Boughton was without power, too

DANBURY -- Mayor Mark Boughton found himself in the same position as many other city residents during the ice storm -- without power.

"It got pretty cold in the house, just like many other residents were dealing with," Boughton said, joking that he doesn't get preferential treatment for being the city's top official. "I built a big fire for my wife, then went out with the crews."

Boughton said he often rides with the plow drivers during a winter storm to get a perspective he can't otherwise get.

"It's different when you see the city from the cab of a plow truck," he said. "You get to see how the staff interacts with the public, and you might see problems arise that you wouldn't normally have noticed."

During Tuesday's storm Boughton rode with crews from Connecticut Light & Power and the city's emergency management director, Paul Estefan. "If the drivers are up and working, I'm usually up and working," he said.

Boughton's one regret during the storm was that he forgot to buy bread and milk.

"Other than that," he said, "we lit a lot of candles and sat out the storm like everyone else did."