The Observation Deck

The election is just around the corner. Regardless of what side you are on, it is important that we recognize other issues that are affecting our community besides the hospital this coming week. If you don't have a city left, there will be nothing to support the hospital should it be saved.

With daylight time becoming shorter, I have been noticing that burned-out streetlights abound in our city, both on main roads and side streets. Streetlights increase safety both for motorists and pedestrians.When streetlights are allowed to stay burned out, more of them will burn out and the problem will "mushroom" so to speak. Over the past few weeks, I have counted close to sixty streetlights that are burned out throughout our city. Most of them are on main roads. I have not even begun to count how many are out on each side street.

The city pays CEI to maintain the streetlights. City officials should be looking out for and reporting these streetlights that are burned out to ensure taxpayers are getting what they pay for. Whether the mayor and our seven council people just don't notice these burned out lights or they just don't care, I don't know. Regardless, I am growing tired of doing all the work by reporting them myself.

If you notice a streetlight out in your neighborhood, please take a moment to get the nearest address and pole number (if available), and report the outage here: https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content ... oblem.html

Attached is a list of the streetlights that I have noticed are out.

I'm sure there will be something on OneLakewood.com tomorrow about how the mayor is going to contact CEI about the streetlights.

It has also come to my attention that there have been several robberies of pedestrians over the past couple weeks. Reportedly, they have been knocked down while walking and robbed. One victim was pepper-sprayed. Could the victim have given a better description of the perp had streetlights been working? Maybe, maybe not. Just a thought.

UPDATE:

I have reported approximately thirty streetlights over the past month or so. The majority of them have been repaired. While this is great, I am still wondering: why am I doing all of the work?

Lori Allen _ wrote:UPDATE:

I have reported approximately thirty streetlights over the past month or so. The majority of them have been repaired. While this is great, I am still wondering: why am I doing all of the work?

Lori


First thank you.

From the moment Ed FitzGerald took office there have been major cuts in City Hall employees, all have been asked to do more. This has continues with Mayor Summers.

Much to the credit of everyone, and I mean everyone at City Hall they have really upped their game. However they require residents to step up when they can. Friends of Kaufman Park, Micro Parks, Keep Lakewood Beautiful, even LakewoodAlive are volunteers efforts helping to close and cover the gaps between City Hall and their budget.

Thanks again or calling them in.

.

Thanks, Jim. The majority of the thirty that I have reported have been repaired. I have about fifteen or twenty left on my list that I will report over the next couple of weeks. As infrastructure ages however, there will always be more streetlights going out. It is important that we report any that are out in our own neighborhoods. If you can, it is best to get a pole number (if there is one). This helps them find the light and repair it quicker.

UPDATE: The number of malfunctioning streetlights I have reported is now roughly 140 (since late October).

I appear to be doing a large part of city hall's work. As I believe I have said before, I let the streetlight in front of City Hall sit burned out for over a year, just to see if City Hall would notice. I ended up reporting it after a year and it was fixed within a few days.

Maybe things would appear brighter if I had a few beers!

Below is the list of streetlights I have reported, thus far:

UPDATE: from About November 2015 to date, I have reported about 174 malfunctioning streetlights throughout the city.

If you have time, take a walk around your block every so often and make sure they are all working. Usually the darkness is easy to spot even when driving.

While City Hall should be looking out for a lot of these, they cannot get every one. If you see a streetlight out in your neighborhood (or anywhere), please make an effort to get a pole number and report it here: https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content ... oblem.html

Attached is a running list of streetlights that have been reported thus far:

When walking the dogs at night, I notice that certain lights - usually in fairly well-lit locations in between other lights - go off and on. Whether they are on timers or sensors and this is for energy savings, or just malfunctioning equipment, I don't know. It's a question to ask.

Dan,

If it is around dusk or dawn, they usually flicker when they first come on or are getting ready to turn off in the morning. If they are still doing that roughly half an hour or longer after sunset, then it is probably malfunctioning. There is an option to report "light cycling on and off" on the website.

Lori Allen _ wrote:Dan,

If it is around dusk or dawn, they usually flicker when they first come on or are getting ready to turn off in the morning. If they are still doing that roughly half an hour or longer after sunset, then it is probably malfunctioning. There is an option to report "light cycling on and off" on the website.

I notice it well after dark (10-11). I'll start noting which ones. Because I'm lazy (and because you apparently have it at hand), could you post the link to the appropriate page.

Dan,

You can get the address and pole number (if there is one) and send it in here. If you like to do it over the phone, you can call the Illuminating Company at 1-800-589-3101 (hold times are usually very long). If you know the address and pole number, I can send it in for you.

https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content ... oblem.html

Lori Allen _ wrote:Dan,

You can get the address and pole number (if there is one) and send it in here. If you like to do it over the phone, you can call the Illuminating Company at 1-800-589-3101 (hold times are usually very long). If you know the address and pole number, I can send it in for you.

https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content ... oblem.html

Thanks.

Wow! Somebody has really been dropping the ball. It's been a while since I've been on a "streetlight run". Over the holiday weekend, I counted 23 streetlights out throughout most of the city. There were a few streets I did not get to. This includes three in a row burned out on Edgewater between the Imperial House and The Waterford, as well as two in a row burned out on Lake between the Meridian and Winton Place.

In about a year and two months, I have turned in about 250 malfunctioning streetlights in Lakewood to FirstEnergy. Most of them have been fixed within one to three days of reporting them.

This is a community effort. When it's not too cold, it is worth going around your block once or twice a week at night and making sure everything is up and running. If you see a streetlight out, get the nearest address, a pole number if it is available, and turn it in the FirstEnergy at this link:

https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content ... oblem.html

If one person did this on every street or every block, our city would be much brighter and maybe a tad safer. Of course, that includes councilpersons and the mayor, who should be extra vigilant about this matter.

Here is a photo taken on Edgewater last night where the three lights in a row are out:
Here is a list of streetlights I have turned in to FirstEnergy over the past year or so:

I feel like I'm the only one doing this. Can I get a part-time paycheck from the mayor?

Lori Allen _ wrote: This includes three in a row burned out on Edgewater between the Imperial House and The Waterford

I live on this street. Not a single light is burned out.

Please do contact FirstEnergy if you notice street lights out. I have contacted them many times and, say what you will about the company, my experience has been that they are fairly responsive.

Dan,

That is interesting. The above picture was taken very late last night. I reported these lights around 5:00 P.M. this evening. Perhaps a crew was working overtime and they came and fixed them this evening.

I'm happy to help keep our streets bright. I know city council members are busy right now with many issues and litigation.

Happy to help.