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Letters to The Editor

Be Prepared for Wildfire Season

By State Sen. Bill Monning

The rainy season is coming to an end and as the Central Coast begins to dry out, it is easy to forget that the State of California is still in the midst of a drought.

As a result of the ongoing drought and a terrible bark beetle infestation, more than 29 million trees in California have died. This abundance of dead trees causes fires to burn faster and hotter, and in light of this, Governor Brown declared a state of emergency this past fall for what he called the state’s, “worst epidemic of tree mortality in modern history.”

Last year’s Valley Fire in Lake County burned 76,067 acres, killed four people, and is an example of the danger of dead trees fueling mega fires.

These dead trees increase the risk of wildfires and CalFire and local fire departments across the state are working to remind Californians about simple steps that should be followed to prepare for and prevent them.

CalFire has launched two educational campaigns: “Ready, Set, Go!” and “One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire,” to serve as reminders that we all must do our part to be prepared for wildfire season.

The campaign reminds everyone to be “Ready” for a wildfire by maintaining 100 feet of defensible space around structures and hardening homes with fire resistant building materials; to be “Set” by having an evacuation plan with an emergency supply kit and a wildfire action plan; and “Go!” to be ready to evacuate early when a wildfire strikes.

The One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire campaign is a reminder that approximately 95-percent of wildfires are sparked by the activity of people and that almost all wildfires are preventable.

One of the leading causes is the use of outdoor power equipment. To prevent wildfires, use outdoor power equipment in the mornings and never on hot, windy days.

When clearing dead or dying grass and brush, do not use a lawn mower or weed trimmer with a metal blade. Additionally, make sure your vehicle is properly maintained and does not have trailer chains dragging on the ground, as one less spark could mean one less wildfire.

For information about how to prepare for wildfires, see: www.ReadyForWildfire.org.

This website provides resources and tips on how to create your own Ready, Set, Go! Plan and gives additional information about the One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire campaign.

The better prepared you are, the more likely you are to prevent or survive a wildfire. I encourage everyone to take the steps necessary to prepare yourself, your home, and your family.

State Sen. Bill Monning (D-Santa Cruz) represents the 17th California Senate District including SLO County.

Thanks for 10th Pirate Parade

Thank you to all those who helped make the 10th Annual Mermaid & Pirate Parade a delightful success — the Morro Bay Seniors Inc., and the City of Morro Bay for sponsoring, The Mudskippers and White Caps Band for the music, pirates Steve and Jeff for the atmosphere, Crill’s for the salt water taffy, and last but never least, Dockside Too, for feeding the whole motley crew every year!

Janice Peters, Morro Bay

Save the Tanks; Save the Basin

Dear Editor:

I applaud the Los Osos Sustainability Group on their Letter to the Editor encouraging repurposing of our septic tanks when hooking up to the sewer.

If enough residents repurpose, this will help rescue our water basin from saltwater intrusion and help recharge our aquifers.

Not enough residents are aware of the options. It is possible to simply preserve the septic tank for future repurposing by pumping, cleaning, filling with water and closing, or going the next step to capture rainwater using your rain gutters.

There is also a possibility the County will be offering rebates in the future for repurposing. The county is saying that preserving the tank should be less expensive than filling with sand/slurry.

See the fantastic article in the Sierra Club’s April Santa Lucian newsletter, which can be found in all libraries.

Let’s all rally for Los Osos and save our tanks!

Lee Andrea Caulfield, Los Osos

A Stump for Trump

We the people are fed up with the lies and deceit of the greedy politicians who think more of themselves than the people they represent.

They are a group of self-righteous individuals who capitalize on every opportunity to benefit themselves.

Our voice is being heard loud and clear. Politicians, you will mistreat us no more.

We will elect a person who is not a politician and cannot be bought. One who is on a mission to take this country back and restore the greatness that it once had. We will elect a one Donald J. Trump. And so it shall be.

George Devine, Morro Bay

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