LI facilities inspect recalled light poles

Officials scrambled Wednesday to inspect light poles at two area facilities, closing them until further notice, as a federal agency said other poles made by the same manufacturer could crack and fall.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a nationwide recall of more than 2,500 poles made by Whitco Company, a Texas manufacturer now out of business. The recall applies to poles installed between 2000 and 2005.

At least two facilities on Long Island installed Whitco light poles during those years: John J. Burns Park in Massapequa, and the football field at Longwood High School in Middle Island.

Both were closed Wednesday after officials learned of the recall.

Burns Park's softball field had eight Whitco light poles installed in 2003, Oyster Bay town supervisor John Venditto said.

The poles have not shown any previous signs of structural damage, but engineers from two firms were examining them Wednesday, Venditto said.

The town would consider replacing the poles if testing takes an extended period of time, he added.

Longwood High School installed four of the poles at its football field in 2000. Since then, employees have checked them at least once a year, Superintendent Allan Gerstenlauer said.

The district will now hire an inspector to check the poles, Gerstenlauer said. With school out for summer, there was no need to cancel events, though local residents who use the stadium's track at night will have to go elsewhere, he said.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says it has 11 reports of poles falling over in several states. In some cases, the falling poles crashed into nearby buildings and bleachers that were empty at the time. The agency's investigation found 50 more Whitco-constructed poles that have fractures or cracks but have not yet fallen. No injuries have been reported from the crashes.

"This is a very serious situation with the potential for death," commission spokesman Scott Wolfson told The Associated Press.

The commission recommends a professional engineering inspection of the poles using electric current, dyes or ultrasonic waves to search for cracks.

"A visual examination with the naked eye or with a magnifier will not determine the extent of any cracking," the commission said in a news release.

Whitco filed for bankruptcy in March 2006, leaving pole owners with the bill for any inspections or fixes.