Jim Rosica
The City of Tallahassee and Leon County Wednesday announced a free community picnic to thank “electric lineman, public works crews, first responders, volunteers (and) neighborhood leaders” who helped in the wake of Hurricane Hermine.
The picnic will take place Sunday, Oct. 2, from 1-5 p.m. at Tom Brown Park.
Offerings include “complimentary hot dogs and drinks, live music, stage performances, children’s games, educational booths, face painting, bounce houses, balloon games, and a photo booth,” according to a news release. “There will also be demonstrations by city electric line crews.”
Also in attendance with display booths will be members of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Leon County Emergency Medical Services, Tallahassee Police Department, and Tallahassee Fire Department.
The city’s Public Works and Utility departments will demonstrate “equipment used by teams in the field to help clear roads and restore power.”
A presentation is scheduled for 2 p.m., where local elected officials and others “will provide comments recognizing workers and their families,” the release said.
Hermine, a Category 1 hurricane at landfall, knocked out electric service overnight from Sept. 1-2 to hundreds of thousands across north Florida, including nearly 68,000 customers in Tallahassee alone.
City officials were criticized as neighborhoods and businesses went days without power after the storm, while the city held off on accepting offers of help from other utilities. Power was restored to 90 percent of customers in Tallahassee within one week.
The city and county recently held a series of community meetings “to gather feedback on storm preparedness and recovery.”
Citizens for Responsible Spending, a gadfly group often critical of city government, said it would convene its own task force to look into how Florida communities can better bounce back after a big storm.
