Electricity’s Blame Game

Commentary
By Chris O’Brien

For those of you who are still without power, hang in there. I hope it returns soon, most of all for your comfort and so that we can live as we did before last week. Normalcy is important. If you need anything, particularly some spare bottled water, ice, or anything else, let me know. I’ll be happy to help.

For my other friends, I hope that you’ll find the time to help out at a shelter, distribution site or any other way you can. There is a great need out there. Even a simple check on your neighbors would be appreciated.

To my political friends- butt out. I’ll get to you later.

Fire, CO Dangers High With Restoration

Over 180 Connecticut residents were treated for Carbon Monoxide poisoning statewide as of Wednesday night, Governor Malloy told a press conference. As residents increasingly are using generators, and some ventilation systems fail, emergency responders are being summoned to prevent death from a quiet winter killer.

Symptoms of Carbon monoxide are vague and mimic the flu. They often include headache and nausea. Extreme cases can include disorientation and lethargy as carbon monoxide replaces oxygen in a victim’s blood circulatory system. The brain and other organs cannot use carbon monoxide, starve, then slowly die. Fresh air and emergency treatment are imparative for anyone suffereing these symptoms.

As electricity is restored to neighborhoods,

Governor Encourages Volunteersm

During his daily 6 pm news conference Wednesday night, Governor Malloy issues a call for volunteers to assist others during the storm recovery. “Doctors and nurses should contact the Red Cross or local shelters to render what assistance you could. Your skills will be greatly apprecaiated,” he said.

Malloy also point out how impressed he was with those average citizens who have already stepped up to the plate. ” Some who are having power turned back on are immediately stepping forward to help at shelters and warming stations. Even some without power are helping out. I’m very proud of the citizens of this state.”

In Torrington, the senior center was divided in half where some residents needed minor assistance in care, but certainly didn’t need to be hospitalized. A list of warming centers can be found at www.211ct.org

Municipal Utilities Fare Better After Storms

CT Mirror
By Jan Ellen Speigel

Lost in the storm over storm response by the state’s two major utilities is the fact that about a half-dozen communities are at least partially served by neither. They are served by municipal electric utilities, which for the most part has meant fewer outages and faster restoration when the power did go out during this storm and tropical storm Irene two months ago.

“The situation is there is no situation,” said Mike Hughes, communications manager for Norwich Public Utilities, at 107 years old, among the youngest of the municipal electric utilities in the state. At the peak, he said, 450 of their 22,000 customers lost power. “And they weren’t out for more than an hour.”

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Progress Being Made, Wolcott Provides for Area

“Happiness is when you can run warm water over your hands for minutes on end,” remarked an elderly woman staying at Wolcott’s storm shelter at the Senior Center Tuesday morning. Indeed. A dozen residents left the shelter Monday evening when they found out power was restored to the Woodtick and Wolf Hill Rd. neighborhoods that night. Some opted to stay at the shelter to allow their residences a chance to warm up over night first however.

The Shelter was full Monday night for dinner as workers from La Fortuna restaraunt volunteered to cook hamburgers and homefries. “People have been really good – donating eggs and offering food. We keep getting phone calls all day from residents wanting to help out,” says Senior Center director Donna Belval. About 15 residents were in the center just before noon Tuesday, but families have been coming and going to warm up and then head back outside.

Storm Leaves Tangled Mess; Residents Urged to Stay Home

Lou DeLage stepped outside to survey the damage to his home this morning to find a twisted mailbox and three thirty feet long limbs with the diameter of a leg across his yard. He began taking pictures when large balls of snow and ice rained down from trees above him. “That was caused by the plow first,” he says, pointing to the mailbox. “Then the branches came down.” He didn’t hear them, but his daughter did around 10 pm last night as a historic storm dumped 15 to 20 inches of wet heavy snow across Wolcott in an unusually early nor’easter. “But hey – I still have power, water, and no damage to my home. I’m lucky,” he said.

Not so lucky are residents of the Woodtick section of Wolcott,

Governor: Expect to Be Without Power

Governor Malloy addressed the state at 6:30 tonight giving cautions reminescent of Hurricane Irene as over 300,000 residents are already without power. “We are experiencing outages beyond what we experienced during Hurricane Gloria,” he told reporters.

As of the news conference, one person has died on Rt. 85 in Colchester and a State Trooper was injured in an accident. His injuries are not life threatening.

The starkest news

And Then There Was Light…

Utility Crews Go To Work on Kimberly Ct. Friday Evening

“Hallejulah!!!!!”

That was the sentiment echoed by the Hayes children as they returned from a walk around the block with their parents towards their home on Kimberly Court. The sight of white and yellow utility trucks was the best thing the family had seen all week. Jeanine Hayes beamed as her two boys and husband scampered towards the house, turning on light switches

Residents express frustration on Midwood Dr. Power was restored to the neighborhood on Thursday.

and turning on the faucets. “Bailing water from the bathtub has been an experience for 5 days” she said Friday evening. Moments later the drone of a generator shut down, revealing the peaceful chirping of birds and silence across the neighborhood. “Boy he must be happy,” one of the five electrical workers remarked as they worked on an underground utility box. A moment later,