I was awakened this morning in my house on Fordham Road to the sound of fire trucks racing through my Village. I am heartbroken by the damage this fire has caused to my historic Village and the loss it has created for so many residents. It is made worse by the proximity of this tragic event to the holidays.

My thanks to all our fire fighters from throughout the South Fork and our emergency service workers for their efforts to limit the damage and ensuring there was no serious injuries or loss of life. They again persevered against the fire in the cold and wind without regard to their own safety.

I have contacted the Village office and offered whatever resources my office and the State possess to assist the Village and affected residents in dealing with the aftermath of the fire.

Specifically, in my role as chairman of the Assembly Small Business Committee, I have contacted Jim King, the Executive Director of the New York State Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The SBDC has an office at Stony Brook University. The Stony Brook Center will be contacting Mayor Schroeder directly. We will pursue every available resource including the possibility of a disaster declaration to make resources available. I am also concerned about any Village resident who may be made homeless by this fire and providing them with the resources that they may need. We have contacted state housing officials to assist the Village.

My goal is to address any human impacts from this disaster and then take the steps needed to rebuild and preserve our historic main street. At a time that is supposed to be all about peace and joy, this disaster hits hard. I am confident that the village again will join together to meet the challenge and we will emerge stronger than ever.