Business & Tech

Extended Storm-Related Power Outage Hurts Sharon Heights Shops

Businesses were closed until at least Wednesday, three days after the storm.

At , Charlie Seitzman says he "threw out quite a bit" of food this week.

A several-day power outage caused by last weekend's snowstorm spoiled it.

The Sharon Heights Plaza businesses were closed until at least Wednesday because the South Main Street shopping center lacked electricity.

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Seitzman said Thursday he was closed Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday; Monday's a scheduled day off.

The outage spoiled much of his food, he said.

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"I've got a lot of stuff to make," Seitzman said.

"A lot of my stuff is homemade. That's what I'm doing now, trying to catch up."

Seitzman said NSTAR kept telling him different times for when his electricity would return.

"After Sunday, I didn't believe anything they were saying," he said.

A few doors down, owner Jimmy Stamoulis called the multi-day outage "stressful."

"We had to be here waiting for the power to come on," he saud.

Stamoulis said the outage was worse than when struck Sharon, knocking out electricity here for several days in August.

"Irene was nothing" in comparison, he said.

Wednesday, Paul Cutler reopened , his family's business since 1989.

He had a sale while checking on the place Tuesday, though, despite being closed.

"I had somebody run up and say, 'Are you open? I need to buy some books for my mom," Cutler said Wednesday.

"She bought three books."

Cutler was unsure how much business the outage cost his family.

"With retail, it could be I missed a great day or I missed a bad day," he said.

"I would think, because of the storm, people are wanting books but couldn't get them."

At Abbott's Wallpaper and Paint, owner David Freshman said the outage cost him "two days' worth (of business) that you don't pick up, no matter what you do."

"All you know is when the painters are working, they go elsewhere, because they have to keep working," Freshman said.

Roger Porcaro of said he was busy Wednesday.

"That's what happens in my business," Porcaro said.

"If they don't get you one day, they catch up."


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