Free Tech Skills Workshop, Blanket Drive and Chilao School News

Redbird/Chilao School News

An update by Redbird founder Corina Roberts

The winds howl and tear through the canyons and with each of them, a quiet fear follows. And a sort of guilt. We aren't doing enough, not to address the natural process of fire, but to help people protect themselves. I am not doing enough.

So here is one quick tip. Your attic vents need to have a very fine mesh steel screen on the inside. They likely already have a screen with 1/4 to 1/8 inch square mesh depending on the age of the building. That is not enough. It needs to be fine like the screen on your windows, and steel...not aluminum. I purchased aluminum screen only to learn that it will melt if exposed to high enough temperatures, such as a burning ember would carry.

Briefly, in other news, on Sunday November 18 we will have our last Technical Skills Workshop of 2018 at Chilao School to talk about braking and line theory for all vehicles. The workshop is free and I think this one will be particularly interesting, because being up here on Angeles Crest, and on other California mountain roads is giving Ian a very different perspective on the whole line theory thing. We encourage questions, feedback, participation, and yes, there will be food. Everyone is welcome, and I would like to extend a special invitation to new riders.

On December 1 we are having our 22nd annual Blanket, Toy and School Supplies Drive and mini-powwow at the Simi Valley Town Center Mall, upstairs behind the giant Christmas tree. Everyone is welcome. I think I did the math wrong and this is actually our 23rd or 24th gathering, because we have held this event since 1994 and have only missed one year since then. But whatever. Just come. See the flier for more details about what to bring, and if you don't have anything to bring, come anyway.

Our 2019 Forest Portraits calendar, benefitting Chilao School, can be purchased here:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/corina-roberts/forest-portraits-2019/calendar/product-23823836.html

And finally, a quick update on our Go Fund Me campaign to make the Chilao School property more fire-safe. We have about $1,500.00 toward the fire retardant paint, and we hope to team up with an Eagle Scout in late winter or early spring get the job under way. We are going to go with steel caps for the windows that can be put on and taken off because this is the least expensive way to address the single pane windows on the house. We believe we are about $1,000.00 shy of what we need to start on the house. We are still taking donations, or, if you like, buy a calendar or two - $8.00 from each calendar goes to Chilao School so we could make that missing one thousand dollars if we sell 125 calendars.

Praying you stay safe.