Monthly Archives: August 2011

Bus Routes May Be Temporarily Altered Due To Downed Trees [UPDATED 2:00pm]

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According to the Board of Education’s recent posting on their website, school bus routes may be altered due to downed trees still blocking roads. See below for more information:

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From the Bethel Board of Education:

Power has been restored to the school buildings.  We will hold our first day of classes on Thursday, September 1.  This day will remain on the early dismissal schedule.  The dismissal times are as follows:

High School     12:15
Middle School  12:56
Johnson School  1:00
Rockwell School  1:40
Berry School  1:40
As of 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, there are currently road closures in the following locations:
Chestnut Ridge at #170 (Before the Nashville Extension)
Codfish Hill Extension at Jacklin Road
Nashville Road Extension
Nashville Road near Nashville Extension
Putnam Park Road between Route 302 and Hoyts Hill Road
Taylor Avenue near the sharp bend in road
Winesap Run at #32
Glenwood Drive
McNeil Road at Stony Hill Road
Sunset Hill Road at Jacobs Lane
Hoyts Hill  by #302
Because crews are working, these closures can change.  Road closures mean that bus routes in these areas will be altered.  First Student will do their best to maintain planned bus routes; however, if you realize that it is unlikely that a bus can make it to your child’s normal pickup spot, they can utilize a nearby bus stop (if they can get to it safely) or please make other arrangements to transport your child. There will be no penalty assessed for non-attendance. 
 
We have been asked to have all parents remind children to stay away from downed trees.
 
Those parents who use after-school day care facilities, please make sure that they are fully operating and accepting children on Thursday.  This means that you will need to make sure your child understands what bus he/she must ride if the normal day care provider is not open.
Thank you for your patience during this ordeal.  We have worked with the First Selectmen, his staff, and CL&P representatives to make the schools safe and operational.  It has also taken time to make a full assessment of current road closures so that we can provide accurate information.
Editor’s Note: The secretary at the Board of Education, Barbara Donaghy, advised Bethel Buzz this morning at 10:38am that there will be school tomorrow, Thursday. The bus company confirmed this as well.  The Board of Ed also stated that hot lunches and food temperatures will be fine and parents should not worry. The Board of Ed will send out an automated telephone message this evening confirming this.
[UPDATE 2:00 pm] IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE FIRST SELECTMAN: “Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gary Chesley confirmed this afternoon that the first day of school for the Bethel Public School system will be tomorrow, September 1st, with the early dismissal schedule in effect. Any parents who may not have received the automated school announcement voice mail and need additional information are encouraged to call the Board of Education office at 203-794-8601.”

First Selectman's Storm Update 8/31[UPDATED 2:00pm]

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Info from the automated phone message sent today from the First Selectman:

As of this morning CL&P has restored power to more than half of the effected customers in Bethel, including the school complex and other critical  facilities. CL&P has deployed 6 line crews and 2 tree cutting crews who are working in Bethel today to restore a circuit supplying power to many customers.

Road Closures: Route 58, Nashville Road and Chestnut are the three top priority roads to be opened. The town is  are aware of other road closures and will address them as quickly as possible. If there are any other outages or trees down that need to be reported please call CL&P directly at 800-286-2000.

Town Hall is open to the public from 7am-9pm for showers, use of water and to recharge cell phones and laptops.

The First Selectman stated he understands resident’s frustration and asks the community to be patient while CL&P works to restore power.

Editor’s Note: The secretary at the Board of Education, Barbara Donaghy, advised Bethel Buzz this morning at 10:38am that there will be school tomorrow, Thursday. The bus company confirmed this as well.  The Board of Ed also stated that hot lunches and food temperatures will be fine and parents should not worry. The Board of Ed will send out an automated telephone message this evening confirming this.

[UPDATE 2:00 pm] IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE FIRST SELECTMAN: “Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gary Chesley confirmed this afternoon that the first day of school for the Bethel Public School system will be tomorrow, September 1st, with the early dismissal schedule in effect. Any parents who may not have received the automated school announcement voice mail and need additional information are encouraged to call the Board of Education office at 203-794-8601.”

American Red Cross Needs Blood! Donate in Danbury Thursday

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American Red Cross Needs Blood! Donate in Danbury Thursday

The American Red Cross is in need of blood donations due to the impact of Hurricane Irene on the blood supply. The Red Cross is urging blood and platelet donations because platelets have a shelf-life of just five days, according to their website.

The Red Cross had to cancel over 60 blood drives along the East Coast due to Hurricane Irene, causing a shortage of over 1,500 units of blood.  They estimate many more in the upcoming days may also be canceled due to the storm damage. Nationwide, 44,000 blood donations are needed every day to meet the needs of accident victims, cancer patients, and children with blood disorders. If the Red Cross does not get the blood they need, it could negatively impact the long-term care needs of those patients.

The American Red Cross is holding a blood drive on Thursday from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn on Newtown Road across from Wal-Mart. Online appointments are closed at this time, however donors may all 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment.

If you can’t make it Thursday in Danbury, the American Red Cross is holding another blood drive in Monroe on Saturday, Sept. 3 from 8:00am until 1:00pm at the Monroe Senior Center, 235 Cutler’s Farm Road, Monroe.

For more information on the American Red Cross and to view upcoming blood drive dates click here.

DAWS Needs Donations

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DAWS Needs Donations

 

 

DAWS pet shelter lost power Sunday and had to cancel Sunday’s Open House.  The dogs are now in foster care and there is a volunteer staying at the shelter with the cats.  All of their adoptable pets are doing well, but because they missed the open house it will delay being placed with permanent homes. DAWS is encouraging people to look at DAWS’ Cat Gallery and Dog Gallery and come to the shelter to meet the adoptable pets when they reopen.

DAWS is asking pet lovers to consider making a donation to help them recover from the storm. They are also asking people to consider holding a drive to collect supplies from their Wish List to help defray operational expenses.

For more information check out their website.

First Selectman's Storm Update 8/30

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Update from Bethel for Tuesday, August 30th:

  • CL&P reports power restored to 1,400 Bethel customers since Monday morning; work continues to restore power to remaining 3,300 homes and businesses.
  • CL&P has assigned additional crews to Bethel, some to continue clearing downed trees and wires and others to begin restoration process.  Experienced disaster relief crews have been brought in from Canada, Ohio, Michigan and Florida to increase CL&P’s field work force.
  • First day of school still tentatively set for Thursday, September 1st, but subject to power restoration and insuring bus routes have been fully cleared or effectively rerouted.
  • Concerning the timeline for full service restoration, CL&P continues to stand by their original projection of one week or possibly more from the end of the storm for full statewide restoration.
  • Bethel Municipal Center remains open from 7:00am to 9:00pm for showers and a place to recharge cell phones and laptop computers.
Please call if you have further questions.  I will update as I obtain fresh information.
Regards,
Matthew S. Knickerbocker
First Selectman
Town of Bethel
Clifford J. Hurgin Municipal Center
1 School Street
Bethel, CT  06801
Office:  203-794-8501
Fax:     203-778-7520

Showers & Recharging Stations

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Showers & Recharging Stations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About 40% of Bethel residents are still without power after Hurricane Irene hit Bethel hard on Sunday. Below is a list of facilities local businesses are providing to Bethel residents to help ease the pain of being without power for many days in a row.

WiFi Access:

Bethel Public Library, Greenwood Ave

Molten Java, Greenwood Ave

Bethel Music Center, Greenwood Ave

Free Showers:

Municipal Center, 1 School Street

Greenknoll YMCA Brookfield, 2 Huckleberry Hill Road, Brookfield,  (203) 775-2840

Boughton Street YMCA Danbury, 12 Boughton Street, Danbury, (203) 744, 1000

*you do not have to be a member of the YMCA to use their showers*

Open Kitchen:

Loree’s Catering, 4 Elizabeth Street, is opening up her kitchen to the community, free of charge until 6:00 p.m. Tuesday night, so people can cook their perishables. Call (203) 733-1114 to let her know you’re coming.

Recharging Station

First Selectman’s office, 1 School Street. They will have power strips from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. to recharge laptops and cell phones.

Other Services

A New Beginning, 68 Stony Hill Road, complimentary shower with any service booked today based on shower availability. Call 203-743-9795.

Mitchell’s Salon, 6 Elizabeth Street, (203)743-1622. Wash and blow dry $10


First Selectman's Storm Upate

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From the Office of the First Selectman:

A house on Plumtrees Road that was damaged by Hurricane Irene. Trees fell on the house and power lines as well as a car parked in the driveway. Photo Credit: Wendy Mitchell

Just concluded a meeting with our CL&P liaison concerning recovery progress in Bethel.  Here is the latest:
  • Bethel currently has about 4,500 customers without power (58% of CL&P’s customer base).  Full recovery is estimated right now to be about one week, although that estimate could change up or down as utility crews continue to pinpoint and assess damage.
  • Immediate priority is to clear all downed wires and trees hanging in wires as soon as possible to ensure public safety.
  • First day for Bethel Public Schools is now set for Thursday, September 1st.  We expect power to be restored to the school complex by then, as well as to have all bus routes cleared of trees and downed wires.  Watch for additional announcements from the Bethel Board of Education office concerning start of school.
  • For Bethel residents without power, we are providing power strips for recharging your phones and hot showers here at the Bethel Municipal Center.  Hours are from 8:30am to 4:00pm.
  • As a reminder, all phone and service is down here at the Municipal Center, except for the analog lines to the Emergency Operations Center.  At this time we do not have an estimate from AT&T concerning restoration of phone service.
IMPORTANT!   Please stress with your readers to STAY CLEAR OF ALL DOWNED WIRES AND TREES THAT ARE TOUCHING DOWNED WIRES, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY LOOK SAFE. 
Damaged wires can become RE-ENERGIZED AT ANY TIME WITHOUT WARNING. 
Sometimes. something as simple as a nearby homeowner who connects a portable generator to his home can “backfeed” the system, and fatal electrocutions CAN OCCUR.
I will keep you informed as new information becomes available.
Sincerely,
Matthew S. Knickerbocker
First Selectman
Town of Bethel
Clifford J. Hurgin Municipal Center
1 School Street
Bethel, CT  06801
Office:  203-794-8501
Fax:     203-778-7520