Hurricane Sandy Updates for Ledyard: Overnight Shelter, Water, School News

The Red Cross has opened an overnight shelter at the Groton Senior Center at 102 Newtown Road/Route 117 in Groton through Monday, for people who are still without power and heat.

Shelter Manager Joe Jackson said the Red Cross would reassess the demand for shelter Monday to decide whether to keep it open longer.

The temperature was expected to drop to 34 degrees tonight in Ledyard, according the National Weather Service. Saturday’s low is forecast to be 32 degrees and Sunday night is expected to drop to 28 degrees.

The shelter would be available to residents of Groton, Ledyard and Stonington, and will provide cots, three meals, snacks, showers and outlets to power electronic equipment.

Connecticut Light & Power reported 41 percent of customers in Ledyard still without power Friday night.

School is scheduled to be open Monday and students will have school Tuesday, Nov. 6. Election day was previously a day designated for professional development and students would not be in class but due to the storm, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Graner rescheduled classes for Tuesday. Graner said there will be extra staff, administrators and police on hand to ensure student safety.

The five built-in snow days have already been spent on Hurricane Sandy so on Wednesday; the Board of Education will have to decide how to make some room on the school calendar in case of real snow. Graner said they are considering opening school on the Monday after Veteran’s Day (Nov. 12) and having an early release day on Wednesday, Nov. 21, which are currently vacation days.

Other hurricane-related updates are below:

• Warm showers are available at Ledyard High School and the Middle School from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. this weekend. Residents can use these locations as a charging station as well.
• Other charging stations are at the libraries, the Senior Center from 8:30 to 4:00 and Town Hall from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Residents can bring spoiled food to the Transfer Station this weekend from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
• Bottled drinking water and flushing water is available outside Town Hall, the Senior Center, the high school and the middle school. The libraries will also carry bottled drinking water.
• Town representatives discouraged trick or treating in Ledyard on Oct. 31, due to the hazardous road conditions and the activity was rescheduled to Monday, Nov. 5.