Homeowners seek coffee, ice, as they deal with power loss from Tropical Storm Irene.

The line outside the Dunkin Donuts on Pleasant Street Monday morning wound around the corner as coffee starved adults got that most important of breakfast foods called caffeine.

"We gotta have that coffee," said Bernie Lenahan of Plainville on his way to work in Attleboro when he stopped for a cup with friend Sue Tully.

"You know how they say America runs on Dunkin," he said while waiting his turn in line. "Well, here you are."

Steve and Mary Beth Oliver of Benefit Street in Attleboro, who had been without power since 9 a.m. Sunday were also in search of an eye-opener.

Mary Beth said a cup of Java was imperative before she and her husband started picking up branches in The Dunkin Donuts on Taunton Street in Plainville was closed due to the power outage. An equally popular destination was Attleboro Ice and Oil's refrigerated warehouse where a continuous line of consumers were waiting for bags of ice to fill coolers or power-starved refrigerators and freezers.

Moe Goulet of Attleboro Ice and Oil said the store ran out of blocks of ice and large bags by 10 a.m. but was still handing out small bags of ice.

"It's good business," he said. "We could use one of these every three weeks."

William Kramer of Locust Street in Attleboro said he filled up his large freezer with bottled water to freeze it as a precaution before the storm.

But on Monday he took time to stock up with additional ice.

"We don't know how long this is going to last," he said of the ongoing power outrage. Eric Tracey and Tracy Amaral, who live near Capron Park in Attleboro, had a different strategy for keeping food from spoiling. He went to Target this morning to buy a large cooler along with seven bags of ice to fill it.

Other residents were riding out the aftermath as best they could.

A regional storm shelter at Attleboro High School attracted as many as 20 people at the height of the storm, according to an Attleboro Police spokesman. But most had left as of mid-morning on Monday.

Hundreds of homeowners and others had an unexpected day off after the storm's aftermath and bent to the task of raking up leaves and picking up branches.

Joseph Smith, whose home on Dunham Street is opposite Sturdy Memorial Hospital, received help from his son Ron in clearing the yard of a number of large branches. Smith said he still had power but was without cellphone and cable service.

Ron Hamel of Orchard Lane was less fortunate.

"A tree fell on my wife's car," he said. "There's a lot of trees down in my neighborhood."

Hamel was part of an endless queue of drivers and pickup trucks with loads of downed branches Monday morning entering the city compost center on Read Street, which opened early to accommodate the storm's aftermath.

Mark Bigda of Holcott Drive was hauling the remains of a large crabapple tree which toppled in his yard in his pickup truck. Bigda who was on vacation this week was likely to spend most of his time cleaning his property.

Bigda, a boating hobbyist, was in the midst of restoring an antique runabout when the storm struck. But in the aftermath of the storm Bigda said he had to turn his attention to more pressing matters.

From: thesunchronicle.com