On behalf of the City of Forest Grove, our City Council and our employees, I wanted to take a moment to express our deep gratitude... more
City Hall
Senior Project Updates "Electric City"
For his senior project, Forest Grove High School student Kevin Elliott recently finished constructing a new “Jacob’s Ladder” device for the Light & Power Department, to replace a very old one that was no longer used in demonstrations. As part of the project, Kevin accompanied Meter/Relay Technician Eddie Littlefield and Journeyman Lineman Rick Larson to Mr. Sheppard’s 5th grade class at Tom McCall Elementary School to assist with a safety demonstration and show his new device to the students.
A Jacob’s Ladder, more technically known as a high-voltage traveling arc, is a portable device that creates a visible rising arc of electricity between two wires when high voltage is applied. Most people have probably only seen a Jacob's Ladder in movies about mad scientists! Thanks to Kevin’s new Jacob’s Ladder, Mr. Sheppard’s class got to safely see a real electric arc close up, and learned what can happen if people or objects get too close to a live power line. The Light & Power Department is grateful to Kevin for his hard work, and excited to use the new Jacob's Ladder on future classroom visits.
The Light and Power Department provides free safety education using a model "Electric City" to demonstrate the hazards found around electric wires. This is a portable unit that can be brought to a classroom or group meeting. In addition, an interactive CD-ROM called Power Bandit, that teaches about conserving energy and electrical hazards, is available while supplies last. Call 503.992.3252 for more information.