I thank all of you for your patience during this very difficult period, I also understand that everyone’s patience is wearing thin. I urge residents to keep things in perspective. Every day I listen to a Westchester County Office of Emergency Management call and, believe it or not, we are more fortunate than some communities. Our damage, while extensive, is not catastrophic and we have Con Ed crews working in our community. There are Towns and Villages that still have thousands trapped on their streets and they are concerned about basics like food and water.
That being said, I know the frustration of not having power. It is very important that you report your power outages directly to Consolidated Edison at either coned.com or 1 800-75CONED. You can also report a neighbor’s or multiple neighbors’ outages for them. By reporting your outage, you help the Village receive more resources from Con Ed. While we are working closely with our municipal liaison to identify hazards and help them prioritize, your reports still matter.
Another important item on power restoration is that the Village does not have the authority to direct Con Edison to restore power to individual homes. At this point in time, Con Edison is working closely with Village crews to open roads and restore power to critical facilities such as our schools. As I have said, I am hopeful residents will receive power well before Con Ed’s stated restoration date of November 9th but please do not call the Police Department or Village Hall to report your power outages. I am happy to receive your emails regarding your outages, but know this will have more therapeutic value than aid you in getting your power back sooner.
In my email last night I failed to thank a very important group of volunteers who have been tremendous during the storm, namely the Irvington Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Under the direction of their Captain Ellen Lewit, they staffed the Ambulance Corps 24 hours a day during the height of the storm and continue to serve the Village 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Thank you!
I would like to remind residents that the Irvington Fire Company Halloween Block party is tonight from 4pm – 7pm. If children would like to trick or treat after, we ask that you stay in the down town area and stay alert for any hazards that are marked and avoid those areas.
Finally, we have been advised that the St. Barnabas Clothing Sale has been postponed to November 13 through 18.
Brian Smith
Mayor