Pleading For Power

Posted on September 1, 2011 | 22 Comments

Residents of Hunt Club Lane are asking politely for power.

In a couple of days, they may not be so polite.

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22 responses to “Pleading For Power”

  1. jack whittle | September 1, 2011 at 12:32 pm |

    A post on WN @ 9:10 pm last night seems to suggest that they (Hunt Club Lane area) are back on the grid. I am still a part of the generator crowd, which has spawned a new sub-culture: we meet up at the gas station late at night, filling our 5 gallon gas jugs; we know that it’s “good generator etiquette” to shut down by midnight; our morning routine now consists of pulling on clothes and going outside to start the generator, after which the day can then begin, etc.

  2. Sebastian Crawford | September 1, 2011 at 2:01 pm |

    One knows you are in trouble when you are discussing “generator etiquette.” Lot of pissed off people. CL&P personnel were verbally assaulted in Starbucks in Milford. Few came to their defense. One strong suggestion: Deduct your gas bills for your generator from your next CL&P bill.

    • Longtime Westporter | September 2, 2011 at 7:49 pm |

      What kind of suggestion is this? I presume that if one doesn’t have power, then CL&P won’t be charging you for those days w/o power. So why would one be able to deduct their gas bills (for those who have purchased generators) from the CL&P bill? Greedy!

  3. Sheila K. | September 1, 2011 at 2:06 pm |

    Gee, I wonder how it would be if it was a Hurricane?

  4. McGEE | September 1, 2011 at 2:08 pm |

    I wonder how our forefathers ever made it without power . . . at all times? Makes you realize how fortunate and lazy we have become.

  5. jack whittle | September 1, 2011 at 2:24 pm |

    “Verbally assaulted” = yelled at. Comes with the territory when you are the public face of an unpopular company. First day on the job? They should be used it by now.

  6. Sheylah Flinn | September 1, 2011 at 3:36 pm |

    Thanks to Pat Sculley(Gordan’s secretary) and department of Human services for listening to us!!! We got our power back last night at 7:30!! Whoa!!! I knew Dan would be on it!! Now let’s get the rest of this town back up and running!

  7. The Dude Abides | September 1, 2011 at 3:40 pm |

    I concur with kudos to Pat Sculley, who was very patient and helpful as well as Senator Boucher who, at the least, returned my emails and agreed with my frustrations. CL&P, however, is a cluster$#%^ of disorganization.

  8. westporter95 | September 1, 2011 at 3:53 pm |

    Over on Vineyard Lane there’s a low hanging “live” wire crossing the street but no CL&P or electricity anywhere!

  9. The Generator!!!!!!!!!!!!! | September 1, 2011 at 8:33 pm |

    Weston looks like a war zone with wires all over and trees down. Greenfield Hill is much the same and even with underground wires, some lost power. 3 million in the whole state and they are telling people on a main drag in Norwalk that it will be Tuesday, the 6th. One CL&P employee said their priority list is commercial properties first and then “low income areas where the crime is high” is second and then the highly populated residential areas.

  10. Anonymous | September 2, 2011 at 7:04 am |

    CL&P workers deserve a pat on the back. When you run into them in your neighborhood, offer them a cold drink, if you have one. These was a storm of epic portions that left millions of people without power from North Carolina to Vermont. Those of us who choose to live in the beauty of the woods need to understand the consquences of our decision–that our beloved trees fall on the wires and knock out our power. Fortunately, it doesn’t happen too often.

  11. The Dude Abides | September 2, 2011 at 10:32 am |

    I would love to slap them on the back but I haven’t seen any! Seriously. I have not seen a truck for five days now. You make a valid point, Anonymous, about the number of trees. But the frequency seems to have escaped you. Every winter storm or wind of any proportion knocks down trees and power along North Avenue. Time to take a serious look at the causation in practical terms. Trees next to power lines need to be severely trimmmed or taken out. We had somebody killed last March, ’10 and it will occur again. Start those Black & Decker tree huggers!!!

  12. Wendy Crowther | September 2, 2011 at 10:36 am |

    Agree with anonymous. Westport is a tiny dot on a map filled with people that are/were powerless (in more ways than one). This repair-business takes time, and much coordination is required, and all towns are competing for the same limited resources. I know it’s no consolation to those who are still out of power, but it is true…we like our trees here. At least the weather has been brilliant since the storm, and we’re not fainting from heat or seeing our pipes freeze.

    • The Dude Abides | September 2, 2011 at 12:20 pm |

      With that attitude, nothing will change. We are “powerless” because we allow ourselves to be. CL&P was not prepared for a storm that we knew about five days in advance. They need a wake up call, some regulation or some competition.

    • Down/Out on Burr Farms | September 2, 2011 at 3:42 pm |

      @Wendy: You must have power back. I don’t. I can tell you what to do with your damn trees but you wouldn’t like it.

    • Brandon B. | November 2, 2011 at 8:42 am |

      I strongly disagree. Bristol looks like the apocalypse rolled through. And would you feel the same if you had an entire family breaking down in tears in front of you because they dont have money to fix broken pipes, replace food that needs to be thrown away, etc? I doubt someone who has power should even dare to say that those without shouldn’t complain because we have every right to. In CT it has been cold, below 30 at night is a big deal when all you have is candles and blankets.

  13. Laz | September 2, 2011 at 11:27 am |

    At what point does the cost of repairs and lost time exceed the cost of burying the wires? As the Dude mentions, this happens everywhere, every year. When you add up the millions of dollars spent to restore power after each storm, pretty soon you’re talking about real money.

  14. Anonymous | September 2, 2011 at 12:15 pm |

    2 bucket trucks and another truck have been hiding out in the 3 bears lot all morning. Westport Emergency Management stated when the outages drop below 10% trucks will be sent to eastern ct. WTF! It’s bad enough they forgot this part of the town exists until Thursday but to leave resources on the table when we’re scheduled to lose them is ridiculous.

    Westport has done a great job directing clp, as our stats show, but where is the leadetship to direct resources on neighborhoods that cross towns. Westport started picking off individual houses, before they even began work on a circuit effecting hundreds of houses. That oversight is troubling, and inherently unfair.

  15. Horowitz Family | September 2, 2011 at 12:16 pm |

    Agreed that Pat Scully is a miracle worker!! since Tuesday, We were the lone house on our street –we were about to give up– and then thanks to tip on this blog, we called her. We just got power back. Wow, as many know, it’s no fun to literally be sitting in the dark with small children for almost a week. Many thanks Pat.

  16. Anonymous | September 2, 2011 at 5:48 pm |

    There is nothing more irksome than someone who has her power back telling someone who doesn’t that at least it’s sunny outside. Stop and think before you put your fingers on the keyboard.

    • Horowitz Family | September 2, 2011 at 8:07 pm |

      Apologies. I did not mean to be irksome. Was just expressing gratitude as so many others have done on earlier posts. I do hope you get your power back very soon. I know how frustrating and difficult it is.

  17. Brandon B. | November 2, 2011 at 8:29 am |

    Im from Bristol, CT and I can say that CL&P has no priority. My girlfriend, who lives in a residential area, isn’t supposed to have power until sunday, and her family was in tears because they recently experienced a car accident due to all the gas stations being closed and the obvious chaotic situations caused by drivers there, and now they’re told not to expect power for another 4 days. While a friend of mine literally about 3 streets away who lives also in a residential area, had his power restored last night. I agree with whoever said, “CL&P is a cluster **** of disorganization.” our citizens need their power, they’re losing hope fast and there should be something done about this.