Politics & Government

Fort Lee Community Center Now ‘Charging Center,’ 70 Percent of Residents Without Power

The community center will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily until the curfew is lifted; officials say power may not be restored for at least five more days.

A charging center has been set up at the Jack Alter Fort Lee Community Center for residents impacted by Hurricane Sandy, as an estimated 70 percent of the town remained without power Wednesday, officials said.

The charging center is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week and has tables where people can work on their laptops, pens, paper, refreshments and coffee; they’re also showing movies, according to Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich.

The only thing they’re asking is that people bring they’re own adaptors.

Find out what's happening in Fort Leewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We made it like an office center,” Sokolich said, adding that the 6 p.m. closing time is because of the curfew instituted Tuesday as part of Sokolich’s emergency declaration.

“As soon as I lift the curfew because PSE&G has killed all the downed wires, we are considering [keeping the charging center open] either 24/7 or going from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. to keep it open,” Sokolich said, adding, “People can stay as long as they like [during opening hours], do work and so on.”

Find out what's happening in Fort Leewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Sokolich also said he got an update from PSE&G Tuesday, estimating that 70 percent of Fort Lee is still without power and that people shouldn’t expect it do be restored until Nov. 5 at the earliest.

“But I have guarded confidence it will be sooner than that,” Sokolich said.

The Fort Lee Community Center is located at 1355 Inwood Terrace.


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