Big Bear Calcutta Dinner & Chili Booth Auction

July 15, 2011
7:00 pm	to	9:00 pm

Enjoy great food, drinks, and camaradeie as you bid in a live auction on the winning chili team that will compete the following day at the Big Bear Chili Cook-off in the Village Bartlett Parking lot.  The dinner will take place at Murray’s Saloon and Eatery from 7 to 9pm on July 15th.  Contact Mark Gaines for more information 363-6592.  Dinner is $10.00

City Council To Discuss Pine Knot Sidewalk Project & Old Miners

Big Bear, Ca, June 13, 2011, 10:00am - The Big Bear Lake City Council will meet tonight for their regularly scheduled meeting in Hofert Hall at 6:30pm.  On tonight’s agenda, council will consider approving an amended agreement between the Big Bear Area Wastewater Agency, the City of Big Bear Lake, Big Bear City Community Services District and the County of San Bernardino about possibly changing the BBARWA billing method.  Council will also consider awarding a contract to Tryco Engineering in the amount of $87,000 for the Pine Knot Passageway Sidewalk Project, and will also consider approving a request from the Old Miners Association to close city streets and use Bartlett Road Parking lot for Old Miners Days, which is scheduled for July 22nd through the 24th.  The public is encouraged to attend and may speak during public comment time.

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.

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