The Dark Came Early This Halloween
Saturday, Nov 1, 2008
by Dan Hugo
At approximately 3:30pm the power in the Heritage District neighborhood north of Hendy Ave and west of Sunnyvale Ave lost power thanks to a damaged power pole that is what a PG&E worker called the main connection from the local switching station to the neighborhood. Halloween started early with this scare as Sunnyvale Fire was on the scene initially.
By approximately 6pm PG&E crews had determined that the power pole would need to be removed and replaced. Power would remain off until the lines could be properly secured and eventually reattached to a new or repaired pole. Initial estimates of a 5:30pm switch-back-on time were optimistic of course, but luckily the 12-hour estimate was quite the opposite-- unless you happened to be one of the PG&E crew members tasked with performing the repair, that is.
Crews arrived on scene and by 8:30pm were already preparing to remove the failed pole (or part of it). Luckily for neighborhood residents, the crew was able to secure the incoming lines to the pole after clearing them of the broken portion (seen in photos still in place and after it was removed) power was restored, some time shortly before 9pm.
Their work was not done, however, as the lines would still need to be secured to a new pole, which would need to be placed in approximately the same place as the broken pole. For extra credit, crews were facing light-to-moderate winds and the threat of rain. Luckily the rain only came in the form of droplets here and there, but the winds did make the task of erecting the new power pole no more simple a task.
Rain did begin to fall eventually, and as early as 8:30am the next morning trucks and crew were still on the site, resting from a long overnight undertaking. They were last seen securing the area at approximately 9am with rain falling and the broken pole still in place for now.
Since the SunnyvaleRocks computers were and uninterruptable power supplies were in the path of this power failure, we would like to express explicit thanks to the PG&E crew for toiling through the night and for restoring power early in the process. For those reading this, your reporter did express gratitude on behalf of the neighborhood to one of the crew. Thanks again, guys.
First Annual Howl'oween Pet Parade & Faire
Sunday, Oct 26, 2008
by Dan Hugo
The Pet Parade and Faire went off smashingly this morning as a small crowd of pets, kids, and families began to gather at the rally point (and nearby) at the same time various vendors were setting up their tents and wares at the Plaza del Sol parade end point for the Faire. It was just about 9am.
The parade itself kicked off around 10:10am give or take, with older and newer fire engines taking the lead and a whole bunch of feet and paws-- and even some hooves, wheels, and other forms of locomotion-- took up the rear. The parade moved north on Frances, east on Evelyn, south on Murphy Ave for the main display, west on Washington, and back to Frances where it disbanded for the rest of the events.
The Faire itself drew a tremendous crowd, with all manner of pet-related vendors, pet safety and animal control from the city, and of course pet owners and fans of same. The various contests were held at the center of the plaza with awards given out [winners will be included here once we get a list!].
In the mean time, there were many cameras snapping photos, still and moving, and your SunnyaleRocks staff of two was there as well. A gallery if the multimedia of the day is found on Flickr as always, and is viewable in a slideshow here [Adobe Flash required].
We'd like to give a shout out to our fellow small business entreprenuers here in Sunnyvale at Kelly Family Emporium, part of Kelly Family Enterprises and remind you [especially if you are holding a business card that drew you here] that you can get any of the photos we managed to snap, or any other photo or other artwork from the Pet Parade or the Faire, printed onto a fine t-shirt or other apparel, or onto various other items like coffee mugs, mouse pads, magnets, and the list goes on. Tell Penny and Scott we sent you!
Airship Ventures Arrives at Moffett Field
Saturday, Oct 25, 2008
by Dan Hugo
You've probably heard about it, maybe you saw it on the news or read about it in a newspaper. Perhaps you just looked up and noticed a large white blimp sliding through our airspace on Saturday. That was none other than the Airship Ventures blimp (or dirigible) arriving at Moffett Field, it's part-time home here in the Bay Area
The ship itself holds 12 people plus a crew of 2, is powered by 3 aircraft engines and is held aloft by helium gas. Those of us in attendence at the landing site noted that while the engines themselves were somewhat noisy while the ship was maneuvering, it was generally quiet and perhaps graceful as it moved through the air. From what one of the crew said, the ride inside is very quiet and pleasant.
Unfortunately, since Moffett is a restricted airfield, the general public is apparently not able to simply walk up to the ship and test the origin of the term "blimp" by giving it a quick flick with the fingers. However, should you be in the Salinas area some days of the week, you can visit the ship there and check it out from a closer vantage point. Though we recommend that you ask first.
Check out the video gallery-- posted on Flickr of course-- of the ship approaching Moffett, steering toward the mooring mast, and coming in for what looked like a fine landing [we at SunnyvaleRocks are not certified blimp drivers, though Airship Ventures is apparently hiring pilots...].
