Archive for the ‘Current Events’ Category
Attention Rowayton Railroad Commuters…
The Commissioners of the Sixth Taxing District wish to remind you that anyone holding a Rowayton Railroad Station Parking Permit who is not using it may turn it in for a rebate of the remaining portion. Please contact District Clerk Andrea Woodworth, 203-854-5066 or awoodworth@sixthtd.com for further information. Additionally, as a reminder to commuters without parking permits for Rowayton RR Station, daily parking is available for $7/day.
No trains out of Rowayton… on Monday
Fellow Commuters…
As of noon on Sunday 2/10, CDOT and Metro-North say there will be NO TRAINS Monday morning from any stations between New Haven and Stamford. There will be service to GCT from Stamford and intermediate stations.
The problem is that most of our fleet of trains is trapped under 3+ ft of snow in the New Haven and Bridgeport yards. National Guard troops are trying to dig them out.
Substituting buses for trains is not an option. A single ten car train on Metro-North carries 1000 passengers. That would mean 50 buses for one train, and buses are not available.
Driving to Stamford to catch a train will not be an option. The 1900 space garage at Stamford is usually full by 7 am on a typical weekday and is probably full already today (Sunday).
Here are some of your alternatives:
1) Stay home. Telecommute.
2) If you must be in NYC Monday morning, go in today (Sunday).
3) You may be able to take a bus to Stamford. Schedules are available at www.cttransit.com and www.norwalktransit.com. But as of Sunday bus service is either still cancelled or very limited.
4) Drive to another train station west of Stamford though parking will be a problem. Also consider the Harlem line of Metro-North where large stations like White Plains offer more parking. New Haven line tickets are honored on that line (but not on Hudson line trains).
5) Consider Amtrak from New Haven or Bridgeport. Limited service is being restored between Boston and NYC on Sunday. Check for the latest at www.amtrak.com
The sun may be shining today. Your local station’s parking lot and platforms may be clear. But do not count on train service, especially Monday morning, if you commute from any station between New Haven and Stamford, including the New Canaan, Waterbury and Danbury branch lines.
Metro-North and CDOT are working as hard as they can to restore service. If anything changes today, we will update you on our website at www.trainweb.org/CT and on our Twitter feeds (@CTRailCommuters).
JIM CAMERON Chairman CT Rail Commuter Council “Advocates for better rail services in CT” Web: www.trainweb.org/ct E-Mail: CTRailCommuterCouncil@gmail.com Twitter: @CTRailCommuters
Snow Emergency remain in Effect… Rowayton – use caution
A snow emergency remains in effect. Residents are reminded that vehicles must be removed from all snow emergency routes. To facilitate snow plowing residents are asked to remove cars from all public roadways. Covered parking lots—Maritime Yards and Yankee Doodle Garages–remain free of charge through the remainder of the snow emergency.
The Statewide travel ban was lifted at 4:00 this afternoon. Norwalk residents are advised to use extreme caution if they find it necessary to drive this evening. Winds continue to produce drifts and very cold temperatures may cause icy conditions on roads. Extreme cold is expected over night. Residents are asked to check on elderly or infirm relatives and neighbors to ensure they are safe.
Snow removal continues in Norwalk. Department of Public Works operations personnel have been on duty since early Friday morning; plowing operations have been continuous except for a brief period during whiteout conditions last night.
28 plow trucks, manned by one driver, are deployed in 26 defined snow plow routes covering 625 lane-miles of city roadway. Snow stopped this morning at 7:00 o’clock and by noon time all main roads were pushed back to the curb and salted. DPW Operations has applied approximately 600 tons of salt and 1,000 tons of liquid salt brine to assist with snow removal efforts. City owned sidewalks are currently being cleared by hand and 2 pieces of removal equipment.
Customer Service has been open since 8:00 a.m. and fielded around 150 calls/e-mails
All roads are expected to be passable by 8:00 o’clock this evening and schools completed by 4:00 o’clock Sunday morning.
Norwalk Police and Fire Departments are fully staffed and responding to all calls for service. All Police, Fire and EMS radio systems are fully operational. All 911 phone lines and routine phone lines are fully operational. All radio transmitter sites are operating on (normal) grid power.
Norwalk Transit plans to operate Sunday shuttles tomorrow serving South Norwalk, route 7 and Connecticut Avenue.
Norwalk Public Library staff continues to clear access to buildings; all branches are expected to open Monday morning.
Business owners and residents are reminded of the responsibility to clear walks in front of homes and businesses. Residents are also asked to clear access to fire hydrants.
Mayor Moccia expressed thanks to the city workforce that worked tirelessly during the storm. “Many of our employees have worked around the clock in order to ensure safe and convenient conditions for our residents. I am proud of their dedication and note that our employees have been called all too frequently to devote extra effort because of storms. I genuinely appreciate their commitment.”
Mayor Moccia expressed appreciation to the residents of Norwalk for the responsible manner in which they weathered the storm. “Nearly everyone stayed safely off the roads, and very few expressed unrealistic demands for their circumstances to take precedence over others. I appreciate the patience and understanding shown by citizens.”
Report downed wires or power outages directly to Connecticut Light and Power by calling 800-286-2000 or go to www.cl-p.com.
Updates will be distributed to the media as warranted. The Norwalk Department of Information Technology has highlighted the standard snow storm preparedness and snow removal operations information on the city website homepage www.norwalkct.org. The Department will continue to publish pertinent information to the homepage as it becomes available from City’s officials and Department of Emergency management.
Work to be done, Rowayton… after the snow
A snow emergency remains in effect in Norwalk and Mayor Richard Moccia has asked residents to observe the state-wide travel ban.
Snow removal continues in Norwalk where Department of Public Works crews have been on duty since the storm began. Barring unforeseen difficulties, plowing of all roads is projected to be complete by 7 o’clock this evening. School and other parking lots will be completed after that time with DPW staff wrapping up by midnight tonight. City sidewalks will be started when all mains are done.
Customer Service is co-locating at the Public Works Center and will be staffed until needed. Residents are asked to be patient as Public Works Crews make every effort to clear all roads. GPS units are mounted on all vehicles and verify that snow plow routes are completed prior to staff being released tonight. While it expected that all streets will be clear, residents area asked not to expect all streets to be cleared until Sunday.
Based on the Governor’s continuing ban on travel Norwalk Transit has cancelled service for today.
Norwalk Libraries will remain closed today.
Report downed wires or power outages directly to Connecticut Light and Power by calling 800-286-2000 or go to www.cl-p.com.
Updates will be distributed to the media as warranted. The Norwalk Department of Information Technology has highlighted the standard snow storm preparedness and snow removal operations information on the city website homepage www.norwalkct.org. The Department will continue to publish pertinent information to the homepage as it becomes available from City’s officials and Department of Emergency management
Rowayton – Norwalk has declared a Snow Emergecy
Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia today declared a snow emergency in Norwalk. The Mayor activated the City Emergency Operations Center in response to the snow storm.
In accordance with the declaration residents are reminded that vehicles must be removed from all snow emergency routes. To facilitate snow plowing residents are asked to remove cars from all public roadways. All public parking lots and garages are open to the public without charge until the snow emergency is lifted.
The City is prepared to respond to the storm. 31 snow plows have been readied and are deployed to clear and treat streets. Fire, police and public works crews are in place and prepared to respond to storm related needs.
City Hall will close at noon today. Norwalk Libraries will also close at noon.
Residents are advised to stay off the roads whenever possible. Take steps to avoid dangers related to heavy snow. Ensure generators are operated in a safe manner sufficiently removed from dwelling places to avoid danger resulting from carbon monoxide. Clear any heating exhaust vents that may become covered by snow.
Report downed wires or power outages directly to Connecticut Light and Power by calling 800-286-2000 or go to www.cl-p.com.
Updates will be distributed to the media as warranted. The Norwalk Department of Information Technology has highlighted the standard snow storm preparedness and snow removal operations information on the city website homepage www.norwalkct.org. The Department will continue to publish pertinent information to the homepage as it becomes available from City’s officials and Department of Emergency management
Rowayton Volunteer Fire Department encourages residents to prepare for Extreme Cold
As temperatures continue to drop over the coming days, the Norwalk Fire Department and the Rowayton Volunteer Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management urges families to take precautions to keep safe during this especially frigid weather. Cold weather often results in power outages, frozen pipes, fires and other life-threatening events when people use unsafe alternative heat sources and don’t take precautions against the cold.
- Exposure to cold can cause life-threatening health conditions. Avoid serious conditions such as frostbite and hypothermia, by keeping warm. Wear a hat, hood, or scarf, as most heat is lost through the head. Wear layers, as they provide better insulation and warmth. Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered if you go outside. Keep clothing dry; if a layer becomes wet, remove it. Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.
- Prevent frozen pipes — When the weather is very cold outside, open cabinet doors to let warm air circulate around water pipes. Let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe – even at a trickle – helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water running through it is above freezing. Keep the thermostat set to a consistent temperature. Never thaw a frozen pipe or meter with an open flame; this could lead to a fire or cause a steam explosion.
- Give space heaters space- Keep fixed and portable space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn. Turn off heaters when you leave the room or go to sleep. Do not use stoves and ovens to heat your residence.
- Check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors — Make sure alarms and CO detectors are working properly and replace batteries as necessary.
- Maintain at least a half tank of gas in your vehicle during the winter season and keep an emergency supply kit in your car.
For questions or for more information, including winter safety tips, please visit www.norwalkct.org.
Great Decisions Discussion Group: This week’s topic: The Future of the Euro @ the Rowayton Library
The Rowayton Library is pleased to announce that we will be hosting a Great Decisions Discussion Group which will meet on eight Wednesday evenings beginning January 23 at 7 pm.
The Great Decisions Discussion Program is FPA’s public education initiative to create more informed and engaged citizens by bringing people together to discuss U.S. foreign policy and global affairs issues.
The session topics include: Future of the euro, Egypt, NATO, Myanmar and Southeast Asia, Intervention, Iran, China in Africa, and Threat Assessment. Materials are provided to participants and are available at the Rowayton Library.
This program is free and open to the public. It will meet for 8 sessions led by Erik Rambusch, Adjunct Professor at Norwalk Community College. Discussion dates are 1/23, 2/6, 2/20, 3/6, 3/20, 4/3, 4/17, and 5/1. For more information and program materials, please contact the Library 203-838-5038.
This upcoming session’s topic: The future of the euro. How did the 2008 global recession contribute to the development of the euro crisis? The health of the euro affects and is affected by the state of the global economy. How can European Union leaders prevent the collapse of the common currency?
