WONDER VALLEY RESIDENTS QUESTION PLANNED POWER OUTAGE NEXT WEEK

Although temperatures next week are not expected to be as hot as the sizzling high temps of 114 a few days ago, it’ll still be plenty hot, and residents and their pets are depending on their swamp coolers and air conditioners to keep cool during the heat of the day. Many Wonder Valley residents were upset to receive a notice from Southern California Edison that the electric company has scheduled an all-day, planned power outage one day next week. Teresa Sitz, the Municipal Advisory Council representative for Wonder Valley, said with high temperatures expected to be around 106-110, residents are concerned for their safety, and that of their pets, during the hot weather. She said some residents will have to travel 30 miles to reach cooling centers in Twentynine Palms, and many are elderly, handicapped, or without reliable transportation. Sitz added that she and other residents have reached out to SoCal Edison, asking them to postpone the planned power outage until cooler temps have arrived, but are still awaiting a reply.