Our Hometown
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Newark schools delayed after power outage Two NYSEG crews worked quickly in the early morning hours yesterday (May 29), so that when students arrived at Newark High School an hour later than normal, power had been restored. Craig Stell, director of school facilities and operations, said power was back on inside the building around 7:45 a.m. Power to parts of the high school building shut down around 2 a.m. Tuesday. Night custodian Brian Everdyke called Stell who, immediately went to the high school to shut down all power to the building and then called NYSEG. One leg of the three-phase electrical service to the building shut down and two legs of the service were operating. Because much of the building's equipment operates on all-three phases, the equipment had to be shut down to prevent damage to motors. NYSEG crews arrived about 45 minutes after being called. They determined one of the insulators had broken and cracked and dropped a fuse gate, causing one leg of the power to shut down. When it appeared power might not be restored in order for school to open on time, Interim Superintendent Henry Hann sent out a Connect Ed telephone message alerting parents and guardians that there would be a one-hour delay in the opening of the high school. Once NYSEG crews restored power outside the building, Stell checked the voltage output inside before he turned the main service back on in the high school. Hours later, he and other school maintenance workers were checking equipment, like air handling and ventilation systems, to make sure no damage happened because of the brief time it was operating at diminished power levels. 'It typically takes a few days for us to know for certain if there is any damage,' Stell said. 'We have to bring everything back on line slowly to prevent damage.' Copyright
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