Shelter Warms Up Montville Residents

Phyllis Sullivan and her husband did everything they could to prepare in advance for Tropical Storm Sandy.

They froze water in soda bottles before their refrigerator lost power. They bought battery-powered lamps and radios. They also bought food they could cook on their gas stove and have been eating homecooked meals since they lost power Monday night.

But what Sullivan, 57, and her husband could not plan to do was recharge cell phones and iPads, so Sullivan ended up at the township comfort station and shelter set up at the Pine Brook firehouse Wednesday.

"It's just, everybody's been calling us and the phones, they're done," she said.

Sullivan, a Stewart Court resident, does not plan to stay overnight at the Pine Brook shelter or the shelter set up at Cedar Hill Elementary School at all this week while her power is out, if she can avoid it.

"It depends if I can keep finding ice," she said.

Sullivan has used the ice to keep perishable food cold.

Rocco Guarino, 87, of the Longview at Montville condominium complex, said he was planning to stay over on Wednesday night and noted that the shelter was serving hot dogs. Guarino said he made the decision to visit the shelter after his daughter, Linda Miksza, of Pequannock, encouraged him.

"My house don't have any heat, no television," he said.

At the firehouse, Guarino had both and because of that, his daughter was grateful.

"It's a blessing. Everybody's been very nice," Miksza said.

Warren Goldsmith and his wife, Vicki, both 79-year-old residents of the Longview complex, stopped in the shelter as well Wednesday afternoon. Warren Goldsmith said he first visited his complex's clubhouse to see if there was power there, but when he learned there was not, he inquired about a warming station.

"We were cold, we didn't have heat for three days, so we decided to come here," he said.

Vicki Goldsmith did not mind and said she found the Pine Brook firehouse shelter to be highly accomodating.

"It's very nice here, they have a shower," she said.

Read all Montville Patch Sandy coverage here.

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Have you visited one of the township's comfort stations or shelters? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.