Week In Review: Power Outage And Zoning Commission Dissolved

, which was reported stolen from a residence on Iron Street Monday night. The vehicle was found abandoned in the woods after it was involved in a two-car crash Tuesday morning. A K9 unit was called in to track the operator and a scent was tracked to Sandy Hollow Road. No injuries were reported as a result of the accident and police are still investigating the accident and the theft of the car.

The decision met strong resistance by members of both commissions at a but nevertheless, the Town Council voted unanimously to combine the commissions with the hopes of streamlining the process for development and with further hopes that a combined commission will encourage development.

Volunteers on both commissions are up in the air about joining the combined commission. Planners will have to learn and enforce Ledyard’s zoning regulations and members from the Zoning Commission would have to become knowledgeable in the town’s plan for conservation and development, if they are asked and/or agree to join the combined commission.

The Zoning Commission will be phased out over time to accomodate current issues before the commission and the combined Planning and Zoning Commission won’t be fully operational until about four months.

Two work crews of Rotarians headed by Sam Kilpatrick and Doug Meyer worked alternating Saturdays to recently. Members raised funds and received a matching grant from the district Rotary Club that allowed them to replace vanities, caulk, paint and re-install bathroom accessories and new toilets in all the bathrooms of the women’s transitional house.

The building was 20 years old and the face-lift was very much appreciated, according to Program Coordinator Linda Hall.

"The new bathrooms are amazing!  I used to feel badly when a family would move in and the bathroom was dingy, with old fixtures," she said. "Next week, when I show a new family their new home, I will be excited to show the bathroom."

Pastor Steve Schmidt of St. Luke Lutheran Church .

“We were able to raise funds to package 21,965 meals,” said Schmidt of the food-packaging event this month. “It’s 25 cents per meal and each package feeds six people."

Schmidt said that 25 cents buys the ingredients and packaging for the fortified meals called Kids Care Meals. He said 4,000 packages were donated to the Ledyard Food Pantry and the rest were given to the Gemma Moran Food Center in New London.

Schmidt said St Luke Lutheran Church, , , , and the have all teamed up to host the largest packaging event in New England in September and all organizations are accepting donations and seeking volunteers.

A technological glitch caused an article announcing guided hikes to Mount Decatur to publish prematurely, however, members of . and parking is available at the .

, according to Ledyard Police Lt. Michael Finkelstein.

The crash occurred around 4:14 a.m and caused 15 percent of CL&P customers in the area to lose power, according to the Hartford Courant. Power was restored to residents throughout the day.

Igor Ponts, 27, of 197 Laurel Hill Avenue in Norwich, was arrested and charged with evading responsibility, operating without a license and operating without insurance.

, a web-based service that will notify residents of non-emergency situations or issues in their area. Residents have to opt into the service to receive the alerts, which can be delivered to a home phone, cell phone and via text or all of the above.