(Left to Right) Brian Roche, Keith Lemoine, Matthew Cook and Jeffrey Lyon with the truck headed to the Virgin Islands

Groton Utilities is sending electric crews to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands to help with the restoration of electrical services to the storm torn Caribbean island.

The first crew will include three electric linemen and a manager for about three weeks.  Other crews will be rotating out every few weeks for the next three months.  Two vehicles, one digger truck and one pickup truck, plus a pole carrier, will be used by the crews during their restoration work.

The first crew members traveling to St. Thomas are linemen Jeffrey Lyon, Matthew Cook and Keith Lemoine.  Brian Roche will manage the crew.  They will leave Groton on Sunday morning and travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the vehicles will be placed on barges for transporting to St. Thomas.  Crews will arrive in St. Thomas on October 11.

Groton Utilities electric crews are one of two Connecticut public power systems to commit to the St. Thomas electric restoration effort.  Norwich Public Utilities will also be involved in the restoration efforts. Crews from other municipal electric utilities in New England will join Groton Utilities in the effort, which is being coordinated by the New England Public Power Association (NEPPA), the organization representing municipally owned and operated electric companies in New England.

Groton Utilities is one of the nation’s more than 2,000 public power utilities, which are nationally organized as the American Public Power Association (APPA).  Groton Utilities recently earned a Reliable Public Power RP3 designation from APPA for providing its consumers with the highest degree of reliable and safe electric service.

Groton Utilities has been a municipally owned and operated electric utility since 1904 and serves a population of more than 35,000 in the greater Groton area, including Pfizer, Electric Boat and the U. S. Naval Submarine Base.

The American Public Power Association (APPA) is the national organization representing the nation’s more than 2,000 community- and state-owned electric utilities.

Follow along as the crew assists in St. Thomas at the Groton Utilities Facebook page.

Come celebrate your Greater Groton Community.  It’s time for you to discover Groton’s Twelfth Annual Fall Festival, scheduled for Saturday, October 7, 2017.  This is a special community event created and hosted by the Groton Business Association (GBA) of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce.

Groton’s Twelfth Annual Fall Festival runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is a rain or shine event

The main Festival site at Poquonnock Plains Park will feature exhibits by local businesses and organizations.  Artists and crafters will be displaying their skill and have wares for purchase.   A complete list of businesses, organizations, participating artists, crafters, and food vendors, can be found at www.grotonbiz.com.  This is the official Groton Business Association (GBA) and Groton’s Twelfth Annual Fall Festival web site.

There will entertainment throughout the day, including the Groton Parks & Recreation Karate Program, Little League Pitching, Grasso Technical High School student musicians, the Mystic Aquarium Touch Tanks, Gabriele’s Martial Arts, AmtGard, a medieval foam sword fighting; and Dance Country.

Are you ready for a scarecrow hunt?  Festival attendees will receive a list of all booths with scarecrows. In order to participate, you must visit each booth and take a picture of the scarecrow. If you get a photo of every scarecrow, then return to the GMCC booth to submit your entry for a chance to win great prizes!  Attendees also get to choose their favorite scarecrow, and the Exhibitor with the winning scarecrow receives a grand prize worth over $200.00!

Food vendors will offer a variety of food and drink.

The GBA would like to recognize the companies who have committed to be a sponsor for this year’s event.  They are: Groton Utilities and the Groton Parks   and Recreation Department, Capstone Sponsors;  Stonington Odd Fellows Lodge #26, a Keystone Sponsor; and Groton Shopping Plaza, a Sandstone Sponsor; and Chelsea Groton Bank, Darrell Fox, Centurion Wealth Management; Grover Insurance, Thames Valley Communications and the Light House, Fieldstone Sponsors.

The GBA, a coalition of representatives from the local business community, the educational sector, the non-profit community and governmental units, is an affiliation of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce.