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Monday, November 12, 2012

In storm aftermath, Plainfield struggles back to normal


Newly-elected Charter Study Commission member Mary Burgwinkle
signals her frustration at the slow pace of power recovery after the storm.
 
Two weeks after Superstorm Sandy struck Plainfield, life is beginning to return to normal.

The Plainfield Public Schools are open today, though with some adjustments for some buildings where power is still an issue (see the District's website here).


The Plainfield Public Library is fully operational after power was restored late last week, with its free public wi-fi available for any who are still experiencing problems with Internet access.


Downtown and South Avenue businesses are back in full stride.


Gas stations throughout the city are pumping gas, and though the odd/even policy has yet to be lifted, there are no longer lines at the pumps.


FEMA is offering assistance to those who have been displaced from their homes or suffered business losses. For nore information, see the city's website
here.

Utility crews were hard at work Sunday trying to bring power back to the few remaining neighborhoods that were not in service -- primarily the area from Watchung and Woodland Avenues to the Scotch Plains line and parts of Brisbane Estates behind Cook School.


How the Robinson-Briggs administration handled the emergency will be the subject of a later post, and we may expect that residents will have plenty of questions for the administration at the next Council meeting, the agenda-setting session slated for 7:30 PM, Monday, November 19 at City Hall Library. 


-- Dan Damon [follow]

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6 comments:

Bob said...

This mayor was once again derlict in her duties. She had over a week to plan, meet with her cabinet and coordinate with churches and other organizations. I wish we could dump this albatross around our necks now and be done with her ineptitude.

Anonymous said...

A HUGE thank you to the PSE&G lineman and crew from West Virginia who responded to my pleas for help yesterday. They drove their trucks over from where they were working and put up a new line to the utility pole for us. MUCH more effective than my daily calls to PSE&G!

Anonymous said...

13 days no homes down the shore

Anonymous said...

Sorry but I just have to say that these protest signs etc. marking the number of days people have been without power is just a slight bit distasteful in my opinion. I have no doubt the utilities could have done any number of things better and much will be reviewed in a post-mortem but to see people with nice houses, in clean clothes and holding a cup of coffee is just a little much. There are many many others around us in the area that are suffering far more than what we had to go through. In addition, I had the pleasure of talking to a number of the work crews that came in from out of state - leaving their lives and families to assist us in the aftermath - and I can't thank them enough. Maybe this is just a part of our new Reality TV world where we all think we are a Kardashian and deserve special treatment above others. Just my two cents.

Anonymous said...

November 12, 2012 2:37 PM posting -

There was nothing distasteful about the picture. What is distasteful is your spin on this where a person like any other is in front of a sign. Perhaps she should have messed up her hair or something. You know nothing about the person on this picture but to assume, wedge her in a class of some sort. WHATEVER.

I agree with you that the hard working utility workers were amazing.

I am calling you out as wedge issues are manipulative and not good for our city or any city for that matter. All people in Plainfield had challenges post Sandy.

So take your two cents, we don't need them!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 5:18

Not sure where you get the wedge issue idea from or any personal attack on the person in the picture - neither would be true. My point was that putting up protest type signs demonstrating the number of days of "suffering" is pointless and silly and diverts attention away from the big issues at hand like poor city response to the disaster. And in the event that you think I am making a class or neighborhood issue out of it than you would be wrong again. I happen to live in one of our beautiful historic neighborhoods myself. We should all focus a little more on "We" and less on "Me".