Folks attending the combined meeting of the Crest Forest and Lake Arrowhead Municipal Advisory Councils on Sept. 7 had the opportunity to meet and hear from the two supervisors who represent them on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

Janice Rutherford has served the 2nd District for the past two years. Dawn Rowe now represents the mountain communities after they were moved into the 3rd District through the redistricting process.
Janice Rutherford
Supervisor Janice Rutherford, who will be retiring on Jan. 2, thanked the community for their years of support. She spoke on how the discretionary funds from COVID were spent in the mountain communities, funding new restrooms for the regional park and a water project in Cedar Glen, providing grants to many worthy nonprofits, adding heat and air to the Recreation and Park district’s community centers to create warming and cooling centers for use during inclement weather, building a trailhead at MacKay Park, building the sanitation lift station so Camp Switzerland can reopen as a campground in Crestline and providing some seed money to build a real library building in Running Springs.

There are two county measures on the November ballot, both very important in Rutherford’s opinion for the future of the county. Measure D will limit all supervisors to three terms and base their salaries on a percentage of state judges’ salaries. Measure EE advocates for a study to determine if San Bernardino County is getting its fair share of state dollars.

“The state does not care about San Bernardino County,” Rutherford said, “and does not give us our fair share. Say loud and clear to the governor and state legislature: We are a part of California as much as you are. Our taxpayers work as hard as everyone else and deserve the same degree of services. This is your opportunity to express your anger.”

Supervisor Dawn Rowe

Supervisor Dawn Rowe spoke about her journey to becoming the mountain communities’ county supervisor and the “one mountain” concept.

“I understand the broken sleds situations after winter visitors, and the desire for peace and quiet on the mountain. It can become a challenge at times,” said Rowe. “I will advocate fiercely for the mountain communities with the same passion Janice has. You will not be shortchanged.

“The passage of Measure D is in the best interests of the unincorporated areas of this county. I will be a passionate voice and I stand ready to help you.”

Crest Forest MAC member Penny Shubnell thanked both supervisors for their smooth transition of power and keeping Lewis Murray as the local field representative since he understands the needs of the area.

Fire Districts

San Bernardino County Fire Chief Dan Munsey introduced Assistant Chief Kat Oplinger and Battalion Chief Brian James. Chief Munsey said they are trying to stop all fires at 10 square feet or less and are jumping on all fire reports with full responses. They are using modern infrared cameras and have launched a pilot project of a drone to fight and protect communities from fires. That drone carries 250 gallons of water and operates with no pilot. “This is an example of what San Bernardino County is doing to suppress wildfires,” he said.

Oplinger added they are trying to re-engage with the communities since the isolation from COVID. They’ve already held two pre-fire readiness community meetings with the Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council, reminding the community about fire clearances, the TENS system of notification, and being prepared for evacuation.

Cal Fire was not present due to the Radford Fire in Big Bear.

Matt Ahearn from the U.S. Forest Service reported there had been more than 40 confirmed lightning strikes from the Arctic Circle to Green Valley Lake with two positive starts. The Radford Fire is burning in an area that had not previously burned, so the old growth trees are spotting embers beyond the fire line toward the Big Bear ski areas where they are using their snow making machines to wet the areas.

They hope the incoming weather make a positive difference in the fire lines. However, one impact of rain could be flooding and they are looking at run-off potential.

Law Enforcement

Captain Don Lupear said the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station is fully staffed and they have been using their OHVs and helicopters to look for illegal campers and fires in the forested area. He added that his deputies are trained in evacuation procedures for an orderly and safe evacuation of the mountain.

He urged folks to lock their cars and not leave valuable out in plain view. There had recently been a number of incidents of people having items stolen from their unlocked cars.

CHP Lt. Napoleon Salais announced they will hold an open house and car show on Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Lake Gregory

Bill Mellinger, reporting for the Lake Gregory Community Advisory Committee, said they held their most recent meeting on e-bikes. The campground at Camp Switzerland has received $2 million for the sewer lift station and the sediment basins at the lake are scheduled for clearance at the end of the season, now that the beach is closed.

Nathan Godwin, general manager of the Lake Gregory Company, reported the lake saw 88,401 visitors during the Summer 2022 season, shattering last year’s record of over 55,000, and 8,000 unique fishermen. They saw 10,000 watercrafts rented or launched this summer. There are parking concerns they plan to address for next season, including the purchase of a tram to carry visitors from the San Moritz lot to the south beach entrance gate. Trash continues to be a concern. Yet, despite the crowds, Captain Lupear reported relatively few incidents at the lake this year.

This fall the regional park will offer events more focused on the local residents including movies on the meadow.

Superintendent Fricker

Rim of the World School District’s new superintendent, Dr. Kimberly Fricker, said she has focused her educational career on “making sure students are healthy physically, mentally and academically. We want to make sure our students are well prepared to come back and invest in our communities.” Noting that she grew up in Michigan, Dr. Fricker said she never thought she would find a piece of Michigan in California.

“It’s a joy to serve and I look forward to this year,” she added. The hot classrooms became a great concern for her, she said. They have brought in swamp coolers and portable air conditioning units.
“This is a short-term fix for old buildings. I want a long-term solution, which will take electrical updates.”

Other reports and announcements

Lake Arrowhead MAC member Jenny Hueter, general manager of the Rim of the World Recreation and Park District, announced Freedom Fridays for teens, held at the Lake Gregory Education and Community Center on the second and fourth Fridays of each month from 6 to 8 p.m.

Crestline Chamber of Commerce President Michelle Hake shared a new video that encourages visiting and shopping in Crestline. They have had record attendance at this year’s Corks & Hops. They are revamping the visitor center and hope to improve the signage in town.

Robin Bull of the Lake Arrowhead Communities Chamber of Commerce announced upcoming events, such as the Home Tour on Sept. 17 and the tri-chamber mixer at the Lake Arrowhead Resort on Oct. 13. The chambers are working on the fifth year of a county grant to promote the mountain area. Bull thanked Supervisor Rutherford for being “a champion of that program. It enabled all three chambers to do great marketing.” She announced that Josh Martin, the general manager of Lake Arrowhead Village, is the new chamber of commerce board president.

Rick Dinon announced that the post office will be celebrating Cedarpines Park’s zip code day on Sept. 23 at the Cedarpines Park Post Office on 9-23-22; the public is invited to come and celebrate with them.

Candace Pearson announced the Crest Forest Senior Citizens will be hosting the next Crestline Chamber of Commerce mixer at Leisure Shores on Thursday, Sept. 29 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Rhea-Frances Tetley announced the Mountain History Museum will be open through the end of October for regular visitors, with a Spooky Museum during the last two weekends of October. On Thursday, Sept. 29 they will host architect Diane Wilk with her video of the historic architecture Lake Arrowhead. This free event will be held in the Mountain History Museum’s theater at 27176 Peninsula Drive in Lake Arrowhead at 7 p.m.

The next Crest Forest MAC meeting will be held at the San Moritz Lodge on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. The next Lake Arrowhead MAC meeting will be held in the county building in Twin Peaks on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m.