By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Accolades for Lewis Murray and “thank yous” for his service resounded throughout the March 6 meeting of the Lake Arrowhead Municipal Advisory Council.
Murray kicked off the meeting – held on Zoom due to the snowstorm – by swearing in the five MAC members who had been appointed by Supervisor Dawn Rowe. Four were returning members: James Grant, Steve Valentine, Peter Venturini and Jenny Hueter. New to the MAC is Becky Morgan.
“We are excited to have Becky as a member of the MAC,” Murray said, adding they are trying to expand into the Running Springs area with a representative. Morgan, who owns Havenwood in Running Springs, lives in Lake Arrowhead.
The council then elected its officers for this year: Steve Valentine as chair and James Grant as vice chair.
As Valentine called on first responders and community representatives for their reports, each first thanked Murray – who has announced his retirement as Supervisor Rowe’s mountain field representative – for his service.
“It has been a privilege and an honor to work with you, Lewis,” Captain Craig Harris of the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station said. “I wish you well.”
Lt. Isaiah Kee of the Arrowhead CHP office told Murray not to be a stranger. That was echoed by Officer Devin Julien, the CHP public information officer, who quipped, “Stop in – we’ll compare bald heads!”
Capt. Harris reported that, in 2024, the Twin Peaks station handled 18,403 calls for service, issued 2,020 reports and made 1,125 arrests. “Think about our 19 deputies and those numbers,” he said. “We have been pushing our folks to be more proactive – traffic stops, being out in the community, pedestrian checks, vacation checks. I hope you see our star flying around on our cars in your neighborhoods.”
Referring to SB 54, Capt. Harris noted that “we protect and serve all people. It doesn’t matter where you came from or how you got here. SB 54 limits how law enforcement in California communicates with ICE. Even in a custody setting, when someone has been arrested, there is limited discussion between us and ICE.”
The captain added that, prior to SB 54, ICE had offices inside the jails; that went away after SB 54 passed. “We won’t participate in roundups of illegal immigrants,” he said.
County Fire Chief Jason Serrano also shared some statistics. In 2024, there were just under 5,000 calls for service. Year to date for the Mountain Division, there have been 874.
“That’s a slight downtick compared to the last couple of years,” Chief Serrano said. “We attribute that to putting a battalion chief inside the dispatch center, making it a command center. The BC makes decision of what we send apparatus to, making resources available for true emergencies.”
Chief Serrano reminded everyone of the importance of having their chimneys cleaned, noting there have been a few structure fires in recent months due to chimney fires.
Cal Fire’s Brett Taylor reported there have been no significant incidents on the mountain. All four stations are staffed and will remain so through the winter. The good news, he said, is a new captain – Jack Masters – reported to Skyforest on March 6. “We grabbed him from a Forest Service hotshot crew,” Taylor said.
Resident Marilyn Dishell thanked all the firefighters for what they did, protecting the mountain during the Line Fire. She had recently driven down Highway 330 for the first time since the fire – “It was devastating to see such a huge area affected,” she said.
CHP Lt. Isaiah Kee said they had made 34 arrests in January, 25 of which were for DUI. “One of the most important statistics,” he said, “is there were zero fatalities. That is our ultimate goal – to keep people safe on the highways and ensure traffic keeps moving through the mountain area.”
MAC member Jenny Hueter, the general manager of the Rim of the World Recreation and Park District, noted that their two community centers – in Twin Peaks and Running Springs – are available for emergencies. They are in talks with OES about the buildings serving as warming and cooling centers, which require qualified staff to be present.
Murray thanked everyone for their kind words. “I have loved working for the supervisors,” he said, noting he worked for Supervisor Janice Rutherford for 11 years and then transitioned to her successor, Supervisor Dawn Rowe.
“Over the course of the 13 years I have been with the county, I enjoyed 85 percent of the time,” Murray said. “It’s hard to pull the trigger but I’m glad I did. We are fortunate to have Robin (Bull). She will do a dynamite job.”
Bull, who most recently served as executive director of the Lake Arrowhead Communities Chamber of Commerce, will take over as Supervisor Rowe’s mountain field representative. “I’m looking forward to working with the community in a new role,” she said.
Scott Rindenow, who chairs the committee investigating the possibility of reopening the unpaved portion of Highway 173, said they want the road made accessible for first responders and so residents can get off the mountain in an emergency.
The committee has received letters of support from a number of agencies and individuals including Sheriff Shannon Dicus, County Fire Chief Dan Munsey, Congressman Jay Obernolte and Supervisor Dawn Rowe. “We are fortunate to have just received a support letter from Cal Fire,” Rindenow said. “We are still looking for more.”
Under New Business, the MAC members asked Bull to arrange for SCE to attend a future meeting, as well as Caltrans and Lake Arrowhead Village.
The next meeting of the Lake Arrowhead MAC will be on May 1 at 6:00 p.m. in the Twin Peaks County Building.
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