BBARWA Wins Outhouse Race: Gives Winnings to Family and School District

Big Bear Lake, Ca, September 03, 2010, 4:00pm - The Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency, also known as BBARWA, has recently become the first to win the Old Miners Outhouse Race.  Team BBARWA consisted of 5 employees including: Fred Uhler, Jeremy Sweeney, Troy Bemisdafer, Clayton Cunningham, and Ron Roberts,  who pushed and steered the outhouse to victory.  It was fitting that BBARWA took home the top prize of $550.00.  The teammates then banded together and decided to give their winnings back to the community.  The Old Miners was helping a family raise funds for a tombstone after the passing of a loved one, and Team BBARWA chipped in $140.00 of their prize winnings to complete the amount needed.  Team BBARWA then decided to give the rest of their winnings, plus some of their own funds, resulting in $500.00 to the Bear Valley Unified School District, to help children in need.  Team BBARWA met with Superintendent Dr. Nancy Wright, and Director of Business Services for the school district, Walter Con to present them with the donation.  Dr. Wright was very grateful, and thanked Team BBARWA for their generous support.  Con stated that he would get in touch with the school principals to determine who the funds should go to.  Dr. Wright and Con both thanked Team BBARWA, and appreciated their generosity.

History Alive! Chautauqua Performs Saturday, July 24

July 24, 2010
7:00 pm	to	9:00 pm

Big Bear Lake, CA, July 22, 2010, 1:39pm – A traditional Old Miner’s celebration continues this weekend marking the 11th anniversary of the History Alive! Chautauqua programs presented by the Friends of the Library.  As in the past, a historical character will be featured and acted out so the audience can get to know the character portrayed.  This year, the highlight will be on Charles Fletcher Lummis, journalist, Indian activist, historian, photographer, poet and librarian.  He will be acted out by Dr. Daniel K. Lewis of Cal Poly Pomona, a San Bernardino native who has presented dozens of Chautauqua programs locally and nationally.  History Alive! Chautauqua will be held this Saturday, July 24th beginning at 7pm at the Summit Christian Fellowship Church at 41930 Garstin Drive in Big Bear Lake.  A reception will follow at the Big Bear Library.  The event is free.

Big Bear Chamber of Commerce to Host Chili Cook-Off

Big Bear Lake, CA – The Big Bear Chamber of Commerce announced yesterday that they would be hosting this year’s Chili Cook-off to be held on July 17th at the Bartlett Parking lot in the Village. Sara Russ, CEO of the Big Bear Chamber of Commerce explains the Chambers reasons for stepping in to make the event happen, “We are excited to be helping the Old Miner’s Association as they regroup this year. We wanted to make sure this event continued even though Old Miner’s is going through some difficult times. Our goal is to make the Chili Cook-off the best one in Southern California and we look forward to the community’s involvement and support.” The event will be held in the same format as year’s past with over 30 chili cooks, 80 vendors and plenty of grub, drinks, live entertainment, and family fun to make it a hit with both locals and visitors alike. Rick Bates, Director of the Big Bear Valley Events Resource Office commented, “The Chamber has the staff, volunteers and resources to make the Chili Cook-off a very successful event and I am pleased to see it continue.”  If you are interested in becoming a cooker or vendor contact the Chamber at 866-4607.

Celebration of Life for Ted Fashempour to Be Held at the PAC on January 24

The family of Ted Fashempour have planned his memorial service, to take place on Sunday, January 24 at 11am at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center. It was in the early morning hours of January 2, just days after his 56th birthday, that Fashempour, husband to Paula, with whom he owned the Little Green House Florist, passed at Loma Linda University Medical Center. It was in 1992, when Fashempour was working in the flower wholesale business that he met his wife, prompting his move to Big Bear Lake in 1995. Once here, Fashempour became active in the Rotary Club and the Old Miners’ Association, coordinating children’s activities for several years; he also enjoyed fishing on Big Bear Lake, trips to the river with friends and family, and hosting his famous barbecues during the Big Bear Lake Antique Car Club’s Fun Run weekends. The Ted and Paula Fashempour family, which includes daughters Dawn and Jennifer Wade, son-in-law Marv Terry, granddaughter Marley and brother Lee Fashempour’s family, thanks the Big Bear Valley for support, prayers and love; the Little Green House family suggests donations to Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Kidney Foundation.
Update: Fashempour’s service had been postponed due to snow, and will now be held on Saturday, March 6 at 1pm and still at the PAC.

Forest Service Rounds Up 50 Burros in Shay Meadows Area in Recent Weeks

Big Bear Valley’s burro population boomed in the 1990s, likely the result of the since-discontinued Old Miners’ Days burro races; following the days long race, burros would be released around Baldwin Lake and, over time, a herd of burros built up in that area. The U.S. Forest Service responded in 1997, and rounded up 90 wild burros and placed them in the Bureau of Land Management’s wild burro adoption program that operates from Ridgecrest and offers the burros to individuals and groups able to provide humane, long-term care for the animals. In mid-October of this year, the U.S. Forest Service began another burro roundup, the first in 12 years, to mitigate the influx of burros in the Shay Meadows area, as the animals have done damage to residential landscaping while also putting themselves in harm’s way, by venturing onto the highway. To secure the burros for transport to Ridgecrest, biologists with the San Bernardino National Forest are using a corral trap in Shay Meadows, which draws the burros in given the food and water provided. As of Friday, November 20, 50 burros had been rounded up and transported to the BLM adoption site. When this project started, it was estimated that 51 burros were in the area though now, as Forest Service Biologist Robin Eliason tells KBHR, “We know that there are some more, somewhere between eight and 10, still hanging around Shay Meadows. It’s getting harder to trap them because there are fewer of them, and they seem to be a little more wild. It’s not our intention to catch them all—we want some still out in the forest. We just want to get the ones that are hanging out in the residential areas and close to the highway.” Valley residents and visitors are reminded to secure trash cans, and do not leave food or water for the burros; if they approach, it is recommended that you gently chase them away. Eliason notes that once we get a good snow, the remaining burros will likely head down slope toward the desert but, she adds, “We are going to leave the burro trap set up this week, through Thanksgiving weekend, and then will reassess at that point.”

Forest Service Plans Wild Burros Round-Up, the First in 12 Years

Those in the Shay Meadows neighborhood and East Valley areas are likely familiar with the burros in the Big Bear Valley and, in fact, the San Bernardino National Forest says that, over the past year, a herd of burros has moved from forest lands east of Baldwin Lake and into residential areas including Erwin Lake and Sugarloaf. The influx of burros entering residential areas has resulted in damage to landscaping and the burros themselves, as several have been injured or killed along Highway 38 in the last year. To mitigate these issues, the San Bernardino National Forest has partnered with the Bureau of Land Management to conduct a roundup of burros in the Big Bear Valley. Wild burros gathered during the project will be moved into an adoption program run by the BLM in Ridgecrest; the BLM program offers the wild burros for adoption to those individuals and groups willing and able to provide humane, long-term care. The Forest Service rounded up 90 burros in our area in 1997 as, at that time, burros had become extraordinarily tame because of human food handouts and eating trash and pet food. To protect the burros, the Forest Service advises Valley residents and visitors to secure trash cans and do not leave food or water for burros. If they approach, it is recommended that you gently chase them away. Burro sightings can also be reported to the Forest Service, by calling Biologist Robin Eliason at 382-2832. It is estimated that Big Bear’s burro population is likely the result of the annual Old Miners’ Days burro race events, which ran through the mid-90s; following the days’ long race, burros would be released around Baldwin Lake and, over time, a herd of burros built up in that area.

Old Miners’ Association Meets for Special Presentations and Election of Officers for 61st Year

In anticipation of next summer’s 61st annual Old Miners’ Days, the Old Miners’ Association will hold their annual membership meeting tomorrow, October 6—and attendees are encouraged to wear their old miners’ duds. Tomorrow’s annual meeting of the miners will also include the election of officers, and special presentations; all those who have paid membership dues are entitled to vote in the Association’s election, which will be held at B’s Backyard BarBQ at 6pm. The meeting of the Old Miners’ Association will be preceded by social hour, which begins at 5:30pm; dinner will follow the meeting. For more information on tomorrow’s meeting and elections, contact David Tolbert at 237-4608.

Old Miners’ Days Parade Is Still Kickin’; Historical Society and Cowboy Gathering Take Top Honors for Floats

This year’s Old Miners’ Days Parade, in celebration of 60 years of Old Miners’ festivities, included 140 or so entries that marched, rolled and trotted down Big Bear Boulevard and, for the first time in five years, the Village L as well. Given the theme “60 Years ’n’ Still Kickin’,” the 14 local floats played with the kickin’ theme, though the Big Bear Cowboy Gathering took top honors in this respect, earning the Old Miners’ Award; the Big Bear Valley Historical Society won the Float Sweepstakes Award for best overall float for their entry, which also included burros and a wolf. The top civic float went to Dancers Anonymous, which represented the 65 dance students in the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District dance program. Best service club float was awarded to the flappers of the Chambermaids with their theme “over 60 and still kickin’”; a similar idea by the Kiwanis Club earned them a second place trophy. The Boy Scouts of America Troop #49 of the Big Bear Valley took top honors in the youth float category; their elaborate float, which was designed by the scouts, included canoes, boxcar racers, fishermen and a giant stuffed bear. This year’s parade (on August 2) also included the Lions Club with their water-shooting firetruck, the just-restored 1936 REO firetruck of the Big Bear City Fire Department (manned by Fire Chief Jeff Willis and County Supervisor Neil Derry), the return of Miss Clementine Keli Homan, Grand Marshall Chief Master Sergeant Noel Furniss, and the flyover of two F18 Hornets from the U.S. Navy. For a complete list of float winners, see our August 2 posting.

Grand Old Miners’ Days Parade Marches Down Big Bear Boulevard on Sunday; Road Closures to Begin at 11am on August 2

The Old Miners’ Days Parade is this Sunday in Big Bear Lake, in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Old Miners’ festivities—thus the theme, “60 Years ‘n’ Still Kickin’.” The parade starts at 12:30pm on August 2, and will begin at Summit Boulevard and, once on Big Bear Boulevard, will continue west toward the Village, then up Pine Knot Avenue and west down Village Drive, until wrapping at the Elks Lodge. This will be the first time since 2004 that the Old Miners’ Parade makes its way through the Village L. Parade co-chair Joe Haeckel tells KBHR that this year’s parade celebration is anticipated to be bigger and better, with the participation of more off-the-mountain bands, including the United States Marine Corps Band from Twentynine Palms, a number of local floats, and a U.S. Navy flyover of F-18 Hornets from Fallon, Nevada. Spectators are encouraged to line the parade route to cheer on  the participants, including Grand Marshall Chief Master Sergeant Noel Furniss, a Big Bear resident recently retired from 35 years of service with three branches of the military. The Village L and Big Bear Boulevard will be closed to all traffic, from China Garden (at the Summit Plaza) to the east and Pine Knot to the west, as of 11am on Sunday, so parade attendees should plan ahead for that. After the parade, parade units will disband at Bartlett Road and Paine Road in the Village, so access to these streets will not be available after the 12:30pm parade wraps. If participating in the Old Miners’ event, floats for judging need to be on Summit Boulevard at 10:30am; non-float participants should be lined up for the parade at 11am. Questions on Sunday’s parade can be directed to Neil Nickle at 585-8827 or Joe Haeckel at 760/809-2055.

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