Allendale
November 14, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 19
Responders and residents praised
by John Koster Allendale Mayor Vince Barra and the members of the borough council credited the borough’s first responders for an odd phenomenon at last week’s public council meeting -- not a single resident showed up to complain about a lack of electricity of heat. “The Lord was really watching over us last night,” said Mayor Barra of the second storm, a moderate snowfall, which -- unlike Hurricane Sandy -- did little damage. “I was talking to my cousins in Staten Island and they had six feet of water in the basement. They aren’t going to stay there. Staten Island may have to be written off.” Mayor Barra said that all members of emergency services -- police, volunteer fire department, CERT, the ambulance corps, and the municipal staff had cooperated to help those residents who needed help. The power had been restored to all sections of Allendale the night before the meeting. “I’m in awe when I think of how much the people of Allendale and the community of Allendale accomplished,” said Councilman Ari Bernstein. “It seemed that no matter what we needed, they knew how to do it. I was amazed. It’s not like anyone said, ‘That’s your job. That’s not my job.’ It’s like everyone said ‘That’s your job -- now how can I help you?’” Barra was extolled for his no nonsense attitude in telephoning Orange & Rockland Electric on a daily basis to insist that Allendale’s problems be handed as expeditiously as possible. The mayor, in turn, praised the out-of-state utility workers who came to Allendale and worked overtime to connect homes to electricity as quickly as possible. The mayor remembered one out-of-state worker he spoke with as snow began on Wednesday. “It was 8 o’clock at night and I told him it was snowing, but he told me, ‘These people have no power and I don’t have any home to go to around here, so let’s just get it done.’ These guy are really tough -- they have a professional attitude,” Barra said. “I have the utmost respect for these guys.” Councilwoman Elizabeth White said Allendale’s department of public works crews had also been formidable. “We had people working 24-hour shifts, 48-hour shifts. They are an amazing bunch of guys,” White said. She and other council members agreed to set up a room with available sunlight and sleeping accommodations for workers on double shifts in case of any recurrence. White also praised residents for offering homemade food to the utility workers and for donating so much clothing to hardhit communities in southern Bergen County through the Allendale Woman’s Club and the Allendale Fire Department that some of the clothing had to be turned away.
New Jersey was hard hit by Hurricane Sandy, which blew through Bergen County on Oct. 29. As of last week, area residents were still cleaning up fallen trees, power companies were working to restore electricity to homes and businesses, and gasoline lines wrapped around several blocks as odd/even rationing took effect. Pictured are a few scenes from Allendale, including a look at the emply refrigerated cases at one local supermarket. (Photos courtesy of Sophia Boniello.)
Lingering effects