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2011 TWO-STORM PANEL REPORT - HURRICANE SANDY 2012 PHOTO ABOVE RIGHT - GRAPHIC ABOVE THAT!
          


      CONTENTS
AND RELATED REPORTS:
NATURAL GAS:  http://www.nhregister.com/business/20161026/connecticut-pulls-out-of-effort-to-expand-natural-gas-capacity
OTHER SOURCES OF EMERGENCY POWER SUPPLY TAXED:  http://www.theday.com/local/20150921/propane-tax-could-affect-thousands-of-previously-exempt-homes-and-businesses-
NUCLEAR POWER ANOTHER ISSUE:  http://www.theday.com/local/20150908/nrc-cancels-study-of-cancer-risk-in-communities-near-nuclear-power-plants
2017 - AND THEN THERE IS SOLAR - AND THE COURTS:  http://www.courthousenews.com/solar-energy-firm-loses-challenge-connecticut-regulations/









OMICRON VARIANT - this latest COVID-19 version makes me wonder about why this disease just doesn't go away...




September 2, 2021

Good morning Weston,
First Selectwoman Sam Nestor here with an update on last nights storm, Ida.

We are reporting the following road blockages, 27 Calvin Rd, Good Hill Road Extension/OakWood Rd, River Rd/Hidden Hill Rd.

Currently there are 271 power outages in Weston (down from 399 last night). We are working with Eversource to get us all up and running as soon as possible.

Please take care during your commute - there was major flooding across the region. DO NOT attempt to drive through flooded roadways. Flooding has also severely impacting regional mass transit including railways and airports. Consider major delays to morning commutes and allow for extra time to travel. A reminder Report all outages directly to Eversource at 1-800-286-2000. We urge everyone to reserve calling 911 for true emergencies and not for informational purposes.

Many thanks again to our Emergency Management Team who worked through the night to keep us safe.

If your road is blocked and not listed above please let us know at 203-222-2600.

With gratitude,

Sam



2 0 2 0 snowfall

January 18, 2020 PATCH report....


Highest snowfall CT - 4.6" Weston (green)



O U T A G E S   2 0 1 9 . . . 
For some in Weston, this "bomb" of high wind gusts means waiting until wind subsides for rescue from cold...




I N F R A S T R U C T U R E

Con Ed mum on what caused July 13th event?  7-21-19?
 "...Cuomo also said he directed the state Department of Public Service to widen its investigation into last week's blackout in Manhattan to include Sunday's outages in Brooklyn. Equipment failure, not heat, caused the roughly five-hour blackout July 13 that affected a 40-block stretch of Manhattan, including Times Square and Rockefeller Center."  From 7-22-19 HOUR.

     
REMEMBER THE ONE IN 1965?
For those have who experienced previous power outages in NYC, this (R) was no big deal, outside Manhattan.
 Some feel NYC Mayor was derelict of his duty:  https://nypost.com/2019/07/14/the-manhattan-blackout-proved-how-fragile-our-infrastructure-is/




PERRY MASON FOR THE DEFENSE - NOTE:  PURA EXPANDED TO 5 MEMBERS GIVING GOVERNOR POWER.
     
DECEPTIVE CALLS TO CHANGE POWER SUPPLIER
Former DPUC now PURA, decision arguments:  http://ct-n.com/ctnplayer.asp?odID=16518

Being a lawyer makes you capable of arguing anything with equal fervor.  Liberty has door knock recording policy.  "Candy gram"




THUNDER, LIGHTNING, AND POWER OUTAGES WITH WESTON #1

     

At 3:34pm Weston is "numero uno" for power outages.  How long will it take to restore?
Well, at a bit after three there were two lightning strikes that followed after really loud thunder claps.  But not anywhere near as loud as the time a neighbor's home was hit...

STILL #1 - By 4pm, 603 up to 16%...610 by 4:17pm...611 at 4:32pm - looks as if this is going to be a long, drawn out outage...hope I'm wrong!  And I may be - 122 at 5:02 (3%) and we're still #1 for percentage, but Greenwich and Ridgefield have more outages.

STILL #1 - And it is 9:32pm and the number of Weston outages is down to 60,,,and now, 9am Thursday morning, ZERO outages in Weston.





TOWN OF WESTON PHILOSOPHY:  NOTHING VENTURED NOTHING GAINED RE:  CATCHING THE LAST TAX CREDIT AVAILABLE FOR SOLAR
With the approval of both Selectmen and Board of Education and blessing of the Board of Finance, Weston takes another step into the world of "Sustainability" and who said bureaucratic agencies and entities didn't have a sense of humor?



OUTAGES

  
This one missed the Metropolitan District more or less.
United Illuminating, @7000 customers. Eversource @120,000 in big blow/rain/thunder/lightning.   In other places (NJ) talk of "meteotsunami"


MARCH MADNESS?  MORE OF IT?
MARCH 7th all day snow, outages started piling up later in the afternoon...
CODE RED CALL FOR STORM MARCH 12
THE LIST SO THAT YOU SEE WHY NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO RESTORE POWER YET:
Street numbers/cross streets where closure is:  Most recent at top...and oh my there appears to another storm coming too!

FWIW - Public Hearing cancelled at the last minute as was the Referendum BUT a special town meeting must be held 30 days after petition was deemed good to go (Feb. 20).

*
BREAKING NEWS:  Dog Park Referendum P O S T P O N E D until some time before March 20th?  Check the letters, postcards and messaging against the dog park in the paper. 


**
"The following list is in addition to what was posted last night. Some of the roads may have been cleared overnight. There are approximately 115 trouble spots at this time. We will post a consolidated list after we re-assess."  Thursday morning

  1. Lords Highway East 62
  2. Riverbank Road
  3. Georgetown Road 93
  4. Old Mill Road 54
  5. Trails End Road @ Roscrea
  6. Fern Valley Road 45
  7. Davis Hill Road 143
  8. Catbrier Road
  9. Ledgewood Drive E 76
  10. Lords Highway @ Old Hyde Ext
  11. Blue Spruce Circle 58
  12. Georgetown Road 236
  13. Georgetown Road @ Quail Ridge
  14. Georgetown Road @ Spring Valley
  15. Calvin Road 9
  16. Little Fox Lane 2
  17. Georgetown Road 160
  18. Georgetown Road 135
  19. Georgetown ROad @ Samuelson
  20. Kettle Creek Road 61
  21. Newtown Turnpike 239
  22. Newtown Turnpike 291
  23. Newtown Turnpike 251
  24. Newtown Turnpike 345
  25. Newtown Turnpike 230
  26. 2 Hidden Meadow
  27. Newtown Turnpike 350
  28. Norfield Woods 25
  29. Lyons Plains Road 162
  30. Old Easton Turnpike
  31. Davis Hill Road @ Fawn Meadow
  32. Lord's Highway E 18
  33. Old Redding Road @ Mayflower
  34. Stonehenge Road 30
  35. Lyons Plain Road 52
  36. Joanne Lane 50
  37. Briar Oak Drive 17
  38. Briar Oak Drive 29
  39. River Road @ Weston Road
  40. Old Hyde Road 68
  41. Kettle Creek Road 48

"The following is a list of road closures we are aware of. We will update as more information becomes available to us." Wednesday night March 7th

  1. Codfish Lane @ High Noon
  2. Merry Lane 46
  3. Singing Oaks 41
  4. Hidden Meadow
  5. Newtown Turnpike @ Weston Road
  6. Old Redding Road 124
  7. Broad Street 17
  8. Nordholm Drive
  9. Cardinal Road
  10. Tubbs Spring Drive 18
  11. Old Georgetown Road 32
  12. Marshall Lane
  13. Old Easton Turnpike
  14. Lyons Plain Rd @ North Ave
  15. Lyons Plain Rd 234
  16. Kettlecreek Road 80
  17. Cartbridge Road
  18. Old Easton Turnpike 100
  19. Goodhill Road 230
  20. School Road
  21. Georgetown Road 341
  22. Fall Ridge Road 9
  23. Newtown Turnpike 230
  24. Davis Hill Road 107
  25. Merry Lane 19
  26. Davis Hill Road 107
  27. Messex Lane
  28. Martin Road 16
  29. Cedar Hills Road
  30. Newtown Turnpike
  31. Steephill Road 180
  32. Bradley Road 14
  33. Little Fox Lane 49
  34. High Noon Road 10
  35. Godfrey Road East @ Brierbrook
  36. Hackberry Hill Road
  37. Powderhorn Hill Road 26
  38. Lakeside Drive 22
  39. Goodhill Road 121
  40. Old Easton Turnpike 61
  41. Old Hyde Road 49
  42. Lyons Plain Road 9
  43. Georgetown Road 171
  44. Pilgrim Lane 5
  45. Newtown Turnpike 183
  46. Goodhill Road 24
  47. Wildwood Lane 4
  48. Covenant Lane 12
  49. Georgetown Road at Indian Valley
  50. Georgetown Road at Whipoorwill
  51. Stonehenge Road 8
  52. Old Farm Road 21
  53. Tower Drive
  54. Hillside Drive 57
  55. Norfield Road
  56. Hillcrest Lane
  57. Godfrey Road East 203
  58. Cannondale Road 42
  59. Smith Farm Road 10
  60. Silver Ridge Common
  61. Eleven O'Clock Road 107
  62. Goodhill Road EXT @ Oakwood
  63. Alexander Lane
  64. Deer Path Rd 16
  65. Lakeside Drive 28
  66. Overbrook Lane 17
  67. Homeward Lane
  68. September Lane 58
  69. Old Weston Road 16
  70. Valley Forge Road 128
  71. Birch Hill Road
  72. Old Mill Road 66
  73. High Acre Road



***
PREVIOUSLY, IN THE EARLY STAGES


   
8:30pm Friday night (3-2-18)- blowing like crazy...Sunday morning@10:30am;

We had gotten a call Friday afternoon from the Town advising us to stay off the roads if possible because of down trees/wires.  Please note that major thoroughfares NOT closed - NOT Weston Road, NOT Georgetown Road, NOT Lyons Plains Road and NOT School Road.  The list of roads closed given, as of Saturday at 4pm  (11 roads - previously 22 roads Friday night): 
Valley Forge Road,
Ravenwood Drive,
Newtown Turnpike,
Hyde Ridge Road,
Cindy Lane,
Bittersweet Lane,
Kettle Creek Road,
Riverfield Road,
High Noon,
Heritage Lane,
Wampum Hill Road.

STORM WARNING
http://www.courant.com/weather/hc-br-wind-rain-snow-storm-20180301-story.html#nws=true

School day was cut short Friday for this reason in Weston.  Call from the Town reminding us to not venture out on the roads if possible - lots of downed trees and wires.







CHRISTMAS 2017
Winds picking up as afternoon approaches...we managed to avoid problems!





DID GREENWICH EVER GET POWER RESTORED?

  
At 8:46pm, Weston down to 18 household without power;  Wilton is now the at 331 and Greenwich basically unchanged since this morning.
The Kousa's branches on my property dance between the wires (l).  Trees who have already dropped leaves prepare for gusts and no drama (we hope).  A quick check of Eversource outages here.






CYCLONE
We were right!  The work of our Tree Warden with Eversource and D.P.W.  And furthermore, the rate increase request is coming up...and probably justified.


THE CASE FOR DOING SOMETHING
I thought that the companies explained the situation very well.  Legislator just elected Mayor of Stratford takes a tougher tack against utilities now, we think.  I liked how they explained "texting in" notice of outages or asking questions go a deaf ear and a full mailbox.



A slam dunk that this was going to happen when Eversource announced intention of asking for a rate hike.
The Legislature jumped up and down, not allow power cost to rise and because of a n unexpected wind storm, and then eliminate alternative sources of power.  And the Chair. was pretty funning when no one asked P.U.R.A. anything!


          
"POWER TENDS TO CORRUPT AND ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY"  see Google (Lord Acton).
And in the final analysis:  http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/archives/entry/electricity_rates_are_going_up_11_6_2017/




Weston dodged a bullet on this one for the most part.  As opposed to 5 yrs ago with Sandy.







Local squirrel in training for Olympics - for animals.




RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARDS AND COURT CHALLENGE:  http://www.courthousenews.com/solar-energy-firm-loses-challenge-connecticut-regulations/





BEWARE THE DEVICES TO MAKE LIFE SAFER:  http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37738823




S T O R M S    I N    2 1  S T   C E N T U R Y    E L E C T R I C A L ?



CYBER SECURITY IN CT:  http://www.ct-n.com/ctnplayer.asp?odID=13314

A way to attract business?  Just a thought. "Land of Steady Habits" breeds security...




Plenty of power for summer, grid operator says
By Luther Turmelle, New Haven Register
Posted: 04/26/16, 7:50 PM EDT | Updated: 7 hrs ago

Officials with New England’s electric grid operator said Tuesday that the region will have sufficient electricity this summer, despite natural gas transmission line upgrades that will limit the availability of that fuel to run power plants...story in full:  http://www.nhregister.com/business/20160426/plenty-of-power-for-summer-grid-operator-says



SNOWSTORM OVER SUNDAY AND WESTON RECEIVED MORE THAN A FOOT OF FLUFFY STUFF...
   
MRS. FOX'S NETWORK SAYS...(we rephrase it for internet consumption)...OOPS, there was a whole lot more than we expected - more than a foot!!!



THIS RELATES TO NEW FORM OF HACKING AS WELL

  
Protesting Dakota Pipeline
POLITICS IS REALLY FINANCIAL SELF-INTEREST DEPT.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/17/standing-rock-took-375000-from-wind-farm-industry-/





Eversource sets public hearings on Northern Pass project
By Luther Turmelle, New Haven Register
Posted: 12/28/15, 8:12 PM EST | Updated: 2 hrs ago

Hartford-based Eversource Energy has scheduled a series of public hearings in New Hampshire for early in 2016 as its Northern Pass transmission line process begins to wind its way through the regulatory process in the Granite State.  The first of the five hearings is schedule for Jan. 11 in Franklin. That central New Hampshire community is the proposed site of a facility that will convert the power that being transmitted into New Hampshire from Canada from direct current to alternating current....story in full:  http://www.nhregister.com/business/20151228/eversource-sets-public-hearings-on-northern-pass-project


So the Southwestern CT solution of burying power lines under the road is a no-no in New Hampshire???
Eversource Takes Step Forward in Northern Pass Project
CTNEWSJUNKIE by New Haven Register
Dec 22, 2015 5:30am

Eversource Energy has achieved a small victory in its efforts to get the Northern Pass transmission line project approved when New Hampshire officials ruled that the company’s application for the project was complete...The Site Evaluation Committee is New Hampshire’s equivalent to the Connecticut Siting Council, responsible for determining where energy infrastructure should be located.

This article refers reader to NHRegister:
http://www.nhregister.com/business/20151221/eversource-takes-step-forward-in-northern-pass-project

An article by the Register a few weeks ago says this:  "...The lawsuit also seeks to have the court issue a permanent injunction that would keep the Northern Pass line from being buried under the road without the Forest Society’s permission."




Winter power, gas supplies, new pipelines – a volatile mix in CT
CT MIRROR
By: Jan Ellen Spiegel | December 14, 2015

Another winter, another warning from the folks who run the power grid.

“Especially during the coldest weeks of the year, the natural gas infrastructure in New England is inadequate to meet the demand for gas for both heating and power generation,” said a recently emailed statement from Vamsi Chadalavada, executive vice president and chief operating officer of ISO-New England, the Independent System Operator that runs the New England power grid...story in full:  http://ctmirror.org/2015/12/14/winter-power-gas-supplies-new-pipelines-a-volatile-mix-in-ct/




ADIOS JOAQUIN? Por favor...

CABLEVISION report:  http://connecticut.news12.com/news/weston-using-prior-lessons-for-joaquin-preps-1.10913953

"WESTON - Weston is among many southwestern Connecticut communities watching Hurricane Joaquin's path and taking precautions in case the storm hits the region.  Emergency Management Director Joe Miceli says the town is using lessons learned from Sandy to prepare for Joaquin..."  Contractors trimming trees in preparation - W.H.S. will be used for power outage relief if necessary.



VALENTINES DAY (FEB. 14) WEEKEND COLD OUTAGES...JUST FIXED FROM EARLIER THIS MORNING, AT 11AM SUNDAY!!!

Snow was less than expected
But wwwwwinds and bbbbitter cccccold are right there, according to the forecast.  Here we are on the CL&P for the list/EVERSOURCE map...outages earlier 74, now fixed. 







GOT YOUR GENERATOR ETC. READY?
Winter 2014-2015: Here we go again?  January storm advertised as a potential all-snow, high wind type - 18"-24" and maybe even more...
Sunday in Weston, Connecticut - Nov. 2, 2014 and now warnings on Sunday, January 25, 2015!  Schools to dismiss 3 hours early...we would bet that one more major disruption and the case for a Public Safety Complex may become more popular...or not?

Numbers of outages Nov 2 @ 10AM, 11:45AM, 1PM & 5PM Sunday:  Our rural reputation - Fall ain't done 'til the Kousa turns.  Classic New England blizzard coming?
A good case for Emergency Services/Public Safety Complex!  Is the Nov 2 storm moving out and north?  Nope.  More wind coming in by 1pm...and as night falls, you can still hear the wind...here on Jan 26, 2015 Weston preparing for a possible blizzard - shelter in place-type event...

Connecticut braces for major winter storm
AP Wire
Jan 26, 11:41 AM EST

...UTILITIES

The storm is shaping up as a test for the state's largest utility, Connecticut Light & Power, (now EVERSOURCE) which has been heavily criticized by state officials and consumers for delays in restoring power following outages in recent years. CL&P is emailing and phoning customers warning of possible outages during the storm, which has the potential to bring down power lines. The utility has upgraded equipment and cleared tree branches and limbs since destructive storms in 2011. CL&P, a subsidiary of Northeast Utilities, serves 1.2 million customers in 149 municipalities and towns.

OUTAGE PREPARATIONS

Utilities are predicting outages will likely affect more than 100,000 customers, and for those who do lose power, it could be several days before it's restored. Many residents are preparing for the worst. Frank Kurzatkowski, a salesman from Southington, said he has gas cans for his snow blowers and three, five-gallon buckets of water at his home in case the power goes out and his well pump doesn't work. After the storm ends, he plans to help unbury his neighborhood.
 




Tree trimming story in full:  http://www.theday.com/article/20141201/NWS01/141209980/1017


PURA INFORMATIONAL HEARING.  CL&P RATE INCREASES ($44 million request 2015).  Lunchtime at PURA  - returns at 1:30pm...our report immediately below.
Summary of testimony:  Enhanced tree trimming worked.  Structural hardening circuits - composite materials Torrington and Stamford.  Page ten, 5-year plan costs - 2017 would be the next request for increase. 

Speakers At Public Hearing Oppose CL&P Rate Increase
Hartford Courant
By BRIAN DOWLING
11:16 PM EDT, August 27, 2014

NEW BRITAIN — One after the other people took to the microphone Wednesday night to express their opposition to the rate increase proposed by Connecticut Light & Power.

Challenges to the proposal were nearly universal at the New Britain offices of the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, where all three commissioners sat for more than an hour listening to public comments, the first of three nights they will be doing so in the next six weeks

Nancy Thomas, a Newington resident, said it feels like CL&P is after "every last nickel they can find in our wallets."

One common story echoed throughout the meeting. Residents, many older and on fixed incomes, said they have cut back in recent years to make ends meet. One woman from New Britain said she no longer turns on her outside floodlights, she sits in the dark while watching TV and she uses flashlights around the house. Another said she saves money by turning off her furnace some days during the winter, has cut her landline telephone and no longer uses fans or air conditioning during the summer.

Please search the Hartford Courant archives for the remainder of this story.

Why So Much Money? And 7 Other Questions About The CL&P Rate Case
Hartford Courant
By BRIAN DOWLING
7:27 PM EDT, August 27, 2014

The application that Connecticut Light & Power made months ago to raise rates has moved forward in the complex and often heated process that occurs when public, regulated utilities request more money from their ratepayers. Letters are being written, politicians have taken stances and on Wednesday hearings began that will allow the public an opportunity to chime in.

The most minute of facts surrounding the rate case will be offered and cross-examined by lawyers for CL&P and consumer advocates such as the Office of Consumer Counsel and the state attorney general.

Here's a review of what's at stake...

Please search the Hartford Courant archives for the remainder of this story.


THE STORY IS PART OF THE BIGGER PICTURE:  LINK TO GOVERNOR'S TRANSPORTATION PANEL
Conn. AG ends probe of utility's storm response
DAY
Mar 19, 2014 3:27 PM EDT

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen has closed his investigation into how the state's largest utility responded to a freak October snow storm in 2011 that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customers for days.

He announced Wednesday that Northeast Utilities, parent company of Connecticut Light & Power, agreed to donate $2.5 million to Operation Fuel, which provides heating assistance and financial help for energy-saving initiatives.

Jepsen said he is agreeing to disagree with CL&P on whether its conduct was appropriate. He asked state regulators last year to impose additional penalties against CL&P in its request for storm recovery costs.

CL&P said it's pleased with the agreement that ends the matter while also donating to a worthy cause.

Jepsen accused the utility of impeding regulators' investigation by failing to disclose all relevant information.



State denies Sandy aid to coastal homes
Neil Vigdor, Greenwich TIME
Updated 12:02 am, Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Still struggling to get back on their feet more than a year after Superstorm Sandy, which displaced many shoreline residents of Connecticut, none of them will receive funds to move their homes to higher ground under the latest round of emergency aid.

The state sent out rejection letters Monday to 94 applicants from Greenwich to East Haven, who requested a total of $18 million to elevate their homes through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

The amount of funds available to the state for hazard mitigation is $16.6 million, however.

The state says the money would be better spent hardening infrastructure such as seawalls, bridges, levees and wastewater treatment plants, a decision that has baffled the leaders of a number of shoreline towns and owners of the most vulnerable homes...story in full here.


HURRICANE SANDY IN SANDY HOOK
Having a generator perhaps might have saved 26 lives - a reason we hadn't heard before...

Conn. files: Gunman's mother loving but bewildered
DAY
By JOHN CHRISTOFFFERSEN, Associated Press
Dec 28, 2:14 AM EST

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- Thousands of pages of documents from the Newtown shooting investigation help fill out the picture of the gunman's mother as a dedicated and loving, if bewildered, parent who acknowledged her son appeared to be spiraling downward but was not aware to what extent.

Nancy Lanza told a lifelong friend about two weeks before the massacre that her 20-year-old son, who lived with her, was becoming increasingly despondent. Adam Lanza hadn't left his room in three months and was communicating with her only via email. When Hurricane Sandy blew through Connecticut in late October and cut power to the Lanza home, the documents say, it "put Adam over the edge." She couldn't persuade him to stay at a hotel or in an RV.

Please search the New London DAY archives for the remainder of this story.




Remember this?



ATTENTION:  New CL&P map coming.
You will have to look for the number of households out on a different link - this new CL&P map shows the picture for the intensity of outages, making it easier for Town of Weston officials to explain to the people why Weston's needs are less important than other, large communities'.   Example:  Hurricane Sandy, Oct. 29th, right.  Weston was actually the worst outage by percent in the State - we will only know this by doing the math, or hopefully, finding the right table, on the CL&P website.  The message:  Nobody cares what grade you get, they only want to bring the most people back up the soonest.  Ergo, get a generator or make other plans, Westonites.


Reinsurer Tracks Natural Disasters, Tallies Devastating Effects
Storm Sandy Hit Connecticut One Year Ago Tuesday
The Hartford Courant
By MATTHEW STURDEVANT
4:54 PM EDT, October 28, 2013

It didn't take storm Sandy one year ago to interest Munich Re, parent company of Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Co., in climate and meteorological research..

HOW MANY STORMS IN 2013-2014?  HOW MANY POWER OUTAGES?
New FEMA regulations result (top).  One of my favorite Mountain Laurel trees died after 2011 Halloween outage.

CL&P now going after tree trimming - story from New London DAY here...
Most Of Federal Grant For Storm Sandy Cleanup Has Not Been Used
The Hartford Courant
By MARA LEE
11:06 PM EDT, October 10, 2013

The federal government sent Connecticut enough money to hire 120 unemployed people for 20 weeks to work on storm Sandy cleanup and repairs, but 11 months later, only 24 people have been hired. The first worker didn't come on until July.

And the deadline for using the money — $610,207 in all — is less than three weeks away...

Please search the Hartford Courant archives for the remainder of this story.

We have a tree like that!
Bare Trees Are a Lingering Sign of Hurricane Sandy’s High Toll
By KIA GREGORY, NYTIMES
August 18, 2013

When spring came, Ike Sinesi of Mill Island, Brooklyn, noticed something strange about the old weeping cedar on his front lawn. For the first time since it was planted, the powdery blue needles had not returned. His neighbors on this outcropping of land, surrounded on three sides by inlets off Jamaica Bay, saw similar signs.

Chunks of dried bark had fallen, lying on the ground like driftwood. Trees that had stood tall and strong for decades leafed into twisted creatures, part green, part scorched. Well into the height of summer, hundreds of branches remained dark and barren...

Please search the NYTIMES archives for the remainder of this story.


Storm surge -- the hurricane season's least understood threat
CT MIRROR
By Jan Ellen Spiegel
Monday, July 1, 2013

This map by the University of Connecticut Center for Land Use Education & Research was made using real flooding data from the FEMA Modeling Task Force. It shows how far inland the superstorm's surge went.

This is the first in an ongoing series of stories that will examine environmental and climate issues affecting the Connecticut shoreline.

It was exactly the 2013 hurricane forecast no one wanted to hear: An active to extremely active Atlantic season, according to the National Hurricane Center. Specifically - a 70 percent chance of 13 to 20 named storms including seven to 11 hurricanes, three to six of which could be major.

“I’m hoping they’re just wrong,” said Brian Thompson, director of the Office of Long Island Sound Programs at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “But I’m not going count on that...”

Please search the CT MIRROR archives for the remainder of this story.

Bloomberg Seeks to Redo Building Code in Sandy’s Wake
By MIREYA NAVARRO, NYTIMES
June 13, 2013

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Thursday proposed a raft of major changes to New York City’s building code, saying that Hurricane Sandy exposed significant deficiencies in the ability of both commercial and residential properties to withstand severe weather.

At a morning news conference, Mr. Bloomberg unveiled the work of a task force that he and the City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, convened after the hurricane that is recommending some of the most extensive revisions in the building code in years.

“We have to be able to withstand and recover quickly from all hazards posed by climate change,” Mr. Bloomberg said in a statement. “The specific recommendations cover important ways to make every kind of building in the city safer from future storms.”

Please search the NYTIMES archives for the remainder of this story.



We were out of power for all 11 days - but went to a hotel.
CLP outage map just after the October 2011 nor'easter. Black areas are those where there was little or no power.

PURA Taking Second Look At CL&P Storm Investigation
The Hartford Courant
By BRIAN DOWLING, bdowling@courant.com
8:57 PM EDT, April 18, 2013

Connecticut's utility regulators are taking a second look at their summer investigation of Connecticut Light & Power following some sleuthing by the state's attorney general.

The state's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority opened formal proceedings into whether Connecticut Light & Power "impaired and impeded" their review of the utility's response to the October 2011 Nor'easter by withholding critical documents.

The renewed look into the 2011 storm is in response to the state's attorney general releasing documents that indicated the utility internally questioned the feasibility of the restoration estimates that it released to the public. Those documents, acquired during an investigation by Attorney General George Jepsen, were not produced for regulators when they reviewed the utilities' storm response...

Please search the Hartford Courant archives for the remainder of this story.
AG charges CL&P withheld key memos about slow response to 2011 storm
Keith M. Phaneuf, CT MIRROR
April 9, 2013

State Attorney General George C. Jepsen charged Connecticut's largest electric utility Tuesday with withholding key internal memos from investigators about its slow response to the October 2011 Nor'Easter that left more than 800,000 homes and businesses without power for as many as 11 days...

Please search the CT MIRROR archives for the remainder of this story.




Home from Boston, the FORUM editorial staff is on the job!
Obama approves emergency declaration for Connecticut; non-essential state employees asked to stay home Monday
Weston FORUM
By Kimberly Donnelly on February 10, 2013 in Connecticut

SUNDAY, 5PM – Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is asking all nonessential state employees to stay home on Monday, Feb. 11, as the clean up effort from this weekend’s blizzard continues. However, the governor said evening and midnight shift employees should plan on reporting to work as normal on Monday...

Please search the FORUM archives for the remainder of this story.


Jan. 31, 2013 WINDS: 
Outages Legend (l); worse earlier, @6:30am (not pictured), by 11am Thurs. next;  later 13% (519 households) in Weston.  Fri. 10am - 59 (1%);  11pm Fri. ONE CUSTOMER STILL OUT!

Shoreline Task Force recommendations face financial and other difficulties
Jan Ellen Spiegel, CT MIRROR
January 29, 2013

A year ago, with the destruction of Tropical Storm Irene still raw, Rep. James Albis, D-East Haven, took a look at computer modeling that showed his district after a category 2 hurricane.

It was pretty much underwater...

Please search the CT MIRROR archives for the remainder of this story.


CL&P Power Point explanation of how the power supply system works...or was a personal "power plant" - better known as a Generator...

N.Y. ignored superstorm warnings
Reports urged state, NYC to prepare as far back as 1978
New London DAY
By MICHAEL GORMLEY Associated Press
Article published Dec 9, 2012

Albany, N.Y. - More than three decades before Superstorm Sandy, a state law and a series of legislative reports began warning New York politicians to prepare for a storm of historic proportions, spelling out scenarios eerily similar to what actually happened: a towering storm surge. Overwhelming flooding. Swamped subway lines. Widespread power outages. The Rockaways peninsula was deemed among the "most at risk..."

Please search the New London DAY archives for the remainder of this story.

Malloy seeks $3.2 billion to protect state from future storms
Ana Radelat, CT MIRROR
December 3, 2012

Washington -- Gov. Dannel Malloy Monday asked the Obama administration for $3.2 billion to protect Connecticut from another super storm like Sandy by burying electric transmission lines and building new seawalls...

Please search the CT MIRROR archives for the remainder of this story.

Superstorm Sandy victims to receive aid and higher taxes
NYPOST
Last Updated: 10:27 AM, November 29, 2012
Posted: 10:25 AM, November 29, 2012

Superstorm Sandy may have one more nasty surprise still to come: higher taxes...


PURA plans formal review of CL&P’s storm performance
Weston FORUM
By Susan Wolf on November 21, 2012

The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has opened a formal docket to review the performance of Connecticut’s electric distribution companies and other public service companies in preparing for and responding to Storm Sandy.

Public Act 12-148, otherwise known as Gov. Malloy’s Storm Legislation, requires PURA to review utility company performance when more than 10% of an electric distribution company’s customers are without service for more than 48 consecutive hours, which was the case during Sandy...

Please search the FORUM archives for the remainder of this story.


Malloy plans to use Sandy money to repair housing
Ana Radelat, CT MIRROR
April 19, 2013

Washington -- Gov. Dannel Malloy has proposed spending the lion's share of about $72 million in federal Hurricane Sandy money to upgrade and repair housing on the coast, leaving towns short of money to recover from the storm...

Please search the CT MIRROR archives for the remainder of this story.

Financial impact of Hurricane Sandy unclear:
City is on track for a slight surplus, but analysts have not yet calculated the cost of recovering from Sandy
Kate King, Stamford ADVOCATE
Updated 10:40 p.m., Sunday, November 11, 2012

STAMFORD -- The financial aftermath of Hurricane Sandy looms over the city's budget, which is otherwise on track to end the fiscal year in the black.

The Office of Policy and Management's first-quarter projections show Stamford finishing 2012-13 with a $21,651 surplus, said Director Pete Privitera. The analysis does not take the hurricane into consideration.

"It's a positive report, a positive outlook, with the caveat that at this point in time we don't know the impact of the hurricane yet," Privitera told Finance Board members Thursday...

Please search the ADVOCATE archives for the remainder of this story.


WESTON FORUM STORY ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT HAPPENED...

CODE RED Check this out!

CL&P Releases Crews, Sends Help To New York
By, DAN HAAR, Hartford Courant
8:47 PM EST, November 8, 2012

CL&P sent 60 of its own employees Thursday to help with storm restoration in New York, and the company released crews that had come to Connecticut from other states...Northeast Utilities, the CL&P parent, previously sent about 30 employees from Yankee Gas Services and NSTAR's gas unit in Massachusetts.

Please search the Hartford Courant archives for the remainder of this story.





FOUR YEARS ON, DOES WESTON HAVE A PLAN?  STATE FORMS COMMITTEE/PANEL...
Any solutions yet?  In 2015:  Governor's Climate Change "GC3":  http://ct-n.com/ctnplayer.asp?odID=11764

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THIS TIME WE DID IT OUR WAY - PLAY-BY-PLAY FOR HURRICANE SANDY AS IT HAPPENED, THANKS TO THE INTERNET AND CL&P WEBSITE: 

Beginning with Monday morning, Oct. 29...Tuesday the following week marked the sure sign CL&P had gotten this storm under control!!!
DOWN TO THE SHORT HAIRS:   Weston has two customers affected now.  How CL&P avoided the Governor's wrath, perhaps, by leaving reconnecting Weston for last!  NOTE:  title of each pic shows day and time.  At 5:49pm Tuesday 5% (198) w/o power.  NOTE:  Redding had an unfortunate increase in the next days due to transformer blow up, and then things got better, eventually with zero outages...
PREVIOUSLY...We are tracking CL&P...Great to hear Gayle's voice = Town Website very informative, too!    Good article here, which explains storm.
Here she comes - OK:  TOP ROW:  First map is 10am Monday;  BY 11:16AM IT IS ZERO; make that 2 outages by noon.  And by 12:10pm we are 8% outage;  29% at 2pm  NEXT: 47% by 6pm and 92% by @7..and then into the stratosphere at 98%!  And then 99%.  By Wednesday it was down to 93%...still holding there throughout the day.  The 8pm Wednesday report seems to be a turning point...Thursday dawns with some restoration - but Weston still worst off in SWR.  No longer!  Oops!  Yup, we are the worst off...nope, on Saturday morning.  First Selectman suggests that the website is overemphasizing our outages.  But nontheless, here we are on Election Day with 10% still out of power (highest % but Greenwich wins on raw numbers).
Some additional notes...

CT NATIONAL GUARD OVER FLIGHT
FROM THE 31 OCT NYTIMES:  "...Connecticut Light and Power reported that more than 318,000 customers were out, including about two-thirds of its customers in Greenwich and New Canaan and 9 out of 10 in Weston. "  Map of late Wednsday.


We cannot attend, thanks to the situation, but will try to find out what was said...down to 84% in advance of Board of Selectmen's meeting tonight.
SELECTMEN’S MEETING AGENDA
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 1, 2012, 7:30 PM
TOWN HALL MEETING ROOM

1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Discussion/decision regarding amending the Schedule of Selectmen’s meetings
for 2013
3. Storm update
4. Open Items - Updates
Grants- Gayle Weinstein
Regionalization
5. Any other business to come properly before the meeting.
6. Discussion/approval of the Special Board of Selectmen’s meeting minutes of October 18, 2012

UI says workers are being harassed
CTPOST
November 1, 2012 at 6:46 pm by Tom Cleary

During a 6 p.m. news briefing, United Illuminating senior vice president Tony Marone said workers in Bridgeport have reported being harassed by city residents while they’re trying to restore power to the city.

As of 6:45 p.m., Bridgeport had more than 23,000 UI customers without power, about 40 percent of the total customers in the city.  Marone said workers have been yelled at and have had eggs thrown at their trucks. He said one of the workers who was harassed is a lifelong Bridgeport resident who was working to restore power in his own city...

Utilities estimate most outages restored by Monday or Tuesday
CT MIRROR
Keith M. Phaneuf
November 1, 2012

The state’s two major electric utilities set deadlines of Monday and Tuesday next week for restoring the bulk of their 358,000 customers still without power since Hurricane Sandy subsided.  Connecticut Light & Power Co., the state’s largest electric utility, with 1.2 million customers, estimates it will have 98 percent of its 250,000 outstanding outages corrected by Monday or Tuesday.  United Illuminating, which was still facing nearly 108,000 customers without power early Thursday, projected it would have at least 95 percent of all outages corrected by midnight Monday.

If these projections are met, both utilities would have most outages corrected about one week after the hurricane's end. The storm subsided in the early morning hours Tuesday, Oct. 30...

Please search the CT MIRROR archives for the remainder of this story.

More than 450,000 Still Without Power, And The Frustration Is Mounting
Storm Kills Three; One Still Missing
The Hartford Courant
By JON LENDER and HILDA MUÑOZ, dowens@courant.com
1:44 PM EDT, October 31, 2012

Nerves are beginning to fray in some quarters in Connecticut, especially along the shoreline, where widespread power outages endure two days after Hurricane Sandy pummeled the state...

Please search the Hartford Courant archives for the remainder of this story.

Power outages climb as Hurricane Sandy makes landfall
CT MIRROR
Keith M. Phaneuf and Mark Pazniokas
October 29, 2012

As Hurricane Sandy made it long-awaited move to the shore Monday evening, power outages statewide shot up, approaching 400,000. And while gusting winds did the bulk of their damage in the state's southeastern corner, utility officials announced a pre-emptive move that would shut down service to another 50,000 in the Bridgeport area...

Please search the CT MIRROR archives for the remainder of this story.

What to do if the '100-year flood' comes every year?
CT MIRROR
Mark Pazniokas and Keith M. Phaneuf
October 29, 2012

Just as Tropical Storm Irene exposed vulnerabilities in Connecticut's electric system last year, Hurricane Sandy is renewing questions about flood standards that have guided construction for decades on a wide range of coastal infrastructure...Irene downed about 2 percent of the state's trees, but the storm and the nor'easter that struck Connecticut on Oct. 29, 2011 "pale in comparison to the damage that will be inflicted on Connecticut by a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds between 100 to 120 mph," the panel wrote...A storm of that force, it added, could bring down 70 to 80 percent of the state's trees.

Please search the CT MIRROR archives for the remainder of this story.


Malloy closes highways, but storm surge is biggest danger
CT MIRROR
Mark Pazniokas and Keith M. Phaneuf
October 29, 2012

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy ordered limited-access highways closed to all but emergency traffic by 1 p.m. today as sustained winds were expected to hit 40 mph by 3 p.m., with gusts between 50 and 90 mph. Winds are not forecast to subside until early Tuesday...

Please search the CT MIRROR archives for the remainder of this story.



Sandy expected to be worst Monday, Tuesday
FORUM
By Joshua Fisher on October 27, 2012

...Sandy is expected to move north overnight and then turn north-northwest while increasing speed on Saturday before turning northeast on Sunday.  Southwest Connecticut and the tri-state area will start to feel the impacts of “a dangerous coastal storm late this weekend into early next week,” according to National Weather Service hazardous weather outlook issued Friday evening.

The storm has sustained winds of 75 mph with higher gusts, according to the National Weather Center. Sandy is currently a category one hurricane with hurricane-force winds extending up to 35 miles from its center.

The storm, however, is expected to be a bit weaker by the time it reaches the tri-state area. But that is also when it is forecast to collide with a storm moving in from Ohio and Pennsylvania and another weather system moving south from Canada. The three together will form what forecasters are calling “Frankenstorm.”

But it should be stressed that forecasters will have a much better idea of what to expect from these storms over the next 36 hours. As of right now, rain and wind could start on Sunday before things get worse on Monday and Tuesday.  The specific impacts, however, will ultimately depend on the exact track and evolution of Sandy as it interacts with a deepening upper level low pressure system approaching the East Coast, according to the weather service...

NEWS ALERT: State activates emergency center; Sandy’s force to be felt Sunday
By The Forum Staff on October 26, 2012

The projected path of Hurricane Sandy moved northeast, toward Connecticut, according to the latest potential track issued Friday evening by the National Hurricane Center. For the past few days, forecasters had continued to move the track to the southwest of the Nutmeg State...The state has launched a website dedicated to keeping state residents up-to-date on all pertinent information on Hurricane Sandy, which can be accessed at ct.gov/sandy...


Linemen Reject Contract
CTNEWSJUNKIE
by Christine Stuart | Oct 8, 2012 11:01am

Connecticut Light and Power linemen overwhelmingly rejected a new contract offer from Northeast Utilities Friday.

Two International Brotherhood of Electrical Worker unions representing nearly 1,000 members rejected the offer, which included wage increases worth 10 percent over four years. But it was about more than salaries.

Please search the CTNEWSJUNKIEt archives for the remainder of this story.

CL&P workers reject contract offer
DAY
Article published Oct 5, 2012

The union that represents about 1,000 Connecticut Light & Power workers announced Friday evening that more than 95 percent of members rejected a contract proposal from the company that union leadership said includes "dangerous cost-cutting measures..."

Please search the New London DAY archives for the remainder of this story.




Click for video of  surfing in L.I.S.
Power outage Tues. night and into Wed. (l. - not us, this time);  by 11:33am, Weston improves to 9%...
Three people still out at 10am Thursday.  11:33am Wednesday - 344 still out (r.);  FORUM Update 9/19/12, 8 a.m. — In the aftermath of last night’s storm, CL&P reports 783 homes, 20% of its customers in Weston, are without power. Approximately 500 of those outages are in the Godfrey Road and Valley Forge areas. Statewide, CL&P is reporting 18,217 outages. The Weston Communications Center said portions of roads are closed due to downed trees and wires  — Godfrey Road at Newtown Turnpike, and sections of Valley Forge Road and Old Redding Road. Weston Public Schools are in session.


Power outage @8:15pm-8:30pm for 360-plus homes in northern Weston, July 4, 2012.  As the fireworks went on, prior to brief thunderstorm, our lights went out!




The plan for Weston:  http://www.thewestonforum.com/76127/eversource-is-doing-tree-removal-and-trimming-in-weston/



Amphitheater effect:  And now, in March 2014, the notice in the mail from CL&P - name and address and pole number redacted by this website;  threats getting personal to my Kousa (r).  Amphitheatre:  That means choosing trees suited to their surroundings -- especially those destined for urban areas -- and in some locations moving toward a so-called amphitheater effect -- low trees under power lines, taller ones farther back.

 OSHA Investigates Tree Workers' Death In Meriden
The Hartford Courant
By DAVID OWENS
12:49 PM EDT, June 12, 2014

MERIDEN — Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the death of a tree company employee Monday in Meriden.

Please search the Hartford Courant archives for the remainder of this story.


CL&P, UI balk at bearing expense of tree trimming alone
By Luther Turmelle, New Haven Register
Posted: 03/27/14, 8:25 PM EDT

NEW BRITAIN >> A Connecticut Light & Power executive told state regulators on Thursday that it is unrealistic to expect utility companies to bear the full expense of elaborate tree-trimming programs designed to insure electric power reliability.

Please search the New Haven REGISTERt archives for the remainder of this story.

CL&P in 2014 makes their demands on every single person near a power line...follow their protocol or...
Task force recommendation: more municipal care for trees
Jan Ellen Spiegel, CT MIRROR
August 20, 2012

In the year since Tropical Storm Irene battered the state, Connecticut's trees have come to be regarded as instruments of evil. They've been blamed for the extensive power outages caused by both Irene and the October snowstorm two months later, and utility companies have since been sawing away at the roadside forest around their transmission lines...

Please search the CT MIRROR archives for the remainder of this story.


Regulators: CL&P Storm Response 'Deficient and Inadequate'
Financial Penalties Still Undecided
The Hartford Courant
By BRIAN DOWLING bdowling@courant.com
8:27 PM EDT, July 17, 2012

Regulators said Tuesday that Connecticut Light & Power's response to two major 2011 storms was "deficient and inadequate" and that it will dock how much of the storms' costs the utility will be able to recoup by charging customers...

Please search the Hartford Courant archives for the remainder of this story.


CL&P fights Conn. official over storm costs
CT POST
STEPHEN SINGER, AP Business Writer
Updated 10:02 a.m., Tuesday, June 19, 2012

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut Light & Power struck back Monday at Attorney General George Jepsen, who asked state regulators to punish the state's largest utility for its response to two storms last year.

In a filing with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the Northeast Utilities subsidiary said Jepsen failed to prove the utility fell short of clearly understood industry standards in restoring power.

CL&P also said Jepsen has not connected what he criticized as the utility's failure to more quickly restore power and certain storm restoration costs...

Please search the CT POS archives for the remainder of this story.


BLAMES THE TREES...
Downed trees blamed for most outages in Oct. storm
DAY
Associated Press
Article published May 31, 2012;  updated 05/31/2012 12:58 PM

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Downed trees rather than transmission system problems were largely to blame for widespread power outages during a freak October snowstorm in the Northeast last year, a report by federal regulators and a utility group said Thursday.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and North American Electric Reliability Corp. also said inaccurate weather forecasts led utilities to initially rely on their own crews rather than call for mutual aid, delaying repair work...

Please search the New London DAY archives for the remainder of this story.




BETTER KNOWN AS D-SNAP
Good ship "Land of Steady Habits" aground?

Connecticut won’t prosecute workers in D-SNAP food stamp fraud case
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo, New Haven Register
Posted: 08/21/14, 6:12 PM EDT | Updated: 3 hrs ago

The Office of the Chief State’s Attorney has decided against pursuing criminal charges against any state employees or private citizens who received D-SNAP benefits they weren’t entitled to following Tropical Storm Irene in 2011...story in full here.

Food Stamp Fraud Issue Escalates
The Hartford Courant
By CHRISTOPHER KEATING, ckeating@courant.com
10:27 PM EDT, May 24, 2012

An attorney representing state employees said Thursday that he believes more than 150 state employees have been fired for alleged food stamp fraud.

Rich Rochlin — who said he represents 60 state employees fired or under investigation in the scandal surrounding Connecticut's administration of the federal Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or D-SNAP — declared that the number of employees terminated far exceeds the 27 that Gov.Dannel P. Malloy's administration has announced so far...

Please search the Hartford Courant archives for the remainder of this story.



Last Year's Storms: No Tempest in a Teapot
From State Representative Wilton-Norwalk-Westport (143rd), 7 May 2012

Last fall’s monumental storms affected almost everyone in Connecticut. People were inconvenienced, impatient, and angry. The ill, elderly, and disabled were exposed to significant risks. We were shocked at how long it took to restore service, and how hard it was to get answers. First responders and town organizations rose to the occasion, but they were stretched to their limits. Schools were closed for days on end. The situation got old very fast. No one wanted to go through the same thing again, ever.

Not surprisingly, there was an initial clamor for action. Several of us called for public hearings, and there were many, at both the state and municipal levels. State agencies, public utilities, and the governor commissioned or conducted studies. Reports were released. Legislation was drafted early in the 2012 session. And then – nothing happened. The subject disappeared from the radar screen as other issues like Sunday sales, medical marijuana, the death penalty, and election-day voter registration took center stage. Had the storms and their aftermath become just a tempest in a teapot?

Fortunately, there is good news to report. The Energy and Technology Committee used the time to produce a bipartisan bill that addresses most of the issues raised by the various hearings and studies. While frustration has mounted over the General Assembly’s lack of progress in the critical areas of education reform and the budget, SB 23 establishes a comprehensive framework for improvement and has been well received by both sides of the political aisle.

Interestingly, while Connecticut has long been required by law to have a civil preparedness plan, it has not included utilities. The bill integrates them into the plan for the first time. Among the bill’s provisions:

While most of the bill’s provisions entail reporting as opposed to immediate action, they assign clear roles and responsibilities, and most initial reporting deadlines fall within the coming year. If there is a need for additional legislation, it should be clear by the start of the 2013 session. There is a precise roadmap, complete with timing, for improving the state’s emergency preparedness and response.

Many questions arose last year about creating municipal utilities, because towns with their own electric utilities suffered much less than others after the storms. Another bill, HB 5543, requires PURA to identify procedures and legislative changes necessary for towns interested in creating or expanding municipal utilities.
Storm Response Bill Clears Senate, Includes Utility Penalties
CTNEWSJUNKIE
by Christine Stuart | May 5, 2012 6:05pm

The state Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation Saturday which will help improve state and utility company response to widespread power outages created by natural disasters...

Please search the CTNEWSJUNKIE archives for the remainder of this story.


Coming to Weston: CL&P launches expanded tree-trimming program
FORUM
Written by Mitch Gross (CL&P) and Kimberly Donnelly
Friday, 16 March 2012 00:00

As part of a plan to increase reliability and reduce future power outages, Connecticut Light & Power has launched an expanded tree work program that includes what the company describes as "significantly more routine and enhanced tree trimming across the state in 2012."

This year, CL&P plans to spend $53.5 million on tree trimming — an increase of approximately $27 million than in 2011.

The expanded tree work will be performed along 4,900 miles of the company's utility poles and wires, an increase of 1,600 miles.

The additional tree work includes:

• 1,100 additional miles of routine tree trimming, and,

• 500 additional miles of enhanced tree trimming and tree removal...


In the new "Short Session" the Governor's bill on these emergency subjects was filed and sent to Energy & Technology: includes microgrid proposal for communities with more than 40,000 persons.
AN ACT ENHANCING EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE.
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/TOB/S/2012SB-00023-R00-SB.htm

2011 Hurricane Irene and the Halloween event;  2012 was Hurricane Sandy, FYI.
2011 storms' Irene story that was reported here - on the first of 2011 "Two Storms" - second "blow-by-blow - no pun intended" immediately below.




HALLOWEEN POWER OUTAGE 2011- WESTON NEWS (OUR STORY IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)


TOP STORIES DURING FIRST FULL WEEK OF NO POWER:

State school board looks at decades-old integration law
Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, CT MIRROR
November 7, 2011

Some 340 children attend Verplanck Elementary School in Manchester, but the town Board of Education this school year found itself facing difficult decisions because Verplanck was just two students out of compliance with the state's racial imbalance law.

"It doesn't seem like such a problem. Am I not understanding something?" State Board of Education Member Ellen Camhi said reacting to a presentation at a recent meeting on Manchester's inability to resolve years of non-compliance with the law.

Each year the State Department of Education informs several districts that they are violating the law by having schools with demographics far less diverse than their district. This year six districts were cited: Fairfield, Greenwich, Groton, Manchester, Enfield and Bristol. Just a handful of students put most of these districts out of compliance, and obliged them to come up with integration plans.


Please search the CT MIRROR archives for the remainder of this story.

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We also read the NYTIMES online, keeping up with world events and the economy...

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Malloy Brings In Former FEMA Director To Assess Utilities; Towns Still Unhappy With CL&P
CTNEWSJUNKIE
by Christine Stuart and Hugh McQuaid
Nov 4, 2011 7:39pm

In what could be viewed as a vote of no confidence in the state’s largest utility, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Friday evening that the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under former President Bill Clinton will be coming to assess the response of both Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating to the October Nor’Easter.

James Lee Witt, the CEO of Witt Associates and former FEMA director,  reached out to Malloy through Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and agreed to do the assessment of the two utilities free of charge...

Please search CTNEWSJUNKIE archives for the remainder of this story.

-----------------.

No longer online is the concurrent story of Wikileaks founder and extradition to Sweden, a matter in the news at this time.

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Irene and snow storm could extend school calendars
Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, CT MIRROR
November 2, 2011

Between Tropical Storm Irene and last weekend's winter storm that still has thousands without power, many school districts across the state have already used up all their scheduled snow days--and it's not even winter yet...

Please search CTNEWSJUNKIE archives for the remainder of this story.

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Plan to Leave Euro for Drachma Gains Support in Greece
NYTIMES
By LANDON THOMAS Jr.
November 1, 2011

The political upheaval in Athens has suddenly made the once unspeakable — Greek debt default — a distinct possibility.  So now it is time to ponder the once unthinkable: that Greece might end its 10-year use of the euro and return to its former currency, the drachma...full story here.

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Government in Greece Nears Collapse Over Referendum
NYTIMES
By NIKI KITSANTONIS and RACHEL DONADIO
November 1, 2011

ATHENS — The Greek government was plunged into chaos on Tuesday and faced an imminent collapse, as lawmakers rebelled against Prime Minister George Papandreou’s surprise call for a popular referendum on a new debt deal with Greece’s foreign lenders.

Such a collapse would not only render the referendum plan moot, it would likely scuttle — or at least delay — the debt deal that was agreed on in Brussels last week, putting Greece on a fast track to default and possible exit from the monetary union of countries sharing the euro currency...full story here.

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In The Aftermath Of Historic October Storm
Outdid Irene: Pre-Halloween storm caused the largest number of outages ever in Connecticut
Hartford Courant editorial
November 1, 2011

Tropical Storm Irene was, it seems, just a dress rehearsal for the ferocious nor'easter that battered Connecticut this past weekend. But the question remains open as to whether Connecticut has learned the right lessons from the storm that buffeted the state barely two months ago.

The wicked October snowstorm eclipsed August's summery blast, causing 884,000 customers to lose power — the largest number of outages ever in Connecticut — compared with 767,000 homes and businesses without electricity during Irene's peak. The October storm knocked down five times as many trees as Irene, the state says. And it did critical damage to 44 transmission lines...

Please search the Hartford Courant archives for the remainder of this story.

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Supreme Court will not hear student speech case
Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, CT MIRROR
October 31, 2011

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear the student speech case in which a high school junior from Burlington was punished for criticizing school administrators in a personal blog posting.

"This is the end of the road for this case. There really are no more avenues to pursue to overturn the lower court decisions," said Frank LoMonte, the director of the Student Press Law Center.

Education lawyers and student speech activists have said the case would have provided a good opportunity for the high court to set a precedent for what rights students have in off-campus speech. The 1969 Supreme Court ruling in Tinker v. Des Moines has provided guidance for decades to school officials on when they can intervene in students speech, but the advent of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other digital forums have complicated matters...

Please search the CT MIRROR archives for the remainder of this story.




Reminds us of CL&P burying lines in CT
Legal scholar: Northern Pass challenge faces stiff challenge
By RIK STEVENS, Associated Press
Dec. 20, 2015

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- A lawsuit claiming a utility company doesn't have the right to bury a power line under a North Country highway faces steep legal challenges against long-established property law, according to a legal scholar...story in full:  http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NH_NORTHERN_PASS_NHOL-?SITE=CTNHR&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-12-20-10-48-29






New York City Will Demolish Hundreds of Storm-Hit Homes
By WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM, NYTIMES
November 17, 2012

New York City is moving to demolish hundreds of homes in the neighborhoods hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy, after a grim assessment of the storm-ravaged coast revealed that many structures were so damaged they pose a danger to public safety and other buildings nearby.

About 200 homes will be bulldozed in the coming weeks and months, almost all of them one- and two-family houses on Staten Island, in Queens and Brooklyn. That is in addition to 200 houses that are already partially or completely burned down, washed away or otherwise damaged; those sites will also be cleared.

The Buildings Department is still inspecting nearly 500 other damaged structures, some of which could also be razed, according to the commissioner, Robert L. LiMandri.

...Eric A. Ulrich, a Republican city councilman from Queens who represents Breezy Point, Belle Harbor, Broad Channel and some of the other affected neighborhoods, said that he had not been notified of the demolitions, but that the forced destruction of people’s homes would come as a terrible shock.

“My constituents have been through so much, and they are just so distraught, and if that were to happen and if they were told that the home that they grew up in or they bought has to be taken against their will, it’s just devastating news,” he said.

Buildings Department employees were at work over the weekend issuing more demolition orders. Among the buildings razed last week was a home in Broad Channel, Queens, that was so pummeled by Hurricane Sandy that it was left leaning at a 30-degree angle. Two houses in other parts of the Rockaways were also demolished in recent days, with a grappler — a huge attachment affixed to a backhoe or bulldozer that looks like a set of steel dinosaur jaws and takes bites out of buildings.

Story in full at the NYTIMES.


Reconsidering Flood Insurance
By SUSAN STELLIN, NYTIMES
November 8, 2012

IN the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, homeowners and renters who have insurance are discovering what it covers — and what it doesn’t — while those with minimal or no insurance may be recalculating their risks.

As images of waterlogged houses continue to dominate the news, the biggest surprise may be that most homeowners’ and renters’ policies do not cover damage due to flooding. To get that coverage, you generally have to buy a separate policy through the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program, but many people skip it — even though floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States.

“Only 18 percent of Americans have flood insurance,” said Loretta Worters, a vice president of the Insurance Information Institute, a nonprofit sponsored by the insurance industry. According to the National Flood Insurance Program, 25 percent of flood claims come from people in low- or moderate-risk areas; last year New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania were the top three states for these claims. But people who have recently bought or refinanced homes in flood zones are more likely to have flood insurance, because banks will not lend in those high-risk areas unless borrowers are insured. Property insurance is complex, and benefits and deductibles vary depending on the policy you buy, but here are answers to some common questions about coverage for storm damage...full story here.

Story in full at the NYTIMES.

CL&P: Storm shows tree trimming need
Greenwich TIME
Frank MacEachern and Lisa Chamoff
Updated 10:26 p.m., Tuesday, August 7, 2012

The Sunday storm that left thousands of Greenwich residents powerless shows the need to trim and prune trees, a spokesman for Connecticut Light & Power said.

Mitch Gross said the utility, which has doubled its tree trimming and cutting budget for its work across the state after two storms knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of state residents last year, will continue to advocate that their power lines need to be protected.

"We believe that it is in the interests of our customers," Gross said.

The worst of this week's outage occurred when an 85-foot tree behind 103 Summit Road in Riverside fell, shorting the main transmission line bringing power to all of Greenwich Monday morning, cutting power to 99 percent of town...


Please search the Greenwich TIME archives for the remainder of this story.







   

Thanks for organizing 2007 meeting to the 4 P.T.O. organizations!  Who knew that this would be the beginning of a project yet even now in 2015 years into the future, still unfulfilled?

P R E P A R I N G   F O R    D I S A S T E R,   2 0 0 7 :     A T    W . I . S .   C A F E T O R I U M
News:  "Shelter in Place" still the idea most favored (since 2005 similar LWV meeting).  Animals in Weston to have their own shelter (lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina) as part of an evacuation plan. "Safety & Preparedness Store" items;  website directions: click here.

THE PRESENTATIONS...

WHO WAS THERE (l to r):  Then Executive Director of the Westport-Weston Health District Sue Jacozzi dropped in, seen speaking with First Selectman Woody Bliss before the event;  attending in the audience was Petitioning Selectman candidate Jim Maggio (flanked by Fire Department/Dispatcher Joe Abruzzi and Interim Police Chief John Troxell), followed by Democrat candidate for First Selectman Gayle Weinstein, next to First Selectman Bliss.  Panel presents - Director of Emergency Management Sgt. Mike Ferullo draws on his vast experience including Coast Guard rescue during Hurricane Katrina.   Monica Wheeler, RN, Community Health Director WWHD gave a dynamic talk (Power Point to become publication soon), backed up by the Red Cross!  Town of Weston Social Worker Charlene Chiang-Hillman at right, another vital player in the effort to protect the fragile and helpless in an emergency.
THE RESPONDERS:

MEN (AND WOMEN--THERE ARE WOMEN ON THESE FORCES) IN WHITE:  Who would you like to see quickly in an emergency at your house?  Any of the above services!!!  At the left, Interim Police Chief John Troxell, center, representing the Fire Department point of view (volunteers), Joe Abruzzi, and EMS (volunteers) head John Weingarten (r.)

Q. AND A. - WWHD Monica Wheeler was dynamic and brought out the audience and inspired merging of speakers and listeners until almost everyone had something to contribute!
Answers from speakers - as questions came from the audience:




WARNING 2018:
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Connecticut-s-aging-gas-lines-raise-fears-13285588.php


BEWARE THE MISTAKES IN A PREVIOUS PROJECT...in another location...a new location - the East Side of Bridgeport:  http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Bridgeport-coal-plant-owner-cleared-for-gas-6823375.php
Lawyers representing Middletown power plant blast victims want site preserved
DAY
Michael Naughton
Article published Mar 1, 2010

KLEEN ENERGY: Agency Urges Moratorium On Power-Plant Gas Line Purges
By DAVE ALTIMARI, The Hartford Courant
February 26, 2010


6th victim dies from plant explosion injuries
DAY
The Associated Press
Article published Feb 19, 2010

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (AP) _ A sixth person has died from injuries received in a Feb. 7 power plant explosion in Connecticut.

Middletown Police say that Kenneth Haskell of New Durham, N.H., died Friday afternoon at Hartford Hospital.

The police say the 37-year-old Haskell was a superintendent for Keystone Construction and Maintenance Services at the Kleen Energy Plant.

Mayor Sebastian Giuliano says "It's like that Sunday all over again." He says "It's just very sad."

The explosion at the nearly completed plant came as workers purged a natural gas line.

Twenty people were also injured.
Report: Warning issued just before Middletown blast
DAY
Associated Press
Article published Feb 18, 2010


Crews Continue To Burn Off Fuel At Middletown Explosion Site
FOX CT
12:34 PM EST, February 14, 2010



MIDDLETOWN: Huge Buildup Of Gas Outdoors A Puzzle In Middletown Blast Investigation
By DAVE ALTIMARI, JOSH KOVNER and EDMUND H. MAHONY, The Hartford Courant
February 11, 2010


I-BBC
Page last updated at 23:19 GMT, Sunday, 7 February 2010

Connecticut power plant gas explosion kills five people

The 620MW Kleen Energy plant was due to come online in the summer 

A huge explosion has rocked a power plant in the US state of Connecticut, killing at least five people and injuring 12, the local mayor has said...


Click here to view Jan. 15, 2010 report to the CT Siting Council.  And now there is the forensic analysis of how this disaster happened and why.  And how to prevent it from being replicated.

Middletown Power Plant Explosion: Focus On Worker's Torch
By JOSH KOVNER and DAVE ALTIMARI, The Hartford Courant
1:10 PM EST, February 9, 2010



Kleen Energy plant's promise of lower energy costs put on hold
By Patricia Daddona Day Staff Writer
Article published Feb 9, 2010

The future of the Middletown Kleen Energy power plant, ravaged by an explosion on Sunday, is now on the shelf, and with it a promise of reduced energy costs in Connecticut.

A criminal investigation into the accident is under way, and a safety review and hearings by state officials and Congress are being sought. As those probes begin, prospects for Kleen Energy Systems LLC and its largest investor, Energy Investors Funds of Boston and San Francisco, to rebuild the plant remain unclear...


Explosion Investigation Focusing On Safety Issues
Josh Kovner, The Hartford Courant
2:29 PM EST, February 8, 2010


Cause of Middletown blast unknown
By Lee Howard
Publication: The Day
Published 02/08/2010 12:00 AM
Updated 02/08/2010 10:38 AM

Middletown - A routine cleaning procedure preceded a huge explosion and fire Sunday morning that destroyed a natural gas plant under construction here, leaving five people dead and 12 injured.



Weston connection - O&G was construction manager of our school/fields $79 million plus bond issue projects
Power plant project beset by controversy
Stamford ADVOCATE
By Rob Varnon, STAFF WRITER
Published: 11:31 p.m., Sunday, February 7, 2010

The Middletown power plant that exploded Sunday morning, killing at least five and injuring more than a dozen people, was still under construction and already a controversial project in the region.

O&G Industries, a statewide construction company, was in charge of building the Kleen Energy plant on River Road.


Gas blast at Conn. power plant kills at least 5
YAHOO
By PAT EATON-ROBB and JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN, Associated Press Writers
Feb. 7, 2010


Huge Conn. power plant explosion, 'mass casualties'
NYPOST
Last Updated: 4:12 PM, February 7, 2010
Posted: 12:51 PM, February 7, 2010

A huge explosion at a Connecticut power plant killed at least two people and caused mass casualties.