UPDATE: PSE&G Crews in Maplewood, Elections Will Go On

“There is a higher presence of PSE&G crews in town today,” said Maplewood Mayor Vic DeLuca on Friday morning. Though he declined to be more specific, he said crews were working to begin to restore power in town. 

Power had been restored to some streets in town.

"The priority now is getting PSE&G to clear downed wires on fallen trees in places like Woodhill Drive and Cedar Lane," said DeLuca.

Other Sandy updates:  

• The gas situation remains worrisome. The Delta station at the corner of Valley Road and Oakland Road is still closed as of Friday morning, and the owner said he is having trouble getting gas from his distributor in Elizabeth, which is out of power. “They are telling me by Monday,” he said. 

Mayor DeLuca said the township had secured gas to power the DPW vehicles to continue clean up efforts but, “We have no information about fuel for the public,” he said. 

• The township is talking to NJ Transit about the possibility of running express bus service from Maplewood to New York City. 

• The election will go on. A polling machine was moved into Maplewood Town Hall this morning. “Four out of six polling places have power,” said DeLuca; those that do not are Prospect Presbyterian Church and Clinton School. Nine out of 21 election districts are currently affected by power outages.

“We are doing everything we can to get people to be able to vote in their own polling places,” he said.  The township is looking into bringing in temporary polling stations. DeLuca is scheduled to be on a call with Gov. Christie later this evening to discuss this and other issues. 

• The Shelter at DeHart Center is fully operational and has a new, bigger generator. There is heat and food. 

• Town Hall will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Maplewood Library Main Branch continues to be open and will likely open on Sunday from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Morrow Memorial Church will also remain open from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. through Monday.

Township Committee members Marlon Brownlee and Deputy Mayor Kathy Leventhal planned to visit the library late this morning to update citizens there. Member India Larrier was scheduled to have lunch at Morrow Church, with people who are hunkered down there.