Just a reminder that tomorrow is the Piru Neighborhood Council Meeting and first ever Business Mixer, We invite all local businesses to come join us at 7pm at the Piru Communtiy Center at Warring Park. Bring you business cards and a friend! We will ask each business owner and community organization to take a moment to stand and introduce themselves and the services that they can offer the community of Piru. We cant wait to see you tomorrow. We will also be introducting Piru's first Sponsored Skater to the community. Attached is a PDF with more information.

The Auto Club

(LOS ANGELES, July 29, 2010) – Southern California gas price held steady over the past week and stayed above $3.10 for the sixth straight week, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.122 per gallon, which is three-tenths of one cent less than last week, three-tenths of a cent higher than last month, and 27 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $3.132, one-tenth of one penny higher than last week’s price, three-tenths of a cent above last month, and 30 cents higher than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.20, up four-tenths of one cent from last week, also four-tenths of a cent higher than a month ago, and 26 cents above last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $3.11, which is half a cent higher than last week, four-tenths of a cent lower than last month, and 27 cents more than last year.

“This year has continued to exhibit unusual stability with regard to gas prices,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “Summer travelers are finding it much easier to predict their gasoline expenses than in prior years.”

(CAMARILLO, July 16, 2010) – Because car crashes are the number one cause of death for teens, the Automobile Club of Southern California is offering free educational workshops in Camarillo on Saturday, Aug. 7, designed to help parents and teens prepare for their most dangerous years on the road.

Each year, 15,000 teens, ages 16-19, are killed or injured in vehicle crashes. The Auto Club has successfully spearheaded several laws to place additional life-saving restrictions on California’s novice drivers, but many parents and teens may be unfamiliar with the requirements.

“Dare to Prepare” provides critical information parents and teens, ages 14 and 15, need to know before teens take the wheel. The interactive workshop explains to parents and teens reasons why teens crash and provides tools and guidelines to help parents and teens go through the challenging learning-to-drive process. Participants will receive educational tools and resources to take home to help prepare them for driving.

The free workshops will take place from 10 a.m. to noon and from 12:30-2:30 p.m. at Camarillo Parks & Recreation, 1605 E. Burnley St. Space is limited. Participants must register in advance and teens must attend with a parent or caregiver. To register, please call the Auto Club’s Community Relations & Traffic Safety Dept. at (714) 885-2300.

“Teen drivers are inexperienced and often engage in risky behaviors behind the wheel due to a lack of reasoning skills,” said Anita Lorz, the Auto Club’s team lead for traffic safety. “Dare to Prepare aims to jump-start the dialogue about safe driving between parents and teens.”

The two-hour presentation also will discuss:

Parents’ and teens roles and responsibilities, including insurance

Understanding California Graduated Driver Licensing components

New Auto Club parent-teen driving agreements

Practical tips on teaching teens to drive

Additional resources and educational tools that can help

The Auto Club

(CAMARILLO, July 12, 2010) – The Automobile Club of Southern California will host a free child passenger safety education workshop at its Camarillo branch on Thursday, Aug. 5, for parents, expectant parents and caregivers of children up to 6 years of age.

The 90-minute workshop from 6-7:30 p.m. will focus on California’s child passenger safety laws, how to choose the proper child safety seat and how to install child safety seats from infant size to boosters.

Under California law, children should be properly restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat until they’re at least 6 years old or weigh 60 lbs. Safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers. Using a booster seat with a seat belt for older children instead of a seat belt alone reduces the risk of injury by 59 percent, according to the Auto Club.

The class is for adults only. No car seat installations in vehicles will take place. Participants will receive take-home resources, including information on where to locate local car seat installation technicians and upcoming safety seat events.

The class will be held at the Auto Club’s Camarillo branch, 2570 Las Posas Road, 93010-3452. Free parking is available in the courtyard. Class space is limited and reservations are required. Call the Auto Club’s Community Relations office at 714-885-2300 to reserve a seat.

The Auto Club

The Automobile Club of Southern California is offering its free Tipsy Tow service during the 4th of July holiday for the 14th consecutive year. The community service is available from 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 3, to midnight on Sunday, July 4, to help remove drinking drivers from the road. Tipsy Tow is available in the 13 Southern California counties served by the Auto Club.

Motorists, bartenders, restaurant managers, party hosts or passengers of a drinking driver may call 1-800-400-4AAA for a free tow home of up to seven miles. Callers simply tell the Auto Club operators, “I need a Tipsy Tow,” to receive the free tow and ride home. A regular Auto Club-contracted roadside service truck will be dispatched.

Callers need to keep in mind that the service excludes rides for passengers, is restricted to a one-way, one-time ride for the driver and the destination is limited to the driver’s residence. Reservations are not accepted. Drivers can expect to pay the rate charged by the tow truck contractor for rides farther than seven miles.

“Drivers should be aware of the high crash risk from drinking and driving associated with holidays and we encourage them not to get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking,” said the Auto Club’s senior researcher Steve Bloch.

Fourth of July is a traditional time for barbecues, family gatherings, parties, picnics and activities that contribute to a more relaxed atmosphere and more opportunities for drinking alcohol, according to Bloch.

“It only takes one or two drinks to slow physical and mental skills that affect vision, steering, braking judgment, and reaction time,” he said. “Drivers should be aware that the California Highway Patrol and law enforcement agencies are likely using sobriety checkpoints and extra patrols to look for drinking drivers during the holiday.”

California arrests a large numbers of DUI offenders every year. In 2008 (latest data available) 214,000 drivers were arrested for the offense. “Motorists need to be aware that many enforcement agencies are targeting drinking drivers and as a result, arrests for DUI in the state have increased by 22 percent since 2001,” according to Bloch. “The toll from drinking and driving in California is enormous,” Bloch added. “In 2008, nearly 21,000 persons were killed or injured in alcohol-related crashes.”

A recent AAA report found that 10 percent of motorists admit to driving when they thought their blood alcohol content was above the legal limit. “This is entirely preventable,” said Bloch.

Drinking drivers frequently don’t plan for other ways to get home because they are concerned about retrieving their vehicle the next day. They cite taxi costs and inconvenience as reasons they don’t use alternate transportation, according to the Auto Club. Tipsy Tow provides motorists with a safe ride home for themselves and their vehicle instead of driving while intoxicated.

People convicted of driving under the influence could lose many of the important things in their lives, such as family, job, dignity and money. The Auto Club estimates that a first time DUI conviction in California can cost approximately $15,179 or more in fines, penalties, restitution, legal fees and increased insurance costs.

Current laws, enforcement, public awareness, and education efforts by public service-oriented organizations, including the Auto Club, have contributed to the decline in the number of alcohol-related fatalities during the past 10 years. The Auto Club provides the Tipsy Tow service and free publications as part of its “You Drink. You Drive. You Lose.” public awareness campaign.

The Auto Club advises that motorists can keep themselves and others safe and can avoid DUI arrests by keeping these safety tips in mind:

At social events, designate non-drinking drivers who can get everyone home safely.
Call a friend or family member for a ride home if you have been drinking.
Keep a cab company telephone number in your wallet so you can call for a ride home.
As a party host, offer a variety of non-alcoholic drink alternatives and provide a gift to guests who volunteer to be designated drivers.

Take the car keys away from friends and relatives who have had too much to drink.

The Auto Club

After two years of decreases, July Fourth travel among Southern Californians is expected to partially recover this year, with 2.57 million local residents planning to take trips this holiday, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California. That’s a 19 percent increase from the number who traveled last year.

Among Southern California travelers, 2.23 million, or 87 percent of them, will get to their destinations by car this holiday weekend – 20 percent more than the 1.85 million who drove to their destinations last year. A projected 190,000 travelers will fly, which is a 20 percent increase from last year’s 173,000 plane travelers.

Statewide, 4.14 million travelers are expected to take holiday trips, also an increase of 19 percent. Car travelers are expected to number 3.58 million, while 306,000 are expected to go by plane. Nationally, July Fourth travel is expected to increase by 17 percent compared to last year, with 34.9 million Americans projected to take holiday getaways.

According to the AAA/Auto Club holiday travel survey, the average distance traveled for Fourth of July getaways for Southern Californians will be 470 miles, and this holiday’s median travel budget will be $756 in California and nearby states. Gas prices are expected to be almost the same as last year and are now in the $3.10-per-gallon range in most local areas.

“As we saw in our summer travel survey earlier this month, people are getting back to traveling, but they are hanging on to value-driven spending habits and are economizing on their trips,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “Bargains for Independence Day trips are not as plentiful this year as they were in 2009 when the recession was in full swing, but travelers can always save money by taking shorter trips, going to closer locations and choosing less expensive lodging, eating and entertainment.”

The top five destinations for Southern California travelers, according to a poll of the Auto Club’s AAA Travel Agency, are:
1) San Diego
2) Las Vegas
3) San Francisco
4) Central Coast
5) Grand Canyon

The holiday travel projections were based on economic forecasts, analysis and an extensive survey conducted by IHS Global Insight on behalf of AAA.

The Auto Club advises auto travelers to plan their routes ahead of time, and to call the California Highway Information Number at (800) 427-7623 to make sure that their planned route will not be disrupted by highway closures. The closure information is updated hourly.

The Auto Club

Gas prices barely budged throughout Southern California in the past week, holding on to average prices above $3 a gallon for the 15th week in a row in most regions, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.061 per gallon, which is six-tenths of a penny less than last week, 5.7 cents lower than last month, and four cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $3.072, which is half a penny higher than last week’s price, 4.3 cents below last month, and four cents higher than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.131, unchanged from last week, 3.4 cents lower than a month ago, and eight cents above last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $3.047, which is one-tenths of one cent lower than last week, seven cents lower than last month, and four cents more than last year.

“As we head into summer vacation season, Southern California gas prices are almost identical to this time last year and more than $1.50 lower per gallon than two years ago today,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “At the moment, oil prices are holding steady and local refinery capacity is good, so automobile travel costs are very similar to what they were this time last year.”

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the CONTINUED »

The Auto Club

Despite the fact that identity fraud is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the U.S., about 40 percent of Southland residents have little or no concern about it happening to them while traveling or visiting retail locations this summer, according to a new survey by the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The survey also revealed that nearly one-third of polled Southern California residents do not plan to take a few common precautions to prevent or minimize the effects of ID theft while on vacation this summer, such as removing unneeded IDs or credit cards from one’s wallet before traveling.

“Identity theft is not a crime that makes sensational headlines, but today you are more likely to become an ID theft victim than a victim of almost any other type of crime,” said Denise Bialek, program manager for the Auto Club’s identity theft monitoring benefits for members. “Between shopping, walking in crowded areas, visiting attractions, staying at hotels and eating out frequently, vacations can present many additional chances for a traveler to have his or her identity stolen.”

Bialek recommends that in addition to removing unneeded credit cards and identification from one’s wallet prior to a trip, travelers should photocopy their ID or passport and bring that copy in their luggage in case their wallet is stolen on the trip, and they should also contact their credit card companies to alert them when and where they will be traveling. Thirty-two percent of those responding to the Auto Club poll said they do none of those things prior to going on vacation.

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With the Fourth of July holiday just around the corner, homeowners may be asking themselves what they can to do deter home break-ins while on vacation this summer. The greatest numbers of home burglaries occur during July and August, according to insurance industry statistics. Homes are burglarized about every 15 seconds and a homeowner loses an average of nearly $2,000 in possessions and damages, according to the Dept. of Justice.

More than 2.1 million burglaries take place annually, with more than 65 percent being home break-ins, according to a national insurance industry group. “Residential homeowners and renters can deter the opportunistic home burglar by taking security precautions during summer months when homeowners they travel on vacation,” according to David Womble, group manager of homeowners claims for the Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club.

“Locking and preventing the opening of doors and windows is the most significant deterrent to home burglary,” said Womble. “Most home burglaries result from thieves gaining entry through unlocked doors or unlocked windows. Using a deadbolt with a key lock on both sides of the door can stop many thieves.”

Homeowners can also prevent easy access through sliding glass doors as well. Commercially available locks or placing a steel rod dowel in the inside door track channel can prevent an intruder from forcing the door open, according to Womble. Security systems also can be a theft deterrent and the Auto Club offers a substantial member discount on the standard Brink’s Home Security System through its Show Your Card & Save® program.

The Auto Club’s top 13 tips to help prevent home burglaries are:

Never announce your vacation plans on Facebook, MySpace or Twitter.
Lock all doors and windows before you leave. Use deadbolts, dowels, locking pins in sliding glass doors and windows to keep them from being pried open. Slowing down a would-be burglar will likely make them seek another home that’s easier to break into.
If possible, install a monitored alarm system in your home. You may be eligible for a discount on your insurance premium after the system is installed. The Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club offers such a discount. Make sure your home insurance is up to date and provides adequate coverage if you own luxury goods, expensive jewelry and electronics. Check to see if you need an additional rider or floater insurance policy for those items from your Auto Club or other insurance representative.
Keep the exterior of your home and yard well lit with low-wattage outdoor lighting.
Close and lock the garage door. Side garage doors should be solid, without any glass and equipped with a strong deadbolt.
Don’t advertise that you’re going out of town. Stop all deliveries, mail and newspapers, or ask a trustworthy neighbor or friend to pick them up for you. Don’t let mail, including bank statements and credit card offers, sit in the mailbox to advertise you’re away and tempt a thief to steal your identity.
Use automatic timers with inside lamps and a radio. Set them to come on at random times.
Remove spare keys from outside your home, especially near the front door or under a welcome mat.
Trim bushes in front of entrances, including windows. This eliminates a burglar’s ability to hide while breaking in.
Keep some blinds up and curtains open to keep up normal appearances. Put away personal documents, and place critical documents in a safety deposit box or leave them with a relative. Hide expensive jewelry or place in a safety deposit box at your bank.
If you’ve just moved into your home, change the front door lock.
Many thefts are perpetrated by individuals who may have access to your home. If possible, conduct background checks and closely monitor those who may be working inside your residence.
Neighborhood Watch programs are great deterrents. If your neighborhood doesn’t have one, volunteer to start one with your local police department before leaving town or ask a trustworthy neighbor to keep an eye on your home while you’re away.

The Auto Club

Southern Californians who plan to travel this summer will take a greater number of summer trips than two years ago when the recession was starting to take full effect, but they are tightening their budgets and seeking out vacation deals and discounts, according to the third annual summer travel poll conducted by the Automobile Club of Southern California.

On their first trip of the summer, local travelers are more likely to drive to their destinations than during the past two years (63 percent this year vs. 58 percent in 2009 and 52 percent in 2008), and more likely to be visiting family or friends as a primary purpose for their trips (63 percent this year vs. 57 percent in 2009 and 35 percent in 2008), according to the survey.

In all, 87 percent of the Auto Club members who participated in the poll said they plan to take at least one overnight trip this summer, down from 88 percent last year and 89 percent in 2008.

Two years ago, just 20 percent of Southern California travelers surveyed said they intended to take three or more summer trips. Last year and this year, that number increased to 31 percent.

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Southern California will see a 7.8 percent increase in the number of residents who will travel over this Memorial Day holiday, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s holiday travel projections. About 2.5 million Southland residents are expected to take holiday getaways.

Among Southern California travelers, about 2.1 million, or 84 percent, will go by car to their destinations. That’s an increase of 8.3 percent from 2009. Air travel among Southland residents is projected to increase by 4.9 percent to 227,000 flyers, while travel by cruise, bus, train or other means will be up 5.6 percent to 173,000.

Statewide, nearly 4 million are expected to make Memorial Day getaways, also a 7.8 percent increase over last year. About 3.3 million will go by car, an 8.3 percent increase over last year, while almost 400,000 are expected to fly – a 4.9 percent increase.

Nationally, AAA is projecting the number of Americans traveling over the holiday weekend will increase 5.4 percent from 2009, with approximately 32.1 million travelers taking a trip away from home. Memorial Day auto travel nationwide is expected to increase by 5.8 percent to 28 million, while 2.15 million nationwide are expected to fly – almost the same number as last year.

Memorial Day travel in 2008 and 2009 suffered locally and nationally from the continued effects of the recession and increased unemployment, so the projected increase for this year represents a partial rebound for travel and tourism as the economy recovers.

“Our AAA Travel agents are seeing increased activity in the branches and an increased number of advance bookings for tours and cruises compared to this time last year,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “Consumers are still seeking more value for their travel dollar than prior to the recession, but the Memorial Day projections indicate that more of them may be taking long-postponed vacations.”

The top five Memorial Day destinations for Southern California travelers, according to a poll of the Auto Club’s AAA Travel agents, are:
1) San Diego
2) Las Vegas
3) Grand Canyon
4) San Francisco
5) Central Coast

The top cruise destination is Baja California, while the top air destination is Hawaii.

Although this Memorial Day weekend’s gas prices will be higher than this time last year, AAA travel projections do not indicate that gas prices are a big deterrent to travel this holiday. Prices may continue to drop as the holiday approaches in response to recent dramatic decreases in crude oil prices.

Because of numerous regional highway projects that are underway because of federal stimulus funding, the Auto Club advises travelers to check their planned route for closures along the way. Motorists can call the California Highway Information Number at (800) 427-7623 for interstate and state route lane closures and highway closures. The information is updated hourly.

AAA’s holiday travel projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Global Insight. The Boston-based economic research and consulting firm teamed with AAA in 2009 to jointly analyze travel trends during the major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades.

The Automobile Club of Southern California and AAA have launched an innovative new service for mobile phone users this month making access to the nation’s largest motor club and its roadside assistance even easier. AAA FindMe allows any Auto Club or AAA member who is a Sprint® subscriber with a newer phone to have their GPS location instantly transmitted to AAA Roadside Assistance.

For the first time in the wireless industry, the Auto Club and AAA have teamed with Sprint to allow members to provide AAA with their GPS location without additional charges, special devices or required downloads.

“Suffering a car breakdown is bad enough, but it can be made worse when you’re in an unfamiliar location and have trouble relaying to AAA where to send assistance,” said David Lang, the Auto Club’s Automotive Services vice president. “AAA FindMe will enhance member safety and security by providing AAA roadside service operators with stranded motorists’ GPS locations so roadside technicians can locate and assist them.”

AAA members who subscribe to Sprint must register for the AAA FindMe service in advance at AAA.com/AAAFindMe by providing their Auto Club or AAA membership number and Sprint mobile phone number. Subscribing to the service is free of charge and doesn’t require any downloads or added services to the mobile phone.

AAA members can also press *AAA (*222) from their Sprint wireless phone to call directly for AAA Roadside Assistance.

The AAA Discounts app, which has been downloaded nearly 800,000 times, helps users identify more than 110,000 locations offering AAA Show Your Card & Save® (SYC&S) discounts. The AAA Roadside app allows members to request AAA Roadside Assistance directly from their iPhone. Launched more than eight months ago, AAA Roadside continues to be one of the top-25 most popular free travel apps.

AAA Mobile Web offers a variety of Auto Club and AAA tools and features on your web-enabled wireless device for free including turn-by-turn directions, local gasoline prices, access to roadside assistance phone numbers and AAA Approved Auto Repair locations, SYC&S locations and AAA Approved hotels and restaurants. AAA content on mobile phones can be accessed by entering aaacalif.mobi into your wireless browser. AAA TourBook® and SYC&S information also is available on select Magellan® personal navigation devices.

The Auto Club

The Automobile Club of Southern California and AAA released its top vehicle picks for commuters today. Long commutes have become an increasingly common daily activity for many Americans, and having the right vehicle for those long drives is key not only to saving money and being environmentally-friendly, but also staying safe and comfortable during many hours on the road.

The average motorist spends about 41 minutes a day traveling about 22.5 miles roundtrip to/from work in personal vehicles, according to the National Household Travel Survey.

The AAA’s team of experts, who test drove and reviewed hundreds of vehicles, has compiled a list of the top vehicle picks for commuters based on practicality, safety, comfort, fuel efficiency and affordability. The Auto Club’s Car Buying Service online research tool is a resource for those in the market for another car or truck.

Southern California car owners also have a new green tool to help them become more knowledgeable about low-polluting cars with the Green Car Guide, just-published by the Auto Club’s Automotive Research Center (ARC). At least six vehicles in the green car report are on the AAA list of top commuter vehicles, including the Ford Fusion and Honda Insight.

The Auto Club Green Car Guide tries to CONTINUED »

With attention focused on Toyota and its recall of more than 8 million vehicles in the U.S., it’s easy to overlook the fact that numerous safety recalls are issued annually.

In fact, the latest recall involves Honda Motor Co., which said this week that it will recall more than 410,000 Odyssey minivans and Element small trucks for braking problems that, if not repaired, could make it difficult to stop the vehicles.

Over time, brake pedals can feel “soft” and must be pressed closer to the floor to stop the vehicles, Honda said in a statement.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported three crashes due to the problem. Honda notified NHTSA of this particular recall this week.

How to Find a Recall

How should consumers determine if a safety recall CONTINUED »

The Auto Club

The Automobile Club of Southern California is hosting a job candidate information session in Los Angeles as part of an effort to hire 70 insurance sales agents.

The event will be held Wednesday, March 10 at the Auto Club’s Los Angeles headquarters, 2601 S. Figueroa St., at 6 p.m. Candidates will have a chance to receive more information about the job opportunities and will meet Auto Club sales managers. Candidates should bring their professional resume and dress in business attire.

Qualified candidates will possess at least two years of proven sales experience, excellent communication skills, computer proficiency, a good driving record and commitment to providing superior member service.

“The Auto Club is fortunate to be able to grow its insurance sales force at a time when new jobs are needed in the economy,” said Jim Philipp, the Auto Club’s vice president for human resources.

The positions offer paid training and insurance licensing, and after training the compensation is 100 percent commission-based. Benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance, 401k and pension plans, and continuous training and career development.

Candidates are encouraged to submit a resume online prior to the event. For other employment opportunities, visit http://aaa.com/jobs.

The Auto Club

(LOS ANGELES, Feb. 18, 2010) –Southern California gas prices dropped to their lowest levels since just before Christmas as the 2010 downward streak at the pump continued for a fifth straight week, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.950 per gallon, which is 2.5 cents less than last week, ten cents less than last month, and 68 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.938, which is 2.7 cents less than last week’s price, 12 cents below last month, and 63 cents higher than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.002, down two cents from last week, 11 cents lower than a month ago, and 64 cents above last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $2.941, which is 1.8 cents less than last week, 10 cents less than last month, and 67 cents more than last year.

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Public television personality Huell Howser will be on hand to meet fellow travel enthusiasts at the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Travel Show on Saturday, Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The show will take place in Building 5 of the Fairplex in Pomona, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. Attendees should enter at Gate 3 on McKinley Avenue. Admission is $3 for those without reservations and free for those who RSVP by calling (888) 345-9961 and pressing option 4. The show is open to both Auto Club members and non-members.

The AAA Travel Show will feature nearly two dozen tour, cruise and other travel providers, as well as experienced and knowledgeable AAA Travel agents. Consumers who book their trips at the show will receive special showtime offers providing discounts, upgrades or credits on their travel. Auto Club members qualify for additional member benefits on select travel packages.

Travelers can prepare for their journeys by visiting the show to obtain passport photos and applications, browse through the AAA BookStore’s travel publications, watch luggage packing demonstrations, and enjoy live presentations from travel providers.

Howser, who hosts the Auto Club-sponsored “Road Trip With Huell Howser” and “California’s Gold” series featured on PBS television stations, will meet and greet fans. Westways Magazine Travel Editor and AAA Travelviews blogger Elizabeth Harryman will host the show and offer travel tips and experiences with her husband and travel partner, Paul Lasley.

While attending the Auto Club show, travelers can enter a drawing (no purchase necessary) to win travel-related prizes.

“Travelers are seeking value now, and travel providers are coming out with some exciting new offerings,” said Alice Holguin, the Auto Club’s La Verne/Pomona branch manager. “The travel show will provide a rare opportunity for vacation-seekers to get detailed information about a wide variety of travel companies and take advantage of special deals.”

More information about the show is available at local Auto Club offices and on the Auto Club’s Web site, www.AAA.com

The Auto Club

Southland gas prices are dipping slightly after six weeks of increases, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.042 per gallon, which is 2.4 cents less than last week, 12 cents more than last month, and 99 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $3.049, which is 1.5 cents less than last week’s price, 14 cents above last month, and 97 cents higher than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.098, down 1.1 cents from last week, up 11 cents from a month ago, and 96 cents above last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $3.029, which is two cents less than last week, 12 cents more than last month, and 97 cents more than last year.

“As volatile as gas prices are, it’s hard to point out a pattern, but usually in January there is somewhat of a downturn,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “It’s typically a low point of the year for gas prices because of lower demand and refineries managing their product to ensure they don’t have a surplus of the ‘winter blend’ of fuel they must stop selling each spring. California air quality regulations require that each April, gas stations must begin selling the ‘summer blend’ of fuel that burns more cleanly in warmer temperatures.”

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price CONTINUED »