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Schools

Middletown Schools Ready for Students After Hurricane

Middletown public schools welcome students back on Wednesday, Sept. 7.

All school buildings remain on track to welcome students back this Wednesday, Sept. 7, after Hurricane Irene last week caused only minor disruptions in the School Department's annual back-to-school readiness operations.

Middletown Public Schools Superintendent Rosemarie Kraeger said the school buildings “did not suffer any damage. Phones were out as well as internet, but both were restored quickly. New student registration was delayed the day after the storm but we already made those appointments up.”

School Facilities Director Ed Collins attributed the minimal damage to advance preparations and work done at the schools. “We maintain our buildings at a high level. The storm didn’t effect it at all," Collins said. "We have been through these drills before with the (American) Red Cross. We were ready to go into action. We are in the process of going through an evaluation. On the surface, everything went well.”

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The timing of the hurricane played in favor of the school system. “We were fortunate to be scheduled to start next week instead of this week,” Collins noted.

The Gaudet School's Role as Emergency Shelter

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which served as a regional during Hurricane Irene for more than 48 hours, also was reporting no delays in school readiness.

Carmela Geer, Middletown Public School's Community Outreach Director and a regular contributor at Middletown Patch, also served as the volunteer coordinator at the emergency shelter. She described a tightly coordinated effort that involved the town, school department and American Red Cross. “There is a whole plan in place for sheltering in that the town and the Red Cross has put together," she said. "We served 100 people in one way or another. We had anywhere from 40-60 folks who were sheltered in overnight. It opened 4pm Saturday and closed up shop at 8pm Monday night.”

The American Red Cross and Middletown's Emergency Management Agency took full precautions.

Geer added confidently, “I would venture to say that we probably had one of the best run shelters in the state. Everybody who had a job do to did their job and then some. It was something to be proud of.”

Geer went on to list a few of the many people from the community who stepped up in a big way: “Billy Hetland of Moonlight Limousines donated a 15-passenger van and a driver to help get folks out of their homes to get to the shelter.” When asked how much money was owed to him, he expected no reimbursements.

“Fatulli’s had an overstock of food and didn’t hesitate and called and brought it right over.," Geer continued. "Pat Lombardi, a senior at spent two days at the shelter helping out with the kids and the elderly. We almost had to kick him out!”

There is something to be said for a community that grows stronger after a time of distress. Geer ended with, “We all said we were so lucky to be living in this community. We started as strangers, but all departed as friends.”

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