Mid Hudson Times May 23 2018 | Page 3

Mid Hudson Times, Wednesday, May 23, 2018 difficult to navigate, prompting workarounds through muddy switchbacks and old unpaved lanes. Meanwhile, the storm’s damage across Newburgh and nearby communities was still being assessed yesterday because it’s impact was so enormous. In Newburgh, store owners on Liberty Street banded together to help each other. “Times like these make us remember that we’re not alone,” said Phillipe Pierre owner of the popular Ms. Fairfax restaurant on the city’s growing restaurant strip. 3 Businesses on the growing eating and entrainment strip supported each other in the storm. “Times like these,” said Pierre, “make us remember that the journey is to make Newburgh better.” “Storms or no storms,” he emphasized. “I was joking that moments like these with the storm are just a warmup for the June 2 Newburgh Illuminated” annual city-wide gallery and illumination show. “We hope it will be bright and sunny.” Brian Wolfe Michelle Basch from The Wherehouse is getting by with a little help from her friends Richard Fracasse and Decora. their landscapers because the town’s just not going to be able to do it. “The public works department wouldn’t be able to do anything else all summer.” The debris pileups from the storm’s ravages are so bad, he said, “that some people couldn’t move out of their houses because of the debris.” “But we are coming through it,” said Zarutskie. “The highway department did a very, very good job. It’s huge..” This Tuesday’s weather bombshell tested Newburghers with the power of the savage 1950 hurricane when it lifted off the heavy roof of the city’s iconic Dutch Reformed Church, says Newburgh city historian Mary McTamaney. “Imagine the power of the storm to do that.” The rampaging storm’s signal light power outages left some intersections Photos by Brian Wolf The businesses on Liberty Street made the best of a bad situation by giving away food and creating an impromptu street party on Wednesday.