~ Gusty winds expected today: http://goo.gl/ySHTyq
~ State senator Carol Liu, who represents Monrovia, has authored a bill requiring adult bicyclists to wear helmets (already required of minors) and all riders to wear reflective gear at night. http://goo.gl/6qcZ0l
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Candidate Forums in March
~ Monrovia City Council Candidate Forum Wednesday, March 4 at 6 p.m., Monrovia City Council Chambers, 415 South Ivy. Hosted by the Monrovia Chamber and facilitated by the Pasadena League of Women Voters.
~ Monrovia Mayoral Candidate Forum Tuesday, March 10 at 6 p.m., Monrovia City Council Chambers, 415 South Ivy. Hosted by the Monrovia Chamber and facilitated by the Pasadena League of Women Voters.
- Brad Haugaard
~ Monrovia Mayoral Candidate Forum Tuesday, March 10 at 6 p.m., Monrovia City Council Chambers, 415 South Ivy. Hosted by the Monrovia Chamber and facilitated by the Pasadena League of Women Voters.
- Brad Haugaard
Should Monrovia Celebrate Its Zip Code Day? | Volunteer Opportunities
~ Reader Kelly Moran thinks it would be a good idea for Monrovia to celebrate its Zip Code Day (91016), because, you see, 9/10/16 is coming up. She says, "I would hope a more organized community event with fireworks is in order!" And, she wonders what candidates for city council think.
~ Volunteer Center of the San Gabriel Valley has internship opportunities for high school students. Details: http://goo.gl/cCKQM2
- Brad Haugaard
~ Volunteer Center of the San Gabriel Valley has internship opportunities for high school students. Details: http://goo.gl/cCKQM2
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia's Starr Surgical Says It Is Working to Address FDA Concerns
Monrovia's Starr Surgical reports that it is responding to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration Warning Letter following an inspection of its Monrovia facilities. The company says it "is currently drafting a response to the FDA's observations" and "will continue to work diligently to address the observations identified in the Form 483 and 2014 Warning Letter." http://goo.gl/8VpJzO
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Scott Austin Election Statement - Running for Monrovia City Council
My
name is Scott Austin and I am running for City Council to bring a new
voice and new energy to Monrovia. My goal is to foster a more open
form of government that welcomes input from throughout the community
to make our city a better place to live, work, shop and do business.
A
decade-long resident of Monrovia, I’ve sought ways to give back to
our community. For the last four years, I’ve served as a Monrovia
Planning Commissioner, and have also served on the Historic
Preservation Commission. I’ve also been a KGEM board member for 9
years
As
a firefighter for 27 years with the City of Pasadena, public service
has been my life’s work. I hold an Associate Degree in Fire Science
and Business Management. I believe my education work experience and
civic involvement make me a good choice to help lead our city into
the future.
As
a council member, my priorities will be economic development,
sensible fiscal planning, public safety, and historic preservation.
Working
collaboratively with the business community, our public-sector
partners and all of our residents, we can make a better Monrovia for
everyone. I welcome your comments and questions at any of the
addresses below. I respectfully ask for your vote on April 14th.
Scott
Austin
Email:scottaustin2015@gmail.com
Facebook:
Scott Austin 4 city council
What Calvary Chapel Monrovia Wants to Do With Fourth Dimension Building
Calvary Chapel Monrovia is in escrow to purchase the Fourth Dimension building on Myrtle, right across from Library Park. I reported this as a possibility before, but have now confirmed it with Calvary Chapel Administrative Pastor Mike Antenesse. The escrow, he said, has contingencies, so it's not a done deal, but the church is hopeful.
Here's what Calvary Chapel hopes to do:
He said one Old Town merchant told him that if the 28,000 square foot property was used as a regular retail building operating during regular business days, that it would swamp the parking, but because it would be used primarily during low-traffic Sundays, it could be a boost to those businesses that are open Sundays.
Antenesse said the down payment for the building is "sizeable" and that the church is still $400,000 short, but he said the congregation is behind the effort and he is hopeful that the church can move in sometime this year.
- Brad Haugaard
Here's what Calvary Chapel hopes to do:
- Refurbish the front of the building so it is more in keeping with Old Town, sort of Fifties-ish style.
- Use the back of the building for the church, making the entrance off the alley in the back of the building. The church would not face Myrtle at all.
- Put two retail businesses facing Myrtle. One would be a family friendly bookstore with not only Christian books, but also children's books, home school materials, books on cooking, hobbies, travel, history, home and garden, etc. The other would be a coffee shop. Both businesses would be church-owned but would be taxed just like any other retail businesses.
- The main floor would be for services and the downstairs would be for classrooms.
- Parking would be at the five story Colorado Commons parking structure (mid-block on the north side of Colorado just west of Myrtle). Antenesse said there would be a shuttle service for those too infirm to walk the roughly three blocks, but he believes many of the 700-member congregation would walk and go to restaurants or a movie after church. And since Calvary Chapel is a "commuter church," he said, this should mean a lot of new people coming to town.
- Offer the building for city meetings, such as the State of the City message, and make it available for community organizations to rent.
- Work with the city doing programs in Library Park. He said the church doesn't want to start something separate but would like to use its experience with youth programs, tutoring and drug rehabilitation to assist existing efforts.
He said one Old Town merchant told him that if the 28,000 square foot property was used as a regular retail building operating during regular business days, that it would swamp the parking, but because it would be used primarily during low-traffic Sundays, it could be a boost to those businesses that are open Sundays.
Antenesse said the down payment for the building is "sizeable" and that the church is still $400,000 short, but he said the congregation is behind the effort and he is hopeful that the church can move in sometime this year.
- Brad Haugaard
What Happened to $900,000 Monrovia Had to Fix Its Historic Train Station?
I've had a couple requests that I check on what happened to $900,000 the city had for fixing up the old train station. So, I asked City Manager Oliver Chi, and here is his response:
"With regard to the grant for the Historic Depot that you asked about, the funds you are referencing are related to a 2002 grant that the City obtained through Metro. At that time, the City was awarded $927,000 for use towards rehabilitation of the Historic Depot. The funds were intended to be used to upgrade the facility in conjunction with the Gold Line project coming through town.
"In discussing the matter with staff, it appears that after much deliberation, discussion, and analysis, a conscious decision was made not to utilize all of the funding to complete the project. One of the factors that impacted the decision was related to ownership of the actual Historic Depot. Until October 2013, the City did not actually own the facility. Property ownership, along with coordination and timing issues with the Gold Line, created a scenario where it was simply not feasible or possible to coordinate the renovations for the Historic Depot with the plans being developed by the Gold Line Construction Authority. Therefore, based on these issues, the City returned the unused monies to Metro once the funding period had ended for the grant."
- Brad Haugaard
"With regard to the grant for the Historic Depot that you asked about, the funds you are referencing are related to a 2002 grant that the City obtained through Metro. At that time, the City was awarded $927,000 for use towards rehabilitation of the Historic Depot. The funds were intended to be used to upgrade the facility in conjunction with the Gold Line project coming through town.
"In discussing the matter with staff, it appears that after much deliberation, discussion, and analysis, a conscious decision was made not to utilize all of the funding to complete the project. One of the factors that impacted the decision was related to ownership of the actual Historic Depot. Until October 2013, the City did not actually own the facility. Property ownership, along with coordination and timing issues with the Gold Line, created a scenario where it was simply not feasible or possible to coordinate the renovations for the Historic Depot with the plans being developed by the Gold Line Construction Authority. Therefore, based on these issues, the City returned the unused monies to Metro once the funding period had ended for the grant."
- Brad Haugaard
Mary Ann Lutz Election Statement - Running for Monrovia Mayor
Candidate Statement of Mayor Mary Ann Lutz
I am proud to serve as Monrovia’s Mayor for the past six years, one of the most challenging financial periods in our city’s history. A steady, consistent hand on the helm has pulled us through these hard times with our finances secure, our homes and streets safe and our future as bright as ever.
My area-wide involvement, including work on such issues as water quality, energy and waste management, has helped bring Monrovia new businesses, new programs and new funding, leveraging and strengthening the community’s resources and maintaining its role as a regional leader. It is important that we continue that long-standing policy of regional engagement if we are to maintain the advances we’ve made and the opportunities we’ve identified.
I see great things ahead for Monrovia!
• Crime is down, the lowest in decades!
• Our budget is balanced.
• We have come through hard times with minimal disruption and our economy is growing again. Nearly 200 new businesses were added to the tax base last year!
• The Gold Line and Station Square are under construction after decades of hard work.
• Our playgrounds are getting new equipment.
• Master plans for sewer and water upgrades are in the works, and
• A comprehensive, affordable and citywide program of sidewalk, street, curb and gutter improvements is on the drawing boards.
The opportunities for Monrovia are as great today as they have ever been. We have the team, the support, the commitment and the momentum to make the next few years truly special in our community and I look forward to helping lead that great effort.
Please join me at LutzforMonrovia.com or at Facebook.com/MayorMaryAnnLutz as we work to keep Monrovia the dynamic community it is today!
Leadership with Impact!
Mayor Mary Ann Lutz
Delivering Results for All Monrovia
Monrovia's Assemblyman Wants 30-Day Notice Before Dealer Can Use Starter-Blocker for Car Repo
Assemblymember Chris Holden, who represents Monrovia, has introduced Assembly Bill 265 to require buy-here/pay-here car dealerships (for poor-credit customers) to provide 30-day written notice before using a starter-interruption device which disables the vehicle. Current law requires a 48 hour warning for repossession due to late payments or insurance cancellation. Source: Holden press release
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Mayor Lutz Kicks off Reelection Campaign
Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz will open her 2015 campaign for reelection with a kickoff party Friday, Feb. 20, at the Doubletree Hotel, 924 W. Huntington Drive. The event is scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. She will be on hand to greet and talk with supporters and elaborate on many of the points she made during her State of City address. To attend, call 357-3064. Source: Lutz press release.
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Mixer for Young Professionals
Monrovia Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a "Monrovia Young Professionals" event for businesspeople age 20-40 at Pacific Plate Brewing Co. (1999 S. Myrtle) on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 5:30-7:30 p.m. For reservations: 358-1159
Monrovia Police: Vandal Caught on Video; Baby Cries, Car Crashes; Mental Evaluation; Drugs; Alcohol; Etc.
[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for February 5-8. - Brad Haugaard]
Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.
Suspicious Subject / Warrants – Suspect Arrested
February 5 at 9:46 a.m., residents in the 400 block of South Violet reported a suspicious male subject in the area, looking into vehicles. Officers arrived and contacted the subject, and after investigation, found he had two outstanding warrants for his arrest. The subject was arrested and taken into custody for the warrants.
Vehicle Burglary
February 5 at 10:00 a.m., a resident parked and locked his vehicle in front of his house in the 400 block of West Walnut, then went into his home. At 1:00 p.m., he went back out to his vehicle and saw that someone had shattered the rear window and stole his iPad from inside the vehicle. The investigation is continuing.
Residential Burglary
February 5 at 3:49 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of Sky Way called police to report a burglary in progress at his neighbor’s house. He heard his neighbor’s house alarm activate and saw two males run out the front door and get into a small black Honda style vehicle, waiting on the street. The vehicle fled the area, driven by a female subject. Officers arrived quickly, along with the Foothill Air Support Team helicopter, to search the area for the suspects, but no arrests were made. The suspects had shattered a rear door window to gain entry into the home, but it appears that nothing was taken. The investigation is continuing.
Residential Burglary
February 5 at 4:12 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 300 block of Meadow Lane. The resident had left for work at 6:15 a.m. When he returned, he found that someone had broken into his home. Unknown suspects shattered a rear door window to gain entry and then ransacked the home, taking jewelry. The investigation is continuing.
Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
February 5 at 7:21 p.m., an officer responded to the report of a female subject near the intersection of Huntington and Primrose that was smoking drugs. The officer arrived and located the subject. The investigation revealed the female was under the influence of a controlled substance and she was arrested.
Possession of a Controlled Substance / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
February 6 at 2:24 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the area of Hillcrest and May when he observed a suspicious male kneeling down next to a parked vehicle. A female subject was behind the wheel of the vehicle and was speaking to the male subject. The officer contacted the subject and the investigation revealed the male subject was in possession of Heroine, Methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.
Stalking / Felony Vandalism / Violation of Domestic Violence Restraining Order – Suspect Arrested
February 6 at 6:00 p.m., a vandalism incident was reported in the 1300 block of South Mayflower. The suspect has a domestic violence restraining order prohibiting him from coming onto the victim's property. After several suspicious vandalisms occurred, the victim installed a camera. The suspect could be seen on surveillance video breaking the victim’s window with a hammer. Officers went to the suspect's home in Glendora and were able to recover the clothes and sandals the suspect was wearing in the video and the claw hammer he used to break the window. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.
Injury Traffic Collision
February 7 at 9:26 a.m., a male subject was driving in the 600 block of Montana and turned to look into the backseat to see why his one-year-old son was crying, causing his vehicle to swerve to the right. His vehicle collided into a parked vehicle, then spun out of control and overturned. The driver sustained head injuries, but was able to exit his vehicle and get his son out, prior to police arrival. The child did not have any visible injuries, but both father and son were taken to a hospital to be checked out.
Drunk in Public – Suspect Arrested
February 7 at 3:10 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the front of a bar in the 400 block of south Myrtle, where a female was lying on the sidewalk. The officer arrived and located the female, who did not have any friends or family around, and was too intoxicated to care for her own safety. She was arrested for being drunk in public and held for sobering.
Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 7 at 4:55 p.m., a vehicle was reported to have collided into the guard rail on the 210 Freeway and then exited at Myrtle and was heading north. An officer located the vehicle and stopped it at Lime and Ivy, next to the Police Station. The driver was determined to be intoxicated and was arrested for driving under the influence.
Driving Under the Influence – Suspects Arrested
February 7, during the late evening hours, three separate suspects were arrested for driving under the influence. The stops were made in the area of Peck and Clarke, in the 900 block of South Magnolia, and in the area of Myrtle and the 210 Freeway. Two of the suspects were stopped for speeding and were found to be intoxicated. The other was stopped for driving with no headlights during hours of darkness and was found to be intoxicated. All three were arrested and taken into custody. Vehicle Burglary February 8 at 7:24 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 100 block of Norumbega. The victim parked and locked his 2003 Toyota at his apartment complex and went inside. When he returned to the vehicle, he found that unknown suspects had opened the vehicle and had stolen miscellaneous items. It is unknown how the suspects entered the vehicle, as there was no evidence of forced entry. The investigation is continuing.
72-Hours Mental Evaluation
February 8 at 10:22 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of West Duarte Road phoned police to report her adult brother had beaten up their father. He was intoxicated and was breaking things in the home. Officers arrived, but the subject had fled the location on foot, jumping fences to get away. The father had been beaten up, but told officers he did not want to prosecute. Officers conducted an area search for the son, but he was not located.
The officers had left the scene, but were called back when the son returned to the location. When the officers approached the subject, he became combative and told officers to shoot and kill him. One of the officers announced he was going to deploy his Taser, and the subject stopped being combative and began a dialogue with the officers. He was eventually taken to a hospital by paramedics for treatment of injuries he sustained jumping over a fence to get away from officers.
At the hospital, the subject told the officers he had planned to get a knife from the kitchen and charge them, so they would have to shoot and kill him, but the officers arrived on scene before he could get the knife. The subject was placed on a 72-hour hold for mental evaluation.
Vehicle Burglary
February 8 at 4:48 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 1800 block of South Peck Road. The victim reported that her vehicle had been broken into sometime within the past 10 hours. The back window to her vehicle had been shattered and items had been stolen from inside. The investigation is continuing.
Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.
Suspicious Subject / Warrants – Suspect Arrested
February 5 at 9:46 a.m., residents in the 400 block of South Violet reported a suspicious male subject in the area, looking into vehicles. Officers arrived and contacted the subject, and after investigation, found he had two outstanding warrants for his arrest. The subject was arrested and taken into custody for the warrants.
Vehicle Burglary
February 5 at 10:00 a.m., a resident parked and locked his vehicle in front of his house in the 400 block of West Walnut, then went into his home. At 1:00 p.m., he went back out to his vehicle and saw that someone had shattered the rear window and stole his iPad from inside the vehicle. The investigation is continuing.
Residential Burglary
February 5 at 3:49 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of Sky Way called police to report a burglary in progress at his neighbor’s house. He heard his neighbor’s house alarm activate and saw two males run out the front door and get into a small black Honda style vehicle, waiting on the street. The vehicle fled the area, driven by a female subject. Officers arrived quickly, along with the Foothill Air Support Team helicopter, to search the area for the suspects, but no arrests were made. The suspects had shattered a rear door window to gain entry into the home, but it appears that nothing was taken. The investigation is continuing.
Residential Burglary
February 5 at 4:12 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 300 block of Meadow Lane. The resident had left for work at 6:15 a.m. When he returned, he found that someone had broken into his home. Unknown suspects shattered a rear door window to gain entry and then ransacked the home, taking jewelry. The investigation is continuing.
Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
February 5 at 7:21 p.m., an officer responded to the report of a female subject near the intersection of Huntington and Primrose that was smoking drugs. The officer arrived and located the subject. The investigation revealed the female was under the influence of a controlled substance and she was arrested.
Possession of a Controlled Substance / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
February 6 at 2:24 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the area of Hillcrest and May when he observed a suspicious male kneeling down next to a parked vehicle. A female subject was behind the wheel of the vehicle and was speaking to the male subject. The officer contacted the subject and the investigation revealed the male subject was in possession of Heroine, Methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.
Stalking / Felony Vandalism / Violation of Domestic Violence Restraining Order – Suspect Arrested
February 6 at 6:00 p.m., a vandalism incident was reported in the 1300 block of South Mayflower. The suspect has a domestic violence restraining order prohibiting him from coming onto the victim's property. After several suspicious vandalisms occurred, the victim installed a camera. The suspect could be seen on surveillance video breaking the victim’s window with a hammer. Officers went to the suspect's home in Glendora and were able to recover the clothes and sandals the suspect was wearing in the video and the claw hammer he used to break the window. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.
Injury Traffic Collision
February 7 at 9:26 a.m., a male subject was driving in the 600 block of Montana and turned to look into the backseat to see why his one-year-old son was crying, causing his vehicle to swerve to the right. His vehicle collided into a parked vehicle, then spun out of control and overturned. The driver sustained head injuries, but was able to exit his vehicle and get his son out, prior to police arrival. The child did not have any visible injuries, but both father and son were taken to a hospital to be checked out.
Drunk in Public – Suspect Arrested
February 7 at 3:10 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the front of a bar in the 400 block of south Myrtle, where a female was lying on the sidewalk. The officer arrived and located the female, who did not have any friends or family around, and was too intoxicated to care for her own safety. She was arrested for being drunk in public and held for sobering.
Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 7 at 4:55 p.m., a vehicle was reported to have collided into the guard rail on the 210 Freeway and then exited at Myrtle and was heading north. An officer located the vehicle and stopped it at Lime and Ivy, next to the Police Station. The driver was determined to be intoxicated and was arrested for driving under the influence.
Driving Under the Influence – Suspects Arrested
February 7, during the late evening hours, three separate suspects were arrested for driving under the influence. The stops were made in the area of Peck and Clarke, in the 900 block of South Magnolia, and in the area of Myrtle and the 210 Freeway. Two of the suspects were stopped for speeding and were found to be intoxicated. The other was stopped for driving with no headlights during hours of darkness and was found to be intoxicated. All three were arrested and taken into custody. Vehicle Burglary February 8 at 7:24 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 100 block of Norumbega. The victim parked and locked his 2003 Toyota at his apartment complex and went inside. When he returned to the vehicle, he found that unknown suspects had opened the vehicle and had stolen miscellaneous items. It is unknown how the suspects entered the vehicle, as there was no evidence of forced entry. The investigation is continuing.
72-Hours Mental Evaluation
February 8 at 10:22 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of West Duarte Road phoned police to report her adult brother had beaten up their father. He was intoxicated and was breaking things in the home. Officers arrived, but the subject had fled the location on foot, jumping fences to get away. The father had been beaten up, but told officers he did not want to prosecute. Officers conducted an area search for the son, but he was not located.
The officers had left the scene, but were called back when the son returned to the location. When the officers approached the subject, he became combative and told officers to shoot and kill him. One of the officers announced he was going to deploy his Taser, and the subject stopped being combative and began a dialogue with the officers. He was eventually taken to a hospital by paramedics for treatment of injuries he sustained jumping over a fence to get away from officers.
At the hospital, the subject told the officers he had planned to get a knife from the kitchen and charge them, so they would have to shoot and kill him, but the officers arrived on scene before he could get the knife. The subject was placed on a 72-hour hold for mental evaluation.
Vehicle Burglary
February 8 at 4:48 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 1800 block of South Peck Road. The victim reported that her vehicle had been broken into sometime within the past 10 hours. The back window to her vehicle had been shattered and items had been stolen from inside. The investigation is continuing.
Monrovia Schools: New Fencing for Mayflower, Santa Fe; Black History Month
~ If approved by the Monrovia Board of Education at its Feb. 11 meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/vpDoz9 ), Mayflower Elementary and Santa Fe Middle School will get new fencing. http://goo.gl/ZC9iYZ
~ Here are some events for Monrovia school students to remember Black History Month, including a presentation by the Buffalo Soldiers for Monrovia High students only. http://goo.gl/ppAAJo
- Brad Haugaard
~ Here are some events for Monrovia school students to remember Black History Month, including a presentation by the Buffalo Soldiers for Monrovia High students only. http://goo.gl/ppAAJo
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Escapes RadioShack Closures
RadioShack is filing for bankruptcy and is closing a lot of its stores, but apparently not the Monrovia store (at Alta Vista and Huntington). The closest store being closed that I can find is in the Target shopping center in Duarte. http://goo.gl/fzyUPx
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Boys Soccer Over La Canada
Monrovia knocks La Canada boys out of the running for Soccer championship with its first victory over LC in at least 14 years. http://goo.gl/0uufwh
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Democrats Endorse Mary Ann Lutz and Scott Austin
The group, Foothill Community Democrats, has endorsed Mary Ann Lutz for Monrovia mayor and Scott Austin for Monrovia City Council. http://goo.gl/hg6tnG
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
Lunch at Flame Broiler
Lunch at Flame Broiler, next to Sprouts on Huntington. It's a healthy rice bowl kind of place. Got the chicken rice bowl for $6.40 and a drink for $1.75. Tasty.
- Brad Haugaard
Monrovia Football Players Choose Colleges
Monrovia football players Khalil Bradley and Blake Cusick have given verbal commitments to play for Southern Utah (Bradley) and Fresno State (Cusick). http://goo.gl/iWjL8w
- Brad Haugaard
- Brad Haugaard
So Cal Edison: Be Careful With Valentine's Day Balloons
Southern California Edison urges its customers to be careful with Valentine's balloons.
Drifting metallic balloons caused the 656 power outages last year in Edison's service territory.
Valentine's Day balloons traditionally lead to an increase in power outages in February, so SCE is urging customers to make sure their balloons are always tied to weights to prevent them from floating into power lines and causing outages, injuries and property damage.
Last February SCE experienced 30 balloon-related outages, down nearly 50 percent from the 59 in February 2013. But, last year's 656 overall outages were down only 5 percent from the 689 in 2013. This led to 2,965 hours of interruption to customers compared to 2,455 hours in 2013.
Oother safety tips for handling metallic balloons:
- Do not attempt to retrieve a balloon or anything else tangled in power lines. Call SCE at 800-611-1911 and report the problem.
- Never tie a metallic balloon to a child's wrist. If the balloon contacts electricity, it will travel through the balloon and into the child, causing serious injury or death.
- Never attach streamers to any balloon - latex or metallic.
- Don't touch any downed line or dangling wire - even if it appears not to be live. Call 911 immediately.
- When done with balloons, do not release them. Puncture them several times or cut the knot and throw them in the garbage to prevent them from floating away.
Source: SCE press release
- Brad Haugaard
Drifting metallic balloons caused the 656 power outages last year in Edison's service territory.
Valentine's Day balloons traditionally lead to an increase in power outages in February, so SCE is urging customers to make sure their balloons are always tied to weights to prevent them from floating into power lines and causing outages, injuries and property damage.
Last February SCE experienced 30 balloon-related outages, down nearly 50 percent from the 59 in February 2013. But, last year's 656 overall outages were down only 5 percent from the 689 in 2013. This led to 2,965 hours of interruption to customers compared to 2,455 hours in 2013.
Oother safety tips for handling metallic balloons:
- Do not attempt to retrieve a balloon or anything else tangled in power lines. Call SCE at 800-611-1911 and report the problem.
- Never tie a metallic balloon to a child's wrist. If the balloon contacts electricity, it will travel through the balloon and into the child, causing serious injury or death.
- Never attach streamers to any balloon - latex or metallic.
- Don't touch any downed line or dangling wire - even if it appears not to be live. Call 911 immediately.
- When done with balloons, do not release them. Puncture them several times or cut the knot and throw them in the garbage to prevent them from floating away.
Source: SCE press release
- Brad Haugaard
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)