The Middlebury Police
Department has prepared for Hurricane Sandy. If storm conditions warrant, an Emergency Operations Center
will be set up in the Police Department, with representatives from the Dept of
Public Works and the Fire Department on-site to provide a coordinated response
to emergency conditions. Updates
on preparations on the storm and emergency alert notices are available on the
Middlebury Police Department's Facebook page.
The Red Cross is ready to
help those who get displaced by the storm. They already have shelters designated. In Essex County, N.Y., the town of
Jay Community Center will open when the storm hits which should be later today. In Clinton County, they plan on opening
one in Keeseville, but have not announced a location. New York has called in help from
as far away as California and Illinois to help staff those shelters.
While Hurricane Sandy is
expected to make landfall just below New York City, Vermont is certainly going
to feel the effects of the storm, especially the wind. Governor Peter Shumlin yesterday declared
a State of Emergency for Vermont, which allows the state to use National Guard
and other federal resources.
Shumlin stressed Sunday this is not another Irene, and with the high
winds expected that will mean power outages over the next few days. The National Weather Service says 60-
to 80-mile-per-hour gusts are expected along the Green Mountains and in the
Northeast Kingdom.
Public transportation in
and out of Vermont is pretty much at a standstill, if you're flying or
traveling by rail. Airlines began
canceling flights last night for thousands of planes flying out of their northeast
hubs. Also starting today Amtrak
is canceling all train service across the Eastern Seaboard, including Vermont,
and is also not offering any alternative service.
Political leaders
statewide are telling resident to remove campaign yard signs. With the very high winds due today from
Hurricane Sandy, that could take a simple yard sign and turn it into a
projectile, which could smash a window or hurt someone.
GMP is making final prep
for storm’s arrival. Green
Mountain Power storm managers, line crews and support staff are making final
preparations this morning as the remnants of Hurricane Sandy churn north. Behind the scenes, employees have
arranged housing and meals for the army of outside crews, while others have
planned everything from damage assessment to delivery of poles, material and
equipment to hard-hit areas. The
latest weather forecasts suggest the storm will begin to affect southern
Vermont by early afternoon, with potentially hurricane-force winds starting
late this afternoon or early evening.
Forecasters say there will almost certainly be extensive damage as high
winds whip across higher terrain, through mountain passes where they will pick
up speed, and onto valley floors.
National Grid secured
crews and started monitoring the track of Hurricane Sandy as of last
night. A spokesman says that crews
were resting and will be working as soon as Sandy passes through. According to National Grid, thousands
of employees have gathered to respond to damage from the storm.
The skippers of the Lake
Champlain ferries that run between Vermont and New York are monitoring the
weather as winds from Hurricane Sandy are expected to arrive in the Champlain
Valley. Lake Champlain
Transportation Company Operations Manager Heather Stewart says the ferries
between Charlotte and Essex and Grand Isle and Cumberland Head are operating
normally today. She says the main
office is in contact with the skippers and service can be suspended as
warranted. The National Weather
Service says wind gusts can be expected to reach 55 miles per hour later Monday
or overnight. Stewart says they
take big storms seriously. She says a lot will depend on the direction of the
winds.
A state education panel is
considering just how long a typical school day and school calendar should
be. The new Education Quality
Standards Commission will have its first meeting next week on Wednesday. The 17-member panel will meet at the
Education Department's office in Berlin, considering everything from new
graduation requirements to how much time kids should spend in school. They'll pass along their findings to
the state Board of Education.
The Middlebury Arts Walk
committee invites the community to attend a fundraising event, Middlebury Arts
Rock, on Friday, November 9th at Two Brothers Lounge. The event will
feature live blues music from The Bob MacKenzie Band. Held on Arts Walk’s usual second Friday of the month, the
evening will feature music, a silent auction, light snacks, and a cash bar. The
cost is $10 per person and tickets can be purchased at the door. This event is
to help raise funds towards the 1-to-1 cash match of a grant that was recently
awarded by the Vermont Arts Council. With the grant the Middlebury Arts Walk
committee plans to promote and grow the 2013 Middlebury Arts Walk season. In lieu of attending the November 9th
event, direct donations can be made to the Arts Walk committee by visiting its
website (www.MiddleburyArtsWalk.com)
and clicking on the PayPal link.
