The old power plant on Railroad Avenue is in the process ofbecoming the Brookhaven Multi-Modal Facility, which will make it acenter of transportation in and out of the city, but one Brookhavencitizen remembers when it was the center of a lot of otherimportant things as well.

Brookhaven native Sherman Newton, now 80, remembers visiting hisfather, Richard E. Newton, at the power plant as a child. The elderNewton was a night operations manager for many years when the plantwas the center of water, sewer and electric distribution for thecity.

Newton said, in his opinion, the old power plant was mostimportant to Brookhaven during World War II, when civil defensewardens were on the alert for air raids.

“In case there was an air attack on Brookhaven or on this area,they would call in to the power plant and they would cut the lightsoff, and there would be a blackout in Brookhaven, all over theentire city,” Newton said. “They had a code that you had to know tocreate the blackout … I can’t remember exactly what it was now.We used to have air raid practices for that, and it would black outthe whole town.”

And Newton said his father didn’t do a lot of talking about whatwent on there, but sometimes he got to see it with his owneyes.

“My father wasn’t a talkative person. He worked and didn’t sayanything about what he did, but I’d go up and visit him,” he said.”I used to go from what they called the ‘teen canteen’ down to seemy father at the power plant which was only half a block away.”

When he got a little older, Newton joined the Navy and fought inthe Korean War, and then moved to California, where he lived formost of his life. After his first wife died, he returned toBrookhaven, where he ended up marrying an old high school friendExie Jackson.

“My wife’s nephew, Paul Jackson, is the one that’s restoringthat transportation hub,” he said. “It’s important for people inBrookhaven to know how important that power plant used to be …I’m just glad they’re using the old power plant for something.”

Newton said watching some of the coverage of the renovations hadstirred some nostalgic pictures in his mind.

“It’s brought back all kinds of memories,” he said. “I wantedthe people here who don’t know how important that power plant usedto be to know about how it served such a wonderful purpose duringWorld War II with all the services, and the blackouts during thewar.”

Public Works Director Steve Moreton said the Multi-ModalFacility will be an important addition to the city as well, afterthe years and plans that have transpired in the fight to get it putin place. He said while original plans had it as a potential busstation as well, those plans have not yet come to any kind offruition, but it will be a nice place for people to wait for thetrain.

“They’ve never had restrooms and a nice place to sit, andespecially for the older people and the handicapped, it will benice,” he said, adding that at the current “train station,”passengers have to board the train from a footstool.

The new facility is scheduled to be finished some time in Aprilof 2010.