Press Releases
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 15, 2010
PLEASE CONTACT: RICHARD LEMIRE @ (951) 955-4900
Cool Centers
and weather advisories begin June 15th
RIVERSIDE, CA. –
Cool Centers and weather advisories to begin on June 15
Riverside County will launch its summer weather advisories and prepare to open cool centers starting June 15.
Cool centers throughout the county will open when temperatures are expected to be over 100 degrees for at least three consecutive days. The centers offer a safe, air-conditioned place for residents to escape the high temperatures expected from June through October.
The opening of the centers will be prompted by heat warnings issued by the county Department of Public Health. The notices will be sent through local media advising residents of high-temperature days. Vulnerable individuals,
such as seniors and the disabled are encouraged to use the centers.
Health officials will also issue heat advisories on days when temperatures are expected to be over 100 degrees for at least three hours. The following precautions are recommended during a heat advisory:
· Drink water to prevent dehydration
· Stay indoors and make every attempt to stay cool - close the blinds,
use the air conditioner, etc.
· Avoid direct sunlight during the peak hours
· Visit a mall, library, or restaurant to stay cool
· Do not leave children, elderly, disabled individuals or pets inside
vehicles
The cool centers will be free and open to the public. Water, snack and activities will be available at most of the centers, in addition to resource and transportation information.
The heat advisories and cool centers are services offered by the Community Action Partnership of Riverside County, Riverside County Department of Public Health, Riverside County Fire Department, Volunteer Center of Riverside County and the American Red Cross. For a list of available Cool Centers and hours of operation available after June 15, visit www.capriverside.org. For a list of heat advisories and recommendations, visit www.rivcoph.org/. A summer-weather hotline will be available at 1-888-636-8676.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 11, 2010
PLEASE CONTACT: RICHARD LEMIRE @ (951) 955-4900
WEATHERIZATION DEMONSTRATION
IN RIVERSIDE ON MAY 19
RIVERSIDE, CA. – Community Action Partnership of Riverside County (CAP Riverside) will be conducting a weatherization demonstration in Riverside on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 starting at 10:00 a.m. The demonstration will be open to the public and CAP staff will be available to answer questions and take applications for weatherization and utility assistance.
Two residences, located at Hillside Avenue and Green Valley Street just north of Arlington Avenue in Riverside, will be weatherized by CAP Riverside sub-contractors. Funding for the weatherization is being provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). CAP Riverside is in the process of weatherizing approximately 2,000 homes with ARRA funding. Riverside County was the first Community Action agency in California to commence ARRA weatherization in California on December 13, 2009.
The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) enables low-income families to permanently reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. Funds are used to improve the energy performance of dwellings of needy families using the most advanced technologies and testing protocols available in the housing industry.
The Community Action network started weatherization in 1976, and CAP Riverside has been weatherizing homes in Riverside County since 1980. In 2009, prior to ARRA, CAP Riverside weatherized 1,546 homes. The energy conservation resulting from these efforts helps our country reduce its dependence on foreign oil and decrease the cost of energy for families in need while improving the health and safety of their homes. During the past 33 years, WAP has provided weatherization services to more than 6.4 million low-income households. Families receiving weatherization services see their annual energy bills reduced by an average of about $350, depending on fuel prices. Because the energy improvements that make up weatherization services are long lived, the savings add up over time to substantial benefits for weatherization clients and their communities, and the nation as a whole.
The CAP Mobile, CAP Riverside’s mobile office, will be set up on Green Valley Street to serve the public. Information on all Community Action services will be available.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 8, 2010
PLEASE CONTACT: RICHARD LEMIRE @ (951) 955-4900
CAP RIVERSIDE IS FIRST IN CALIFORNIA TO
BEGIN STIMULUS-FUNDED WEATHERIZATION
On December 14, 2009, Community Action Partnership of Riverside County (CAP Riverside) weatherized the first house in California using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding from the Department of Energy. The home is located in Lake Elsinore. CAP Riverside was the first in the state to meet DOE/ARRA requirements and receive state approval, and the first agency in California to commence ARRA weatherization.
CAP was given an allocation and time frame to fully ramp up or lose the funding; the ramp up included equipment, vehicles, training and an outreach strategy. A wage plan per the Davis-Bacon Act was completed by our sub-contractors and their subs. Certification and re-certification of CAP’s energy staff, both permanent and temporary was done. Also completed was certification of sub-contractor staffs.
Seven subcontractors have completed the extraordinarily rigorous process of meeting the state’s requirements and are authorized to commence work. Three more subcontractors are still going through the process. “I am extremely proud of these small businesses who stepped up to the plate and completed this extraordinarily rigorous process, with a ton of unfamiliar paperwork. CAP Riverside is determined to succeed at this.” said CAP Riverside Executive Director Lois Carson.
The seven sub-contractors now doing ARRA weatherization are: Vasquez Group, Synergy, James D Restoration, Energy Services Partnership, Ace and Sons, David Starrett Construction and Hopkins Painting.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 6, 2010
PLEASE CONTACT: RICHARD LEMIRE @ (951) 955-4900
FREE TRAINING OFFERED
TO REDUCE CONFLICT IN THE WORKPLACE
Conflict in the workplace can be extremely costly to employers and employees alike. Community Action Partnership of Riverside County’s Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) will be providing free training for businesses to learn about conflict resolution.
This training is being made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding. The ARRA funding will allow CAP to train employers and employees throughout Riverside County to conquer conflict and get better workplace results.
“This is an excellent opportunity for businesses to learn the advantages of mediation in the workplace to avoid potentially dangerous situations from arising in the workplace, and make their operations run more smoothly, while avoiding costly and time consuming formal legal procedures,” said Lois J. Carson, CAP Riverside Executive Director.
Partners in this effort are Dr. Fred Jandt and Professor/Attorney Robert Kubacki. They will be working with Community Action Partnership of Riverside County’s Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) to reduce workplace conflict.
Interested businesses in Riverside County should contact Program Manager, Dana Crawford-Lofton at 951.955.4900 or via email at info@capriverside.org.
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