CalTrans Implements Maintenance Projects at Base of Mountain, and in Boulder Bay and Fawnskin Areas

Big Bear Valley, CA — In addition to the ongoing construction of the Big Bear bridge, scheduled for completion next year, there are a few CalTrans maintenance projects slated for this week. Work resumes in the Highland area this week, which will affect those traveling on the 210 freeway and Highway 330 at the base of the mountain. From 8am to 4pm through Friday, July 9, the connectors from the 330 to the 210, both eastbound and westbound, will be closed, though detours will be available, with signage posted. On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, the connector from Highway 330 to the southbound portion of Highway 18 at Running Springs will be closed for excavation work; this closure will be from 8am to 5pm and, again, for just two days. Closer to home, there will be three different pavement maintenance projects, each of them scheduled to take one day, from 8am to 3pm. On Wednesday, July 7, motorists can expect flagging from Talbot in the Boulder Bay area west to the Big Bear dam. Pavement projects on Thursday and Friday are in the Fawnskin area, so expect flagging on the North Shore at Bruin Trail on July 8 and on the North Shore at Cherokee Street on July 9. There may also be minimal delays for those taking Highway 18 east toward the Lucerne Valley; from 8am to 5pm this week, guardrail installation is taking place between Baldwin Lake Road and Cactus Road. For updated road information, please see the KBHR Big Bear Road Conditions page.

County’s Annual Property Assessment Roll Decreases by 4.5 Percent; Declines for Big Bear Average 2.1 Percent

San Bernardino County, CA – San Bernardino County’s annual property assessment roll was signed by Assessor Dennis Draeger last week, and calculated a –4.5 percent net decrease in value for the nearly 820,000 parcels, totaling a value of nearly $163 billion, as compared to the assessment roll for the prior fiscal year. The Assessor’s office reviewed approximately 250,000 residential properties for decline in market value conditions and, ultimately, removed more than $4.6 billion in value from the County’s assessment roll which, for many taxpayers, will result in a savings of hundreds of dollars on their tax bills this year. Unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County saw an average decrease of –7.7 percent, while declines for the Big Bear area averaged –2.1 percent, per the office of the Assessor.

Emergency Personnel on Scene in Boulder Bay July 5; Sheriff’s Dive Team Searching for Possible Drowning Victim (Updated)

Big Bear Lake, CA — Breaking news as of Monday, July 5, 11am hour: Big Bear’s emergency personnel are currently on scene in Boulder Bay, at Big Bear Lake’s west end, attending to a possible drowning incident. The Big Bear Municipal Water District’s Lake Patrol received the alert call at 10:48am and, in the 11 o’clock hour, responders have included Lake Patrol, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and all three local fire agencies: Big Bear Lake and Big Bear City Fire Departments and the San Bernardino County Fire Department. The Sheriff’s Department’s dive team has been in the water near Boulder Bay Park, searching for the victim, whose age, identity and gender have not yet been released. Water temperatures are in the low 60s in Big Bear Lake today. We will bring you more information on this incident as it becomes available.
Update: As of 11:45am, a Sheriff’s Department helicopter is also on scene, to locate the victim, who has been identified as an 18-year-old male. He and two friends of similar age attempted the swim from the beach (just off Highway 18) toward the large boulders of Boulder Bay, about 100 yards away. The young man allegedly struggled with the swim, and apparently did not make it. Lake Patrol was on scene by 10:52am, after hearing the 911 call at 10:48.
Update: Just before 1pm, the MWD reports that the body of the young man has been recovered, and will be airlifted to Loma Linda. His identity has not yet been released.
Update: The victim in today’s drowning incident has been identified as an 18-year-old white male resident of Yucca Valley. His name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. He was found in approximately 15 feet of water, with a lake temperature of 64 degrees.
Update as of July 6: The San Bernardino County Coroner’s office has identified yesterday’s drowning victim as 18-year-old Nathaniel Wayne Hopper of Yucca Valley. Hopper was pronounced dead at 12:50pm, per paramedics on scene during the incident.

Freedom Isn’t Free: We Salute 35 Hometown Military Heroes on Independence Day

Big Bear Valley, CA — As we celebrate our Independence Day, our friends at the American Legion Post 584 remind that freedom isn’t free. Thirty-five of the Big Bear Valley’s sons and daughters have already served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and three of those sons–U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rex Kenyon, U.S. Army Specialist Adam Rosema, and U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lieutenant Jared Landaker–have paid the ultimate price.
Today, we salute those from our community who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan: with the U.S. Army, Staff Sergeant Marc Little, Specialist 4 Ruth Nash, Specialist 4 Ruben Moody, Sergeant Selena Knowlton, Sergeant Josh Halverson, Specialist Zachary Baum, Specialist Erik Crisanti, Private First Class William Carroll, Sergeant Aaron Richert, Specialist 4 Dominic Solomon, Specialist 4 John Whalen, Specialist 4 Shannon McPherson, Private First Class Nathan Williams, Staff Sergeant Jacques Keeslar, Sergeant Gilbert Paiz and Sergeant Ben Siep; with the Air National Guard, Sergeant Al Groover; with the U.S. Navy, Petty Officer Third Class David Pickett and Navyman Brian Costanzo; and, serving with the U.S. Marine Corps, Corporal Jason Mazur, Corporal Kevin England, Corporal Anthony Rasmussen, Corporal Matthew Shelby,  Corporal Christopher Romero, Lance Corporal James Algeo and Sergeant Aaron Botenhagen.
On this Fourth of July, let us also celebrate six who, rather than at home in Big Bear, are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan: Sergeant Scott Zimmerman, Specialist 4 John O’Hare, PFC Shawn Kessinger, Timothy Armstrong and Victor Belotti with the U.S. Army and Sergeant Robert Seevers and with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Our thanks, also, to the families of these brave Americans.

Fourth of July Fireworks Over Big Bear Lake on Sunday Night; Boat Ramps Closed During Event

Big Bear Valley, CA — The City of Big Bear Lake and the Rotary Club present the annual Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza over Big Bear Lake–one of the best displays in all of Southern California!  Fireworks launch near the South Shore’s Pine Knot Avenue area, but can be seen from most locations on and near the lake, as well as surrounding San Bernardino National Forest areas. The show is scheduled to begin after 9pm, and revelers will want to tune to KBHR 93.3 FM for music synchronized to the fireworks display. If launching onto Big Bear Lake to view the fireworks from a boat, both public launch ramps on the North Shore will be temporarily closed at 8pm Sunday, and will reopen to vessels at 10:30pm, once the fireworks show is complete. Those going onto the lake are reminded that a Quagga Mussel inspection is required, and yet is offered free of charge from the Big Bear Municipal Water District which operates the two public launch ramps, the Carol Morrison Public Launch Ramp just west of Stanfield Cutoff on the North Shore and the Duane Boyer Public Launch Ramp also on the North Shore and located just west of Fawnskin. Both ramps open daily at 6am. The MWD anticipates busy days on the lake over the holiday weekend but, per General Manager Scott Heule, “If everyone is patient and courteous toward one another, we will all enjoy a safe boating day!”

CHP Reminds Travelers to Buckle Up; All Available Officers on the Road for Holiday Weekend

As with most major holidays, the Fourth of July weekend marks the implementation of a Maximum Enforcement Period for the California Highway Patrol. All available CHP officers will be on the road, as of Friday, July 2 at 6pm and through midnight on Monday the 5th. The CHP points out that during last year’s Fourth of July weekend, 24 people were killed on state highways and, of those, 80 percent were not wearing a seatbelt; during that same MEP, over 1,200 arrests were issued to those driving under the influence. Given these statistics, CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow reminds, “The CHP wants your holiday memories to be happy ones. Please be sure to take a few simple precautions to ensure that your family and friends have a safe Fourth of July.” Among those precautions, all are reminded to refrain from driving if drinking; always wear a seat belt, even if on short trips; watch your speed on the road, and allow extra time to accommodate the holiday traffic.

District Ranger Tangenberg Plans for Additional Fuels Reduction on Forest; SBNF Visitors Encouraged to Be Fire-Safe Over Holiday

Big Bear Valley, CA/San Bernardino National Forest — District Ranger Scott Tangenberg has been overseeing the Mountaintop District of the San Bernardino National Forest for over a year now, having officially assumed the position in September after serving as acting district ranger upon the promotion of Kurt Winchester last spring. “I am basically the local supervisor,” he tells KBHR. “I supervise 150 employees and am the local decision-maker on ranger district projects.”
Among those projects are the plans for additional fuels reduction along the Big Bear Valley, to increase the defensible space along the wildland-urban interface. “We call it the South Big Bear Project,” explains Tangenberg, “and it basically goes from Bear Mountain Resort to the Big Bear dam, and up to the ridgetop from the back of the community. What we are finishing up right now is the planning, which will authorize several years’ worth of implementation.” Though a specific start date has not yet been determined for the South Big Bear Project, it is likely that in the spring of 2011 fire crews will take to the ridgeline with chain saws to implement additional fuels reduction. To date, the San Bernardino National Forest has completed a fuel break along the ridgeline and cleared defensible space boundaries, up to 300’ deep, between the southern border of the community and the forest. “What we’re authorizing right now,” adds the District Ranger, “is some maintenance of those two, and some treatment in between and along the other roads that go to and from, such as near the Aspen Glen picnic area, and on other interior roads.”
In the interim, adds Tangenberg, “Certainly we are preparing for fire season. We’ve hired all of our crews and we are completing our training and readiness reviews. We’ve got our Big Bear Hot Shots crew of 22 and, in the Valley, we have four engines on this side of the mountain and four engines in the Running Springs, Lake Arrowhead area—and those are fully staffed.” In light of fire season and the upcoming holiday, Tangenberg notes, “As Deputy Forest Supervisor Tom Gillett reminds us, ‘We are encouraging our visitors to plan ahead, and be fire-aware during their forest visit. With the public’s help, we can make this a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July.’ And, no personal fireworks on the mountain or fires outside of designated fire rings.”
With many projects underway to maintain our local forest, both short term and long term, our one-year-new District Ranger Tangenberg adds, “The job has certainly been challenging, but I love that challenge and continue to enjoy being engaged with both the community and my employees of the San Bernardino National Forest on a daily basis.”

Escrow Closes on New Zoo Property; Community Input on Relocation Project to Be Sought in August or September

Big Bear Lake, CA — County Supervisor Neil Derry has just announced the purchase of a 10.4 acre parcel of land in lower Moonridge, to relocate and expand the Moonridge Animal Park, as escrow on the $2 million property closed this week. For nearly a decade, the zoo relocation project has been in various stages of discussion and implementation with action in earnest occurring over the last five years, per Derry’s office. The parcel was financed with San Bernardino County funds that had been set aside over several years, as well as matching state funds from Proposition 40. Various bureaucratic obstacles had impeded progress on the project, per a statement issued by Supervisor Derry, and the county was at risk of losing the state’s matching funds had it not acted. Per Derry, “The zoo was a pipeline project in grave danger when I took office and I expressed my commitment and support for the relocation to the curator and county staff. This was a true collaborative effort, and I am very proud of the results and excited about the zoo’s future.” The Moonridge Animal Park, home to over 150 birds and animals, is one of only two alpine zoos in the country and is entirely self-sufficient, via ticket sales and fundraising efforts overseen by the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District. In its current location, at the south end of the Bear Mountain Golf Course, space limitations and rent increases, from $1 a year to $5,000 a month, necessitated action on the relocation, which will take the zoo to the northern end of the golf course. “If we had lost these state funds,” adds Derry, “I am not sure what the future would have held for the zoo.” Now that those funds are secured and escrow closed, the Recreation and Park District will proceed with the CEQA and civil engineering process, with plans to seek public input on the project in August or September. If all goes as planned, development of the new Moonridge Animal Park will begin in April 2011, with completion slated for May 2012.

Though Closures, Adjournments for Upcoming Holiday, Boulder Bay Park to Open for Fourth of July

Big Bear Valley, CA — In light of the upcoming holiday, some meetings will be adjourned and offices closed. The Big Bear Municipal Water District will not be holding their regular meeting this Thursday, and the Big Bear Lake Planning Commission will not be meeting on Wednesday the 7th. Offices for both the City of Big Bear Lake and the Big Bear City Community Services District will be closed on Monday, July 5 in observance of Independence Day; with that, the CSD Board meeting has been adjourned for Monday as well. There is, however, one generally closed facility that will be open specifically for the holiday: the Boulder Bay Park at Big Bear Lake’s west end will be open for the Fourth of July weekend. At this week’s City Council meeting, City Manager Jeff Mathieu announced that Boulder Bay Park will be accessible, for a sneak preview early opening to include new landscaping and fishing dock, with a grand opening celebration of the lakeside park to be held in August.

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