Update: School opening delayed
Shelter Island School announced late Tuesday afternoon that the opening of school will be delayed two hours on Wednesday.
As snow continues to blanket Shelter Island, Police Chief Jim Read, the town’s emergency services coordinator, asks that anyone experiencing electrical outages call 1-800-450-0075 since a PSEG crew is based here ready to respond.
Any other emergencies should be reported using the 911 line that provides a readout on your address for the operator who will handle calls for police, fire and ambulance service needs.
This is the second storm this month with the first occurring January 2, and as with the last one, the same procedures are in place to deal with the storm and its aftermath, according to Chief Read.
Both Shelter Island School and the Senior Activity Center function as emergency shelters, but would only be opened if there were a sustained major power outage that necessitated providing housing for residents, according to police. Both buildings are equipped with emergency generators, cots and other basics.
Chief Read estimated snow fall here at about 8 inches, while Highway Superintendent Jay Card Jr., said he’s expecting 10 or more inches of snow. As with the last storm, the highway crews will be out clearing and sanding roads, but if winds pick up as they are forecast to do, the crew will have the same challenge it faced last time — keeping up with drifting snow that blow back into the streets.
Nonetheless, as with the previous storm, the crew was able to keep roadways passable, Mr. Card reported. Still, his advice stands — if you don’t have to be on the road, stay home. Vehicles that become stuck in snow drifts impede the effort to plow the roads, Mr. Card said.
After school activities have been cancelled for tonight, with no decision yet about whether or not to hold classes tomorrow and if so, whether there might be any delay in school opening, according to school clerk Jacki Dunning.
Weather permitting, the boys varsity and junior varsity basketball games against Greenport that were to be played today will be rescheduled to Wednesday afternoon, Ms. Dunning said. Still on, at least at this moment is a 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Board of Education budget meeting followed by the board’s regular meeting. There’s also a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting still on the schedule for Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall.
Shelter Island Public Library Director Denise DiPaolo cancelled afternoon and evening programs Tuesday, including the Club, the Poetry Roundtable and Movie’s at the Library. Opening on Wednesday will depend on the weather.
Both North and South ferries continue to run on their regular schedules with no anticipation of change.
