GBU Mountain News XLV January 31, 2014 (PDF)

GBU Mountain News

GBU Mountain News

January 31, 2014 XLV
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

independent - unbiased – professional
January 31, 2014 XLV

Confirmed Flu Deaths in California
Increase to at least 147
According to the California Department of Public Health
(CDPH) and the state health officer, the number of
confirmed influenza related deaths in the state has
increased by 52 to a total of 147 confirmed deaths for the
season. Four of the 147 are pediatric deaths. There are an
additional 44 deaths under investigation, not yet
confirmed.

The H1N1 Virus
The 147 confirmed influenza-associated deaths this
season have been reported by the following jurisdictions:
Alameda (4), Contra Costa (5), El Dorado (1), Fresno
(6), Glenn (1), Humboldt (1), Imperial (1), Kern (6),

Kings (3), Lassen (1), Long Beach City (3), Los Angeles
(17), Madera (2), Marin (2), Mendocino (1), Merced (3),
Monterey (2), Nevada (1), Orange (5), Riverside (5),
Sacramento (15), San Bernardino (13), San Diego (7),
San Francisco (2), San Joaquin (4), San Mateo (4), Santa
Barbara (1), Santa Clara (8), Santa Cruz (1), Shasta (1),
Siskiyou (3), Solano (1), Sonoma (4), Stanislaus (11),
Tulare (1), and Ventura (1).
The total number of deaths reported for the entire 20122013 influenza season was 106.
However, these numbers may be much higher. The Kern
County Department of Public Health reported on
Tuesday (January 28) 15 deaths – while the state reported
only six (6).
According to the Kern County Department of Health the
County’s numbers include all Influenza Like Illnesses
(ILI) that are reported to the Public Health Department.
Many ILI cases may test negative for flu after they were
reported and many cases that did not get reported but
tested positive will not be in our numbers.
Influenza is not a mandated reportable disease to the
health department unless someone passes away or is
admitted into ICU and is of a certain age.
The state only has specific criteria that are reportable. If
the case does not fit into that criteria or does not have a
confirmed blood test for the strain of ILI, the state can
decide not to include them in their numbers.
The Kern Public Health Department’s numbers include
all patients that were admitted or passed away from all
ILI.
Kern County is not the only one of more than 58 counties
who is ahead of the state numbers.

1|Page

GBU Mountain News
January 31, 2014 XLV
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Those at highest risk - the elderly, pregnant women,
infants, or those with other health conditions - who show
flu symptoms should contact their physician immediately
in order to get the most effective treatment. Symptoms
include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose,
muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue.
The California State Health Officer explained that “this
influenza season continues to be a severe one as the
increasing number of influenza-related deaths indicates.
Once again I urge all Californians to get vaccinated,
because it is the best defense against influenza.”
Influenza vaccine remains available and there is no
widespread shortage of anti-virals for treatment. Visit a
flu vaccine location near you to get immunized. Some
local health departments may also offer free or low-cost
immunizations.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
reported this week nationwide 5,494 laboratoryconfirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations since
October 1, 2013. This translates to a cumulative overall
rate of 20.3 hospitalizations per 100,000 people in the
United States. The highest hospitalization rates are
among people 65 and older (41 per 100,000), followed
by people 50-64 years (32 per 100,000) and children
younger than 5 years (30 per 100,000). In most seasons
the very young (0-4 years) and the elderly (65 years and
older) have the highest hospitalization rates.
However,
of
the
5,494
influenza-associated
hospitalizations that have been reported this season, more
than 60% have been in people 18 to 64 years old. This
pattern of more hospitalizations among younger people
was also seen during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.
Influenza A (H3N2), 2009 influenza A (H1N1), and
influenza B viruses have all been identified in the U.S.
this season. To date, influenza A (H1N1) viruses have
predominated. This is the H1N1 virus that emerged in
2009 to cause a pandemic. 2009 H1N1 viruses have
continued to circulate among people since that time, but
this is the first season that the virus has circulated at such
high levels since the pandemic.

Content
o
o
o
o
o

Confirmed Flu Deaths in California Increase to at
least
News from the El Tejon Unified School District
Frazier Mountain High School
o Sports
El Tejon School
Frazier Park School

o
o
o

o

o

o

o
o

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Science Fair at the El Tejon School (Part 2)
Gorman School
All Things Local
o Follow-Up: Camp Scheideck Fire
o California Department of Public Health (CDHP)
to Assist Communities with Most Vulnerable
Drinking Water Systems Due to Drought
o Interim Sheriff in Los Angeles County
o Follow Up: "Green Waste" Transfer in Lebec
People
o Allan Christensen, Supervisor David Couch’s
Chief of Staff named Risk Manager for Kern
County
Law Enforcement Corner
o Kern County Sheriff’s Office
o Incidents Jan 21 - 26
o Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department
o California Highway Patrol
Animals Matter
o Adopt Your Star Player Today at Kern County
Animal Services by Kern County Animal
Services
Our Library
o Calendar
Incidents & Accidents in our Region
o Lake of the Woods – Baby revived
o Gorman – Fire on Tejon Peak
o Fires, Arrests, Traffic Accidents throughout Kern
County
Arts – Music – Theatre
Frazier Park Weather Forecast
Business Affairs
Teens
o High School Seniors can win scholarships of
$2,000, $1,000 and $750
Technology
Kern County
o Board of Supervisors Meetings
Upcoming Events
Safety & Disaster Preparedness
o Kern County Flu Updates by Kim Rodriguez,
Kern County Public Health
Where to Go – What to Do
Op-Ed
Legislative Affairs
o California Water Bill Is Commonsense Solution
For Drought Stricken Californians, by US
Congressman Kevin McCarthy’s Office

2|Page

GBU Mountain News
January 31, 2014 XLV
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

o

o
o
o

State Senator Fuller Statement Regarding
DWR’s Water Allocation to Zero by State
Senator Jean Fuller’s Office
o Salas Responds to 0% Water Allocation by State
Assemblymember Rudy Salas Office
Where to Go – What to Do
Op-Ed
Business Directory

‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

Friday, February 7, at 3pm: FMHS Falcons

El Tejon Middle School

Frazier Park School
Science Fair at the El Tejon School
(Part 2)

GBU Mountain News is now on
Facebook:
Click
https://www.facebook.com/pages/GB
U-Mountain-News/1400308640212535
“Like” it and
see what’s happening
in the Mountain Communities

News from the
El
Tejon
Unified
School District
The August 22, 2013 School Board meeting can be viewed at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgfk4tRnn64
The September 12, 2013 School Board meeting can be viewed at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCsl0WlCv7Q
The September 26, 2013 School Board meeting can be viewed at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErTw1mBqsT4
The October 9, 2013 School Board meeting can be viewed at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOIlyTv9jDc
The October 23, 2013 School Board meeting can be viewed at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFZ2nYv7s3I
The December 12, 2013 School Board meeting can be viewed at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZYOSem5-Ao
The January 9, 2014 School Board meeting can be viewed at
https://plus.google.com/events/cse3uo3vqrv32f39s6evi719jhg
Photos from thev 2013 FMHS Homecoming can be seen on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.635176606505317.1073741838
.109453262410990&type=3

Frazier
Mountain
School (FMHS)

High

Sports
Basketball
Last of this season’s home games for both schools take
place at FMHS:

Kelly Stegeman (photo) and Jaqueline Kelly tried to
find an answer to the questions "which wood burns
cleaner and the fastest, Eucalyptus, Oak, or Pine?"
Their hypothesis was that "if we burn the pine for 5
minutes, then it will burn with less pollution...because
pine is the most common firewood." For the
experiment she first cut all three types of wood into
woodchips, placed a woodchip into a smoker and
placed a white cloth over the main hole. Subsequently
their experiments showed that "Pine polluted a lot,
the average on a scale of 1 to 5 was 4.3; Oak was
about 1.3, and Eucalyptus was about 2.”
As mentioned before, the annual Science Fair took place
at the El Tejon School Gymnasium on Thursday, January
23. The 119 projects and displays were reviewed by the
following five judges: Scot Pipkin and Laura Pavliscak
(both from Tejon Ranch Conservancy), Dick Albright,
Dr. Charles Hurst, and Lisa Arreola.
The following teachers supported and guided their
students through the projects:
4th grade - Denise Carlson and Sandy Spencer
5th grade - Paula Harvey and Emily Lee
6th grade - Andrea Bloom and Liz Evans
7th & 8th grade - Michele White
And the winners were

3|Page

GBU Mountain News
January 31, 2014 XLV
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4th Grade: April Aguilar and Taylor Poor
5th Grade: Mattaniah Matte and Sarah Hon
6th Grade: William Edwards and Alexandra Penner
7th Grade: Sedona Vivirito and Tristin Csulak
8th Grade: Michael Stegeman and Christina Zorich
Alternates: Charles Robertson, Kelly Stegeman/Jackie
Kelly, Cheyane Robinson
The ten winners will go on to compete at the Kern
County Science Fair on Tuesday, March 18, 2014. The
students who were named alternates will go on if any of
the winners back out.
Last, but certainly not least Lee Bizzini is the teacher who
organized and coordinated the amazing El Tejon Unified
School District’s (ETUSD) Science Fair. Congratulations
again to all for a job very well done.

All Things Local
Follow-Up: Camp Scheideck Fire
One of the first arriving fire fighters took this amazing
shop. It shows both homes already fully engulfed in
flames and beyond salvage.

California Department of Public Health
(CDHP) to Assist Communities with Most
Vulnerable Drinking Water Systems Due
to Drought
Lake Of The Woods Mutual Water Company
and three other drinking water systems in Kern
County are identified as one of 17 water systems
at greatest risk in California
First place winner Tristin Czulak (7th grade)
researched "how tha angle of trajectory effects the
range a projectile travels." H hypothesized that if a
projectile (a NERF pocket aero flyer) is launched at a
45 degree angle of trajectory, then it will travel over a
greater range than if it were launched at 0, 15, 30, 60,
75 or 90 degree angles.”

More science projects will be
introduced in future issues of the
GBU Mountain News.

By California Department of Public Health
SACRAMENTO - With the state in its driest year on
record, the California Department of Public Health
(CDPH) today announced that it has identified and
offered support to 17 rural communities with vulnerable
drinking water systems due to drought conditions.
The effort follows Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.'s
emergency drought declaration earlier this month.
“As the severe drought continues, we’re working with
impacted communities to identify alternative water
sources and additional resources,” CDPH Director Dr.
Ron Chapman said.
The 17 rural drinking water systems identified serve
communities that range in size from 39 to approximately
11,000 Californians. There are approximately 3,000
community water systems (systems that have at least 15
service connections) that provide water in California.
Today’s announcement follows the Governor’s drought
state of emergency, which directed CDPH’s Drinking
Water Program to identify communities that may run out

4|Page

GBU Mountain News
January 31, 2014 XLV
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

of drinking water and “provide technical and financial
assistance to help these communities address drinking
water
shortages”
and
“identify
emergency
interconnections that exist among the state’s public water
systems that can help these threatened communities.”
CDPH will work with the impacted systems to ensure
that they have implemented required conservation
measures (this could include no outside watering or
rationing in addition to proper noticing of system
customers of the required conservation measures);
identify any possible additional sources (nearby water
systems or hauled water); and provide guidance on the
possible construction of additional wells to meet the
system’s needs.
CDPH’s Drinking Water Program has identified to date
the following drinking water systems at greatest risk:
o Shaver Lake Heights Mutual Water Company
(Fresno County)
o Sierra Cedars Community Services District (Fresno
County)
o Bass Lake Water Company (Madera County)
o Whispering Pines Apts (Mariposa County)
o Boulder Canyon Water Association (Kern County)
o Cypress Canyon Water System (Kern County)
o Lake Of The Woods Mutual Water Company (Kern
County)
o Camp Condor (Kern County)
o Jackson Valley Irrigation District (Amador County)
o City of Willits (Mendocino County)
o Redwood Valley Community Water District
(Mendocino County)
o Brooktrail Township Community Services District
(Mendocino County)
o Washington Ridge Conservation Camp (Nevada
County)
o Ophir Gardens (Placer County)
o Lompico County Water District (Santa Cruz County)
o City of Cloverdale (Sonoma County)
o Healdsburg (Sonoma County)
This list was developed by surveying the state’s
community water systems and may change as solutions
for these systems are implemented and additional
vulnerable systems are identified. The 17 identified may
face severe water shortages in the next 60 to 100 days.
The CDPH Drinking Water Program has 23 district
offices throughout the state that closely monitor the
needs of drinking water systems. CDPH staff works with
these systems and local officials to determine access and
need. The state will continue to assess California’s

drinking water systems to identify and support those
potentially at risk.
In addition to today’s announcement and the Governor’s
drought State of Emergency, earlier this week, the
California Natural Resources Agency, the California
Environmental Protection Agency and the California
Department of Food and Agriculture released the
California Water Action Plan, which will guide state
efforts to enhance water supply reliability, restore
damaged and destroyed ecosystems and improve the
resilience of our infrastructure. Governor Brown has
called on all Californians to reduce their water usage by
20 percent and last week, the Save Our Water campaign
announced four new public service announcements that
encourage residents to conserve. Last December, the
Governor formed a Drought Task Force to review
expected water allocations and California’s preparedness
for water scarcity. In May 2013, Governor Brown issued
an Executive Order to direct state water officials to
expedite the review and processing of voluntary transfers
of water and water rights.

5|Page

GBU Mountain News
January 31, 2014 XLV
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Interim Sheriff in Los Angeles County
On Tuesday (January 28) the Los Angeles County Board
of Supervisors announced its selection of Orange County
Undersheriff John Scott as Interim Sheriff for Los
Angeles County.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca had announced his
retirement in early January and his last day in office will
be on January 31. Baca was elected in 1998 as Los
Angeles County's 30th Sheriff and re-elected to his fourth
term in 2010.
The Board of Supervisors was required under county
charter to appoint a replacement to serve out the
remainder of Baca’s term, which ends in December. The
primary election for the next elected sheriff is set for
June 3. If no candidate receives more than half the vote, a
runoff will be held Nov. 4.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) is
the largest sheriff's department in the US, and provides
general-service law enforcement to unincorporated areas
as well as to 42 cities in Los Angeles County. With more
than 9,100 sworn deputies and 8,000 civilian staff plus
volunteers the LASD is also the fourth largest local law
enforcement agency and the second largest transit police
force in the nation.

of the transportation company, Gabriel Mejia of Govia
Transport and Logistics.
It was reported by both that a material, which has been
referred to as "mulch" and "compost", was being
transport and deposited on the site at 1442 Frazier
Mountain Park Road by the City of Los Angeles. From
there, the mulch or composted material was being loaded
into other trucks. These transports were arranged by
Govia Transport and Logistics, and delivered to the
Synagro composting facility.
The transfer site has a Conditional Use Permit for the
storage of recyclable materials, limited to asphalt and
concrete. The permit contains the condition that no other
waste streams are to be received, stored or processed at
the site. The Planning and Community Development
Department was contacted for a determination as to
whether they could bring this product to the site and use
it as a transfer station. The Planning and Community
Development Department reported that, based upon the
current knowledge of the materials, the appropriate landuse approvals to deposit or store this material on that site
in Lebec are not in place. The Department also reported
that there may be other conditions which have not been
maintained on that site for the Conditional Use Permit.

Follow Up: "Green Waste" Transfer in
Lebec
On January 7, 2014, the Kern County Board of
Supervisors requested information on the “Green Waste”
Transfer activities in Lebec. On Tuesday (January 29) the
Kern County Health Services Department provided a
preliminary report on the issue.to the Board of
Supervisors. The Health Services Department stated:
"Staff from the Environmental Health Division observed
trucks from the City of Los Angeles, Bureau of
Sanitation delivering and unloading an organic material,
which appeared to be partially composted. Staff also
observed and followed different trucks that picked up the
material from the site and transported it to Synagro, a
composting facility located east of the City of Taft.
Synagro has acknowledged having a contract with Govia
Transport and Logistics for the receipt of green-waste
material. At this time, there is no indication that Synagro
was aware of the transfer operation.
Staff from the Engineering, Surveying and Permit
Services and Public Health Services Departments met
with the owners of the property in in question, David
Blomgren of B&B Materials, Inc., as well as the owner

After January 7, 2014 the City of Los Angeles reported
that they were suspending delivery of materials to the site
in Lebec until the land-use issues were resolved. The
Kern County Public Health Services Department
continues to work on the investigation, towards
determining the exact nature of the material, the amount
of material that has been delivered to the site, and the
length of time for which the operation has been
conducted.
The Public Health Department and Code Compliance
Division continue to analyze this "material" to see if it is
toxic and determine whether to assess fines.

6|Page

GBU Mountain News
January 31, 2014 XLV
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

People
Allan Christensen, Supervisor David Couch’s
Chief of Staff named Risk Manager for Kern
County
Allan Christensen, the well-liked and always professional
Chief of Staff at Supervisor
David Couch’s office, has
assumed the position of
Risk Manager for Kern
County.
In Kern County Risk
Management is a division in
the Office of the County
Counsel.
The
Risk
Management
division
manages
the
County's
exposure to risk, oversees
the County's safety programs, and administers the
General Liability, Medical Malpractice, and Workers'
Compensation claims programs. In his position as the
Risk Manager, Alan Christensen reports directly to the
County Counsel, Theresa Goldner.
Alan has worked in local government management for 25
years. Previous to serving as Chief of Staff to Supervisor
David Couch, he was City Manager for the cities of
Wasco, Arvin, Hanford, Woodlake, and Assistant City
Manager for the City of Bakerfield. He also worked for
the cities of Visalia and Rohnert Park in California. He
has extensive experience in all areas of local government,
including Finance, Budgeting, Economic Development,
Human Resources, Risk Management, Information
Technology, and Recreation and Parks. Alan has degrees
in Organizational Psychology and Master of Public
Administration, both from Brigham Young University.
Congratulations and best wishes for continued success in
the new position.

Frazier Park Weather Forecast:
Saturday, Feb 1:
high 48°F low 34°F
Sunday, Feb 2:
high 48°F low 37°F
Monday, Feb 3:
high 46°F low37°F
Tuesday, Feb 4:
high 50°F low 41°F
Wednesday, Feb 5:
high 52°F low 45°F
Thursday, Feb 6:
high 55°F low 41°F
Friday, Feb 71:
high 48°F low 39°F
Sunday 30% Chance of Precipitation

7|Page

GBU Mountain News
January 31, 2014 XLV
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

www.antiochlandscape.com
8|Page

GBU Mountain News
January 31, 2014 XLV
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is an Electronic Newspaper?
An electronic Newspaper is a self-contained, reusable,
and refreshable version of a traditional newspaper that
acquires and holds information electronically. (The
electronic newspaper should not be confused with
newspapers that offer an online version at a Web site.)

What is the difference between a Newsletter
and a Newspaper?
A newspaper publishes stories and information for and
about a city/region/state/country and covers a variety of
topics, events, and developments.
A Newsletter is published by a specific organization
(school, club, business) and informs mainly about the
organization's activities.

Law Enforcement Corner
Kern County Sheriff’s
Office (KCSO)
Sergeant Mark Brown from the Kern County Sheriff’s
Substation in Frazier Park released the following
information about law enforcement related incidents and
activities between Jan 21 and 26: *
1) On January 21, 2014, at about 12:30 AM, a deputy
contacted Daniel Vega near Mt. Pinos Way and
Glendale Trail in Frazier Park. Vega was arrested on
a Los Angeles County warrant that was issued for
driving on a suspended driver’s license after the
license was suspended for driving under the
influence.
2) On January 21, 2014, at about 10:30 AM, a deputy
was dispatched to Frazier Mountain High School in
Lebec to investigate criminal threats. Unknown
person(s) sent over a dozen threatening messages to a
17 year old girl’s cell phone.
3) On January 21, 2014, at about 5:00 PM, a deputy was
dispatched to a home on the 700 block of Mesa
Valley Road in Lebec to investigate a burglary.
Kelly Kermode and Timothy Largent defeated the
front door lock, entered the home, and stole a set of
car keys. They used the keys to steal a car parked in
front of the house. Kermode and Largent were
located at a motel on the 3200 block of Mt. Pinos
Way, with the stolen vehicle, and were arrested for
burglary and vehicle theft.

These two individuals have been arrested two days prior
on January 19, 2014: at about 11:30 AM a deputy
conducted a probation search at a motel on the 3200
block of Mt. Pinos Way in Frazier Park. Timothy
Largent and Kelly Kermode were arrested for suspicion
of being under the influence of a controlled substance,
suspicion of possessing controlled substance
paraphernalia and obstructing a peace officer in the
performance of his duties.

4) On January 23, 2014, at about 10:50 AM, a PMC
resident came to the Frazier Park Substation and
reported being physically assaulted in Palmdale, CA.
A Palmdale resident attacked her with her hands and
feet. A report was forwarded to the Los Angeles
Sheriff’s Office in Palmdale for investigation.
5) On January 23, 2014, at about 11:30 AM, a Frazier
Park resident came to the Frazier Park Substation and
reported that her Beretta 9mm semi-auto handgun
was lost or stolen, possibly from either her home in
Frazier Park, or a home in Los Angeles County.
6) On January 23, 2014, at about 3:10 PM, a deputy was
dispatched to a home on the 600 block of San
Gabriel Trail in Frazier Park to investigate a
burglary. Unknown person(s) forced entry into a
garage and storage shed, and stole a red and white
1996 Honda CR500 dirt bike, scrap metal, and one
spool of copper tubing.
7) On January 25, 2014, at about 3:25 AM, a deputy
was dispatched to a home on the 700 block of Santa
Cruz Trail in Frazier Park to investigate a loud music
peace disturbance. The music could be heard from
more than 500 feet away from the home. A resident
at the home, Robin Bell, was cited for causing a
peace disturbance by playing loud music.
8) On January 26, 2014, at about 9:05 AM, a deputy
was dispatched to the area of Santa Rosa Trail and
Los Padres Drive in Frazier Park to investigate
several people reporting a mountain lion loudly
growling, and possibly fighting with another animal,
in the area. Some of the reporting people were afraid
to go outside because they felt a dangerous wild
animal was in the area. The deputy searched the area
and heard the growling coming from a home on the
4000 block of Summit Trail. The deputy contacted
Dean Waldman and discovered he was playing the
growling through a loud speaker. Waldman was
cited for causing a peace disturbance by playing loud
amplified noises.
Anyone having information about any of the above
incidents is asked to contact the Kern County Sheriff’s

9|Page