Old Miners Parade to be held on the National Day of the Cowboy

Big Bear, Ca July 18, 2011 8:00 am – Big Bear’s Old Miners Parade is set to travel through the Village and along Big Bear Blvd on Saturday, July 23.  Happily, this date coincides with the 7th annual National Day of the Cowboy, a day set aside to celebrate and honor cowboy heritage.  Recently California adopted SCR 48, a resolution introduced by Senator Jean Fuller (R-District 18), to add California to the growing list of states observing a day of celebration of cowboys.  As Big Bear’s history is rich in cowboy lore and this year’s parade theme is “Respecting our Past, Protecting our Future, “ the fact that the two events coincide allows Big Bear to include celebrating our cowboy past as part of the festivities.  Also set for Saturday’s Old Miners’ Association list of events is a Parade Breakfast, the Outhouse Race, and the History Alive! Chautauqua.

Big Bear Rave Canceled

Big Bear, Ca July 15, 2011 5:00 pm – The summer rave concert that raised the concerns of parents and other local residents has been cancelled, according to the promoter’s page on Facebook.  Evollove, a new concert production company based in Big Bear City posted on Facebook on July 14 at approximately 7:00 pm, “I regret to inform you taht [sic] Summer Bear Beats has been shut down by Big Bear Sheriff Department. This is not the end of evollove Productions.”  On July 15 at 3:00 pm, Evollove posted that there would be a Hip Hop Show at Diamond Lil’s on August 27.  The production company’s information listed is limited to a post office box in Big Bear City.  No phone, email, or website contacts are included.  Currently only 17 people have subscribed to the page.

Music for Forest Restoration at Discovery Center

 Big Bear, Ca July 15, 2011 3:00 pm – The tribute band acclaimed as “the next best thing” to seeing the superstar rock group Journey, Don’t Stop Believin’ is bringing their music to the Big Bear Discovery Center Saturday night.  The concert is a fundraiser for the National Forest Association’s programs for forest restoration and youth volunteer programs, and is number two in a series of four events co-produced by the NFA and The Tim Wood Group of Coldwell Banker.  The Discovery Center will use the proceeds from the music events for a 3-year forest restoration project led by youth volunteers.  The program particularly needs funds to provide reliable transportation for the youth.  Tickets for the concerts are available online at nationalforestassociation.org and when not sold out, at the gate.  Tomorrow, the amphitheater gates open at 5:30 pm with the music to start at 7:00.  Tickets are $22 for adults and $10 for teens.  Children ages 12 and under are always admitted free.

Carmegeddon Solution: Big Bear

Big Bear, Ca July 15, 2011 1:00 pm – With much of Los Angeles in an uproar over the closing of the parts of the 405 this weekend, Big Bear would like to offer a solution.  Come visit our cool mountain air, beautiful lake, great hiking and mountain biking trails, cozy cabins, full-service hotels, and restaurants for any taste, even Nepalese!  No need to travel the 405 freeway to get here.  Big Bear is far away from the city’s congestion and traffic.  Of course, residents, second homeowners, and visitors to Big Bear this past winter and spring are chuckling a little behind their hands.  Having survived a seven month closure on one of Big Bear’s main access highways, two days doesn’t seem like such a big deal.  Now, thanks to the efforts of many people at the state and local level, highway 330 is open.  Big Bear would like to invite those avoiding traffic snarls in Los Angeles for a visit.  It’s a great solution to carmegeddon, this weekend and all year.

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Fire District Board Updated on Firewise Programs

Big Bear Lake, Ca July 15, 2011 12:00 pm – During Wednesday’s meeting of the Big Bear Lake Fire District, Fire Fuels Reduction Supervisor David Yegge gave a presentation about the multiple fire prevention programs the city is pursuing.  Big Bear Lake has received commendation for these programs, including an article in Sunset Magazine last September called “Doing it right: looking for the safest place to live in wildfire country? Welcome to Big Bear Lake”  Current programs highlighted by Yegge included the joint agency Curbside Chipping program throughout the Valley, the work with the County to remove dead and dying trees, updates to the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, and grants in progress for future programs.  One grant Yegge is working on would extend the successful chipping program for several additional years.  In June alone, the program received 570 requests for chipping, with another 225 made this month.  202 tons of brush has been chipped, with some of the wood chips being used at sites around the City, and some slated to be burned for electricity at a plant in Thermal, California.  During the presentation, the Board was invited to visit the firewise property during this Saturday’s Xeriscape Garden Tour.  The demonstration property uses native plants and careful landscaping to create a beautiful yard that also reduces the home’s vulnerability to wildfire.  The demonstration is part of the Districts’ programs to educate the public so that more homes in the Valley are firewise, increasing the safety of the entire community.  David Yegge’s presentation provided the board with information on the progress of the Healthy Urban Forest Initiative, inacted after the Old Fire swept through mountain communities in 2003.

Additional information is at thinisin.org

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GPS Readings to Determine Earthquake Fault Movement

Big Bear, Ca July 15, 2011 8:00 am – Four research scientists visiting Big Bear this weekend won’t be seen in the Village or on the lake.  The two teams of geology students are in the Valley to measure earthquake fault movement.  The project headed by Cal State San Bernardino professor of geological sciences Sally McGill, is surveying benchmarks around the Inland Empire using high-precision global positioning equipment to record each location.  These GPS units can accurately measure within a few millimeters. The information recorded this weekend will be compared with other data collected since 2002 to monitor how fast each point is moving.  The two data collection sites in the Big Bear Valley are south of Erwin Lake and north of Fawnskin.  The geology students at the Erwin Lake site are Elizabeth Upton from Occidental College in Los Angeles and Joseph Ramos from Cal State San Bernardino.  Joseph will also be collecting GPS data for his senior research project while at the site.  The students at the Fawnskin location are summer interns Robert Mason from Pasadena City College and Ashley Grijalva from the University of Texas at El Paso.  On Monday, once the GPS information is collected, the students will return to Cal State San Bernardino.

Chili Cookoff Hottest Event this Weekend

Big Bear’s chili cookoff this Saturday is set to be the spiciest event of the weekend.  Over 40 chili cooks are coming to Big Bear to compete with local cookers in this International Chili Society sanctioned cook-off, each hoping to be the winner and go on to the all-California competition.  Four categories will be judged: red chili, green chili, salsa, and people’s choice.  Last year’s winners are returning to defend their titles and hoping to take home some of the over $1,700 in cash prizes.  The public is invited to attend with free admission and a chance to judge the people’s choice entries.  In addition to the chili competition, the event includes more than 60 vendors, a beer garden, live entertainment, and a kid’s Fun Zone with bounce houses, a climbing wall, pony rides, face painting and much more.  The gates open at 10:00 am with the awards ceremony set for 4:30 pm for a full day of hot and saucy fun.  The event will be in the Bartlett parking lot behind the Big Bear Visitor Center, at 630 Bartlett Road, Big Bear Lake, CA.

For more information go to:  http://bigbearchilicookoff.com

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New Fire Chief for Big Bear Lake Sworn In

Big Bear Lake, Ca July 14, 2011 12:00 pm - Yesterday’s meeting of the Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District was notable in many ways.  With most items on the agenda entered on the Consent Calendar, the board was able to focus their attention on a presentation on the Healthy Urban Forest Initiative by David Yegge and the final item on the agenda, the swearing in of the District’s new Interim Fire Chief, Jeff Willis.  With his installation, Willis retains his current position as Fire Chief for the Big Bear City Fire Department and will be dividing his time between the two departments.  Willis’ services are contracted to the Big Bear Lake fire district by the Community Services District, with half his salary being reimbursed to the CSD by Big Bear Lake.  The contract renews annually, unless terminated by either the CSD or the Big Bear Lake Fire District.  Under the provisions of the contract, Chief Willis’ duties include evaluating the potential for sharing more fire services between the two departments.  He is required however, to refrain from allowing his position to prejudice the options available for possible merger or consolidation of the fire services.  Willis’ services as Chief for Big Bear Lake will be supervised by the Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District.  His work as Chief of the Big Bear City Fire Department will continue to be supervised by the CSD.

CERT Class Beginning July 18

Big Bear, Ca July 14, 2011 8:00 am – Fire Departments in Big Bear Valley are currently offering Community Emergency Response Team courses.  The CERT program is designed to train members of the community as emergency service volunteers.  Once trained, CERT volunteers respond to disaster situations by fanning out within their neighborhood putting out small fires, turning off natural gas inlets to damaged homes, performing light search and rescue, and administering basic first aid.  Since the CERT program started in 1998, there have been over 250 class graduates with Area Representatives and Team Leaders established throughout Big Bear Valley.  More participation is still needed.  As many residents know, Big Bear Valley has seen fires, floods, and earthquakes.  Local fire agencies want everyone to be prepared and well trained for disaster situations. On-going training is provided to CERT members on a regular basis, they have become a very important element in the disaster preparedness plan of Big Bear Valley. The CERT program is a series of five courses, four hours each, providing hands-on training in Emergency Preparedness, Medical Aids, Fire Suppression Techniques, Light Search and Rescue, and Communications/Team Building Skills.  Classes are open to all Valley residents at a no cost.  The next series of classes begins July 18, 2011 at the Big Bear City Fire Department.  Registration is required as class size is limited.  To register, call the Big Bear City Fire Department at (909) 585-2362.

Big Bear City Fire Department:  http://www.bigbearcityfire.org/

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Wilderness First Aid Class at Discovery Center

Big Bear, Ca July 13, 2011 3:00 pm – This weekend, the Big Bear Discovery Center will host a Wilderness First Aid class.  The 2-day class sponsored by the Wilderness Medicine Institute of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and the sporting goods company REI provides the first aid skills needed for hikers, mountain bikers, jeep offroaders, climbers and others in the backcountry.  Participants completing the course earn a Wilderness First Aid certification from NOLS.  Holders of previous certifications may enroll to re-certify during this class.  The course is 16 hours long and will be held beginning at 9:00 am both Saturday and Sunday.  Registration is required and is available online at rei.com.   

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