The San Bernardino National Forest Association, which is headquartered at the Big Bear Discovery Center, celebrated a successful Music in the Mountains summer concert series, as well as community partners including the Coldwell Banker Tim Wood Group, in a luncheon held at the Knickerbocker Mansion Country Inn on November 4. The SBNFA’s Event Manager Kathy Clapsaddle noted that this year’s Music in the Mountains concert series, as well as the Bluegrass, Bluejeans and Beyond event, made for a 2009 season she dubbed as “a real success.” And, of the six concerts, she added, “Our finale event with Jim Curry was a sell-out and that was our first in our summer concert series, so that was a real thrill for us.” Given the $20,000 the SBNFA netted over the six-concert series, the Lighthouse Project’s local Peace Gardens project will receive $10,000 and, adds Clapsaddle, “Our $10,000 will go back to forest restoration—that’s job #1 at the SBNFA. As a non-profit, our mission is to give back and make the world a better place.” The Lighthouse Project’s Beth Gardner was on hand to receive the check designated for the Peace Gardens; at present, the garden at Big Bear Elementary has already seen a community harvest, and two or more gardens are in the works, with plans to establish a Peace Garden at North Shore Elementary in the spring. Tim Wood of Coldwell Banker was the SBNFA’s other honoree, as he accepted the U.S. Forest Service’s Corporate Sponsor National Service Award; Wood, who was selected by the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, was named the award’s recipient in August (for having sponsored the music series since its inception four years ago), but was recognized locally during Wednesday’s gathering. Though the SBNFA plans to scale down next summer’s concert series, there will still be four outdoor concerts to look forward to—starting with a Memorial Day weekend show, and including Jim Curry’s popular John Denver tribute and Eagles cover band The Long Run—as well as what is now to be called the Big Bear Mountain Twilight Music Festival and, adds Clapsaddle, “the margaritas will be back!”
