Hurricane Irene Update for Ledyard

With electricity not expected to be restored to many parts of town until Saturday, Ledyard schools Superintendent sent a message to parents today advising them that school will not reopen until Sept. 6. Here is his message:

"Dear Folks:

"Much of Ledyard has no power, and several roads in town are not passable.  The power company informed town officials that power will not be fully restored until Saturday, Sept. 3.  As result, we are postponing the opening day for teachers until Thursday, Sept. 1; the first day for students will be postponed until Tuesday, Sept. 6.

"Teachers should report to their buildings on Thursday for meetings and classroom set up. I know that everyone is anxious to get into his or her classroom, so even if we have no power, we will begin on Thursday (we do have water/bathrooms).  On Friday, we will begin the day with faculty meetings at each school, and then we will meet at the high school for the opening day activities.      

"School offices and the central office will be open beginning Tuesday, Aug. 30.  If the situation changes in any way, I will provide updates via School Messenger phone calls, emails and radio announcements on WBMW (106.5 FM) and WCTY (97.7 FM).     

"I hope you and your family fared well in the storm; fortunately, the school buildings sustained no damage in the storm.  All we need to do is clean up a bit and get the power reconnected.  See you soon."

Town Hall Closed Tuesday

Ledyard Administrative Offices will be closed for a second day on Tuesday. Mayor Fred B. Allyn Jr. said without phones and computers, town hall workers are not able to do their jobs.

Clearing the Roads

State and town crews continued the work of clearing roads today, but they could go no faster than the power company's progress as it works to repair fallen utility lines. Ledyard Police Lt. Michael Finkelstein said all of the trees that don't involved downed wires have been cleared, but that still leaves a lot of roads with single-lane clearance or no access at all. Stay tuned.

Finkelstein also said telephone and Internet communications have been a nightmare for Ledyard Police. The station, which lost power, had been using an emergency generator until Monday morning, when the generator malfunctioned. Emergency dispatch has been temporarily was transferred to the Mashantucket Pequot Dispatch Center.

As always, to report an emergency, call 911. If you would like to contact Ledyard Police, call 860 464-8225.

Valentino's reopens

Raya's in Gales Ferry has been packing them since the hurricane, but as of today you don't need to go to Gales Ferry for pizza and a beer. With a rented generator running outside, Valentino's reopened today. 

Red Cross Shelter in East Lyme

While most towns have closed their local overnight emergency shelters, the American Red Cross has opened a regional facility in East Lyme for people who need a place to spend the night.

Montville and Groton are among the towns that are offering “respite” shelters tonight – facilities where you can shower and get a hot meal – but the overnight shelters are closed.

The regional shelter is at the East Lyme Senior Center, 37 Society Road, according to Red Cross spokesman Paul Shipman. It is open now and is available to anyone in the region. It is allowing pets, although they must be crated.

Shipman said that if people have questions about sheltering, they should first call their town emergency management number and find out about local options. He said the number 2-1-1 also provides information 24 hours a day.

Shipman said anyone coming to the overnight shelter is urged to bring pillows, sleeping bags or bedding, toiletries and anything to pass the time (books, games, etc).

He said there is food at the shelter