JCP&L Donates $5K to Local Food Pantry

The employees also donated 1,000 pounds of food to the Interfaith Food Pantry.

During tough economic times, those that are down on their luck often times find it hard to get food on the table. That's where the Interfaith Food Pantry comes in. The Interfaith Food Pantry is a non-denominational non-profit organization that provides food and groceries to Morris County families in need. Recently, Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) helped support the pantry with a $5,000 donation. Last year, the pantry fell on hard times because a 13 percent increase from May through July in demand for food staples had nearly stripped the pantry of supplies. But local companies are stepping up to help out.  JCP&L employees held bake sales and luncheons, collected food items and donated cash during the recently completed 2013 "Harvest …

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Spring Showers Bring April Power Outages

JCP&L response time getting better, but still not great, mayor says.

While spring has sprung in Washington Township, so has the erratic weather, which has brought with it a series of power outages in recent weeks. Those outages came with some decent restoration times – three hours at the most, a few minutes at the least – even though they affected anywhere between 800 and 1,500 customers each time. On Wednesday, April 10, a heavy rainstorm brought lightning and thunder to the area, knocking out power for some 1,540 residents supported by the Chester power line. The result was two hours and 17 minutes without power after a lightning strike overloaded the circuit, Washington Township Mayor Ken Short said. Another massive lighting storm hit the area on Friday, April 19, this time knocking out electricity for …

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Outage Issues Need Attention Now, Blogger Says

Different towns have addressed electric problems, so why hasn't Washington Township?

Communication Key JCP&L Issue in Sandy, Residents Said

They say the use of smartphones would have been a big help during the storm.

Communication was the key element missing in the days following Superstorm Sandy, residents said at a meeting with JCP&L executives Friday. Bridgewater resident Neha Limaye Pallod—who arranged the meeting and was joined by a few members of a statewide Facebook group she started to make JCP&L answer for its response to power outages in November—said the lack of information on a street level is where the system was truly flawed. Pallod and other residents met with JCP&L officials at their Morristown headquarters, and she said many made recommendations about how to fix communication for the future. Click here to read our Cover-It-Live story of live tweets from the meeting. “Calls are not getting logged correctly,” she said. “Reporting outages…

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Residents Meet With JCP&L on Sandy Response [Live Chat]

Miss the conversation? Watch the replay!

Bridgewater resident Neha Pallod Limaye arranged a meeting Friday with JCP&L officials and residents around the state to discuss the power company's response to widespread power outages from Superstorm Sandy. Following the storm, and weeks waiting for power to return, Limaye created a Facebook page for those who want JCP&L to answer for their response to the outages. She later arranged a meeting with officials for residents in that group, and planned to bring questions they had raised about how the company prepared for the storm and how it will prepare in the future. The meeting is being held Friday from 10 a.m. to noon in JCP&L's headquarters in Morristown. Limaye is live tweeting the meeting, and you can follow along with her tweets in …

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Residents to Question JCP&L Response to Sandy

A meeting will be held with company executives Friday at their Morristown headquarters.

With the hope of getting answers about JCP&L's poor response in the restoration of power for customers in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, Bridgewater resident Neha Pallod Limaye has scheduled a meeting with officials at the company's Morristown headquarters. The meeting will be held Friday from 10 a.m. to noon for anyone interested in speaking to JCP&L officials about their response, or lack thereof, following the hurricane, and their plans for change in the future. Limaye initially started a petition to get JCP&L out of Bridgewater about a week after the hurricane, and also created a Facebook group to bring together people from across the state who were disappointed by the performance of the power company following Superstorm Sandy. The …

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JCP&L Upgrading Emergency Communications

Utility installing components at operations center in Morristown.

JCP&L is taking steps to improve its ability to communicate with first responders during a large-scale emergency. The utility will install components of the New Jersey Preparedness Emergency Communication Network at its regional dispatching operations in Morristown and Red Bank, spokesman Ron Morano said Thursday. The facilities manage the daily work on the company's electrical system and provide coordination when repair crews are dispatched during widespread power outages. “Participating in this system will enhance our ability to share real-time critical information with our customers, communities and first responders during emergency situations,” JCP&L President Don Lynch said in a release. “Joining this system is one of the many things …

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Storm Prep Strides Being Made, Mayor Says

Meetings, communication efforts filled last four months since Hurricane Sandy.

Utility poles are still cracked and electric wires are still frayed in parts of Washington Township, four months after Hurricane Sandy ravaged New Jersey. Plenty of action has taken place in the time since, however, to prepare for future natural disasters which, according to Mayor Ken Short, will happen again. “[A similar storm] will happen again, hopefully we’re better prepared,” Short said at a recent Township Committee meeting. Short read through a list of meetings and upgrades that have taken place in the past four months, including: Short met with a group of the town's department heads and office of emergency officials where it was made known the biggest issue during Sandy and her aftermath was the lack of communication. The township'…

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Bruce Clark

1:54 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013

Yes, we will definitely get the word out before the next weather emergency hits us. We are thinking that high visibility/well-frequented locations around town like the SM General Store, library, police headquarters and fire houses are good sites for information stations. Welcome any additional thoughts the community might have on other good locations.   more ›

WATCH: Helicopter Tree-Trimming in Action

YouTube video shows what to expect in Washington Township beginning Monday.

As was announced earlier this week, Jersey Central Power & Light will be conducting tree-trimming in Washington Township from Monday, Feb. 18 to April 1. Unlike in previous years, this tree-trimming will be conducted by way of helicopter. The township has advised residents there is no cause for alarm, and police patrols will be on hand when necessary. For the full story, go here. Thanks to Long Valley Patch reader "Angelo," here's a YouTube video showing what tree-trimming via helicopter looks like. Please note, this video did not originate from Washington Township, as the cutting has yet to begin.

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Tree-Trimming by Helicopter Begins Monday

JCP&L using air attack to rid area of wayward branches, tree limbs.

First it was by land, now it's by air. All that's left for JCP&L is to attempt cutting trees from the water. Starting Monday, the area's electricity provider will be conducting tree-trimming by way of helicopter, with a series of chainsaws dangling from the air-bound machines. "I've seen the photos of it," said Washington Township Mayor Ken Short. "It's a pretty incredible sight." The cutting program will occur along the high-voltage lines in the township, starting near the Newburgh Road area, according to the township. Trimming will be limited to their established right on either side. The cutting will conclude in the Bartley Road area on or around April 1. When not in operation, the helicopter will refuel and be maintenanced at St. Mark'…

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