This one’s a no-brainer.
It’s been 8 days since tropical storm Isaias hammered our homes.
Power is still out in some spots. WiFi, cable and phone service may take longer.
But as we look back on the past week, our town is filled with heroes. If you are …
- A first responder (police, fire, EMT…) who fielded hundreds of calls
- A second responder, like the Community Emergency Response Team
- An Eversource worker — or one that the utility outsourced, who drove for hours to get here — and worked tirelessly, in dangerous conditions, sometimes bearing the brunt of residents’ frustrations with Eversource’s highly paid higher-ups
- A Department of Public Works worker, who made seemingly impassable roads passable
- A landscaper or tree guy, who had more work than you ever dreamed of from regular customers, but still found time to help homeowners in dire straits who desperately flagged you down
To the rescue! (Photo/C. Swan)
- A Human Services Department employee, who did way-beyond-the-job-description things like delivering food and water (and toilet paper!) to stranded seniors
- Nate Gibbons, the fire inspector who provided sane, soothing and life-saving advice on a continuous WWPT-FM loop
- The staff of the Westport Library, who made sure the generator stayed on so that (literally) thousands of residents could access WiFi, (literally) 24/7
A small part of the large WiFi crowd. (Photo/Miggs Burroughs)
- A Westporter who helped a neighbor (or stranger) in any way: offering charging or a hot shower; clearing brush; providing food or shelter or a shoulder to cry or vent on — or anything else
- A restaurant, deli or market owner, who somehow saved or scavenged food, kept it cold or heated it up, and somehow found a way to serve or sell it
- A Parks & Recreation Department staffer, who got our parks and recreation facilities cleaned up quickly — a take-your-mind-off-your-woes lifesaver for many, especially over the weekend
- A town official who fielded countless urgent calls, pleas and requests, along with tons of demands and questions; dealt with impossible-to-deal with utility representatives; got the ear of the governor, senators, our congressman and state legislators; kept everyone as safe as possible — and did it all during a pandemic, while also planning for (hey, why not?!) a primary election
… then you are our Heroes of the Day.
I know I’ve missed plenty of categories. Apologies in advance. Feel free to add your own Heroes; click “Comments” below.