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http:llwww,start~ibune.comllocallnorthl89305202.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDi07aiU Page 1 of 2
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<br />~v~ gophers eery t~~r a~rly
<br />a~ccu~e?
<br />Utility blames gophers for damaging
<br />underground wires. Homeowner says
<br />it was the utility, which says
<br />homeowner rrlust pay.
<br />y ~ar~es ~~~ Sbi~~r, StarTr~bune
<br />Last updafie: March Z~, 2010 ~ ~ 1:1 ~ AEI
<br />The gnawing teeth of unseen gophers could
<br />cast a Dayton couple $1,~DD, all because
<br />they get their electricity from a municipal
<br />power company.
<br />Steve Beck's electrical woes began in January
<br />when he ran the microwave and his lights
<br />dimmed. Later, when his ~~aneee, Sheila
<br />Caron, ran the dryer in the basement, the
<br />rest of the house went dark.
<br />A utility crew determined an underground
<br />cable providing power to the house was
<br />damaged in several places, so they rigged up a
<br />temporary line. Unfortunately for the
<br />homeowners, the news got worse, In a Feb,
<br />24 letter, Anoka Municipal Utility Informed
<br />Beck and Caron that they would have to pay
<br />to repair the cable by mid~April or have their
<br />power shut off, An electrician told them the
<br />job would probably cost about ~I,~DD,
<br />Beck and Caron are on the hook because the
<br />utility blames the damage on "gophers
<br />chewing on the wire in various places," Beck
<br />and his neighbor say they think the damage
<br />was caused by the utility itself, which did
<br />some construction work in the
<br />neighborhood in the past two years.
<br />"Z'm dust upset about this whole ordeal
<br />because it's so asinine," said Beck, a 52d
<br />year-old carpenter.
<br />Dan Voss, director of Anoka Municipal Utility,
<br />agreed the company could have caused the
<br />damage, He described the case against
<br />gophers as circumstantial, If further . .
<br />investigation shows construction workers
<br />nicked the cable, Anaka Municipal Utility
<br />would try to make some accommodation
<br />with the homeowner, Voss said,
<br />Beck and Caron are learning a hard lesson ..p
<br />that property owners who get their power
<br />from Anoka and many other municipal
<br />distributors have to pay for any problems
<br />with underground cables to their house. If
<br />the same wire arrived at their house from a
<br />pole, the utility would cover it. if ~cel Energy
<br />was the provider, that utility would cover it,
<br />A~~r~~~~~~.
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<br />http:Ilwww.startribune.comltemplateslfdcp? 1270"730932725 4/5/2010
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