Mountain C.A.R.E. President s Message

Transcription

1 A publication of Mountain C.A.R.E. ( Summer 2017 Volume 11 Issue 2 Bear Facts Staff Paul Tetreault Editor Shirley Bauer Advertising Director Carol Burgess Mailing Director to submit Letters to the Editor write to: bearfactseditor@gmail.com Mountain C.A.R.E. Board of Directors Jeff Schaefer President Rod Goodyear Vice President Michelle Macri Secretary Jamie Orr Treasurer Carol Burgess Subscription Director Matt Bottenberg Member of the Board Shirley Bauer Member of the Board Jim McCune Member of the Board Paul Tetreault Member of the Board Please Support Us $15/yr Mountain C.A.R.E. President s Message by Jeff Schaefer Warning: Sarcasm Ahead. How to kill a bear and get away with it in three simple steps: (1) Feed the bear. It will keep coming around as long as you continue to make food available however you do that. An easy option is to keep your trash in an accessible location, or put it out on the street the night before trash pickup day. After a few weeks of this, the bear will learn it can get food at your property and it will keep coming around. So, (2) complain to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) that you have a problem bear that keeps coming around for no apparent reason, and that you are desparately afraid for your safety and the safety of your children. Be sure to mention the children that adds a dimension of urgency and justification to the matter. Provide evidence. With enough of the right evidence, CDFW will issue a depardation permit which is a permit to kill the bear or have someone else kill it. (3) With your depardation permit on hand, find some heroic hunter personality who will be happy to save the Passing the Torch by Paul Tetreault, Bear Facts Editor Our community has quite a few fun groups and helpful organizations that are run entirely by volunteers. If you are one of those that give so much of your time, I thank you with all my heart. For those of you who know of which I speak, you know the value of those people s efforts and their value to our community. I think that those events and groups help to define a community sense and richness which many of us residents actually brag about to our friends and relatives who live elsewhere. That community sense is often part of what draws new folks to move here. I know I was visiting my soon to be in-laws (at the time) and actually volunteered at the Chili Cook-Off before I even moved up here. That community spirit and association with neighbors and fellow residents day for you and your children and shoot the problem bear or shoot any other bear who wanders onto your property at the wrong time. Done. Every year new households move into Angelus Oaks, Forest Falls, and Mountain Home Village. Many of these new residents have never before lived in the mountains and simply don t know a few important facts unique to living in the mountains where we must coexist with wildlife. It is up to those of us with more knowledge and experience to help inform our new neighbors. Our new neighbors should be informed that during the warmer months bears freely roam our communities looking for food. They search our trash cans, unlocked or opened cars, and even enter our homes when they find an open window or push a door open. When bears are successful in finding food, they come back for more. And they quickly lose their natural fear of humans. It s probably not enough to simply tell people to not feed the bears. It s more important to inform them on why they should not feed the bears. The sarcastic instructions above describe the sequence that plays out all the time in California. We can only hope that some of the new residents, upon learning the indirect consequences of their failure to secure trash (etc.), will figure it out like the rest of us have and ensure they do not feed the bears accidentally or otherwise. was overwhelming to a guy from down the hill. But people get older, some leave the community, one way or another, and these awesome activities will become legend unless we pass the torch on to new folks. Every group and event needs fresh ideas, renewed energy and new folks on an ongoing basis. Consider working with the groups and projects that make our communities great, especially new residents and young folks that have grown up around here and now are creating a life of there own. Become part of the teams that create the special times our unique mountain villages have become known for. Anybody want to learn how to edit a newspaper?

2 Page 2 Volume 11 Issue 2 Our Washington & Sacramento Representatives by Mark Wirth After the 2016 November election, the representatives remain the same for Forest Falls in Congress and the California legislator. Our member of Congress in the House of Representatives is Republican Paul Cook. He was elected for the first time in 2012 after serving in the state Assembly. Cook is a retired Marine Corps Colonel and he previously served on the Yucca Valley Town Council. Congressman Cook represents the 8 th Congressional district. We are in the far southern end of this district which includes all of the San Bernardino Mountain communities, the High Desert area and hugs eastern California up to Bishop and Mammoth Lakes. Congressman Cook s capitol address is 1222 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC The phone number is (202) He has a district office in Yucaipa at Yucaipa Blvd. The phone number is (909) Complete information about the Congressman is on his website, including a method to contact him by . In the California legislature, we are represented in the state Senate by Republican Mike Morrell. He previously served in the Assembly. Morrell is a realtor and small business owner, and a former Rancho Cucamonga Council member. Senator Morrell represents the 23 rd Senate district which covers portions of San Bernardino County and Riverside County. In San Bernardino County, the district communities include Big Bear and Arrowhead, Yucaipa, Redlands, part of the City of San Bernardino and Rancho Cucamonga. Senator Morrell s capitol address is State Capitol Room 3056, Sacramento The phone number is (916) His district office is at Commerce Center Drive, Suite A-220, Rancho Cucamonga The phone number is (909) His website is Our representative in the Assembly is Republican Jay Obernolte. Prior to his election to the Assembly in 2014, Obernolte was the mayor of Big Bear Lake. He owns a video game company. Forest Falls is at the tail end of Obernolte s 33 rd Assembly district which includes all the San Bernardino mountain communities and the High Desert area. Assemblymember Obernolte s capitol address is State Capitol Room 4116, Sacramento The phone number is (916) His district office is at Smoketree Street, Room 125, Hesperia The phone number is (760) His website is Of interest to residents of Forest Falls, Obernolte has been a leader in the effort to eliminate or modify the Fire Fee. Again this year he has authored a bill to expand the payment period from 30 days to 60 days. In the last legislative session a similar bill made it part way through the legislature. A Forest Full Of Bears by Michelle Macri Welcome to living in the forest. All three of our beautiful mountain communities have a variety of wildlife. None seem to cause a bigger ruckus then our local Black Bear. If you have seen one up close and personal you quickly realize why folks become so fascinated with them. Having a bear join you in your home or use your vehicle as a fine dining experience maybe not so much. None the less they are intelligent, beautiful and agile creatures. Living with a bear for a neighbor brings a whole new skill set to mountain living. This is not the city. You will see wildlife at its best. You will also see how bad human habits and behaviors affect our wildlife. Bears have an incredible sense of smell and of course they love to eat. A bear will take advantage of a quick, easy meal if available. They will teach their cubs that our towns are full of quick and easy meals. An example of this is something we all have: TRASH. Most of us have these big, black plastic containers that are smelly and draw the attention of a passing bear. Once a bear makes a meal out of trash that s it. Now every trash container it sees will be fair game to the meandering bear. Oh, and you can bet they will be back. Same holds true if they succeed in finding food/trash in your vehicle, a freshly used BBQ, a dirty ice chest, a forgotten pet bowl left out on the front porch and yes even your bird feeders will fall victim. We all must stay vigilant in keeping our wildlife wild. Keeping a bear off and away from your property is much easier said than done. I mean, we do live in the mountain surrounded by the forest. The bears have no idea your front yard is off limits. I learned this from a game warden many moons ago. A bear is motived by two things, food and fear. That simple statement along with, a fed bear is a dead bear is what you need to keep in mind when you see a bear. Bears need to forge for food in the forest and need to be afraid of US. Scaring them back into the forest will save their life, ensure a new generation of bears to survive and keep our forest full of bears. Check out current community news at

3 Page 3 Volume 11 Issue 2 Mountain Folk Meet Your Neighbors by Rod & Karen Goodyear Rod & Karen Goodyear As psychologists, we are drawn to people s stories. We have especially enjoyed the Meet Your Neighbors feature in the Bear Facts and were honored when the Editor, Paul Tetreault asked us to introduce ourselves via this feature to those residents and readers who do not know us. Like most Forest Falls residents, our story began elsewhere. We moved from Manhattan, KS, where we had met, to Covina in Rod had taken a faculty position at USC and Karen a job in health care administration. But Karen had grown up in the Northern California mountains and found them a constant draw. Rod was an easy convert! We decided in 1999 to find a weekend mountain home and chanced upon Forest Falls by mistake on one of our weekend house searches: like so many others, we continued to follow the road along Mill Creek when Highway 38 veered away from it. We lunched at El Mex and were quickly drawn to the large trees and small town feel. Our after-lunch drop-in to Gillmore Realty resulted in Marcie Green-Whitney showing us a 1923 vintage Big Pine tract cabin that became our first purchase. Several years later George Forgues built us a home on the upper island, across from the waterfall. We loved it and the sense of community we had with our immediate neighbors like Paul and Beth Tetreault and John Amrhein. That cemented our resolve to make Forest Falls truly home, and so in 2007 we bought a larger home on Canyon Drive and became full time Forest Falls residents. Rod left USC for the University of Redlands where Karen also now teaches part time. In the decade since, we both have served on the Mountain C.A.R.E. board and took a stint at editing the Bear Facts. Rod continues to serve on that Board. We have taken some time away from Forest Falls (a semester in Seoul in 2012; a year in Houston in ) but always return. Rod enjoys seeing that relatively small subset of Forest Falls residents who are regulars on the Vivian Creek Trail -- and especially values the encouragement and support of Jim McCune who is on that trail almost daily. Consulting and other opportunities increasingly take us to other countries (Korea, China, Argentina, Guatemala, etc.). But have found no place to compete with Forest Falls. It is home! Considering Books by Katherine Thomerson-Bird CINNAMON AND GUNPOWDER by Eli Brown Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates. Mark Twain The story begins with an intense pirate raid and the capture of a reknowned chef, Owen Wedgewood, who narrates the story. It is 1819 and Wedgewood has been kidnapped by the ruthless Mad Hannah Mabbot! He will be spared as long as he puts exquisite food in front of her every Sunday while the ship sails. Though he tries to escape several times, Wedgewood slowly comes to understand that his captors are not heartless villains, and that his former employee was not virtuous. The characters are most believable, mean, notorious, rough, until the reader discovers their histories which develop as the story unfolds, even in murders and death. Mabbot is a strong, tall overwhelming commander of the ship, with long rippling curls of red hair which spreads around like fire furled by the sea wind. She displays a valid sense of judgment which she pursues to the end. Her crew favors and protects her. Mabbot s second in command is Mr. Apples, a giant, gruff and strong. While sailing in calm seas, he knits. Feng and Bai are martial arts masters; a surprise history here. Then there is Joshua, a deaf Cabin Boy who becomes the adopted son of Wedgewood. Brown gives careful attention to detail in storying these lively and remembered characters. There are marvelous descriptions of taste related to Wedgewood s creative cooking aboard ship. While in a roaring battle, cutlasses cutting the air and enemies, Wedgewood has a sourdough starter leavening in a tin under his shirt. He makes aromatic teas, smoked eel and a brewed pineapple, banana cider which he shares with all aboard. His supplies are meager, but he manages to keep safe his life by providing provocative and tasty dishes for Mad Mabbot while sailing the seas. Then, after swift battles with cannons, fire and chases at sea, there untwines an unusual romance between the one-legged Wedgewood and Mabbot. A surprise to all on ship and the reader. Throughout the book, there is poetic prose with lovely, endearing passages, but when reading the surprise romance between Mabbot and Wedgewood, one in particular is notable. Her freckles were hypnotic in the candlelight, trembling where her pulse danced, cinnamon shaken into a bowl of milk. Beautiful. The battles are not beautiful, but harsh, scary and exciting page turners. This is a gripping adventure, with a seaborne romance and a twist of Scheherazade, the storyteller from One Thousand and One Nights. Mad Mabbot is beautiful, well-read, understands science, and can command a ship of unruly, robust and gritty pirates. At the end of the book, she is an echo not to be forgotten. If you would Check like to out see old most issues of this of the issue s Bear photos Facts at in color, visit

4 Page 4 Volume 11 Issue 2 Safety information borrowed from CALFIRE Defensible Space is your property s front line defense against wildfire. Creating and maintaining defensible space around your home can dramatically increase your home s chance of surviving a wildfire and improves the safety of firefighters defending your property. 100 feet of defensible space is requires by law. Check out current community news at

5 Page 5 Volume 11 Issue 2 On Being Prepared by Mill Creek Canyon C.E.R.T. Congratulations to our most recent group of 18 CERT graduates completing the Basic course in April We had 12 residents from Forest Falls and Mountain Home Village which make up the Mill Creek Canyon program base communities as well as a few friends from Angelus Oaks (which has their own program) and residents of near-by Mentone and Yucaipa. The Basic course, which is provided for FREE from San Bernardino County and our own resident volunteers, is a 21 hour training program including Disaster Preparedness, Fire Suppression including live practice with a fire extinguisher, Disaster Medical concepts, Light Search & Rescue concerns, and more. Other courses that can be offered beyond the Basic course include Disaster Communications (Radio techniques), Animal Response (how to deal with pets, livestock and wildlife in disaster scenarios), advanced training on all the chapters in the Basic course and more. If any of these CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) disaster preparedness trainings seem like something you would be interested in, call Paul Tetreault at to get on the waiting list or discuss calendars. Because of the recent huge precipitation, this Summer has lots of grasses and weeds popping up and drying out, that is big-time fuel for fire. Please remember to maintain 100 feet of defensible space around your home. Clear the grasses, trim the low hanging trees up to 6 feet above the ground. Help our community be Fire Safe. Mountain Gardening by Megan Danner Recently we have experienced the beauty of spring. It is the time of year I enjoy one of my favorite flowers our mountain climate allows for, the lilac. It is a brief time that we enjoy these flowers. In May they bloom from 2 to 6 weeks. Lilacs come in seven colors but we usually see the common lilac syringa vulgaris which is various shades of purple. The lilac is a hearty low maintenance plant. It can grow from 5 to 15 feet tall and attracts butterflies. It enjoys full sun with more than six hours of light. Make sure to water lilac in the summer after flowering. Do not fertilize or water this plant before it blooms as this will give you a much heartier bloom. Shortly after the blooms have faded it is time to prune. Simply clearing out some of the deadwood and remaining suckers is enough. You can transplant those suckers to new areas by simply placing them in the ground a few inches deep. It takes a few years for the plant to fully regrow and will look a little sad at first but it is an easy transplant to do. If you have an old lilac that has not produced good blooms for a while you can drastically cut Chapter 2 - Fire Supression Two recent CERT graduates putting out a fire under the watchful eye of local Forest Falls Firefighter Terry Uldricks For those who have already taken the Basic course and want to review or perhaps those who have started the course but did not finish, check the Mill Creek Canyon CERT page on Facebook, MillCreekCanyonCERT/ for more training opportunities. For more ideas on being prepared, check out the C.E.R.T Website: Check out old issues of the Bear Facts at Lilac - Genus Syringa (many species and varieties) the plant down to about 6 to 8 inches from the ground. After 2 to 3 years the bush will return and should produce beautiful hearty flowers again. So this summer show the lilacs a little care after the bloom and you will see the reward next spring. If you would like to add lilac to your garden keep in mind it is a large plant that need lots of room and light. It is best to plant new suckers or plants in late summer or early fall. Lilacs are somewhat bare in the winter but the rewards of spring blooms are worth it. Just an interesting sidenote lilac blooms are edible! The fragrant flowers can be candied, made into jam, used as cake decoration, or just a colorful addition to a salad. Remember all are welcome to join the Frozen Green Thumb Garden Club. Come check us out on the third Monday of each month or stop by our annual plant sale this year on June 3rd. Happy gardening this summer.

6 Page 6 Volume 11 Issue 2 Mountain Communities Food Pantry At the present time we are temporarily aiding 9 folks. From January 2017 to the present we have received 847 pounds of food. Some just need a teeny bit of assistance others need a little more. All are ever so grateful. Please continue to donate food at Souper Thursday and/or at the Forest Falls Post Office. YOU ARE APPRECIATED. If you need assistance please Facebook message me or pick up a form at the Forest Falls Post Office and at Souper Thursday. Neighbors can also refer. THANK YOU, Dee Konczal The greatness of a man is not how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively ~ Bob Marley 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 This is a RECYCLING BIN, Not a DUMPSTER Bring Us Your Dirty Cars! the Fallsvale School s Annual Carwash, BBQ & Bake Sale turns 5 this year On Saturday, June 3rd starting at 10:00am and ending when there are no more cars in line and the gourmet food is sold out. Tasty Baked Goods are being supplied by the Fallsvale School Garden Club. The barbecue will make it easy for you to enjoy the time while our students and staff clean your car! If you would like to donate baked goods or make a monetary donation, please contact Molly Anderson. As always, the funds we raise directly benefit the students and we thank you for supporting the Fallsvale Grizzlies. This bin IS for Cardboard Plastic Glass Aluminum / Tin 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. PLEASE KEEP BIN DOORS CLOSED We need to keep the birds out, they make a mess Some Helpful Phone Numbers Highway Patrol for Road Conditions Code Enforcement Illegal Dumping Building & Safety Building Codes FF Firehouse Non-Emergency Fish & Wildlife for Bear & Lion Issues Check out current community news at

7 Page 7 Volume 11 Issue 2 June 1st June 3rd June 3rd July 1st July 2nd July 6th Aug 3rd Sep 2nd EVENT CALENDAR Angelus Oaks - Forest Falls - Mountain Home Village Summer 2017 Souper Thursday & Food Pantry Drive Garden Club Plant & Bake Sale Fallsvale School Car Wash, BBQ & Bake Sale Search & Rescue Pancake Breakfast 20th Annual Chili Cook-Off Souper Thursday & Food Pantry Drive Souper Thursday & Food Pantry Drive FireFighter Labor Day Dinner Big Falls Lodge 4-7pm. Dinner is FREE, donations encouraged. Bring your own plates & silverware. Please bring food items for Food Pantry, Dee Konczal am - 1pm at Big Falls Lodge Garden Club Fund-raiser, buy plants that are grown locally and mountain acclimated, as well as Yard Art, and Baked Goods at Fallsvale School from 10am until all the cars are washed at Big Falls Lodge from 7am-11am, adults $5 kids under 12 $2, great Raffle items All proceeds support the efforts of our Search and Rescue team Fun Starts at 11am, Live Music, Games, Parade at Noon, Town Photo at 3pm Chili Tasting $7, Beer & Wine, Food, Desserts, Raffle, $ vary; other fun tickets $1 ea. Big Falls Lodge 4-7pm. Dinner is FREE, donations encouraged. Bring your own plates & silverware. Please bring food items for Food Pantry, Dee Konczal Big Falls Lodge 4-7pm. Dinner is FREE, donations encouraged. Bring your own plates & silverware. Please bring food items for Food Pantry, Dee Konczal from 5-7pm Saturday afternoon at The Firehouse, T-shirts & Sweat shirts for sale Adult Dinners - Steak $10 or Chicken $8 all Kids meals $6 and tons of fixins Forest Falls Fire Department Meets every Tues at 6:30pm, Forest Falls Fire Station 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 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 Explorer Post 128 Souper Thursday FREE SOUP! Meets 3rd Monday every month. Call Marc Lester for monthly location. All are welcome. Meets 2nd & 3rd Thursday 6pm & 3rd Saturday at Forest Falls Fire Station. New Explorers welcome First Thursday of the month 4pm -7pm at Big Falls Lodge. Call Dee (VOLUNTEERS NEEDED) Cub Scouts Pack #794 Valley of the Falls Search And Rescue Mill Creek Canyon C.E.R.T. Monday 6:30pm Valley of the Falls Church Forest Falls Cubmaster Brad Robinson contact Maggie Robinson at Meets 2nd Monday each month, at 7pm Forest Falls Sheriff Sub-Station New CERT Basic course, Dates Pending sign-up NOW call Paul Tetreault Check out old issues of the Bear Facts at

8 Page 8 Volume 11 Issue 2 Valley of the Falls Community Center News Souper Thursday Info Souper Thursdays have been a great success thanks to all of you! We have had Soup Night for 7 years (as of this May). Unfortunately we have needed to cancel several times due to lack of help/volunteers. **Would anyone like to take on the job of recruiting volunteers? This would include the sign up at the PO, having people Facebook or let you know etc. Please let me know if you can take this on. Just a few reminders: We can only continue when we have volunteers that give a couple of hours to help prep, serve and/or clean up. I guess I m getting lazy and just can t do it by myself. Thanks for understanding. It s been a great run but perhaps we need to re-evaluate. Sign up sheet will be at the Forest Falls Post Office the week before. You can also Facebook message me and I ll add your name. Children under 14 years need to be accompanied by an adult. Parents need to supervise AT ALL TIMES! No riding of bikes or skateboards in the parking lot. PLEASE monitor your kids when they re outside. Monday is Music Night at BFL Calling all musicians, do you play? Do you want to play with others? Monday night is Music Night at Big Falls Lodge. From 6:30 pm until around 9 or so musicians gather at BFL for an impromptu jam session. Players sit in a large circle and take turns choosing songs to sing and play. There is no cost, there are no requirements. All ages and level of play are welcome. If you don t play an instrument or sing you are welcome to join in the fun and just listen. The evenings are not performances or an open mic night, they are musicians working out tunes, figuring out how to play them, practicing and helping each other get better. This program has been going steady for almost three years now. Once in a while the regulars who run the program might have a scheduling conflict and cancel for a evening, but that has only happened a couple times since this weekly event started in the summer of Some players play acoustically, and some plug in. There are usually somewhere between 4-10 folks gathering to play. If you want to bring a new tune into the group you can bring a chord and lyrics sheet, sheet music or fire up your smartphone and find it on-line. Speaking of online, this group also has a Facebook group used just to discuss songs to play, (search for MUSIC NIGHT FF) Join the Parade at Chili Cook-Off The 20 th anniversary of anything is a milestone to be celebrated, especially when celebrating twenty years of community. This July 2 nd will be the 20 th Chili Cook-Off in Forest Falls. The parade started out as a children and pet parade and slowly grew into a parade for all ages. Since it s 20 years of celebration we want this parade to include as many people as possible celebrating our glorious little piece of heaven on earth. There s nothing more exciting for a kid than to be in a parade and it s great way to have a fond family memory to share. All are welcome and encouraged to join in, we have divisions for everyone especially for our youth: Veterans and Gold Star Families - Are you a Vet? Do you know a Vet? Let us know we want you to be part of star spangled parade and opening ceremony. Crazy Hats - This is really a favorite. Anyone of any age or gender is welcome. The crazier the hat the better chance of winning that division! Families and Friendlies Group - Not all families are related by blood some families are friends or neighbors so if you have a group come and dress up as a representation of life here on the mountain. Be a bear family, or Lady Bug Family, or Cedar Trees, or anything your imagination can come up with! Pets on Parade - Bring your fur/feathered or scaled family member to march with you. YES thanks to our fire department the street will be cooled down so no little or big paws are burned. AND FOR OUR KIDS - There are so many divisions Kids on the Move decorate your bike, scooter, wagon or skates and roll on down the parade route: Busy Kids - does your child take martial arts or dance or play soccer or T-ball or tumbling or play an instrument? Well, let them show their pride by wearing their uniform or costume and march through town demonstrating how talented our youth are. Patriotic Kids - dress in your best patriotic outfit be George Washington, Betsy Ross, Statue of Liberty, Uncle Sam, well you get the picture. Kazoo Band - we provide the kazoo you provide the kid. Pom Pom Drill Team - to support our kazoo band. Scouts - we are so proud of our girls and boys who choose to join the scouts we want you! No matter where your troop meets Banner Carriers - this can be any age who would like to carry banners announcing each division as it comes down the street. Helpers - no parade is complete without those brave souls who keep the parade moving from start to finish! Be part of our celebration! Be part of the parade! Make a memory! For more information or to sign up call Suzanne at All hyperlinks work and Check get out you current to more community content and news connections at when you visit

9 Page 9 Volume 11 Issue 2 Valley of the Falls Community Center Inc. Think Big Falls Lodge for your next event Event Coordinator Dee Konczal events@vfcci.org Event Staffers Positions available Caretaker/Custodian Deanna Short Board of Directors Linda Jones, President linda@forestfalls.com Thom Wellman, V-Pres thom@forestfalls.com Susan Iles, Secretary susan@forestfalls.com Bernadette Griffith, Treasurer bernie@forestfalls.com Jeff Britton logheadjeff@yahoo.com Carol Burgess Carol@forestfalls.com Erik Foxvog erik@forestfalls.com Paul Tetreault paul@forestfalls.com CERT@forestfalls.com Katherine Thomerson-Bird norareads@gmail.com Craft Fairs, Breakfast with Santa, Souper Thursday, CERT Training, Garden Club Meetings, Community Swap Meets, Search & Rescue Breakfast, The Haunt on the Hill, Canyon Clean-Up Kick-off, Weddings, Memorials, Birthday Parties - - How many of these have YOU attended? Memorials for families that live in our three Mountain Communities are free at Big Falls Lodge Big Falls Lodge is YOUR Community Center In 2006 and 2007, our canyon came together in an impressive show of community to restore Big Falls Lodge from its neglected state to its current beautiful self. It seemed like there was always something going on at the Community Center and people had a lot of fun contributing their talents to the restoration. We do love to get together and with a task at hand, the outcome is always tremendous. For newer residents who may not have been around then, we did another production run of a DVD Vision to Reality created for the grand opening in May They ll be available for $5 purchase at Jessica s Treasures and Coyote Unlimited Gallery. Lately it seems like folks aren t using the Lodge as much these days for private events although our local groups use it frequently. We d like to see that change since the Community Center is for EVERYONE. To that end, the VFCCi Board of Directors has approved new rates for suggested Lodge-Use donations and has simplified the process to reserve a date. The new rate schedule can be found at To reserve, please go to to check availability for your date. Once you find something, contact Dee Konczal at or Dee@forestfalls.com to fill out an application and leave your deposit. Use of the Lodge for private events requires signing an agreement and leaving a $75 deposit. Local groups need only fill out an application to reserve a date. Once Dee has received your completed application, she will add it to the calendar. We think you ll agree it s the best deal in town. See you at the Lodge! We are in need of Volunteer Event Staffers to be the primary contact for various private events. You will get the training you need and the support necessary to take on the responsibility of producing a successful event. This donation of time is critical to the maintenance and continued existence of Big Falls Lodge. Interested? Call Dee at Want to receive notice of community events? Not on our list? Send your address to info@vfcci.org (put Add to List on subject line). We do not share our list with others. - Check calendar for events and updates Have a class or event to put on? Let us know! Call or your suggestions to events@vfcci.org Post Office Box 41, Forest Falls, CA A Charitable Not for Profit Organization EIN Check out old issues of the Bear Facts at

10 Page 10 Volume 11 Issue 2 The Bear Facts is a publication of Mountain C.A.R.E., a non-profit organization. We 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. The Bear Facts Ad Rates Half Page $350 /year Third Page Quarter Page Business Card contact Shirley Bauer Inquire about how easy it is to have YOUR business ad in The Bear Facts Contact Shirleyb326@charter.net $275 /year $250 /year $150 /year shirleyb326@charter.net Old Mill Creek Road Mentone, CA Office: (909) sales@burgessphoto.com CALIFORNIA NOTARY PUBLIC Aknowledgements Real Estate Deeds Court Documents Divorce Phone: mountainbern@verizon.net Check out current community news at

11 Page 11 Volume 11 Issue 2 A Residential Care Facility for the Elderly NOW OPEN We invite you to visit us in person or take a video tour Please call or to set up an appointment Or just drop by for a visit! Thank you Manzanita Ave. Angelus Oaks CA (909) Pacific St. Redlands CA (909) Check out old issues of the Bear Facts at

12 Page 12 Volume 11 Issue 2 HOME AUTO LIFE BUSINESS RETIREMENT Steve England License 0B63451 Office: (909) sengland@farmersagent.com NEW ORBIT COMMUNICATION XTRAOUTLET Inquire about how easy it is to have YOUR business ad in the Bear Facts Contact Shirley@forestfalls.com Check out current community news at

13 Page 13 Volume 11 Issue 2 Check out old issues of the Bear Facts at

14 Page 14 Volume 11 Issue 2 Dog Tails by Ann Klingbeil Here are some little-known facts about dogs: - According to a study at Cambridge University, nearly one in four Labs is missing part of a gene that helps control hunger. Therefore, they don t feel full after eating. - Heartworm has now spread into every state, including Alaska and some warmer parts of Canada. - Certain Arctic dogs, including Siberian Huskies who have an inherited tendency to develop skin lesions, may benefit from additional zinc in their diet. - Great Horned Owls ( lions of the night) are mostly nocturnal, though some hunt in the daylight. Their young begin hunting in the spring and summer. Don t let your dog(s) out in its fenced yard at sunrise or sunset, especially small dogs. - Be sure to check your dog s claws and paws on a routine basis. Nutritional or autoimmune disease may show symptoms on the claws and paws. The claw itself won t necessarily be infected, but the claw bed and digits can be. - We have a Greyhound rescue here in Forest Falls. Their address is FastFriends.org. ** Remember to use a Heartguard preventative year round ** My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog thinks I am ~ Anonymous Paco - ready to party (Photo by Jon Waide) Check out current community news at

15 Page 15 Volume 11 Issue 2 Have You Seen It? by Sharon & Steve Cady Anyone for Cowboys and Indians? Growing up in the 1950 s meant playing cowboys and Indians (or army) with the neighborhood kids. For us things were pretty simple good guys/bad guys. We had all done our research by watching TV shows like Rin Tin Tin, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and others. Fortunately, since then things have changed and they aren t as simple. For me, two movies have dealt with these issues with great improvement from the old John Wayne days Dances with Wolves and Little Big Man. Not the biggest fan of Kevin Costner as an actor, I consider Dances with Wolves one of the best movies made. Sharon and I first saw the film in 1990 without the kids and then went back within the week with the kids. 181 minutes never moved by so smoothly and entertainingly. For me an important distinction of Dances was that Native American actors were cast in the film rather than European descended actors. As a result of the film, Costner was adopted as a Sioux Nation member. The film tells the story of a wounded Union Army lieutenant John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) who is sent to relieve an outpost on the American frontier. The post is deserted, so he has to construct his own orders and job description. It doesn t take long before people from the Lakota Nation become aware of his presence. Over time he and members of the Lakota establish a relationship, partially with the help of a white woman, Stands With A Fist (Mary Mc- Donnell), whose family had been slaughtered by Pawnee warriors (the bad guys) and later adopted by the Lakota. Graham Greene, a Canadian Oneida actor, plays Kicking Bird, a leader/elder of the Lakota people. Eventually, Dunbar is captured back by the US Cavalry and accused of being a traitor. Dunbar has to decide which people are really his his born-for white world or his newly adopted red world. Another movie (my all-time favorite) that deals with the white and red worlds of the plains is Little Big Man starring Dustin Hoffman. Jack Crabbe and his sister survive an attack by Pawnee warriors but are rescued by a Sioux party. His sister escapes but Jack is raised by the people as Little Big Man because he is little in body, but big in spirit. Throughout the film, Jack goes back and forth between the white and red worlds the change always beyond his control. The film is somewhat partial to the red world particularly with Grandfather/Old Lodge Skins played by Chief Dan George who at one point philosophizes To the white man, everything is dead, but to the human beings [the word for his people] everything is alive. Richard Mulligan acts the best caricature of General George Custer prideful, showy, and cagey. When Jack Crabbe advises Custer not to go down into the Little Big Horn, Custer accuses him trying to use a kind of reverse psychology. To all residents of: Angelus Oaks, Mountain Home Village & Forest Falls The Bear Facts is sent out in Mar, Jun, Sep, & Dec. Do you have a mountain event coming up that would benefit by being included in an upcoming issue? 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 folks who 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. We all are accessible. If you have an article or calendar entry for The Bear Facts, contact Paul Tetreault bearfactseditor@gmail.com. All ad concerns go to Shirley Bauer shirleyb326@charter.net The Bear Facts - New Release Dates Next Submission DEADLINE: Aug 5th The new 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 Spring Feb 5th Feb 20th Mar 1st Issue 2 Summer May 5th May 20th Jun 1st Issue 3 Autumn Aug 5th Aug 20th Sep 1st Issue 4 Winter Nov 5th Nov 20th Dec 1st Please make sure any ad artwork, articles, calendar updates, and photos are sent to bearfactseditor@gmail.com on or before the submission deadline (all submissions digital please). For questions call the editor, Paul Tetreault at Check out old issues of the Bear Facts at

16 Mountain C.A.R.E. P.O. Box 13 Forest Falls, CA Summer 2017 Volume 11 Issue Number 2 ECR WSS Postal Patron Forest Falls, CA ECR WSS Postal Patron Angelus Oaks, CA ECR WSS Postal Patron Mountain Home Village, CA 92359