Irene: Water recedes, leaving behind mud and debris in Scotia, Glenville (with video)

Water levels have receded in most of the town and village, leaving residents shocked at the extent of the damage. And now the cleanup begins.

The parking lot at Jumpin’ Jack’s Drive-In restaurant in Scotia is coated with several inches of mud. Owner Mark Lansing, who has hired a contractor to remove the mud, said they’ll have to close for the season. The block buildings were in relatively good shape, although the water was 5 feet deep at one point.

“I think we lost 20 tables. Some tables went downriver, but some went across the street in Collins Park. We’re trying to gather those up,” he said.

The water was about 4 feet above the parking lot, according to Lansing. He was trying to keep the flooding in perspective.

“Something unusual happens whenever nature feels like being angry,” he said. “It’s nothing that can’t be corrected. No life lost. Nobody hurt. It’s just a nuisance to clean up.”

Volunteers are helping employees with the cleanup. “We’ll just take it one day at a time, one room at a time and when we’re done, we’re done,” he said.

Lansing said they may try to open up for one day later in September using a mobile concession trailer, as a sort of last hurrah, but he looked forward to reopening in the spring.

“We’ll be back the last Thursday in March,” he said.

Matt Baumgartner, owner of Bombers Burrito Bar in Schenectady, has started collecting donations for Jumpin’ Jack’s on his website, www.fridaypuppy.com.

“We’re both business owners in the same community. I have a special place in my heart for Jumpin’ Jack’s. I used to go there all the time when I was a kid and when I worked at GE,” Baumgartner said by telephone.

People pulled into the Scotia library parking lot to get a closer look at Jumpin’ Jack’s and Collins Park — much of which is underwater, with the backstops of the baseball diamond poking up from the water. The village has closed the park until further notice.

Jennifer Breslin and her 5-year-old son, Cameron, were among the onlookers. Cameron couldn’t believe what he saw.

“It’s messier than anything else I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Rita Jansen and her husband, Fred, live in Glenville and said they didn’t realize the extent of the damage in the village’s low-lying areas until they saw it on the news.

“It’s devastating; it’s unbelievable,” she said.

Marlene Caldwell of Scotia was at the scene Monday and Tuesday. “It looked like a lake had moved into Collins Park. I feel we were very fortunate the water is receding,” she said.

Schonowee Avenue remains closed. Mayor Kris Kastberg said power has been restored to Schonowee Avenue but it is still out on Washington Avenue. There are no restrictions on water use.

He met with County Manager Kathleen Rooney Tuesday to discuss cleanup expenses. He is not sure how much the storm will cost the village.

“We’re not even done incurring cost at this point,” he said.

Workers at the River Stone Manor banquet facility on Route 5 were cleaning up the mud and debris from Monday’s flooding. Water got into the outside covered tent, said co-owner Skip Sgarlata.

“We’re going to get a backhoe to scoop all the mud. It’s a 10-foot tent. Eight feet of it was underwater.”

Water got up to the top step of the main building’s basement. “It never got into the banquet room, which is really good. I have a party [Wednesday],” he said.

They worked until 1:30 a.m. Tuesday cleaning the parking lot.

Elsewhere in Glenville, the area between the river and Route 5 was hit worst. Maalwyck Park off Route 5 is still closed. When the water receded, it took a parking lot with it, according to Deputy Public Works Commissioner Jeff Gemmette.

They are also worried about a tree at the property. “There’s nothing holding that tree up,” he said.

A section of Indian Meadows Park is also closed as well, according to Supervisor Chris Koetzle.

Elsewhere, the town is still coping with muddy roads and downed trees. The state of emergency and water restrictions were lifted and Town Hall was reopened.

Koetzle said the entire cleanup could take as much as two weeks. He doesn’t know how much the damage will cost.

“We have to tally the storm’s total up and see where we are in a couple of weeks,” he said.

Categories: Schenectady County