BUNCH O’ TURKEYS
LIPA’S jolting message to customers
Times Square business owners are feeling deflated as balloon and float fans are set to crowd Sixth Avenue today to watch Spidey and the rest of the balloons in a parade they once called their own.
This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is bypassing Broadway and Times Square for a new route that takes advantage of Sixth h AvenueAvenue’s s spectatorfriendly wide sidewalks an nd officebuilding plazas. But business ow on the old route along Broadway an nd Seventh Avenue say the move will co them 20 to 30 percent of their usua paradeday sales.
“It’s not good for anybody in Time Square,” said Moe Uddin, manager ata the Roxy Delicatessen.
LIPA did comment.
Even Gov. Cuomo ripped the company yesterday, saying LIPA “has to end” while he passed out holiday meals to Sandy victims on Long Island.
He told The Associated Press that LIPA “hasn’t worked in a long, long time.”
A state commission is currently investigating the response of state utility companies after recent storms, including Sandy and Irene.
The day that Cuomo authorized the commission, LIPA chief Michael Hervey said he would resign at the end of the year. But Hervey said he has no regrets about LIPA’s performance during the storms.
Cuomo’s report is due in several weeks.
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They’ll be thankful when they get their power back.
Tonedeaf executives at LIPA — which is under state investigation for its performance during Hurricane Sandy — posted a leafy greeting on its Facebook page yesterday reading, “We wish all of our customers a happy Thanksgiving.”
Company twits also shared a link to the image on Twitter.
Dozens of irate customers skewered the power authority for the illtimed message.
“Oh how thankful I would be if only I could go home. 24 days without power and counting,” Kimberly ShakiraCosta wrote on the company’s Facebook page.
“I’ll be thankful when LIPA is no longer around,” Chris Shikarides posted.
“Is this for real?” sniped Kevin Kunis. “Definitely need a new PR firm.”
LIPA claimed in a statement on Tuesday to have restored electricity to all of its customers that could accept power — but more than 1,370 homes still need juice, according to the company’s online outage map last night.
One bitter woman also posted that she had nothing nice to say after not having service for 13 days.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” Danielle Celestino McFarland deadpanned.
“It’s amazing you got our power back on in time for us to cook our turkeys,” another commenter joked.
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