Meter installation expected in 2011

Central Maine Power Co. hopes to begin installation of smart meters in Scarborough during the first quarter of 2011, said John Carroll, CMP spokesman.

Carroll said CMP is awaiting a Public Utilities Commission response to a complaint filed by Scarborough resident Elisa Boxer Cook and others over possible health and safety issues of the meters before it begins installation. 

CMP already has installed 56,000 smart meters throughout the state and plans to replace all existing analog meters by early 2012. 

Installation was stopped in Scarborough when the Town Council passed a resolution in October to delay installation for 90 days. 

Although CMP was not legally bound to honor the request for the delay, it held two open forums in town to respond to resident’s concerns about health, fire safety and cyber security issues associated with the meters. 

Carroll said installation could possibly begin as early as January in Scarborough. 

Workers busy during storm

It was a storm that even Rudolph with his nose so bright might have had trouble navigating. 

A flash snowfall Monday evening caused accidents and other traffic-related issues throughout southern Maine..
 Fire chief Michael Thurlow said problems typically arise this time of year as motorists learn to make adjustments driving in inclement weather, yet he was surprised by how fast the storm progressed.

“It’s unfortunate it came so quick,” Thurlow said. “It caused gridlock to the point we could not get plows down the streets to help.”

Police dispatcher Kyle Jandreau said Scarborough received reports of approximately two dozen accidents during the storm, from collisions to cars off the road. 

Some areas were hit worse than others, including Payne Road and Black Point Road as well as sections of Route 1 that were backed up for several hours, Jandreau said.

“Normally a commute of 15 to 20 minutes took between one and two hours,” Jandreau said. “Just after 4 (p.m.), all of dispatch was crazy.”

Jandreau said drivers must always stay mindful of their speed and leave distance between themselves and other motorists. 

“People these days are always in a rush to get where they need to go. If you need to pull into a driveway off the road, sometimes that’s the better thing for someone to do,” he said.

– Compiled by Dan Aceto