To The Editor:

I am often reminded of Girl Scout slogans and how they have served me well. “Be Prepared” and “Leave the Campsite Better Than You Found It” have been metaphors for living my life. Many people were left feeling like their own homes had become a campsite, despite the advance warnings to prepare for Hurricane Irene. Personally, I found having signed up in advance with the CT Emergency Alerting and Notifications System, www.ctalert.gov, extremely meaningful and helpful. It allowed me to receive daily calls on my cell phone from First Selectman McPherson about the progress being made on restoring services in Madison which were excellent.

Additionally, I came to appreciate more fully the role my fellow members of SEBN, Shoreline East Business Network of BNI, www.shorelineeast.biz, are playing by working overtime to help restore and clean up our communities after Irene’s wicked damage to Madison, Guilford and the Shoreline. Although the “better than you found it “ part of the repairing your “campsite” may take some time, given the breath of Irene’s damage.

Joe Safarty, Celebration Development, general contractor, is doing home repairs along the hard hit Middle Beach Road in Madison; Larry Dvorski, arborist, Care of Trees is taking care of clients on Parker Avenue where losing trees is like the sadness of losing a dear friend; Jeff Signore, electrician, Modern Electric, has been busy bringing light and safety to those fallen power lines; John Miller, Signs by Autografix designs signage to make anyone take notice; Jim Pease, Puro Clean Property Rescue, is expert at interior water damage in situations created due to Irene.

Aaron Page, Painting by Page, is busy with interior and exterior repairs; Jeff Robinson, auto technician does car repairs and auto bodywork at his Car Care Clinic of Guilford. Wrenched your back from cutting wood? Dr. Keith Mirante, Coastal Chiropractic will correct your problem. If your home sustained enormous damage and you are ready to start over with energy efficient and “green” building design, Lindsay Suter, accomplished Architect, is known as “Mr. Green“ at Yale.

If you need to restore your soul, other members can mend those wounds as well. Lee Magna of Myers Flowers of Branford can brighten your table; Bernadette Gonzalez of Skin Logic, Guilford, provides facials and reiki in her Guilford shop, or if shopping for jewelry is your solution, BSK glass designs of Barbara Shulman-Kirwin of Guilford may help.

Whatever your personal “campsite” needs, the 50 trusted business professional members of SEBN will be there to help from roofer, insurance agent, tile and flooring, public adjuster, landscaper, realtor, real estate attorney, appraiser and many more business professionals. A complete list of business specialties “to the rescue” is available at www.shorelineeast.biz, or call Lurrae Lupone, Feng Shui with Lurrae, at (203) 494-3181 or Lurrae@gmail.com for a referral to meet your individual “rescue” needs.

SEBN meets weekly on Tuesday mornings from 7:30am to 9am at the Guilford Community Center, Church Street, Guilford. The weekly meetings will resume on September 13 where business people and community leaders are invited to attend. We welcome you to “Join Us” or “Hire us.”

Lurrae Lupone

Madison, CT