Things are looking UP!!! Received this reply from Avast Support today. 
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Hello,
avast! Mail shield supports ssl/tsl, however secure connection was not supported in avast! alerts. it has been implemented to the latest version thanks to your feedback.
Best Regards,
Petr Bucek
Technical Support
AVAST Software a. s.
Budějovická 1518/13A
140 00 Prague, Czech Republic
Ticket Details
Ticket ID: YGB-910-26500
Department: Technical Support (Level 2)
Type: Communication
Status: On Hold
Priority: High
Support Center: https://support.avast.com/index.php?