Fallen wire knocks out Geer power

NORTH CANAAN — An electrical wire that fell from a utility pole on High Street (Route 7) Saturday morning, Oct. 30, knocked out power to the entire Geer campus for most of the day.

State Police responded to the scene around 10 a.m., and waited for a Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) crew to arrive. A crew member later told The Lakeville Journal they were advised a car had hit a pole, but they could find no evidence of pole damage, and surmised that wind or wear had caused the wire to pull out of its connecting sleeve.

Although the CL&P website listed 13 “customers� without service, hundreds were reportedly affected at nearby homes, apartment buildings, Geer Village, Beckley House and Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The senior and assisted living facilities were on generator power for essential services, making it an especially difficult day for residents and workers who needed to provide advanced care and produce meals.

Geer workers said power started to come back on around 4:30 p.m., but was not fully restored until after 5 p.m.