Aug 26, 2022

Another scam alert!


Kay Duclos today reported the receipt of a scam email. She was first to do so, but probably won't be the last as we have learned from earlier scams.

This one purports to be from Nadeen Thompson (details below). It isn't. If you receive a copy please trash it. Do NOT forward it to anyone even for information purposes. In addition to just being annoying, such scam messages often have hidden codes embedded in them that can plant a virus in computers or create a loophole through which hackers can access your files and personal data.

In most scam messages, the sender claims to not have access to a phone and can only communicate via email and/or text. That's simply a way to get into your accounts 

Here is the text of the email Kay received:

From: "Nadeen Thompson" 
Sent: Friday August 26 2022 10:29:29AM 
Subject: Re: MY REGARDS TO YOU 

Thanks for your acknowledgement. I need to get an AMAZON GIFT CARDS for a friend of mine who is diagnosed with stage 4 Cancer. She lost her only daughter to the disease (COVID-19). It's her birthday but I can't do this now because I'm currently out of town.

I tried purchasing it online but unfortunately I got no luck on that. Wondering if you could get it from any shop around you or from Amazon online? I'll pay back when I get back. 

Kindly let me know if you can handle this.

A followup email said: 

From: "Nadeen Thompson"
Sent: Friday August 26 2022 2:05:09AM 
Subject: MY REGARDS TO YOU 

How are you doing? I need a favor from you. I'm Unavailable on Phone, Kindly let me know when you get this. Awaiting Response, Regards Nadeen

Small change, but library vote is crucial

The main Troy Library, opposite Russell Sage College.

In the presence of other, larger taxes -- school, city, county, state, etc. -- we sometimes may forget the smaller yet very important levies such as those supporting our city library system.

As the Times Union recently reported, "Facing staffing problems due low salaries and benefits, the Troy Public Library Board of Trustees is proposing a 2023 budget that carries an increase of 10 cents in the city library tax to make the library more competitive with other similar libraries in the Upper Hudson Library System." 

The budget vote determining the future of the 125-year-old library will be held from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the main library, 100 Second Street, and at the Lansingburgh branch at 27 114th Street. 

Meanwhile here is some information that may help you decide (a) whether to vote, and/or (b) how to vote:

Due to financial and staffing problems, the library has from time to time reduced its hours of operation. 

As director Paul Hickok explains, "The library Board of Trustees believes that we must face these problems head-on with the help of our community, even though it will add an additional $191,763 to the library’s overall operating budget. This would add $15 to the average homeowner's annual property tax bill but will ensure our ability to provide the services that the people of Troy depend upon and enjoy.” 

You can access the full Times Union story here.

Aug 25, 2022

Little Italy Marketplace gets $375K improvement grant


Troy's Little Italy Marketplace received a boost today with the announcement of a $375,000 grant to the city for express purpose of further developing the marketplace.

The announcement was made at a public event by Assemblyman John McDonald, who emphasized the bipartisan efforts behind the grant, also attended by various community and governmental officials including Mayor Patrick Madden and members of the Little Italy Quality of Life Committee.

The grant was spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko through state and municipal facilities grant funding (SAM). The money will go toward a playground, a new bocce court, splash pad, promenade, public space, and other amenities.

The city-owned Little Italy Marketplace is located on a former brownfields area between Liberty and Washington streets. Activities over the years have ranged widely, from a farmers market to bocce matches to a stickball tournament, inline hockey league, and varied entertainment events.


As summer fades, our lighting should not

As summer winds down, the days grow shorter, as is the way of Nature. And, that means more hours of dusk and darkness. 

That also means we would be well-advised to raise our level of awareness when it comes to community safety on the Terrace. 

As we recently were informed by Tom Wade, our Community Safety Committee chair who had requested on our behalf that the City of Troy improve lighting on the Terrace, the city will NOT be doing so for the foreseeable future. 

We were fortunate several years ago, with John Paccione -- also a Safety Committee member -- spearheading the effort, to upgrade the lighting at the entrance to Hyland Drive, and to help several homeowners upgrade their front-yard lighting. However, we need more attention to such details. 

Some owners have upgraded their front-yard pole lights, but many have not. So, we have a mix of dull bulbs, even some original pole lights that have long provided inadequate illumination because their once-transparent panels have oxidized, and others that have been out of commission for months. All of that has resulted in dark areas on the Terrace that invite nefarious activity. 

During the COVID pandemic, we saw a marked increase in the number of non-residents regularly walking through the neighborhood. While the vast majority are neighbors from Highpointe and even the Terrace at Stoneledge, it is not inconceivable that some may have been looking for vulnerabilities. 

To that end, the Community Safety Committee and the THCA Board are asking that the owners/residents of each home review their individual lightning situation. 

• If you have original pole lights, that means they are 25 years old or so, and are badly outdated. A professional electrician can provide guidance about whole or partial replacements.

• If you have not upgraded individual pole light bulbs to modern LED bulbs, the Committee (Tom, John, and Bill Shover) can advise you on how to do so at minimal cost. 

• If your lights do not work at all, that obviously can and should quickly be remedied. 

While such efforts will not completely compensate for the City's decision not to help, it will "light a candle in the darkness" and help make our community just a bit safer. 

Thank you for your attention and, we hope, your efforts to help you and your neighbors.

You can join a Tiffany glass tour of Troy

 

A stained glass window at the main Troy Public Library.

If you're unaware that Troy is a treasure trove of Tiffany glass creations, you can learn a lot more by taking the annual tour offered by the Hudson Mohawk Gateway. 

"We our thrilled to announce the return with five co-hosting locations of our annual Tiffany glass tour," the organization said. "Troy is said to have more Tiffany glass per square mile than any other city in the world, including a few of the most famous ever produced. 

"This guided walking tour and lecture covers the life and work of Louis Comfort Tiffany and several of his illustrious employees in their production of some astonishing works of art in glass."

The driving-and-walking tour is scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, September 17, for $25 per person. The tour has limited tickets available on a first come, first served basis. You can go online to get ticket reservation information.

"Remember, this is a multi-block walking tour, so wear your comfortable shoes," the organizers say.

Aug 23, 2022

Fluid leak prompts traffic alert


As of 1:54 this afternoon, the Troy Police Department was on the scene of a large fluid leak in the area of Congress and 8th streets. 

According to the TPD, the following streets are temporarily currently closed to all traffic: 

• Congress Street between 8th and 15th streets 
• 8th Street between Peoples Avenue and Congress Street
• Ferry Street and 6th Avenue (eastbound) 

Please be prepared to seek alternate routes of travel for a period of time.

Aug 22, 2022

Re-connecting the Terrace community online

As promised, today we are officially re-launching our community website to provide an online repository of forms, notes, announcements, and photos for the residents of the Terrace at Highpointe. 

We hope this forum will provide an opportunity for all Terrace residents to stay fully informed about the business and leisure of the community. And, it is intended to provide an easy way for those of the community who have "snowbird" status to keep in touch back home. 

If you have any news, information, photos, or other data you would like to share with your Terrace neighbors, please email them to theterraceathighpointe@gmail.com (it's not case sensitive) and we'll help spread the word. 

Please take a few minutes and look around this site so you know what we've put together for you. You'll note that key Terrace documents and forms are included, along with lists of leisure time organizations, schools and colleges, government entities, etc. 

So, please bookmark this site so you can access it on a regular basis.


Danger: Another Terrace email hack


If you received an email today purporting to be from Tom Savchik, please ignore it. 

Tom and Peggy just confirmed for me that Tom's email account has been hacked. He did not send out a note about having an accident or a followup note about having surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He is fine, he is at home, but he is mystified. 

This is the third time in about a month that a Terrace resident's account has been hacked. That raises the suspicion that someone has gained unauthorized access to Terrace residents' contact information through one means or another. 

To that end, please be very careful if you receive an email from anyone on the Terrace. If you do open such a message, be sure the content isn't about some vague and unusual situation. Best bet: If you suspect any such message, call the supposed sender to ascertain if it is a legitimate message. 

Stay safe! 

-- Bill Dowd

Aug 21, 2022

A changing of the Terrace guard

To My Fellow Terrace Residents: 

I'm baaack! 

As you've been informed by Steve Sanders, he has stepped down as president of the Terrace at Highpointe Community Association. We all thank Steven for his diligent and tireless service to the community in that role for the last 6+ years. 

I've been asked by my fellow Board members to return to the presidency, an office I have held three times before along with 26 years on the Board and the decades-long chairmanships of several key committees such as Architectural Review and Rules. I hope to make use of that experience to again help guide and serve the Association, this time through the end of 2023. 

To that end, I thank all of you who have sent me messages of support or expressed such sentiments in person. To them and all other Terrace owner/residents, I ask that you continue to support and encourage your volunteer Board. 

What can you look forward to? 

• We have had a Terrace website for some years, but it has not been utilized to any great degree. I plan to resurrect and update it as a device to help all residents easily stay in touch with the community, something that is particularly important since a growing number of our residents have taken on "snowbird" status and are not in residence here year-round. Stay tuned for news on that front. 

• In addition, I plan to regularly communicate with everyone on major issues of our community via e-mail blasts and in person. But, as we all know the best communication is a two-way effort. To that end, I encourage you to let me know any concerns you may have, and/or to communicate directly with our various committee chairs as appropriate. They are the specialists on such things as Grounds, Beautification, Architectural Review, and Rules and should be the first people you reach out to. 

• So, as we go forward into Year 28 of this community (the first residents -- including Lorraine and the late Harvey Bailey, and April and I who moved in by August 1995 and watched the rest of the Terrace being constructed), I ask you join me in working to maintain the quality of life and the property values of our community through volunteerism and neighborliness. 

Best wishes to all, 

Bill Dowd

Aug 18, 2022

A farewell message after 6+ years

Dear Terrace Neighbors:

As I have mentioned, on August 20 I will be stepping down as your Terrace at Highpointe Community Association president and Bill Dowd will be replacing me. 

Many of you know that Bill is an original owner, a multiple-term past president, and a longtime member of the Terrace Board of Directors. Our association will be in great hands under his leadership for the next year and a half. 

I am grateful for the honor of having represented this wonderful community for these past six and a half years. During that time we have been able to maintain our property and its services in very good if not perfect condition. We were able to keep our dues structure from going up in spite of inflationary pressures.

Jerry Gordon has done a great job as our treasurer in overseeing our income and expenditures. We revised our By-Laws and Declaration which were in need of updates after 25 years. It was a tremendous undertaking that Bill and Jerry were largely responsible for. 

In so doing we also provided choice for our neighbors who wish to change the exterior color of their shutters and doors. The other Board members -- Sid Legg, Ellen Gordon, Ned Alaskey, and Bill Shover -- have done outstanding work in so many large and small ways. I am personally indebted to them for all their efforts. 

And, through the very difficult pandemic summers of 2020 and 2021 when there was so much isolation we kept our community in touch with one another with a number of outdoor events. The pizza parties and ice cream party were wonderful successes, thanks mainly to Ellie Debonis. Thanks to the efforts of John Paccione, we upgraded the lighting at the entrance of the Terrace. And, Tom Wade is in touch with the City of Troy to investigate the possibility of adding additional lighting around the Terrace to brighten our area at night. 

We all appreciate the unsung efforts of our Beautification Committee for adorning our environs at various holiday times. And, this past year we organized our community to stop the havoc and congestion that would have resulted on Oakwood Avenue if a school bus depot had been located directly across from our entrance as was proposed. 

Of course, there are always more issues to manage. Our strength is in the genuine care and concern we have for our common property and for each other. Like any other community we will at times face problems and adversity, but I have no doubt that under the leadership of Bill and our Board, and with the support of all of us, we will continue to be a model for what a great Homeowners Association can be.

Thank you again for the privilege of being your President. 

Best wishes, Steven Sanders

Jul 31, 2022

RIP to our friend and neighbor Bob Hayward

Robert E. Hayward Sr., 93 of Troy, beloved husband of Pauline "Polly" A. Ruchel Hayward of Troy, peacefully entered into eternal life surrounded by his family on Friday, July 29, 2022, at St. Peter's Hospice Inn in Albany. 

Born in Troy, he was the son of the late Clarence E. and Edith Rienert Hayward, Sr. and was a graduate of Lansingburgh High School. 

Bob served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and received an honorable discharge in 1953. He enjoyed a career in sales, working well into his 80s before retiring from Curtis Industrial of Philadelphia, PA. 

Bob was a faithful member of Faith Lutheran Church in Speigletown. He enjoyed golfing, skiing, his RV, and spending time at the Troy Senior Center as well as with his family. Bob was a long-time member of the Eagle Mills Fire Department. 

Beloved husband for 73 years of Polly; devoted father of Mark R. (Terri Antonelli) Hayward Sr. of Sarasota, FL, Robert E. (Roberta) Hayward, Jr. of Ballston Lake; and cherished grandpa of Jennifer (Greg) Salamone, Mark R. (Kristine) Hayward Jr. and Daniel R. (Stephanie) Hayward; adored great-grandpa of Dominick Salamone, Madelynn Salamone, Cameron Hayward, Elena Hayward, and Katelynn Hayward, who is due to arrive this week; father-in-law of Janice Hayward. Also survived by nephew Clark Hayward. Bob was predeceased by his brother, Clarence E. Hayward Sr. 

The Hayward family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to the staff at St. Peter's Hospice Inn and also to Dr. John O'Bryan for the wonderful care that provided to Bob. 

Relatives and friends are invited to visitation on Wednesday from 10 to 11 a.m. and to the funeral service beginning at 11 a.m., both at Faith Lutheran Church, 50 Leversee Road, Troy, followed by his committal service and military honors at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville at 1 p.m. Those desiring, may make memorial contributions to Faith Lutheran Church, 50 Leversee Road, Troy, NY 12182. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted by the family to the White - Sanvidge Funeral Home, Inc., 58 Leversee Road, (RT-40 in Speigletown) Troy, NY 12182. (518) 235-0952 Please feel free to offer your online condolences at sanvidgefuneralhome.com.

Oct 31, 2021

RIP to our friend and neighbor Rose Golino

Rosina “Rose” Golino, devoted wife of Rosario J. Golino who predeceased her, passed away peacefully on October 30, 2021 at the Eddy Memorial Geriatric Center in Troy at the age of 97 after a brief illness. 

Born in Brooklyn, she was the daughter of Michael and Martha Pace and had one brother, Vito (Connie) Pace, who predeceased her. Rose was a graduate of St. John’s University with a degree in French and taught French in various New York City high schools after graduation. Fluent in both Italian and French, she wanted to use her language skills in the banking industry and transitioned to what would become a long 25-year career on Wall Street, retiring from European American Bank as an assistant vice president. 

Despite being a career woman somewhat ahead of her time, Rose’s main focus was always her family. She was the devoted mother of Dominick F. (Patricia) Golino of Charlotte, NC, and Prudence (Stephen) Pechenik of Troy. She cherished and was always proud of her grandchildren Danielle (Jon) Laws of Denver, NC; Natalie Russell of Tampa, FL; Jeffrey (Laura) Pechenik of Denver, CO, and Iris Pechenik of Long Beach, CA. “Aunt Rose” also is survived by several generations of adoring nieces and nephews with whom she shared many years of fun family gatherings and holiday dinners.  

Everyone will miss her quick wit, sensible disposition, and large presence in any room she occupied. Rose moved to East Northport, Long Island, from Brooklyn when she and her husband retired, which gave them more time to spend visiting their grandchildren, take trips, and enjoy their friends of 40 years. In 1997, she and Russ moved to The Terrace at Highpointe in Troy to be near her daughter and grandchildren. 

When not socializing with her neighbors or sampling new restaurants in the region, Rose’s passion in retirement was reading and the only untidy spaces in her townhouse were the many closet shelves and drawers that overflowed with books read or still to be enjoyed –- sometimes with a Southern Comfort. 

There will be no calling hours. An interment will take place in the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery with a memorial service to be held at a later date to celebrate her long life and legacy. Memorial contributions in Rose’s memory can be made to Community Hospice of Rensselaer County at 295 Valley View Blvd, Rensselaer, NY 12144.

Mar 16, 2020

City service updates during coronavirus pandemic

The City of Troy has made modifications in some services during the state of emergency just declared by Mayor Patrick Madden in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

As of this writing, there have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the City or any of Rensselaer County, but that could quickly change.

 City Hall, fire stations, the water treatment plant, and other municipal facilities are closed to the public to avoid contact that could result in viral contagion. If you feel the need to have an in-person meeting with anyone in  the City administration, you can call 518-279-7156 and ask for the appropriate department to request an appointment.

Meanwhile, here is the services situation:
• Regular Friday morning pickup of trash, garbage, and recycled items will continue as usual.

• Bulk trash collection service has been postponed until further notice. Do not call the Department of Public Works (DPW) to schedule such pickups.

• The annual Spring Cleanup program is delayed until further notice. The street-sweeping program will continue, but tagging and towing of vehicles blocking that work will be suspended until further notice on designated routes. (Look for signage throughout the City.)

• To protect customers and employees, the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has suspended meter equipment changes and non-emergency internal-leak investigations. During responses to emergency residential leaks, staff will take necessary precautions and require a minimum six-foot distance be maintained between customers and employees.

• DPU is preparing for operations with restricted personnel and will continue to provide potable water for any needs. Suppliers have been contacted and are set to continue deliveries. DPU staff has increased storage availability of chemicals to ensure the longevity of drinking water.

• Approval of public event permits has been suspended for a period of 30 days to mitigate potential spread of the virus at large gatherings.

• All city bills (taxes, water bills, parking violations, garbage fees, etc.) must be paid online or by mail. Property owners can utilize online bill pay options.

• Meetings of the Planning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals are suspended until further notice. All permit applications and other transactions/services will be conducted via email, phone, or online.

• The City’s normal parking ticket dispute process is postponed until further notice. (So, tough luck if you get a ticket. You'll pay it online or by mail.)

Dec 30, 2019

RIP to our friend and neighbor Russ Golino

This is our friend and neighbor Russ Golino's official obituary.

Rosario “Russ” J. Golino died peacefully in Troy on Friday, December 27, 2019 at the age of 96 after a long and happy life.  

Born in Brooklyn, he was the son of Dominick and Providenza Golino and had one brother Frank (Jennie) Golino who predeceased him.   

Russ is survived by his beloved wife Rosina “Rose” (Pace) Golino, with whom he celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in October.

Russ proudly served in the US Army during WWII as a staff sergeant in the Fifth Army Sixth Corp. Military Police as a translator and was awarded numerous medals for his service in campaigns throughout Italy, western Germany, and southern France. 

Upon his discharge, Russ and Rose married and he began work as a computer operator with the Health Insurance Plan of New York for 32 years, retiring in 1988 to enjoy life with his wife and friends in East Northport, Long Island, for many years. He loved his family and took great joy in attending his oldest granddaughter’s dance recitals over the years and college graduation. A fierce Brooklyn Dodgers fan, Russ transferred his loyalty and enjoyed watching Giants baseball games and rooting for his New York Giants football team.

In 1996, Russ and Rose moved to Troy to be near their grandchildren where he spent many enjoyable cold mornings at Frear Park Ice Rink watching youth hockey games, sat through long tripleheader girls softball games, and proudly attended youth orchestra concerts.

Russ was the devoted father of  Dominick F. (Patricia) Golino of Charlotte, NC, and Prudence (Stephen) Pechenik of Troy, and cherished his grandchildren Danielle (Jon) Laws of Denver, NC,  Natalie Russell of Tampa, FL, Jeffrey (Laura) Pechenik of Denver, CO, and Iris Pechenik of Long Beach, CA. He also sis urvived by many nieces and nephews.

Russ enjoyed his home and neighbors at the Terrace at Highpointe and joked that they “retired to Troy, NY” when others were moving to Florida. He and Rose especially enjoyed their newfound friendship with neighbors Tom and Ginny Chichester who became great dinner and travel companions. Well into his 80s, their shared mission was to visit as many regional restaurants as they could.

The family of Russ would like to especially thank their friend and neighbor Donna Williams whose many acts kindness contributed to enabling Rose and Russ to remain in their own home well into their 90s. Thank you for the soup, ham dinners and goodies from the bakery!

Calling hours are Thursday, January 2, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Mcloughlin & Mason Funeral Home located, 8 109th Street, Troy 12182. There will be a brief service at the funeral home on January 3 at 10 a.m., followed by interment at Gerald B.H. Solomon National Cemetery in Saratoga, NY.  Please visit www.mcloughlinmason.com.

Feb 8, 2019

Check your mailbox!

Neighbors:

In case you did not receive either of my emails, here is the situation concerning our "snail" mail.

The mail carrier apparently neglected to properly secure the rear cover of the common mailboxes on the left side of the mailbox gazebo today. Thus, all those individual boxes are open to the elements and/or thieves. PLEASE IMMEDIATELY CHECK YOUR MAIL BOX, especially given the blustery day we're having.

FYI, I have made repeated calls to both the Troy and Waterford post offices to report the problem and get it fixed. No one answers the phone at either location no matter how long I let it ring. I also tried the USPS 800 line several times, to no avail.

-- Bill Dowd

Feb 1, 2019

'Burgh group hosting Herman Melville House event

For those who don't realize it, the Terrace actually is part of Lansingburgh -- both the ZIP code and the school district. The 'Burgh, as it is called, has a vibrant history, and here's an event that focuses on part of it.


Jan 28, 2019

Snowstorm coming; care to opt out of snowblowing?

Dear Terrace Neighbors:

The second big winter storm is predicted to dump 6 to 12 inches of snow in the Capital Region starting tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon and running through Wednesday morning.

Several people mentioned to me that they preferred that their walkways not be cleared with our contractor's snow blower. They would rather shovel their walkways themselves to guard against blowing snow up against the sides of their houses.

So, if you do NOT want Bay to snowblow your walkway, let me know today (Monday) and I will so instruct Bay.

Otherwise, please be safe over the next couple of days. With temperatures plunging to zero and below on Wednesday through the end of the week, things will be pretty bad outside for a few days. Please take care!

Steven Sanders
THCA President

Jan 20, 2019

City of Troy snow emergency parking rules

If you have to venture outside during the current snow emergency, here's the lowdown on what the City of Troy -- which, obviously, includes Lansingburgh -- requires of motorists:

"During the first 24 hours of a declared Snow Emergency, parking on the odd-numbered side of designated Snow Emergency roadways will be prohibited (unless otherwise temporarily posted).

"Parking on the even numbered sides of city streets will be prohibited during the second 24 hours of a declared Snow Emergency.

"Vehicles in violation of the parking restrictions will receive a parking ticket and will be towed, both at the owner’s expense."
To get a full list of affected roadways throughout the City of Troy, go to its Designated Snow Emergency streets page.

Jan 19, 2019

Reminder: MLK holiday this coming Monday


The current partial federal government shutdown notwithstanding, Monday, January 21, will be a federal holiday in celebration of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. That means all "non-essential" offices will be closed.

What else will be closed, whether they are "essential" to you or not? Here are a few examples:
• Banks, although ATMs and online services should be available
• U.S. Postal Service branches
• Local government offices
• Schools and colleges
• The New York Stock Exchange
What will be open?
• Hospital emergency departments
• Most shopping malls
• Most individual stores

Click here to hear the audio of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered in Washington, DC, on August 28, 1963, as the highlight of the "March On Washington For Jobs and Freedom."

Braced for the wintry blast? Here's a checklist

The Terrace, 8:30 Saturday night.

The various weather prognosticators have warned us that the first significant snowstorm of the winter will hit us Saturday night and last well into Sunday.

Here are a few things to bear in mind:

Please be sure your cars -- and those of any visitors -- are parked in garages or the designated community parking spaces so all driveways are accessible to being plowed.

As THCA President Steven Sanders has said in several email messages, we have communicated with our snow-removal crew who tell us they're set to serve. However, because a long duration of snowfall is predicted, removal no doubt will be undertaken in several stages depending on the rate of snowfall and the necessity of moving snow around to avoid as much as possible high mounds that obscure road visibility. So, some patience will be needed.

If you lose heat, Lorraine Bailey has graciously offered to temporarily host neighbors because she has an auxiliary heat source.

If you have a neighbor with mobility or other health issues, please call them periodically to see if they are doing well or in need of any community help.

If you have to go outdoors, remember to dress in layers. Several lighter layers provide more insulation than one heavy coat or other outer garment, and allow you more movement.

Keep your cellphones plugged into chargers as long as you have power to your home. That way you'll have a better chance at having the battery fully charged should power go out. And, speaking of cellphones, remember to use the "Airplane Mode" setting, If you are not expecting a call and don't need to be connected to the Internet, it will preserve your battery for much longer in the event of a power loss.