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A well flow report contains mystery number

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Before the Idyllwild Water District meeting ended last week, General Manager Tom Lynch gave the directors a report with the monthly flow from each well used between July 2015 through July 2016.

This was in response to Director Steve Kunkle’s questioning. He was absent from this meeting.

Earlier in the meeting, Lynch reported on the falling well levels and that Foster Lake remains dry. This table addressed the relative productivity of wells in use each month.

While the well flow for each month was apparent, the table had a column on the right side labeled “TOTALS.” Mathematically, this was the sum of each well’s monthly flow in gallons per minute.

However, summing a rate, such as gpm, does not appear to yield a meaningful number. Foster Lake well no. 2 produced water between July and October 2015. The monthly flows ranged from 26.2 to 29.3 gpm for three months and in October it was 4.0 gpm. The “TOTALS” column correctly computes a figure of 87.4. But it is not clear whether this represents some cumulative flow or production in gallons or other units.

On Wednesday, Lynch said this column was the “total annual production equivalent.” Yet he would not explain what this represents. Is it gallons, cubic feet or acre feet?

In response to an email asking for help to use the table to describe the district’s water condition, Lynch declined any further communication with the Town Crier. Thus he would not explain what this number means and how it affects the district’s water condition.

“I had prepared answers to these questions, but after reading your paper’s various assertions, and that I am somehow unqualified for my position, maybe I shouldn’t be responding to any of your water-related questions,” he wrote.

As an example of why the “TOTALS” column doesn’t make sense, if you drove 10 miles per hour from Hemet to Idyllwild in July, then 5 mph in August and 15 miles per hour in September, IWD says your annual equivalent speed is 30 mph, more than twice your maximum in any month.

When asked if they could help explain the term “total annual production equivalent,” neither Fern Valley Water District General Manager Victor Jimenez nor Director Robert Krieger, a water engineer, said they were familiar with this unit. They also did not understand the summing of rates to yield a meaningful measure, unless the numbers were divided by the number of months in which they were produced to yield an average flow.

But Lynch insisted the figure was “TOTALS,” equivalent production.

IWD income up; well levels falling

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At the Idyllwild Water District last week, the directors approved expanding the salary schedule from 10 to 14 steps. No other action was taken, but General Manager Tom Lynch and the board did discuss water conditions.

At the July meeting, the board had approved this salary action for just the wastewater supervisor’s position. At this meeting, the board approved the expanded salary scale for all positions.

Lynch assured the board this would not affect current budget projections.

“There will be a fiscal impact eventually. It will be a major cost to the district, “ noted Vice President John Cook. “Reluctantly, I see a need because we’re unable to recruit the best people.”

Once again, the water program had positive net income. In July, net income for the water program was nearly $29,000. Cook acknowledged that July and August are “Hosny’s favorite months.” Water sales tend to peak in these months and the corresponding high revenues benefit finances, Financial Officer Hosny Shouman confirmed.

“It’s nice to see a positive number after so many negatives,” Cook added. “Good to find income rather than a loss.” However, in the past year, the water program has had only one month (November 2015) where expenses exceeded water revenue and five months where the net income exceeded $20,000.

In water business, Lynch reported that the district was still in water emergency Stage 2.  “Production increased because consumption is up from the previous months,” he said.

Since water consumption is up and Foster Lake remains empty, he had to operate more wells last month. The groundwater level for most of the wells declined from June to July, according to his report.

“This is a bellwether because we’re in a five-year drought,” Lynch stressed. “We’ll do all we can to not move into Stage 3.”

In July, IWD consumed 9.6 million gallons, which is 2.7 million more than in July 2015 but about 150,000 gallons less than two years ago. In the past four months, IWD production has gradually increased compared to 2015. Since January, IWD has produced nearly 47-million gallons compared to 43.4 million in the same seven-month period during 2015.

Compared to the 2013 baseline, which the State Water Resources Control Board uses, IWD consumption from January through July is down 17.7 percent. Lynch is using the SWRCB recommendation of a 20-percent decline for the urban districts as his goal for IWD consumers.

During directors’ comments at the end of the meeting, Director June Rockwell asked if the story on the Town Crier’s website reporting Lynch’s three failures to pass the exam for the State of California Water Treatment Grade II Operator Certificate was true.

In response, Cook described the question as vague and Lynch said it was a personnel matter and could only be discussed in private.

Later, Director Michael Freitas said he had requested the requirement for the Grade II when the board chose Lynch over another applicant in 2014. While Lynch had more administrative experience, the other person had several certificates and a lot of water experience, Freitas said.

“When we decided on Tom, I said, just to make sure I’d feel better and safer, let’s throw in the Grade II certificate,” Freitas said, explaining its purpose. When asked if he felt “better and safer” now, Freitas insisted that the state was wrong and Lynch had only taken the exam once. (See related story, this issue.)

Lynch took exam three times

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Idyllwild Water District Director June Rockwell asked General Manager Tom Lynch during the public meeting of Aug. 16 whether he indeed had taken and failed the T2 exam three times. Lynch said he would not discuss the matter publicly.

Even after the story has been published online by the TC and in print in its issue dated Aug. 18, at least one IWD director, Michael Freitas, told the TC that his information was that Lynch had taken the T2 exam only once.

To alleviate doubt, the TC supplies online copies of: 1) three applications for T2 exams — each signed by Lynch — for exam dates of Nov. 15, 2014, May 16, 2015 and Nov. 21, 2015, each showing, after a redacted “Score:” number, that the exam was “(Failed)”; 2) his most recent application for a T2 exam, which was postponed from May 2016 to Nov. 2016; and 3) his signed letter to the TC dated Aug. 12 stating that IWD had no such records in its possession.

You may view these documents yourself online at https://idyllwildtowncrier.com/2016/08/17/lynch-denied-failed-swrcb-water-exam-three-times-swrcb-documents-show/.

Pinyon woman’s arson trial depends on competency

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Last month, Judge Mark Mandiio had suspended the arson prosecution of Traci Farley, 52, of Pinyon, a woman who was charged in June with 13 counts of arson.

On Aug. 17, Mandilo received the medical reports of Farley’s mental competence. He will review them before proceeding with further court actions. However, he did ask one of the doctors for further clarification of his report.

In one of the two supplement reports, the physician was asked to specifically address whether Farley is competent or not competent to stand trial.

Consequently, the next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31. Farley is still in custody, without bail.

“She is charged with 13 separate small arson fires all lit on or around the same day. All started at different spots relatively close to each other, near her house,” wrote John Hall, district attorney information specialist. “As charged, we believe the evidence shows 12 of the fires were brush/forest land and one of the fires was a neighbor’s fence.”

One minor-injury motorcycle crash over the weekend

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One minor-injury motorcycle crash occurred over the last week on Hill highways.

At 12:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, Rodrigo Rodriguez, 24, of Redlands, was riding his 2012 white Suzuki 750 motorcycle southbound on Highway 243 just north of Round Robin Drive when, for unknown reasons, he made an unsafe turning movement and ran off the highway.

Rodriguez complained of minor abrasions to his right arm and was transported by a private party to San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital in Banning. No other persons or vehicles were involved in the incident.

Body found in Pinyon identified as Josephene Youssef: Missing since June 7

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Deputy Mike Vasquez, public information officer Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed on Aug. 24 that the body found by a hiker on Sunday, Aug. 21 is that of Josephene Youssef, 71, of Pinyon.

Youssef had been missing since June 7 when she went for a walk from her family’s home in the 70-300 block of Highway 74 in Pinyon Pines.

Youssef was considered at risk since she suffered from dementia and spoke only Arabic. At the time of her disappearance, authorities conducted a ground and air search and rescue operation, but to no avail. Her family had organized a Facebook campaign and continued to have hope long after the official search had concluded.

Today that hope ended.

Jazz in the Pines 2016: Another great jazz fest

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Lisa Haley (right) and the Zydekats pulled Buzz Holmes (center) out from the dancing crowd onto the stage to sing their final song of their set during Jazz in the Pines Sunday. Haley is a former Idyllwild Arts Summer Program student and has known Holmes for years. Photo by Jenny Kirchner

Gray, possibly rain-filled clouds covered the Hill Sunday, but they could not quench the desire for great and beautiful jazz from the dedicated fans of the Jazz in the Pines festival at Idyllwild Arts.

The 23rd festival was another success, bringing thousands of visitors to the Hill and hundreds of musicians.

On both days, the first performances began at 10:30 a.m.; yet the line, to be the first to enter the festival area and claim prized seat locations in the Holmes Amphitheatre, began forming well before 9 a.m.

On Saturday, a group of friends from the desert, including Dori and Bob Lienhard, were in the front. This was their fifth jazz fest. They wanted to place their chairs and blankets at the front of the amphitheater for a great position to listen and watch Saturday’s closing act — Diane Schurr. They also were looking forward to hearing Lisa Haley and the Zydekats on Sunday.

The group arrived in town Friday so they didn’t have to get up early Saturday to drive to Idyllwild and then sit in line.

On Sunday, two Idyllwild families were at the head of the line. Casey and Shannon Johnston, with daughters Lylianne and Kaelynn, and Shannon’s mother Sheila, were anxious to get good spots for Sunday’s popular headliners — Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart. Right behind the Johnstons was Bob Lewis, who arrived about 9 a.m. for his place.

Despite the threat of rain Sunday, a few sprinkles were all that fell. No performances were disturbed from the barely noticeable precipitation. Saturday’s sunny skies beckoned many jazz aficionados.

Benjamin Brookes, the head of marketing for Idyllwild Arts, said ticket sales, as well as ticket revenue, were well ahead of previous years.

Not only the fans, but musicians were glad and thrilled to perform here. One of the new groups this year was Hot Club of Los Angeles. Drummer Jim Doyle said, “It’s wonderful to play in this festival in front of an audience that loves jazz.” Their usual venues are night clubs in Los Angeles where they emphasize the gypsy jazz music of Belgian guitar virtuoso and composer Django Reinhardt.

Many of the musicians come back year after year to perform in a beautiful forest setting. Rob Thorsen, bass player with the Steph Johnson Quartet, has been in 20 Jazz in the Pines festivals, he said.

The very popular Harry Pickens returned again this year. For his performance Sunday, Stephens Hall was filled. Outside seating was taken and people were standing in several rows deep in order to listen to him with festival founder Marshall Hawkins, drummer Roy McCurdy, and guest vocalists Rose Colella and Sherry Williams

While many of the favorite performers live on the Hill or nearby, such as Robin Adler and the Mutts of the Planet and Yve Evans, several came from the other side of the continent. Saturday’s brass jazz group, the Westerlies, grew up in Seattle, but live in New York City now.

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Lindsay Crater returns to teach at school she attended

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Idyllwild School has a new 4th grade teacher, Lindsay Crater, who attended Idyllwild School as a student from 3rd to 8th grade. Crater graduated from Hemet High School and, after completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees, returns to her alma mater to teach. Photo by Marshall Smith
Idyllwild School has a new 4th grade teacher, Lindsay Crater, who attended Idyllwild School as a student from 3rd to 8th grade. Crater graduated from Hemet High School and, after completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees, returns to her alma mater to teach.
Photo by Marshall Smith

Lindsay Crater started third grade at Idyllwild School, finished eighth grade and, like many, went on to Hemet High. This August, she returned to her alma mater to teach fourth grade.

“I grew up here,” said Crater. “It’s still the same magical place, as open and beautiful as it was when I was a child.”

Crater and her family have deep Idyllwild roots. Her mother, Corinne “Cori,” taught at Hemet High and is still an instructional aide. Her father, Brian, is associate executive director of Camp Ronald McDonald. During the summers, Lindsay assists with the horse program at the camp.

After graduating from Hemet High where she played water polo and swam competitively, Crater left the area for college at California State University, Chico. While at Chico State, she played intramural water polo and swam. After obtaining a degree in art and interior design, Carter worked as an interior designer for the Holiday Inn hotel chain.

Finding the corporate world not a perfect fit for her skills and sensibilities, Crater returned to college with the goal of teaching. She obtained a credentialed master’s degree in education from Western Governor’s University in Utah.

After graduation, she moved to the Long Beach area and taught at Ocean Charter School in Culver City and Heritage Oak Private School in Yorba Linda. She briefly student taught at Idyllwild School in 2011.

Crater seemed happily at home in her fourth-grade Idyllwild School classroom, grateful to be back in Idyllwild and to be teaching at a school she attended as a child. “The children here are wonderful,” said Crater. “They’re kind-hearted and love to learn. And I know many of their parents. I’m so thankful to be here and look forward to this new adventure.”

One concert to go and over $5,000 needed

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Each year, Ken Dahleen and the Idyllwild Summer Concert Series board launch their annual eight-concert series without sufficient funds to meet budget. They do it on faith.

The series is provided with no charge for admission and relies on the generosity of patrons who deposit dollars and fivers into the ubiquitous donation jars happily passed by volunteers.

This year, the series is over $5,000 in the red with only one concert to go — Lisa Haley and the Zydekats on Thursday, Aug. 25.

So show up, dig deep and show appreciation for this iconic event, provided each summer for the enjoyments of locals.

Soboba holds 20th pow wow

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The Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians invites the community and public to the 20th-annual Payomkawichum Soboba Inter-Tribal Pow Wow set to take place from Friday to Sunday, Sept. 16 to 19, at the Soboba Event Center next to Soboba Casino. This will be a family friendly event with free admission and parking. Everyone is welcome.

For two decades, Soboba’s pow wow has been a space for the community to meet old friends, make new ones, have fun and dance on their own reservation. Another tradition is Soboba’s outreach to local area schools. The tribe provides buses for local school children to come and be immersed in their culture and heritage that includes a special performance by tribal dancers.

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