Greetings, fellow Avilones. I hope you are enjoying the early part of summer. For me, this time of year conjures memories of the younger days of my life, growing up in the San Fernando Valley. Valley summers were very hot, so escaping to the beach was the best way to cool down. As children, my sister and I were regularly driven by my mother to Zuma Beach, where the sounds of crashing waves and squawking seagulls serenaded everyone playing in the sand and frolicking in the water. It was the smell of suntan lotion, hot dogs and cotton candy, in direct competition with the stench of beached seaweed. Beach trips increased when I earned my driver’s license and the independence that came with it, though in my teens and early twenties I spent more time pitching Frisbees and watching the bikini-clad young ladies, with my sandcastle building days a distant memory. And gasoline was only 25 cents per gallon. So much for reminiscing, eh!
Summers in Avila Beach hold special importance for the “Foundation” as we get to see and experience clear evidence of several of the organizations and projects we fund each year. Examples include financial support for the Avila Beach Jr. Lifeguards program, which each summer enrolls around 200 youngsters who learn a variety of ocean safety skills, and compete against other such programs in Southern California. The Avila Trolley we support provides free transport for thousands of riders during the busiest beach visitor season, thus easing some of the traffic and parking issues in Avila. The Central Coast Aquarium, which enjoys greatest attendance during the summer, has been recipient of funds from the “Foundation” for a variety of projects and programs, and over the next few months will celebrate the installation of our second Avila public art project and a new octopus habitat – both projects funded by the “Foundation.” Summer visitors to Pt. San Luis Lighthouse will enjoy some interior and exterior improvements to the facility, courtesy of funding from the “Foundation.”
An example of a new investment made possible through a partnership between the “Foundation” and Chevron is the beach front clean-up work being done this summer via a contract with PathPoint, an organization that, as stated on the organization’s website…“Supports people in living the life they choose”. PathPoint serves people with disabilities, people with mental health diagnoses, and young adults to pursue their hopes and dreams through strengthening workplace abilities, building life skills, and developing meaningful relationships. Their Community Access Programs also provide vocational training, work-readiness assistance, and community access skills. Participants may receive part-time paid vocational training at a variety of community employment sites, and instruction in social survival skills such as banking, budgeting, utilizing public transportation, safety and recreational planning.
Funding by the “Foundation” and Chevron means that three mornings each week between mid-May and mid-October a crew from PathPoint will focus on clearing sand and debris away from high traffic walkways on either side of the Avila Promenade, areas that take a beating due to the sheer volume of people migrating from the beach to their vehicles after a day of fun in the sun. A well maintained town benefits all who live here, work here, or visit here. The Avila Beach Community Foundation strives to make a notable difference in our community, dating back to its first investments in Avila Beach nearly 20 years ago. During that time over 175 grants have been awarded, and more than $3 million has been distributed in support of our mission. We welcome interest from anyone in the community wishing to contribute to the welfare and future of our town. Give us a call or send us an email.
According to the lyrics in a popular Rolling Stones song, “you can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime you find you get what you need”. Well, after years of concerns repeatedly expressed at Avila Valley Advisory Council meetings about the dangerous intersection at San Luis Bay Drive and Ontario Road, SLO County finally stepped up to the plate and approved installation of an “all-way stop control” to mitigate the traffic and safety issues. It was scheduled for a completion date of June 21st. I applaud AVAC for its ongoing advocacy to protect and improve life in Avila, and I thank SLO County for addressing and resolving the intersection problem.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
********************************************************
Be Prepared!
ATTENTION Fellow Avilones…… Following is some information pulled from flyers published by PG&E, and reported upon at the June 10th Avila Valley Advisory Council meeting. This is a “must read”.
PG&E Community Wildfire Safety & Public Safety Power Shutoff Program
Given the continued and growing threat of extreme weather and wildfires, and as an additional precautionary measure following the 2017 and 2018 wildfires, we are expanding and enhancing our Community Wildfire Safety Program to further reduce wildfire risks and help keep our customers and the communities we serve safe. This includes expanding our Public Safety Power Shutoff Program, beginning with the 2019 wildfire season to include all electric lines that pass through high fire-threat areas – both distribution and transmission. We know how much our customers rely on electric service and that there are safety risks on both sides. We will only proactively turn off lines in the interest of safety to help reduce the likelihood of an ignition when extreme fire danger conditions are forecasted. While customers in high fire-threat areas are more likely to be affected, any of PG&E’s more than 5 million electric customers could have their power shut off if their community relies upon a line that passes through a high fire-threat area.
Working With Our Customers To Prepare, we are continuing to reach out to our customers and communities about wildfire safety and steps they can take to prepare their homes, families and businesses.
• Update your contact info by visiting: pge.com/mywildfirealerts today to make sure we have your current contact information.
• Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers.
• Plan for any medical needs like medications that need to be refrigerated or devices that require power.
• Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash.
Potentially Impacted Areas: The most likely electric lines to be considered for shutting off for safety will be those that pass through areas that have been designated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as at elevated (Tier 2) or extreme (Tier 3) risk for wildfire. This includes both distribution and transmission lines. The specific area and number of affected customers will depend on forecasted weather conditions and which circuits PG&E needs to turn off for public safety. Although a customer may not live or work in a high fire-threat area, their power may also be shut off if their community relies upon a line that passes through an area experiencing extreme fire danger conditions. This means that any customer who receives electric service from PG&E should be prepared for a possible public safety power outage.
PSPS Event Notifications: Extreme weather threats can change quickly. When and where possible, we will provide customers with advance notice prior to turning off the power. We will also provide updates until power is restored.
TIMING OF NOTIFICATIONS (when possible) *48 HOURS before power is turned off *24 HOURS before power is turned off *JUST BEFORE power is turned off *DURING THE PUBLIC SAFETY OUTAGE *ONCE POWER HAS BEEN RESTORED. We will attempt to reach customers through calls, texts and emails using the contact information we have on file. We will also use pge.com and social media channels, and we will keep local news and radio outlets informed and updated.
To learn more about how you and your family can prepare for a Public Safety Power Shutoff, please visit: prepareforpowerdown.com.
Summers in Avila Beach hold special importance for the “Foundation” as we get to see and experience clear evidence of several of the organizations and projects we fund each year. Examples include financial support for the Avila Beach Jr. Lifeguards program, which each summer enrolls around 200 youngsters who learn a variety of ocean safety skills, and compete against other such programs in Southern California. The Avila Trolley we support provides free transport for thousands of riders during the busiest beach visitor season, thus easing some of the traffic and parking issues in Avila. The Central Coast Aquarium, which enjoys greatest attendance during the summer, has been recipient of funds from the “Foundation” for a variety of projects and programs, and over the next few months will celebrate the installation of our second Avila public art project and a new octopus habitat – both projects funded by the “Foundation.” Summer visitors to Pt. San Luis Lighthouse will enjoy some interior and exterior improvements to the facility, courtesy of funding from the “Foundation.”
An example of a new investment made possible through a partnership between the “Foundation” and Chevron is the beach front clean-up work being done this summer via a contract with PathPoint, an organization that, as stated on the organization’s website…“Supports people in living the life they choose”. PathPoint serves people with disabilities, people with mental health diagnoses, and young adults to pursue their hopes and dreams through strengthening workplace abilities, building life skills, and developing meaningful relationships. Their Community Access Programs also provide vocational training, work-readiness assistance, and community access skills. Participants may receive part-time paid vocational training at a variety of community employment sites, and instruction in social survival skills such as banking, budgeting, utilizing public transportation, safety and recreational planning.
Funding by the “Foundation” and Chevron means that three mornings each week between mid-May and mid-October a crew from PathPoint will focus on clearing sand and debris away from high traffic walkways on either side of the Avila Promenade, areas that take a beating due to the sheer volume of people migrating from the beach to their vehicles after a day of fun in the sun. A well maintained town benefits all who live here, work here, or visit here. The Avila Beach Community Foundation strives to make a notable difference in our community, dating back to its first investments in Avila Beach nearly 20 years ago. During that time over 175 grants have been awarded, and more than $3 million has been distributed in support of our mission. We welcome interest from anyone in the community wishing to contribute to the welfare and future of our town. Give us a call or send us an email.
According to the lyrics in a popular Rolling Stones song, “you can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime you find you get what you need”. Well, after years of concerns repeatedly expressed at Avila Valley Advisory Council meetings about the dangerous intersection at San Luis Bay Drive and Ontario Road, SLO County finally stepped up to the plate and approved installation of an “all-way stop control” to mitigate the traffic and safety issues. It was scheduled for a completion date of June 21st. I applaud AVAC for its ongoing advocacy to protect and improve life in Avila, and I thank SLO County for addressing and resolving the intersection problem.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
********************************************************
Be Prepared!
ATTENTION Fellow Avilones…… Following is some information pulled from flyers published by PG&E, and reported upon at the June 10th Avila Valley Advisory Council meeting. This is a “must read”.
PG&E Community Wildfire Safety & Public Safety Power Shutoff Program
Given the continued and growing threat of extreme weather and wildfires, and as an additional precautionary measure following the 2017 and 2018 wildfires, we are expanding and enhancing our Community Wildfire Safety Program to further reduce wildfire risks and help keep our customers and the communities we serve safe. This includes expanding our Public Safety Power Shutoff Program, beginning with the 2019 wildfire season to include all electric lines that pass through high fire-threat areas – both distribution and transmission. We know how much our customers rely on electric service and that there are safety risks on both sides. We will only proactively turn off lines in the interest of safety to help reduce the likelihood of an ignition when extreme fire danger conditions are forecasted. While customers in high fire-threat areas are more likely to be affected, any of PG&E’s more than 5 million electric customers could have their power shut off if their community relies upon a line that passes through a high fire-threat area.
Working With Our Customers To Prepare, we are continuing to reach out to our customers and communities about wildfire safety and steps they can take to prepare their homes, families and businesses.
• Update your contact info by visiting: pge.com/mywildfirealerts today to make sure we have your current contact information.
• Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers.
• Plan for any medical needs like medications that need to be refrigerated or devices that require power.
• Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash.
Potentially Impacted Areas: The most likely electric lines to be considered for shutting off for safety will be those that pass through areas that have been designated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as at elevated (Tier 2) or extreme (Tier 3) risk for wildfire. This includes both distribution and transmission lines. The specific area and number of affected customers will depend on forecasted weather conditions and which circuits PG&E needs to turn off for public safety. Although a customer may not live or work in a high fire-threat area, their power may also be shut off if their community relies upon a line that passes through an area experiencing extreme fire danger conditions. This means that any customer who receives electric service from PG&E should be prepared for a possible public safety power outage.
PSPS Event Notifications: Extreme weather threats can change quickly. When and where possible, we will provide customers with advance notice prior to turning off the power. We will also provide updates until power is restored.
TIMING OF NOTIFICATIONS (when possible) *48 HOURS before power is turned off *24 HOURS before power is turned off *JUST BEFORE power is turned off *DURING THE PUBLIC SAFETY OUTAGE *ONCE POWER HAS BEEN RESTORED. We will attempt to reach customers through calls, texts and emails using the contact information we have on file. We will also use pge.com and social media channels, and we will keep local news and radio outlets informed and updated.
To learn more about how you and your family can prepare for a Public Safety Power Shutoff, please visit: prepareforpowerdown.com.
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