CL&P employees make difference at CCCC

NORTH CANAAN — A “day off” was how Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) employees described the eight hours they spent Oct. 21 at the Canaan Child Care Center. But the linemen, electrician, mechanic and office workers were certainly working hard as they did their annual sprucing up of the child center’s building and grounds. This year, they did it a day early for national Make a Difference Day (which was held Oct. 22 elsewhere).It’s the second year for employees of the electric company. CL&P pays them to do the community outreach. “They let us volunteer for one project a year,” said Brendan McGrath.They all work in CL&P’s Torrington facility. In the past, they have done the same sort of work at a Torrington group home. “We love coming up here,” said Deb Charette, who organizes the day. “It’s so rewarding to help the kids and the community.”This trip, they put a new coat of blue stain on the center’s exterior, replaced some rotted siding, painted interior doors, raked, weeded and pulled up roots protruding in the play yard. Fellow worker Kathy Gibson even coordinated with Lewis Tree Service, which CL&P contracts to trim branches away from its power lines, to cut some wayward limbs from on high.“It’s amazing how good the place looks when they’re done,” said Director Fran Chapell.