Power outage to affect base Published Aug. 21, 2007 By Nick DeCicco 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A base-wide power outage is scheduled for Aug. 25 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The blackout, which will affect all base housing residents and a number of facilities, is necessary to fix an electrical line that provides power to the base. A number of services will remain open with limited power. The Base Exchange and Travis Credit Union expect to stay open, according to Al Elbeck, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron's chief of infrastructure. "Though we understand that this will be serious inconvenience to all our customers who normally frequent services facilities, we hope our patrons will appreciate that the repairs will be for the good of the entire base," said Lt. Col. Oscar Vaughn, 60th Services Squadron commander. "We should have all operations up and running for normal business hours again on Sunday." The Commissary also will be open as usual, said Valerie Rogers, administrative assistant to the store director. The outage is not expected to last longer than the scheduled six hours, Mr. Elbeck said. Also open during regular hours will be the Flight Kitchen and Paintball areas. Other facilities will reopen after the outage. The library, fitness center and bowling center are expected to open at 2 p.m. Though closed for brunch, the Sierra Inn Dining Facility expects to open its doors for dinner at 4:30 p.m. Closed facilities include the Auto Hobby Shop, Outdoor Recreation, the Child Development Center, Youth Center, Teen Center, the Veterinary Clinic, Rickenbacker's and the base pool. The aero club and marina will require reservations. The lack of power will delay housekeeping at the Westwind Inn, forcing a late check-in time. Travis members and their families can prepare for this outage, as well as other emergencies, by visiting the Red Cross Web site, www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_92_,00.html Mr. Elbeck suggested residents keep their freezers closed to keep them cold. He also recommended putting perishables in an ice chest. For more information, call the 60th CES at 424-2575 or the Travis Red Cross at 423-3648. The following facilities will be closed Saturday: -- Auto Hobby Shop -- Outdoor Recreation -- Child Development Centers -- Youth Center -- Teen Center -- Rickenbackers -- Vet Clinic The following facilities will open Saturday at the following times: -- Sierra Inn Dining Facility: Closed for Brunch; Dinner: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. -- Travis Fitness Center: 2 to 6 p.m. -- Travis Bowl: 2 p.m. to midnight -- Travis Aquatics Center: 2 to 6 p.m. -- Mitchell Memorial Library: 2 to 6 p.m. -- Travis Aero Club: Call for reservations -- Travis Marina: Call for reservations -- Paintball: Regular hours Things to do during power outage: -- Tell stories. -- Read a book. -- Play board games or Hide and Go-Seek. -- Play outdoor sports such as basketball, football, tag, bike riding, etc. -- Go to the movies, museum, park or one of the many enjoyable places in the surrounding communities.