The Hungry Hollow Road bridge over the Thruway in Ramapo has reopened to traffic. The bridge was the first to be replaced in a $31 million three-bridge New York State Thruway Authority project. The Hungry Hollow Road bridge was first built in 1955 and had a vertical clearance of 14 feet 2 inches. Last year it was hit three times by trucks traveling on the Thruway carrying loads that were too big. The bridge’s new vertical clearance is now 16 feet 6 inches. The Scotland Hill Road bridge and College Road bridge will be replaced next spring.
News
O&R to Develop Advanced Weather Forecasting Tool
Orange & Rockland Utilities is partnering with Central Hudson Gas & Electric to develop a new weather forecasting tool that provides real-time predictions on storm outages, electrical load and renewable energy generation. O&R spokesman Mike Donovan says the project relies on various public weather data sources, including sensors that are being installed at large New York solar farms, and from the University at Albany’s Weather & Climate Analytics group…
The tool will be created in two phases over the next two years with $1.7 million in external funding, $1.2 million of that coming from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Cut Down on Waste by Choosing Reusable COVID Masks
Some of those re-usable masks that we’ve been wearing to guard against COVID infections, aren’t exactly great for the environment. Mike Wilson hosts the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland’s “Storm Water Consortium” show here on WRCR, and says besides the added litter we’ve been dealing with, some masks can take 450 years to decompose…
Wilson says re-usable masks can cut down on tons of plastic and medical waste.
COVID-19 by the numbers now, here in Rockland, we’ve got 4 in the hospital being examined, another 61 have been confirmed with coronavirus, and a total of 1,559 active cases. The state says since the crisis began, we’ve had a total of 20,942 reported cases, 118 more than Wednesday, and the number of deaths in the county since the pandemic began remains at 695.
Pandemic Slows Growth in Clean Energy Industry
Three out of four clean energy workers who lost their jobs at the beginning of the COVID pandemic still are out of work. A new report says that includes solar- and wind-energy installers, factory workers and building-efficiency contractors. Philip Jordan is vice president of B-W Research Partners, and he believes the ongoing pandemic continues to be a major factor in the industry’s slow rebound…
Jordan says a federal clean-energy jobs program would provide good-paying jobs while helping meet carbon-reduction goals to combat climate change.
Clarkstown Barn Wins “Preservation League” Award
Following its restoration and rehabilitation, a Clarkstown barn has been named one of this year’s “Excellence in Historic Preservation” award winners. The Cropsey Farm Barn restoration began in 2006, thanks to a partnership between the town and the county. The “Preservation League of New York State’s” Director of Communications Katy Peace says such projects help to preserve the area’s agricultural heritage…
The entire property, including the Historic Barn and Bunkhouse, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. It was among nine projects to be recognized this year, including the Fire Watchtower at Marcus Garvey Park in the city, the Ethel T. Chamberlain House in Syracuse, and the Yaddo Mansion in Saratoga Springs.