Frustration Boils Over For Those Still Without Power

Jan Laszlo has given up.

Laszlo, owner of Hunters Run Farm on Belmar Boulevard, says she's called Jersey Central Power & Light 100 times, or at least it seems like it, since she lost power on her 50-acre horse farm at 1 a.m. Sunday.

She's tracked down individual JCP&L trucks and begged that someone come to mend the downed wire that is cutting off electricity to the pump that brings water to the 65 horses she boards.

She’s gone through three generators trying to keep power to her refrigerator and two outlets. They keep burning out from overuse.

“I’ve stopped calling,’’ Laszlo said. “It was just making me angry, and I didn’t want to keep getting angry.’’

So she put up a sign instead. It at once expresses her annoyance and calls attention to the plight of the horses in her care.

Between 100 and 400 residents and businesses in town remained without power Thursday afternoon, down from more than 1,000 Wednesday as crews continue to restore electricity following Hurricane Irene.

In Monmouth County, JCP&L is reporting that 19,000 to 22,000 customers are still without electricity.

Outage information from the electricity company fluctuates from minute to minute as crews work to restore power.

But its now been five days. And frustration like Laszlo’s is mounting.

“I know they have their hands full, and I know there are people worse off than we are,’’ Laszlo said. “But I don’t think it would take more than an hour to fix.’’

In a release late Tuesday the company said those customers still without power would likely be brought back online by the weekend, with full power restored system wide by early next week.

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In response to the outage, will be open until 7 p.m. through Friday, according to a flyer hand-delivered by Public Works employees on Wednesday. Residents without power can charge their electronic devices, watch television and hang out.

Also, the Red Cross will be providing dinner from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Center and Lloyd streets in Freehold Thursday.

Laszlo said she'll continue on without power, since she has no choice. For now, the third generator she's bought is running the water pump to get water to the horses.

Hopefully, she said, that one will hold out.