Update: Memorial Day Blackout Continues

update: Tuesday, 5-29, 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 6 p.m.,  8 p.m.

Businesses closed, students sweltered and some residents fumed as power went on and off -- and in some cases stayed off -- for the second day.

The power outages this afternoon in the Wyoming Section and downtown have been a purposeful shut down so that JCP&L can work on the problem at the central substation, company officials have reported to Mayor Sandy Haimoff. By 6 p.m. Tuesday, the company's website reported more than 1,000 customers (households) were without power and by 8 p.m., there were still 800 households without power, although the businesses that had been out of power in the afternoon were back up and running in the evening.

The mayor said JCP&L also told her that the outage downtown should not be much longer (only a couple of hours) because the company says it is bringing in a mobile substation to get power back on while the work on issues at the central station.

"I hate to tell people when they say they'll be back on -- people want estimates and I can understand that, but often it's not when they say they're going to be back and then people are upset," Haimoff said. "Understandably."

Joey Cioffi, who owns The Salad House on Millburn Avenue, said he was sweating it out, literally, through the lunch hour, when the inside of the restaurant felt like it was 98 degrees.

"I'm closing up shop here in a minute," he said. "We're doing everything we can do with ice but it's not enough. It's so out in here - it's a little like Hell."

Alvin Chen, who manages Haagen Dazs ice cream, said he was going to have to make a decision soon as to whether to shut down and move the ice cream to another store.

"We have to have electricity to freeze the ice cream," he said. "I hope this isn't a sign of things to come this summer."

Meanwhile, the students at the High School were also sweating it out in the dark, hot classrooms without power today.

"Literally spent our entire afternoon in the dark with no power sweating out the 90 degrees," said junior Max Sauberman, a Patch writer. "Worst day ever."

Superintendent Dr. James Crisfield said the district offices lost power around 10 a.m. and moved to the High School, which lost power around 11 a.m. and it's been a long hot, day for everyone.

"Everyone is safe and if you get near a window, you're fine," he said.

The Board of Ed is supposed to meet tonight but will not be able to meet at the Education Center if there's no power. Patch will update if the meeting gets moved or postponed.

At 5:30 p.m. JCP&L tweeted on Twitter: "Emergency repairs at Milliburn substation have resulted in outages in the area. We are working to complete repairs as quickly as possible."

Downtown Millburn Executive Director Lisa Hackett reported Tuesday afternoon that the ollowing businesses had no power or only half power:  Starbucks, Shala’s,  Gotham, La Cucina, La Strada, Dunkin Donuts, Oscar’s Deli, Osteria Mediterrania. The Salad House by Cioffi’s  and Dunkin Donuts closed for the afternoon, Flywheel closed but is re-opening.

On Memorial Day, the following businesses had power outages forcing them to close, she said: Gian Marco,  La Pergola, Bagel Chateau and Red Mango.

Also, on Memorial Day, the following businesses has outages but remained open:  Pizzeta, Coco, Martini’s,  Ms. Lin, La Strada, Oscar’s Deli and Bhakti Barn Yoga.

update, 1 p.m.: JCP&L has told township officials that all customers have been switched from the central substation to another and that power is back on - a good thing since at 10:30 a.m., it is already 85 degrees outside. The online JCP&L map, still shows 5 households without power in Millburn.

Mayor Sandy Haimoff said the trucks are all at the central substation in the center of town, where workers are trying to fix the problem there, but she has been told the power should be back on and stay on now.

However, she said, she takes what she gets from JCP&L with "a grain of salt." And readers are reporting various levels of power (see comments).

Probably the right move since power went out off and on this morning in downtown and nearby including the High School and a went all the way out little before 1 p.m.

Any residents or businesses without power should call JCP&L at 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877). And let us know in comments.

5/28/2012:

More than 700 homes were without power in Millburn township around 8 p.m., mostly in the South Mountain and Wyoming neighborhoods.

Mayor Sandy Haimoff has contacted Jersey Central Power & Light several times tonight to find out what’s going on and reports that she has been told that there is problem at the central substation.

“They could not give me an estimate of when it will be fixed,” she said.

Some residents say they’ve been told it would be back by 10 p.m., and others said they were told hte power would be back on by 8 p.m. But at 8:45, the company’s website still showed 770 without power.

At 9:45, that number was down to 330 and JCP&L area manager Maria Sessa said the power outage would continue throughout the evening and she had been in contact with the mayor and the police.

Power went out around 6 p.m. for some residents in South Mountain and Wyoming areas. The lights flickered on and off for awhile and then went out.

“I’ve been getting nervous every time I see a storm cloud,” Haimoff said. “But you don’t expect it on a sunny day like today.”

Let us know if your power comes back in comments.