p5, v7.39 — Around The San Gabriel Valley

Around The San Gabriel Valley

Mountain Views News Saturday, September 28, 2013

MVNews this week: Page 5

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 28, 2013

“What’s Going On?”

News and Views from Joan Schmidt

FOOTHILL GOLD LINE EXTENSION UPDATE

by Habib F. Balian

Over the last several months, the Pasadena to Azusa project has hit its full stride as our contractors
continue to achieve important milestones everywhere along the 11.5-mile alignment. Nearly
half of the at-grade crossings for the project are now complete, with six more currently under
construction. The community impacted at each of these crossings and subsequent closures have
so far been supportive and understanding so that our work can be completed in the least amount
of time possible; for that we are grateful.

Earlier this week, the last concrete pour was completed for the 700-foot-long San Gabriel River
Bridge (above). It was critical that all structural work using the river bed be complete by October,
in time for the rainy season; and FTC is on schedule to achieve that goal.

FTC is also making great strides in completing the realignment of the nearly four miles of freight
track between the San Gabriel River Bridge and the Glendora city boundary. This work had to be
completed without interrupting freight service into the San Gabriel Valley. All work is now complete
on the eastern portion of the shared corridor - between San Gabriel Avenue in Azusa and
the Glendora boundary.
All at-grade crossing
improvements within
this section of the project
are now complete,
as well as three new
freight bridges. Work
continues on the realignment
west of San
Gabriel Ave.

At the Operations Campus,
crews are nearly
ready to start laying the
six miles of track that
will be installed within the
$265 million facility. As of
today, more than half of the
213 OCS pole foundations
are drilled and poured, and
the Maintenance of Way
storage structure is nearly
complete. (see photo on
the left of the site looking
south over the future vehicle
storage area, as well as
my team viewing the new
structure - below).

THE HILLS 0F SAN GABRIEL WERE
ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC

The hills (of San Gabriel Valley) WERE ALIVE with the Sound of Music! VERY
SPECIAL THANKS to LA Philharmonic, led by awesome Conductor Rafael
Payre, Julie Andrews and the City of Hope for an unforgettable evening! In
conjunction with their 100th Anniversary, the City of Hope opens its doors
to the LA Philharmonic Orchestra for a free concert, including Mozart’s The
Marriage of Figaro and Kodaly’s “Dance of Galanta” and a presentation of Peter and the Wolf,
narrated by the great Julia Andrews.

This is the 10th year that LA Philharmonic has done these free concerts and what an opportunity for
those new to this country and Miss Andrews’ talent. As I left I spoke with a young woman and she
was surprised to learn of Miss Andrews’ rise to fame on stage as Eliza Doolittle. Producers snubbed
Julie in the movie version, which received MANY coveted Oscars, EXCEPT for Best Actress which
Julia won for her role as Mary Poppins.

SOCALGAS SAYS GET A JUMP ON WINTER:

NOW IS BEST TIME TO PREP FURNACE, LIGHT PILOTS UTILITY OFFERS
HOME-HEATING SAFETY TIPS

LOS ANGELES, September, 2013 – Don’t let the warm weather fool you. The winter heating season
is around the corner. Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) says don’t wait; now is the time to
inspect home-heating appliances, relight pilots and perform any needed maintenance necessary to
avoid health or safety hazards.

“Heating appliances should be serviced annually to keep them operating safely and efficiently, “said
Jimmie Cho, vice president of field services for SoCalGas. “To avoid the rush in winter and enjoy a
shorter wait time, we encourage customers to schedule an appointment online now at socalgas.com
or call a licensed heating contractor to provide this service for you.”

Failure to perform annual maintenance on gas appliances may result in exposure to carbon monoxide,
which can cause nausea, drowsiness, flu-like symptoms, and even death.

“Since home heating typically accounts for more than half of the monthly winter
gas bill, the best way to keep bills lower is to have gas appliances serviced,” Cho said.
SoCalGas offers these tips for a safe, warm, and energy-efficient winter:
• Have natural gas furnaces checked at least once a year by a licensed heating contractor or
SoCalGas.

• Vacuum and clean regularly in and around the furnace, particularly around the burner
compartment to prevent a build-up of dust and lint. Never store items in, on or around the appliance
that can obstruct airflow.
• Most forced-air units have a filter that cleans the air before heating and circulating it
throughout the home. Check furnace filters every month during the heating season and clean or
replace the filter when necessary.
• When installing a new or cleaned furnace filter, be sure to re-install the front panel door
of the furnace properly so it fits snugly; never operate the furnace without the front-panel door
properly in place because doing so may create the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Check the appearance of the flame. If the flame is yellow, large and unsteady, the furnace
needs to be inspected immediately by a licensed heating contractor or SoCalGas to have the condition
corrected.
• Using an unvented gas heater in your home is dangerous and a violation of the California
Health and Safety Code.
• Never use your oven, range or outdoor barbecue to heat your home because these appliances
are not designed for this purpose.

For more information on furnace safety, visit SoCalGas’ website at socalgas.com (search “FURNACE
SAFETY”). To schedule a service appointment, go to socalgas.com (search “SCHEDULE
APPOINTMENT”) or call (800) 427-2200 or (800) 342-4545 in Spanish.

About Southern California Gas Co.

Southern California Gas Co. has been delivering clean, safe and reliable natural gas to its customers
for more than 140 years. It is the nation’s largest natural gas distribution utility, providing service to
20.9 million consumers connected through nearly 5.8 million meters in more than 500 communities.
The company’s service territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles throughout central
and Southern California, from Visalia to the Mexican border. SoCalGas is a regulated subsidiary of
Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE).

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS PASADENA AREA
PRESENTS FORUM ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

Never mind that .Obamacare is making headlines and continuing down a contentious path. Pasadena
is prepared for the big rollout of major provisions on Oct. 1. And the League of Women Voters
Pasadena is holding a free, public forum on how this will affect almost everyone -- often to their
pleasant surprise. You and your audience will not want to miss this stimulating, informative program.
We hope you will announce the program and also cover the event,educating the public, as
you know, is essential. Please be our guest for lunch, The second speaker will make his presentation
after lunch.

We’d like to hear from you!

What’s on YOUR Mind?

Twitter: @mtnviewsnews