Greetings, fellow Avilones. “Saturday, in the park, I think it was the 4th of July. People dancing, people laughing, a man selling ice cream, singing Italian songs.” Yep, just like last month I begin this column with another musical reference to times past – this one the popular song released by the band Chicago in 1972. There’s just something about summertime that takes me back to the days when I spent countless hours at the beach with my friends tanning, playing frisbee, listening to music and frolicking in the waves. Kinda reminds me of what it looks like in Avila every summer. Thanks for indulging me and my proclivity for looking back to the simpler days that are etched forever in my cherished memories.
Fast forward to the here and now, I am pleased to report that proposals from eligible agencies/organizations are now being accepted by the “Foundation” for programs, projects or events to take place in 2023. Grant applications in Word format can be acquired by logging onto our website – www.avilabeachfoundation.org. Or, you can email me at avilafoundation@gmail.com to request one. The application due date is September 11, 2022. If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 805-234-0855.
You may recall the “Foundation’s” recent Community Impact Fund Initiative, whereby we were seeking proposals for projects that could greatly impact Avila Beach. The winning project was selected in April, with details finalized in May, but not in time to be published in the June newsletter edition. So, I am now delighted to report that the I Must be a Mermaid Project was chosen for its creative approach to a growing problem. Local artist Patricia Martin is the project coordinator, and describes it as follows: “The I Must be a Mermaid Project is a program to promote public awareness of our beach and the ocean through a community participation art installation that showcases the volume of plastic children’s toys left behind on our beach each week”. Starting the week before Memorial Day and ending the week of Labor Day, selected groups and individuals will be invited to create a mermaid purse inspired by swell shark egg sacks. This I Must be a Mermaid Project showcases material ecology, and everything used can be re-used in another way. If you would like to participate, stop by the Friday night Avila Farmers’ Market. You can also view the project display on the fence along San Francisco Street in Avila Beach. Our thanks again to the Rossi Foundation for generously making this project possible.
More news comes by way of Chevron and PG&E, both of whom recently awarded grants to the “Foundation” to help cover the costs of our PathPoint summer beach area clean-up project. They join SLO County District 3 Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg, who previously contributed to the project. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning through October 4th, a crew from PathPoint will be working to remove sand and debris from designated sidewalks, gutters and planters along the beach front, making the areas safer and cleaner. The concentration of work is on areas not maintained by the County or Harbor District. The amount of sand and hazardous debris transferred from those departing the beach is immense, and builds up as the prevailing winds blow. Having Chevron, PG&E, and Supervisor Ortiz-Legg as funding partners enables us to continue this project. We appreciate your support!
Speaking of PG&E, you are likely painfully aware that we have moved into the season when power outages due to high winds and wildfire danger looms large. This has already occurred a few times. I suspect not many of you receive the PG&E online newsletter published by local representative Eric Daniels, but the most recent edition addresses this problem, so I share with you the following from Eric: “As wildfire season nears, emergency preparedness is becoming even more critical. We continue to provide portable battery solutions to customers as part of the Portable Battery Program and have expanded funding and eligibility for the Generator and Battery Rebate Program. The availability of Backup Power Transfer Meters, which makes it easier and safer to connect a generator, has also been expanded.”
He continues; “PG&E has activated its Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) on circuits throughout our service territory that include high fire threat areas, as designated by Cal Fire. EPSS technology helps prevent wildfires by automatically turning off power within one-tenth of a second if an object, like a tree branch, strikes the line. While EPPS improves wildfire safety, customers may experience outages more often and those outages may be longer in duration as crews must inspect the entire circuit to ensure it is clear of debris before we restore the power. We acknowledge the toll these types of unplanned outages have on residents, businesses, and visitors. Please know, we are taking additional steps to help mitigate these impacts, including improving our communication with customers, adjusting the sensitivity on the settings, replacing equipment to improve functionality, installing additional technology to help identify outage sources more quickly, and adapting patrol methods to shorten restorations”.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
Fast forward to the here and now, I am pleased to report that proposals from eligible agencies/organizations are now being accepted by the “Foundation” for programs, projects or events to take place in 2023. Grant applications in Word format can be acquired by logging onto our website – www.avilabeachfoundation.org. Or, you can email me at avilafoundation@gmail.com to request one. The application due date is September 11, 2022. If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 805-234-0855.
You may recall the “Foundation’s” recent Community Impact Fund Initiative, whereby we were seeking proposals for projects that could greatly impact Avila Beach. The winning project was selected in April, with details finalized in May, but not in time to be published in the June newsletter edition. So, I am now delighted to report that the I Must be a Mermaid Project was chosen for its creative approach to a growing problem. Local artist Patricia Martin is the project coordinator, and describes it as follows: “The I Must be a Mermaid Project is a program to promote public awareness of our beach and the ocean through a community participation art installation that showcases the volume of plastic children’s toys left behind on our beach each week”. Starting the week before Memorial Day and ending the week of Labor Day, selected groups and individuals will be invited to create a mermaid purse inspired by swell shark egg sacks. This I Must be a Mermaid Project showcases material ecology, and everything used can be re-used in another way. If you would like to participate, stop by the Friday night Avila Farmers’ Market. You can also view the project display on the fence along San Francisco Street in Avila Beach. Our thanks again to the Rossi Foundation for generously making this project possible.
More news comes by way of Chevron and PG&E, both of whom recently awarded grants to the “Foundation” to help cover the costs of our PathPoint summer beach area clean-up project. They join SLO County District 3 Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg, who previously contributed to the project. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning through October 4th, a crew from PathPoint will be working to remove sand and debris from designated sidewalks, gutters and planters along the beach front, making the areas safer and cleaner. The concentration of work is on areas not maintained by the County or Harbor District. The amount of sand and hazardous debris transferred from those departing the beach is immense, and builds up as the prevailing winds blow. Having Chevron, PG&E, and Supervisor Ortiz-Legg as funding partners enables us to continue this project. We appreciate your support!
Speaking of PG&E, you are likely painfully aware that we have moved into the season when power outages due to high winds and wildfire danger looms large. This has already occurred a few times. I suspect not many of you receive the PG&E online newsletter published by local representative Eric Daniels, but the most recent edition addresses this problem, so I share with you the following from Eric: “As wildfire season nears, emergency preparedness is becoming even more critical. We continue to provide portable battery solutions to customers as part of the Portable Battery Program and have expanded funding and eligibility for the Generator and Battery Rebate Program. The availability of Backup Power Transfer Meters, which makes it easier and safer to connect a generator, has also been expanded.”
He continues; “PG&E has activated its Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) on circuits throughout our service territory that include high fire threat areas, as designated by Cal Fire. EPSS technology helps prevent wildfires by automatically turning off power within one-tenth of a second if an object, like a tree branch, strikes the line. While EPPS improves wildfire safety, customers may experience outages more often and those outages may be longer in duration as crews must inspect the entire circuit to ensure it is clear of debris before we restore the power. We acknowledge the toll these types of unplanned outages have on residents, businesses, and visitors. Please know, we are taking additional steps to help mitigate these impacts, including improving our communication with customers, adjusting the sensitivity on the settings, replacing equipment to improve functionality, installing additional technology to help identify outage sources more quickly, and adapting patrol methods to shorten restorations”.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
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