Get Outdoors and Make A Difference: BBHS Work Party and 6th Annual Walk MS This Saturday

Big Bear Valley, CA — This Saturday offers two opportunities to get outside, join your fellow community members, and be of service. The Big Bear Lighthouse Project welcomes everyone to “love your community, love your school,” as, in anticipation of Earth Day, there will be a work party at Big Bear High School. Volunteers are needed to help with several projects, including constructing the Peace Vegetable Garden at the school at 351 Maple Lane in Sugarloaf. Event organizer Beth Gardner says, “We have an unprecedented opportunity to beautify the front of the campus with a demonstration Xeriscape. A collaborative between many organizations has made it possible for us to create a rock riverbed feature, sculpt land contours, place boulders and plant native trees and plants, all donated to our school! Our first work day, which is rock and land moving day, is Saturday, April 17.” All ages, skills and abilities are invited; participants in the work party, which runs from 9am to 5pm, should wear clothes and shoes that can get dirty, and are also reminded to bring gloves, sunscreen, lunch and water, and tools such as wheelbarrows, shovels and steel rakes. For more information on the Peace Garden work party at BBHS, call the Lighthouse Project at 888/906-9998.
Also on Saturday, all are welcome to participate in the 6th annual Walk MS along the Alpine Pedal Path. Last year’s Big Bear Walk MS event raised over $80,000 to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and it’s not too late to form a team or, as an individual, get pledges to support this cause. Always a fun event, Walk MS begins at North Shore Elementary School, and walkers can do either a one-mile or 5K walk along Big Bear Lake’s North Shore before returning to the elementary on Stanfield Cutoff for lunch, music and a fun kid zone; there will also be prizes, for best dressed and most spirited teams, as well as for the most inspirational walker. Saturday morning check-in begins at 9am at North Shore Elementary, opening ceremonies are at 10:30am, and the official start is at 11am. For more information on the April 17 Big Bear Walk to support MS research efforts, call 949-1363; info is also posted at NationalMSSociety.org.

Lighthouse Project’s Vision Includes Make a Million Smiles Campaign; Author Owen Encourages “Cowboy Ethics”

Big Bear Lake, CA – Community leaders and those in child-involved groups were welcomed to participate in the third annual Vision 2010 Community Summit, hosted by the Lighthouse Project at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center last night. Big Bear Lake Mayor Liz Harris opened the evening of inspiration and motivation to continue with child-honoring efforts in our community. “You all give me great pride,” Mayor Harris remarked, “Big Bear is a very special place.” Harris introduced some special members of the audience, including County Supervisor Neil Derry, BVUSD’s Superintendent Dr. Nancy Wright and members of the school board, as well as local elected officials, before saying of the Lighthouse Project, “It is a gift to the young and old alike.”
Program coordinator Beth Gardner addressed the packed PAC by noting, “We can always be improving and creating more unity in our community. Big Bear is uniquely poised to create special things.” Among those have been the Lighthouse’s Move a Million Miles for Ryan Hall campaign, the implementation of PeaceBuilders programs at local schools, the Run the Bear Marathon, and Peace Gardens at school sites, including two planned to sprout in spring at Big Bear High School and North Shore Elementary. The next big effort of the Lighthouse Project is the Make a Million Smiles campaign which, like the community movement in support of Olympian Ryan Hall in 2008, will allow for young and old alike to log their smiles (rather than miles) for every minute spent contributing in a volunteer capacity. “We need your help in schools,” Gardner suggested, “and think about the gifts that you’re going to get. Make a Million Smiles is inviting all of us to shine our light in 2010.”
To inspire those in attendance to a greater sense of community and integrity, the Lighthouse welcomed “Cowboy Ethics” author Jim Owen to speak on the Code of the West which, he says, “is a conscious choice to do the right thing; doing the right thing is a path you choose.” Owen went on to outline cowboy ethics which, when applied by each of us individually, can make a difference in our children, our community and our country. With that, and the challenge to make a million smiles, here is the Code of the West: “Live each day with courage. Take pride in your work. Always finish what you start. Do what has to be done. Be tough, but fair. When you make a promise, keep it. Ride for the brand. Talk less and say more. Remember that some things aren’t for sale. Know where to draw the line.”

Xeriscape Garden Tour

The Sierra Club Big Bear Group presents their 8th annual Xeriscape Garden Tour, featuring homes and gardens with drought-tolerant and native plants. As in years past, attendees can pick up a free tour booklet at Eminger’s Mountain Nursery (at 41223 Big Bear Boulevard, just west of Big Bear Middle School) between 9am and noon, then enjoy a self-guided tour and consult with xeriscape experts and homeowners through 4pm. In addition to six gardens, this year’s tour will also feature a Firewise home and the opportunity to enter to win a special drawing worth $1,000 in gift certificates (thanks to USAA and the Big Bear City Fire Department). For photos from past Xeriscape Garden Tours, visit the website of the Sierra Club Big Bear Group, then scroll down to view digital photo albums.

City Council Moves Foward With The Crossings, Establishes Day for Native Americans; Lighthouse Project Steps Down from Marathon Event

The Big Bear Lake City Council meeting began with two presentations, the first of which was a proclamation, designating this Friday, November 27 as National Native American Heritage Day. The City of Big Bear Lake has adopted this special day, as signed into law by President Obama on June 26, in honor of the Yuhaviatam people (now known as the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians) who first resided in our Valley, as well as the more than 20,000 Native Americans who live within San Bernardino County. The San Manuel Band’s Chairman James Ramos, who also happens to be the president of the San Bernardino Valley College District, was on hand to receive the proclamation from Mayor Rick Herrick at last night’s meeting, and responded with gratitude and a ceremonial song honoring the Big Horn Sheep.
The Lighthouse Project, represented by Beth Gardner, also made a presentation at the November 23 Council meeting, highlighting the success of the September 12 Run the Bear Big Bear Lake Marathon, which the non-profit organized on behalf of the City, rather than implementing their plans for Run Ryan’s Run, which was to be a run around Big Bear Lake inspired by local Olympian Ryan Hall. However, given this year’s change in plans, the Lighthouse Project did achieve their objective in fostering a community event which met their goals in terms of showcasing the Valley and producing a first-class run. Gardner noted that, post-marathon, they received a “surprising amount” of feedback from runners, from L.A. to Australia, congratulating our community for its beauty and hospitality. Though pleased with the event, made possible by countless local volunteers, the Lighthouse Project has opted to step down from organizing a future marathon, Gardner told Council, and will instead concentrate their efforts on their original mission: to foster a child-honoring community. To that end, the Lighthouse Project continues to build on their Peace Gardens project at schools, will be bringing the Peace Builders Program to Big Bear Middle School in December, is hosting the Vision 2010 Community Summit at the PAC on February 24, and is hoping to host Run Ryan’s Run in May 2011, pending Hall’s availability.
Following presentations, Council unanimously adopted the Consent Calendar, which included approval of the management agency to oversee The Crossings, the 42-unit workforce housing development being built by family-run Urban Housing Communities on Knickerbocker Road, as well as resident requirements for those who will live there, and the relocation of the one existing family residing on the property. In approving these items, Council commended Redevelopment Director Lyle Haynes and UHC for the thorough report and considerations for the family to be relocated, with Councilmember Michael Karp noting he was “very impressed with the screening of residents and maintenance of projects” for the future housing complex. Council also addressed the Friendship and Sister Cities programs, implemented in 1984, details of which we will bring you in a future newscast/story.

LiveGreen: Big Bear Lake Continues Green Initiative Movement

The City of Big Bear Lake is furthering efforts to be a leader in green initiatives and environmental responsibility and, in moving beyond an ad-hoc committee (made up of City Council’s Rick Herrick and Bill Jahn), the City’s Director of Community Relations Cheri Haggerty says, “We’ve coined this the LiveGreen program.” As outlined before Council on November 9, Haggerty noted, “We continue to look for creative ways to conserve our natural resources and reduce our carbon footprint.” Some of the programs already in place in Big Bear Lake include the addition of five “Clean Air” vehicles in the City’s fleet, a solar-powered sanitation monitoring system, the implementation of an online permitting system (thereby reducing trips to the Civic Center), the adoption of a Green Building Program, the availability of documents for online viewing, and, in an effort to be “thoughtful stewards of our environment,” per Haggerty, the purchase and use of recycled materials. The City is also seeking LEED (or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for the to-be-built Public Works Yard, while also furthering healthy living through infrastructure (via the new Red Ant Hill sidewalk and the implementation of bike routes, which have since been outlined in an updated route map), and, in conjunction with Big Bear Disposal, Haggerty adds, “We are striving to achieve a 35% reduction in waste.” This “zerowaste” effort has been helped by neighborhood chipping and recycling programs, with recycling taking place at schools and city offices, as well. The City has also joined forces with agencies such as the Municipal Water District, to preserve lake quality and maintain clean water standards; with the Sierra Club, to promote xeriscape gardening; with the Lighthouse Project, to further the Peace Gardens program; and with Sol Food Market, in joining the Valley’s Slow Food movement. Other exciting opportunities on the horizon include joining Bear Valley Electric for solar projects (pending a million dollars in funding, already approved by Congress), the launch of a LiveGreen website in coming weeks, and the Community Garden, the new motto for which is “Roots in the ground by Spring 2010.”

SBNFA’s Concert Series Results in $10K Donation to Peace Gardens; Tim Wood Honored for Music in the Mountains Sponsorship

The San Bernardino National Forest Association, which is headquartered at the Big Bear Discovery Center, celebrated a successful Music in the Mountains summer concert series, as well as community partners including the Coldwell Banker Tim Wood Group, in a luncheon held at the Knickerbocker Mansion Country Inn on November 4. The SBNFA’s Event Manager Kathy Clapsaddle noted that this year’s Music in the Mountains concert series, as well as the Bluegrass, Bluejeans and Beyond event, made for a 2009 season she dubbed as “a real success.” And, of the six concerts, she added, “Our finale event with Jim Curry was a sell-out and that was our first in our summer concert series, so that was a real thrill for us.” Given the $20,000 the SBNFA netted over the six-concert series, the Lighthouse Project’s local Peace Gardens project will receive $10,000 and, adds Clapsaddle, “Our $10,000 will go back to forest restoration—that’s job #1 at the SBNFA. As a non-profit, our mission is to give back and make the world a better place.” The Lighthouse Project’s Beth Gardner was on hand to receive the check designated for the Peace Gardens; at present, the garden at Big Bear Elementary has already seen a community harvest, and two or more gardens are in the works, with plans to establish a Peace Garden at North Shore Elementary in the spring. Tim Wood of Coldwell Banker was the SBNFA’s other honoree, as he accepted the U.S. Forest Service’s Corporate Sponsor National Service Award; Wood, who was selected by the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, was named the award’s recipient in August (for having sponsored the music series since its inception four years ago), but was recognized locally during Wednesday’s gathering. Though the SBNFA plans to scale down next summer’s concert series, there will still be four outdoor concerts to look forward to—starting with a Memorial Day weekend show, and including Jim Curry’s popular John Denver tribute and Eagles cover band The Long Run—as well as what is now to be called the Big Bear Mountain Twilight Music Festival and, adds Clapsaddle, “the margaritas will be back!”

Over 100 Contribute to Forest Replanting on National Public Lands Day; Volunteers Needed for Saturday’s Restoration Project

National Public Lands Day, this year held on September 26, started in 1994 and yet, this year, over 150,000 volunteers participated in the opportunity to contribute to public lands at over 2,000 locations, including national parks. Locally, the San Bernardino National Forest’s forest restoration day, three Saturdays ago, included over 100 volunteers from throughout San Bernardino County. These volunteers (who were fed by Subway of Big Bear Lake) planted over 400 native trees, shrubs and flowers in the area of the Butler Fire, which burned just outside of Fawnskin in 2007. Local volunteers also collected seeds to grow native seedlings at the SBNFA’s Children’s Forest in Running Springs and the Big Bear greenhouses and, all told, 625 volunteer hours were contributed to National Public Lands Day on the Mountaintop District of the San Bernardino National Forest. The forest’s Greenthumbs Forest Service Nursery also hosts volunteer restoration days on a seasonal basis, on the third Saturday of each month, March through November. The next restoration day is this Saturday, October 17; to participate, simply show up at the Big Bear Ranger Station flag pole (across from Juniper Point on the North Shore) at 9am. No experience is necessary, and volunteers can plan to participate until 3pm. For more information on Saturday’s project, call Juli Goss at 382-2824.

City of Big Bear Lake Plans to Grow a Community Garden; Policy and Parcel Being Readied for Spring 2010

The City of Big Bear Lake hopes to have a community garden in place by next spring—prompted by an idea that was sprouted by the City Council’s Green Sustainability Committee, and spurred on by the enthusiasm of local gardening expert Robbie Bos. As presented before City Council last night (October 12), city staffer Cheri Haggerty outlined a formal policy for consideration and noted that the community garden would be a single piece of land, gardened collectively. Bos explained that the idea has taken root, so far, at Big Bear Elementary School, where community members, namely Reverend Jean Sweet and those of the Lighthouse Project, have repaired the greenhouse at the school site and are now growing vegetables and just-planted fruit trees in the Peace Garden. Bos also noted that, at present, there are 10 actively engaged individuals committed to contributing to a new garden which, per his vision, will be “a first-class, role-model garden for the community to share.” Some proposed sites for the project are on the Fox Farm lot adjacent to CVS, on the acreage behind the Bear Valley Electric station on Pennsylvania between Knickerbocker and Pine Knot, and a city-owned lot northeast of Big Bear Elementary on School Road. City Council members were pleased with the proposed yet preliminary plan–with Liz Harris saying, “I’m delighted with this”—though did ask that some elements be incorporated into the community garden policy. Mayor Rick Herrick asked that the garden not include trees, but an annual crop that could be distributed, as well as incorporating drip irrigation. Mayor Pro Tem Bill Jahn commented, “I had no idea there was this much involved in it”—which is why city staff will come back with a more formal policy for Council to consider, given logistics of maintenance, liability, conflict resolution, and fencing, to name a few. Yet, as noted in Haggerty’s staff report, “The focus should be on the community taking care of the garden and not city staff or another government agency. We would not want to see this project be laden with too many regulations. ‘Buy-in’ of the community is extremely important.”

Volunteers Needed for Public Lands Day 9/26/09

This month, volunteers will have the opportunity to partake in the enriching experience of replanting the 2007 Butler Peak burn area in the San Bernardino National Forest. Every helping hand will be part of the largest annual coast-to-coast, single-day volunteer restoration effort for America’s public lands.

While rolling up their sleeves, volunteers will learn about the necessities of managing a healthy and fire safe forest. Also, while removing invasive weeds, participants will be contributing to maintaining the natural biodiversity of our forest. In addition, seed collecting throughout the day will help prepare for future restoration projects.

“Last year, National Public Lands Day was a huge success. More than 120,000 participants planted more than 1.6 million trees at over 1,800 events in all 50 states. In 2009, we hope to have the participation of even more volunteers throughout the country, and make the 16th annual National Public Lands Day the most successful yet.” said Robb Hampton, director of National Public Lands Day.  “Every 100,000 volunteers represent an additional $1.8 million worth of labor for American lands, and we invite you to join us in this effort.”  Local organizers are hoping for 150 participants.

To pitch in for National Public Lands Day, meet at the Big Bear Discovery Center at 9am on Saturday, September 26 to caravan to the site. No reservations are necessary for individuals or small groups; groups larger than 10 should RSVP to the number below.  Travel will include driving on well-maintained dirt roads for approximately 1 mile, 4×4 not necessary.  Bring a hat, sunscreen and some working hands. All tools and lunch will be provided.  Volunteers who participate will be rewarded with a pass good for free entry any day during the next year at public land sites managed by: National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

For more information please call Danielle Grondin at the Big Bear Discovery Center (909) 382-2818.

The San Bernardino National Forest Association is the primary non-profit partner to the U.S. Forest Service, which operates six programs to care for the San Bernardino National Forest.  The programs include Children’s Forest, Big Bear Discovery Center, Off Highway Vehicle Outreach Education, Forest Care, Fire Lookout Hosts, and the Urban Youth Conservation Corps.

Weekend Water-Use Restriction for DWP Customers Over Labor Day Weekend

For water customers of the Department of Water and Power, there will be additional water use restrictions over the Labor Day weekend, so you may want to plan to do your outdoor watering in the meantime. On Saturday and Sunday, DWP customers serviced in Big Bear Lake, Sugarloaf, Fawnskin and Lake Williams are asked to refrain from watering, in order to allow for adequate water flow, should it be needed for fire suppression. As all DWP customers are under either Stage I or Stage II conservation measures, all outdoor watering is to be done on the odd/even schedule (as the date corresponds to your address), and either before 9am or after 6pm. That said, watering will need to be done today if your street address ends in an odd number, on Friday if even. The DWP will allow an exception; if planting new plants or shrubs over the holiday weekend, customers will be allowed to water them at that time. Any questions on this weekend’s outdoor watering restrictions which, again, mean no outdoor watering Saturday or Sunday, can be directed to the DWP at 866-5050.

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