Caltrans Awards $203 Million In Grants To Improve Public Transit And Air Quality

San Bernardino, CA, February 13, 2012, 8:00am – Caltrans has awarded nearly $203 million in grants to improve public transit across California.  More than 80 projects will upgrade transit service, purchase eco-friendly buses, modernize transit stations and create jobs throughout the state. The grants are funded through Proposition 1B, the 2006 voter-approved transportation bond, which is providing $3.6 billion over a ten-year period to improve public transit in California. Acting Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty says the projects are a direct investment in the state’s public transit system and will help energize California’s economy. He also believes the projects will help create jobs, reduce traffic congestion, clean the air, and provide an alternative to rising gas prices. To date, Proposition 1B has funded more than a billion dollars in transit projects. For a comprehensive list of all projects that received transit grants in this funding cycle, please visit: http://www.dot.ca.gov/docs/Prop1BTransitProjectsFebruary2012.pdf .

Tour of California Stage 6 Route Announced: Palmdale to Big Bear

Big Bear, Ca, February 8, 2012, 11:00am – This week the stage routes for the Amgen Tour of California are being announce and Big Bear will once again be a mountain top finish for the Tour as this year’s finish for Stage 6.  The route will take professional cyclists from Palmdale to Big Bear Lake with over 12,000 feet of climbing over 115 miles and two mountain ranges.   Stage 6 will begin at the Marie Kerr Park in the City of Palmdale at 10:00am on May 18^th, taking cyclists through the San Gabriel Mountain Range, up through Silverwood Lake, to Crestline, and over to Big Bear Lake.  Once cyclists enter the Big Bear Valley they will race along North Shore through Fawnskin, and will cross the lake at Stanfield Cutoff, where they will all make a dash to the finish line at Snow Summit.  The race is expected to end in Big Bear sometime between 2:35pm and 3:25pm. Race promoters at AEG stated that the Big Bear Climb should be a determining factor in the outcome of the final standings for the Tour, which consists of eight stages that will take place from May 13^th to May 20^th.

School Board Meeting To Discuss Parcel Tax Parameters

Big Bear, Ca, February 1, 2012, 12:00pm - The Bear Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet tonight for their regularly scheduled meeting.  Student representatives from Big Bear High School and Chautauqua High School will provide the board with updated on what is going on at their schools, and the BVUSD Governing Board will recognize the Maintenance and Operations Department for their efforts in restoring the art room at Big Bear High School.   The board will discuss a compressed natural gas bus piggyback bid purchase, coaching assignments at Big Bear High, will announce a new special education teacher that is set to be hired at the meeting, and will discuss and possibly approve a resolution regarding home to school transportation, and present the parameters of the parcel tax idea.  The public is welcome to attend the meeting that starts at 6:30pm tonight at the Big Bear Middle School Library.

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Include A Designated Driver In Your Starting Lineup This Weekend

San Bernardino, CA, January 30, 2012, 8:00am – The San Bernardino County Avoid the 25 DUI Campaign is reminding football fans watching the Super Bowl game with friends and family to make the right decision before kickoff and include a designated driver in your game plan. Law Enforcement joins with the national “Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk” message from the National Football League (NFL), the California office of Traffic Safety (OTS), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition. The Avoid the 25, DUI Task Force will deploy special patrols on Sunday (February 5th) in several communities throughout the area looking to stop and arrest drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs.  The DUI patrols will be looking for the tale-tell signs of an intoxicated driver behind the wheel. The patrols are funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety.

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Fatal Collision On SR-18

Big Bear City, CA, January 21, 2012, 10:15am - On Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:00am a fatal collision occurred on State Route 18 east of Paradise Way.  State Route 18 was closed for several hours as a result of the collision.  A 37-year-old female from Big Bear City, Leonor De Coronado (also known as Lily Coronado) was driving a White 2006 Kia Sorento eastbound on State Route 18 with a 16-year-old female passenger also from Big Bear City.  Fred Riley, a 51-year-old Menifee resident, was driving a Peterbilt dump truck pulling a dump trailer westbound on State Route 18 approaching the KIA. The truck was negotiating a left curve when it drifted onto the westbound shoulder.  The trailer struck the mountainside and the gravel box separated from the trailer and came to rest in the opposing lane.  As a result of the collision the trailer frame bounced into the opposing lane colliding into the Kia. The driver of the Kia, Leonor De Coronado, was transported to Bear Valley Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.  The juvenile passenger was transported by helicopter to Loma Linda University Medical Center.  The cause of this collision is still under investigation.  Officer R. Breeding will be handling the collision investigation.

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Accident on Northshore Blocking Both Lanes In Baldwin Lake Area

Big Bear, Ca, January 20, 2012, 12:00pm - A traffic accident occurred earlier this morning on Northshore Drive, a mile east of Paradise road, which has resulted in the temporary closure of the road between Paradise and Baldwin Lake Road.  The accident involved a Kia, and a semi truck loaded with cinders, with the bed of the semi truck blocking both lanes.  According to Cal Trans the road will be closed for an unknown duration, as 12 tons of cinders will need to be cleaned up, and motorists are advised to use Shay Road to travel in the Baldwin Lake area.

School is Back In Session, Watch For School Buses

Big Bear, Ca, January 17, 2011, 8:00am - The Spring Semester for Bear Valley Unified School District students started back up today, and KBHR would like to remind motorists of rules of the road concerning school buses. BVUSD bus stops are located through out the valley, with some stops located on busy roadways such as Big Bear Blvd. and North Shore Drive. The law requires the driver of a school bus to activate the red lights at all times when stopped for the purpose of loading and unloading students. Motorists must stop on a two-lane road when a bus is stopped with red lights flashing, however, on a four lane divided highway, such as the Big Bear Blvd between Pine Knot and Stanfield, the opposing two lanes of travel do not stop. We urge you to pass any bus pulled over with caution, as children can be unpredictable no matter how safe the situation. For more information, please call school transportation at 584-7658.

Brush Fire Temporarily Closes Portion of Highway 18 Near Crestline

Big Bear, Ca, January 13, 2012, 9:40am - A portion of Highway 18 in the Crestline area was temporarily closed this morning due to a vehicle going over the side of the road near Panorama Point.  The accident caused a brush fire to start at approximately 11:30pm last night.  Highway 18 is closed in both directions from 40^th Street to Highway 138, the Crestline Cutoff.  Fire crews are on scene working to contain and extinguish the small brush fire.  Caltrans will open all lanes except the #2 down bound lane for a two mile stretch around Panorama Point later today. Motorists are advised to use Highway 330 or Highway138 as alternate routes to avoid the closure this morning.

CruiseOne Expands: More Travel Help In Big Bear

Big Bear, Ca, January 6, 2011, 4:00pm - The travel industry in Big Bear just expanded with CruiseOne opening a new location in Big Bear City.  Debby Hughes, has been the face of CruiseOne in the Big Bear Valley for years, and has also been highly involved with the Big Bear Chamber of Commerce as an ambassador for the group.  With an increase in business of 40% last year, Hughes is excited to add another associate to the local CruiseOne family with Crystal Hufner joining Hughes, along with Bonnie Waddington, who will be the Business Manager.  The new location is 312 W. Big Bear Blvd., across from the Bear City Fire Station and next to Gino’s Tires.  Debby Hughes and Associates have also just added an exclusive air program as well, which they say will help us provide lower airfares in many instances, and has also partnered with Shore Excursions Group to help travel goers save money on tours and excursions in port.  For more information on Cruises and other forms of travel, go online at www.BearValleyCruises.com.

Sugarloaf Road Commission Reinstated After Redistricting

Big Bear, Ca, January 6, 2011, 12:00pm - The 2010 census has come and gone and due to its findings, new district lines were drawn in 2011.  Due to redistricting, all advisory boards in San Bernardino County were vacated, and have since been reinstated.  The Sugarloaf Municipal Advisory Council, which focuses on the roads within the Sugarloaf area was reinstated with Marge McDonald, David Rosenthal, David Strandberg, Bob Ybarra, and Leonard Chaidez being appointed to the commission.  According to Supervisor Neil Derry’s Chief of Staff George Watson, the commissioners are selected based off of interest, and involvement in the commission in prior years.  Watson also told KBHR that the positions are not compensated, and that they do not make decisions for the roads within Sugarloaf, however they do advise the board on what needs improvement.  According to Bob Ybarra, Sugarloaf residents all pay a fee on their tax roll to cover maintaining the roads, and this commission allows Sugarloaf residents to voice their concerns regarding the roads, signs, and snow plowing. The commission meets quarterly, and will have their first meeting of the year on January 14^th at 10:00am at the Sugarloaf Fire Station, and the public is welcome to attend.

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