Daily Five: Phone Survey, Lemonade Challenge

1. Noaa.gov is calling for a nice day today: "Sunny, with a high near 39."

2. Today is President's Day, which is a federal and state holiday. Schools are closed, town offices are closed, all government offices and banks are closed.

3. The Town of Groton Facebook page issued this note on Friday, and in the wake of the recent CL&P phone scam, a heads-up on a legitimate phone survey is appreciated! "Starting February 20, residents living in southeastern Connecticut may be contacted by telephone to participate in an important survey. The purpose of the survey is to gather data to be used to improve evacuation plans for the towns located in the 10-mile emergency planning zone around Millstone Power Station. The telephone survey is being conducted by First Market Research, based in Boston, Mass. All calls made on weekdays will be conducted between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. On weekends, calls will be made between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Response to the survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

"No personal questions will be asked in the survey. Survey questions seek information such as “How long does it take for you to drive from work to home?” and “How many vehicles that are usually available to the household would your family use if an evacuation was necessary?” The responses to these questions provide important information for emergency planning purposes. The survey results will provide the towns with a better estimate of the number of people evacuating in a given area, the number of vehicles used to evacuate, and the amount of time needed to prepare for evacuation.

"The collected survey data will also be used in a traffic engineering study to identify roadways and areas with significant traffic congestion during evacuation and to identify methods to reduce the travel delay caused by traffic congestion.
Additional information regarding the telephone survey and planning for emergencies can be obtained by calling the Office of Emergency Management at (860) 445-2000."

4. The town's website says trash collection will be on a regular schedule this week.

5. The Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Publishing Group will partner with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) on a unique fundraising campaign based on Jacqueline Davies’ novel, The Lemonade War. The publisher is inviting middle and elementary schools to join this campaign. This is a great opportunity for students in Ledyard schools to get involved with a great cause.