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Articles by Zac Moran
How to Find Yourself After Getting Lost in the Himalayas
Not everyone goes on a journey to find themselves. Vish Chatterji, who had just graduated from engineering school in Canada, decided that, not only would he got on such a journey, but he would do so by going on a four-day, solo trek through the Himalayas. “I don’t know if I was inspired by ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ or what, but I was like ‘I’m going to go into the mountains and face the mountains myself and, in the mountains, I’m going to find myself,’” Vish said.
High School Students Create a Book to Help Homeless Kids
A lot of high school students spend most of their free time hanging out with friends and just being teenagers. Most teenagers do not pursue philanthropic endeavors. Storey Wertheimer is a 17-year-old senior in high school who is doing things a little differently. Over the past three years, Storey said she has put together a poetry book with her peers and is using the funds to advocate for literacy among homeless children.
Rim Staff Fight New Contract
The California School Employees Association (CSEA) Union and the Rim of The World Unified School District (ROTWUSD) currently disagree on the definition of the terms “full-time” and “part-time” in regards to a dispute over a contract they signed earlier this year which deals with how classified staff vacation hours are earned. Classified staff are generally the maintenance, custodial, cafeteria, transportation, health providers and clerical positions at a school.
Pine Cone Festivities Draw Crowd
The Pine Cone Festival is a free event, held at Rim Nordic each year, where locals and tourists alike can purchase items from local artisans and vendors, not all of whom own storefronts. However, a highlight of this particular vendor fair is the location.
Edison’s New Protocol and Safety Measures
In Mammoth, there was recently winds blowing at 80 MPH, with warm weather and lots of brush in the area said Chris Abel, the principal manager of local public affairs for Southern California Edison (SCE). At Edison, they decided to shut off the electricity to over 13,000 of their customers. After two days, when the weather subsided and was no longer considered a risk, SCE sent out ground teams to perform damage assessment. “One-hundred and thirty of our poles had gone down.
Cinematographer Helps with Fire Prevention
Many people wondered about the numerous helicopters flying around the mountain communities during August. Word of mouth spread that Edison has been using helicopters to check power lines and poles for any possible damage or future cause of failure, but Edison representatives were unreachable to comment on the matter. One local said he has taken part in these aerial inspections. David Arnold is an aerial videographer who films from helicopters.
First TEDx in the Mountains
A lot of people around the world have an “idea worth sharing,” which is the TED talk motto. Many people have heard of or watched a TED talk at some point. According to www.ted.com, these talks are powerful and take less than 20 minutes to listen to. The talks began in 1984, but have grown exponentially in the past decade with the help of the internet. Part of the reason these talks grow is because of the introduction of TEDx events.
No Additional Planes Over Arrowhead
On Aug. 1, the Mountain News published a legal notice from San Bernardino International Airport (SBD). The notice was intended to inform the community about a project called Eastgate. According to documentation from the San Bernardino International Aiport Authority (SBIAA), Eastgate involves building a new hub for freight and to allow for an increase in cargo flights, some of which would fly over the mountains.
330 Closure and Construction - The Most Current Information
Posted: Thursday, August 8, 2019 9:00 am | Updated: 11:20 am, Thu Aug 8, 2019. On Thursday, Aug. 1, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) held a meeting regarding the projects happening on SR-330, particularly the full closure in September. The meeting began with a brief presentation by Caltrans about each project on the 330. The majority of the meeting was a Q&A between Caltrans and the audience.
Skating and Spray-Painting Promoted as Positive Youth Activities
On Thursday, July 18, the second Game of Skate was held at the Crestline skate park near Goodwins. Before the game and throughout the event, there were free hot dogs and chips available to all in attendance. Citizen on Patrol was also present. SKATE is a skateboarding game similar to HORSE in basketball, where one person does a trick and everyone else copies it. Those who fail to copy the trick receive a letter (S-K-A-T-E).
Women Invited to Learn Investing
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CSI Creator’s “Mountain Mystery” Story Wraps Up at Lake Arrowhead Country Club
Posted: Thursday, July 11, 2019 9:00 am | Updated: 9:44 am, Thu Jul 11, 2019. Editor's note: "Mountain Mystery" can also be read on the Lake Arrowhead Country Club's website. Click here to read it. Anthony Zuiker, the creator of CSI and a homeowner in Lake Arrowhead, has been writing a 10-part fictional mystery story about a girl who goes missing around the lake. Each week, he has released a new page, with the two-page finale being released on Monday, July 8.
CSI Creator Tells Teens’ Stories in a New Way
Anthony Zuiker, creator of the widely acclaimed TV show Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) and its spin-offs, is now working on another project with his wife and a small team. The concept of this project is to use graphic novels to tell the stories of real teenagers who have dealt with serious issues. As of now, Anthony said 25,000 books have shipped to more than 30 schools across America. So far, the graphic novels of over 70 pages have covered divorce, cyberbullying, racism and body image.
Cycling 3,000 Miles to Raise Awareness
Race Across America (RAAM) is the self-proclaimed “world’s toughest bicycle race.” Many agree that it is at least among the top ten toughest races in the world. According to the race’s website, it starters “under one of the longest piers in California, spans 3000 miles, climbs 175,000 feet, crosses 12 states and finishes at City Dock in Annapolis, Maryland” with a time limit of nine days for teams and 12 days for solo riders.
Rim Student Wins Competitive Go-Kart Race
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Rim Student Wins Competitive Go-Kart Race
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Mountain Arts Network Spotlight: Dean Lent - From Cinematography to Photography
Dean Lent has been a photographer for about 10 years now and has had his photos displayed in the Mountain Arts Network for about two years. Lent said everything started when he was nine-years-old and saw 2001: A Space Odyssey for the first time. “I always liked movies as a kid,” Lent said. “When I saw 2001, I was like ‘holy shit.’ I was a kid.
Boys & Girls Club Throws Monopoly-Themed Fundraiser
On Saturday, May 11, the Boys & Girls Club of the Mountain Communities held their annual fundraiser to continue providing for their after-school programs. The event was held at Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa. Executive Director, TracyLynn Sharrit, and the accompanying board of the local Boys & Girls Club locations, elected to bring in Steve Valentine and Diana Phillippi to produce this year’s event, which was heavily inspired by the Monopoly board game.
Belgian Waffle Works Delivers Time and Time Again, Whether You Want Breakfast, Lunch or Brunch
Posted: Thursday, May 9, 2019 9:00 am | Updated: 2:28 pm, Thu May 9, 2019. Having been around since 1982, most locals have at least heard of Belgian Waffle Works. It has passed hands a few times since it opened but has always been a staple restaurant at the Lake Arrowhead Village. The current owners, Joon and Jeanie Kim, are a pair of entrepreneurs who bought the restaurant in May of 2016. They’re also the first owners who didn’t work there before buying it.
Hundreds Attend First Cinco de Mayo Party at Lake Gregory
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Village Concert Series Kicks off with Blues and Jazz
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Artist Spotlight: Rebecca Maloof Showcases Art Inspired From Vast Outdoors
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Rim Mountain Biking Takes Third Place
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Rim to Install Cameras on School Buses
In an effort to reduce bullying and vandalism, the Rim of the World Unified School District will be installing surveillance systems on all active school buses used by the district. “We feel, after research from other schools with cameras systems in their buses, that this will have a huge impact in a positive way for our district,” said Jennifer Kawell, the supervisor of transportation for the district. “Bullying will go down [and] students will be more accountable.
Local Grad has Become a Biotechnician
Posted: Thursday, February 28, 2019 9:00 am | Updated: 9:26 am, Thu Feb 28, 2019. Penelope Reich is a native to the San Bernardino mountains and a laboratory assistant at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Carlsbad where she works in a lab that works on finding new therapies for cancer. Reich said she’s always been a curious person, which was encouraged further by the people around her, such as her grandpa, who was a doctor. “I would describe myself as inquisitive,” Reich said.
Mountain Arts Network Artist Spotlight
Sandra Charlebois Sandra Charlebois is a painter who said she “loves impressionism and how light and color interact, setting the scene with mood and emotion.” Charlebois said she primarily creates oil paintings and has a passion for using wildlife as her subjects.
Rim School Board Approves $4.4 Million Project
The board of education for the Rim of the World Unified School District is moving ahead with phase two of the modernization project, which will be focused on improving Rim of the World High School. Jenny Haberlin, the chief business official of the Rim of the World Unified School District, said that this project is not aimed at adding luxuries to the school, but rather doing required repairs and maintenance. “Some of our windows are the original windows from the 50s.
District Snow Day Procedure Adds In-Session Days
Due to the recent snow days throughout the Rim of the World Unified School District (ROWUSD), all schools in the district will be in session on March 27, 28, 29 and May 28. Students were given days from Feb. 4 through 7 due to the snowfall from recent storms.
Mary Putnam Henck Responds to Bullying
On social media, numerous parents have complained about bullying at the Rim of the World Unified School District. Numerous parents also said they have even pulled their kid(s) out of the district because of this issue. However, no parents came forward to speak with the Mountain News on the topic. Recently, a video circulated on social media of a student at Mary Putnam Henck Intermediate School (MPH) being bullied and assaulted by another student. Not long after, on Friday, Jan.
Snowplay Overwhelms Dumpsters
Burrtec Waste Industries, Inc. is constantly dealing with the issue of trash ending up in our local natural environment. That problem only gets worse during the winter season when tourism is at its highest. “We have a constant battle with illegal dumping,” said Michael Arreguin, the vice president of Burrtec, whose office is in Fontana. “We definitely have trash around. We have a lot of broken sleds on our fields.
Rim Grad Accepted into Competitive Helicopter Program
Nick Stehmeier, 18, is the youngest of 12 people nationwide who have been accepted into the Army’s Warrant Officer Flight Training (WOFT) program. According to Nick’s mother, Shelly Stehmeier-Boydston, the program has a three percent acceptance rate. Shelly said the acceptance rate to the WOFT program is lower than Stanford or Harvard, which have acceptance rates between five and six percent.
96th Annual Fireman’s Bonfire
On Monday, Dec. 10, the Lake Arrowhead Village is hosting its Annual Fireman’s Bonfire, located in the Lake Arrowhead Village lower level parking lot. The event begins at 5 p.m. with music and a DJ. The two bonfires begin at 5:30 p.m. and Santa will be visiting from 6 to 9 p.m. The event ends at 10 p.m. There will be free dot dogs, hot chocolate and coffee.
Make Memories At Pine Rose Cabins
Arrowhead Pine Rose Cabins has been around for decades. According to the company’s website, the U.S. Forest Service began settling the land in the early 1900s and made it the location of their headquarters. The Forest Service built a number of cabins and other buildings on the land, but two fires destroyed some of the structures. At that point, Fred and Helen Dowd took over the lease for the buildings in the 1960s so they could create a mountain resort.
The First Ever Trolley Food Donation
On Tuesday, Dec. 4, the Mountain Transit Trolley parked in the Goodwin & Sons Market parking lot to accept food donations. According to Sandy Benson, assistant general manager at Mountain Transit, the trolley was about three-quarters of the way full by the end of the day. “Which was pretty good for our first time,” said Benson. The donated food will be given to food banks around the mountain. The Trolley was hosted by Goodwin & Sons Market at the permission of Manager Michael Johnstone.
Get a Taste of what Lake Arrowhead has to Offer
Eat, drink, savor, and celebrate at the 15th Annual Taste of Lake Arrowhead as it returns to the Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa on Wednesday, Dec. 5, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Taste of Lake Arrowhead showcases the local chefs, restaurants, cafes, caterers, wineries, bakers, and food providers throughout the mountain communities of Lake Arrowhead.
General Surgeon Chooses Mountains Community Hospital
Dr. Van Martin is the new general surgeon at Mountains Community Hospital. Martin is a native of Michigan, having grown up in the Detroit suburbs. He’s spent a number of years in Florida, Hawaii and North Carolina as part of his medical career. However, he chose to move to our mountain communities for some very specific reasons. Martin’s parents separated early and he was primarily raised by his mother. His family in Michigan all live relatively close to each other, making it easy to visit them now.
Helpful Honda-ween
“Have you seen and heard Helpful Honda’s TV and radio spots...capturing the reactions of real people being helped?” said Honda in a blog post on their website, “Since Random Acts of Helpfulness debuted, the Guys in Blue have been inviting residents to share what they need a little help with...” Recently, Honda turned their eyes toward the Boys & Girls Club of the Mountain Communities. As of July, TracyLyn Sharrit is the new executive director at the local Boys & Girls Club.
Board of Education Candidate: Scott Markovich
Prior to joining the board, Markovich got a degree in Liberal studies, earned a teaching credential and worked as a building contractor for 32 years. Should Markovich be re-elected, he wants to continue targeting several problems the district is facing. According to Markovich, the most significant issue facing Rim is low teacher salaries compared to other districts in the state. Markovich said that the natural mountain environment draws people in, but that doesn’t justify current salaries.
Board of Education Candidate: Andrew Washburn
Washburn has had seven kids go through the Rim School District, from elementary school through high school and he believes his kids have all come out as caring and responsible adults. His wife is also a current substitute teacher in the district. Washburn himself has taught math and Spanish at Cajon High School in San Bernardino for 32 years. While there, he also spent around 6 years as the assistant coach for the girl’s varsity basketball team at a time when they were ranked highest in the nation.
Board of Education Candidate: Sean Swoboda
Swoboda is running for the Rim School District Board of Education because he wants to see the district rise to the top in California and he wants to see this done without raising taxes. “We live in a small and secluded community.
Board of Education Candidate: Jordana “Dana” Ridland
Ridland grew up in Los Angeles and got her master’s degree in education technology at Azusa Pacific University. After college, Ridland took a position at R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co., which is the largest commercial printing company in the world. However, she went to Avery Dennison when they made her an offer she “couldn’t refuse” as a project manager. Ridland and her husband traveled a lot for their respective jobs while trying to be home with their two dogs, which presented a problem.
Mountain Sunrise Rotary Auction
This is the club’s largest fundraiser of the year. In the past 28 years, it has helped Rotary raise well over $900,000 to contribute back to the community and local organizations. Some of the sponsors of the auction include the Mountain News, Coldwell Banker, Barry and Cheryl Robinson, Geoffrey H. Hopper & Associates, A.P.C., Vulcan Steel Company, and Mike Rose Masonry.
Country Furniture Servicing the Mountain Since 1955
Though the store started out in Cedar Glen, it moved to Blue Jay in 1970, where it is still located. Country Furniture has been family-owned since it was opened, though the Johnstone family sold it. The Carter family bought the business in 1990 and still owns it, though it has passed hands a couple times within the Carter family. Paul and Linda Carter originally bought Country Furniture, but it was run by Paul and his daughter Debbie. After a while, Debbie took over.
Board of Education Candidate: Natalie Lindemann
Lindemann was raised in Lake Arrowhead, attended Lake Arrowhead Elementary (LAE), Mary Putnam Henck, and Rim of the World High School. “Since a young age, I have been a hard worker, capable of overcoming obstacles,“ said Lindemann Growing up as a figure skater, she performed in front of audiences both local and abroad as she became a national and international champion.
Board of Education Candidate: Sharon Chapman
Now, Chapman feels she is at a point in her life where running for the Rim of the World Unified School District Board of Education is the next logical step in her mission to provide quality education. After living in the camp, Chapman, her husband, and their three kids rented an unfinished house while they finished their own. “We know what it’s like to struggle,” said Chapman. At the time, her husband was making $7,200 a year as a full-time teacher, despite worked during the summer.
Golf and Auction Raises Money for Local Organizations
According to Lya Silva, the operations administrator at LACC, funds from the event will be distributed to the Mountains Community Hospital, Graham Community Scholarship Counsel, Mountain Boys & Girls Club, Mountain Meals on Wheels, Inc., and Boy Scouts of America. Since 1993, the ted Roy Charity Foundation has raised over $1.15 million, most of which has gone to the Mountains Community Hospital, scholarships for Rim of the World High School graduates, and the Mountain Boys & Girls Club.
Board of Education Candidate: Brian Hall
Hall has a 13-year background running his own “successful multi-million dollar businesses” and consulting for other businesses. He’s also an assistant wrestling coach at Rim High School and the vice president on the Arrowhead Lake Association (ALA) Board of Directors. “I have successfully turned around businesses, nonprofit organizations, and sports teams,” said Hall in his candidacy statement to the county. One such organization that Hall turned around is the ALA.
Board of Education Candidate: Jennifer Celise
“I believe I can make a positive difference for Rim schools,” said Celise. As such, Celise is running for the Running Springs trustee seat on Rim’s board of education. Celise participated in the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program while attending public school.
Board of Education Candidate: Laura Kibbie
Kibbie started her career at Americorps, a government program which assists thousands of Americans in meeting the most vital needs of their community. While Kibbie worked there, she “assisted in developing and implementing curriculum for early childhood education” through the First 5 and Prevent Child Abuse California programs. First 5 is a program which aims to help early childhood development for kids five and under.
Board of Education Candidate: Kory Oberlies
“As a parent in the mountain community, the safety of my kids while in school is a main priority, and I want to ensure the kids in our district are receiving the best education possible...” said Oberlies about his reasoning to run for the board. After completing his enlistment in the Army, Oberlies went to college to earn a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
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