Thursday, October 1, 2026
In Island Park, we don’t make excuses — and we don’t wait for someone else to solve our problems.
When Winter Storm Fern hit on Jan. 23, dropping more than 14 inches of snow, it would have been easy to focus on the severity of the storm. But the real challenge wasn’t just the snowfall — it was the long stretch of bitter cold that followed. Snow can be plowed. Weeks of freezing temperatures, ice buildup and shrinking roadways are a different story.
That’s where the difference between talking about leadership and actually leading becomes clear.
Before the first snowflake fell, I was at the village garage with Deputy Mayor Matthew Graci and Trustee Robert Tice. We checked the plows, the fuel and the equipment, because in local government, preparation is not optional. Too often, people assume these things just happen. They don’t. They happen because people take responsibility before there’s a crisis.
When the storm arrived, our Department of Public Works went to work, plowing roads, clearing lots and keeping sidewalks passable. But as the cold dragged on, it became obvious that routine operations wouldn’t cut it. Snow piled up. Streets narrowed. Access became more difficult.
So we didn’t sit back — we adapted. We went block by block, hauling snow out of the village. It took time, effort and a team that understood the job wasn’t finished just because the snow stopped falling.
At the same time, Trustee Barbara Volpe-Ried was checking on seniors and residents who needed help. That’s not a headline-grabbing job, but it’s one of the most important things we do. A community is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable, and we take that responsibility seriously.
Trustee Michael Gagliardi spent long hours at Fire Department headquarters with our volunteer firefighters. I joked he might need a sleeping bag — but that level of commitment is what keeps a community running in difficult conditions. Our volunteers show up, and stay.
Then, just as we got through the first stretch, Feb. 23 brought a second punch, a nor’easter with more than two feet of snow, high winds and power outages.
Before it hit, I met with our public works crew and the village trustees. I gave them a pep talk, and joked that I felt like Lou Holtz before the 1988 college football national championship game. That night, Notre Dame won 12–0. And in February, Island Park wasn’t about to lose.
For nearly 48 hours, our crews, and our volunteer first responders, worked nonstop. Winds were relentless. Snow drifted as high as six feet in some areas. Power outages added another layer of urgency.
We worked closely with PSEG — but let me be clear, we also pushed. Because when residents are sitting in the cold, “we’re working on it” is not enough. In Island Park, we advocate, we press and we get results. Power came back faster than expected in many areas, and that didn’t happen by accident.
I rode along on the plows during both storms, and what I saw should put to rest any doubts about what this community is made of. I saw neighbors shoveling out neighbors. I saw residents checking on one another. I saw firefighters responding to calls in conditions most people wouldn’t venture outside in. And I saw our workforce doing the kind of physically demanding, often thankless work that keeps a village functioning.
That’s the part people don’t always see — but it’s the part that matters most.
We also made it a priority to communicate constantly — through social media, alerts and our Village Beacon system. Because in a crisis, information isn’t a luxury; it’s a responsibility.
Here’s the bottom line: Storms don’t build character — they reveal it. And what these storms revealed is that Island Park isn’t a community that backs down. We don’t pass the buck. We don’t wait around. And we don’t accept less than what residents deserve.
Some people still like to call us a “small” village. They’re right: We are small in size. But in effort, resilience and heart, we punch far above our weight.
Island Park doesn’t just weather storms; we outwork them, outlast them, and come back stronger every time.
Michael McGinty is the mayor of Island Park.
