Bush Family Chosen For Newest Habitat For Humanity Home

Big Bear, Ca, February 6, 2012, 4:00pm - The Big Bear Valley Habitat for Humanity has chosen a family for the new home that is currently under construction.  The Bush Family, consisting of Jessica and Donnie and their four daughters, was chosen as the family to buy house Number 5 of Big Bear Valley Habitat for Humanity.  According to Connie Baker with Habitat, when the house is completed, the Bush’s will buy the three-bedroom, two-bath home in Sugarloaf at zero percent interest as well as donating 500 hours in labor.  “We already have 46 hours in the project,” says father, Donnie Bush.  When asked why they think thought they were selected, 3rd grader Lexy said, “Because we are an awesome family!” And 5th grader Haley added, “Because we work as a team.”  Parents Donnie and Jessica Bush have been Big Bear Valley residents since they were teenagers and are thrilled with their future home, saying, “We’re going to make a beautiful home out of it!”

Celebrate the Life of Stephanie Murphy

Big Bear, Ca, February 6, 2012, 12:00pm - Stephanie Layne Murphy passed away on January 26^th due to her battle with cancer at the age of 45.  Stephanie was well known in the community for her infectious smile, loving personality, and was an admired real estate professional.  Stephanie and her husband Mark moved to Big Bear when her sons Dillon and Sean were young, and enjoyed all of the outdoor activities the mountains had to offer. Stephanie passed her love of fitness and healthy active lifestyle to her sons, who are involved in local athletics.  Stephanie always had safety in mind when it came to the kids involved on the Snow Summit Race Team Ski Team, therefore, In lieu of flowers, Stephanie wishes you to donate to the Big Bear Ski Educational Foundation.  Donations can be taken to Union Bank under the “The Stephanie Murphy Safety Equipment Fund.”   A celebration of Stephanie’s life will be held on Tuesday February 7th at 2 p.m. rain or shine at the Snow Summit Bear Bottom Lodge V.I.P room.

Write a Letter: Support Our Schools

Big Bear, Ca, February 3, 2012, 12:00pm – Due to the recent announcement by Governor Brown regarding the cutting of funds for the Home-to-School transportation budget by $800,000 in the Bear Valley Unified School District, a few concerned teachers and parents are taking action. The cuts proposed would force the removal of school bus service from our valley, resulting in many children being forced to find their own way to school. On February 7^th at 5:00 PM at Big Bear Middle School, there will be a letter writing campaign to encourage the legislative budget committee to pass SB 81, which would repeal the cuts from school transportation.  Jill Zamoyta, former teacher, concerned parent and wife of Paul Zamoyta, one of BVUSD’s trustees, is helping lead the cause and told KBHR that “Taking away busing in Big Bear would be devastating to not only schools and children, but also families and the economy in general. No transportation means reduced attendance, thereby reducing the amount of funds coming into the district that have been decimated by the state. In addition, the logistical consequences, such as traffic at school sites during drop-off and pick-up, would present a huge problem, and possibly be dangerous as well.”  The organizers of the letter writing event are asking for every community member to come and spend a few minutes writing a letter to express the devastating impact these cuts would cause, and to ask legislators to pass SB 81 when it comes up for a vote.  Zamoyta added “It’s a small effort for what will be a big return if we can save transportation in our community.”

Superbowl Sunday: Remember to Put Food Away

Big Bear, Ca, February 3, 2012, 8:00am - As you sit down with friends and family this Sunday to watch the Giants play the Patriots in the Superbowl, remember to put away perishable food, or keep an eye on how long the food has been out.  Next to Thanksgiving, Super Bowl Sunday is the day that American’s consume the most food, and like Thanksgiving, large amounts of perishable foods are left out for hours before they are put back in the refrigerator, which increases the chances of food born illness.  Illness caused by bad food can be severe, and can cause hospitalization or even death.  To avoid food poisoning this Super Bowl Sunday, plan ahead, and plan to leave out only non-perishable foods.  Avoid items that are high in dairy content, or only keep dairy items out for short amounts of time.  Save food such as chicken wings, pizza, hamburgers, hotdogs and cold cuts for when they can be eaten right away.  If you BBQ, be sure to avoid cross contamination by keeping ready to eat food separate from raw meat juices.  If all else fails, remember the 2- hour rule.  Do not leave any temperature sensitive or perishable food out for more than 2 hours.  Most importantly remember to wash your hands with soap and warm water, and enjoy the game.

Winterfest: This Weekend!

Big Bear, Ca, February 2, 2012, 12:00pm  - An age-old battle will come to Big Bear this weekend, starting Friday Night,  with the inaugural XOS Battle of the Sexes: Winterfest in the Village of Big Bear Lake.  This battle will be unlike any other that Big Bear has seen, in that it will showcase males vs females in three categories that include: a snowboard rail jam, fashion shows, and DJ battles.  According to the Big Bear Lake Resort Association, the purpose of the event is to educate and uplift women through fun, non-competitive events vs. men, to raise awareness of breast cancer, and the value of living an active lifestyle.  “We want to give women a comfortable forum where they can showcase their talents without any pressures. Winterfest is designed to give them a chance to playfully participate against the guys in a fun atmosphere,” said XOS Productions Event Producer Marisa Lupo. “The other key piece of Winterfest is to communicate the message about breast cancer, the importance of self examination and early detection, and to provide knowledge to fight the deadly disease.”  The two-day event will take place on February 3^rd and 4^th in the Village at the Bartlett Parking Lot. For more event information visit www.xosproductions.com.

Polar Plunge Comes To Big Bear

Big Bear, Ca, February 1, 2012, 5:00pm – Big Bear Lake will talk the plunge this year, with its very first Polar Plunge on March 10^th.  The event, which is done all over the world, sees hundreds of people stripping down to their swimsuits in the dead of winter, and taking a plunge into frigid lake or ocean temperatures.  The Big Bear Lake Resort Association’s Dan Mckernan told KBHR that although the temperatures are cold, the plunge is for a good purpose.  Organizers are now seeking fearless men, women and children to sign-up for the inaugural Big Bear Lake Polar Plunge, which helps sponsor year-round sports training programs and athletic competitions for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in the Inland Empire Region of Special Olympics Southern California. All proceeds from the event give people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, accomplishments, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. Individuals who take the Polar Plunge challenge are asked to raise at least $50 through pledges from family, friends and co-workers. Participants who reach this goal will get an official Polar Plunge t-shirt. Special Olympics supporters who prefer to stay out of the water can opt to register as a “Chicken.” They receive an “I’m too Chicken to Plunge” t-shirt, which helps raise money for the Special Olympics charity.  The inaugural event will take place in Big Bear Lake at Meadow Park on March 10^th.  For more information go to www.sosc.org/bigbearplunge.

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School Board Meeting To Discuss Parcel Tax Parameters

Big Bear, Ca, February 1, 2012, 12:00pm - The Bear Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet tonight for their regularly scheduled meeting.  Student representatives from Big Bear High School and Chautauqua High School will provide the board with updated on what is going on at their schools, and the BVUSD Governing Board will recognize the Maintenance and Operations Department for their efforts in restoring the art room at Big Bear High School.   The board will discuss a compressed natural gas bus piggyback bid purchase, coaching assignments at Big Bear High, will announce a new special education teacher that is set to be hired at the meeting, and will discuss and possibly approve a resolution regarding home to school transportation, and present the parameters of the parcel tax idea.  The public is welcome to attend the meeting that starts at 6:30pm tonight at the Big Bear Middle School Library.

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Chamber Power Lunch Focuses on Moonshine & Mayhem

Big Bear, Ca, February 1, 2012, 12:00pm – The Big Bear Lake Chamber of Commerce is prepping for its annual fundraiser Moonshine and Mayhem, and this months Power Lunch will focus on the event.  The Power Lunch will be held at Nottingham’s in the Village on February 2^nd, from 11:30am to 1:30pm, and “jail birds” for the Moonshine and Mayhem event will be announced, and chamber officials will report on their crimes.  For the past three years members of the community have been playfully arrested leading up to Moonshine and Mayhem, resulting in the jail birds needing to raise money for the Chamber to bail themselves out of jail!  Moonshine and Mayhem will be held on February 25^th, and tickets can be purchased by calling the Chamber at 866-4607.

22 Month Old Male Dies : Death Under Investigation

Big Bear, Ca, January 31, 2012, 4:00pm – According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, deputies of the Big Bear Sheriff Station responded to a call of a child not breathing on January 30th at the Crossings at Big Bear Lake, the new apartments that were built in the middle of last year.  The child was a 22 month old male, and was pronounced deceased at the scene.   According to Johnny Wells, the young boy was Brandon Copley Jr, and his family has no financial support to cover burial costs.  Collection cans for assistance for the family in this difficult time can be found at both 7/11’s and Community Market.  There has also been a memorial account set up at First Mountain Bank to accept donations.  A death investigation is being conducted and an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.

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