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Business & Tech

Westfielders Prepare for Irene

Residents pack local stores for provisions.

With the tri-state area bracing for Hurricane Irene, there is one thing on the minds of the residents of Westfield, being prepared. Friday evening, Kings Supermarket on South Avenue in Garwood, was mobbed with families rushing last minute to fill their fridges and cabinets with enough food to last for the weekend.  

While people were filling their carts and cars with drinks and food, the sentiment among everyone was they are not scared at all. Don Johnson, who was putting groceries his trunk, said he was not doing anymore shopping than he usually does. His car may have been full, but he was just behind on his food shopping, he said. Johnson said he was not buying anything out of the ordinary, just the usual eggs, milk and meat.

One person who is looking forward to the weekend is Susan Sklar. She will be taking care of her 18-month-old granddaughter, as her daughter will possibly be giving birth to her son at Beth Israel Hospital in New York. So, Sklar in addition to the food she would be buying for she and her husband, bought something most people are not stocking up on this weekend, baby food.

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“I just pray we all keep our power,” she said.  Sklar who has lived in New Jersey her whole life said she the hurricane won’t be as big as everyone predicts, but is glad that she has a plan in place for the weekend.

Maria and Bob Kudla had enough food in their two shopping carts that it looked like they were shopping for a few families. Well, they actually were. While Maria’s sister was working, her other sister was watching all of the kids, so the Kudlas’ were shopping for three families. Their carts were filled to the top with water, soda, tuna and peanut butter. This type of food is not what the Kudlas’ normally buy when they do their weekly food shopping, they said.

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“This is all stuff I would never eat ordinarily,” she said. “I bought all the essentials.”      

While, hundreds of people were trying to get food, right down the street people were getting tools and supplies at Home Depot in Garwood. According to an employee, Friday afternoon was extremely busy and by the evening the store was sold out of batteries, flashlights, and generators.

After four hours of running around town and getting food at Costco and Walmart, Matthew Dipretore was putting the finishing touches on his hurricane preparation at Home Depot where he was picking up a few large lighters. He said he hoped this was his last stop of the day, “unless his wife calls and says otherwise.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be as bad as people say,” he said. 

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