GBU Mountain News XLIX March 6, 2014 (PDF)

GBU Mountain News

GBU Mountain News

March 6 - XLVIII
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

independent - unbiased – professional
March 6, 2014 - XLIX

The recent Rainstorms
good but not enough!
By Gunnar J Kuepper

Strong winter storms hit California starting last
Wednesday, brought heavy rain and snow across the

state. Both Northern and Southern California received
significant rain, and the Sierra Nevada gained substantial

1|Page

GBU Mountain News
March 6 - XLVIII
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

snowpack. Heavy rains in Southern California brought
mudslides and a limited number of home evacuations in
Los Angeles County. This included several mudslides in
the Lake Hughes area in the Western Antelope Valley on
Friday (Feb 28) and Saturday (March 1). Crews from Los
Angeles County Fire Station 77 just south of Gorman
were dispatched to that area on Friday morning around 8
a.m. Several houses along Lake Hughes road were
evacuated and an NBC-News truck was also trapped
between mudslides and debris on that road. A variety of
roads in the area of last year's Powerhouse fire had to be
closed. In the Hollywood Hills near the Hollywood Sign,
soaked land shifted, taking down power poles and cutting
electricity to a neighborhood with about 2,000 people.
Reports state that at least 32,500 customers in the Greater
Los Angeles region were without power at some point on
Friday. By Friday afternoon, downtown Los Angeles had
received with 1.7 inches more rain than it had seen
during the entire rest of the "rain year," starting last July.
Storms continued throughout the weekend, mostly
trailing off on Sunday.

o
o
o
o
o

Pollock Pines: 2.48” in the last week. 16.72” since
July 1, 43% of normal by this date.
Redding: 4.02” in the last week. 12.84” since July 1,
50% of normal by this date.
Sacramento: 1.49” in the last week. 6.45” since July
1, 41% of normal by this date.
Shasta: 6.62” in the last week. 19.72” since July 1,
42% of normal by this date.
Willits: 2.76” in the last week. 19.64” since July 1,
51% of normal by this date.

Snow in Cuddy Valley on Saturday (March 1)

Precipitation totals (in inches) from Monday, February
24 through Sunday, March 2:
o Folsom: 2.60” in the last week. 10.95” since July 1,
68% of normal by this date.
o Fresno: 1.11” in the last week. 3.40” since July 1,
25% of normal by this date.
o Hetch Hetchy: 3.15” in the last week. 13.48” since
July 1, 51% of normal by this date.
o Los Angeles: 3.84” in the last week. 5.04” since July
1, 44% of normal by this date.
o Modesto: .14” in the last week. 4.55” since July 1,
48% of normal by this date.
o Oroville: 2.04” in the last week. 12.16” since July 1,
50% of normal this date.

Now more than two-thirds of the way through the rainy
season, many areas in the northern part of the state are at
least 15 inches short of average annual precipitation.
Despite the two large storms over the past three weeks, it
would take more than a half an inch of rain from Redding
to Fresno every other day until May to get back to
average precipitation in the watersheds that supply most
of California’s drinking and irrigation water. Even with
such precipitation, California would remain in drought
conditions, due to low water supplies in reservoirs from
the two previous dry years.
A recent update of the snowpack survey after the recent
storm (March 2) shows snowpack at 32% of normal. It
was measured 24% on February 27, before the storms.
643 fires have been reported across the state since
January 1, burning 1,344 acres. CALFIRE reports that
this current fire activity is well above the year-to-date
average of 200 fires, burning 626 acres. 37 new fires
were reported over the past week.
On the local level, A total of 26 Emergency
Proclamations have been issued by city, county, and
tribal governments, as well as special districts:

2|Page

GBU Mountain News
March 6 - XLVIII
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

o

Counties: Glenn, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera,
Mendocino, Santa Barbara, San Joaquin, Sonoma,
Sutter, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yuba
o Cities: Brookside Township-Mendocino County,
City of Willits-Mendocino County, City of St.
Helena-Napa County, City of Calistoga-Napa
County, City of American Canyon-Napa County
o Tribes: Hoopa Valley Tribe in Humboldt County,
Yurok Tribe in Del Norte County, Tule River Indian
Tribe in Tulare County, Karuk Tribe in
Siskiyou/Humboldt Counties
o Special Districts: Lake Don Pedro Community
Services District, Placer County Water Agency
(PCWA), Twain Harte Community Services District,
Carpenteria Valley Water District
A total of 22 counties have established drought task
forces to coordinate local drought response. These
counties include: Butte, Madera, Mendocino, Merced,
Modoc, Monterey, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento,
San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa
Barbara, Santa Clara, Siskiyou, Solano, Stanislaus,
Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, and Tuolumne. Leaders of the
state’s Drought Task Force visited Mendocino County
last Monday, which was the first of several regional
meetings for the Task Force. This visit included briefings
at the Lake Mendocino reservoir and at an emergency
drinking water pipeline being constructed in Willits, as
well as a large meeting with local officials in Ukiah.
Task Force leaders travelled to Merced for additional
meetings this Tuesday (March 4).
The Association of California Water Agencies has
identified over 100 local water agencies that have
implemented water conservation actions which include
voluntary calls for reduced water usage and mandatory
restrictions where water shortages are worst. The Frazier
Park Public Utility District has also recently adopted a
water conservation plan.
Last Wednesday (February 26), the California Public
Utilities Commission (CPUC) passed a directive that
orders private water utilities to implement 20% voluntary
water use reductions. The CPUC regulates all for-profit
water utilities in the state, which provide water to
approximately six million Californians.
On Friday (February 28), the State Water Board’s
Executive Director extended the Temporary Urgency
Change approved on January 31, which allows large
reservoirs upstream from the Delta to reduce flows from
their reservoirs in order to retain water supplies for later
in the year. The Executive Director will issue an updated
order regarding this action next Wednesday, March 12.

Snow packed mountains in the Sierra Nevada near Bishop
in April of 2011

As reported in previous issues of the GBU Mountain
News, the State’s Drought Emergency Bill has become
law: In one week after it was introduced, emergency
drought legislation passed both chambers of the
California legislature almost unanimously and was
signed by the Governor Brown. The bill provides funding
for shovel-ready water projects and emergency assistance
to communities, including:
o $549 million to increase storm water capture and use
of recycled water, improve
o management of groundwater storage, and strengthen
water conservation.
o $40 million from the proceeds of the state’s cap-andtrade program to help local
o water agencies, farmers and large buildings reduce
their water and energy use.
o $25 million for emergency food assistance in areas
hard-hit by the drought.
o $21 million for housing-related assistance to drought
victims.
o $15 million to help communities that face drinking
water shortages.
o $14 million to improve groundwater management
across the state and help to poor communities with
groundwater contamination exacerbated by the
drought.
The bill also streamlines state rules to enable more water
recycling, strong enforcement of water rights and
housing assistance to migrant workers.
Compiled from information provided by the Governor's office, the
Governor's Office of Emergency Services, the California Department
of Food & Agriculture, the California Water Boards, and the
California Department of Water Resources.

3|Page

GBU Mountain News
March 6 - XLVIII
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4|Page

GBU Mountain News
March 6 - XLVIII
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Content
o
o
o

o
o
o
o

o
o
o

o
o
o
o
o

o

The Recent Rainstorms – good but not enough by
Gunnar J Kuepper
News from the El Tejon Unified School District
Frazier Mountain High School
o Sports
o Baseball & Softball Schedule by Jerry Quick
o Soccer season ends by Sharon Lemburg
El Tejon School
Frazier Park School
o Frazier Park’s Finest for Feb 27 and March 5 by
Michelle Penner
Gorman School
All Things Local
o GBU Mountain News working for the
Community
o Drinking Water Fountains in the Frazier Park
Library
o Fence along Frazier Mountain Park repaired
o California Concealed Weapons (CCW) Permit
Holders in Kern County
o Wilderness First Aid Course in Frazier Park
o Next AARP Meeting on Thursday, March 6
o Mommy & Me Calendar
o Volunteers Wanted for Los Padres Preservation
Project
o Upcoming Frazier Park Public Utility District
Board Meeting
All Things Global
o The Crimea – Ukraine Crisis
People
Law Enforcement Corner
o Kern County Sheriff’s Office – Frazier Park
o Incidents Feb 11 - 24
o Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department
o California Highway Patrol
Animals Matter
Our Library
o Calendar
Incidents & Accidents in our Region
o Homicides, Fires, Arrests, Traffic Accidents
throughout Kern County
Arts – Music – Theatre
Business Affairs
o Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce Joins
Small Business Majority's Strategic Partnership
Program
Teens
o PG&E Summer Jobs Program

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

o

o
o
o

o
o

2014 FBI Teen Academy
Green Dragon Farms Community Scholarship
McCarthy Announces Annual High School Art
Competition
Nature, Science & Technology
Weather
o Frazier Park Weather Forecast
Kern County
o Board of Supervisors Meetings
Upcoming Events
Safety & Disaster Preparedness
o Monthly Tips for making your house defendable
from Wildfires by Kern County Fire Department
o Six P’s for immediate evacuation
Legislative Affairs
o Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall & Kern County
Sheriff
Donny
Youngblood
Endorse
Assemblymember Rudy Salas for Re-Election
o Salas Supports Increasing Storage for Water
Bond
Where to Go – What to Do
Op-Ed
Health & Fitness
o Healthy Stores for a Healthy Community Survey
2013: The First and Largest Survey of its Kind in
California Analyzing Tobacco, Alcohol and
Food in Stores
Business Directory
Job Offers

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

GBU Mountain News is now on
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/GB
U-Mountain-News/1400308640212535
See what’s happening in the Frazier
Mountain Communities

5|Page

GBU Mountain News
March 6 - XLVIII
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

News from the El
Tejon Unified School
District (ETUSD)
What’s for Lunch?
See the March 2014 Lunch Menus for the Frazier Park
Elementary, El Tejon Middle, and Frazier Mountain
High Schools at https://www.facebook.com/pages/GBUMountain-News/1400308640212535

Frazier
Mountain
School (FMHS)

High

Sports
Baseball & Softball Schedule
Info provided by Jerry Quick
o Wednesday, 3/5/14: Baseball at Taft at 3:30pm; Bus
leaves at 1pm. Students released at 12:45pm.
o Thursday, 3/6/14: Baseball and Softball at Arvin at
3:15pm; Students released at 1pm. Bus leaves at
1:15pm.

o

3/18/14: Home varsity baseball game vs. Tehachapi
at 3:15pm

Soccer season ends
Photo & text provided by Sharon Lemburg
Soccer season ends with a 1-0 loss. The girls soccer team
tried very hard to win against Washington Union, but
were unsuccessful and the season came to an end. The
game was a great game, in which the girls looked to be
dominating with a passing game, however, in the end it
just wasn't enough to end up on top. Many of the girls
really played their best game of the season, with a
tremendous amount of drive, hustle, aggressive attack,
and skill. Rachel Rivette worked real hard at the
offensive end of the field and made several really nice
shots on goal. The midfield was controlled by Laura
Jennings, McKay Leos, and Monick Powers who also
played a very aggressive game. The outside midfield did
real well and work hard both offensively and defensively.
Great job to Saryn Neeley, Celine Skibicki, Genesis
Arteaga, and Haylee Shanklin. The defensive line
worked hard and only allowed nine shots on goal. The
defense was held by Lea Graham, Jamie Bizzini, Sarah
Ryan, and Jillian Carlson, with Savannah Hawes in the

6|Page

GBU Mountain News
March 6 - XLVIII
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

goal. The girls ended up their season with 11 wins, 5
losses, and 1 tie. in league the girls were 6-1-1 which was
a tremendous record, but left the girls 1/2 game out of
first place. It was definitely a great season, and hard to
say, it is over. This is a great group of girls that worked
real hard to develop their possession game and were able
to play that game their entire season. We will be
graduating five seniors and we are hoping there are some
young soccer players coming up that are looking forward
to playing soccer at the high school. Any upcoming
freshmen that are interested in playing soccer next year
should consider playing on the U19 AYSO soccer team
in August in order to prepare for next year. Just want to
say thank you to all those that followed the soccer
program and supported the athletes this season. Thank
you all for your support.

Frazier Park Elementary School
Frazier Park’s Finest for Feb 27, 2014
Info & photo provided by Michelle Penner

Jayden Arnaiz, Hallie Haflich, Ian Hill

Frazier Park’s Finest for March 5, 2014
Info & photo provided by Michelle Penner

Coach Lemburg, Haylee Shanklin, Monick Powers, Jamie

ElBizzini,
Tejon
Middle
Jillian
Carlson,School
Laura Jennings, Genesis Arteaga,

Grace Gilani, Lily Hallmark, Alexa Fausto, Brianna
Edwards Coach Karson, Coach Graham.
Front Row: McKay Leos, Sarah Ryan, Rachel Rivette,
Savannah Hawes, Saryn Neeley, Celine Skibicki, Lea
Graham

Back Row, L to R: Hector Landin, Alex Melendez,
Hannah Bernards, Dana Martin
Front Row, L to R: Connor Crawford, Melisa Baldovines,
Ryan Sherfey

7|Page

GBU Mountain News
March 6 - XLVIII
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8|Page

GBU Mountain News
March 6 - XLVIII
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

All Things Local

II. Fence along Frazier Mountain Park
repaired
As many of you may have noticed a section of the white
fence along the Frazier Mountain Park was damaged
many months ago. An oak tree had collapsed on Park
Road between the Post Office and the Library. The
remains of the tree were removed immediately and the
hole in the road was fixed within days. However, nothing
happened to the fence. Local residents even put a sign up
asking for a repair.

GBU Mountain News working for the
Community
I. Drinking Water Fountains in the
Frazier Park Library
As many of you have noticed the two drinking water
fountains in the Frazier Park Library were not working
for months and months. On January 22 we send a letter to
Sherry Gomez, Kern County Chief Librarian and
Supervisor David Couch' Office alerting them to the
situation and the need for a timely repair.

On February 13 we informed Supervisor Couch’s office
about the situation. Within less than ten days the fence
was fixed and looks like new. Many thanks to Mark
Salvaggio from Supervisor Couch' Office and Bob
Lerude, Director of Kern County Parks and Recreation
Department for making that happen.

California Concealed Weapons (CCW)
Permit Holders in Kern County

Within less than a month the fountains were fixed and the
drinking water is again available for the patrons of our
beautiful library. Many thanks to Sherry Gomez, Mark
Salvaggio from Supervisor Couch' Office, and Carl
Brewer, Facilities Manager with Kern County General
Services for making that happen.

A local photographer asked us a few days ago whether
the GBU Mountain News had filed a request for
information about the CCW permit holders in Kern
County.
To clarify, the GBU Mountain News has not filed such a
request and has certainly no intention to publish the
names or addresses of CCW holders particularly in the
Frazier Mountain Communities.
We value the privacy of each individual very much, and
we believe that the names and particularly the addresses
of law abiding CCW permit holders should not be subject
to publication in a Newspaper.
We are also fully aware of the February 13, 2014
decision by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeal. A
three-judge panel of the court ruled 2 to 1 that the Second
Amendment bars California counties from requiring law-

9|Page