S&*T OUT OF LUCK (& POWER)
Agustin Murguia had been out for a walk with his dogs on the afternoon of May 26 when he ran into a friend, parked like he was, parallel to Laurel Mountain Road.
The two chatted for a while before their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a chainsaw. They thought nothing of it, until they saw the tree hinged at an angle beside Country Liquor and Deli, on the same street.
Then, they heard another noise. Cracking. The snapping of branches. Murguia says that the branches of the tree held it tangled in the power lines above Laurel Mountain Road for not more than 2 minutes before the trunk fell into the road. Still, it was enough time for Murguia’s friend to dial 9-1-1, and for Murguia to gather the presence of mind to step out into the middle of the road and deter traffic from driving into the fall line.
“It was just imminent,” says Murguia. “It was just going to happen.”
And then, the powerline blew.
“I started running from the middle of the street toward my car, and just threw myself on the ground because the high-tension cables gave up and landed about 30 feet from me, right on the side of Krystal Villa West,” recalls Murguia. He credits the manager of those condos for grabbing caution safety tape, and roping off the area where the cables were downed to ward off unwitting passersby from entering the area.
The police arrived about 15-20 minutes later, estimates Murguia, to perform damage control. Around town, business owners performed their own.
Ironically, though Murguia was spared from the impact of the high-tension power lines, he felt the heat the next day. General Manager of Old New York Deli in The Village, Murguia’s was one of the few businesses in town spared from the resulting blackout caused by the fallen power lines. Powered by a reliable generator system, Village establishments bore the brunt of much of the Memorial Day Weekend rush, while downtown, those businesses dealt an unlucky spot on the grid pared back operations or shuttered completely for the high revenue-generating holiday, and final weekend of the 2023-2024 ski season.
For Tom Cage, owner of Kittredge Sports, the loss of business resulting from the power outage was a hit.
“We lost two plus hours of business on Sunday. [We] lost internet credit card services. All in all, it probably cost me about 12 grand in lost business.”
But, acknowledges Cage, he was one of the lucky ones. Kittredge was able to reopen on Monday, unlike its neighbor and competitor, Footloose.
“Mogul—they lost Sunday night and Monday night. Harmony, too. Nik ‘n’ Willie’s, Good Life … the list goes on and on up and down Old Mammoth and Main Street,” said Cage.
Mike Coco, owner of Liberty and Main Street Pizza and Tap, says he suffered from a lot of product perished.
John Farber over at Giovanni’s said it was particularly bad timing because May is a slow month. A prime day over Memorial weekend represents about 10% of the month’s total sales volume.
And though those businesses may recoup some lost profits by way of insurance claims, their staff will not.
“People working in service lost income hours and tips,” said Cage. “What if you were counting on that money to make rent, June 1st?”
Cage, like many business owners, is sitting in wait to see if those responsible for the incident will be held accountable for its impact.
According to Town Manager Rob Patterson, they will.
Three people were issued citations for the unlawful tree-cutting. Teddy Rauh, the tree-cutter. Tim Flynn, the contractor who hired the tree-cutter. And the property owners, the Diggernesses—Dave Diggerness and Maryann Flynn Diggerness.
According to Patterson, a total of 6-7 trees were cut, and each carries a fine for lack of permit. The Southern California Edison (SCE) response bill will likely be in the six-figures.
“We are investigating the occurrence on Sunday,” said Patterson, “and will hold all parties accountable to the fullest extent possible.”
But in the darkness, a bit of light:
Over at the Looney Bean, owners Shelley and Dusty Harrington pulled an all-nighter baking burritos and scones from their home in town, and taxiing over the goods for the few hours they could remain open, Monday morning. To serve drinks, baristas had to alternate plugging in the shop’s coffee makers with its blenders so as not to overload the few generators customers and community members volunteered up to keep the place going. Sue Ebersold and her staff at The Breakfast Club still slung hash out of a few ice chests. There was Ed Hurley, owner of Burgers, who took in orphaned food from other restaurateurs so it wouldn’t spoil.
“Good business owners that survive do things that way,” said Cage. “This weekend was a testament to their, well, preparation and understanding.”
