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Smith joins PCWD board

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Becky Smith is the newest member of the Pine Cove Water District’s (PCWD) Board of Directors. Smith was chosen at a special board meeting Jan. 17.

Becky Smith
PHOTO COURTESY OF SMITH

Two other individuals applied for the seat: Amie Foye and the third person, who is not a resident of PCWD, according to President Robert Hewitt. At the meeting, current directors reviewed each applicant’s submission and the unanimous choice was Smith.

She has plenty of water district experience, since she is the former office manager. After 17 years, she retired at the end of November 2023.

She was born in Ely, Nevada and grew up in Sparks, Nevada. At age 18, she left for Escondido and a life in California, where she met her husband, Galen. They have a son, Sam.

Galen’s parents were one of the first to buy a 5-acre parcel in Garner Valley. He loved coming to the Hill and spending time here, Smith related. As they grew tired of city living, they moved to Garner Valley in 1988.

Smith fills the vacancy created when former Director Diana Luther resigned Dec. 1, 2023. Her resignation letter arrived at the office several days prior to her effective resignation date and Smith’s retirement.

“So, I knew she was leaving and something clicked right away,” she said. “This would be how I could stay involved with the district. I loved the staff and the teamwork.”

As a director, she views the installation of the remaining “smart” meters to be the top priority. Thus far, PCWD has about 600 meters installed, about half the district’s total meters. The weather has an important influence on when the meters can be installed. Further the vendor, who sold the meters to PCWD, has declared bankruptcy, but General Manager Jeremy Potter has been investigating what the district’s options may be for this disruption.

Smith did note that PCWD has used several hundred thousand dollars in cash in the past year to purchase the property from Riverside County and partial payments to Smart Earth Technology. Another payment will be due March 1.

Nevertheless, she is not eager to increase the water rates yet.

PCWD’s water production in 2023 was 33.2 million gallons, about 15% less than the average for the three years from 2020 through 2022. Smith attributed this to the extreme precipitation that fell on the Hill last year.

“We had a good winter and people weren’t using as much water,” she said. “And many residents left the Hill for a while because of the weather. We had more than 7 feet of snow here. Week after week of snow or rain.”

With respect to the recent meetings between the Idyllwild Fire Department and the Idyllwild and Fern Valley water districts, Smith does not see PCWD joining this effort.

“There is no benefit to any of the customers in Pine Cove,” she stated. “I don’t see any interest in a Community Service District. What would it do and how would that benefit Pine Cove?

“Pine Cove is run so well we don’t need to participate,” she opined.

Smith will serve the remainder of Luther’s term which ends Dec. 4, 2024. She intends to seek election to a full-term in November. Both she and Director Vicki Jakubac, the second former employee on the board, have terms expiring this December.

“I’m excited to still be involved with the district. It’s the best job in my lifetime,” Smith said proudly. “To still be able to be involved is pretty blessed.”

The PCWD Board of Directors is unique on the Hill. With Smith joining the board, she is the third female member, the first time one of the local district board’s composition is a female majority.

“I like it and glad we’re not chauvinistic,” Smith noted.

The next Beat Nite this Monday

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Myra Dutton and the Evolutionary Poets will present another Beat Nite at Middle Ridge Winery from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, March 4. Dutton calls it a “curated evening of experimental poetry with improvisational music.” 

Dr. Marshall Hawkins on bass accompanies Wyatt Priefer at a recent Beat Night.

“Idyllwild’s legendary musicians, Dr Marshall Hawkins and Paul Carman,” will provide “beatitude.”

“We are fortunate to have Middle Ridge Winery, with its expansive space, beautiful art and award-winning wines as our venue. Chris, Melody and Tamara Johnson have been our angels to allow us to do this for years now,” she said.

Beat Nite, Dutton assures us, is “not an ordinary poetry reading” but “lively, experimental and open, taking you into another landscape that is sensory, humorous, passionate and serious.” Each poet is given a poem to read, and then follows it with one of their own. Poets scheduled for Monday’s event include Rena May, Bo Dagnall, Wyatt Priefer, Susan Hegarty, Andrew Neeson, Mick Lynch, August Picciolo, Bryan Tracy, Bronwyn Jones and Dutton.

Dutton traces the roots of this local “beatitude” to a gathering of friends 20 years ago for “dinner, wine, laughter and camaraderie.” Soon they began performing at Café Aroma, encouraged by then-owner Hubert Halkin.

Research into poets like Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder informed the present format. “During that period, I was always performing the work of Anne Waldman, a second-generation Beat poet, who believed that performance was the fast track to evolution,” said Dutton.

The night’s theme will be love, “but from a Beat perspective.”

Local concerned about receiving two mail-in ballots for primary

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    Some voters are concerned about voter fraud, misconduct or multiple voting. Bruce Denny, a Town Crier member, contacted the paper about a specific instance that raised questions in his mind about a potential problem with duplicate vote-by-mail ballots.

    Denny submitted his ballot earlier this month. Shortly after, he received both an email and text message thanking him for voting in the primary.

    He was registered as a “No Party Preference” voter. After casting his vote, he decided that he wanted to vote in one of the major parties’ primary and re-registered.

    However, he then received a second ballot. Confused, he contacted the Registrar of Voters (ROV) Office and asked what he should do with the second ballot.

    He was told to “please destroy the second ballot.” He did, but then wondered how many other voters received multiple ballots.

    Skepticism over election protections has grown. At the county board of supervisors’ meeting Feb. 6, this issue was discussed for nearly an hour. Supervisors Kevin Jeffries (1st District) and Karen Spiegel (2nd District) had submitted a proposal to enhance trust and faith in the county’s election process. But after six public speakers, both supervisors agreed to withdraw the proposal.

    The possibility of a voter submitting more than one vote-by-mail ballot was specifically mentioned during the discussion of that agenda item. In the Feb. 15 issue, the Town Crier reported that ROV Art Tinoco’s response to the skeptics described how the county reviews ballots returned to the office by mail to assure that only one ballot per voters is counted.

    Elizabeth Florer, public information officer for the ROV, said, “… only the first ballot received at the registrar’s office will be counted. Safeguards are in place to flag and investigate if a subsequent ballot arrives.”

    The voter must sign the back of the envelope containing their vote-by-mail ballot. The signature must match the voter’s signature on record with the ROV.

    If the voter does not sign the back of the envelope, ROV will send them a letter requesting them to sign a form confirming they are who the person submitting the mail-in ballot. If they do not sign and return this form, the ballot will not be counted.

     Assuming the voter has signed the back of the return envelope, that also shows their name and address. Before placing the ballot in the category to be counted, the election officer will enter this information into the election management system to verify there have been no other ballots submitted by this individual, perhaps at a different voter center. If so, it will be placed in the provisional category.

    No identifying information is actually on the actual ballot. This is to assure that a person’s vote always remains confidential. There is the precinct, ballot type and number on the front of the return envelopes and on the conveying letter. But these are not attached to the ballot.

    According to Florer, there are several reasons why a voter might receive more than one mail-in-ballot. These could include changing party registration or visits to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

    For example, an individual might have been registered with “No Party Preference” and decided they wished to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary on March 5. This is what Denny did.

    The new registration might have triggered sending a ballot. Nevertheless, the voters are registered, and their name and address are in the ROV records. These are checked during counting to assure that only one ballot is counted from that person.

    Similarly, visiting the DMV, which has an automatic voter registration process, can trigger another ballot sent to that person, if they forgot to check the box that they were already registered.

    “It is important to know that it is illegal to try and cast two ballots,” Florer emphasized. If the possibility is discovered through investigation, it can be turned over to the [district attorney]’s office.”

Town Crier election stories, including interviews with candidates on the March 5 Primary Ballot

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• Proposition 1: Feb. 1

• Riverside County Board of Education

            Bruce Dennis: Feb. 1

• U.S. Congress, California District 41

            Ken Calvert: Feb. 22

            Anna Nevenic: Feb. 8

            Will Rollins: Feb. 29

• California Assembly, District 36

            Joey Acuna: Feb. 15

            Jeff Gonzalez: Feb 22

            Kalin Morse: Feb. 29

• California Assembly, District 47

            Christy Holstege: Feb. 15

            Greg Wallis: Feb. 8

Voter Centers opened last weekend

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Riverside County voters will be able to cast their ballot for the 2024 Presidential Primary Election at one of 17 vote centers in Riverside County that opened Saturday, Feb. 24. Another 131 vote centers will open Saturday, March 2.

At any of these voter centers, residents may vote in-person or return their completed vote-by-mail ballot. Voters are not assigned to a specific location and may cast their ballot at any available vote center.

A list of vote center is found at https://voteinfo.net/sites/g/files/aldnop371/files/2024-01/March2024%20Vote%20Center%20Locations_ENG.pdf

Eligible residents may also register to vote, update their registration or change their political party at a vote center.

Also, any registered voter may opt to mark a paper ballot or use a touch screen, which is an accessible voting unit available at all vote centers. The voter then casts their ballot into the ballot box or scans their ballot into a ballot scanner.

For voters who wish to return their vote-by-mail ballots at a drop box location, the Registrar of Voters has 106 official ballot drop-off locations throughout the county. Drop boxes have been available since Feb. 5 and will remain so through 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Jeff Gonzalez wants to serve AD 36

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Editor’s note: California will hold its 2024 Presidential Primary Tuesday, March 5. Besides the races for president and the U.S. Senate, to succeed Diane Feinstein, many local races need a primary to determine the November candidates.

Jeff Gonzalez
PHOTO COURTESY OF GONZALEZ

The Town Crier is writing about the races for the U.S. Congressional District 41, California Assembly districts (AD) 36 and 47 and the Riverside County Board of Education District 4.

Seven candidates are vying to represent AD 36. The five Democratic candidates are Joey Acuna, Waymond Fermon, Egard Garcia, Tomas Oliva and Eric Rodriguez. The two Republican candidates seeking a place on the November ballot are Jeff Gonzalez and Kalin Morse. Of the seven candidates, the two receiving the most votes March 5 will be on the November ballot.

Jeff Gonzalez lives in Indio and is seeking to become the new Assemblymember for AD 36. He is married with four children, including three from his wife’s previous marriage.

Incumbent Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia announced in December that he would not seek reelection. AD 36 spans across three counties — Imperial, San Bernardino and Riverside. Lake Hemet and all of Garner Valley to the west of Highway 74 and much of the southern portion of Garner Valley, Anza and Sage are included in AD 36.

Going further west, it includes portions of Hemet and Winchester.

Although all of Imperial County is in AD 36, its 87,000 registered voters represent about one-third of the district’s total voters. Riverside County has the majority of the AD 36 voters, 58%, with merely 1% living in the San Bernardino portion of the district.

Gonzalez retired from the Marines after serving 21 years, became a pastor, now owns three small businesses and wants to continue to serve his community in the state Legislature.

Service truly seems to be the guiding light in his life’s journey,

He was in college and expected to join the Air Force since he had been a member of the Air Force ROTC in high school in New York. He graduated there but spent several years attending Moreno Valley High School.

As he passed the table, the Marine recruiter uttered a challenge that Gonzalez thought about and accepted. “You couldn’t do this anyway,” said the Marine.

“I looked at him. And at 19, I was a Marine,” Gonzalez said proudly. During his first active-duty tour, he had different several assignments. While serving on embassy duty, he learned to understand different ways of life, communications and thought processes.

He left active duty and was in the Marine Corps Reserves when 9/11 happened. He had a security job in New York City and was frequently confronting his personal feelings and encountering people’s reactions from such a devasting loss.

After three months, Gonzalez returned to active duty. During this tenure, he was in a counter terrorism group. Among his assignments, he toured in Iraq and Afghanistan several times as well as Southeast Asia.

“We were responsible for bringing warring factions to the table,” he said, describing many of his assignments. “This was called ‘village stabilizing operations.’”

These encounters taught him to take two fighting groups and find a means for their communication and a resolution.

However, he ended this active-duty tour disabled and distraught. Ten Marines took their own lives due to post-traumatic stress disorder. While not responsible, he craved the opportunity to help and prevent these actions.

He founded Saddleback Church in San Diego and became a pastor. One of the important programs in which he helped was called “PEACE.” It stands for promote reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick and educate the next generation.

“We were feeding and caring for the community,” he said.

Three years later he bought a technology company. It grew from three employees to 34. He founded a staffing firm.

This run for elective office is not Gonzalez’s first effort. Prior to COVID, he sought the former AD 56 seat. In 2018, Gonzalez won the Republican primary but lost the general election to Garcia, who garnered two-thirds of the vote.

Now Gonzalez says, “Every opportunity, with every challenge, there is a process of learning. I would do [the campaign] differently now. I recognize the need to serve the community and listen to the people.

“People are asking for communication and advocacy,” he continued. “They’re asking for change.”

In the current campaign, Gonzalez stressed that he hears about many issues and they are usually different from community to community. The three main topics he hears throughout the district are health care, affordability and safety, even in the schools.

Regarding the state’s finances, he said, “Adamantly, we need to balance the budget and not raise taxes.”

If elected, he said, “I would apply the same principles of finance that I apply to my company. If I didn’t, I’d be bankrupt. Don’t spend what you don’t have! If we can’t afford it, stop giving it away.”

He stressed that safety, education and the most vulnerable were priorities.

In the district, he is excited about the potential lithium development in the Salton Sea area, but stresses the government’s need to be responsible while managing the development. While there will be jobs, there are also people whose safety should be guarded.

As of Jan. 20, Gonzalez had only $9,800 in cash for the final month of the primary campaign. This has grown during the first weeks of February and he said there is more than $30,000 available for the final push.

Although running as a Republican, Gonzalez commented on the actions at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, “We’re a country of laws and rules. While I support our right to protest, that was disorder. They crossed the line.”

He urged the district’s voters not to choose a party, rather they should vote for their values. He offers the reasons for choosing him: “My experience with the Marine Corps globally, as a pastor where I learned to listen and be empathetic, as a successful business manager, and as a Dad and husband.”

No major issues arise at FVWD meeting

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On Feb. 15, the Fern Valley Water District (FVWD) Board of Directors held its second meeting of 2024. While lasting more than hour, no action needed to be taken.

The meeting began with a brief discussion of FVWD’s participation in the recent meeting, organized by the Idyllwild Fire Protection District (IFPD), to discuss the creation of a Community Service District.

“Chief [Mark] LaMont hosted it,” President Jon Brown said. “We have to figure out how it affects us. There’s a lot of research.”

At the meeting, the group considered including the Idyllwild agencies IFPD, FVWD and Idyllwild Water District (IWD), which have overlapping boundaries. Eventually, they might expand to Pine Cove if IFPD were the fire service for the area.

However, it should be noted that FVWD has different agency rules than Pine Cove Water District and IWD. Importantly, the definition of voters is different. In FVWD, the voters are the owners of real property within the district’s boundaries. In the other two water districts, the voters are residents, whether they own or rent property.

Director Robert Krieger noted that the three water districts do not have consistent rules and regulations, such as water emergency definitions and stages.

“There are pros and cons,” added General Manager Victor Jimenez. “There are a lot of complications. Mark and I agreed that it is not a good time. Currently there is very little benefit to Fern Valley. Down the road, there might be some savings. But at this point it’s not a great situation. Maybe in a few years.”

During January, FVWD’s use of groundwater declined to 9%. Jimenez explained that the amount of rain was so great that it was safer to use the already treated and stored water. With the stream flow so heavy, FVWD is collecting and treating stream water to replenish its tanks.

He also noted that total production was 20% less than in January 2023.

Further, there have been fewer frozen pipe incidents this year. As he begins to prepare a capital project plan for the next fiscal year, beginning July 1, Jimenez said there may be only one project and that it would not be as large as the recently completed work in the Howland, Cougar and Silver Tip neighborhoods.

He is studying the need to replace an above-ground water main that runs from Cassler to Tahquitz View.

In his monthly report, Jimenez documents the well’s water levels. Most of the well levels are generally midway between their best and worst levels. But not all were. For example, the level of Well 2 is 11.4 feet below the surface. That is only a foot lower than its best recorded level in 2011. However, the monitoring well near the office was reported at 14 feet below ground level. In 2015, it was only 8.5 feet below the ground, its best level recorded. But in 2011, its worst level was 14.3 feet, slightly lower than last month, which demonstrates how the below-ground flow of water varies on the Hill.

The only action item on the agenda was whether to change the cash deposits based on current interest rates, such as shifting money from the state’s Local Agency Investment Fund to private CDs. But no action was taken.

Much of the meeting involved new Director Mike LaFata asking questions about the budget, financial policies and operations.

Calvert seeks reelection to Congress

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Editor’s note: California will hold its 2024 Presidential Primary Tuesday, March 5. Besides the races for president and the U.S. Senate, to succeed Diane Feinstein, many local races need a primary to determine the November candidates.

The Town Crier is writing about the races for the U.S. Congressional District (CD) 41, California Assembly districts 36 and 47 and the Riverside County Board of Education District 4.

Rep. Ken Calvert last week with Mayor Max and Vice Mayor Meadow.
PHOTO BY JOEL FEINGOLD

Ken Calvert and two Democrats — Anna Nevenic and Will Rollins — are challenging him. The two candidates receiving the most votes March 5 will advance to the November ballot.

Ken Calvert first won election to the U.S. Congress in 1992. He is a longtime resident of Riverside County.

He graduated from Corona High School and was a small-business owner in the restaurant and real estate industries before entering politics.

His parents lived in Idyllwild for several years before his birth and would return for visits and vacations often as he grew up. Calvert has continued the family’s connection to the Hill.

He can recall visiting 50 years ago, when Idyllwild Water District built the wastewater treatment plant, and the constant fire danger with which Hill residents live.

Calvert has been on the House Appropriations Committee since 2009. He currently serves as chair of the Defense Appropriation Subcommittee. Thus, on a national level, one of his priorities is the Appropriations process. He is currently working to get all 12 appropriations bills enacted by early March.

“It’s a basic function of government,” he stressed. Emphasizing the effort, following this interview he had a three-hour conference call scheduled with other committee members to be sure these bills “were on the right track.”

Locally, his staff’s priority is “good constituent services,” he underscored. Examples of these priorities include medical assistance, immigration questions, Social Security and passport issuance. “Our profile in the district is overwhelmed with social services,” he stated.

Crime is frequently a topic in his constituent conversations. He proudly noted that many law enforcement agencies have endorsed him. That includes the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association, the Corona Police Officers’ Association and individual officials such as Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

But more specifically, individuals and law enforcement professionals have brought petty crime to his attention. These incidents are often not reported because people feel there will not be a follow-up arrest. Calvert and colleagues are studying California’s Proposition 47 to consider improvements to address this problem.

Enacted in 2014, this proposition lowered many drug possession and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. From 2017 to 2022, the number of property crimes of all sorts declined 10% in California. However, 2019 during COVID saw the greatest decline. Then it changed. From 2021 to 2022, the number of property crimes grew 6.7%. A proposed initiative is circulating that would increase certain drug possession and property crimes for under $950 to felonies from the current misdemeanor charge.

Besides crime, Calvert related that economic issues, such as inflation, were a big concern of district voters. He acknowledged that this is partly an unintended consequence of the government’s spending during the pandemic.

He also is working on the homeless problem and supports Proposition 1. Earlier this month, he introduced H.R. 7186, “Treatment and Homelessness Housing Integration Act of 2024.”

“Obviously, homelessness is a problem, but housing is not necessarily the problem,” Calvert accentuated as he described the bill. “Mental health and drug abuse contribute to this problem. We’ve got to get serious about treating these people. For their benefit, so that people get the help they need.”

His current district, California 41, is slightly different that his previous district. 2022 was the first election in which the Hill communities were his constituents.

“It’s about 80% of the previous district,” he stated. “The issues are pretty well the same.”

Two years ago, the change in the district did not affect the outcome for him. Calvert has been reelected to the U.S. Congress 15 times and this is his 16th reelection. In 2022, he defeated his likely opponent this year, Will Rollins, by about 5% of the vote. That is a little closer than his previous five campaigns, but not a nail biter.

As of Jan. 5, the district registration is about the same as in October 2022. There are about 7,000 (2%) more voters, but party registration is essentially the same.

He feels confident and prepared. “In 2022, this was a new district. Since then, we have opened a district office in Palm Desert and I’ve attended many events and gatherings to meet and learn about the people,” he replied.

Calvert also noted that the turnout in the older part of his district had not been as great as previous elections. He plans to do more to encourage voters from the western portion of CD 41 to come to the polls and the Presidential Election will aid him with that effort.

This year, he also feels better prepared financially. As of Dec. 31, 2023, his campaign account had $2.4 million in cash. Contributions to his reelection campaign already total nearly $3.4 million. Two years ago, his contributions for the coming 2022 campaign were only $333,000 and he had just $1,000 in cash.

“I didn’t see [Rollins] coming,” Calvert admitted. “He outspent me the last time, but not this time,” he promised.

With respect to the actions outside the U.S. Capitol, where his offices are located, he affirmed, “What happened violated Congress. They committed violence and that was not acceptable. It involved the election and, accordingly, emotions run high, but that series of mistakes and problems should never have occurred.”

Readers Write

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Merger talks must be legal

Dear editor:

Regarding an article in last week’s Town crier, it was suggested that Idyllwild Fire, Fern Valley Water and Idyllwild Water were looking into a merger via talks with their legal counsels.

In California, according to state statutes regarding independent special districts, all talks regarding mergers must include the Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO).

Legal counsel should know this. Therefore, we the people and district homeowners are requesting that the state statutes be followed.

The meeting must be public and LAFCO be included in the process.

Danny McDonald
Idyllwild

California State Parks releases strategic plan

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The California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) has developed a five-year strategic plan to help shape the future direction of the state park system and the many recreational and conservation programs that serve California’s communities.

Named Path Forward, the strategic plan aligns with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Equity Executive Order N-16-22, 30X30 and Outdoor Access for All initiatives and will guide State Parks in strengthening operations to focus on key priorities and directing energy and resources toward meeting the goals and objectives. The themes, goals and objectives in the plan are based on the foundational elements of access, inclusivity and equity to provide optimal public service, strengthen partnership development and empower the department’s workforce.

“The Path Forward strategic plan is about resilience and focusing on how we prepare the department for the century ahead,” said State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “California needs these natural and cultural resources for everyone’s wellbeing. State Parks leadership, employees and partners are committed to caring for your California. This is where you live.”

An employee workgroup composed of more than 100 frontline staff, managers and supervisors representing all field regions, headquarters and all program areas, was assembled to develop the Path Forward plan. The vision, themes, goals, objectives and core values were created and refined over several virtual meetings and reviewed by a partner and stakeholder advisory committee, employees, commissions and executive staff along the way.

The input and perspective of stakeholders and partners helped to inform the final version of the plan and to ensure that the future of State Parks reflects the diverse experiences and priorities represented in the state.

Two factors set Path Forward apart from previous change efforts. Department staff from all levels developed the plan with input from partners, rather than an executive team taking a top-down approach. The second factor will begin in winter 2024 and involves an actionable implementation plan led by a committee made up of key leaders representing all program areas. The implementation plan includes interdisciplinary teams to carry out and manage projects tied to the goals and objectives of the plan. These teams will use a designated project management tool to develop specific plans, timelines and evaluation metrics to achieve each goal. The teams will provide regular progress and status updates.

By using this strategic plan as a guide, a course of action has been developed to support State Parks in meeting challenges. The plan also will create new strategies for institutional growth and optimization.

The Path Forward plan is available in English and is translatable to several other languages at parks.ca.gov/PathForward.

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