Update: Power to be Restored Within Hour

Pete Waldmeir, GP Woods August 29, 2012 at 11:51 pm

Within what hour? It's 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday evening and there's no power in the 1300 block of Hollywood and the 1400 block of Roslyn. A tree fell in mid-afternoon? Power within an hour? That's baloney. The traffic light at Vernier and Marter Rd. wass out all afyternoon; stilol is. The light at Vernier and Mack is on a generator. DTE strikes again! Where's the Woods mayor and council? Hiding at home with the air-conditioning on?

Erwin M. Fletcher August 30, 2012 at 02:45 am

I had no idea that GPW mayor and council were DTE linesman!!! Thank you for bringing that to our attention.

Bethany Vandevorde August 30, 2012 at 03:50 am

We need the news to help us this is un called for I am so fed up with the power problems I am sure everyone els is too I was on my bike and I saw the power line in the street no cops where called to the spot where the line was down I was scared we would have no power all night my mom a teacher I was not happy. We want answers and we want this fixed and we are going to fight this we want help from the news!!!

DDPIII August 30, 2012 at 04:15 am

I doubt Mr. Novitke and members of council were home "hiding" with the AC on...after all it was not needed today. You know what else is not needed today-or any other day? Your opinion Mr. waldmeir. I understand being without power is an inconvenience, and mistakes do happen in business and in life. This hypothesis is proven by the fact you once had a pulpit for your incessant blabber. Conversely, on the subject of electricity, I must defer to your expertise due to the fact you have experienced life before and after its inception.

Bethany Vandevorde August 30, 2012 at 04:32 am

It is dumb we want answers for dte

Bethany Vandevorde August 30, 2012 at 04:34 am

DDPlll you make a good pointe

George R. McMullen Jr. August 30, 2012 at 10:33 am

A hard issue to address even for council. They have addressed the issue and have done what they can will continue to hold DTE accountable but at the end of the day DTE is a monopoly. What I’m hoping for is one day we can say goodbye to DTE energy. I never thought I would hear “thank you” for using AT&T. I never thought I would ever see my issues with Northwest solved….no longer around. With technology perhaps one day there will be an alternative to DTE energy…by the way the tree trimmers for DTE energy were trimming trees on my property a few years ago and with the service they provided I wouldn’t mind not having to deal with them again either. As a final note DTE is going to present information at a meeting at the GPW Community Center on Wed., Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. put it in your calendar

Bob Frapples August 30, 2012 at 12:43 pm

Yeah, you're right! The mayor & council members really should have been on the scene demanding answers and helping to get those lines back up!

Michael August 30, 2012 at 01:27 pm

You obviously have never dealt with the righteous council on a governmental or personal basis. Ask any member of council a direct question that could result in savings or better yet in opposition to their stance and watch them walk away. Get involved and see first-hand how they vote for themselves and have never listened to public decent.
Pete has consistently challenged our government and has stood tall for improvements and the betterment of our city. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

Michael August 30, 2012 at 01:35 pm

Where is city council on working with DTE on a city wide program to bury all existing power and utility lines? I would gladly allow the removal of some landscaping and short term inconvenience. Imagine looking up and seeing the sky clear of power lines, cable lines, phone lines and if you’re really unlucky many more to support your neighbors’ homes. The real result is no power lines to damage and only transformers requiring replacement – which happens far less than line issues.
THIS IS YOUR LONG TERM FIX! WHERE'S OUR COUNCIL ON THIS CONCEPT - TOO WORRIED ABOUT BEAUTIFICATION AWARDS AND THROWING THEMSELVES ANOTHER

Michael August 30, 2012 at 01:37 pm

Where is city council on working with DTE on a city wide program to bury all existing power and utility lines? I would gladly allow the removal of some landscaping and short term inconvenience. Imagine looking up and seeing the sky clear of power lines, cable lines, phone lines and if you’re really unlucky many more to support your neighbors’ homes. The real result is no power lines to damage and only transformers requiring replacement – which happens far less than line issues.
THIS IS YOUR LONG TERM FIX! WHERE'S OUR COUNCIL ON THIS CONCEPT - TOO WORRIED ABOUT BEAUTIFICATION AWARDS AND THROWING THEMSELVES ANOTHER PARTY?

Erwin M. Fletcher August 30, 2012 at 04:15 pm

Michael, people like you clearly lack the intellectual capacity to understand the costs associated with burying all of the power lines. Even if such a program were undertaken you would be the first guy out there complaining about the massive expense adn how the money could best be used elsewhere. Rather than act as a pathetic stooge fror Mr. Waldmeir, I suggest you come out from his basement and start making a contribution to the city rather than just demeaning the elected officials who do.

MRSPirateLarz August 30, 2012 at 04:38 pm

If you are referring to the lines in the street on goethe between Hampton and Roslyn, those were telephone lines, not power lines. I live right there and went to talk to the telephone crew that was working right there.

Lisa C. August 30, 2012 at 06:49 pm

My mother-in-law lived in Troy and they had buried cables. Her power went out even more often then it does here.

Todd August 30, 2012 at 07:26 pm

I don't know about all this "buried cable" business, or about the hollow excuses for poorly designed and maintained infrastructure. What I do know is that I contract DTE for a service and make a lot of exceptions for poor weather. It was sunny and beautiful yesterday. The DTE folks had another problem blowing transformers when they tried to bring the circuit back online. Just like the last 50 times.
At the end of the day, who cares why? They are 100% responsible for the quality of their service. So, I've given up now that we have 100 junior engineers posting away. My fall-back position is to acquire a bunch of DTE stock. Maybe their margins are so good that I can make a few bucks and move to a city that uses Consumers Power.

KellyB September 3, 2012 at 03:36 pm

I live on Anita and perhaps we may have been the first to regain power. It's funny, the power went out at 12:55 and by 1:05 DTE already had a pre-recorded message stating that power would be restored between 4:30-6:30. What's with that?? How could they possibly give an estimated time when they didn't even know what the problem was?? We on Anita were fortunate and did get power by 6:30. Go figure. We felt for sure the way DTE works that we would be out again for another 3 days because they are too enept to find the real and long lasting problem we in this area have. GPW council get it together BECAUSE WE ARE ALL SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR ENEPTNESS!!

KellyB September 3, 2012 at 03:41 pm

Oh, and by the way, quit picking on Pete. At least he cares about his community and the residents of GPW. I never hear about our mayor and his comments regarding our city, just his picture in the GP News every opportunity he gets. VERY, VERY SAD!!

Michael September 4, 2012 at 04:03 pm

Erwin,
In response to your uneducated and and poorly researched comments below . . . You obviously did't read nor comprehend my statement! I have dealt with the ridiculous self-serving city council on a number of issues. As the council consistently turns a deaf ear to every solutions that has proven in a number of community’s to benefit the whole (and not their council of the whole meetings). It’s obvious you know nothing of construction or the cost of maintaining an infrastructure that varies from 15 to 55+ years old. Have you sat with DTE on any community developments? Have you developed budgets for or installed "double-wall" containment power distribution systems? I had to bring in OSHA and state reviewers during our last road reconstruction project because your council women, Vicki Granger, who was committee head, could not and would not reach out to proper sources to verify that the installation was completed correctly or in accordance with state standards. Her response when work was being torn out to be installed correctly, “that’s not my responsibility”! Your comments tell us all that you’ll gladly pay the additional mileage without tying responsibility to council’s actions.

Michael September 4, 2012 at 04:08 pm

Lisa C.,
Troy is well known for allowing developers to short change the infrastructure and citizens. Troy has some time ago allowed for the installation of inferior materials, poor distribution and direct bury cable. It is the responsibility of the city ordinance to provide for the requirements and standards to do business within the area. Note; we have the choice of two cable service providers due to city agreements, unless you live on the Harper Woods border and can sneak in AT&T (ask Vicki Granger)!

Sal September 10, 2012 at 10:03 pm

Te

Sal September 10, 2012 at 10:09 pm

I bought a generator instead of complaining. Obviously, Grosse Pointers feel they are special and that their power should never be lost. Does that mean if I live in Grosse Pointe I should never have a flat tire or a dead battery in my car? Get a grip and prepare yourselves for problems. As far as I'm concerned, DTE does a GREAT job!

GP For Life September 11, 2012 at 01:12 am

Sal, the problem is that this specific area of GP loses power, a lot. It's very frequent. This partiuclar area is unique in the frequency, but GP's power infrastructure is really, really, old. Like the transmission lines still have cloth "insulation" from the 1920's old and that's where it is still present.
Take a lap, Sal.