Nyack Mayor's Sandy Update from Monday

Every morning at 11 a.m., Nyack Mayor Jen Laird-White will be in front of village hall with an update on post-hurricane conditions.

The first few meetings had easily more than 100 people. As power is restored, the numbers have been dwindling down. About 50 people came out Monday morning.

Topics covered:

Nyack Center

• 3 p.m. on Monday, there will be a family-friendly film being shown. Keep your kids entertained, your family warm and charge your items
• They are collecting and distributing non-perishable foods for People to People from 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday - Friday. No clothes please

Donations/Volunteers

• Skip Storch of Nyack said that clothing donations are good and no longer needed in Rockland County
• Non-perishable foods are still needed at People to People. 
• Kim Cross said that in the next day or so, People to People will be seeking volunteers to bag and distribute donated foods to families in Rockland County
• Tom and Chrissy Place are collecting for Rockaway. A truck will be running back and forth to Rockaway and possibly Staten Island. They're looking for clothing, clean underwear, blankets, baby items like diapers, etc ... Drop off at 224 N. Midland. They teamed up with TOGA Bikes as well. 
• Several local fire departments are also looking for donations to bring down to Breezy Point FD. 
• The Pour House in Nyack will be collecting canned food as well for People to People. The Pour House says it's also going to donate 10% from food sales to help hurricane victims. To drop off a donation, the Pour House will have a collection area at the front of the restaurant during its operating hours, 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily. The collection with run this Monday through Friday. For more information about how to donate, call 845-727-7687.

Nyack Update

• "The waterfront remains in deep distress. They do have some electric, but no heat. The heating units were so badly damanged that they won't have heat for awhile," said Laird-White. "Our building department has been down there assessing safety issues." The apartment buildings on the river still do not have heat.  101 Gedney has power but no heat.  If you are a resident and need emergency shelter, please call the hotline at 845-358-5626 and we will assist in getting transportation.
• Power is still out for the N. Broadway area.  Hopefully power will be restored between 11pm tonight and 11pm tomorrow night.
• Orangetown Police Department has an O&R representative at their station. Those with questions can contact the police department at (845) 359-3700 
• There will be voting on Tuesday.  All voting places will be open (Nyack, South Nyack, Upper Nyack). Only St. Ann's School—33 Jefferson Street in South Nyack—will be on a generator. Check out the Nyack-Piermont Voting Guide here. One resident asked about giving elderly and other residents rides to polling places. 
• Need ice? Let the village know and they'll get you some free ice. 
• Village Hall is open. The planning and zoning board meetings are tonight
• If you have brush, pile it up neatly and DPW will come by with a chipper. DPW is working 16 hours every day. 
• Nyack Soup Angels will be serving soup and sandwiches from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday night at First Reform Church. Anyone is welcome.
• The YMCA is offering open swim times; call for when they’re offering this. You can shower at the Y from 5:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
• NYSC is offering showers from 5 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
• Those who get food stamps, there will be a 50 percent automatic reimbursement on Thursday for the month of October.

Safety

• Space Heaters: "People are buying space heaters and stacking them or putting themon long electrical cords. It's a tremendous fire hazard," said Laird-White. She recommended that if residents are going to run space heaters, only run one and have it plugged directly into the outlet. "We don't want a fire."
• "If you're really that cold, there's plenty of room at (RCC). It's a very nice shelter. It's clean, safe. Or talk to me because people have offered bedrooms in their homes," said Laird-White. 
• People are taking bbqs inside, which is lethal as well.
• The incoming Nor'easter storm seems to be "rainy, wet and windy, but not catastrophic. If it's windy and rainy, I think everyone should stay inside. It's nothing like what we just went through. Let's hope that power restoration is done by then. It's nothing to be scared of, we just have to be practical." Nulty said that he has an officer going to the Rockland County Fire Training Center on Monday to get a weather briefing and the public will be updated. 
• Parking rules are in effect but not enforced at this time. Alternate side rules are in effect so that emergency rescue vehicles can get through. 
• One resident asked if they could now drive into Manhattan. The answer was yes. 

Rockland Assistance

• Skip Storch said that there are a few organizations where people can go for a very simple application for assistance: RocklandGives.org and Rockland Community Crisis Relief Fund and the North Rockland Disaster Recovery Fund
• If you have power and a generator you are willing to loan to a Nyack resident, contact the Village at info@nyack-ny.gov.
• Next week, there will be a small business assembly upstairs at the Nyack Village hall so businesses can come and learn about how to claim their losses and damages. The date is TBA

"Hurricane Floyd destroyed my home and business," said Storch. "I was homeless for a while and living in a barn. Then I was living with friends, from house to house. It was the most difficult thing I’ve done. I’m a survivor and I try to reach out and throw a life bouy to other people."