In Ashby, recovery is slow but sure

ASHBY — “These people haven’t slept for days,” Ashby Selectman Peter McMurray said.

The fire station was a beehive of activity with town personnel, volunteers, the Massachusetts National Guard and people needing assistance.

Emergency Management Director Mike Bussell thanked everyone who helped. He said out-of-town contractors are flabbergasted by the outpouring of help from the town residents.

Ashby was left entirely without power following the severe ice storm late on Dec. 11; many residents lost phone service.

Crews sent by Unitil began attempting to restore power to the center of town midafternoon on Sunday.

Two helicopters from the Massachusetts National Guard landed beside the station. Guardsmen were in the area assessing storm damages. Some Ashby residents took a break from storm recovery and checked out the UH-60 Blackhawks while they were on the ground.

The storm left devastation in its wake. Weighted with ice, trees and branches fell on power lines, phone and cable wires, and even cars and homes. Roads were blocked with debris.

“We’re doing the best we can,” Highway Superintendent Bill Davis said. “We’re getting a lot of support from the town departments. You just keep swinging until it comes down.”

Police Chief Paul Lundin said there were no major injuries due to the storm and the clean-up efforts. “People should know this is not going to be over Monday,” he said over the weekend.

Several people evacuated to the shelters in Townsend and Fitchburg. “Most people here have pretty good support systems,” he said. “People in Ashby are pretty self-reliant.” If someone does need transportation, he said, the town will help work something out.

EMT Lisa Florio said emergency personnel have been going through town and contacting people at risk. It was dangerous for people who chose not to evacuate because some have no phones. If they change their minds, it could be difficult to let rescue people know.

Because there is no town water in Ashby, all homes rely on wells to provide drinking water. Many townspeople came in to the fire station to fill plastic jugs with water. With no power, the pumps for the wells didn’t work.

McMurray pointed out that the fire station was powered by a new generator, after the town received federal grant money to purchase the new equipment. It just went online the beginning of December.

Lundin said communications and police staffing were affected by the storm cleanup. The 911 calls are being taken by Ashburnham and passed over to Ashby. The generator at the police station does not have enough power to run the system.

Police radio communications were working normally with many of the officers working overtime. Lundin said with the appearance of the road crews, staffing will become even tighter.

Sunday afternoon, two officers were assigned to direct traffic on Route 119 for a tree crew. McMurray said the power company planned to restore power to the fire station from Route 119 by noon, but at 2:30 still had not brought it up Turnpike Road.

McMurray said Unitil provided a man in town to work on the downed wires until the crews from out-of-state could get to work.

Townspeople took very good care of the rescue crews working from the fire station. No one was going hungry, thanks to the outpouring of support in the form of food. Hot chili, pizza, sodas, cold cuts and treats covered two tables.

Lundin warned residents to be careful. All downed wires should be regarded as live. He also said branches can fall as others are cut.

Bussell said Unitil will not restore power to houses if the service is torn from the building. Homeowners are responsible for the wires going into their homes, and should contact an electrician so they can be reconnected.

Do not place generators close to a dwelling. The town has received calls about carbon monoxide warnings when fumes have blown inside. He also warned people not to heat their homes with gas appliances because it is not safe.

Mid-week, Bussell did not know when complete power would be restored to all residents. As the crews work, they uncover more and more problems, he said.