On the front page of the 11/7/12 Guardian the headline said, “Winners from the voting machines,” Depending on the Provisional Ballots, some of the winners may change with the exclusion of the Mayor of Perth Amboy.

With that said we would like to commend Mayor Wilda Diaz and her administration for keeping the residents well informed prior to the hurricane (in spite of some government departments downgrading it to a Tropical Storm) slamming into the tri-state area.

Some of the e-mails sent from the administrators to our paper included information about shelters which also took into consideration those residents who have pets.

There were also the usual messages about emergency supplies to keep on hand. No matter how many dire warnings we were given about the strength of this hurricane, I don’t think anyone was prepared for the destruction that we saw and the disruption of daily life that some are still experiencing to this day.

The Waterfront areas of Perth Amboy, South Amboy and Sewaren were destroyed with Perth Amboy being hit the hardest of the three.

On the front page of this issue, the hurricane took its toll on Foodtown in South Amboy which has been part of their community for past 86 years. Although they have a sign on their door saying they will be closing for business perhaps their will be a glimmer of hope that can save them.

One local resident remarked, “We have a lot of seniors and handicapped people that use Foodotown. It was their only store to get food. Really a sad day.”

Just like our editorial from last week, “Remember this store is not just a building but you have to have employees to keep the business operational on a daily basis. There are other people that have to be congratulated for doing an outstanding job in helping the community.

The volunteers who helped clean the debris from the beach on Sadowski Parkway in Perth Amboy, Developer Eddie Trujillio who delivered much needed supplies to Staten Island residents. We also would like give a special recognition to Eddie for the emergency lights he had in Supremo Supermarket and the hallways of King Plaza. Anyone who walked on Smith Street going towards the Waterfront when the complete power was out will know what I mean.

If your City Administrators did not keep the residents up to date in the days preceding Sandy, then perhaps you should have your voices heard in full force at your next Council Meeting. The Council Chambers should be packed to full capacity. If you choose to not attend and let things go as status quo, then you have no right to complain.

There was ample warning about the severity of this storm and there was no excuse for Administrators to get a taskforce together. This should have included evacuation procedures, shelter locations and making sure that the most vulnerable are protected.

We talked to some residents in South Amboy who said that Police Chief Darren LaVigne did an excellent job before, during and after the hurricane. The residents also said that the SAFD, and EMT’s who are all volunteers also did an excellent job. Councilwoman Christine Noble should also be commended.

Residents, Civic Leaders, and Churches came together to donate food and supplies to those in need. They did this although they may not have power themselves.

Sandy was a hard lesson to learn but it many a lot stronger.

C.M., KM.