Soon the old storage building on Ocean Beach Road across from the Beach Bar will be a thing of the past.   The Beach Bar is investing in a new, attractive, structure to replace it—one that’s in harmony with its surroundings and will improve the look and feel of the area. This new, easy on the eyes facility will house added services–a gift shop for Clark Lake memorabilia, shirts, hats and local art.  Add to that ice for your raft ride and ice cream for the kids. It has the potential creating employment, especially for students on summer break.

The razing of the old structure and building of the new one will occur under the watchful eye and guidance of M-R Builders’ Mike McKay.  Mike’s reputation travels far and wide.  His work can be seen in 100 new and remodeled homes at Clark Lake, as well as commercial buildings like the Pointe Bar and Grill.  M-R Builders has the lock on quality, innovation, and creativity.  Ask his clients, and they will tell you he takes form and function to new levels.

Mike McKay has chosen Carl Evanson’s A Plus Electric to build the electrical infrastructure. Mike says “Carl’s team knows what it takes to achieve our high standards, and they exceed expectations.  They understand timing issues and meet cost commitments.”  Carl comments “we’re pleased that Mike has chosen us for this project.  It’s an honor to work with him on this project as well as others over the years.”

On Tuesday, the A Plus Electric crew was erecting a temporary power pole.  It will be the source of power during construction until the permanent installation takes place.

Electrical service has been restored to many customers who lost it due to high winds on Tuesday and Wednesday.  But some homes are still without power.  Here is a snapshot of conditions as of 7 pm today (Saturday, March 11).  (For an update anytime, please click here).

If you have experienced storm damage requiring the service of an electrician, A Plus Electric can help.  You can reach A Plus Electric at 517-529-0000, or by going to the main page of this website and pressing “emergency” from your smartphone.

Below is Consumers Energy’s assessment of conditions as of Saturday afternoon.

“Consumers Energy employees, contractors and mutual assistance crews from six states working around the clock have restored power to nearly 320,000 customers affected by this week’s damaging wind storm.

“As of 3:30 p.m. Saturday, approximately 34,500 customers remained without electric service. Fierce, prolonged winds Tuesday and Wednesday exceeding 60 mph cut power to more than 354,000 Consumers Energy customers.

“The vast majority of customers without electric service should have power restored by midnight tonight. In some of the hardest areas, including portions of Allegan, Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Ingham, Jackson, Genesee, Kalamazoo, Lenawee and Monroe counties, restoration work will continue into Sunday.

“This week’s storm took down over 9,000 electric wires and broke more than 1,300 poles across Consumers Energy’s service territory.

“From lineworkers to damage assessors, wire guards and customer service representatives, more than 3,400 people are engaged in electric restoration activities. An additional 166 crews from utilities in Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Indiana are working alongside Consumers Energy and in-state contractor crews in this effort.

“Customers can sign up to get outage alerts and restoration times sent to a phone, email or text message, Text ‘REG’ to 232273 or visit: www.ConsumersEnergy.com/alerts. Customers can also, report an outage, check the status of an outage and get useful tips what to do before, during and after a storm by visiting www.ConsumersEnergy.com/OutageCenter.

“Consumers Energy continues to share these important safety tips:
·       Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines. Call 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050 to report.
·       Be alert to crews working along roads and “slow down and go around.” Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear then safely pass workers on roadsides.
·       Operating a generator may produce hazardous levels of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and deadly gas. Never use a generator in an attached garage, basement or near any air intakes, and never fuel a generator when it is running.
·       Customers concerned about staying in their home during the colder temperatures are encouraged to call 2-1-1. Local emergency management officials are collecting information from 2-1-1 centers to help determine if warming centers need to be opened.
·       Because temperatures are dropping, we ask our customers to reach out to family, friends and neighbors who may be impacted by this storm and make sure they are safe.
·       Help keep pipes from freezing during low temperatures by maintaining a constant drip on faucets.

The high winds, reaching a peak gust of 62 mph at Jackson’s Reynolds Field Wednesday, played major havoc with the power, cable and internet.  As of 9 am Friday, Consumers Energy’s outage map continues to show large areas experiencing service interruptions.

Click here to see an updated, expanded view of the outage map.

If you have experienced storm damage, A Plus Electric can help–517-529-0000 or go to the main page of this website and click the emergency button while using a smartphone.

Here is Consumers Energy’s latest assessment as of Friday morning, March 10:

“Consumers Energy employees, contractors and mutual assistance crews from six states worked steadily throughout the night to restore electric service to customers who lost power as a result of destructive wind storms that occurred earlier this week.

“The vast majority of customers without electric service should have power restored by midnight Saturday. In some of the hardest areas, including portions of Genesee, Kent and Kalamazoo counties, restoration work will continue into Sunday. As of 4 a.m., approximately 100,000 customers remained without power.

“This week’s long-lasting winds of up to 60 mph took down nearly 8,200 electric wires and broke more than 1,100 poles across Consumers Energy’s service territory, which includes all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

“From lineworkers to damage assessors, wire guards and customer service representatives, more than 2,000 people are engaged in electric restoration activities. An additional 181 crews from utilities in Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Indiana are assisting Consumers Energy crews in this effort.

“Customers can sign up to get outage alerts and restoration times sent to a phone, email or text message, Text ‘REG’ to 232273 or visit: www.ConsumersEnergy.com/alerts. Customers can also, report an outage, check the status of an outage and get useful tips what to do before, during and after a storm by visiting www.ConsumersEnergy.com/OutageCenter.

“The public is urged to make these safety tips a top priority:

·         Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines. Call 911 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050 to report.

·         Be alert to crews working along roads. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they safely can go past workers on roadsides.

·         Operating a generator may produce hazardous levels of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and deadly gas. Never use a generator in an attached garage, basement or near any air intakes, and never fuel a generator when it is running.

·         Customers concerned about staying in their home during the colder temperatures are encouraged to call 2-1-1. Local emergency management officials are collecting information from 2-1-1 centers to help determine if warming centers need to be opened.

“To view specific counties and regions most affected by electric interruptions, please visit: https://www.consumersenergy.com/outagemap.

In the latest count as of this evening, Consumers Energy reports that over 260,000 customers have experienced power outages since Tuesday.  The cause?  Roaring winds, reaching 65 mph, hit some areas of Michigan hard.

Some 3000 power lines are down and 500 utility poles were felled.  Late this afternoon, Consumers indicated over 18,000 people in Jackson County were without power. This photo, by Ann Swain, shows a pole down this afternoon on Clark Lake Road near M-50.

Consumers Energy outage map, as of 8:30 pm today, shows many areas still without power.

You can view an updated version of this outage map by clicking here.

If you have suffered storm damage, A Plus Electric can help.  You can reach A Plus Electric by phone at 517-529-0000–or from your cell phone by clicking the emergency button on the main page of this website.

Consumers Energy suggests great care if dealing with a downed power line.

·       Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines and to call 911 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050.
·       Be alert to crews working along roads. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they safely can go past workers on roadsides.
·       If using a generator, contact a licensed electrician to ensure that it is properly connected and make certain it is isolated from the company’s electric distribution system. Never use a generator in an attached garage, basement or near any air intakes, and never fuel a generator when it is running. Operating a generator without proper ventilation can create carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and deadly gas.
·       In some cases, the mast which holds the electric service wires to a customer’s home or business may have been damaged or torn away. Crews will reconnect the wires to a home, but only a licensed electrician can repair or replace a mast or a cable.

Here’s a list of the hardest counties.  As of 4 pm: Alcona (2,351); Allegan (5,989); Antrim (540); Arenac (754); Barry (6,275); Bay (1,630); Branch (2,776);  Calhoun (9,825); Clare (935); Clinton (2,545); Eaton (4,738); Genesee (17,247); Gladwin (830); Grand Traverse (242); Gratiot (4,027); Hillsdale (3,556); Ingham (6,300); Ionia (9,256);  Iosco (952); Isabella (780); Jackson (18,274); Kalamazoo (16,994); Kent (38,438); Lenawee (9,040); Livingston (2,664); Mecosta (2,818); Midland (5,785); Monroe (4,827); Montcalm (5,722); Newaygo (1,996); Oakland (1,127); Ogemaw (370); Ottawa (2,847); Roscommon (1,870); Saginaw (7,285); Shiawassee (4,169); St. Joseph (1,200); VanBuren (1,874); Washtenaw (1,297)  and Wexford (936).

 

 

The National Weather Service forecast as issued a high wind warning, in effect until 7 pm today (Wednesday 3/8/17).  They forecast gusts as high as 65 mph.

High winds can bring down branches and trees. Consumers Energy points out this is the number cause of power outages.

If you experience storm damage, A Plus Electric is ready to help at 517-529-0000.  If you are viewing this website on a smart phone, you can press the emergency button on the main page to request service.

Consumers Energy is responsible for power lines to your house, but the homeowner is responsible for the connection to the house as you can see in the photo above.  If this happens (see below), you will need a licensed electrician to reconnect power to your house.

Consumers Energy has helpful information on their website at https://www.consumersenergy.com/outagemap.  At that location, you’ll find a button to report an outage, and a map that will show you where the outages are located.

A downed power line can pose a serious safety hazard.  To learn more about this, please click here, or look up the story in this section of the A Plus Electric website.

 

Consumers Energy has replaced or is replacing electric and gas meters with new “smart meters.”  The new meters send a text message between midnight and 3 am to CE each day.  The text message tells CE how much gas and electric you used during the previous day.  That information should be available to you through Consumers’ website as well.  “This ends the need for estimated bills,” comments Consumers Energy’s Kathryn Burkholder. “You should always know where your usage stands.”

Recently A Plus Electric completed work on its role for new construction at Mag-tec.  Located on Research Drive in Jackson, Mag-tec has a 25-year history offering full-service die casting in magnesium, aluminum, and zinc. Their customers are global and diverse, serving industries like auto, medical, consumer and agriculture.

The new construction will provide the 36 employees with state-of-the-art offices and new locker facilities for the manufacturing area.

Employees and clients will notice that gone are the humming fluorescent tubes, ballasts, starters–and their glare.  In their place, A Plus Electric installed and wired new easier-on-the-eye, highly-efficient LED ceiling fixtures.  Motion sensors will minimize power needs.  A Plus also wired for the high-tech needs of data and internet.

Below are photos taken during construction.

It’s not surprising Mag-tec would go forward with a project like this.  They are a company driven by innovation and are on the cutting edge with advanced die casting process control.  Because of their breakthrough processes, Mag-tec can offer low volume prototype or replacement parts and can scale up to higher production runs.

Well known for their excellent work, R.W. Mercer is the general contractor for the construction.

The kitchen is not just another room.  The kitchen is central to how people experience and enjoy their homes.  It’s not unusual for A Plus Electric to hear from someone who wants to accent their kitchen with just the right lighting.  Recently, A Plus Electric’s Carl Evanson suggested LED lights to someone on that quest. The customer liked the idea, and gave the go-ahead. The technician installed LED tape.  It’s called “tape” because the lights are attached with a double-sided 3M product that hold the lights firmly in place against most any surface.

From the first moment, it was clear the lights performed admirably in creating the desired accenting under the counter and toe-kick.  That heightened the look and feel of the kitchen, just as the customer had hoped.

The lights are controlled by a switch mounted on the wall.  And there is a bit of magic in how the cabinet lights operate.  The A Plus technician installed a motion-sensor so the cabinet lights illuminate when the cabinet is opened.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory that includes several Michigan counties and Jackson County.  At 3:08 pm today, they predicted “southerly sustained winds around 35 mph, veering west this evening.  Wind gusts will reach 50 to 55 mph this evening.  The highest wind gusts are expected between 6 and 10 pm.”  For the latest forecast for our area, click here.

Consumers Energy adds “This activity, along with the potential for light freezing rain…could result in power outages. Consumers Energy is monitoring the weather closely, mobilizing resources and making other preparations to quickly respond to any service interruptions.”  The number one cause of power outages are trees or their limbs falling on power infrastructure.  This can also affect cable and Internet service.

For preparation for what to do before, during, and after a storm, CE encourages you to visit their outage center for helpful tips.  At this location, you can view an outage map, report an outage, and sign up for power restoration updates.

A heavy duty storm roared through last night and left its mark.  A significant number of Consumers Energy customers are without power.  Some Comcast customers are also missing internet and cable service.

You can view areas currently without power by going to Consumers Energy’s outage map.

If you spot a downed power line, it could pose danger.  It may still be live.  A downed live power line is capable of electrifying the area surrounding it for a considerable distance.  In a Consumers Energy online message, you should stay at least 25 feet from it. Read about it here.