Tag: Old Miners’ Days

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

Posted by | Monday, November 23, 2009 | , , , , |

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,...

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

Posted by | Thursday, October 15, 2009 | , , , |

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...

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

Posted by | Monday, October 5, 2009 | , , |

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...

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

Posted by | Monday, August 3, 2009 | , , , , |

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...

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