Indian Shores Mayor Jim Lawrence takes an ax to a wireless pole during a special ceremony on Monday morning.
INDIAN SHORES – Wielding an ax, Indian Shores Mayor Jim Lawrence struck the first symbolic blow at the now wireless pole on Monday morning.
He was followed by several dignitaries who took turns whacking away at the 2,000-pound pole. Most took only one swing with the ax. Rep. Jim Frishe, R-St. Petersburg, however, furiously wielded the ax several times, taking large chunks out of the orphan pole.
The pole was actually uprooted not by the flaying of the dignitaries but by a mammoth line truck that grasped the pole and lifted it clear out of the ground.
According to Luis Ordaz, distribution operations manager of Progress Energy’s Walsingham Operations, the machine that raised the pole is capable of lifting 30,000 pounds.
The project to put electric, telephone and cable television lines underground began in May 2005. Monday was declared pole eradication day by Indian Shores officials. One pole was selected to symbolize the removal of all power poles.
“This is a great example of democracy at work when people get together and accomplish something like this. I salute you for what you have accomplished. It’s a wonderful example of what people working together can do,” Frishe said.
“We are seeing the fruits of that leadership today, leadership that is committed to improving its community. Three firms, working together, this is extraordinary folks. This doesn’t happen every day,” Pinellas County Commissioner Ronnie Duncan said.
Dale Oliver, Progress Energy vice president, got a chuckle from the crowd when he called for a moment of silence in respect for the downed power lines. Oliver lauded the project’s safety record.
“Despite the road closings we really came through with an excellent safety record,” he said.
Alan Ciamporcero, Verizon vice president, explained that the underground conduit is in and “we will be pulling fiber through it this coming year. You will have one of the finest telephone systems in the country,” he said.
“This is an event for you but a life experience for us,” said Scott Creassey of Bright House.
Creassey had high compliments for Mayor Jim Lawrence and former Mayor Don Taber.
Police Chief and Town Administrator E.D. Williams lauded the teamwork between the different companies and the town.
“This was really about the development of friendships,” he said.
Roy T. Goodwin, distribution field supervisor, Walsingham Operations, said the process of doing the service conversions and the pulling of wire in the underground conduit should be completed by Progress Energy by October. The Verizon and Bright House portions should follow by a few months. New street lighting also is being installed.
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