Makeshift Offices Take Over Wi-Fi Connected Businesses Following Power Outage

By Nancy K. Crevier

Panera Bread in the Sand Hill Plaza was a hive of activity, Tuesday morning, August 30, two days after Hurricane Irene blew through Newtown, leaving more than three-quarters of the population in the dark.

A line of customers all the way to the door looked longingly at the seating areas inside and out, already filled to capacity with displaced workers seeking an alternative office space. Most of those lucky enough to have a table shared the tabletop with not only a cup of coffee and tasty snack, but with a laptop computer, as well.

Tom French, a business and life coach, spent most of Monday seeking a place between Newtown and Norwalk where he could get Internet access.

“Newtown Starbucks was closed, so I drove to the Exit 2 Starbucks, which was closed, too,” said Mr French, who relies on the Internet for leads and to keep in touch with his clients. “I would say it feels like 90 percent of what I do is on the Internet,” he said.

He made his way down Route 7, seeing no signs of electricity until he reached Wilton. By then, he was so close to his son’s residence in Norwalk that he just kept going, finally settling in there for the rest of the day to work.

He was relieved to find Panera in Newtown offering free Wi-Fi on Tuesday. “E-mail is a necessity for me, and it’s great to be able to follow the news,” he said, even though with the influx of users in the eatery he found he was getting bounced off the Wi-Fi occasionally.

Also taking advantage of Panera’s power and Wi-Fi capacity on Tuesday was Charles Rafferty of Sandy Hook. A writing instructor at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, and editor at Garner Publications in Stamford, Mr Rafferty worked on editing material while all around him the high voices of small children swirled around nonstop talking and conversations shouted into cellphones.

The chatter around him was on the loud side, he noted, but, “It doesn’t bother me at all. I can easily block it out.”

He found the connectivity to be pretty good — “Better than at home,” he joked, where his family has been without power since Sunday morning.

John Marcucilli lives in Danbury and has his insurance company, Marcucilli Agency, in Bethel, where there was no power in many parts. A former Newtown resident, Mr Marcucilli knew that Panera would offer plenty of table space and a place to plug in his computer.

“I’m trying to deal with my restaurant businesses that have claims, especially. This will help me to help my customers. I’ll set up my ‘office’ and try to get some work done,” he said, over the nearby animated conversation between two other customers debating how dependent everyone has become on technology.

“It’s scary,” said one woman, even as she worked on her laptop.

“I’ve worked in third world countries,” the other answered, “so I’m used to not being able to get online for days. This is nothing.”

“It’s a reality check,” said Mr Marcucilli, concerning the power outage. “I’ll try to spend some money here today, too. I feel kind of guilty, working here.”

“At least I’m here doing some things,” said Cheryl Jimmie of Monroe, who work s for Lexicon Relocation in Shelton. “I’ve never done this before, sat in a café and plugged in. A really nice lady sitting behind me helped me get set up.”

Ms Jimmie was finding work in the noisy environment challenging, particularly phone calls. “I’m grateful, but it’s not easy,” she said.

Sharing The Pain

Closer to the center of town, the Hideaway Café on Route 25 offered a more subdued work space, with free wi-fi, delicious smoothies and lattes (according to regular customer Rick Facey), and low lighting above cushy, leather couches.

“The storm did me well,” declared Hideaway owner Douglas Masek. “I’ve been dead for three weeks this summer. We’ve had hundreds of people the last two days,” he said.

James Chambers, general manager, joked that his wrist hurt from making so many lattes. “People come in kind of miserable, but leave with a smile. We all share the same pain,” Mr Chambers said.

Among the more than two dozen customers plugged in at the Hideaway on Tuesday was Reuters journalist Rob Cox, of Newtown. “My access to New York has been cut off, so I’ve been here for two days working,” said Mr Cox.

It was his roofer (previously scheduled) who told him about the Hideaway, which has worked out well for him as an alternate office to his usual Times Square work place.

Any distractions at the Hideaway were few, said Mr Cox. “All the distractions, you have to learn to live with it. It’s no noisier than a newsroom,” he said.

Although he could probably have gone into Manhattan on Tuesday, Mr Cox said he did not want to leave his family in Newtown “high and dry,” without power yet restored.

Tuesday marked Tony Keating’s third day making use of the Internet accessibility at the Hideaway. “It’s a relaxed, informal, and comfortable place to work,” said Mr Keating, who is in software sales. “I had stopped in previously, so it was really natural for me to stop in here to try out the Wi-Fi access,” he said.

“I’d be completely shut down without my cellphone and wi-fi,” Mr Keating added.

Mom First, CEO Second

The Newtown Youth Academy was home base for Stephanie Martinez, CEO for a publishing company in Norwalk.

“I usually work remotely two days of the week,” said Ms Martinez, of Newtown. “Our company has power, but the kids are home. I’m a mom first and a CEO second,” she laughed. “Having Internet access at NYA has been a lifesaver. I came in, showered, and got to work,” said Ms Martinez, settled in a quiet spot at the end of the busy lobby.

“They have great connectivity here, and a very friendly staff. It’s been wonderful,” Ms Martinez said.

On Wednesday, she would probably have to take her teenagers to work with her, she said, “Or just leave home, now that we know there is no school until after Labor Day!”

Denise Jurasek of Sandy Hook, a materials manager for a Danbury company found refuge at NYA to do her computer work. “Our company has been shut down two days from flooding and no power,” she said. Panera was too mobbed on Monday, when she stopped by, so when the NYA member found that the athletic facility had free wi-fi, she set up shop at the blue lobby counter, along with numerous other workers trying to continue doing business.

Ms Jurasek was pleased to have the Internet connection, but added that she felt positive she would be back at work in Danbury on Wednesday. “We have to be,” she said. “We’re losing too much money.”

“Word is getting out that we have free wi-fi,” said head receptionist Judy Vetare, as she fielded one inquiry after another at NYA’s front desk Tuesday morning. “We don’t require people to join to use our wi-fi. It’s free. There has been a little more usage than normal, since the storm, but it’s not crazy yet,” she said.

As more people become aware of the connectivity available at NYA, Ms Vetare expected business to pick up. Many people coming in to make use of the showers, opened to the public during Newtown’s power outage, stopped by to inquire about the Wi-Fi capability as they came in and out the front door.

One of them was Tom Bast, a Newtown software architect for Cigna in Bloomfield.

“I have a generator at home, but no Internet,” he said. The NYA member had just finished working out Tuesday morning, when it dawned on him to ask about the Wi-Fi at NYA.

“I heard that I-84 was shut down right now. This is great,” said Mr Bast, who expected to put in a few hours of work on his laptop before trying to find an alternate route to Simsbury.

Everywhere that there was Internet in Newtown, pop-up offices were taking hold.

“We’re so dependent on our computers,” sighed Ms Jimmie, continuing her work at Panera. “It’s scary. I mean, what’s more important: if we have power at home and food and water, or if we have Internet?” she asked.