Recent “06880” Roundups have noted the proliferation of utility wires in Westport. They keep coming — and they never come down.
A related issue: “double poles” (and, occasionally, “triple poles”). These occur when a pole is hit by a car, damaged during a storm, or a larger pole is needed to replace the original one (often due to too many telecom wires already attached to the undersized existing pole.
This could also result from a road widening project like the current one on Post Road East. It can take years for all existing utility wires, and equipment like transformers, to be shifted to the new pole.
The other day, a retired utility executive was doing errands in Westport. In just one part of Westport, he counted approximately 30 double poles.
His route was less than 7 miles. There are more than 147 miles of town and state roads — and around the same number of private roads.
Extrapolating the number he saw, the utility executive estimates there could be 500 or so double (and triple) poles in Westport.
That’s a lot of unused, obsolete — and ugly — wood.
Double poles at Post Road West and Riverside Avenue … (Photo/Ken Warren)
and Compo Road South, near Post Road East … (Photo/Mark Mathias)
… and a “push brace” on Saugatuck Avenue.
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Yesterday started out as a great summer beach day.
By late afternoon — just as we should have been getting ready for Saturday evening South Beach cookouts, or picnic dinners on the sand — storm clouds rolled in.
Nearly everyone scattered.
Along Soundview Drive, only one group remained.
Their umbrella added a bit of color, to an otherwise gray scene.
(Photo/Sunil Hirani)
The wind cracked this tree, on Kettle Creek Road in Weston:
(Photo/Wendy Schaefer)
Eversource reported nearly 1,000 power outages, at the peak. Over 200 customers were still without power this morning.
Today’s forecast is for cloudy skies this morning, with thunderstorms possible this afternoon. They may include gusty winds and small hail. The high temperature is expected to be 83.
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Though the weather was better earlier, not everyone found the going easy.
This was the scene, off Cedar Point Yacht Club:
(Photo/Rob Jackson)
Photographer Rob Jackson empathized with the sailor’s plight. “I have been there too,” he noted.
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It’s the dog days of summer, but MoCA CT is not doggin’ it.
Among the events this month:
- Charles Ives Music Festival (August 6, 7 p.m.)
- Guided gallery tour, with designer Jerry Kuyper (August 15, 2:30 p.m.)
- Family Day, including interactive music experience, art tents, ice cream, and artisan marketplace (August 18, noon to 2 p.m.)
- Kaleidoscope: 2nd annual summer camp exhibition (opening reception August 25, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
There are several art workshop offerings throughout August too.
For details on all of the events, click here.
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The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Westport hosts an “almost-annual” tag sale, to benefit both the church and its outreach programs (Beardsley Elementary School, Mercy Learning Center, the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, and others.
The event is this Saturday (August 10, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; early birds, 8 a.m. with a $20 fee).
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“Pareidolia” occurs when people see images in inanimate objects — for example, faces in rock formations, or animals in grilled cheese.
I had never heard the term. I learned it from alert “06880” reader Chris Corgel, who sends this example:
(Photo/Chris Corgel)
What do I see? A great photo for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature!
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And finally … on this day in 1901, Louis Armstrong was born. For 69 years, he shared this wonderful world with us.
(What a wonderful world this is! And what a wonderful “06880” community — in real life, and online. Thanks for being part of it. PS: Extra thanks for clicking here, and supporting our blog!)
Let’s start a “bury all poles” initiative!
Jan, Run to be the First Selectwoman and get rid of those poles and find out how Foti got an immediate extension on his contract thanks to Ms Tooker! Maybe she could have extended it 25 years? If you can do one, you could do 25!
Pareidolia: Yes, everyone can and does see the “man in the moon.” But some inanimate images truly do appear to be paranormal or supernatural!
I’d like to take my grandkids to Westport so they could see what a telephone pole looks like.
That’s right. Because you don’t live here. You just comment and tell us how to live based on your “once a Westporter always a Westporter” mantra. If your grandkids haven’t been to Westport clearly the connection is lost.
Well said Ms. Krause.
How many decades has the Meuchners been in Westport? We go back 124 years in town!
Petra and Dermot, My view is if you’ve lived in Westport for 2 years, you’re a Westporter. If your family roots go back 12 decades, yet you don’t live in Westport anymore, you’re also a Westporter. It’s called inclusion. With that said, my grandfather came to Westport in 1903, so 121 years ago, not 124. I can comment on anything I want!
Dear Petra, How many people do you know that were born in their home in Westport and not in a hospital? I know 6 who were born in the Backiel House, which was named The Backiel House in 2009 by the Westport Historical Society. My father was born in 1918, along with 5 other siblings in that house. Once a Westporter, always a Westporter. I have the 1910 deed to that property framed along with the deed to the 7.2 acres bought on the Post Road in 1917 for ONE DOLLAR down and a $5,000 dollar mortgage! Just think, Petra, putting down one dollar for 7 acres on the Post Road.
None, but I’ve never asked that question. Your stories are interesting and your lineage is cool. But they are just stories of past days. Your insistence on knowing what’s best for today’s Westport citizens doesn’t compute. Having a cool family history doesn’t mean you may override what’s best for the current families of Long Lots (your note below–again-that you think it can be fixed. It can’t. You would know that if you had stepped foot inside in the past decade or so. Or attended any of the town meetings where it has been debated and picked apart to death). Were you here when Coleytown middle closed? That was awful. Is it your desire to put another group of Westport students through that again because of some similarity to a situation in your family tree?
Also, it doesn’t mean the First Selectwoman owes you a call. Having nice decorations on the wall (even when they are deeds for ONE DOLLAR from 1910) don’t get you a vote. If you want a vote, move to Westport, get informed, and get involved.
I find it hard to believe that 40 or 60 million can’t fix a 70 year old building that had work done on it already. All you want is a new building for 120 million.
For years, the notion of double poles has troubled me. From what I have read, it seems that Eversource replaces the damaged pole and transfers the high voltage wires and related devices to the new pole on a timely basis.
It seems that the problem is that the damaged pole cannot be removed due to the many different communication cables that remain and take years to be transferred to the new pole.
I am not a fan of burdensome rules and regulations, but there is a need for some regulatory or legislative action in dealing with the damaged utility poles that remain because of the failure of communication providers to transfer their cables on a timely basis.
Double poles should be a temporary solution to be remedied within a reasonable time period—say 12 months or 18 months until all cables attached to the damaged pole are transferred.
Such a time limit should provide ample time for all the utilities whose lines are on the pole to transfer them to the replacement pole. Any utility failing to do so within the time limit should be subjected to a daily fine until the cables are finally transferred and the damaged pole removed.
I have heard (though I in no way know this personally) that utility poles are treated with lots of chemicals (so they don’t rot, I presume), so one of the problems is disposing of them. So it is easier (and less expensive) to install doubles and triples then to dispose of the old toxic poles.
I welcome any confirmation or correction.
Our telecoms, Frontier & Optimum/Altice, are operating responsibly, to their shareholders, who would punish them for engaging in non-revenue-generating activity such as cleaning up inherited and defunct wiring and moving operating wiring to the newly installed poles. All that stuff will remain in place until it comes crashing down of its own weight.
All poles – double and otherwise – exist for economic reasons and the lack of a town regulatory push. Poles are much much cheaper than burying the cables underground. Going subterranean requires coordination among multiple vendors, town permits, and the high cost of excavation. Other nearby CT towns require new lines to be put underground. States such as FL mandate all power lines to be underground by a specific year – and hold the power companies to the deadline (which is often 10 years out given the work required). In the end, burying lines is safer, much more likely to provide uninterrupted service, and more aesthetically pleasing once the poles are removed (also expensive). All comes down to where this initiative falls within the many priorities facing Westport and its budget.
I know how to save 70 million! Think about not building a new Long Lots and fix it for only 35 million! Then instead of arbitrarily extending contracts, do some hard bargaining!
Hi Dan,
Thanks for mentioning my tour of the Poster show at MoCA CT on August 15. I saw one of the posters in this show in Graphis magazine in 1970 as design student at the University of Cincinnati.
That poster inspired me to move to Basel, Switzerland in 1972 where I studied graphic design for four years with several of the poster designers in this exhibit.
Here is a link to find out more info about my tour and register:
https://mocact.org/events-calendar/collectomania-tour-with-jerry-kuyper-designer/
Jerry
If you are tired of looking at poles, come look at posters!
For most of Louis Armstrong’s professional life, it was publicized that his birthday was July 4, 1900.
The record companies pushed that incorrect birth date. Pops is still tops.