Rye DPW Honored by Chamber of Commerce

The Rye Chamber of Commerce gave a round of applause to members of the Rye City Department of Works at its recent annual luncheon.

Craig Casterella, Pam Fazzino, Angela Yusi, Chip Rigano and Ryan Coyne attended the luncheon on behalf of their colleagues and received a certificate of appreciation.

Sally Wright, incoming Chamber of Commerce president, thanked the DPW for their extraordinary help to the business community especially those on Purchase Street. In recent months, DW has lent a hand with street plantings and lightings as well as their normal duty on street and traffic repair projects.

For the most part their efforts go unsung, but the 54 department employees handle everything in the city from sanitation to vehicle and building maintenance to trees and grass, traffic signals, signs and roads. 

Here's a few facts about the hard work done by the DPW this year:

• In 2011, the City of Rye recycled 51 percent of its total tonnage of solid waste collected.
•  The Department of Public Works collected 492 tons of green waste after Hurricane Irene.
• They assisted the police and fire departments with emergency water rescues using backhoes during the 2007 floods and in 2011 for both Hurricanes Irene and Lee.