a publication of mountain c.a.r.e. ( ...mtncare.com/documents/bear-facts-volume-9-issue-2.pdf ·...

I had pretty high hopes for a lot of rain and snow this year, so the last few months have been very disappointing. My rain gauge is at a little more than 29 inches as of April 1st. This is over 8 inches below normal. As we all know, we are now in the 4th

year of a very bad drought. We all need to focus on conserving water, and preparing our yards and homes for possible wildfire.

for regularly scheduled events, and another for special events.We provide community care packages for new residents made available through our local realtors, that include guidance for peacefully coexisting with the wildlife with which we all share the mountains (e.g., “don’t leave your trash in any accessible place”). We provide many other services and frequently sponsor or assist other community-based groups with their respective events and activities.You can see we do a lot for our communities. None of these services happen automatically. We have a group of dedicated board members who contribute a lot of time on a regular basis (including our out-going president, Matt Bottenberg, who has done a great job of “herding cats” for the past 3 years), and volunteers who help with specific projects. Your donations make everything described here possible.If you would like to get involved, please contact us through our Website’s inquiry form. We currently have several projects for which we could use additional help. For those who would like to contribute financially to our general fund or to the Web-cam project specifically, there is a PayPal donation form on our Website, along with instructions for anyone preferring to mail a check.We look forward to hearing from you.

A publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. (http://www.mtncare.com) Spring 2015 Volume 9 Issue 2

Bear Facts Staff

Paul Tetreault Editor

Shirley Bauer Advertising Director

Carol Burgess Mailing Director

to submit Letters to the Editor

write to:[email protected]

Mountain C.A.R.E. President’s Message

Mountain C.A.R.E. President’s Message

by Jeff Schaefer

by Matt Bottenberg

Mountain C.A.R.E. Board of Directors

Jeff Schaefer President

Shirley Bauer Vice President

Robin Dexter-Durham SecretaryJamie Orr Treasurer

Carol Burgess Subscription Director

Matt Bottenberg Member of the Board

Rod Goodyear Member of the Board

Michelle Macri Member of the Board

Michelle Mayfield Member of the Board

Jim McCune Member of the Board

Paul Tetreault Member of the Board

Please Support Us $15/yr

I was elected president of Mountain C.A.R.E. at the end of March, 2015, after participating as a board member and helping in several community events and projects over the past several years. Beyond publishing the Bear Facts newsletter,

Mountain C.A.R.E. sponsors and coordinates several annual events in and for the communities of Mountain Home Village, Angelus Oaks, and Forest Falls.Mountain C.A.R.E. particpates in the annual Canyon Cleanup every spring. During this event, volunteers fan out across our communities picking up trash along the roads. Graffiti is removed from under our bridges, from rocks in the wash, and even from the face of the Big Falls. Several large dumpsters are also made available for larger trash items, scrap metal, recycling, e-waste, etc. during this annual eventWe also sponsor the Web cams available at the mtncare.com Website. The cameras are an ongoing community safety service, allowing residents and visitors to see current road and weather conditions in and near our communities before traveling. Our Website also hosts two community calendars; one

This will be my last “Presidents Message” since the Mountain C.A.R.E. Board just elected our next president, Jeff Schaefer. It has been a lot of fun, and I will remain on the Board since I love this organization and still want to help. So let’s all welcome Jeff and wish him good luck.

Volume 9 Issue 2 A Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E.

Check out current community news at www.mtncare.com

Kate Harvey was only 24 in 1911 when her brother was acquitted of the murder of her brother-in-law, Jack Harvey, and she divorced her husband, Lue Harvey. Possessing only a third grade education, she battled legal claims against the property she’d inherited and became an entrepreneur, running Harvey’s Mountain Home Camp as a summer resort. The opening of the new toll road to Big Bear through Mountain Home Canyon in March 1914 was a boon for Kate’s business. The control road, allowing cars to ascend or descend every three hours, was on her property and mountain visitors were her captive clientele while they waited. Famously, Kate was known for her hospitality as this 1915 ad attests, but also as the tough, foul-mouthed guardian of the control gate; wearing loaded six guns on her ample hips.

However, success and happiness were both fleeting in Kate’s life. Within the year, a disastrous winter flood struck and, on February 3, 1916, the headlines

shouted, “MOUNTAIN HOME LOSS VERY SEVERE Kate Harvey Place Gone.” Ranger Jack Allen reported that she had “sustained the loss of practically everything she possessed at her mountain home. Her entire boarding establishment, including the kitchen, dining room and all her tent houses, in fact all she had, was swept away in the flood.”

Kate carried on and at 41 became a war bride on July 12, 1918, marrying William D. Howard who was shipping out to Seattle within a week. The news story reported that “Mrs. Howard will remain on the ranch with her brother, who has made his home with her for several years. The marriage of Mrs. Harvey will come as a great surprise to her many friends and acquaintances. It appears that William Howard’s military service ended quickly. He was home prior to their first anniversary, and in a bizarre echo of earlier occurrences, following a dinner table argument between Powell and Howard, Kate’s brother drew his revolver yet again

on July 14, 1919. Howard was shot beneath his right eye and Kate through her left arm as she tried to intervene. However, she stood by her brother, and in a hospital interview remarked, “Yes it is strange that twice in a woman’s life she must take the side against a husband in things like this.” During Powell’s trial, Kate’s testimony was very colorful; claiming she feared her husband would “kill her brother by means of jiu jitsu” and that he had killed a man in Alaska. Investigation revealed that his true name was not Howard, but Richard N. Reeves. Powell was again acquitted and Kate divorced a second time.As she approached 50, Kate’s star began to fade. The legal battles relating to the property had kept her in penury; even to the extent that she mortgaged individual cows. She ultimately lost, giving the property up to a consortium of investors in Redlands who allowed her to continue living there. In September 1926, they sold to outside interests who developed the Dolly Varden angling club. A lifetime of hard mountain living was also taking its toll. In 1927, she stated that prior to treatment she couldn’t walk without both crutch and cane or get out of bed. After the sale of Harvey’s Resort, it is said that Kate went to Big Bear for a time to work as a cook.In 1930, census records show that she was in Pipes Canyon at the Onyx mine working as the cook and, in an interesting twist, living with Tom Akers the founder and former owner of Forest Home Resort. Then on January 11, 1937, a harrowing news story reported that a group of nine people, Kate among them, had been marooned in the Onyx mine since Christmas due to heavy snow. One man walked for 16 hours on snowshoes made of boards to get help for the eight still stranded and starving. Nine months later, Kate suffered a paralyzing stroke at her home where hunter Jack Meek found her and took her to San Bernardino. Kate Harvey died in the hospital in San Bernardino on July 11, 1944 at the age of 67 never fully recovering her health after her stroke. As a woman who stood tall among rough mountain men, her legend lives on in the history of Mill Creek Canyon.

The Sensational Kate Harvey pt.2 The History of the Canyon

by Shannon Wray

Kate Harvey’s Camp ad

Kate’s home which was lost in the 1916 flood

Kate, cook & brother, Bob Powell, at the post-flood tent camp


Check out old issues of the Bear Facts at www.mtncare.com

Tom & Dee Konczal, two people giving our community center a special purpose, bringing our communities together for an event that would be free to anyone... and Souper Thursday was born.They gathered a group of inspired volunteer cooks who prep veggies, meat, and fruit the day prior, and then host this Soup Night from 4- 7pm on the 1st Thursday of every month. This is an event where anyone can enjoy a homemade meal,visit with friends, meet new folk for free. All this because one couple had an “idea.”

Another worthy cause created by the Konczals is a food donation program called Neighbors Helping Neighbors. At both Soup Night & the Post Office, there are shelves for food donations that are used for locals that can use some help. Food dispensed is kept confidential. In addition to all her other jobs, Dee is also the Community Center Event Coordinator; managing the center when it is rented out for events like weddings, anniversaries, and birthday parties. I begged Tom & Dee to give their story, they graciously agreed.Tom was born in Chicago and grew up in Tucson. He has always worked with his hands. When he was young he pulled orange crates apart and straightened the nails to make “tommy guns.” He made Go-Carts also. He saved his money to buy a jig-saw for $16 when he was 11 and then used it every day.Tom moved to Los Angeles where he met Dee in high school. You might guess, he loved wood shop where he built a chess set and Dee’s Hope Chest among many other projects. After high school Tom attended LA Trade Tech, and worked in a local cabinet shop.Tom married Dee in 1960, celebrating 55 years of marriage this year. Shortly after they were married Tom was drafted and transferred into the Navy SeaBees spending nine months on Okinawa establishing a Marine base and setting up a wood shop. The Commander wanted a poker table, and when word got out about it, Tom was suddenly really busy.Soon Ken, Karlyne and Katherine were born and Tom went back to school to become a dental lab technician. Tom went on to established his own lab from l973-1985. One day he saw a lady at a mall engraving on glass. At home he used his dental tools to engrave on a glass of his own. Soon, he was a master engraver and engraved for companies all over California. Some of us are fortunate to have some of his engraved work.Tom designed and worked on their cabin here in Forest Falls making it a lovely home. He retired in 2006 and enjoyed leading local

A SUDDEN LIGHT By Garth Stein

This story is haunted with mystery and ghosts. Set in the summer of 1990, Trevor, who is about to turn fifteen, gets to visit Riddell House – the legendary family mansion overlooking Puget

Sound. Trevor’s parents are split and his father, Jones Riddell, has a goal: help his sister get confused Grandpa Samuel to a nursing home; sell off the house and property for development; divide up the profits; and live ‘money-happy’ ever after.

Trevor wanders the dark hallways, secret staircases and hidden rooms. He meets a spectral ghost – a spirit who can’t rest until his story is revealed. Trevor needs to compel his father and aunt to face the dark past of their ancestors; he needs to unveil the lies and evil deeds of Serena, Jones’ sister.

This story is ethereal and bewitching. The characters are unconventional and sometimes mystical. Intertwined in this story are several stories, and surprising visits from the grave. It is the best ghost story I have read in a long time. Stein gives the reader a word-filled artistic painting of emotional truth in understanding human motivation. The novel is chilling.

Considering BooksMeet Your NeighborsMountain Folk

Mountain Folk - continued

by Katherine Thomerson-Birdby Shirley Bauer

Dee & Tom Konczal with Curly

If you would like to see most of this issue’s photos in color, visit www.mtncare.com

scouting, active for 65 years, and awarded the “Silver Beaver” for exemplary service. Dee was born in Ontario, Canada, and came to Los Angeles as a small child. She always knew she wanted to teach just like her 4th grade teacher. She loved school and eventually attended Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara. One of her credentials includes teaching the visually impaired, which she did for 40 years. She has taught children and adults of all ages. While working at Ventura College she established the High Tech Center for the Disabled as well as the Alternate Text Production Center (the first in USA).Genealogy, scouting, and gardening are her favorite hobbies. Dee and Tom successfully raised three children who are all professionals, and they are blessed with two wonderful grandchildren. Dee first started coming to Forest Falls in the winter time as a girl scout, and later visited her beloved 4th grade teacher at the cabin Dee and Tom came to own. Their children were instilled with a love of this community.Dee’s favorite quote is from Marian W. Edelman “Service is the rent we each pay for living. It is not something to do in our spare time. It is the very purpose of life.”Dee says “Forest Falls is everything - paradise! Having been weekenders since 1969 and living here full time since 2006, we appreciate the kindness of everyone who lives here as honoring God’s masterpiece.” This couple has clearly made a huge difference in our community’s quality of life.If you think you, or someone you know should be interviewed for this Mountain Folk column in an upcoming issue, please email Stephanie Sager at [email protected].



Congratulations to all our new graduates of the Basic CERT training program. We are certainly a safer and more prepared community with you having taken the time

to pursue this course. Anyone who started the course but missed a day, keep an eye on the Mill Creek Canyon C.E.R.T. page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/groups/MillCreekCanyonCERT/

Flashovers On Being Preparedby Mill Creek Canyon C.E.R.T.by Captain Jeff Britton, Forest Falls, Station 99

Cherie, Tam & Tori carry out a victim in the Mock Disaster

Household Hazardous Material Disposal every Saturday in Redlands 9:30am-12:30 pm

City of Redlands Corporate Yard at 1270 West Park Ave near Kansas Street

Remember:

are OnLine with Live Links at:

http://www.mtncare.com/bear-facts

both the current issue & old issues

Are Your House Numbers Visible?If you’ve ever received a call from people coming to your home stating, “I’m on your street, but I can’t find your house,” it may be time to update your house numbers. If your guests can’t find your home, what makes you

think the Fire Department can? Making sure your house numbers are visible can save your life. On an emergency call, every second counts, and time spent trying to find your home is time wasted. Numbers should be posted near the front door, above eye level and preferably within an area illuminated by a porch light. While spelled-out or fancy numbers may look nice, they are hard to read from the street. Stick with basic Arabic numerals at least four inches high. Make sure the numbers contrast with the paint color of the house, light colored walls should have dark numbers. Also, avoid bronze or brass numbers; they may look nice in the store, but they’re hard to read on ANY background. Make sure that house numbers are easily seen from where emergency vehicles will approach. If your house is at the end of a long lane, or driveway, post house numbers near the street. Numbers should be easy to see in both the day and night. Check periodically to make sure that trees, bushes or shrubbery haven’t grown up and obscured your house numbers. Additionally, there are cabins in the community that still use their tract and lot numbers. This means nothing to the Fire or Sheriff departments! Please post the 4 or 5 digit address that is assigned to your residence.Are You Prepared for Fire Season?When you hear the phrase “spring cleaning” many think of dusting book shelves, and packing up winter coats. But, spring cleaning should be more than that, it should also be getting your home ready for fire season. Creating defensible space is essential for your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. Keep the area around your home clear creating a buffer zone between the fire and your house. Defensible space helps firefighters defend your home from a threatening vegetation fire. Defensible space is divided into two zones; Zone 1 being a 30-foot radius immediately surrounding the home, Zone 2 being a 70 foot radius around zone one. The total defensible space should be 100 feet. Keeping plants pruned and maintained is an important fire protection tool. Proper landscape maintenance dramatically improves the fire safety of a yard. The closer the plants are to the house, the more care that needs to be taken. Plant only low-growing plants in Zone 1. Trees and shrubs are ok as long as they are widely spaced and don’t provide a continuous path that allows fire to climb from the ground to a tree crown or roof. Create fire-safe zones with stone walls, patios, decks and roadways; Use rock, mulch, and flower beds as ground cover for bare spaces and as effective firebreaks; Make sure there is horizontal and vertical separation between plants, this will minimize the spread of fire from your plants to your home. Please do not completely remove all vegetation leaving the ground bare! Some vegetation or ground cover is necessary to prevent erosion.You have no doubt heard, this is statistically the driest year we have had in recorded history. This will worsen our potential threat from a wildland fire. Your fire department is trained and prepared to defend the community from a vegetation fire. However, any preparations you complete ahead of time will greatly increase the chances that your home will survive. The time to think about this is now; not when a fire is advancing.

I will be posting evenings where you can take or review each of the chapters covered or missed. We covered Disaster Prep, Fire Science and Suppression, Disaster Medical, Light Search & Rescue, CERT org, Disaster Psychology, and Terrorism awareness.One of the things we really hope to pull together this year is a Radio Team and strategy. You Radio enthusiasts keep an eye out for notices about a meeting to make that happen. We also hope to get some specific training on Shelter Management and Considering Pets in a Disaster.For anyone interested in signing up on the waiting list for a new CERT Basic class come visit our info tent at this year’s Search & Rescue Pancake Breakfast on July 4th at Big Falls Lodge or call Paul Tetreault at 909-794-0077 For more ideas on being prepared, check out the C.E.R.T Website:http://www.fema.gov/community-emergency-response-teams



Hello and happy spring to all from the Frozen Green Thumb Garden Club. This is a wonderful community that we live in and I would like to inform the general populous of our upcoming events. We are preparing for our annual Garden Club Extravaganza on Saturday, June 13th at Big Falls Lodge. We will have refreshments, hot-dogs, and a bake sale. We are a having a raffle again too! We had lots of wonderful prizes last year and this year will not disappoint. We are now gladly accepting donations for the raffle if you are willing to help. Please contact [email protected] if you have something to donate. It will be a great place to get plants for you indoor or outdoor garden, so come early and enjoy yourselves. Also, we will have members walking in the 18th annual Chili Cook Off parade with their CRAZY HATS on July 5th, 2015. See you there! Recently, we had a tour of the Bear Paw Preserve and it was a wonderful opportunity to explore a little known part of our canyon. We have had a couple of informative presentations on topics like pollinating insects and backyard composting. We would like to thank the people that plan and organize our monthly meetings and make them a blast. We always welcome new members, if you are interested come check us out on the 3rd Monday of every month. Please keep in mind as the weather warms up and summer approaches, we are still in a drought. While we tend to our gardens and yards stay water wise. We all enjoy the beauty of these mountains, and water is one of our most precious resources. We look forward to seeing you at upcoming events and happy gardening. If you have any questions about tips or anything else in your garden, check out our facebook page or feel free to stop by a Frozen Green Thumb Garden Club meeting. Visitors are always welcome! https://www.facebook.com/Frozengreenthumbgardenclub

by Megan DannerFrozen Green Thumb Garden Club

Mountain Gardening

This is a RECYCLING BIN, Not a DUMPSTER

This bin IS for • Cardboard• Plastic • Glass• Aluminum

It is NOT for • TVs• Electronics • Yard waste• Household Trash

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR TRASH AT THIS SITE! If the bin is not there, don’t leave your recyclables here,

keep them at your home until the bin arrives.

America Declares Independenceby Shirley Bauer

In 1774 the American colonists were beginning to rebel against Great Britain’s tax laws set upon them be King George III. He’d never been to America, but with absolute certainty he knew what had to be done with those Americans. America must be made to obey. He headed the strongest force on the earth. “Any other conduct but compelling obedience would be ruinous”In March 1775 when challenged on Britain ever winning a war in America, Lord Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, said “Suppose the colonists abound in men, what does that signify They are raw, undisciplined, cowardly men.” King George sent reinforcements in ships, three of his best Generals and they closed the Port of Boston. First blood was in Lexington and Concord, near Boston. British General Wm. Howe was convinced “the insurgents are few in number in comparison to those loyal to the crown.”On July 3, 1775, new General, George Washington took command of the American “rabble”, the new Continental Army. He was refined, tall, “powerful in comportment”...a wealthy landowner, precise, particular about everything he was involved in. He was persuaded by the Continental Congress, made up of leaders in all the 13 states, to lead America to freedom. He took the leadership skills of a large plantation and soon was a genius at war leadership. His army of civilians was loyal to him and the pursuit of freedom. The sight of him riding tall among them, with his winning smile, gave them the hope they needed so badly.But as 1775 and 1776 proceeded, failures made both sides become discouraged. The British were homesick, tired of this “wild country”, the Americans were always short of food, clothing, supplies. Washington and his generals were leading men who were worn by defeats. The British were advancing on all fronts. Washington wrote to the congress “on every front there is a choice of difficulties.” In spite of all this, the Americans kept on fighting, They got through a very bitter winter without adequate food, clothing or supplies. The great desire for freedom described to them by their leaders kept them going. That spring, the spring of 1776, a miracle happened. Financial support came from France and the Netherlands, and military support from the French army and navy. All this played a large part in the outcome.But it was Washington who held the army together and gave it “spirit” through desperate times. He NEVER forgot the stake and NEVER gave up. Over and over in letters to congress and his officers, he called for “perseverance, patience, unremitting courage”. He wrote “a people unused to restraint must be led, they will not be drove” Nathaniel Green foresaw “He will be the deliverer of his own country.”The ending of the war, the leaving of the British seemed little short of a miracle. George Washington and his leaders went to Philadelphia to the Continental Congress where they were greeted as heroes!On July 4, l776. the Congress finished the creation of the Declaration of Independence which announced the birth of a great nation. This is why we celebrate our freedom every year on July 4th.



Fallsvale Variety Show Let’s SPRUCE It Up!by Pam Reno by Beth Tetreault

We need lots of volunteers to help spruce up our community areas. Let’s get together and make our communities even more beautiful. Join us on Saturday, May 2, at 9am for coffee, tea, hot chocolate and donuts. If you are volunteering in Forest Falls, join us at Big Falls Lodge. If you are volunteering in Mountain Home Village, join us at the bulletin board on Old Mill Creek Rd. We will be doing roadside clean-up as well as community and Big Falls Picnic Grounds graffiti removal.You can get rid of scrap metal, car batteries, appliances, electronic waste, green waste, regular recycling and general large trash disposal at the cinder pile lot on Valley of the Falls Road and general large trash disposal across from Big Falls Lodge. This year Habitat for Humanity will join us, at the cinder pile lot, and will be accepting usable building materials and re-saleable furniture.It will be a beautiful day to celebrate our love of the land.(Sorry, we will NOT be accepting tires or Hazard Waste)

FALLSVALE SCHOOL is hosting its annual CAR WASH, BBQ & BAKE SALE.

Please Bring us your DIRTY CAR and come prepared to eat some DELICIOUS BARBEQUE.

There will also be BAKED GOODIES for sale. The SUDS and FUN begin at 10AM.

If you’d like to donate baked goods or your time, PLEASE CALL DEBI WELCH @ 909.794.2518.

BRING YOUR APPETITE AND DIRTY CAR!SAVE THE DATE SATURDAY JUNE 6, 2015

It’s “Show Time” at Fallsvale Elementary!

The Fallsvale Grizzlies are performing in their 5th Annual Variety Show on Friday May 8th @ 1pm. Students will be putting their best foot forward with: song, dance, skits, demonstrations and many other wonderful acts. Please take this opportunity to come watch our stars shine!



May 2nd Canyon Clean-up Day 9:30 am Saturday, Meet at Big Falls Lodge to volunteer for roadside trash pick-up. Recycle, E-Waste, Metal Salvage, Green Waste, and more.

May 7th & June 4th

Souper Thursday & Food Pantry Drive

Dinner is FREE. Donations encouraged, Please bring canned food items to Big Falls Lodge 4-7pm. Dee Konczal 909-794-0885 or [email protected]

May 8th Fallsvale Variety Show Friday May 8th at 1:00pm

May 30th Community Swap Meet Big Falls Lodge, $10 per spot call Gail or Dan at 909-794-1212

June 6th Fallsvale School Car Wash & BBQ

Plus Bake Sale! At Fallsvale school beginning at 10am. Call Debi Welch for additional details 909-794-2518

June 13th Garden Club Extravaganza

Big Falls Lodge 8am-1pm, Buy plants, yard art, baked goods, have lunch and buy tickets fora raffle

July 4th Search & Rescue Pancake Breakfast Big Falls Lodge, 7 am-11am

July 5th Chili Cook-Off 11:00 am Sunday, Downtown

EVENT CALENDARAngelus Oaks - Forest Falls - Mountain Home Village

Spring 2015

Forest Falls Fire Department

Meets every Tues at 6:30pm, Forest Falls Fire Station. 794-4413

Angelus Oaks Fire Department

Meets on the 2nd & 4th Tues of every month at 6pm at the Angelus Oaks Fire Station.

Valley of the Falls Community Church Youth Group

Meets every Wednesday 6pm-8pm. Ages 12-18. Valley of the Falls Community Church

Angelus Oaks Fire Safe Council

Meets periodically. Dates are announced on the A.O. FSC Bulletin Board in the Angelus Oaks Post Office.

Frozen Green Thumb Garden Club

Meets 3rd Monday every month. Call Sandy Wood 951-440-1461 for monthly location. All are welcome.

Cub Scouts Pack #794

Monday 6:30pm Valley of the Falls Church FF Cubmaster Matt Gibson 909-208-4536 or Shawna Gibson 909-841-0145

Explorer Post 128Meets 2nd & 3rd Thursday 6pm & 3rd Saturday at Forest Falls Fire Station. New Explorers welcome. Call 794-4413 lv meg.

Mill Creek Canyon C.E.R.T.

Skills Maintenance Days are in the planning stage, to get on a waiting list for new courses call Paul Tetreault 794-0077.

Souper ThursdayFREE SOUP!

First Thursday of the month 4pm -7pm at Big Falls Lodge. Call Dee 794-0885 (VOLUNTEERS NEEDED)

Valley of the Falls Search And Rescue

Meets 2nd Monday each month, at 7pm Forest Falls Sheriff Sub-Station 909-389-2435.



Since Jan. 1st we started measuring poundage as donated:We gathered in January, a total of 127 lbs, February-303 lbs and in March-584 lbs. Our grand total of poundage for this quarter is 1014 pounds!! IF you know of anyone that needs some food, even for a short emergency, please let me know. Thank you EVERYONE, for your generosity, thoughtfulness and caring…If you have any questions please contact [email protected] or 909-794-0885 Sincerely, Dee Konczal

All hyperlinks work and get you to more content and connections when you visit www.mtncare.com

Some Helpful Phone NumbersHighway Patrol 800-427-7623 for Road ConditionsCode Enforcement 909-387-4044 Illegal Dumping Building & Safety 909-387-4244 Building CodesFF Firehouse 909-794-4413 Non-EmergencyFish & Wildlife 909-484-0167 for Bear & Lion Issues

Let Them Eat... Chili

Monday Night Music

Souper Thursday

by Debi Welch

by Conder Seasholtz

On Sunday July 5, 2015, Forest Falls will host its 18TH Annual Chili Cook Off. Mark your calendars now! As always this year’s event will begin with chili tasting at 11:00am and culminating with the town photo at 3 in the afternoon. Be there or be square!Festivities to include:Obviously the Chili Contest will top the list, cookers must apply in advance, whip up your best Chili recipe to compete in this feat of culinary skills and have a blast while you’re at it. This year all those buying a “Taste of Chili” will be selecting ALL the chili cooking winners, 1st, 2nd & 3rd. It’s all People’s Choice this year! Pie and Cake Contest... feel free to try something new and exciting or you could always enter grandma’s tried and true family secret in this delectable venue of the Chili cook off. Hey if you can’t or don’t want to bake, you can buy them, we will be offering these tasty treats for sale for your pleasure as well!Of course we’ll be having the parade, we are continuing with the well received Crazy Hat Competition that was added to The Kid and Pet Parade last year. Join us, wear your craziest hat! Prizes will be awarded for the craziest hat and best kid-pet decor entry as well a treat for all children who enter this competition.You can join in the Pie Eating Contest, Hula-Hoop Contest, Bubblegum Blowing Contest, kids games, and the best raffle on the mountain, not to mention dancing the afternoon away to the music of our very own DJ, Paul Tetreault.Entry forms for aspiring Chili Cookers are available at the Elkhorn General Store , Gillmore Real Estate or via a new online application on our Facebook Page “ Forest Falls Chili Cook Off”. WE can always use some help to pull this off this event so if you’d like to volunteer for this fun and wonderful event, please contact Debi Welch at Gillmore Real Estate 909.794.2518 or Gail Forgues at the Elkhorn General Store 909.794.1212. Can’t wait to celebrate with all of you!

The Monday Night Music Club, now meets every Monday evening. We’ve been gathering since the middle of August to jam and enjoy playing and listening to music and having a ton of fun. All musicians, all styles and those who simply enjoy listening are welcome to join us for an evening of playing, learning, and exploration. Singers and songwriters are welcome as well. We meet from 7-9:30 on Monday nights most of the time at Big Falls Lodge, when attendance seems like it might be low we sometimes meet at one of our member’s home. Check our Facebook Group for announcements. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1473578939567987/

Are you looking for a way to serve your community? Are you new to Forest Falls and want to get to know your canyon neighbors? A perfect opportunity awaits when you join the Souper Thursday volunteers. With vacations, illnesses, and other obligations, we often find ourselves short staffed. For this reason, we are actively seeking a wider base of volunteers. If you can give two or three hours once a month, we would love to have you join our team! Shifts run between 10 and 1 o’clock on the Wed. prior and throughout the day on Thursday. It’s a great chance to make new friends and a wonderful way to serve your community. It’s also a lot of fun!Each Souper Thursday we make, from scratch, at least 3 soups. We also provide rolls, drinks, and a baked potato bar or salad bar. We operate only on donations. If we get enough money we use recipes with meat. We also purchase additional equipment for the kitchen such as pots, kettles, knives etc.For all of 2014 we served a total of 1,682 people. Our donations totaled $3646.18 and costs were $3537.79. Isn’t that terrific?!For Jan., Feb., and March of 2015 we have served 358 people, received $732.30 in donations and put out $682.07 for supplies.f you have any questions please contact [email protected] or 909-794-0885 Sincerely, Dee Konczal



BFL rental rates & policywww.VFCCi.org

Event CoordinatorDee Konzal

909.794.0885 or [email protected]

Event Staffer Bernadette Griffith

909.389.9973Caretaker/Custodian

Joshua Wyatt909.382.1319

Board of Directors

Tom McIntosh, President [email protected]

909.794.2518Thom Wellman, V-Pres [email protected]

909.255.2964Susan Iles, Treasurer [email protected]

909.794.5756

Erik [email protected]

909.389.0116

Linda [email protected]

909.794.0734

Bernadette [email protected]

909.389.9973

Paul [email protected] [email protected]

909.794.0077

Membership in VFCCi is free and easy and open to residents and property owners of Angelus Oaks, Forest Falls, and Mountain Home Village. Download a membership application from our Website, www.VFCCi.org

• Do you receive periodic emails of community events and items of interest? Not on our email list? Send your email address to [email protected] (put “Add to Email List” on subject line). We do not share our email list with others.

• Become a Summit Sponsor or Fallsvale Friend. VFCCi is a charitable, non-profit organization and your donations should be tax deductible. While we appreciate your donation in any amount, those who meet $2,500 are designated a “Summit Sponsor” and those who wish to earmark their gift for the restoration of the old Fallsvale School to a Day Care/Latch Key site and reach $1,000 in donations will be designated as a Fallsvale Friend. Summit Sponsors and Fallsvale Friends are recognized with bronze plaques. Payment plans available, Visa-Mastercard accepted.

• Casual Donations gratefully accepted. Payment programs, Visa and Master Card accepted for all plans supporting VFCCi.

• Consider a donation of your estate or marketable asset. The Gail D. Cox Community Center at Big Falls Lodge was made possible this way and your donation can help make the Fallsvale School Day Care/Latch Key program a reality and enhance our community goals.

Check www.VFCCi.org calendar for events,classes, changes & updates

Have a class or event to put on? Let us know! Call or email your suggestions to

[email protected]• Post Office Box 41, Forest Falls, CA. 92339 • A Charitable Not for Profit Organization • EIN 33-0876386

Think Big Falls Lodge for your event… Weddings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Family and Class Reunions, Memorials, Graduations, Meetings, Classes….

Valley of the Falls Community Center

Inc.



36930 Old Mill Creek RoadMentone, CA 92359

Office: (909) 794-1096 [email protected]

The Bear Facts is a Publication of Mountain C.A.R.E., a non-profit organizationWe appreciate the patronage of our advertisers and the services they offer to our readers.However, the subscribers and the Board of Directors of Mountain C.A.R.E., are not endorsing these companies simply by including the ads in this publication. The advertisers pay for the privilege to post their ads and the Bear Facts is produced in part by those fees. We hope you will enjoy the services these companies offer.

Bear Facts Ad RatesHalf Page $300 /yearThird Page $260 /yearQuarter Page $220 /yearBusiness Card $130 /yearcontact Shirley Bauer [email protected]

Inquire about how easy it is to have YOUR business ad in the Bear FactsContact [email protected]

Phone: [email protected]

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Steve England

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Office: (909) 793-0400

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Please make sure any ad artwork, articles, calendar updates, and photos are sent to [email protected] on or before the submission deadline (all submissions digital please). For questions call the editor, Paul Tetreault at 909-794-0077.

by Ann Klingbeil by Noah SagerDog Tails Have You Seen It?

To be a responsible pet owner, you are required to not allow your dog (or dogs) to disturb the peace by barking uncontrollably. This is in violation of Sec. 415 of the CA Penal Code.

What are you to do, however, if there is no one home to quiet your dog?First, be sure your dog is getting enough exercise, both before you leave and when you come home. If possible, hiring someone to check on your dog in the middle of the day and walk it or spend some playtime with “Fido” may help also.If your dog is okay when left inside, leave it inside when you are gone.There are also bark collars of all kinds available. If all else fails, seek the help of a professional trainer.In today’s world, with houses being broken into and in Forest Falls, where we have all kinds of wildlife, it would be best to first check on the neighbor’s barking dog to be sure there isn’t something causing the barking.

** Make sure your dog is on a heartworm preventative **

The Rocky Saga - One man’s review of the finest boxing anthology… ever.My favorite movie is Rocky. That should come as no surprise to you, as Rocky is the best movie ever made. It’s also the best boxing movie ever made. And if that wasn’t enough, there are literally six movies in the Rocky series to occupy your minds and warm your hearts. If you’re pressed for time, however, I will review each of them so you can better choose which ones to watch first.Rocky, as I already mentioned, is the best movie ever. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend you watch it a couple of times. It’s a story of a big man with a bigger heart who tries real hard. Sylvester Stallone wrote, directed, and starred in it. It’s set in a classy time and place, which is how I imagine my Dad grew-up. Take that as you wish.Rocky II is pretty much a montage version of Rocky, except with a slightly different ending. Nothing memorable happens, except Rocky gets a friend chicken. If you haven’t seen it, don’t bother. Fourth best in the series.Rocky III is an incredible tribute to 80’s legends Mr. T and Hulk Hogan. That’s right, two insanely awesome dudes and it’s still a good movie on its own. Second best.Rocky IV Rocky wins the Cold War against Russia, which is awesome. This movie inspired Tim Tebow to try really hard at sports. Even though Rocky IV is cheesy, it’s actual really good (if you’re old enough to remember the Soviet Union). Third best.Rocky V is an inexplicably lame movie starring Sylvester’s actual son as a lame teenager. Rocky also gets a lot of headaches, which is supposed to show us something. I guess he needs to drink more water as he gets older. The only good part of this movie is the name of his opponent, which I will not spoil in case you are forced to watch this. Fifth best.Rocky Balboa (aka Rocky VI) is a completely forgettable movie in which a video game resolves the final fight. The only good part is that we see Spider Rico washing dishes, and if you’ve seen and memorized Rocky, then you know this is kinda cool. Fifth best.

“If you’ve made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure

is not the falling down but the staying down” ~ Mary Pickford

The Bear FactsNEXT Submission DEADLINE: Jul 5th

The regular schedule for the Bear Facts submissions and issue dates are as follows:

Submission Deadline

MtnCARE.com post Date

In the Mail Issue Date

Issue 1 Winter Jan 5th Jan 20th Feb 1st

Issue 2 Spring Apr 5th Apr 20th May 1st

Issue 3 Summer July 5th July 20th Aug 1st

Issue 4 Autumn Oct 5th Oct 20th Nov 1st



To all residents of:Angelus Oaks, Mountain Home Village & Forest Falls The Bear Facts is sent out Feb, May, Aug, & Nov. Do you have a mountain event coming up that would benefit by being included inan upcoming issue? Deadlines are Jan 5, Apr 5, Jul 5, and Oct 5.The Mountain C.A.R.E volunteer staff gets excited every time the Bear Facts goes out to our three mountain communities, and to our canyon property owners who live elsewhere. Perhaps you would like to help with the newsletter’s production.Would you like to subscribe? Our valuable subscribers are folkswho support The Bear Facts with a $15.00 donation once a year.Our volunteer’s names are on the front of this Bear Facts issue. Weall are accessible. If you have an article or calendar entry for TheBear Facts, contact Paul Tetreault [email protected] ads concerns go to Shirley Bauer [email protected]

COMING THIS SUMMER! A Residential Care Facility for the Elderly

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Positions: Care Givers - Assisting elderly residents with their activities of daily living

Minimum Requirements:

a. Compassion for the elderly d. Live Scan fingerprint clearance

b. Age: 21 e. CPR Card

c. Heath screening and TB test - (some lifting is required) f. Experience preferred but not required

PACIFIC PINESP L E A S A N T L I V I N G

5850 Manzanita Ave. Angelus Oaks CA 92305 www.pacific-pines.com

(909) 801-4984

Please send resumeé to: [email protected]

ECR WSS Postal PatronAngeles Oaks, CA 92305

Mountain C.A.R.E.P.O. Box 13Forest Falls, CA 92339

ECR WSSPostal PatronForest Falls, CA 92339

ECR WSS Postal PatronMountain Home Village, CA 92359

Spring 2015 Volume 9 Number 2