7 Oaks Trail Maintenance Work Party!

July 31, 2011
2:00 pm	to	6:00 pm

Join the Big Bear Valley Trails Foundation for a work party to clean up the 7 oaks trail.  Meet at the Bear Mountain Parking Lot at 2pm and carpool to the trailhead.  RSVP to 585-3467.

City Council To Discuss Bringing Cost Of Freedom To Big Bear

Big Bear, Ca, July 25, 2011, 12:00pm - The City of Big Bear Lake City Council will meet tonight for their regularly scheduled meeting.  On tonight’s agenda council will consider going forward with submitting an application to bring the outdoor Cost of Freedom tribute to our community in September of 2013.  The tribute is a replica of the Vietnam memorial wall found in Washington DC.  Council will also consider awarding a professional services contract for design services for the rehabilitation of Sewer Lift Station no. 3. The meeting will take place at 6:30pm in Hofert Hall, and the public is encouraged to attend and may speak during public comment time.  

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Big Bear Bridge Celebration Information.

Big Bear, Ca, June 24, 2011, 8:00am - The Big Bear Bridge Celebration will take place on June 24th, and many people are expected to attend.  As parking is limited near the dam, and new bridge, there will be a shuttle service that will leave from City hall from 10am to 1:00pm.  Some people are choosing to enjoy the ceremony via watercraft, either on one of the tour boats in town, by personal boat, or canoe or kayak.  Those taking the water route are reminded by the Municipal Water District that they are to obey the rules of the lake, and to not cross the boon line.  Those who will be on boats, or who wont be able to attend the ceremony can tune in to KBHR for event coverage.  Also a friendly reminder, please do not park in private driveways, or parking areas, as residents need to be able to get to and from their houses.   The City of Big Bear Lake and the Resort Association are encouraging everyone to attend, to wear red, white, and blue, and to wave flags or hang an American flag from their boat.

UPDATE: Big Bear High School Yearbook Recall

Big Bear, CA, June 15, 2011, 8:00am -  In a press release issued on June 14^th by Tim Larson, Director of Personnel and Education Services for the Bear Valley Unified School District, the school and district administration are conducting an investigation in trying to determine how an inappropriate picture came to be published in the yearbook for the Big Bear High School class of 2011.  As previously broadcast on Kbear, high school administration began distribution of yearbooks late last week when it was discovered that the background of one of the pictures contained material that was inappropriate and not representative of Big Bear High School.  As soon as the oversight was noticed, distribution of the yearbooks stopped immediately Friday afternoon.  Administration and five employees of the District initiated a recall of the yearbooks making phone calls Friday evening and Saturday to the students who had already picked up their yearbooks in an effort to retrieve all distributed yearbooks.  According to Mike Ghelber, Big Bear High School Principal, students are being strongly encouraged to return their yearbook to office staff at the high school.  A replacement page has been approved and is on order.  Students, at this time, have been given two options.  One option is to surrender the yearbook to staff until the replacement page is available or students can also choose to have that one photo cut out of their yearbook.  This option would still allow for students to receive signatures and greetings from their fellow classmates.  Once the replacement page is printed, every student who purchased a yearbook will receive one.  Mr.Ghelber adds that this has been an unfortunate event and the school staff is working diligently to resolve the issue. Upon completion of the investigation, appropriate action will be taken based on their findings

Big Bear Bridge Opening Celebration

Big Bear Lake, CA, June 11, 2011, 1pm - Caltrans and Flatiron will be celebrating the opening of the new $39 million bridge over the Big Bear dam on the new bridge deck, June 24th from 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. Construction began in early 2009 and has survived two harsh winters. The new structure is located on the south side of the dam. The project realigned the roadway, constructed three 12-foot travel lanes, 10-foot shoulders, and an American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant sidewalk on one side of the bridge. The intersection of SR-18 and SR-38 will be signalized upon final completion. At the celebration, guests will include Caltrans District Director Dr. Ray Wolfe, Senator Bob Dutton, Assemblyman Paul Cook, San Bernardino County Supervisor Neil Derry, and the City of Big Bear Lake Mayor Bill Jahn. “After many, many years in development, the much anticipated new bridge is finally a reality, eliminating a choke point leading into the Big Bear Valley.” said Caltrans District Director Dr. Ray Wolfe. “The people of the Big Bear Valley and all those who visit this community are happy to see this bridge open after two years of construction,” Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga), said. “The opening of the Big Bear Dam bridge road, along with the repairs made to SR-330, will have a lasting and real impact on the San Bernardino Mountain communities …. Without these vital projects, these local economies would certainly face a longer road to recovery.” said Assemblyman Paul Cook. City of Big Bear Lake Mayor Bill Jahn said “We are very excited to know that residents and tourists will enjoy the beauty of our mountaintop for generations to come, as they drive across the new signature bridge into the Big Bear Valley.”

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Missing Person Kyle Anne Bates Found

Big Bear Lake, CA, June 5, 2011, 10:00am - Critical Missing Person Kyle Anne Bates was found Saturday afternoon at approximately 4:30pm at a residence in the 800 block of Wabash in Sugarloaf.  The property owner contacted the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station after noticing the missing person getting a drink from the hose in the back yard.  Medical aid was called to the Wabash address.  Bates was found to be dehydrated, but otherwise physically unharmed.  Bates was transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation after being medically evaluated at Bear Valley Community Hospital. 

Big Bear Lake, CA, June 4, 2011, 4:30pm – According to Tiffany Swantek at the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station, missing person Kyle Anne Bates has been found safe. No further details are available at this time, pending an official press release from the Sheriff’s Department. We will provide updated information as we receive it.

Boating Safety Tips

Big Bear Lake, CA, May 26, 2011, noon - This holiday weekend is the unofficial start of the summer boating season on Big Bear Lake. While you’re having fun out on the water, the MWD has some safety tips to keep in mind so your boating trip doesn’t turn into an unexpected tragedy. Launch Ramp Supervisor Tyler Cockrell tells Big Bear News there are some basic guidelines you should keep in mind if you’re weekend plans include boating on the lake. Bring your patience. Launch ramps and Marinas will be busy. All boats are required to have a quagga mussel inspection and lake permit. Remember Clean, Drained and Dry. If a vessel does not meet these requirements, they will be decontaminated at no extra cost. Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages. Intoxicated boaters often put themselves in dangerous situations such as leaning over the side of a boat, or jumping from one vessel to another. Intoxicated passengers also often stand or move about in vessels resulting in falls overboard, or causing the boat to capsize, placing all aboard in danger. Anyone who drinks alcohol on board is at risk. Always wear your PFD or Life Jacket! A PFD can dramatically increase your chances of survival. Sudden immersion in ice-cold water can cause temporary paralysis and drowning. Also, a PFD is required for all passengers on board your vessel. Children age 12 and under are required to wear a PFD while the vessel is underway. Lake Patrol will be out on the lake to assist boaters and enforce boating law. Call 866-5796 to contact Lake Patrol.

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5th Annual Photo Contest At Moonridge Animal Park

Big Bear Lake, CA, May 12, 2011, noon- The 5th Annual Photography Contest at the Moonridge Animal Park is this Saturday May 14, 2011. The contest offers unique opportunities to take pictures of animals in the park. Everyone who enters the contest will get a tour of the park in advance. Photographer Bill Young will offer a pre-contest orientation of the zoo and share some techniques for photographing animals and other aspects of the zoo. Throughout the day animals will be brought out to the presentation green for special photo opportunities. The entry fee is $15 for adults and $10 for children. The price includes regular admission into the Moonridge Animal Park. The photo contest is from 10am to 4pm, with registration between 8:30am and noon. There is no pre-registration. You can enter the contest in one of five skill levels: Child, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, or Professional. Winners, in each skill level, will have their pictures placed in a professionally designed calendar. All contest participants will get a copy of the calendar as a thank you for supporting the Moonridge Animal Park. For complete event details, background information on the judges, contest rules and to view previous calendar pictures visit http://moonridgezoo.org/photocontest.html

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Momyer Fire Near Forest Falls Partially Contained

Forest Falls, CA, May 10, 2011, 9:00am - The vegetation fire near Forest Falls is now 40% contained after burning roughly 150 acres. The Momyer Fire was reported at about 10:45am Sunday, May 8, and is located a few miles north of the Forest Falls area in steep terrain west of Alger Creek and north of Momyer Trail. It has not threatened any homes. U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Pam Bierce said an estimated 147 firefighters are expected to fight the blaze. There is no estimate on when the fire will be fully contained and Bierce says “The concern is that it will heat up and the fire can get reestablished quickly.” The fire is burning in thick, dry vegetation that hasn’t burned in at least 50 years. Some trails and roads have been temporarily closed in the area. Traffic on Highway 38 is not being affected. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The incident is accessible by foot only because of the terrain. Aerial support has been assisting ground crews, weather permitting. No firefighters have been injured.

State Route 330 Re-Open Update

San Bernardino, CA, May 3, 2011, 8:00am – At the San Bernardino City and County Conference on April 28^th, Dr. Ray Wolfe, District 8 Director for Caltrans, announced that progress to date on the emergency repairs on State Route 330 are well ahead of schedule.  Given this, Dr. Wolfe stated “we are targeting opening the highway to traffic before the 4^th of July holiday absent some unforeseen issue.”  Additionally he added “we are also attempting to perform enough work to hopefully open the highway for the Memorial Day weekend- even if we return to limited use after the holiday weekend. Without the focused efforts of everyone engaged in this work, the reality of traffic restoration on the highway would be months in the future,” stated Dr. Wolfe.  He continued to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the project’s partners including Skanska and SEMA Construction, the US Forest Service, California Highway Patrol and the Federal Highway Administration.  Caltrans is optimistic but cautions the public that a great deal of work remains to be completed and with that lies potential risks that could force these dates to change.  Currently, State Route 330 is open to one-way commuter passenger vehicles from Monday to Friday for down bound traffic between 6am to 8am and up bound traffic from 4pm to 6pm.  State Route 330 was originally projected to take over two years to repair.  That time frame was narrowed down to 11 months.  Commuters and local merchants in Big Bear welcome the news that Caltrans is now projecting this route will be permanently opened by the July 4^th holiday with the potential to re-open for Memorial Day weekend.

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