Community Corner

Celebration for Love of Alabama Power

Dubbed the borough's "knights in shining armor" in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Fair Haven plans special meeting to honor the power company

The lights are on in Fair Haven and a slew of residents and officials are soon welcoming Alabama Power people back "home" in the borough.

This time, however, there will be no work involved in the stay. It will only be a homecoming of sorts for the utility workers dubbed hometown heroes in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

"First, representatives of the company will be coming to town to film a documentary-type (industrial) video for the company," Mayor Ben Lucarelli said. "They'll start filtering into town on or about Dec. 7 and 8 to film. Anyone who would like to be included and has something to say about the workers can give a call to Fair Haven Borough Hall too see if something can be scheduled."

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Then, on Monday, Dec. 10, the mayor said, a proclamation about the great job done by those in the utility company who came to restore power will be read and presented to its representatives at a special Borough Council meeting at 6 p.m. at Knollwood School. 

A crew of roughly 182 utility workers and engineers serviced 2,200 homes and covered 95 miles of road, getting Fair Haven residences' and business' power restored in a few days. "That's an awful lot of ground to cover (95 miles of road and 2,200 homes) for a town as small as Fair Haven, which is only 1.6 square miles," Lucarelli noted. 

Find out what's happening in Rumson-Fair Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We want to get as many people out at that meeting as possible," the mayor said at last week's meeting conducted at Knollwood with students participating in the audience. "Get the word out to your moms and dads so that they can come and thank Alabama Power for getting the lights back on."

The proclamation for the power company, headlined "Alabama Power, Fair Haven, New Jersey's Knights in Shining Armor," was read, by Lucarelli to the students at last week's meeting. 

In essence, it thanks the power company workers for sacrificing time with their families and taking risks involved to come to Fair Haven to get power restored very swiftly after most had done without for up to two weeks.

"Alabama Power was dispatched to the Borough of Fair Haven on Nov. 7, 2012 and the crews worked tirelessly as a team to bring as many homes and businesses to power as quicly as they could under adverse conditions while sacrificing time away from their families," Lucarelli read from the proclamation, which, he explained to students, includes "many whereas(es)."

Mark your calendars for the Dec. 10 ceremony/meeting, the mayor said. "We'd like to see as many people there as possible. It will be a nice way to thank Alabama Power."


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