests --but were kind enough to offer their homes to those who were less fortunate. OUR TV ANGELS volunteer their time during the year picking up old TV's and dropping them off at the Highway garage. The TV's are heavy--difficult for seniors to do on their own. And, our SNOW ANGELS volunteer their time clearing driveways and walkways of seniors and disabled residents. This is what community is about -- neighbors helping neighbors.

JOB REFERRALS- About 4 years ago I set up a job club, helping the unemployed find employment. A special thank you to the many residents who have advised me of job openings where they work --so I can help your out of work neighbors find employment. Job postings are sent to residents who subscribe to a jobs e list and are posted on www.linkedin.com (greenburgh jobs group) as I learn of the openings.

CERT TEAM-- After the hurricane (and whenever we have an emergency) a group of very dedicated volunteers (OUR CERT TEAM) volunteer their time to help out in emergencies. They set up emergency shelters and do what they can to make you comfortable.

GREENBURGH LIBRARY - After the hurricane the Greenburgh Library proved it's value! Many "powerless residents" enjoyed the comfort of the library, the computers, books and friendly staff. The library staff worked with the town to expand library hours for patrons who needed a place to go to during the crisis.

GREENBURGH HEALTH CENTER - The new Greenburgh health center, which will open its new building in the winter, will provide residents with excellent health care. I'm thankful that the center kept their promise to build a sidewalk from their new building to Route 119.

WESTHAB WORKFORCE HOUSING - A new affordable housing apartment complex is being built near the Westchester County Center. The need is great -- during the year many residents have contacted me requesting applications. When they open in the spring of 2013 the families that move in will experience a great quality of life improvement.

WATERWHEEL AFFORDABLE HOUSING--Thankful that the town, Ardsley and county all worked together so that additional affordable housing could be built in Ardsley on town foreclosed land (the former waterwheel property). Some of the units will be designated for volunteer firefighters, ambulance corp members. Construction should take place in 2013.

BERKELEY STUDENT INTERNS-- Am grateful to the students at Berkeley College who have been devoting their time to the town, helping departments manage their workload at no cost to the taxpayers. Mona Fraitag, co-chair of the Poet's Corner Civic Association, has donated hundreds of hours overseeing this program. We estimate that the student interns have saved taxpayers a million dollars+.

STUDENT NEWS NETWORK--A group of hard working and intelligent students (working with Town Clerk Judith Beville) have started their own student news network, producing news stories and airing them on public access TV.

MEMBERS OF THE CITIZEN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS - We have hundreds of citizen volunteers. Many serve as appointed members of Boards and Commissions. They work long hours and meet frequently. A citizens commission has been meeting throughout the year (day, night, weekends)- helping me review the town budget, offering great ideas. A new water district advisory board is reviewing our internal water operations and will be making recommendations. The goal: predictability, stability and good planning. The water district, which had a deficit in the past, now has a surplus (the surplus will be used for needed infrastructure).

OUR NEW DISCOVERY ZONE PLAYGROUND AT THE GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER -- The town, working with our dedicated employees and board at the Greenburgh Nature Center, opened up a spectacular new playground. Funding for the playground came from non taxpayer developer escrow funds. The centers new executive director, Margaret Goldberg, has some great ideas --that will take the center to the next level! A new nature center opened in Irvington -- the O'Hara Nature Center (some spectacular trails). In difficult economic times the GREENBURGH PARKS, trails and programs are the Theodore Young Community Center are appreciated by many.

90+ VETERANS HAVE ALREADY TAPED THEIR STORIES FOR LIVING HISTORY INITIATIVE-- A few years ago Steve Wittenberg of Ardsley and Alan Hochberg of Hartsdale started a new initiative: the living history initiative. They have been interviewing veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict. The goal: to make sure that the stories of our veterans (local heroes) are never forgotten). Over 90 living history interviews have been filmed. The United States Library of Congress will be archiving the stories.

NEW BUSINESSES--Am thankful everytime a vacant storefront is replaced with a vibrant new business. Captain Lawrence Brewery, H Mart, Acorda and some new restaurants are among the new businesses. Ben's deli is coming soon to Central Ave.

OUR BUDGET COMPLIES WITH THE NYS TAX CAP FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS! Am thankful that the 2012 and 2013 budget will comply with the NYS tax cap. A number of communities in Westchester and around the state are exceeding the tax cap next year.

GOVERNOR SIGNS LEGISLATION AUTHORIZING TOWN TO LEASE TENNIS COURTS - In 2012 the town was able to successfully push for state legislation authorizing the town to lease tennis courts to private vendors. More recreation. No cost to the taxpayers. This will be helpful to the town in the years ahead and enable the town to enter into public/private partnerships.

POPHAM ROAD BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION IS ALMOST FINISHED - The Popham Road bridge links Scarsdale to Edgemont. The construction took a few years (this wasn't a town project) and created lots of inconveniences. Am glad that the bridge construction is almost completed! It's a beautiful new bridge that will reduce traffic congestion for motorists driving to Scarsdale from Ardsley Road.

TARRYTOWN NAMED BY FORBES AS ONE OF PRETTIEST TOWNS IN AMERICA! Proud that this village is located within the town.

NEW LED LIGHTS - During the past year we tested some LED lights around town. These light poles will save energy and money. We hope to expand the program.

The above are just some of the things that we should be thankful for in Greenburgh. There's much more. Among them-- YOU! A great town is only a great place if it's residents are terrific. Thank you for choosing to make Greenburgh your home.

PAUL FEINER

summary of last nights meeting re: con ed power outages

The following is a summary of last nights meeting as reported in www.greenburgh.dailyvoice.com. I am reaching out to the new commissions the Governor appointed advising them of specific recommendations we're making and will also ask that the NYS Public Service Commission hold hearings in Greenburgh. Am also reaching out to federal, state and county lawmakers--suggesting a joint meeting with the PSC (which oversees Con Ed). Meeting should be held in Westchester.

At the town level - we need to review our existing emergency plans and improve on them. We learned, for example, that it's difficult to communicate with residents when there is no electricity, no phone service. I'm suggesting that we pre- order lawn signs (similar to the signs candidates place around town). These signs could be placed around town in the event of emergencies with important information: location of shelters, places to congregate for more info (if one doesn't have electricity or phones), etc...
PAUL FEINER

from www.greenburgh.dailyvoice.com

Sue Mirialakis, of Greenburgh, said the Public Service Commission is under Con Edison's thumb. To punish Con Edison, the PSC needs to be unseated first, she said.Photo Credit: Samantha Kramer

GREENBURGH, N.Y. - Instead of playing the blame game, Greenburgh residents acknowledged that there are plenty of things citizens can do in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and Con Edison's slow power restorations for the future.
In the new citizens' committee founded by Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, Greenburgh residents offered their suggestions for both short- and long-term plans on how the town should react to the crisis that left some out of power for more than two weeks.
Those attending wrote their suggestions, which Feiner plans to send as a mass letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Public Service Commission and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
Many town residents agreed that the long-term goal was to hold Con Edison accountable for their poor performance, while short-term needs included better communication within the town during an emergency.
New Castle Town Supervisor Susan Carpenter was among the roomful of attendees. She said that her town and others in Westchester County were all faced with the same problems.
"We needed more crews, and more crews sooner," Carpenter said. "That was the problem — they weren't there."
Feiner hopes that the collection of letters will urge the PSC to take punishable action against Con Edison.
But some attendees also pointed out that in the meantime, there are things residents can do by themselves. Danielle Goodman of Hastings-on-Hudson pointed out that people can make Con Edison pay directly by filling out Food Spoilage Claims on Con Edison's website.
And for those receiving incorrect estimates on their electric bills, Greenburgh resident Louis Crichlow urged residents to check your meters and call the company with the actual numbers.
"They will have to send a re-adjusted bill," Crichlow said. "That will hit their pocketbooks right away."
Many also agreed that the town needs a unified emergency plan. Some offered suggestions like creating an emergency hotline committee that can provide information during a crisis. Others pressed for more help for the elderly and disabled - neighborhood captains, for example, could be designated to go door to door to check in on those they know will need extra help during a storm.
Feiner said that just as citizens came together for the meeting, he wants to rally other town officials to meet with Con Edison and PSC representatives to make sure someone pays.
"We have to make sure this never happens again," Feiner said. "I think if we work hard, we can make this succeed."

sidewalks at health center constructed sooner than anticipated

ONE LESS CONTROVERSY--SIDEWALK AT GREENBURGH HEALTH CENTER BUILT A FEW YEARS BEFORE SCHEDULE!

Construction of the Greenburgh Neighborhood Health Center (295 Knollwood Road- near the library) is moving along. The 30,000 sq foot building looks like it could open soon. In recent years some residents objected to the health center because they claimed that a permanent sidewalk from the health center to Route 119 would not be built for at least a few years. A temporary walk had been planned until a permanent sidewalk could be built.

Members of the Town Board always pledged that the sidewalk would be built before a permanent certificate of occupancy is issued. It's important because many of the health center's clients come to the center via public transportation. Having a sidewalk is important for mothers in strollers and people in wheelchairs. Knollwood Road is a busy state road.

I am pleased to report that the promises made to the community have been kept. The new sidewalk (not a temporary walk) is currently under construction and should be ready for pedestrian use within days!

A thank you to the Broadview Civic Association for lobbying for the sidewalk and highlighting it's importance. I am thrilled that the new sidewalk will be built before the new health center opens up.

PAUL FEINER

ELECTRONIC WASTE DRIVE FOR HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT CLUB

Dear Mr Feiner,
> My name is Lydia Lichtiger and I am organizing an electronic waste
> drive for the Hastings High School environmental club.

>
> The Hastings High School Environmental Club will be partnering with
> Per Scholas, a Bronx based not-for-profit organization, to hold an
> electronic recycling drive from 12p.m. to 3p.m. on Saturday December
> 1st at the Farragut Middle School/Hastings High School playground off
> of Hillside Avenue. Per Scholas will responsibly recycle your
> electronics and will use the funds generated from recycling to provide
> technology education, access, training and job placement to low-income
> communities in the Bronx. Come to the drive with a completed tax
> deduction sheet
> . Donations will be
> accepted at the drive to offset a nominal truck fee and to support Per
> Scholas’ anti-poverty work.
> If you would like to learn about the electronic waste crisis,
> e-Stewards (Per Scholas is e-Steward certified), a certification that
> holds electronic recycling companies to the highest standards of
> environmental responsibility and worker protection, explains it here:
> http://e-stewards.org/the-e-waste-crisis/.

meeting monday at 7 pm..con ed power outage responses

Reminder: new citizens committee to lobby officials to enact measures to improve procedures the next time there is a Con Ed power outage to hold first meeting tomorrow evening, Monday November 19 at 7 PM at the cafeteria, Greenburgh Town Hall. Shoprite is donating some refreshments and sandwiches for the attendees.


The recommendations we make will be forwarded to Con Ed and to federal, state, county and local officials. The Governor has also appointed a Commission to come up with recommendations. I wrote a letter to the new co-chairs and advised them of the work of our commission. We will also reach out to the Public Service Commission, Attorney General and other officials. We must lobby for changes so the nightmare we experienced during the long power outages is not repeated in the future.

Meeting will be held in the cafeteria at Town Hall. We're looking for people with ideas, residents who are willing to meet with other public officials, help with lobbying, organizing and research.

FEMA ADVISED that those who suffered losses have till the end of the year to apply for reimbursements. They incorrectly advised residents at the Town Board meeting last week that the deadline was in February.

WANT TO HELP OUT WHEN THERE IS AN EMERGENCY?

The best way you can help out is to join the CERT team. The Cert team prepares for disasters. They have a group of volunteers who meet during the year. The CERT team volunteers at emergency shelters (like Hurricane Sandy) --providing assistance to those who are looking for a warm and safe place to stay. They also have organized some blood drives during the year. They are a terrific group of people--very dedicated, helpful and caring.

Peter Edelson, 'pedelson@att.net' is the captain of the CERT team. He is a volunteer. Peter Dandreano (pdandreano@greenburghny.com) is the police officer who is assigned to the team. Please advise them of your interest in joining a great group.

PAUL FEINER

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countys special needs registry didn't work...after hurricane

Westchester County has a special registry for people with special disabilities. The county encouraged residents to apply if they need special assistance, transportation or sheltering in the event of a major emergency or disaster. After the recent hurricane members of the Greenburgh disabled advisory committee reported that some people on the special needs registry were never contacted–even though they were out of power for more than one week.


I request that Westchester County contact everyone on the Special Needs Registry to determine if they were contacted by Con Ed, local governments or the county. If not, why not? I request that the county provide all of uswith an analysis of actions that were taken (OR NOT TAKEN) to help those on the special registry list. I also request that such findings be reported to state, county and local officials ---and that we come up with a plan to make sure that the next time there is an outage that provisions are made to give those with special needs the attention they deserve. We may need better communications/strategies how to deal with those on the registry for the future. After the storm a number of residents contacted me—people who depend on oxygen, those who were home after major surgeries, cancer patients, people bed ridden, with life threatening illnesses. No special provisions were made to expedite the restoration of power in their homes. I wonder how many of the frail population did not survive the ordeal.



Jack Fisher, a member of the Greenburgh Disabled Advisory Committee, is on the list. He was never contacted (his e mail is jack.fischer@verizon.net). He participated in a public access TV statement that was aired at the Greenburgh Town Board meeting on Wednesday November 14th (you can watch the presentation- archives Town Board meeting-www.greenburghny.com).



This matter is one of the issues that will be discussed at a meeting I am holding this Monday night, November 19th at Greenburgh Town Hall at 7 PM. The goal of the meeting (which you are invited to) will be to discuss initiatives that could be taken in the future to improve procedures used after power outages.

PAUL FEINER

Greenburgh Town Supervisor

(copy of westchestergov.com special needs registry info below)…







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EMERGENCY SERVICES



________________________________________



Special Needs Registry



What is the Special Needs Registry?

It is a list of county residents who may require additional assistance, transportation and/or sheltering in the event of a major emergency or disaster.

Who is eligible for the Special Needs Registry?

Any county resident with a physical or mental disability who would have trouble leaving their home quickly if told to do so. The Registry is only intended for use by those who live independently, and not in a residential special needs facility (i.e., nursing home or hospital).

Will my information be kept confidential?

Yes. However, the county will share the information with local, county, state and federal agencies for the purpose of emergency planning and emergency response.

Are the Special Needs Registry and 911 the same thing?

No. You must still dial 911 in an emergency.

Is participation in the Special Needs Registry voluntary?

Yes. Your submission of an application is your voluntary request to be included.



You may request to be removed from the Registry at any time by writing to: The Westchester County Office of Emergency Management, 4 Dana Road, Valhalla, New York 10595.



The submission of an application does not guarantee your inclusion in the Registry. Each application will be screened and evaluated on a case-by-case basis. You will be notified within 45 days of receiving your application if your application has NOT been approved.



Registrants are obligated to provide updated information on an annual basis. The county reserves the right to terminate registration at its discretion.



For a new User ID - Signup

Already have a User ID - Login

Special Needs Registry Flyers




How do I sign up?

• Recommended: Call 211 (between 9:00AM and 7:00PM) and they will sign you up over the phone.

- In the event you are having trouble reaching 211, please call 800-899-1479.

- TTY users may also dial 211

soil testing consultant re: frank's nursery to meet with board

WRITTEN QUESTIONS FROM PUBLIC WILL BE ANSWERED AT MEETING WITH FRANK'S NURSERY SOIL TESTING CONSULTANT ON NOV 27 AT 9:30 am

DISCUSSION TO ADDRESS CONTAMINATION FINDINGS...CLEANUP PLAN

The town has retained a professional consultant - Woodward & Curran to conduct soil testing at the old Frank's nursery to determine the extent of contamination on the property and to recommend a remediation plan. Anthony Catalano of the firm will meet with the Town Board at an open session on Tuesday November 27th at 9:30 AM. Our meetings are steamed live on the internet: www.greenburghny.com and televised on the local Greenburgh access channels.

If you have any questions you would like to ask about the soil testing and analysis - please send it to vcarosi@greenburghny.com and copy me at pfeiner@greenburghny.com. All written questions will be answered at the meeting. We would appreciate it if you would send in your questions as soon as possible (hopefully before Thanksgiving) so Mr. Catalano will have sufficient time to review the questions and to respond.
On election day voters approved a lease agreement with Game On to build a sports facility at the old Frank's nursery. Cleanup of the property must take place before any facility opens.

PAUL FEINER

Anthony C. Catalano, P.E. BCEE, Senior Vice President with Woodard & Curran Engineering, P.A. P.C., is confirmed to speak to the Town Board and address questions and concerns related to the current and continuing Phase II Environmental review of the Town property at 715 Dobbs Ferry Road, FKA Frank’s Nursery. He will be prepared with a brief presentation to better inform all about the testing protocol, general information about how various project sites with detected contaminants are addressed, the role of the DEC to this project site, possible uses of the project site with respect to the pollutants found, and next steps with regards to more research, testing and / or analysis that may be required.

Victor G. Carosi, P.E.

Commissioner of Public Works

Town of Greenburgh

--

IDEAS TO REDUCE PROLONGED OUTAGES

SOME SUGGESTIONS FROM RATEPAYERS TO IMPROVE THE WAY CON ED DEALS WITH FUTURE POWER OUTAGES…




The prolonged Con Ed outages caused a tremendous amount of suffering in Westchester for thousands of residents. Over 9,500 Greenburgh residents were out of power after the hurricane (half the town). Many residents did not have their power restored for nearly two weeks.

I invited residents to share some suggestions that could be implemented in the future so that the nightmare we recently experienced will never happen again. I am forwarding these suggestions to the Governor, our state Legislators, the Attorney General and NYS Public Service Commission. A citizens committee that I am forming will be holding our first meeting this Monday, November 19th at 7 PM at Greenburgh Town Hall to discuss these ideas…

The following are some of the many suggestions I received. Your feedback is always appreciated.

PAUL FEINER



Con Ed crews assigned to Greenburgh did not work 24 hours during the restoration of electricity. During the first week after the hurricane we were assigned token crews (usually two). Little was accomplished.

• Con Ed should assign crews to areas without power 24 hours a day. No down time until all power is restored. Obviously different crews during daytime and evening hours. Crews worked most nights till 8 or 9 PM. If this was a 24 hour operation power would have been restored much quicker.

• Con Ed should call in more of their retirees.

• Con Ed should provide elected officials with a daily accounting of where crews are going to be sent each day and at the end of the day the Con Ed liaisons should account for what streets had power restored. People were also unable to contact Con Ed by phone or though their automatic reporting system on line.

• Con Ed should have a plan of action in place, working with public safety and local officials on how to deal with the frail elderly and people with significant medical issues. Members of the Greenburgh Disabled Advisory Committee who are on a list of people to be contacted in the event of an emergency were never contacted.

• During the recent storm many people contacted me with major health problems. They included people who were home bound - unable to leave their homes due to serious illnesses, recent operations. I spoke with residents who had brain surgeries, and depend on oxygen to live. I am sure that the prolonged power outages contributed to additional health problems for those with major medical problems (people who refuse to leave their home during an outage). Con Ed gave no priority attention to their needs.

• All assisted living facilities, hospitals; nursing homes should be contacted in advance of storms and asked to provide those with medical needs affordable temporary places to stay while power is out. We need to come up with a process to check on those individuals with major medical issues.



• The concept of power restoration, though seemingly tedious for us of late, is not unique to the Northeast. We could benchmark other utility’s approaches for power restoration related to hurricane/other large scale outages. Certainly other utilities in hurricane prone locales like Florida, Louisiana, etc. have practices related to power restoration that could be benchmarked/leveraged.



• Suggestion from resident: Con Ed tree cutting: suggest that Con Ed cut the trees back at an angle of 20 degrees, instead of straight up, so the trees have a few years BEFORE they grow over the wires. AND, cut the trees ALL the way up, not just around the wires. Old way of tree trimming. Tree trimming needs an update.



• Bury the (local distribution) lines! We should lobby for a new federal stimulus program. This could be done gradually. From what I understand, it costs about 5 times more upfront (about $1 million/mile, compared to $200,000/mile for above-ground), but that the extra cost is mostly saved, over the lifetime of the lines, in maintenance. Additional benefit: much more beautiful (you don't see the lines!). Another benefit of pushing to do underground retrofitting is a huge shot-in-the-arm for the economy (and yes, it will take taxes/bonds to pay for it, but it is money very well spent). A suggestion: As communities do work underground (water mains) they should be able to apply for grants to gradually bury lines underground. It would probably be too expensive to do at once.



• Con Ed should post, eligible for refinement, of the order that crews will tackle addresses/neighborhoods. People were upset because there was no expectation of when the power would come to homes. Con Ed told people that 90% of their power will be restored by 11/9 but customers were frustrated because they did not know if they were part of the 90% or 10%. How does Con Ed set priorities? Is it by number of people affected or do the politicians/government weigh in. How does Con Ed decide which municipalities, etc..get attention? Why would Greenburgh be sent more or less crews than other communities on a given day? There should be an emergency plan in place so that when a disaster strikes there is protocol. Public hearings on the emergency plan should be held and it should be approved at a public meeting.

•



• Con Ed should warn customers when scheduled outages are happening. They had to do this a lot in order to work and gave no warning





• Fines for prolonged outages to residents who suffered. How about a reduction in our bills based on days without power!



• Con Ed must improve communication with Verizon and other players. The town, and other players? In a crisis, should Con Ed turn away workers that are non-union? In a crisis, should Con Ed aggressively enlist retired Con Ed workers who are willing to “freelance”?



• Con Ed needs to fix their robocall system? We had people getting calls that their power had been restored when it was not, people getting calls that their power was about to be restored when it had been restored days earlier, etc. There needs to be better and more proactive communication from Con Ed to its customers that don't have power. It was frustrating to call each day and receive the same "we're working on it" answer. And the burden was on us to keep calling since they did not reach out to us at all. Con Ed should maintain an e-mail alert and phone system to let people know what they are doing. They should have quick and specific geographical information available on their website with easy navigation. They should urge customers to sign up for e-mail and/or phone alerts. Outage maps were not accurate or up to date on line.





• In addition, Con Ed should be required to provide a TBD minimum number of crews to Westchester to alleviate the problems we had the first few days when most of crews were in NYC and Westchester was predominantly ignored. There needs to be a more equitable division of the crews.



• PSC and state should review the stockpile of most frequently damaged burnt out items such as transformers. Con Ed crews advised that they had run out of some parts.



• In the meantime we should be proactive about trimming branches and removing trees that pose significant risk to pole based infrastructure.



• In addition, the PSC may want to examine when Con Ed requested mutual aid crews from other utilities and how effectively they were deployed.

• More dry ice should be distributed –centers in every town. Con Ed provided some dry ice but announced locations in the middle of each day – providing many residents who needed the ice with inadequate notice.

•

• Lend emergency generators with the necessary person to install it for the length of the power outage to the frail elderly

Sincerely,







Paul J. Feiner

Town Supervisor

no lines at FEMA

Spent an hour at the FEMA offices at the Westchester County Center in White Plains. Spoke to FEMA representatives and representatives of the US Small Business Administration. There were NO LINES. Very few people seeking help. That’s unfortunate. FEMA and other agencies are at the County Center every day of the week till 8 PM. If you had an outage and want reimbursement for some of your losses you should register with FEMA and the Small Business Administration. The motto: SNOOZE, YOU LOSE. You should register IMMEDIATELY. It’s possible that in the coming weeks or months that the federal government could offer residents/businesses more benefits. If you are not on their registration list you can’t be contacted and advised of the additional grants/loans.. If you register now and the fed’s increase the benefits, you will be entitled to more money.


You don’t have to go to the County Center to register. You can apply by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).

It’s a very quick process. For more info visit www.DisasterAssitance.gov.



Don’t believe that FEMA can help you? Here’s an e mail I received from a constituent yesterday.



CONSTITUENT NOTE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES DEALING WITH FEMA

handled a claim for FEMA and she just received a $31k determination.



However, the $31k is reduced by whatever amount she will recover from her homeowners claim, so if her homeowners pays $6k then she will receive $25k from FEMA. This amount is a grant, not a loan. This will cover:

• Contents (furniture, personal effects, appliances, etc)

• Repairs (flooring, furnace, drywall, siding, garbage removal, etc)



Also available from FEMA:

1. Free hotel stays at FEMA participating hotels, if displaced from your home and it is uninhabitable

2. Housing reimbursement if you had to rent a house or stay at a non-participating hotel because your home is uninhabitable

3. Low interest 30-year loans (1.6% I think) to rebuild and repair

The process is not bad, and she will receive her payment via direct deposit in 7-10 days from when her homeowners adjuster reports the homeowners payout to FEMA. Have to register online and a FEMA inspector will come to your house to assess the damage.



Have invited FEMA to set up temporary offices at Greenburgh Town Hall.

Paul Feiner

Greenburgh to review internal emergency preparations for hurricanes and power outages

On Monday, November 19th at 7 PM you are invited to a community meeting at Greenburgh Town Hall to discuss a citizens initiative to press the Public Service Commission to direct Con Ed to change some of their procedures (example: hiring private electricians, having different crews working non stop- 24 hours a day, improving communications, etc..) so that the next time there is a major storm/huricane power can be restored much faster.

It's easy to point fingers at Con Ed. We also need to take a look at action steps the town can take to improve the way we deal with flooding, storms hurricanes, power outages.

At this meeting on Monday we will also form a task force to review how the town handled the emergency and to come up with recommendations. For example, I send out many e mails during emergencies. But, if you don't have power you can't read the e mails. If the phones aren't working, robo emergency calls can't be listened to. Should we put up signs around town advising residents where shelters are/how they can get info in the event of an emergency? Should the signs have phone numbers of a place where people can phone in for help? GOOD NEWS- We're updating our phone system (new system should be in place in the spring) which will help us communicate better.

We reached out to many seniors during the recent emergency. And, helped some find a warm temporary place to stay (house angels, shelters). Were all of the frail elderly/disabled/medically challenged residents contacted? Did we miss some people who should have been contacted? Do we need to work harder at reaching out to those who may need our help? Is our data base comprehensive enough? Can it be improved? The Atria provided beds for those who needed short term assisted living services. The Andrus Home in Hastings also helped out. But, many people were not aware of these opportunities.

How do we communicate road closures if people don't have power?

Do we have enough generators? Fortunately, a new generator was installed at our highway garage in mid October - replacing a generator that was not functioning properly). And- our highway garage had no power during the storm. What facilities in town need generators for shelters.

The meeting on Monday night is open to the community. Please e mail me at pfeiner@greenburghny.com or call me at 438 1343 with your suggestions. Shoprite will be donating food for a reception that will begin at 6:30 PM on Monday evening.

PAUL FEINER

PS: We can all improve. And, we can learn from this experience. The above comments should not be interpreted as critical comments about town staffer's who worked very hard. The police department, fire department, public works department, recreation department, planning department, commissioners, employees all did their best. I hope that this community dialogue will help us improve the next time there is a disaster.

what will FEMA reimburse you for?

Constituents of mine have given me mixed reports about FEMA over the years. Some people have been helped. Others have completed applications, thinking they will get help from FEMA—only to be disappointed. I have asked FEMA to provide me with an easy to understand memo –highlighting what is available to you and your families. The following summary was taken from the web and may be helpful to you and your neighbors. FEMA has an information desk at the Westchester County Center, which is open 7 days a week from 8 am to 8 pm. The information desk will provide info to residents who experienced losses. As I receive more info, I will share it with you.




Please provide me with an update as to the experiences you have with FEMA. Let me know if your applications are being approved or rejected and the reasons why. What are your experiences dealing with FEMA representatives?

I will provide you with updates.

Paul Feiner

HURRICANE SANDY:

FEMA ASSISTANCE

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is charged with helping New Yorkers

respond and recover from Hurricane Sandy. FEMA provides a wide range of disaster assistance.

This fact sheet focuses on “Housing Needs” Assistance and “Other than Housing Needs”

Assistance.

What is Disaster Assistance?

Disaster assistance is financial or direct assistance to people whose property has been damaged

or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, and whose losses are not covered by insurance. Disaster

Assistance helps you with critical expenses. Disaster assistance is not intended to restore your

damaged property to its condition before Hurricane Sandy.

Is Disaster Assistance Still Available If I Have Insurance?

Yes. FEMA's Individuals and Households Program provides assistance to individuals and

families whose property has been damaged or destroyed as a result of Hurricane Sandy, and

whose losses are not covered by insurance.

What is “Housing Needs” Assistance?

You may be able to receive “Housing Needs” Assistance to:

• Reimburse you for short-term hotel expenses;

• Rent a place to live while your home is being repaired;

• Repair damage to your home; or

• Help you purchase a new home if your home is destroyed.

Am I Eligible for “Housing Needs” Assistance?

To receive “Housing Needs” Assistance, all of the following must be true:

• You have suffered losses in New York City or another disaster area.

• If you have insurance, you have filed for insurance benefits and the damage to

your property is not covered by your insurance or your insurance settlement is

insufficient to meet your losses.

• You or someone who lives with you is a citizen of the United States, a non-citizen

national, or a qualified alien.

• You have a valid Social Security Number.

• The home in the disaster area is where you usually live and where you were living

at the time of the disaster.

• You are not able to live in your home now, you cannot get to your home due to

the disaster, or your home requires repairs because of damage from the disaster.

What is “Other than Housing Needs” Assistance?

You may be able to receive “Other than Housing Needs” Assistance for necessary expenses or

serious needs, including:

• Medical and dental expenses;

• Funeral and burial expenses;

• Clothing;

• Household items, such as furniture or appliances;

• Tools required for your job;

• Educational materials, such as computers, school books, or supplies;

• Heating oil or heating gas;

• Clean-up supplies such as a wet/dry vacuum or dehumidifier;

• Disaster-related damage to a vehicle;

• Moving and storage expenses related to the disaster; or

• Other necessary expenses or serious needs.

Am I Eligible for “Other than Housing Needs” Assistance?

To receive “Other than Housing Needs” Assistance, all the following must be true:

• You have suffered losses in New York City or another disaster area.

• If you have insurance, you have filed for insurance benefits and the damage to

your property is not covered by your insurance or your insurance settlement is

insufficient to meet your losses.

• You or someone who lives with you is a citizen of the United States, a non-citizen

national, or a qualified alien.

• You have necessary expenses or serious needs because of the disaster.

• You have accepted assistance from all other sources for which you are eligible,

such as insurance proceeds or Small Business Administration disaster loans.

What Information Do I Need to Apply?

Before you apply, you should have the following information ready:

• Your Social Security number,

• Your current and pre-Hurricane Sandy address,

• Your telephone number,

• Your insurance information,

• Your total household annual income, &

• A description of your losses that were caused by Hurricane Sandy.

How Do I Apply for Disaster Assistance?

You can apply:

• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov,

• By using a Smartphone at m.fema.gov, or

• By calling 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 1-800-462-7585 for people with speech or

hearing disabilities)

What Happens After I Apply for Assistance?

Make sure that you write down the application number that FEMA gives you. Tell FEMA if

your contact information or any other information in your application changes. FEMA will send

you a copy of your application. FEMA will also send you an Applicant Guide. A FEMA

inspector may contact you to schedule a time to review your damages, and you may be asked to

complete additional forms.

Can I Appeal FEMA’s Decision?

You may appeal any FEMA decision, including if you have been denied benefits or if you

disagree with the amount or type of help FEMA says it will provide.

How Do I Appeal FEMA’s Decision?

You must appeal within 60 days of the date on the decision letter FEMA sends to you.

Your appeal should:

• Explain in writing why you think the decision is not correct;

• Be signed by you, or someone who represents you (if the person writing the letter

is not a member of your household, there must be a signed statement saying that

that person may act for you); and

• Include the FEMA registration number and disaster number (shown at the top of

your decision letter).

You can fax you appeal letter to (800) 827-8112 (Attention: FEMA - Individuals & Households

Program), or mail your appeal letter to:

FEMA - Individuals & Households Program

National Processing Service Center

P.O. Box 10055

Hyattsville, MD 20782-7055

How Will I Know If My Appeal Is Successful?

FEMA usually makes decisions within 30 days of receiving your appeal. FEMA will notify you

of the decision by mail.

What Should I Do If I Have Additional Questions?

You can visit a disaster recovery center or call the FEMA Help Line at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)

or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for people with speech or hearing disabilities.

citizens panel formed to push for con ed outage response changes first meeting nov 19

CITIZENS COMMITTEE BEING FORMED TO PUSH FOR CHANGES IN WAYS CON ED HANDLES FUTURE POWER OUTAGES.

FIRST MEETING--MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 19 AT 7 PM...GREENBURGH TOWN HALL





Now that the lights are on in almost all Greenburgh homes, the real work starts. We MUST demand changes in the approach that Con Ed uses when there are power outages. Our region has had at least one major outage a year for a few years. We must make sure that the nightmare which our communities experienced after Hurricane Sandy NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.



I am forming a citizens committee to lobby the NYS Public Service Commission and other officials to force changes in the processes used. Our first meeting, open to anyone who experienced a power outage, will be held on MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 19th at 7 PM. The meeting will be held at Greenburgh Town Hall, 177 hillside ave.. If you would like to join the committee please e mail me at pfeiner@greenburghny.com.



During the past week I have asked Con Ed customers to provide me with a list of suggestions that could be forwarded to the NYS Public Service Commission and officials. I will summarize the suggestions later this week and will post it on the town website. Your additional suggestions and recommendations are welcome.



Among the suggestions to be aggressively pushed for:

* In the event of power outages Con Ed should work around the clock --24 hours a day. During this storm they stopped working in the early evening. The company claims that it's dangerous to work in the evening - since out of state crews are not familiar with the territory. But--they have sent crews to work during the early evening hours, when it's dark. What's the difference????



* The PSC should direct Con Ed to hire licensed electricians to work with the company to restore power quickly. There are many licensed electricians who would be delighted to help out --but who have been told that they can't assist Con Ed.



* The PSC should investigate when Con Ed called in out of state crews. The hurricane was predicted. The crews did not arrive until days after the storm. Should Con Ed have called in out of state crews earlier? Were they prepared?



* Our committee should ask the PSC to investigate how Con Ed deals with the frail elderly and disabled when there are emergencies. Many people with serious illnesses advised me that Con Ed gave them no help during the storm. I received calls from family members who have spouses who depend on oxygen, some who were bed ridden, had surgeries, etc.. Some assisted living facilities and nursing homes helped out during the storm.



* Con Ed should be required to reimburse families for expenses for prolonged outages. The PSC should change state law and provide residents who had significant losses, expenses with reimbursement.



* Local governments should be provided with a daily report - how many crews are assigned--what streets they will be sent to --and at the end of the day we should be provided with a progress report.



* Con Ed should publicize their priority system after hearings are held. Some neighborhoods have to be last. If everyone knew the reasons for the priority system and if the priority system makes sense - people would be more understanding of the reasons.



I hope to see you at the meeting on NOVEMBER 19th at 7 PM. Shoprite has offered to donate food for a reception for participants of the meeting--an informal reception will begin at 6:30 PM.

PAUL FEINER

Greenburgh veterans living history featured in NEWSDAY story

Greenburgh exhibit gives life to WWII veterans

4 m ago By Betty Liu

Photo credit: AP

The memories of 90 World War II local veterans will live on forever in a series of video interviews that have found a home in the new “Veterans” section at the Greenburgh Town Liibrary.
The collection tells the story of 90 men – now in their 80s and 90s – who were barely out of their teens when they went to do battle overseas between 1941 and 1945, said Alan Hochberg, 71, of Hartsdale, who worked on the oral history project with Steve Wittenberg, commander of the American Legion post in the village of Ardsley.
The videos, which run 30 minutes to an hour, were taped over the last three years as the two worked together to round up a range of WWII vets from Marines, soldiers and prisoners of war to naval officers, a Tuskegee Airman and pilots who flew B-17 bombers over Germany.
“Now young people can understand what the World II men and women actually performed for this nation,” said Hochberg, adding that even he was “personally moved to really understand the real lives of people who hit the beaches of Normandy, Guadalcanal, Saipan and Iwo Jimo.”
The volunteer project was made possible with an assist from the town, which supplied a room for interviewing along with equipment, said Hochberg, who also happens to be a volunteer assistant to town supervisor Paul Feiner. Hochberg’s other municipal activities include heading up the Greenburgh Citizens Advisory Commission, which makes recommendations to Feiner on municipal matters.
The oral history CDs began showing up at the town library last spring, with about 70 available now. The rest are still being formatted for CD and should be on the shelves by year end, said Hochberg.
Unfortunately, some interviewees are no longer here to see the project’s completion. After conducting one sit-down, “I called the next week to ask a question and he had died,” said Hochberg. “That really hit home how frail some of these people are.”
While many of the veterans are now fragile, “others are phenomenal. They play tennis, they're active in their communities….maybe only two weren't good interviews because they weren't lucid. But 88 were perfect.”
Hochberg is in the process of getting releases from the survivors so that their recorded memories can be set to the archives at the Library of Congress. The town is also holding a 1 p.m. Veterans Day ceremony tomorrow at the Hartsdale train station, where some of the stories will be shared.


Tags: World War 2 , Veterans Day , Greenburgh , Paul Feiner , American Legion , Ardsley

728 powerless left...veterans day ceremony sunday..veterans living history interviews

The end of the nightmare is near. 728 Con Ed customers in Greenburgh are currently out of power --down from 1,505 earlier today. Con Ed estimates that the restoration date for the town is tomorrow evening before midnight.



The following story aired on WABC TV news tonight. Highlights the frustration many Greenburgh residents have had about lack of accurate info during the storm.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=8880164



VETERANS DAY CEREMONY--SUNDAY 1 PM--EAST HARTSDALE AVE (DeSanti Plaza, Hartsdale-across from Hartsdale train station

Over 90 video interviews of veterans (most of WWII and Korea) will be aired non stop on our Greenburgh public access TV channels from now thru Veterans day. The interviews are fascinating. We should be proud of our local heroes. Alan Hochberg and Steve Witenberg deserve our thanks for producing the living history initiative.

PAUL FEINER

the lights went on during interview with Brian Williams NBC

After a reporter from NBC Nightly news with Brian Williams interviewed me they went to the home of a woman who was out of power for 10 days. I swear - it wasn't a setup. If you watch the following report which aired at 7 PM on NBC nightly news, you'll see how the lights went on in her home during the interview! Con Ed had no idea that the crew was going to her home.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#49735182

This is the letter I'm sending to the NYS Public Service Commission. Any other suggestions, please e mail me!

November 5, 2012

Jaclyn A. Brilling
Secretary to the Commission

New York State Dept. of Public Service

3 Empire State Plaza

Albany, NY 12223-1350

Dear Ms. Brilling,

Con Ed crews assigned to Greenburgh did not work 24 hours during the restoration of electricity. We have an emergency – over 8,000 homes without power for many days. When there are power outages in the future the following suggestions should be considered. I am communicating my thoughts to every elected official who represents the town, state officials, Con Ed with the following requests/suggestions:

· Con Ed should assign crews to areas without power 24 hours a day. No down time until all power is restored.

· Con Ed should call in more of their retirees.

· Con Ed should provide elected officials with a daily accounting of where crews are going to be sent each day and at the end of the day the Con Ed liaisons should account for what streets had power restored.

· Con Ed should have a plan of action in place, working with public safety and local officials on how to deal with the frail elderly and people with significant medical issues.

· During the recent storm many people contacted me with major health problems. They included people who were home bound - unable to leave their homes due to serious illnesses, recent operations. I spoke with residents who had brain surgeries, and depend on oxygen to live. I am sure that the prolonged power outages contributed to additional health problems for those with major medical problems (people who refuse to leave their home during an outage). Con Ed gave no priority attention to their needs.

· All assisted living facilities, hospitals; nursing homes should be contacted in advance of storms and asked to provide those with medical needs affordable temporary places to stay while power is out.

It is ridiculous that the restoration of power is taking so long. The NYS Public Service Commission should also investigate the way this crisis has been handled. I continue to receive calls from people who have major health problems and won’t leave their homes. How many people will develop life threatening illnesses as a result of these delays?

Sincerely,

Paul J. Feiner

Town Supervisor

Cc: NYS Legislators

Governor Andrew Cuomo

Larry Schwartz, Secretary to the Governor

Westchester Municipal Officials

10 bucket trucks --crews in town!

Just got off the phone with the Con Ed liaison working with Greenburgh. Have some positive news to report: There are now 10 crews working throughout the town in Greenburgh...21 bucket trucks...an area in Edgemont has been hit hard and they are going to work much of the day there -- so schools could re-open. We expect big progress today.
PAUL FEINER

con ed needs to hire retirees..licensed electricians to help expedite recovery

7,947 Greenburgh residents out of power. Con Ed advised the command center that 2 cut and clear crews will be assigned to the town today and 3 restoration of power crews will be assigned to the town today. Elected officials from communities all over Westchester are also complaining about the slow response time of utility companies dealing with this storm in their communities. For example, according to tarrytown.dailyvoice.com there are still 2,300 people in Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow that are out of power. Bedford has 4,200 outages. The village of Scarsdale, according to scarsdale.dailyvoice.com still has 3,500 outages in their small village.

We need more crews! Last night I wrote to other elected officials suggesting that Con Ed hire retirees, qualified private electricians who have state contracts to help expedite the recovery efforts. I also believe that they should have different shifts: an AM shift and an overnight shift --working around the clock until everyone is back with their power.

HOUSE ANGELS-- If you want to stay at someone's home, please advise. A number of people have offered to house "powerless" neighbors in their warm homes. My cell is 438 1343 and my e mail is pfeiner@greenburghny.com.

According to www.Tarrytownpatch.com Phelps Memorial Hospital needs blood donors. We are now experiencing a critical shortage due to the storm," Carol Stanley, Supervisor of Donor Services, writes. Please call the donor center to sign up at (914) 366-3919

The Greenburgh Library will be open today from 1- 5 PM. Tomorrow the library will stay open till 9 PM.
PAUL FEINER

9500 out of power.. 2 Con Ed crews. we need help

9,500 out of power...only 2 Con Ed crews. About half of Greenburgh is without power. About 9,500 powerless families. Con Ed has assigned two Con Ed crews to our town. Restoration of power is taking a very, very , very long time. We desperately need more Con Ed crews.


I spoke to an official at the office of Homeland Security yesterday. Also spoke with Congresswoman Lowey and wrote to the Governor’s office. GREENBURGH IS NOT GETTING THE SERVICE WE NEED TO RESTORE POWER.

This morning a resident of Fairview stopped me. His wife has LUNG CANCER. It’s cold in his house. Yesterday, I received a call from someone whose mother is terminally ill (staying at home) with BRAIN CANCER. She is also suffering because of the cold. Another man called me yesterday. A family member is recovering from brain surgery. The police chief and I stopped by at a constituents house in Hartsdale. Her father, also without power, has many illnesses including parkinson’s. Con Ed is not making special arrangements for those who are elderly, frail and very sick.



I have a suggestion—perhaps nursing homes/assisted living facilities would be willing to rent out vacant rooms short term until power is restored.



The town has opened up a 24 warming station at the Theodore Young Community Center. But, most people who are very sick don’t want to leave their homes. A new program is being set up –HOUSE/ANGELS. Cari Gardner of Hastings stopped by at my office yesterday to pick up an elderly woman who resides in Fairview and was without of power. She drove the woman to her house – and will be providing her with free shelter.



If you have a room and want to offer it to a resident – please advise me. If you want to stay with someone (provided I can find families willing to offer free room), please advise. My cell is 438 1343 –but it’s easier to e mail me: pfeiner@greenburghny.com.

PAUL FEINER