Photos of Windham, Post Irene

Here are a few shots along Main Street in Windham. The ski town has been hard hit by Hurricane Irene, but recovery efforts are in full swing and the streets are packed with volunteers and workers and businesses are aiming to re-open as soon as possible. Beloved Italian deli Todaro’s, not pictured here, says next weekend is the goal—-though they also mentioned they’d happily take elbow grease from any comers.

A volunteer relief station, with food and water, is set up in front of the library.

Illustrious Upstaters: Big Jay Fink

Big Jay Fink, Indefatigable Upstate DJ

If we had an Upstater of the Week feature, I’d lobby to nominate Greene County WRIP DJ Jay Fink, so I was thrilled to see Jay get a shout-out in today’s New York Times. Jay’s tireless marathon radio coverage of the storm—much of it done when he was supposed to be on vacation—has proven invaluable to stranded mountaintop residents as well as to neighbors who want to help.

Listening to Jay’s broadcasts on WRIP post-Irene, especially as a city dweller, has been a wonder of tight community camaraderie. People stop by the station to give info about a clothing drive or a church dinner or FEMA sign-up sheet, and Jay seems to know every single person by name and family history. WRIP has also become a kind of de facto StoryCorps project, with locals calling in simply to tell how they experienced the storm, what they lost and what they’ve seen, thanking neighbors by name who helped them out or specifying what others might need.

Much like the amazing reporting being done at Watershed Post, Jay’s work at WRIP shows how vital community journalism can be and conversely, how symbiotic the relationship is between journalists and their communities. Listening to WRIP, it’s clear that people call Jay before anyone else (including 911) because they know him and trust him. I know I would.

Need Someone to Check on Your Greene County Country House?

Carol Shaw from Shaw Country Realty has very generously offered to check on the homes of second home owners post-Hurricane Irene. The number for Shaw Country Realty is 518-734-3500.

Part of the motivation here is the National Guard is only supposed to let residents through to closed roads. That said, I am not a full-time resident, but I was able to get through. The National Guard has been pretty reasonable about letting people pass, but if you can’t make the trip, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

One more thing: if you bought your home relatively recently, you might want to try your own broker for a similar check-in service. Many Greene County brokers have offered to do the same as Carol.

Where to Get Help and Give Help in Windham and Surrounding Area

Main Street, Windham, Volunteer efforts post Hurricane Irene

Hello from Tannersville! I’ve been listening to WRIP-FM pretty obsessively, and it’s been a great source of community information about Hurricane Irene relief in Greene County. They’ve been giving out key numbers all day, many of which can be found on their website. Here’s a quick round-up of their info for getting and giving help if you live in or near Windham.

If you’re in the Windham area and need food, medicine, or water delivered (or know someone who does), call the Windham Emergency Command Center: 518-734-4938. They have real, live people answering the phones! If you’re able to drive and need food, water, or company, you can head to Main Street in Windham and stop in front of the library. They’re set up on the lawn serving hot food and giving free water to all comers. If, like me, you’re still out of electricity, this is a great option for dinner. They’re serving spaghetti for dinner tonight and could also use extra hands. Just show up and they’ll put you to work!

If you’re a mountain resident and want to help deliver food, medicine and water to folks in need, call the command center volunteer hotline at 518-610-0380. Leave a message with your phone number, and they’ll get back to you to tell you what they need. Note that many mountain roads are open to residents only, so you’ll need to show proof of residency if you plan to help out with deliveries.

Albergo Allegria on Route 296 is organizing a clothing drive. They’re accepting donations tomorrow afternoon, Sept 1st, and will be distributing them on Friday, Sept 2nd. They’re looking for volunteers to help sort the donations. Call Iris Kaplan at 518-947-4995 if you’d like to help out. The Albergo Allegria is also offering free hot showers for folks still without running water. No need to call ahead. Just show up with your favorite bath gel.

Finally, note that Tannersville is up and running—-and they have electricity! I’m writing this from Maggie’s Krooked Cafe, where you can use wireless, charge up, etc—-and where they put whipped cream on your iced coffee just to be nice.

Fingers crossed that the rest of the mountain will get electricity by the weekend, as promised!