BRIEFLY `MARS' BALLOON HITS POWER LINES IN SIMI.SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. - An Agoura Hills man's ill-fated ``Mission to Mars'' created havoc Tuesday in west Simi Valley, where a Mylar balloon he sent to the skies landed on electrical lines and resulted in a power outage Noun 1. power outage - equipment failure resulting when the supply of power fails; "the ice storm caused a power outage" power failure equipment failure, breakdown - a cessation of normal operation; "there was a power breakdown" . Southern California Edison Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp), the largest subsidiary of Edison International (NYSE: EIX), is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California. It provides 11 million people with electricity. officials said the balloon - on which the man had written his name, address, phone number and ``Mission to Mars'' - came down on Fourth Street about 12:30 p.m. Although electricity came back to some customers within seconds, 12 homes and Lincoln Elementary School Lincoln Elementary School is the name of numerous schools, with most of them in the U.S. named after President Abraham Lincoln, including:
Edison spokesman Glen Becerra said the company often warns people against releasing metallic balloons, which last longer than conventional balloons, because they conduct electricity if they touch power lines. He said the man, whom he would not identify, had been contacted about the incident. ``When we can identify the cause, the rate-payers shouldn't be responsible for fixing it,'' he said. - Daily News State to purchase Oxnard wetlands The state has agreed to buy some of the best remaining coastal wetlands in Oxnard and Huntington Beach Huntington Beach, city (1990 pop. 181,519), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific coast, across from Santa Catalina Island, in an oil-producing area; inc. 1909. It manufactures aerospace vehicles, aircraft parts, optical instruments, and heat transfer equipment. for $17 million. The deal includes plans to buy 641 acres - most if it at Ormond Beach - in Oxnard, and about 20 acres in Huntington Beach. It culminates months of negotiations by the California Coastal Conservancy The California Coastal Conservancy is a government agency that aims to protect coastline resources along the California coastline. External links
Although details still need to be worked out, all of the land would be transferred to public ownership, officials said. ``This is the biggest project we've ever done,'' said Bill Ahern, executive director of the conservancy. ``It means there's going to be more birds flying over houses and more fish in the sea.'' The deal is part of a broader effort in California to keep and maintain the wetlands as wildlife habitats. - City News Service |
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