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NEW CANAAN, Conn. I consider myself lucky in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. My 16-year-old son Jordan was evacuated and stayed with his best friend last weekend. He got to stay up past midnight instead of turning in by 10 p.m. He had the chance to eat freshly cooked "exotic" foods because his best friend's family is from Shanghai. They had electricity. We didn't. Flooding was a major concern for us because we live just 20 feet from the Five Mile River. Thankfully, we incurred no damage to our home. No Metro-North service on the New Canaan branch meant a "regular" work day for my husband, who spent the day doing multiple dump runs to cart away twigs, limbs and debris.
Our day began with a warm shower at the YMCA, where we chatted away with staff and many neighbors. We visited our seniors and kept them company. St. Aloysius was gracious enough to allow us the use of their kitchen (and electrical outlet) so we could cook a pot roast dinner. Our wonderful librarians provided our family with a comfortable place to bring our cell phones to recharge and laptops to check our email. Our residents were given free coffee and movies throughout the day. Our Emergency Operations Center staff, police, DPW, town employees, EMT, CERT volunteers --- all gave 110 percent of themselves. How lucky we are to live here in New Canaan, where we rally together to help one another. At night, we read and played cards by hurricane lamp. The sound of chirping crickets and humming generators lolled us to sleep.
And speaking of generators ... as many of us are slowly getting power, can I ask a favor? Will New Canaanites with generators who no longer need them because you have power, help those without any power by letting them borrow your generator for a few days? I am willing to provide my email address bjlovastik@yahoo.com and my home number 203-594-9030 to coordinate this effort. Please leave me your full name, address and cell and home number.
Let me know if you have a generator or are in need of a generator. Please note that heavy (yellow) extension cords may be required as well as gasoline.
Do you have a generator that someone could borrow? Let us know by leaving a comment below. You can also comment on our Facebook page.
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