If you’re reading this article while watching Alameda’s July Fourth parade (the nation’s longest!), be sure to wave to me. I’ll be riding an electric bike graciously provided by Alameda Bicycle on Park Street.
Say ‘no’ to mylar balloons: Speaking of electricity, Alameda Municipal Power (AMP), the Island’s 100% clean, green municipally-owned electric utility, reminds you to avoid using Mylar balloons for celebrations or decorations.
That’s because their silvery metallic coating conducts electricity and can cause power outages or electrical surges when balloons float into the air and come into contact with overhead power lines. In addition to impacting AMP customers, mylar balloons expose AMP employees, who must repair this equipment, to potential injury.
Over the past five years (as recently as June 6), AMP received 54 reports of Mylar balloons in power lines, all of which required a repair crew to respond. Incidents resulted in outages ranging from five seconds to two hours. The number of customers impacted ranged from 60 to 8,150, and AMP estimates the cost of individual outages to be more than $25,000 for labor and replaced equipment — all due to one Mylar balloon.
Please note, if you see a Mylar balloon come into contact with a power line, or see a downed power line, AMP advises you to always assume power lines are energized, stay at least 10 feet away and call 911. While pending state law will result in a complete ban on metallic foil balloons in California by 2031, we don’t need to wait that long to do the right thing. Please say “no” to Mylar balloons now.
Finally, look for and wave to AMP’s July Fourth parade entry, which will include their employees and large electric (of course!) bucket truck!
Be a Smart Traveler: If your summer plans involve travel outside the United States, don’t leave home without first enrolling in STEP, the U.S. State Department’s free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
This will let the State Department accurately and quickly contact you in case of a crisis such as a natural disaster, civil unrest or family emergency. Other benefits include real-time updates about health, weather, safety and security conditions in the country or countries you’re visiting. Find more information and sign up at mytravel.state.gov/s/step.
Let’s practice civility: June’s horrendous shooting of two Minnesota state legislators and their spouses in their homes, two of whom, state Sen. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, were killed, made me wonder how this could happen in our society.
While little is known about the suspect’s motives, I think we could all agree that the tone and tenor of political discourse in our country (as well as our state and city) has grown more heated in recent years. Somewhat coincidentally, I recently began receiving emails from Project Civility, a grassroots initiative that originated in Carmel, Indiana.
Project Civility’s website includes this statement that I found particularly meaningful: “We see eye-to-eye more than we think. But when we don’t, we need to … project civility with sincerity, patience and goodwill. What we project, whether it’s spoken or nonverbal, needs to be respectful, thoughtful and true. Because projecting civility isn’t a weakness, it’s the strongest stance you can take.”
Learn more about Project Civility at projectcivility.com. Say “yes” to civility and “no” to Mylar balloons. Be a Smart Traveler and Stay “Alameda Strong.” Happy Fourth of July, Alameda!
Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft is the mayor of Alameda. For contact information and other details, visit bit.ly/mayorashcraft online.