http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/011800/new_blink.shtml

Web posted Tuesday, January 18, 2000 4:49 a.m. CT

SPS searches for cause of 'blink'

By RICHARD WILLIAMS Globe-News Business Writer

Southwestern Public Service crews were searching Monday afternoon for the cause of a "blink" in electrical service that caused momentary outages in central Amarillo Sunday and early Monday.

The first outage occurred about 3:13 p.m. Sunday, which was caused by a failed lightning arrester, which was replaced, said Bill Crenshaw, spokesman for SPS.

The cause of the second outage had not been determined, he said.

The outages caused some customers to scurry through their houses resetting clocks, VCRs and other time-operated appliances.

But it was the reported effect on cable TV service that caused the most concern, knocking out reception for nearly 40 minutes during the middle of the afternoon on Sunday.

Electrical power from the vicinity of Polk Street west to Hughes Street and some adjacent blocks, and north from Interstate 40 to Amarillo Boulevard was out for less than a few seconds before being automatically reset, Crenshaw said.

"Because the interruption was so short, we don't even record it as an outage. The duration was just too insignificant," Crenshaw said.

However, the outage caused Cox Communications customers in the area to lose cable TV service between 3:13 and 3:50 p.m. Sunday, according to customers in the affected area.

There was no report on the length of cable service interruption following the 2:45 a.m. momentary outage in the same area Monday.

Crenshaw said it was his understanding the cable company has to manually reset its equipment following a power failure.

Cox officials were unavailable for comment.

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), January 18, 2000

Answers

Please quit grasping at straws. THis is insignificant. I live in Amarillo and I can tell you that a minor power outage like this is not uncommon with SPS or any other provider. (My Dad logged 25 years with Texas Utilities). This is hardly Y2K. If it were, you would see more problems than this. Post real news please.

-- DAVID (tdavidc@arn.net), January 18, 2000.

Look like news to me -- it came off a newspaper website. Like all Homer's posts. Certainly no worse than flipping through teh morning paper for headlines that interest you. Thanks Homer, as always.

>?<

-- The Masked Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.tree), January 18, 2000.

Hey, Homer busts his hump around here. Show him some respect. The doomers need food for their imaginary meltdown. :)

-- (I'm@pol.ly), January 18, 2000.

And YOU need to get outside more, groupieboy.

(Was your mother frightened by an anklebiting weasel when she was carrying you?

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), January 18, 2000.

*Blink* *Blink*

Na...not even worth the time to post a reply......

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pathetic,..just plain pathetic... Ed Yourdon's website, publicly humiliating him. His adoring fans are making him look like a fool.

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), January 18, 2000.