Representatives of member agencies held the first of this season’s
meetings of the Mountain Area Safety Taskforce (MAST), at the Idyllwild
Nature Center Wednesday, March 13. The participating agencies included
Riverside County Sheriff, CalFire, United States Forest Service (USFS)
and Idyllwild Fire Protection District (IFPD). The audience included a
member of the Mountain Community Fire Safe Council (MCFSC) and a handful
of interested locals.

Although few members of the public attended, speakers expressed the
hopes that attendance will improve Wednesday, June 12. MAST forums were
public affairs until COVID curtailed them. The agencies within the group
continued to meet virtually and are now getting back to involving the
public in their mission of “Helping to prevent catastrophic wildfires in
Riverside County.”

IFPD’s Jim LaMont began with an update of his agency’s efforts.
Staffing, he said, was holding well. Nationwide, fire departments
struggle with hiring and retention, and Chief Mark LaMont, at
commissioners’ meetings, often points with pride to his staff and Crew

621. Jim reported that IFPD’s new communications site is up and running,
     but more work remains to be done by Edison to ensure a “bullet-proof”
     power supply. CPR classes continue for USFS personnel and members of the
     public (contact the IFPD office for more info.)

Control burns are expected to resume soon for the Bear Trap project that
stretches from Camp Emerson to Buckhorn Camp. Other fuels reduction
efforts in conjunction with USFS, including Thomas Mountain, also will
resume. Property abatement inspections for Idyllwilders are expected to
begin April 15.

Jim Snow, USFS San Jacinto Ranger District (SJRD) fire management,
reported that abatement projects in “admin” areas surrounding the
stations are “98 or 99% done,” with only two piles, each containing
fuels from a few acres, awaiting burning. Returning to the Thomas
Mountain project, he recapped last year’s effort: 2,500 acres treated in
a mosaic pattern of burns. This covered three “units,” with two more
scheduled for this year “around about June.” Last year, Snow said, the
burned areas “only smoked for about 17 to 20 days, then we monitored it
for about 30 days.”

Other fuelbreak systems in Garner Valley will possibly be treated this
season, including Trails End, Mountain Canyon, Bonita Vista, May Valley
and Camp Ronald McDonald. He spoke of a “five-year approach,” the target
for returning to maintain existing fuelbreaks. Another aspect of these
projects is compliance with environmental restrictions. The agency must
identify areas with restrictions, and either comply with them or go
through a process to have them lifted. The responsible agencies have
evolved in their attitude toward fire suppression, and some of these
restrictions were put in place 50 years ago, under a very different
regime.

Snow wished to draw attention to the service’s new Wildfire Crisis
strategy
(https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/Wildfire-Crisis-Implementation-Plan.pdf).
The plan calls for an “unprecedented paradigm shift in land management
to increase fuels and forest health treatments across jurisdictions to
match the actual scale of wildfire risk to people, communities, and
natural resources, especially in the Western United States.” It includes
community protection, forest health and watershed protection, as Snow
put it, “all grouped into one instead of looking at them separately.” He
noted that we are in an “identified zone” in the plan, what the document
calls a “High-Risk Fireshed.” This means “we take priority… we are very
fortunate here in the San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountain forests to
get that attention, which gets us the help to get it done."

CalFire Division Chief Dan Olson, Riverside County Fire Department for
Division 6, and an incident commander (IC), gave an update on
suppression efforts. April 15 marks “spring transition” as the seasonal
workforce is brought into the field, increasing the staffing for Type
III, or woodland fire, engines. This includes engines and crews at Pine
Cove, Garner Valley and Anza. These are additional units to “bolster”
year-round crews at stations 23 (Pine Cove) and 53 (Garner Valley.)

Also in April, CalFire will conduct annual In Service Training. Crews
from around the county and partners further afield will congregate for
exercises at Twin Pines Ranch (near Banning). The “cooperators” interact
with local agencies and get to know each other and the terrain.
Residents should expect a large contingent of fire equipment coming up
243 and 74 during this training.

Olson noted that the county, through its Emergency Management
Department, is working on a new program of notifications for evacuation
warnings and orders. The platform is called “Zonehaven,” a privately
developed tool for first responders that allows messaging residents by
zone when fire threatens a community. It is used throughout the state,
Olson said, and the county has now purchased it. Predetermined zones are
being identified to allow ICs to streamline notifications. This is “not
a lot different from what we are doing currently; we are using military
grade,” meaning the system developed by the Department of Defense. The
new system will be rolled out this month and with “heavy messaging”
inviting residents to sign up. This is done at Genasys Protect
(protect.genasys.com), a mobile app. The system is integrated into the
existing MAST Plan zones. The service also will provide advisories, so
that when, for example, the USFS is doing a control burn, residents
downwind will know to expect smoke. 

Sgt. Rick James of Riverside County Sheriff’s Office took the
opportunity later to clarify evacuation warnings and orders. A warning
gives you time to prepare to evacuate, gather what you wish to take,
pack your vehicle, prepare your home, all according to the plan you
should already have. An order means you are in the path of fire and
crews need you out of the way to do their jobs. You will not be forced
to leave your property, “we’re not going to drag you out by your ears,”
but residents that stay behind often need to be evacuated later by fire
personnel. This takes equipment and crews away from carefully planned
assignments and endangers others, including the firefighters, so “please
heed evacuation orders.” During the Fairview Fire there were deaths
because “people waited for too long.”

Lynette Short, CalFire unit forester and public information officer,
pointed out that members of the public who wish to ask questions at
future MAST meetings may send the questions in advance to get more
thorough answers, to [email protected]. Short discussed a
number of fuels projects and grants.

The Astrocamp fuels reduction project was small by CalFire standards,
about 85 acres on both sides of Highway 243, “the entrance to Idyllwild.
Within the last two years we treated all 85 acres.” The project
consisted of “hand cutting, chipping, a little bit of mastication.” The
project was put in place in 2017 before the Cranston Fire and is an
identified hazard, a canyon or chimney leading to an educational
facility and the town. It is a State Responsibility Area (SRA) and Short
mentioned that land on the Hill goes “back and forth” in terms of
responsible agencies between USFS, CalFire, IFPD and other fire
agencies. 

Mt. San Jacinto State Park pile burning is about half done, according to
Short. “There were thousands of piles out there.” Some of the piles are
under snow now and that will delay further burns. “As soon as that snow
melts, you’ll see CalFire crews out there assisting the state park,
trying to get the majority of those piles burned off before fire season
hits.” 

The Red Hill and Point of Rocks projects are to others. Red Hill is a
200- to 300-foot-wide break, over 232 acres, to the west and northwest
of Pine Cove. It is noncontinuous over multiple plots of land, and
includes high priority areas like that around the Nature Center, and
“ingress and egress areas” essential for safe evacuations. This is
another place residents should expect to see CalFire heavy equipment,
crews and masticators at work. The project was approved in 2019 but
delayed due to “lack of resources.” About 140 acres were treated last
year, and the agency hopes to get the rest in 2024.

The Point of Rocks project sits on the north and northeast side of Pine
Cove. It is a continuous, 500-foot-wide break, untouched since 2019 and
ready for retreatment. It is rugged terrain. Funds give CalFire the
option of contracting some of the work out to private companies.

Short’s responsibilities include wildfire protection grants, some MCFSC
administers focusing on dead and dying trees and Gold Spotted Oak Borer
(GSOB) trees. The group also is receiving new grants including one that
will run through 2029 to abate vacant parcels. While most homeowners do
their abatement, neighborhoods are a “patchwork” that includes
undeveloped properties whose absent owners do not abate. MCFSC is doing
an analysis to determine high priority parcels, including along
evacuation corridors. 

Other work on the Hill is funded by CalFire Forest Health grants.
Recipients include Riverside County, California State Parks and USFS.
The State Parks have treated GSOB trees on over 13,000 acres and are now
monitoring them. Treatment includes chemicals intended to bond to the
trees and not wash away into the environment. The Crier reached out to
CalFire to get the names of the chemicals being used but had no response
by press time. USFS continues reforestation efforts on land hit by the
Cranston Fire, also funded by a Forest Health grant.

Short was asked about cooperation with tribes. The preferred phrase is
now “local, state, federal and tribal authorities” when speaking of
forest management. Short said, “There’s a lot more collaboration with
tribes than what was done 10, 20, even five years ago.” She noted that
CalFire has a Tribal Wildfire Resilience grant program.

Samuel German, SJRD fuels officer, offered an invitation to residents
who wish to gather firewood. Piles and log decks are available, and the
Ranger Station (54270 Pine Crest Ave.) will issue permits ($40 for up to
two cords) and maps of pile locations. 

James wanted the public to know that the Lake Hemet substation is not
normally staffed: although eight deputies use it, and there are always
two officers on duty on the Hill, it is a large beat and citizens should
not expect to find an officer at the substation. If officers are there
you may talk to them, he said, also noting that members of the public
sometimes arrange to meet deputies there if they do not wish to meet
them at home. 

If a caller has a doubt about the status of a call, they should err on
the side of caution and call 911, James underlined, but if they are
calling about a longterm situation or one they know does not require
fast response, they may use the nonemergency number (951) 776-1099 to
keep from overloading the 911 system. 

LaMont also spoke about the local emergency warning sirens. The downtown
siren, at the fire station on Maranatha Drive, is tested on the third
Saturday of every month. There are plans to expand this with speakers
that will reach Pine Cove, Mountain Center and even Vista Grande. In the
near-term, expect a siren on Fern Valley Water District land. If a siren
is heard at times other than the third Saturday test, tune into WNKI,
1610 AM, for further information. 

Woody Henderson of MCFSC provided on update on activities as it ramps up
for summer. It has just received another large grant to help with
abatement of dead and dying trees and GSOB trees. Inspectors are sent
out who assess the condition of trees and solicit bids from contractors,
paying most of the cost of the work with grants, the homeowner paying
the rest. Residents may call (951) 465-4142 to learn more, or
visit mcfsc.org. The website notes that some grants are tailored to
seniors and low-income homeowners.

The next MAST meeting is 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 12, at the Idyllwild
Nature Center.

A review of the value to separate the Riverside County Coroner’s Office
from the Sheriff’s Department concluded that the change would not
address the concerns and issues the public raised last fall and would
add to the county’s cost. The board of supervisors unanimously concurred
and approved the report.

The report determined, “If the duties of the Sheriff, Coroner, and
Public Authority are separated, there will be a negative impact on the
delivery of services and the cost for those services will increase.”

In lieu of the organizational change, the Executive Office’s (EO) staff,
which conducted the evaluation, offered two recommendations.

The first was for the Sheriff’s Department to negotiate agreements with
neighboring counties to conduct independent autopsies for all deaths in
Riverside County involving the use of force by the Sheriff’s Department
or that occur in the county’s jails.

Secondly, it urged the EO to work with the Sheriff’s Department to
review the potential to create a Family Liaison Program. Its intent
would be more effective help to families or individuals who have lost
loved one’s while in the custody of the Sheriff’s Department, especially
during the investigation of this death.

At the beginning of the report, a summary of the findings was presented:
“As a result of an extensive evaluation, the EO has reached the
conclusion that the negative impacts of separating the Coroner’s Bureau
and/or Public Administrator from the Sheriff’s Department significantly
outweigh the perceived benefit and would not be in the best interests of
the community.”

The sheriff/coroner has the duty under Government Code section 27491 to
conduct thorough and impartial investigations of in-custody and
officer-involved deaths.

Since their combination, the Sheriff’s Department has attempted to avoid
either a conflict of interest or the appearance of one. To achieve this,
the Sheriff’s Department has established the following policies and
steps when an internal investigation is needed.

When there is a report of a law enforcement related death, the
Sheriff-Coroner’s Internal Affairs Detail is immediately notified to
investigate department personnel.

The District Attorney’s Office (DAO) receives notification of all
custodial-related deaths and independently determines whether to conduct
a parallel criminal investigation. The DAO is immediately notified of
all officer-involved and/or custodial deaths. An experienced homicide
deputy district attorney and investigator can conduct an independent
investigation. The case may ultimately be evaluated for potential
criminal liability.

According to the EO’s report, “Since 2020, the Sheriff’s Department does
not investigate themselves when an officer or deputy’s use of force
results in death or injury.” Procedures are in place for a cooperative
task force or a Force Investigation Detail.

A year ago, the department created the Central Corrections Investigation
unit in order to establish and to maintain a standard response to
in-custody deaths, to conduct consistent and thorough reports, and to
ensure cooperation with the DAO.

Also, the Coroner’s Office conducts its own investigation of all
in-custody and law enforcement related deaths. The study team found “no
evidence, indication, or recollection that a Sheriff/Coroner has ever
attempted to change a forensic pathologist’s recommended cause or manner
of death.”

Since the team did not believe that a separation of the sheriff and
coroner was needed, they did recommend that the sheriff contract with
neighboring counties to perform autopsies of in-custody deaths. Both San
Bernardino and San Diego counties were willing to enter into an
agreement. Orange County declined because of concerns over its staffing
and caseloads.

Public comments

While 10 people, including former Supervisor Bob Buster, commented on
the report and its recommendations, the opposition was not strong and
described the review as a positive step.

Mothers of two inmates who died while in custody spoke and were very
strongly in favor of the separation.

Katherine Nigro, mother of Michael Vasquez, who died in custody May 26,
2022, said, “You’d think your loved one would be safe in facilities like
that. … I disagree with no separation.”

And Lisa Matus, whose son Richard died Aug. 11, 2022, said, “After
reviewing the study, I believe there is a great need and importance for
a third party outside of Riverside County to conduct the study due to a
conflict of interest.” Her family waited more than a year for the
autopsy results to be made public.

Buster was the first public speaker. He urged the board to approve the
separation and advocated appointing and funding a separate medical
examiner.

He recommended talking a bold action rather than the “timidity,
passivity, and inaction, that still holds true today. Taking action is
self-correcting, while holding back makes the situation worse.”

Luis Nolasco, senior policy advocate and organizer for the ACLU of
Southern California, believed separation would be a better policy and
additional oversight of the Sheriff’s Department would be beneficial for
public perception and county management.

He felt the study was incomplete. “The study did not include a
cost-benefit analysis. It was not thorough enough,” he stated to the
Town Crier. He added that his group, the Sheriff’s Accountability
Coalition, wants to seek a means to offer that piece of analysis.

“It may take some time to complete, but it is important for making a
fair decision,” he said. “The county should not make a decision on an
incomplete report.”

Nolasco suggested that possibly either the RAND Corporation or
California Forward, a nonprofit analytic group, might be willing to do
this analysis.

Before the vote, Undersheriff Don Sharp asked to speak to the board. He
stressed that the Sheriff’s Department has been improving ever since
Sheriff Chad Bianco was elected.

“I’ve been in this business for 35 years. I’ve worked for many
sheriffs,” he stated. “Sheriff Bianco is more transparent than anybody
I’ve ever worked with. We’re engaging with every agency in the county.”

In agreement, Chair Chuck Washington added, that the Department “… could
do more to outwardly demonstrate what we all know you’re doing.”

Board discussion

As the supervisors discussed the proposal, all agreed with the
recommendations presented, but expressed a need for more follow through.

“There is no easy solution here,” Supervisor Kevin Jeffries said as he
began his comments and concluded, “Our Executive Office did a very
thorough job … These are valid recommendations. I’m not completely on
board that what the Executive Office is recommending is the best path;
but not sure I know a better path.”

He did recommend the Sheriff’s Department provide an annual report on
these circumstances and his colleagues agreed to add that to the motion.

Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, who co-sponsored the request for the report,
also supported the recommendations. He then acknowledged that it was not
100%, “we’re not there yet … it’s not complete but it’s a start …
looking forward to future efforts.”

Background

Since 1999, the Riverside County Coroner’s Office has been part of the
Sheriff’s Office. California is just one of three states that permits
counties to combine these two offices. In California, only 10 counties
have separated the two offices.

The coroner investigates and reports on all violent, sudden or unusual
deaths of persons within the county as established by California law.

But the question is not new to the county. The 2017-2018 Riverside
County Grand Jury also looked at this issue, and recommended that as an
alternative to separation, the sheriff re-establish “an agreement with
acceptable terms, with an adjacent county, to perform autopsies of
in-custody deaths.”

From 1999 to 2005, Riverside County had an agreement with Orange County
to do this, but after its expiration in 2005, it was not renewed.

In an Oct. 31 letter to the board, a number of community groups, led by
So Cal’s ACLU, urged the board to study the potential separation of the
two functions.

“Studies support this separation; it is proven that Coroners operating
under Sheriff’s Departments are more likely to underreport
officer-involved deaths,” noted the ACLU.

The liquidation of the estate assets of missing Garner Valley resident
Dia Abrams began last week as a judge approved the sale of the first of
Abram’s three local real estate holdings. Court-appointed Trustee
Richard Munro applied for permission to accept the higher of two offers
made on Abrams’ house on Tool Box Springs Road, and this was granted by
Palm Springs Judge Russel Velasquez March 8.

According to Munro’s declaration, the mortgage has been in default since
“before the trustee was appointed,” which happened in March 2023.
Mortgage statements submitted earlier as evidence showed those payments
stopped in May 2020, the month before Dia disappeared. The new
declaration states that the lender, JPMorgan Chase, put the loan in
“pre-foreclosure status” since about April 2020. The lender, Munro
states, has cooperated “in light of the anticipated sale.” The
declaration mentions that the property is not generating any income, and
substantial sums have been spent by the trustee to maintain and prepare
if for sale.

The house is descents to contractors for emptying and inspecting two
septic tanks, landscaping cleanup, repairing a leaking underground gas
line, repairing interior plumbing and plumbing to horse paddocks. Munro
also said the property is in “jeopardy of depreciating in value due to
deferred maintenance” and is draining the trust’s cash reserves.

The declaration states that the listing generated 87 inquiries and was
shown to 29 potential buyers. It was listed in August 2023 for $998,000,
reduced in September to $925,000, and again reduced to $850,000 in
October. The trustee also offered an increase in the commission from 4%
to 5% to “attract greater buyer agent interest.” In February of this
year, two offers were received, one for $830,000 and a “back-up” offer
for $825,000.

The trust will continue to operate until June 6, 2025, at which date,
unless she reappears, Abrams will be legally presumed dead. Her estate
would then be divided, with 50% going to her two adult children, Crisara
and Clinton, and 50% going to Keith Harper, the man named as trustee in
a trust filed weeks before her disappearance. Harper claims to have been
Dia’s fiancé. He was removed as trustee last year and evicted from
Abrams’ Bonita Vista Ranch, finally leaving the property in late January
of this year.

Dia’s son, Clinton Abrams, has shared his thoughts about his mother’s
disappearance with the Crier recently and agreed to answer a few
questions by email. Although not involved in the details of the sale, he
said of Munro: “He deeply adheres to his values as a trustee, namely,
efficiency, privacy and neutrality, and is doing an excellent job.”

Dia’s estate includes two other properties, her Bonita Vista Ranch on
117-1/2 acres, and the 15-acre Sky High Ranch, with a mobile home. Asked
about Sky High, Clinton responded, “Sky High is on the market. The
details of what is going on with that property are unknown to me, but it
would seem to be a logical next step in the tragic liquidation of my
mother’s estate. I use the word ‘tragic’ because we still do not have
answers regarding what happened to my mother. I have never had a chance
to say goodbye to her.”

Asked whether the family intends to hold on to Bonita Vista Ranch,
Clinton answered, “I cannot speak for my sister, but I would like to
hold onto the property for as long as we do not know what happened to
Dia. Until we know with finality what occurred, I don’t see how we can
sell her primary residence and the home and property on which my mother,
father, and whole family built so many memories and into which placed so
many resources. I was around 12 years old when I would go with my mom to
look at which property she wanted to purchase as a ranch for our family.
I was there when she chose Bonita Vista Ranch and closed escrow on it.

“I have many memories of sitting quietly with my mother marveling as
deer and other wildlife came and interacted so closely with us, prior to
the main house being built and after. Many holidays with my family were
spent at that property. I believe that it is incumbent on all of us,
myself first and foremost, to obtain real answers before we dispose of
what became my mom’s life work, pride, and joy. I would often go to her
property to watch meteor showers with my mom. The sky was always so
clear. To sell it without knowing what happened would inflict an
irreparable wound to her memory. She poured her heart into that land,
defended it against wildfires and floods, utilized it to save animals in
need and help so many. She refused to leave her property and her animals
even as her very own life was at risk. Saying goodbye to the property is
in essence saying goodbye to my mother for eternity, and it is a step
that should never be taken lightly irrespective of financial
considerations.”

Finally, we asked him if he believes that his recent statement through
the Crier had produced any responses to the trustee’s Tip Line
(diatips.org or 1(833)DIA-TIPS.)

“I believe wholeheartedly that your recent Town Crier article has had a
major impact. Absolute legal privilege exists for anyone who calls on
the tip-line for the $300,000 reward. Safety and anonymity are
paramount. Therefore, while I have no information about what has come
in, I believe through my private conversations with locals that more
people are stepping forward with potent information. I have real hope.

“I attribute much, if not all of it, to your recent piece that ran in
the Town Crier that allowed me to explain the mechanics of how the
$300,000 reward works and to illustrate that it is very much a real
$300,000 cash reward and on the table for anyone to take. Even if the
individual providing the information is in some way culpable for Dia’s
disappearance, the $300,000 reward will be granted to them and I will
advocate for extreme leniency on their behalf should anything arise. All
I want is answers, I don’t care from whom they arrive. The smallest
detail or morsel of information could be what unravels the entire
mystery of Dia’s disappearance.”

An Idyllwild man was convicted Jan. 18 in Riverside County Superior
Court of felony vandalism.

On Aug. 23, 2023, “deputies responded to the 26000 block of Delano Drive
in Idyllwild for a call of an armed subject,” wrote Riverside County
Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Wenndy Brito-Gonzalez.
“The reporting party stated a white adult male was banging on the
residence with an axe damaging the wall and breaking a window. When
deputies arrived, they located the subject, later identified as Samuel
Gray, and placed him under arrest. Gray was booked in for vandalism.”

Gray, 33, pleaded guilty and was given 90 days in jail plus 24 months of
probation. He also must pay for damages.

The Associates of the Idyllwild Arts Foundation presented a check for
$10,000 to Tara Sechrest, vice president Enrollment Management &
Strategic Partnerships at Idyllwild Arts and Pamela Jordan, president of
Idyllwild Arts.

This donation was made from the Pamela Goldwasser Memorial Scholarship
Fund and is designated to support a student in the Summer Jazz Program
at Idyllwild Arts. Goldwasser was an advocate for jazz music, the Summer
Programs and Jazz in the Pines. The Associates continue to honor her
influence with this annual gift.

“It is a privilege and honor to recognize the commitment to the arts
held by my late friend and former colleague Pamela Goldwasser. To watch
these young high school musicians building their dreams of becoming an
accomplished jazz musician is most rewarding and an excellent way to
honor Pam,” said Michael Slocum, president of the Associates.

The Associates, founded in 1968, is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization with the purpose of supporting education in the arts,
particularly Idyllwild Arts. The Associates have donated over $60,000 to
Idyllwild Scholarship Fund this fiscal year; a total of over $2.5
million over the last 56 years. Learn more about the Associates at
www.associatesofiaf.org.