Worst brings out the best following storm; Officials praise supportive `community'.

Byline: Michael Kane

Following last Thursday's ice storm, school for Wednesday and Thursday was still in question locally when The Banner went to press on Tuesday. And while power mains were expected to be up and running, the task of repairing each house that lost meters or feeds will likely depend on the availability of electricians. The clean-up of debris is expected to take weeks, barring any major snowstorms, and the need to remove hanging branches and split tree trunks could take even longer.

But there was something beyond the devastation that town officials in Boylston and West Boylston talked about repeatedly since last weekend: Community - beginning with the emergency response that started Thursday night and was still running in full force Monday night.

"There were crews out at 10 p.m. Thursday - police, fire, (Department of Public Works) and the light department," West Boylston Town Administrator Leon Gaumond Jr. said Friday afternoon. "These guys haven't slept."

At 6 a.m. Friday, Gaumond said Thomas and Beaman streets, like many others in both towns, were impassable, even behind the blades of a town plow. But, opening the road was a priority so that power could be returned to the high school, which still served as a shelter as late as Monday night.

The Citizens Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the National Guard also responded, Gaumond said.

In Boylston, public works crews would open a street only to turn around and find more trees had fallen, Selectmen Chairman James Stanton said.

While firefighters made it a routine to go door-to-door checking on residents known to be infirmed or disabled, the Town House was connected to generators to serve as a shelter that, while used by few, was an outlet where people found water and warmth all night long thanks to the overnight manning by Pastor David Buchanan.

"These guys did a tremendous job," Stanton said Sunday, with selectmen repeating the praise to department heads who were at the selectmen's meeting Monday.

"All the departments did a great job," Stanton said. "They were in no different circumstances than the rest of us. They had no power, no heat, but they were out helping others."

But, beyond the groups expected to mobilize in a disaster, officials in both towns pointed to the actions of private citizens as something that deserves recognition.

As the sun came up Friday, neighbors began grabbing chainsaws and other equipment to help free trapped neighbors. Owners of heavy equipment...

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