BBHS Freshmen Football Camp Starts Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Big Bear Valley, CA, July 27, 2010, 9:15am – Freshmen Football Camp is this coming this Wednesday through Friday, July 28-30, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Big Bear High School for any incoming Big Bear High School freshmen who are interested in playing high school football are welcome. Players do not need to have prior experience.  Players are instructed to meet at the high school tennis courts the first day dressed in red shorts, a white T-shirt and black cleats.  All players should have a physical exam prior to reporting for practice. Spirit packs are available for sale the first day for those who didn’t purchase them earlier.  Senior football players will assist the coaching staff in running the camp. The incoming players will learn drills and plays in preparation for full practice, which begins the first week of school.  The final day of the three-day camp ends with a tour of the school as part of Big Bear High School Freshman Friday activities.

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.

School Board Approves BAC’s Plan B Recommendation, Amounting to Nearly a Million Dollars in Cuts

Big Bear Valley, CA — Though it is not yet a done deal, the Board of Trustees for the Bear Valley Unified School District did implement additional cuts to school programs in adopting the fiscal year 2010/2011 budget on June 23. The Board adopted the budget as it was presented to them in a June 21^st budget workshop—and this includes the Budget Advisory Committee’s Plan B recommendation, one of three that received much discussion during the school board’s April 28 budget meeting. As outlined in the Budget Advisory Committee’s Plan B and adopted, an additional $930,000 in cuts will be made to BVUSD; this includes the one percent pay cut taken by classified staff and management, the freeze on certificated staff’s step and column advancement, and seven furlough days for all three groups, amounting to salary reductions of 4½ percent. Additional reductions included in Plan B are as follows: a $55,000 reduction in routine maintenance for BVUSD, $20,000 reduction to school site budgets, a $38,000 reduction to Big Bear High’s athletic travel budget (from what had been $86,000), the elimination of BBMS athletic travel, elimination of the strings program, elimination of the intervention programs (amounting to $200,000), elimination of board stipends, reductions to adult education and the high school exit exam program, the elimination of GATE and two other programs, and a $20,400 reduction to the professional development budget. As explained by the district’s Director of Business Services Walter Con, “There was a lot of discussion about potentially revisiting some of these cuts at the July 7 meeting, in particular the strings program and school realignment.” Superintendent Dr. Nancy Wright will be reconvening the Budget Advisory Committee (comprised of school personnel, union representatives and parent Mary Kelso) as of August, to continue to look for solutions to the funding crisis. But, all told, relays Con, “The outlook for funding to K-12 education remains bleak, and it is most likely the district will have to make additional cuts to maintain fiscal solvency.”

Teachers’ Union Elects Seven New Chairmen (Including Negotiators) to Committee of 10

Big Bear Valley, CA — In additional news from Bear Valley Unified, the Bear Valley Education Association, the bargaining unit that represents the certificated union (meaning teachers), has seven new chairmen on their committee of 10, including two newly elected negotiators, Ken Nettlebeck of BBHS and Pam Reames of Big Bear Elementary. For many years, high school teacher Scott Hird has been vice president (to Alan Caldwell, long president), though Hird was elected to serve as BVEA president as of school year’s end; other returning chairmen are high school teacher David Bumstead as treasurer and North Shore teacher Karen Geiger as membership chair. The seven newly elected BVEA representatives include Vice President Debi Burton (BBHS math teacher transitioned to the middle school); Secretary Nicol Erdmier from Big Bear Elementary; high school teacher Doreen DeNigris as the political action chair; high school teacher Linda Pyles as insurance representative; and just-rehired Big Bear Elementary teacher Amy Ellis as BVEA’s social chair.

Big Bear High School Class of 1985 Reunion

July 24, 2010

6:30 pm

Big Bear High’s Class of 1985, the last class to graduate from “the old high school” in Big Bear Lake, returns to Big Bear for their 25-year reunion. Festivities begin with Friday night mixer at Sandy’s Sports Bar at 7pm on July 23; Saturday’s activities include 9am walk along the Alpine Pedal Path (meet at North Shore Elementary at 8:45am) and 9am golf event at Bear Mountain Golf Course (contact carviso@clippers.com), 10am trail run up Cougar Crest Trail, and Sunday noon picnic at Meadow Park. The main event is Saturday evening’s three-hour dinner cruise on Miss Liberty at 6:30pm, followed by a surprise party! To purchase tickets, visit the Class of 1985’s website; details also available on Facebook, Twitter and via email to Annette Davis Nueske at anueske@hotmail.com.

Civil Air Patrol Cadet Andrew Ruiz Promoted; BBHS Seniors Kevin Magdiel and Jake Murie Earn Eagle Scout Badges

Big Bear Valley, CA — Three young men from the Big Bear Valley have been honored for their effort and commitment in ceremonies held this month. Civil Air Patrol cadet Andrew Ruiz, a 14-year-old who finished eighth grade this week, was honored with the Wright Brothers Award, earned for having completed all Airman ranks with Squadron 6750 prior to transitioning into the Sergeant ranks. To achieve this, Ruiz, son of 2nd Lieutenant Thomas and Linda Ruiz of Fawnskin, demonstrated competencies in aerospace education, leadership and physical fitness. Cadet Staff Sergeant Ruiz received his award from Big Bear Lake Mayor Liz Harris in a ceremony at the new Civil Air Patrol headquarters at the Big Bear Airport, where cadets meet each Tuesday at 6pm. (For more information, contact Bruce Black at 585-4120.)

Two Big Bear High School students, both members of the Class of 2010, earned their Eagle Scout ranking in a ceremony hosted by Boy Scout Troop 49, recently honored as Troop of the Year for their Inland Empire district. Big Bear Lake’s Mayor Pro Tem Bill Jahn was on hand June 12 to honor Big Bear’s two newest Eagle Scouts, Jake Murie and Kevin Magdiel; as their Scoutmaster Alyn Nielsen tells KBHR, “As Eagle Scouts, Jake and Kevin now join Steven Spielberg, about 20 astronauts and a lot of U.S. presidents. They are both very good young men, and we are sorry to lose them as they become adults.” In fact, both Murie and Magdiel are moving on, as they graduate from Big Bear High School on Friday; Murie will attend Montana University and Magdiel will be going to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Scoutmaster Nielsen points out that the two each spent about four years working toward their prestigious Eagle Scout badges, which included a community project by each; Murie planted trees at North Shore Elementary while Magdiel built a storage shed for the Recreation and Park District’s The Ranch at Erwin Lake. (Both Murie and Magdiel have been in the news before; input either name in the KBHR search bar for more stories.)

June 17 Is Last Day of School for BVUSD Students; Over 260 Seniors to Graduate from Chautauqua and Big Bear High Schools

Big Bear Valley, CA — Today, June 17, is the last day of the school year for Bear Valley Unified School District students. Twenty-seven students graduate from Chautauqua High School at 11am today (Thursday), in an outdoor ceremony to be held at their school on Maple Lane in Sugarloaf. Big Bear High School’s Class of 2010 graduates in an outdoor ceremony, at their school site also on Maple Lane, on Friday at 4pm. Two hundred and forty students are expected to participate in the June 18 commencement ceremonies, which will be the 81st for BVUSD and the 24th from the current school site, which opened to students in the fall of 1985. BVUSD students will enjoy a six-week summer vacation before classes resume for the 2010/2011 school year on Tuesday, August 3.
Update: Valedictorians for Big Bear High School’s Class of 2010 are Jessica Massey, Cameron Musser, Cheyenne Sardarianpour, Paige Sutherland and Kiersten Thomas. Congratulations, Bears!

Related stories:
The latest update on BVUSD and budget cut choices before the school district’s Board of Trustees
Summer activities for youth through the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District
Community scholarships gifted to BBHS’s Class of 2010
Activities tuition scholarships offered through the Hummingbird Project

Community Supports Big Bear High School’s Class of 2010 With Over $52,000 in Scholarship Awards

Big Bear Valley, CA — The Big Bear Valley truly is a child-honoring community, as evidenced by local organizations’ participation in this week’s Senior Scholarship Awards at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center. The Class of 2010 received over $52,000 in scholarship awards in the June 7 ceremony. To follow is a list of those who supported our local seniors and the recipients, all of whom graduate from Big Bear High School in an outdoor ceremony on Friday, June 18 at 4pm: The American Association of University Women award to Katelyn McDonald; the American Legion Auxiliary award to Jeffrey Barker; Arrowhead Credit Union award to Michelle Ritenour; Bear Backers awards to Paige Sutherland, Eddie Muro, Drew Waner and Lauren Schour; Bear Valley Community Hospital Auxiliary award to Cassidy Tokunaga; Bear Valley Education Association Liston Caldwell Memorial awards to Drew Waner, Cassidy Tokunaga, Lauren Schour, Claire Hird, Amber Carpenter, Tyler Bumstead, Kimberly Begley, Shaughn Barr and Sara Chatham; Big Bear Lake Village Business Association award to Harry Takenaka; Big Bear Valley Contractors Association awards to Ryan McCord, Samuel Randazzo, Katherine Orphey and Sara Dubuque; Big Bear Group Sierra Club award to Cameron Musser; Big Bear Trail Riders awards to Ryan McCord and Tommy Wadden; Community Arts Theater Society awards to Juliana Hendricks and Ashley Harris; California School Employees Association awards to Katelyn Callaway, Claire Hird, Paige Sutherland and Christopher Thomas; Channel 6 award to Amber Carpenter; Elks Club awards to Cameron Musser, Kiersten Thomas, Mykhaylo Shumko, Eric Sprecher, Jake Murie and Allison Costley; Greg Lynch Memorial award to Kody Lynch; Hesperia Administrators, Managers and Supervisors award to Corbin Snyder; Hummingbird Project award to Shae Burk and Jonika Kelso; Imagine American Scholarship award to Katie Orphey; Interact Club awards to Hillary Crawford, Cameron Musser, Tyler Bumstead and Paige Sutherland; Jared Landaker Memorial awards to Josh Connelly, Kiersten Thomas and Kevin Magdiel; Kiwanis Club awards to Caroline Forry, Emma Hilliard, Lauren Schour, Cassidy Tokunaga, Raven Uhler and Drew Waner; Los Vaqueros Riding Club award to Shae Burk; Real Estate Board of Big Bear Lake Dave Pickard Memorial awards to Caroline Forry, Paige Sutherland and Cassidy Tokunaga; Rotary Club of Big Bear Lake Academic Achievement awards to Michelle Ritenour, Paige Sutherland, Cassidy Tokunaga, Hillary Crawford, Jake Murie and Cameron Musser; Soroptimists awards to Cameron Musser, Paige Sutherland, Elaine Flores, Michelle Ritenour, Ashley Rolston and Nicolette Yarber; and the Womens Club of Big Bear Lake awards to Cassidy Tokunaga and Katelyn McDonald. Congratulations, Bears!

Bears Alex Hird and Jackson Rees, Both Sophomores, Named to All DeAnza League Honors for Golf

Sugarloaf, CA — The Bears varsity golf team, led by Coach Scott Hird, had their annual matchup against the teachers yesterday and the BBHS staff, said to be led by the Benson brothers in stellar outfits, won. The Bears have been in a start-up year, explains Coach Hird of this season, as a number of seniors graduated from the team in 2009, leaving the golf team with just one returning varsity player, sophomore Alex Hird. That said, sophomores led the season and, as far as team honors, sophomore James Jennings was named Rookie of the Year while sophomore Jackson Rees earned the Most Improved title. Within the DeAnza League, Rees was also honored with 2nd team All League distinction, while Alex Hird made 1st team All DeAnza League. Though just a second-year player on the high school level, Hird missed the celebrated De Anza League MVP title by just one stroke, but was honored as MVP for the Bears.

School Board Approves Staff for Summer School; Four BVUSD Teachers Rehired for 2010/11 School Year

Big Bear Valley, CA — Summer school through the Bear Valley Unified School District is slated to begin on Monday, June 21st and in last night’s meeting of the Board of Trustees for the school district, teachers, cafeteria workers, custodian and instructional aides were hired for the program that will be offered to 8th through 12th grade students. Summer school principal duties will be shared by Kevin Amburgey, principal of North Shore Elementary, and Melinda Peterson, principal of Baldwin Lane Elementary, in the two-session schedule to be held for four weeks at Big Bear High School. In other news from the BVUSD meeting of June 8, four teachers were hired from the district’s re-hire list for the 2010/2011 school year, given the retirement notifications of five certificated staff members. Those retiring at school year’s end are North Shore teacher Joyce Carlson, Baldwin Lane teacher Teresa Lynch, Big Bear Elementary teachers Priscilla Alexander and Mary Marich, and Big Bear Middle School teacher Sam Marich. The five teachers who were re-hired to continue with BVUSD in the upcoming school year are Susan Iles, Kathryn (Suzy) Carpenter, Rachel Edwards and Amy Ellis. The Wednesday meeting also included a presentation by consultant Sandy Sanford, who gave an overview on computer-based learning and grade level configurations, for grades K-12 as utilized by other school districts; no action was taken by the board on these items, as they were informational only.

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