CARPINTERIANS CRY “MAYDAY!”
For Immediate Release
CARPINTERIANS CRY “MAYDAY!”
PADDLE OUT AGAINST PAREDON: SAVE OUR TOWN
Surfers, Kayakers & Ocean-lovers Unite Against Venoco Inc.’s Measure J
CARPINTERIA, Calif. -- April 22, 2010 -- Paddle Out Against Paredon, a community-wide demonstration against Venoco Inc.’s [NYSE:VQ] oil and gas development initiative, Measure J, is scheduled for 11 a.m. on May 1 at Carpinteria City Beach. Everyone is invited to bring a floatable device to participate in the water or show their support on the sand. Organized by local surfer and artist Carrie Reynolds, the Paddle Out Against Paredon supports the “No on Measure J” campaign. 
“Coming together we can help raise awareness about the risks of Measure J and the threat of big oil and corporate domination our town is facing. We want to preserve the delicate balance that makes our community such a special place, including the laws and ordinances that keep it that way,” says Carrie Reynolds. “Everyone should know and care about Measure J because what happens here could happen in their town, too.”
To be voted on in the June 8 primary, Venoco’s proposed Measure J, aka the Paredon Project, would allow a 140-foot drill rig to dominate the Carpinteria coastline; create risks of blowouts, oil spills, and toxic vapors; generate excessive noise, air and light pollution, and odor; prohibit local regulatory oversight, and endanger pristine beaches, the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve, and a rare Harbor Seal Rookery.
“Measure J is not just about oil drilling. It’s also about losing local control to a private corporation,” says former mayor and city council member Donna Jordan, spokesperson for the grassroots Citizens CAP. “Measure J sets a dangerous precedent that could impact every city in the state and forever change our beautiful coastline.”
With support from numerous organizations, including Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, the Paddle Out Against Paredon programs include a live ukulele concert by Carl Ray and the Coconuts and a raffle. Picnic lunches are encouraged. Surfers are to meet at the ocean-end of Linden Avenue, kayakers gather at the end of Ash Avenue. Parking is limited. Alternative transportation is encouraged.
For more information, contact Carrie Reynolds at carrieraven@gmail.com or (206) 390-4236; or visit www.citizensagainstparedon.org.
About Citizens Committee Against Paredon Initiative – Citizens Committee Against Paredon Initiative (Citizens CAP) is a grassroots group of community volunteers deeply concerned about the future of our small town. Made up of Carpinterians from every walk of life and every political persuasion, we have come together because Carpinteria is facing a threat that could change not only the physical face but also the social fabric of our community. That threat is the Paredon Oil & Gas Development Initiative. Citizens Committee Against Paredon Initiative, P.O. Box 895, Carpinteria, CA 93014. www.CitizensAgainstParedon.org.
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Media Contacts:
Kerstine Johnson, kerstine@harmonyccinc.com; (805) 617-3513
Amy Orozco; orozcoamy@yahoo.com; (805) 284-2622