Area Residents Assail Con Ed For Blackout Troubles
BY LIZ GOFF

Western Queens boiled over as residents and business owners in Astoria, Woodside and Hunters Point lashed out at Con Edison officials who left them in the dark for more than a week.

"We live in Con Edison's backyard," said Rose Marie Poveromo, president of the United Community Civic Association. "We live next door to all the electricity in the world-but they couldn't find a way to plug us in."

Poveromo, whose group represents the Astoria Heights community, said she lost power at her home on the evening of Sunday, July 16. "The blackout began on Sunday evening at the Marine Air Terminal LaGuardia Airport and almost immediately jumped to 82nd and 81st Streets," Poveromo said.

"We called Con Ed to report that we had no electricity, but we couldn't get through. All we got was a recording telling us to 'push one for English and two for Spanish'," she said. "There was no message. There were no instructions on what to do, who else to call. They were clueless. This is an absolute disgrace."

Poveromo said partial power was restored to her home on the afternoon of Sunday, July 23. "That's eight days of stifling heat-without lights, television or a way to keep food," she said. "No one from Con Ed even tried to reach out to the community to let us know what was going on. And now we have partial power-which means our lights are back on," Poveromo said. "If we try to turn anything else on with the lights, we lose everything.

"Year after year, Con Ed officials expect us to tolerate the crap they dump on these communities and we respond by being good neighbors. There is no excuse for the way they handled this, for the way they treated us," Poveromo said. "Con Ed slapped us on one side of the face, then came back and slapped us on the other."

Irene Ladis, owner of Aegian Real Estate, shook her head and said her business "is kaput" after almost a week without electricity.

Rose Giunta, who lost power at her home on 43rd Street in Sunnyside on July 17, invited Con Ed Chief Executive Officer Kevin Burke to accompany her on a trip to the supermarket to replace items spoiled by lack of refrigeration.

"I'd like to see him restock his refrigerator and freezer for the lousy $150 they're offering to reimburse us," Giunta said. "That won't even cover the cost of meat I had in my freezer. And to add insult to injury, they're asking for receipts for the spoiled food. Who saves every supermarket receipt?"

Poveromo said Con Ed should increase the reimbursement to $500 per household. "Even that won't cover our losses," she said.

The Astoria activist said her group would consider filing a class-action suit against Con Ed, despite the agency's limited liability status. "What would we have to lose by filing a suit?" she said.

Angelo Rocco, 76, raised a sign that read, "Jail Con Ed Criminals" as he leaned against the darkened entrance to a 31st Avenue grocery store on July 24, watching as Burke walked through the neighborhood shaking the hands of Con Ed workers.

"He told people on my block he's sorry," Rocco said. "I don't think he paid attention to the sign, but it doesn't matter. I've been using it to fan myself."