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With Hurricane Ivan on the way, I'm curious whether the uncompleted sections of the new Memorial Causeway Bridge will end up crashing down onto the existing drawbridge below it. I recall a windy day earlier this year when it was reported that the bridge was swaying back and forth, and was enough of a concern to the constructors that it was inspected for cracks or damage.
I haven't heard or read anything about whether Frances did any damage, but perhaps that's because everyone is concerned about other matters right now. I just hope the new sections stay in place, because if they don't, we're really going to have a serious mess on our hands.
I can't imagine the Hyatt hotel, or any other large construction project being built, if the only way onto the beach is from the Belleair Causeway Bridge. The inconvenience to everyone who lives on the beach or wants to visit it will be unbearable for years to come.
Re: Feeling forgotten and powerless without power, letter by Andrew Williams of Clearwater, Sept. 9.
Right on, Andrew Williams! My home has been without power since Sunday at 11 a.m. It is Thursday at 8:30 a.m. right now.
I live in Palm Harbor. Apparently, my home is powered by a small feeder line that only handles two homes. While the rest of the communities surrounding my home (numbering approximately 1,000 homes) lost power on Sunday from 4 to 11 p.m., the two homes affected by this feeder line are still in the dark. Progress Energy seems to have forgotten us.
For most of us in my situation, the fix is just a few moments away with the flip of a blown fuse on a nearby pole. How do I know this? Because it has happened to our feeder line before and I have watched the lineman flip it back in five minutes' time.
I have even gone as far as to inform Progress Energy exactly where the fuse is blown via phone conversations and with a sign on Belcher Road directly beneath the fuse with the words POWER CO: BLOWN FUSE (arrow pointing up) SINCE SUNDAY A.M. How easy can I make it?
Progress Energy's restoration plan to get lots of people up in one shot makes sense, but with 9,000 linemen working on the problem, I think they can afford to put 10 or 20 men on the job throughout the county to get the forgotten ones like me some power. If 1,000 homes directly surrounding my home have power and 2 percent are without, that's only 20 homes. If most are on feeders that service 1-3 homes, one lineman can have them all powered up in about two hours.
Okay, he will have to drive a little and fill out some paperwork, so let's make it five or six hours. I'll settle for that three days ago!
Re: Feeling forgotten and powerless without power, letter by Andrew Williams of Clearwater, Sept. 9.
My goodness, how terrible this must have been for you to suffer like that! I, too, was without power for a total of 60 hours. We are older and retired and it was very uncomfortable.
I remember when there was no air conditioning and somehow we managed to survive.
My neighbors across the street had power and were generous and ran a cord across the street so we could share a little of their power to run a fan and our refrigerator. In fact, I noticed quite a few cords across our street.
Of course, the people in our neighborhood were raised in a different era.
You need to spit that silver spoon out of your mouth and grow up.
We wish to thank Progress Energy for the restoration of our electrical service as promptly as the safety of their employees made possible. Many times we forget to thank the many who risk their lives for the citizens of our state and we wish to be among the first to do so.
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