| This contest is fueled by the following news: |
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Governor George Pataki has been called upon to declare a section of Queens in New York City a disaster area. Tens of thousands of residents have suffered through yet another day without electricity. Approximately 12,000 households in the area, with about 48,000 people living in the section of the city, have been without electricity for seven days. The power went out after a heat wave last week. The repairs that have been attempted were washed out thanks to a series of thunderstorms that have hit the area. The blackout actually is ten times larger than initially was reported by Consolidated Edison, the New York City electricity provider. A state lawmaker has called for a criminal investigation. Queens residents have been without lights, airconditioning and the like. The Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, reports that power was restored to 13,000 of the 25,000 customers who had lost power. The Mayor was not certain when the remaining customers would have their power restored. The Mayor also noted that he still did not know why Queens was without power while other parts of the city continued to have electrical service. |
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