The Zoo’s Nine Wolf Pups Celebrate Their First Birthday

April 6-9: This Week’s Community Calendar Includes Book Sale, Tree People and a Wolf Party

Big Bear Valley, CA — In addition to the regular, first-week-of-the-month meetings*, the Soroptimists’ Man About Town festivities, and “The Odd Couple” at the PAC, there are a number of goings-on in the Big Bear Valley this week. On Tuesday, there are two public meetings, both of which begin at 6:30pm. “Tree People” will be featured at tomorrow’s meeting of the Big Bear Valley Historical Society, given a presentation on the non-profit’s tree planting project on the San Bernardino National Forest; the Historical Society meeting is open to the public and will be held at the Big Bear Discovery Center. (More info: Doug Walton at 633-8314)
Also at 6:30pm on April 6, Bear Valley Unified’s Superintendent Dr. Nancy Wright will be the featured speaker of the Democratic Club of Big Bear Valley meeting. Dr. Wright will address recent school district budget cuts and a possible parcel tax to fund local education, and attendees will be able to participate in a Q&A following the presentation. The Democratic Club meets at the offices of the Municipal Water District, located at 40524 Lakeview Drive. (More info: Golen Olson at 648-5745)
On Thursday, the Big Bear Diabetes Support Network hosts a free, 5:30pm lecture at the Big Bear Chamber offices on Bartlett Road in the Village. Certified Diabetes Educator Therese Sweet will focus on basics, including diet challenges, in a presentation that will be followed by a Q&A. (More info: Therese at 222-5392)
The Spring Book Sale presented by Friends of the Big Bear Library returns this week and, following a members-only preview on Wednesday evening, the book sale is open to the public on Thursday and Friday, from 10am to 6pm, and Saturday, starting at 9am. Prices start at 25¢, and bargains include CDs and DVDs. The book sale takes place at the Big Bear Library at 41930 Garstin Drive in Big Bear Lake. (More info: 866-5571)
This Friday, April 9, it’s a wolf pup birthday party at the zoo! The Moonridge Animal Park’s nine wolf pups celebrate their first birthday on the ninth, with a party from 11am to 2pm. For more info on Friday’s festivities in celebration of the wolf pups, call 878-4200.

*This week’s meetings include CSD on Monday, the Big Bear Airport District and Big Bear Lake Planning Commission on Wednesday, and the Sugarloaf Roads Commission on Saturday (10am on the 10th at the Sugarloaf Fire Station). The MWD held their first-week meeting on April 1.

Former Big Bear Lake Mayor Bill Speyers Passes Away Today at Age 86

Big Bear Lake, CA — The Big Bear Valley lost one of its more distinguished contributors with this morning’s passing of former Big Bear Lake Mayor Bill Speyers, who died in the 4am hour with Paddy, his wife of 65 years, at his side and one of his beloved boxer dogs nearby. Speyers had, citing health reasons, resigned from his post as Treasurer for the Bear Valley Community Healthcare District on December 31, ending a long career of community service since moving to the Big Bear Valley in 1985.
Since relocating here upon his retirement from a career in engineering and aerospace, the World War II veteran served on the Big Bear Lake City Council for four years and was Mayor Speyers in 1988 to 1990; he also served as a Department of Water and Power Commissioner from 1991 to 1999, and again from 2001 to 2007, before joining the Healthcare District Board for a period of over 10 years. Speyers and wife Paddy, the parents of three daughters, were also active with Friends of the Moonridge Zoo; he is also a past president (or chairman) of SANBAG, the Valley Water Study Association, AARP, the Bear Valley Human Services Foundation, the Big Bear Amateur Radio Club, the Mining Monitoring Committee, the Association of California Healthcare Districts, and Friends of the Performing Arts, among other activities and groups, including the Elks and VFW.

It was on a walk one day in Big Bear that Speyers said he saw a sign on a porch that read, “He who rocks, rots,” prompting his extensive foray into public service. Those who have worked with him have nothing but praise for his dedication, among those DWP Board Secretary Robyn Bratton, who tells KBHR, “He was very dedicated to this Valley, and totally supported DWP in every way. Bill Speyers was a good Board member, and he was a good man.” Michael Perry, who had been the DWP’s General Manager when Speyers was Mayor of Big Bear Lake adds, “He was a great Council person and Mayor, and he really cared about the City. He was really forward-looking, to assure that what we did today would make sure the City was healthy in the future.” And yet his commitment was not without a dose of humor, as the healthcare district’s CFO Rudy Shutta recalls. “I always knew he read the financial statements,” Shutta says, “because, with a little twinkle, he commented on my spelling errors.” Services for Speyers, who passed at age 86, have not yet been announced.
Update: As of March 23, still no announcement with regard to services to honor Speyers.
Update: The family of Bill Speyers will celebrate his 86 years at the Big Bear Lake Performing Arts Center on Saturday, April 17 at 1pm. Paddy Speyers, the former Big Bear Lake Mayor’s wife of 65 years, says that Bill had a wonderful life and this will be a celebration of that. The PAC is located at 39707 Big Bear Boulevard in the Big Bear Lake Civic Center.

Blues for the Zoo Concert

Friends of the Moonridge Zoo host the 50-year Moonridge Animal Park anniversary concert; proceeds from Blues for the Zoo benefit wildlife rehabilitation programs. Concert takes place lakeside at Swim Beach, at 41220 Park Avenue in Big Bear Lake, and will feature headliners Delta Guitar Slingers, as well as Guy Davis and Cafe R&B. Pre-sale tickets, available May 1, are $35; tickets are $40 at the gate. Children 10 and under are free with a paying adult. Parking is $3. Gates open at 2pm, music runs from 3pm to 7:30pm. Beach chairs and blankets welcome, no coolers as food and beverages will be available. To purchase tickets, visit Big Bear Chamber of Commerce on Bartlett Road, the Moonridge Animal Park gift shop, or go online to MoonridgeZoo.org.

Swap, Sale and Deed: Community Services District Excited About Property Exchanges With County and Park District

Big Bear City, CA — During agenda items for the Board of Directors for the Big Bear City Community Services District, President Marge McDonald announced, “I could not be happier with these things listed under Old Business.” The business item at hand, at the March 1st CSD meeting, addressed the reassignment of East Valley properties–via sale, swap and redeeding—between CSD, the County of San Bernardino, and the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District, as initially outlined in the Paradise Park Memorandum of Understanding drafted in 2007 (and, at that time, referred to as a “win-win situation” by Rec and Park’s Reese Troublefield). The properties at issue include the Erwin Lake Park (owned by CSD), the property beneath the Sugarloaf Fire Station (owned by Rec and Park), the former Bear City Park property on which the Lions Club building is situated, and CSD’s well #9 parcels, currently owned by the County. Though no action was taken last night (and the Rec and Park Advisory Commission will address the property swaps in a 4pm Thursday meeting), President McDonald thanked County Supervisor Neil Derry for his support before adding, “I see the light at the end of the tunnel for the Lions Club, and that makes me very happy.”

As explained by CSD’s General Manager Mike Mayer, the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District is offering a 1.6 acre parcel containing the Lions Club building to CSD; this is the parcel adjacent to the Historical Museum (already deeded to the Big Bear Valley Historical Society in June 2008) and the four-acre runway protection zone across from the airport. If CSD were to consider ownership of the 1.6 acre parcel, GM Mayer suggested that staff continue meetings with involved parties to address how maintenance and liability issues will be shared with regard to the parking lot and restrooms off the Greenway Drive location. Rec and Park’s Troublefield also proposed to CSD the potential purchase of roughly 11 acres among the Pan Hot Springs Meadow, for a possible zoo relocation site and, adds Mayer, “Mr. Troublefield also sweetened the real property issues contained in the MOU between CSD and BBVRPD by offering to deed the CSD’s well #9 parcels in the Bear City Park instead of charging approximately $62,000 as originally stated in the MOU.” The land swap of Erwin Lake Park and Sugarloaf Fire Station properties between the two agencies would remain unchanged.
Lions Club members, including the service club’s District Governor Mel Niez, voiced their support and commitment to the plan and though no official action took place, other than a vote to continue with the MOU, a pleased McDonald said, “There is a lot involved in it, but I know it’s going to happen.”

Advisory Commission of, Now, Five Meets to Review Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District, Which Includes Zoo

Big Bear Valley, CA — The Advisory Commission for the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District will convene for their first regular meeting since November, however, for this evening’s 5pm meeting at the Big Bear Senior Center, there will only be five commissioners, those being Jennifer McCullar, Don Pletcher, Kathryn Poole, Gloria Rose and Bob Ybarra. Per the agenda issued by the Rec and Park District, Commissioner Cassy Benson was not listed on the roll call; according to Assistant Regional Manager Lorie Judd, “She simply was not re-appointed to another term, though Supervisor Neil Derry’s office is in the process of reducing our commission from seven to five. Our commission used to represent different areas of the Valley (Fawnskin, Erwin Lake, Bear City, etc.) but they will now be representing the community at large.” In other news outlined in the commission packet for the February 16 meeting, the morning session of Rainbow Kids Club at the Big Bear Elementary site has been closed as of today due to insufficient enrollment which, at present, hovers just below 90 students at RKC between the three elementary schools. Soroptimists International continue to foster the day care program with financial support applied to enrollment, as well as the recent purchases of new games and supplies for all three Rainbow Kids Club sites. Snow removal activities at all district facilities, including The Ranch (which had many downed branches, resulting in damage to the pavilion) and the Moonridge Animal Park (which had cage collapses due to heavy snow) have kept the maintenance department busy in 2010. The zoo also has a new female deer, which has adapted to her new environment since being found in a cul-de-sac in Fontana though, Curator Debbie Richardson notes, all four pelicans “expired” due to an unknown disease. This instance has not affected other birds at the zoo though, still, vaccines for all animals in the zoo are being, or have been, administered. For more on these reports, the community is welcome to attend this evening’s Recreation and Park District Advisory Commission meeting which, again, takes place at 5pm at the Big Bear Senior Center across from Baker Pond.
Update: This evening’s meeting has been canceled due to lack of a quorum.

Big Bear Valley in Recovery from Epic Storm; Monday Morning Update on Power, Roads, Schools, Mail, Emergency Shelter

Big Bear Valley, CA — Last week’s storms were epic, in that we received five feet of snow in the Big Bear Valley, prompting a state of emergency to be declared by the County of San Bernardino. Though we had a beautiful, sunny weekend, many of us (if not most of us) have gone hours or even days without power, phone, cable, Internet, water and transportation.
In terms of power outages, which have affected the Big Bear Valley since last Monday, Bear Valley Electric has been restoring electric service block by block, area by area, and, as of yesterday, has the mutual aid assistance of crews from Southern California Edison, which were dispatched from Victorville at 6am Sunday morning, and, five hours later, given poor road conditions and heavy traffic congestion [see photo below], arrived here in the Big Bear Valley. After a week of high winds, heavy rains, intense snowfall, and countless downed trees and power lines, many neighborhoods are still without power. Though crews have been working round the clock, as of the latest from Bear Valley Electric’s Operations Manager Ken Markling, the following are still without electric service: a section of lower Moonridge, a portion of Boulder Bay, a section of Knickerbocker Road, part of Brownie Lane, Red Ant Hill near Edgemoor Road, and some other, smaller outages. Per Markling last night, “The list of outages is getting smaller, and they will stay on it until we get it done.” Road conditions, congestion and deep snow are hampering efforts to restore power to all customers quickly. (Update on power outages as of noon: Per Operations Supervisor John Dykesten, the Brownie Lane area had power restored Sunday night. As of noon, crews are working at the following: Moonridge, Boulder Bay, 800 block of Knickerbocker Road in Big Bear Lake. BVES will next release a crew to the Red Ant Hill area. Isolated power outages are still taking place in portions of Big Bear City and the Whispering Forest area. Dykesten asks that customers not put themselves in harm’s way by entering crews’ work area; also, please know that  BVES crews have been working non-stop and please allow them to continue doing so, by addressing questions to BVES at 866-4678, rather than their employees in the field. Thank you.) Emergency personnel from CalFire arrived on Saturday afternoon, to assist the Big Bear Valley in the clearing of roads and the removal of downed trees. We are also told that Bear Mountain Resort has allowed fire personnel to use their snowmobiles to give firefighters access to areas in need. And, just another note regarding utilities, residents should be sure that gas vents are cleared, to eliminate the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Heating and cooking equipment are potential sources of carbon monoxide, as are vehicles and generators in enclosed spaces.
There is no school for Bear Valley Unified School District students today, so this makes for a third consecutive snow day here in the Big Bear Valley. School district personnel will determine snow days on a day-by-day basis, and will make their decision to hold school if streets are clear enough to allow for the safe passage of school buses. Update: No school on Tuesday, as BVUSD has called another Snow Day for January 26.
In the meantime, Big Bear Middle School continues to operate as an emergency shelter, since opening to the public on Friday evening. We are told that as many as 60 people spent the night at the shelter over the weekend; the shelter is staffed by volunteers and Red Cross personnel, and provides basic provisions and refreshments, as well as cots and blankets. Big Bear Middle School will remain open as an emergency shelter, and is located at 41275 Big Bear Boulevard in Big Bear Lake; the western entrance at Jeffries Road is open.
On Saturday, the California Highway Patrol led an emergency convoy up the mountain, with trucks providing food and fuel. Per Big Bear Lake City Manager Jeff Mathieu, more fuel is coming to the Big Bear Valley today. (For those bermed in, local markets are open and have food. So, in addition to supermarkets Vons and Stater Bros., groceries are available today at Easy’s General Store in Sugarloaf, Community Market in Big Bear City, and Sol Food Market in the Alpine Center in Big Bear Lake.)
Given road conditions and the CalTrans-issued restriction to buses and trucks on mountain roads), we have not received mail delivery from off the mountain since Wednesday, however all local post offices will be open today.
And, as for our roads, they do remain under an R2 chain requirement, meaning that all two-wheel drive vehicles must have chains on; four-wheel drives with snow tires on all four wheels are required to carry chains. At this time [9am Monday], Highway 38 is closed to downbound traffic, and only residents with proof of Big Bear Valley or Angelus Oaks residency will be allowed up the mountain. Both portions of Highway 18, both the front way and eastbound to the desert, are open to downbound traffic. However, upbound travel on both portions of Highway 18 will only be allowed to Big Bear Valley residents, so be sure to carry proof of residency. (This information will be updated on the KBHR Big Bear Road Conditions page as it changes, but will first be broadcast on 93.3 FM so stay tuned.) Many local roads are treacherous, so proceed with caution, especially as berms have created blind intersections and many residential streets have only been plowed enough to allow one vehicle at a time. Crews continue to work round the clock on snow removal—be it the City of Big Bear Lake’s Public Works crews, County snowplows and subcontractors in non-incorporated portions of the Big Bear Valley, and CalTrans crews on our state highways. The first priority for snow plowing is to allow for the safe passage of emergency vehicles on major roads, plowing of secondary streets follows, and then berm reduction.
Community notices and cancellations
MARTA is running limited fixed bus route transportation services today, from the Village in Big Bear Lake to the Sugarloaf Fire Station and Erwin Lake; Dial-a-Ride and off-the-mountain buses are also running, per the MARTA website.
The Big Bear Senior Center is closed, so no food distribution this afternoon (at center or at Community Church by the Lake) and tonight’s Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District Advisory Commission meeting has been canceled. This afternoon’s free H1N1 flu vaccine clinic will be rescheduled. Rec and Park has also canceled basketball for this evening.
Bear Mountain is closed today, though Snow Summit is open will honor lift tickets and Bear Mountain-only passes.
The City Council of Big Bear Lake is still planning to hold their regular meeting at 6:30pm this evening in Hofert Hall.
The Board of Commissioners of the Department of Water and Power will not hold their regular Tuesday meeting on Tuesday.
The Amgen Tour of California volunteer luncheon for this week will be rescheduled for early February.
The Big Bear zoo received ample community support yesterday, so the “pathway crisis” has been solved, the animals have food and water, and the Friends of the Moonridge Zoo thank volunteers for their assistance.
Lutheran Social Services has canceled all classes this week, through January 29. The LSS office will be open daily, weather permitting; call ahead for information at 866-5070.
The County’s Food Handler Testing opportunity, to have taken place at the Rec and Park offices on Wednesday, has been canceled.

Update on New Additions to Moonridge Zoo to Be Addressed in Meeting of the BBVRPD’s Advisory Commission

The Moonridge Animal Park has had many animals brought in to the zoo for rehabilitation, and some of those recent feathered and furry additions include two young hawks, two infant opossums, two infant raccoons and two young grey foxes, some of which will ultimately be returned to the wild. The Moonridge Animal Park also has a new catfish exhibit, as well as a new habitat for adult opossums in the nearly completed nocturnal building. The zoo report, as well as updates on other facilities overseen by the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District, will be addressed in this evening’s meeting of Rec and Park’s Advisory Commission, which meets for their monthly meeting today at 5pm at the Big Bear Senior Center.

Update: As of this afternoon, this meeting has been canceled. The Advisory Commission’s next meeting will be August 18 at 5pm at the Big Bear Senior Center.

Swim Beach Open for the Summer; Family Season Passes Available

As of today (June 18), Swim Beach at Meadow Park is open with expanded hours for the summer season. Open each day (except Tuesday) from noon to 5pm, Swim Beach features a white sandy beach, BBQs and picnic area, showers, certified lifeguards and, soon, a new 16 foot slide. For those who plan to spend their summer swimming, the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District offers season passes, including the family pass which, for $200, is good for a family of six all summer long. Fifteen-punch passes are $50 for adults, $40 for seniors and children ages 3-12, and just $10 for kiddies up to age 2. Daily passes are also available at Swim Beach, which is located at Park Avenue’s west end in Big Bear Lake. And, also as of today, the Moonridge Animal Park offers a fun bonus for zoo-goers: the nine wolf pups, now 11 weeks old, are back on site.

Friends of the Moonridge Zoo Offer Docent Training Sessions, Starting This Thursday

The Friends of the Moonridge Zoo are providing their final Introductory Adult Docent Program of the year, which will be held on three consecutive Thursdays, from 11am to 1pm, starting June 18. Those who enjoy learning about wildlife, and working with those who feel the same, are encouraged to participate in the three-class series; the first two sessions will provide the history of the Moonridge Animal Park and their “home for life” animals, and the third class will allow volunteers to explore service opportunities with the animal park and the non-profit that supports it, the Friends of the Moonridge Zoo. Popular choices of volunteer work include preparing food for the animals, gardening, helping during special events, and mingling with zoo guests. To become a docent tour guide, an additional three-day training program is available as of July 9. For more information on training and docent programs at the zoo, call the Friends of the Moonridge Zoo office at 878-4200.

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