‘Brooklyn Blackout’
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

Con Edison serves 2.5 million Brooklyn residents among its 880,000 metered customers in that borough [Editorial, “Brooklyn Blackout,” July 21, 2008]. Certainly, we recognize the hardship of the 2,000 customers who lost power on July 20 — we’re not happy if even one customer is out.
More than 200 Con Edison repair crews hit the streets to prevent the problem from getting worse, and, working closely with the city’s Office of Emergency Management, the NYPD, other city agencies, and the community, we succeeded. Customers asked to conserve near the outage area receive those requests to limit the scope and duration of any outage as it occurs, so the out-of-the-ordinary circumstance can be handled quickly, without the problem spreading.
Your comparison of New York’s infrastructure to that of a third-world city is irresponsible and flippant. Con Edison spent $1.7 billion before the summer to upgrade and reinforce its energy system, installing 10 million feet of cable, enough to stretch from Augusta, Maine to Key West, Fla.
We also installed 1,700 new transformers, and opened two new substations to meet growing energy demand. As for writing an editorial the next day your electricity works to celebrate the news, why wait? You can write it today, almost every day, 365 days a year. Con Edison is, and continues to be, the most reliable electric utility in the nation, bar none.
FRANCES RESHESKE
Senior vice president
Public Affairs
Con Edison
New York, N.Y.
‘Fire Claims Vineyard Literary Landmark’
The ARTS+ section recently brought an article about the recent fire on Martha’s Vineyard which partially damaged a well-known bookstore [National, “Fire Claims Vineyard Literary Landmark,” July 8, 2008].
It also quoted a few remarks by Ms. Connie Borde, who “recently translated Simone de Beauvoir’s ‘The Second Sex,’ to be published in 2009 by Random House.”
I was astonished that no mention was made of the first and highly acclaimed translation by H.M. Parshley, published in 1953 by Alfred A. Knopf under the Borzoi label, and simultaneously by the Canadian publisher McClelland & Stewart.
A most important work of great social consequence, and by a distinguished author, was made available to the English-speaking readership by the Parshley translation more than 50 years ago. At the very least, this event would deserve a brief footnote.
IRENE APT
New York, N.Y.