Village of
Westchester June 2014 Newsletter
From the Desk of The President POLICE DEPARTMENT
3
FIRE DEPARTMENT
4
SCHOOL DISTRICT
14 Congratulations to newly sworn firefighters Nick Lezza and Matthew Heiderman pictured above (from left to right) President Pulia, Lezza, Heiderman, and Fire Chief Jim Adams following their formal swearing in during the May 13, 2014 Board Meeting.
PARK DISTRICT
LIBRARY
18 19
ANNUAL WATER QUALITY REPORT
22
PUBLIC WORKS
30
Hurray for Summer! We are finally putting together multiple days of great weather, and it can’t come soon enough. I have to admit, we dodged a few weather bullets mid March. Suburbs north and south of us got the brunt of rainfall that created flooding issues and a great deal of headaches for homeowners and government officials. As I saw the repeated photos and pleas for help on the news it brought me back to the April 18, 2013 flood event in our area that I know you all want to forget. Speaking of Déjà vu, Maureen and I were truly honored to attend the opening day of the 9-11 Museum on Thursday, May 15, 2014. Earlier in the day, President Barack Obama and other dignitaries dedicated the Museum as a place of refection and remembrance. As family members of a person who was killed that day, we were able to make reservations to be at the Museum at 6:30 pm. I honestly did not know how I would react to visiting the Museum where memories of what I saw in person during my 5 trips to Ground Zero in 2001 and 2002 as a volunteer were to be unfolded once again. Upon entering the Museum site you have to walk by 10 House, the closest FDNY firehouse on Liberty Street. I
flashbacked to the vision of the small stores next to 10 House that were converted to eateries for the volunteers and the many tent encampments where volunteers from everywhere were located. We stood where the numerous bucket brigades were staged with the task to look through the rubble for at first survivors and then to dig to recover bodies. Walking north we passed by the reflecting pools with the names cut out and engraved in bronze. Upon reaching the Museum, our entry passes were scanned and we went through the security checkpoint before walking down stairs where several tall pieces of steel girders stood. Upon getting to the bottom ramp we were able to look out over the railing to see an exposed “Slurry Wall” kept intact just like it was when the towers were built. Standing in the middle of the room was what appeared to me to be a large steel totem pole with PAPD 37, NYPD 23, FDNY 343, as well as several different engine and ladder truck numbers painted on it recognizing those emergency service workers who lost their life doing what they were born to do, help others. I won’t go through our four hour
See PRESIDENT, page 5