| Courtesy of the New York Post
By GEORGETT ROBERTS and LOIS WEISS
The Headless Horseman's town is certainly not heartless.
Sleepy Hollow, the Westchester hamlet fabled for Washington Irving's no-noggin literary character, spent the weekend helping a Queens community devastated by Hurricane Sandy.
The Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department's only truck was swamped by the superstorm that wreaked havoc in the tiny community by Jamaica Bay.
Luckily, the Village of Sleepy Hollow had a fire truck to spare.
With a brand new, Halloween-themed black and orange pumper truck making its Sleepy Hollow debut last month, firefighters and residents asked village trustees to give the department's old, 1991 vehicle, which holds 10 men and 500 gallons of water, to Broad Channel.
Last week village trustees voted to "sell" the engine to Broad Channel for $1.
Sleepy Hollow Volunteer Fire Department Chief Billy Ryan and Capt. Carlos Romero delivered the truck in grand style this morning, with two American flags fluttering from the back.
But the hand-off included more than just the truck: the vehicle was packed with sleeping bags, clothes, winter coats, canned food, school and cleaning supplies.
"We lost power for a few days. It was an inconvenience," Romero said. "That is all it was for us but these people here — there is such devastation all along the coast, I felt it was an obligation to help them."
Broad Channel volunteers were on hand to receive the gift at the department's 107-year-old Noel Road fire house, which was damaged but still standing after being smacked by more than eight feet of flood waters.
"I appreciate everything," said Broad Channel Assistant Fire Chief Eddie Wilmarth. "It is nearly identical to the one we lost, so to see the yellow rig coming down the street it was kind of cool. It feels like we didn't lose one. Our guys are going to be happy."
Sleepy Hollow had just one request when it came to its gift, trustee Barbara Carr said.
"The only thing we asked is that they leave the Headless Horseman logo on the side of the truck so people will know where it came from," she said. |
