Question of the Day

National Grid Faces Unprecedented Fines [Poll]

Are the fines imposed against National Grid sufficient?

As we near the one-year anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene, which left thousands of Easton residents (and nearly a million total Massachusetts residents) without power for days, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is proving that she hasn't forgotten what she calls an "inadequate response" to both the tropical storm and an October snowstorm with similar results. Coakely is recommending a $16 million fine against the company – the largest penalty ever recommended against a utility in Massachusetts, according to a statement from her office released Thursday. The penalties, if passed would not affect National Grid customers and would have to be borne on shareholders. The AG’s Office made the recommendation in a brief filed …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Utility Scam Arrives in New England, National Grid Urges Caution

A scam indicating that the federal government will pay for utility bills in exchange for personal information has come to New England and National Grid is urging customers to remain vigilant.

National Grid is asking customers to beware alert for a scam stating utility bills will be paid by the federal government or President Obama after sending a social security number and bank routing information. The scam has impacted utility customers in Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina and other parts of the country along with New England, and should not be confused with legitimate low-income utility assistance programs in the Commonwealth. According to accounts from utility companies nationwide, the scammers may engage solicitation through phone calls, door-to-door contacts, and online methods. Easton customers can call 1-800-322-3223 if they believe they are victims of the scam and the company is reminding customers to ask for National…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Weekly Region Roundup

Region Roundup: Power Outage; Raucous College Students (And More)…

A look at the top headlines in your town and the surrounding area for the week of April 1, 2012.

Thousands Lose Power in Stoughton Almost 11,000 National Grid customers in Stoughton (90 percent of customers) lost power last Saturday afternoon, March 31, as a result of a breaker that opened at a National Grid substation on Sumner St. in Stoughton, according a spokesperson for National Grid. The Sumner St. substation also serves a small amount of customers in North Easton, where there were also reports of outages. Power was restored within a few hours. Read more by clicking here. *** Disturbances at Ho-Yon, El Mariachi Put Easton Town Officials on Alert Easton Police have had their hands full at Ho Yon and El Mariachi restaurants on Washington Street in Easton recently, Easton Police Chief Allen Krajcik told that town’s Board of …

• Photos (1)

Question of the Day

Question of the Day: Utility Response Bill [Poll]

The state Senate has passed a bill addressing utilities' emergency response, but is it enough?

Many Massachusetts residents spent days in the dark last year after two unusual weather events -- Tropical Storm Irene and an October snowstorm -- wiped out power to hundreds of thousands of homes. Each time, Easton residents joined local and state officials in expressing their disappointment and anger at utility companies who seemed uncommunicative and slow when it came to restoring services. Now, the Massachusetts Senate is taking steps to change the way utility companies respond during emergencies. According to a press release from the Office of Sen. Richard Ross (R-Wrentham), a bill passed by the Senate on Thursday would require public utility companies to do the following: - After a 24-hour assessment period, "provide twice-daily …

• Photos (1)

Fallen Limb Shuts Down Power for 2,000 Easton Households Late Tuesday

Power was out in the South Easton area for an hour and 20 minutes Tuesday night and early Wednesday.

If your alarm didn't go off at the right time Wednesday morning, you can blame bad weather and high winds. A tree tree limb fell across wires on Bay Road late Tuesday night, shutting down power for approximately 2,000 Easton households for one hour and 20 minutes. The tree limb fell at 11:53 p.m., National Grid spokesperson Debbie Drew said, sending workers to the scene. By 1:15 a.m., full power was restored to the area, she said. The outage affected mostly South Easton residents from Five Corners to Borderland State Park and in-between.

• Photos (1)

National Grid President Honored

The Boston Chamber of Commerce Honored National Grid's President This Week.

  National Grid President Marcy Reed was honored this week by the Boston Chamber of Commerce for “outstanding achievement in the workplace," according to the Boston Herald. Reed was one of eight women named this week for the chamber's "Pinnacle Award." “Based on her impressive career and engagement in a broad range of civic activities, the (selection) committee determined Marcy was an excellent choice for this honor," the Chamber said in a statement to the Herald. National Grid was at the brunt of critisicm in Easton and surrounding communities during the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, which left over 7,000 Easton residents without power. Many did not have power restored until six to seven days later. To read the full story, click here.

• Photos (1)

Question of the Day

Question of the Day: Power Outage Rebate Bill [Poll]

Should the legislature pass a bill forcing power companies to distribute rebates to those without power for an extended period of time?

We'll be asking Easton Patch readers a different question every weekday. Questions could range from local decisions made by officials, to state issues, to national politics and entertainment. Whatever it is, we want to know what EASTON thinks! A local legislator has called for utility companies to take responsibility for extended outages. State Rep. Daniel Winslow (R-Norfolk) has asked the House Rules Committee to take action on a power outage rebate bill. According to a release from Winslow's office, the bill would require rebates to customers who go without power for more than eight hours. The rebate would be for two days of their average bill for each day the customer is without power. The bill, Winslow said, would incentivize …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Question of the Day: Rating National Grid

How do you rate National Grid's response in Easton during "Snowtober"?

We'll be asking Easton Patch readers a different question every weekday. Questions could range from local decisions made by officials, to state issues, to national politics and entertainment. Whatever it is, we want to know what EASTON thinks! For the second time since late August, National Grid, the power company that serves Easton and many other nearby communities, had its hands full after an October snowstorm knocked out power for more than 600,000 Massachusetts residents. After Hurricane Irene, many Easton officials were upset with National Grid's response. Some residents were without power for nearly a week. This time, however, most residents in Easton who lost power had power back within the first day, despite three poles that fell …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Updated: Storm Leaves Many Easton Residents Powerless

An October snowstorm hit Easton last night, leaving many without power.

A rare October snowstorm struck Easton Saturday night, closing some roads and leaving some Easton residents without power Sunday. Over 600,000 Massachusetts residents woke up Sunday without power and Easton was not immune. Over 100 residents in the Bay Road area and near Borderland State Park lost power. The storm knocked down three telephone poles on Bay Road just north of Beaver Dam Road. Wires were also down on Allen Road and Highland Street. As of 7:30 p.m., large areas of Easton had been restored, but there were still scattered outages in parts of town. A regional shelter was opened at La Salette Shrine, 947 Park Street, Attleboro for those still without power. National Grid did not give a specific timeline on power restoration, but …

• Photos (1)

Easton Firefighters Battle Two Fires Thursday

A chimney fire on Dean Street and an electrical malfunction on Pond Street sent firefighters out Thursday night.

With the first snow of the season also came a difficult evening for two Easton households Thursday night. The Easton Fire Department responded to a chimney fire and an electrical malfunction in the evening. While both incidents created some damage to the houses, there were no injuries, Firefighter David McCray said. The first fire occurred at approximately 7:20 p.m. when firefighters battled heavy smoke at 34 Dean Street to put out a Chimney fire. The fire reportedly got into the walls of the house, causing damage to the building's interior. McCray said the fire was extinguished within an hour. The second fire occurred at approximately 10:45 p.m. when a live electrical wire malfunctioned and energized the building at 33 Pond Street. McCray…

• Photos (1)