RyeCity REVIEW THE
January 8, 2021 | Vol. 9, Number 2 | www.ryecityreview.com
After Isaias, United Westchester issues analysis
New year, same problems
On Dec. 30, NYSPHSAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Zayas tweeted that the organization currently has no timetable set for the restart of high-risk high school sports. That announcement means that many area athletes have no idea when—or if—they’ll be able to compete again. For more, see page 16. Photo/Mike Smith
New York State updates COVID-19 quarantine guidelines Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Dec. 30 updated quarantine guidelines for New York which are consistent with the latest Centers for Disease Control guidance. Under the new guidelines, individuals exposed to COVID-19 can end their quarantine after 10 days without a testing requirement as long as no symptoms have been reported during the quarantine period. After day 10 is reached, individuals must continue mon-
itoring for symptoms through day 14 and if any develop, they should immediately self-isolate and contact the local health department or their healthcare provider to report this change and determine if they should seek testing. Individuals should to continue strict adherence to all recommended safe behaviors to stop the spread—wearing masks, socially distancing and avoiding gatherings. “As we approach the New Year and the end of the holiday
season, all New Yorkers must remember one simple truth— celebrating smart stops shutdowns,” Cuomo said. “While the holidays have always been synonymous with socialization, the data shows vast majority of new cases are stemming from private gatherings. I understand not being able to join together with loved ones makes an already trying year, more difficult, but it also means we control our own destiny. New York is leading the nation in quickly
and efficiently administering the vaccine, so if we can continue that progress and the rest of us keep making smart decisions like avoiding gatherings, socially distancing and wearing masks, we will finally reach the light at the end of the tunnel.” For more information, visit https://www.governor. ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-updated-quarantine-guidelines-aligncdc-recommendations. (Submitted)
United Westchester wants Con Edison and NYSEG to improve communication with municipalities, and they want Altice and Verizon to upgrade their infrastructure. These are just two of the 42 recommendations that United Westchester makes for these electric utility and telecommunications companies in the group’s Storm Response Report, in light of Tropical Storm Isaias. Westchester County Executive George Latimer, New York State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and United Westchester, have released a Storm Response Report with detailed analyses and recommendations to address the failures of the electric utility and telecommunications companies in Westchester. “This effort came together during and after the 2018 weather crisis, known as storms Riley and Quinn, which caused such devastation and power outages in Westchester County,” Latimer said. “The aftermath of those storms created a group of people all across Westchester County getting together to discuss what the problems were that were experienced and what possible solutions can be identified to make sure we have a better relationships with the power and telecommunications organizations in order to provide the proper service during these crises for the residents of our towns, cities, villages and County at large.” Among the other recommendations for Con Edison and NYSEG: • The use of Smart Meters to track customers who are without power, creating a live interactive outage map for public viewing. • A regularly updated and shared list of critical facilities. • An updated map of Con Edison’s grid provided to each municipality. • Better internal communi-
cations in Con Edison between management, field and workers. • The creation of the utility reserve corps. • Better supply and distribution of dry ice. • A ten-year storm hardening plan and implementation. “This report details recommendations which need to be followed in order to effectively address the utility and telecom failings which occurred after Isaias and prior storms that have severely impacted our county in recent years,” Paulin said. “Our service providers know what went wrong. They now need to address the issues and recommendations set forth in the report so that power restoration efforts in Westchester County can be significantly improved.” Among the recommendations for Altice and Verizon: • Improved coordination with electric utility companies during post-storm restoration efforts. • Fixing customer service tools and availability. • Providing municipal officials with operational contacts. • Giving customers credits when they lose access to telecommunications services. • For Altice, upgrading infrastructure and powering network nodes during power outages. On Aug. 4, 2020 Tropical Storm Isaias hit New York with heavy rain, and winds gusting up to 70 miles per hour. The storm left thousands of Westchester residents without power for multiple days and disrupted telephone, cable and internet services—services that are particularly essential due to the COVID-19 pandemic. United Westchester is a group of local, county, and state officials that have worked together since 2018 to implement significant and necessary improvements to storm response efforts STORM continued on page 4