Hi Judy et al:

Our chapter would have held its annual business meeting today, but we had to cancel it due to Sandy!

I am writing to you from my apartment, where we sustained power. I was never so happy to wake up and find the lights on. Many New Yorkers are not so lucky today, with 230,000 households in Manhattan without power due to a substation explosion at 14th St. Brooklyn has 75,000 households in the dark this morning. I have noticed that many of my ARLIS friends on Facebook who were posting across the day yesterday are now quiet.

Con Ed is saying that those without power can expect it to continue for the next week. The subway system will be completely offline for days to come as water is pumped out and the MTA is working to get the buses up and running soon. The bridges and tunnels remain closed, as do all the commuter rails. I am personally thinking about my friends and relatives in Long Island, some of whom live on or near the water.

I did look out my window in Harlem this morning to see a patch of blue coming through the grey. That has disappeared now but I look forward to its return later in the day. I'm also wondering if I'll be walking to work tomorrow or Thursday.

All the best and thinking about all of you without power this morning....

Sarah Falls
Chair, ARLIS/NY
Director of the Library
New York School of Interior Design