By Kaitlyn Kanzler, Special Writer
CRANBURY — In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy two weeks ago, many residents complimented Mayor David Cook and Township Committee’s actions and efforts to get life back to normal.
At the committee meeting on Nov. 5, the destructive storm of Oct. 29 was still on the minds of the Committee and residents.
According to Mayor Cook, by Nov. 5, around four to five percent of the town was still in the dark, with Public Service Electric &Gas crews still working to get the lights back on.
In a later phone interview, Mayor Cook confirmed that, despite the Nor’Easter that followed on the heels of Sandy that dumped approximately six inches of snow on the township, most residents had power restored by day 12 following the storm and all residents had their power restored by day 13.
According to Mayor Cook, the concentration of powerless houses was on Old Cranbury Road and the Evans Tract, which committee members Dan Mulligan and Susan Goetz could vouch for as they were still without power on Nov. 5.
There were sporadic power outages on East and West Park Place, Cranbury-Brickyard Road, and Plainsboro Road according to the Mayor.
According to committee member Glenn Johnson, he and Mayor Cook followed around a PSE&G inspector, helping him locate any problems that needed to be reported.
”It did a lot of good, having that guy on our side,” Mr. Johnson said. “At one point he even called back a crew from Princeton to take care of something. It was a spur of the moment thing that worked out well.”
Mayor Cook complimented the committee and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) on their efforts during the storm.
”Hats off in particular to the Public Works Department, police department and also the fire and rescue squad,” Mayor Cook said. “They did a big part in recovering from the worst storm I’ve ever experienced.”
Mayor Cook was not the only one of the Committee to thank the OEM for their job during and after the storm. Many of the members thanked the OEM on their efforts as well as Mayor Cook.
”I have to say, you did a phenomenal job, (Mayor Cook),” Mr. Mulligan said.
According to Mr. Mulligan, Mayor Cook was on the phone with PSE&G and Middlesex County every hour assessing the situation in the township.
”I’ve only heard good things in general about this committee and how we function,” Mr. Mulligan said. “We were all very visible. We let the professionals do their jobs and it’s really the professionals that got us through this.”
According to Mr. Mulligan, there are many positive stories in the community about how the residents worked together.
”It’s just good to see that. It’s very Cranbury,” Mr. Mulligan said.
According to Mr. Mulligan, the First Presbyterian Church on Main Street served as a warming station for many residents.
”It’s not just that the church opened up so people could come in, but the amount of food residents brought in was heartwarming,” Ms. Goetz said.
According to committee member Jay Taylor, several local business also made donations to the warming station, including Italian Touch and Zinna’s Bistro on Route 130 in Cranbury, as well as the Cranbury Inn and Cranbury Pizza.
During the meeting, Mayor Cook introduced the idea of a subcommittee to assess their OEM procedures.
Mr. Mulligan will head the subcommittee. Other members of the committee include Township Administrator Denise Marabello to handle the numbers and the cost affiliated with a Sandy- like storm, and Township Attorney Steve Goodell to assess anything legal.
Mr. Taylor suggested that the OEM position that he currently fills be reverted back to the mayor.
According to Mr. Taylor, many previous mayors traveled a lot, making the position difficult for them to fulfill, but with Sandy, there was a lot of confusion because Mayor Cook took such an active role but was not in the position.
”I’d like to have a linear chain of command,” Mr. Taylor said.
