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Election Day Polling in New Canaan To Go As Planned

Power has been restored to both polling locations in New Canaan, so voters can cast ballots as planned on Election Day.

 

Though one-third of New Canaan remained in the dark late Sunday, power has been restored to the two polling locations in town, officials said.

According to Registrar of Voters George F. Cody, Saxe Middle School and New Canaan High School received power Saturday afternoon.

"There will be no changes to voting locations or voting hours of 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.," Cody said in a press release. "Voters will vote in the same locations as in the past, with District 1 voting in the High School, and Districts 2 and 3 voting at Saxe Middle School."

The news comes after the Town Clerk extended hours over the weekend to accept additional absentee ballot applications because her office saw such high demand—about 10 times the usual number. Connecticut Light and Power last week had vowed to restore power to 100-plus polling places that were in the dark at the time. The utility's line crews made progress over the weekend, reducing the overall number of homes without power in the state to fewer than 30,000 late Sunday—down from a high of more than 600,000.

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concerned citizen November 5, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Are you kidding me? Now they are saying Wednesday for power? This is unacceptable.
Four Jacks November 5, 2012 at 01:35 pm
The NC EOC and Advertiser are doing an extremely poor job of keeping us informed, at least they stopped posting photos of food. If you have twitter, check out @ridgefieldpress to see how it can be done. The have been a model for communications. C'mon NC EOC, at least post updates, gather and disseminate info.
Tom November 5, 2012 at 01:57 pm
The town's DR plan must be revisited. These lenghthy outages that we are being asked to deal with a couple times a year seem to have started around the same time the EOC came into existence. Just because you have a plan doesn't mean that its a good plan or that its the right plan. It's time for the citizens of this town to start requiring this to be addressed in a very serious manner.
Four Jacks November 5, 2012 at 02:08 pm
I agree Tom, but their lack of updates is really disappointing, what are they there for?
S Dogood November 5, 2012 at 02:48 pm
Four Jacks - I have gotten updates from the EOC at least twice a day by phone and email. I also see updates on their Facebook page.
Is your concern that the information is: - not meaningful? - not frequent enough? - something else wrong? Please be specific and constructive. What should they be saying?
Four Jacks November 5, 2012 at 03:04 pm
S. Dogwood, glad their updates please you. Because I monitor towns very close to my home, and follow them on twitter, I can see the vast difference in reporting specific details of where crews are working, and they also tweet as streets regain power. I would like to see updates like that on the EOC FB page, instead of replies to all of the "me first" postings. I can tell you more about what's going on with Ridgefield areas than I can New Canaan's.
John Sheffield November 5, 2012 at 03:27 pm
Tom and Four Jacks,
Everyone at EOC are volunteers, save those reps from town departments like Police, Public Works, Fire etc. There will be post-event lesson learned discussion I'm sure. Perhaps YOU can volunteer your time away from family during such an emergency to make it better.
John Sheffield November 5, 2012 at 03:34 pm
Frankly, I think our team at the EOC has done a great job. That whole set up was the idea of a couple of concerned and active volunteer citizens. With their leadership and dedication and help from many, this EOC is now what it is. Can it, like most everything, get better with time? Sure! If you actually have helpful and thoughtful ideas you wish to research, put on paper in a well-thought out plan, and then be there to help implement it, I'm certain they will welcome your specific suggestions. Anonymous complaints with no actionable details.... not so much.
Four Jacks November 5, 2012 at 03:37 pm
John, fine. But if they are going to spend time at the NC EOC why not be as helpful as possible? Posting photos of food was certainly not helpful to anyone. As an active volunteer, I always do my utmost best to serve those intended.
Glen K Dunbar November 5, 2012 at 03:45 pm
Dog: Never mind the updates and fillabuster and such. Just get the power going for all these poor people. Get the gas situation moving too. It is NOT the fault of the gas stations. But, whoever is holding this all up. stop it and give stations their gas so people can get about their lives.
Erich Bruhn November 5, 2012 at 03:47 pm
Four Jacks, if as you say other towns are providing better or more detailed info then NC, why not VOLENTEER this info to our people? I'm sure they would be more than happy to receive CONSTRUCTIVE impute and your help in improving our system if it is truly helpful. I think that would be a lot more positive and beneficial to all of us rather than ll this second guessing and sniping. If you think things could be better organized, then GET INVOLVED !
Four Jacks November 5, 2012 at 04:07 pm
Erich: I have done more than you know, I just don't have to publicize that. This is about helping people, there are elderly people freezing, people with babies, and yet very little is posted regarding soecific areas that are being addressed. I don't have power, and I don't care, but I do care about the elderly in this town that are fending for themselves.
Evil Squirrel November 5, 2012 at 06:35 pm
You must be kidding, right? I get multiple updates daily to phone, email, and text. They have been extremely helpful and should be praised for their efforts.
John Sheffield November 5, 2012 at 07:14 pm
Thanks, Four Jacks, for being an active volunteer.....this town is great because of volunteers. BTW, I had a similar online interaction with someone last year who I then got to know and who turned out to be a wonderful person who contributed significantly to his church, town and broader community, unbeknownst to me. So perhaps the same is true of you. See you one day in the trenches....
Erich Bruhn November 5, 2012 at 07:16 pm
FourJacks, if you have contributed, more power to you. I applaud your efforts. But you didn't answer my question. It has nothing to do with publicizing what you do. If you have constructive ideas and suggestions, only those at the EOC need to know. There are plenty of people who are giving their time and ideas and " aren't publicizing their contributions" So back to my question, why not share your ideas and insights, if constructive, rather than criticizing from behind a faceless web name? By backing up your comments with constructive suggestions and effort, we might all benefit.
Tom November 5, 2012 at 08:43 pm
John I do and I have volunteered. Not everyone in the EOC is a volunteer. Those people who volunteer offer a support service. I am not talking about them. I am talking about our Elected and paid leaders who have designed a disaster recovery plan that is not as productive or as efficient as it should and needs to be.
People volunteer because they want to help. If you are volunteering because you want recognition for your action then you are doing for the WRONG reason. As far as communication goes, I received an update that the crew were concentrating on the South East quadrant however there were NO CREWS in that quadrant. Was it a communication? Yes it was. Was it accurate? No it wasn't.
Sharpie November 5, 2012 at 08:52 pm
MUST read:
"Support for Kill List and NDAA make Obama and Romney Unfit for Office" http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/reawakening-liberty/2012/nov/2/support-kill-list-and-ndaa-make-obama-and-romney-u/ Make a special note to watch the Free and Equal Election Debate between third party Presidential candidates, Gov. Gary Johnson (Libertarian) and Dr. Jill Stein (Green) to be aired tonight on Monday evening, Nov. 5th from 9:00 - 10:30 pm Eastern Time. Perform a worthwhile civic duty, and be certain to listen in on this historic debate so that you can make an informed decision on voting day. Third party candidates who will be on the ballot in most states deserve to be heard. It is a violation of the 1st Amendament rights of third party candidates, and a violation of the free speech rights of every American, for their voices to be silenced. http://freeandequal.org/?v=1
Tom November 5, 2012 at 08:56 pm
John, just because couple of concerned citizens came up with a plan doesn't make it the right plan. This plan that a "couple" of people came up with affects a lot of other people. We have EVERY right to be critical of that plan and voice out opinions. My comments although pseudo annonymous here have been very much inclusive of my name to the EOC. I am not going to let this one go quietly. The DR plan is very linear and does not utilize parallel efforts. 4 days are spent doing analysis for every storm before any restoration begins. I am saying that the RTO is flawed and must be revisited. You can run around patting them on the back that's fine. I am in contact with people who are dealing with hardship and I don't like it especially when its preventable.
We have the data on how many trees we have lost in the past 6 major storms. We can easily crunch that data and identify hotspots. We know how many crews it will take and what effort the highway department is going to need to expend. USE IT
Baffled Resident November 5, 2012 at 09:07 pm
With regard to identifying tree "hotspots", do you not recall the situation on Main Street and the one on West Road some years back? The process isn't quite as easy as you seem to think it is, Tom.
joe November 5, 2012 at 11:55 pm
Since all roads need to be cleared for emergency vehicles:
Day 1: tuesday 12:00 10/30 start clearing all roads immediately, starting with main roads and in and about town. have dedicated call centers receiving communications from the good citizens of NC alerting us to "situations". Have cl&p start providing service to these clean main vanes.day 2:continue as needed. again incompetance in NC
joe November 5, 2012 at 11:59 pm
Romney 2012!
S Dogood November 6, 2012 at 12:14 am
Part 1 of 2:
Four Jacks, please do not assume anything. I never said I was happy with the updates. I was providing an observation on the frequency of NC EOC communications. I am asking questions to learn and share what I have learned and seen. I have spent some time since your post looking at the @ridgefieldpress twitter account. If I understand it correctly, they are a news organization. Much of the information is from individuals posting what they see and hear. @ridgefieldpress does pass on information that have heard. E.g., “Diane Crehan reports all of central Main Street appears to have power now.” Some of the information could be wrong. Most of it appears to be encouraging. “The mission of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is to protect the lives and property of the citizens of New Canaan. The OEM plans and prepares for emergencies, coordinates emergency response and recovery, and collects and disseminates emergency information. In addition to supporting the Town’s emergency services, the OEM also coordinates emergency response from other local, state and federal agencies.” – From their Facebook page.
S Dogood November 6, 2012 at 12:15 am
Part 2 of 2:
From what I interpret your response to mean is: 1) NC EOM should add twitter to its communication methods. 2) Add to NC EOM the sharing of information from all sources. Encourage people to post information as they see it. I do not know if the NC EOM has a policy of only providing information that they can verify as fact or not. Should NC EOM expand their mission to include the suggestions above? Would the Patch or Advertiser be a better conduit for the information as they are a "news" organization? They could work with NC EOM and have a different focus on the communication.
S Dogood November 6, 2012 at 01:11 am
Joe, I want to make sure I understand your proposal correctly.
“Day 1: tuesday 12:00 10/30 start clearing all roads immediately, starting with main roads and in and about town. have dedicated call centers receiving communications from the good citizens of NC alerting us to "situations". “ Clearing the roads so emergency services can be provided to the area in case of fire, health or other emergency. Clearing the roads require crews with the skills to clear the trees and CL&P to make the wires safe for the trees to be cleared and to ensure the wires to not cause injuries or fires. A Cleared road for emergency services does not mean it requires not further work to prepare it for power restoration. As soon as a road is cleared start restoring the power. Should this take priority over clearing other roads that emergency services cannot be provided? NC EOM has said “power restoration cannot begin until we gain access for emergency vehicles.” – Mike Handler October 31, 2012 From what I read, New Canaan started out with over 120 roads that Emergency Services could not be provided. They were still clearing roads on Friday. If I have your proposal correctly, it might leave people in danger longer then the NC EOM’s plan. The easy solution is always to get more crews. Not always possible.
Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Thomas Paine June 18, 2013 at 01:46 pm
Why is it the panel for this event does not include a single advocate for gun-owners' rights? WithRead More all due respect to Chief McNamara, why does the panel no include a person who can speak to gun safety from a gun-owning civilian's perspective? ML, you claim that the assembled folks "do not offer judgements about gun ownership" but they are not including a single voice that can offer perspective on gun ownership. I have been to "education" sessions sponsored by Meg's March for Change and they are one-sided indoctrinations into gun control advocacy. >>>> I was in Hartford for the public hearings in January when both Meg and March co-founder Nancy gave their personal testimonies and they all but threatened the legislators on the panel with election day retribution for all those who did not tow the gun-control line of thinking (i.e. March and CAGV). To suggest that Meg "does not offer judgements" if fallacious at best, disingenuous at worst.
Porter Gladstone III June 19, 2013 at 06:27 pm
I guess people can organize discussions with agenda as they see fit? Just checked some NRARead More sponsored meetings and this was the sample of speakers:attendees joined in honoring Friends of NRA Volunteers of the Year from across with country. Attendees also listened to speakers from the event's sponsors Cabela's, U.S. Law Shield and Universal Coin and Bullion. Former NRA President David Keene encouraged NRA members to stand and fight for their American freedoms, and R. Lee Ermy "The Gunny" reinforced the message by surprising guests and autographing a Glock pistol for one winner. Now unless "the gunny" was the invited person who spoke on behalf of gun control, I cant find the parrallel you demand be accomodated for this groups agenda.
Penny Riordan June 10, 2013 at 01:00 pm
Sorry Elmcrest! We don't like the spam either! As Lisa said, our engineers are working hard toRead More prevent those spammers from attacking our 900+ sites across the country.
Elmcrest June 11, 2013 at 07:45 am
Good luck! Just today, Tuesday, June 11, there have been over 350 of those spam posts since 3:30 AM,Read More and it’s not even 8:00 AM yet!
Ed Smith June 13, 2013 at 12:02 pm
Yup, "US Open Golf" is doing it right now, posting a new blog every 2 minutes.
Diane McEvoy June 18, 2013 at 09:48 am
US Representative Larson is now on board, which leaves Rep. DeLauro and Senator Murphy. Neither ofRead More their staffers are forthcoming about why they have not co-sponsored. Please call their DC offices and urge them to stop up. Murphy has supposedly received only 40 calls on the subject.
monique thomas June 7, 2013 at 05:14 pm
Unknown to most parents, children’s data is being shared beyond the school district with sixRead More agencies inside the Utah Data Alliance and UTREX, according to Utah Technology Director John Brandt. The student data is further being “mashed” with federal databases, according to federal Education Dept. Chief of Staff Joanne Weiss: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2012/07/ed_urges_states_to_make_data_s.html While John Brandt assures us that only a handful of people in Utah have access to the personally identifiable data of children, recent alterations to federal FERPA (Famly Education Rights Privacy Act) regulations which were made by the U.S. Dept of Education, have radically redefined terms and widened the window of groups who can access private data without parental consent. For more on that, see the lawsuit against the U.S. Dept of Education on the subject: http://epic.org/apa/ferpa/default.html But first, an interjection: I want to introduce this article: http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/your-students-privacy/ I like this article because it exposes the facts plainly, that parents are unaware that their children’s information is being shared without parental permission, beyond the school, beyond the district, and even beyond the state. It is verifiable and true. What it means: Courses taken, grades earned, every demographic piece of information, including family names and income, is being watched by the U.S. government via schools. Verify for yourself: The U.S. Dept. of Education’s own explanation is here, showing why SLDS systems exist: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/slds/factsheet.html
Tasin Sumaia June 9, 2013 at 01:55 pm
http://directwatchliveonline.blogspot.com/2013/06/watch-france-vs-brazil-livestream-online.html
1CarGarageinNC June 6, 2013 at 06:16 pm
Why does ANY of this surprise you? You can take the man out of Chicago... Where is the outrageRead More across the land? Why do we sheepishly respond to these multiple malfeasances? Obama will stay in office and do what he wants until 2016 for one reason. Two words. President Biden.
Glen K Dunbar June 7, 2013 at 02:49 pm
I have and always will respect whoever our Pres was/is and will be. Is one person over the otherRead More really going to change my life?? NOPE. I am still going to be spinning my wheels in poverty. As for IRS> I think IRS should be closed too. Nobody wants to pay taxes. Why can't the Govt just print more money Problem solved!! Also, USA needs to stop wasting money overseas and take care of our own...like my bail out
Marie-Pierre Graf June 5, 2013 at 04:55 pm
I feel so blessed to have had those 37 great young people in my life for the last 3 years! I willRead More miss them so much!