SHIRLEY — Like dots and dashes in Morse Code, power outages around town are few and far between, but for those on Parker and Lawton roads and stretches of Great and Hazen, among others, the wait is worrisome.
In one instance, a felled tree resting on power lines is the culprit. According to Fire Chief and Emergency Coordinator Dennis Levesque, National Grid’s “triage” system starts with removal of the tree, with power restoration to follow. As of this morning, neither of those actions seemed to be underway on Great Road, where the tree still sits on the wires and folks on that line are still without power. Which in semi-rural Shirley, means no water, either. And in some cases, no phone for those who have Internet Voice services.
Other areas that suffered after-shocks from Hurricane Sandy included Benjamin Road and a short segment of Groton Road, with downed trees and in one case, sparking wires. Tuesday night, Council on Aging Director John Oelfke said the Senior Center had been in the dark and the power was still out, but an emergency generator was providing some light and hopefully food in the fridge from going bad. A Halloween party set for today was still on schedule, he said and folks coming to the center said they’d be there with or without power.
After two days off, the kids are back in school, and after a one-day hiatus, all town offices re-opened Tuesday.
