Looking back at 2023: Part 2

By DOUGLAS W. MOTLEY

Senior Writer

July 6 – With the daytime temperature hovering in the 90s and the evening temperature in the 80s, Crestline’s 45th annual Jamboree Days will be remembered as one hot affair, in more ways than one. The hot 64-unit parade kicked off in Top Town Crestline at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 1and wound down around 1 p.m. at the western edge of Lake Gregory. (Photo 1)

July 13 – Lake Gregory Yacht Club’s 19th annual mid-winter regatta, though held in mid-summer due to the mid-winter series of massive snowstorms that delayed many other mountain area events, attracted a record number of remote-control sailboat skippers to Lake Gregory’s north shore on Saturday, July 8.

July 20 – For more than 20 years, Kevin Somes gave his heart to Snow Valley Mountain Resort, the last 10 as vice president and general manager. After the resort was sold, Somes became aware that the general manager’s position would no longer exist after the end of the season. April 12 was Somes’ last day on that ski hill, as he calls it. But he says he’s not leaving the mountain he calls home.

July 27 – San Bernardino County gave Goodwin and Son’s Market the green light on Monday, July 24 to begin construction of a new roof, which collapsed on March 2 under the weight of too much snow.

August 3 – FEMA announced that renters and homeowners impacted by the February and March storms and flooding will now have more time to sign up for federal disaster assistance. FEMA’s Individuals and Households program can provide disaster assistance for eligible costs of home repairs, rental assistance for temporary housing, essential personal property, disaster-related medical and dental care, funeral expenses, transportation and childcare.

August 10 – August 4 and 5 marked Running Springs’ annual Mountain Top Days Festival, with a parade on Friday and a fair/farmer’s market on Saturday. The theme of this year’s festival was “The Neighbor Factor” with the tagline “We Survived Snowmageddon.”

August 17 – The 42nd annual Run Through the Pines 5K/10K race around Lake Gregory attracted over 250 runners from throughout Southern California and as far away as Bend, Ore. Former mountain resident Trevor Soderholm Jr., 32, a first-time competitor, captured first place overall in the 5K race, while Veronika Hoover, 37, of Crestline, garnered a first-place trophy in the 10K competition.

August 24 – On Friday, Aug. 18, deputies responded to a report of a shooting at the Mag Pi clothing boutique in Cedar Glen. Upon arrival, they located the victim, 66-year-old Laura Ann Carleton, suffering from a gunshot wound. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. The shooter, who fled the scene on foot, was discovered by deputies a short time later at nearby MacKay Park. When the suspect failed to heed a deputy’s warning to drop his weapon, he was shot and killed. Since Carleton was apparently killed over a Pride flag hanging in front of the boutique, the incident is thought to be a hate crime. (Photo 2)

August 31 – Last weekend’s 16th annual anniversary of the Blue Jay Jazz Festival was a trifecta of three sold-out jazz concerts, beginning on Thursday, Aug. 24 at the exclusive Tavern Bay Beach Club and wrapping up on Saturday, Aug. 26 at the Lake Arrowhead Resort in Lake Arrowhead Village.

September 7 – Despite drizzle, light rain, fog and a chilly breeze at the beginning of last Saturday’s Corks & Hops craft beer and wine walk, the adverse weather didn’t discourage the public from participating in the second to last such event this calendar year.  According to event organizer Crestline Chamber of Commerce President Michelle Hake, the number of tickets sold, about 400, was consistent with the previous month’s sales. (Photo 3)

September 14 – The 13th annual Brewfest, held lakeside at Tavern Bay Beach Club, played host to hundreds of craft beer, stout, ale, pilsner and lager connoisseurs. Although a final tally of ticket sales was not available at press time, it appeared to be a full house.

September 21 – The San Bernardino County Road Department is currently working on a long-planned road improvement project that has been in the works for several years, on Lake Drive from Highway 138 in Top Town Crestline to the stop sign at Lake Drive and Lake Gregory Drive and from that point up Lake Gregory Drive to the signal at Highway 18.

September 28 – In his report as interim general manager of the Arrowhead Lake Association, Wayne Austin told the board that the lake level stands at 5,106.39 inches, just four inches below full. He said there is no precedent for having the lake this full in September. During the tropical storm on Aug. 22, ALA opened one gate for 24 hours, letting two to three inches out of the lake to keep erosion under control and avert flooding.

October 5 – Construction began on Monday night at Jensen’s Finest Foods in Blue Jay to repair damage to the roof done by the heavy snow loads last winter. Logan Construction will be removing large sections of the roof and putting new steel trusses in place.

October 12 – The recent Water Lantern Festival, a two-day affair at Lake Gregory, lured nearly 2,000 celebrants from throughout Southern California and as far away as Utah to celebrate the renewal of life. The tradition, which originated during the Han Dynasty in China, was designed to worship the gods, send away the disasters in life and to welcome peace and happiness instead.

October 19 – With the 20^th anniversary of the disastrous Old Fire on Oct. 25, it’s important to keep in mind that Santa Ana winds are on the horizon and the so-called fire season is just around the corner. Intentionally set by an arsonist, the Old Fire burned for seven days, consuming 92,281 acres of dry brush and destroying 993 homes. (Photo 4)

October 26 – Following an announcement over the school’s  intercom at precisely 10:19 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19, some 432 preschool through fifth-grade students at Lake Arrowhead Elementary School quickly ducked beneath their tables and desks with both hands covering their heads during what was billed as The Great California Shakeout.

November 2 – San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe has announced that the board of supervisors unanimously approved her proposal to provide funding in the amount of $50,000 for senior citizen lunches in the mountain communities. The senior nutrition luncheon program provides meals to seniors over the age of 60 on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the San Moritz Lodge in Crestline.

November 9 – At the Nov. 2 meeting of the Lake Arrowhead Municipal Advisory Council, Shane Massoud, the government relations manager for Southern California Edison, outlined the utility’s efforts to mitigate wildfire risk to the mountain communities. He pointed out that since 2021 they have installed more than 440 miles of covered conductor (insulated) wires.

November 16 – Environmental activists and organizations and interested local residents met at Heaps Peak Arboretum to celebrate a recent victory against Blue Triton Brands (also known as Nestle Corp.), the bottler of Arrowhead drinking water. California’s State Water Resources Control Board on Sept. 19 adopted its final cease and desist order that finds Blue Triton has no water rights in the San Bernardino National Forest and substantially restricts its diversion of water from Strawberry Creek and 10 of its 13 diversion sites.

November 23 – The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors got a jump on winter by unanimously approving the purchase of eight pieces of heavy snow-removal equipment. The equipment will allow the county to immediately respond to natural disasters such as wildfires, earthquakes, flooding, mudslides and excessive snow.

November 30 – The annual Crestline community Thanksgiving Day feast held at the San Moritz Lodge was declared a total success by Crestline-Lake Gregory Rotary President Mary-Justine Lanyon. The Rotary Club was the organizing group for this free meal. The community dinner served approximately 900 meals on Thanksgiving Day, with more than 600 meals served at the lodge and another 300 were taken out or delivered to those who were unable to get there. (Photo 5)

December 7 – The weather was perfect and the sidewalks were lined with hundreds of folks waiting in anticipation of this year’s annual Blue Jay Christmas Parade to step off, which it did after a reassuring flyover by a sheriff’s helicopter. Then came the marching units and floats, all 42 of them, with Uncle Sam on his unicycle leading the parade and Santa and Mrs. Claus, in a horse-drawn carriage, ending the glorious affair.

December 14 – Many Lake Arrowhead motorists and other drivers welcomed the reopening last week of Highway 173 just below Mountains Community Hospital to two-way traffic. For more than 30 months, that short stretch of roadway had been under around-the-clock, automated traffic control due to a major Caltrans project that had motorists waiting an average of four minutes to traverse the mile-long route.

December 21 – Dec. 25 marks the 20th anniversary of the deadly Christmas Day mudslide in Waterman Canyon, in which 14 persons lost their lives when a torrent of mud, boulders and debris rolled down Old Waterman Canyon Road. When the mud, rocks and boulders reached St. Sophia Church Camp, midway through the canyon, five adults and nine children were swept away. Now-retired Sheriff’s Deputy Tracy Klinkhart was awarded California’s prestigious Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor for rescuing two adults and two youngsters who were caked in mud and stranded at a Highway 18 turnout above Old Waterman Canyon Road. 

December 28 – The sheriff’s Feast for Families and the Operation Provider free community dinner on Christmas Day both provided meals to folks who would otherwise go hungry or be alone on the holiday. (Photo 6)