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Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

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This year marks the 108th anniversary of probably the most famous Christmas newspaper editorial of all time. It was written by Francis P. Church in response to a letter from 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon. It was published on Sept. 21, 1897, in the New York Sun.

We reprint it each year for the enjoyment of our readers:

Is there a Santa Claus? We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of the Sun:

Dear Editor:

I am 8 years old.

Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.

Papa says, “If you see it in the Sun, it’s so.”

Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon

115 West 95th Street

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith, then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable their existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your Papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, not even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside the curtain and view and picture the supernatural beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else more real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Fire Code Committee has open process, chief promises

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During the Dec. 17 Mountain Area Safety Taskforce meeting, Riverside County Fire Chief John Hawkins re-emphasized the purpose of the county’s Fire Code Committee he established this past summer.

“Several people indicated that they were concerned about the potential fire threats posed by unabated properties which had no structures,” he began. While there is some authority in existing Riverside County code for enforcement for fire hazard abatement on undeveloped lots, “It’s not clear enough for areas above 3,000 feet,” he stated.

The committee is still working on details and no decisions have been made, he stressed. Then he affirmed that he is committed to a public process and hearing before making a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.

An example of the questions that need addressing before any decision or conclusion is made includes how to pay for the abatement if the property owner does not have the work done.

“This not cheap [on the Hill] because of the heavier fuels here,” Hawkins said. “I don’t know yet; maybe we can get grant funds from the State Responsibility Area fire prevention fees. We may go to other government sources or even may come to no funding.”

The next committee meeting is 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, at the Mountain Resource Center, and it is “open to anyone,” Hawkins promised.

Rain only weakens drought

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A flow of snow comes down the Hill at the Idyllwild Nature Center after the snowstorm Wednesday morning. Though this photo shows a patchy layer in Idyllwild, Idyllwild Fire Department reported 2 inches of snow that day. Photo by J.P. Crumrine
A flow of snow comes down the Hill at the Idyllwild Nature Center after the snowstorm Wednesday morning. Though this photo shows a patchy layer in Idyllwild, Idyllwild Fire Department reported 2 inches of snow that day.
Photo by J.P. Crumrine

The third winter storm of 2014-15 brought less than an inch of rain to the Hill; however, some areas did see snow for a day. These rains have reduced the drought conditions from extreme to severe, according to the National Weather Service’s Drought Monitor website.

The U.S. Forest Service’s Keenwild Ranger Station recorded 0.42 inches and George Tate recorded 0.83 inches in Pine Cove. While the total rainfall, since the beginning of the rain year (July 1), at Keenwild is still below the long-term average through December, Pine Cove and Idyllwild have received more than the long-term average.

In Pine Cove, 11.7 inches have fallen through this week. The long-term average through the end of December is 9.22 inches. While more than 25 percent greater than the average, another 14 inches between now and June 30 is necessary to reach the annual average, which has occurred only twice since 2005.

Despite much discussion about climate change and its cause, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a report on Dec. 8 which concluded, “The comparison of these three studies employing different methods and models found no substantial effect of human-induced climate change on the severe precipitation deficits over California.”

Weather researchers were unable to determine any long-term trend in the California weather. Nor did they find any conclusive evidence linking human-caused climate change to the current three-year drought and consequently attributed it to natural conditions.

An accompanying press release began with this statement, “According to a new NOAA-sponsored study, natural oceanic and atmospheric patterns are the primary drivers behind California’s ongoing drought. A high-pressure ridge off the West Coast (typical of historic droughts) prevailed for three winters, blocking important wet season storms, with ocean surface temperature patterns making such a ridge much more likely.”

For this winter, the report predicts wetter than normal weather, but no deluge of rain. “It is therefore reasonable to assume that precipi­tation amounts will very likely be greater than last winter, but not necessarily much above the climatological normal,” which is 25.67 inches of annual rain on the Hill.

While the NWS is forecasting a dry holiday period, its one-month and three-month forecasts predict above-average precipitation for Southern California.

MAST studies fire danger from wood chips

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For several years, members of the Mountain Area Safety Taskforce have been working with the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research to evaluate whether fuels treatments that leave chipped woody material behind are contributing to fire abatement or creating a fire problem.

The lead investigator, Dr. Pamela E. Padgett, research plant physiologist at the research center, reported on the progress of the research at the Dec. 17 MAST meeting. She described the research as looking at whether “we were altering a vertical fuels problem into a horizontal problem.”

Several preliminary insights have been observed and Padgett is planning to obtain peer review of the work in order to publish it in 2015. First, the team found that the finer the wood is chipped the less flammable it is. The fine chips compact and compress more easily, thus reducing the amount of oxygen to the fuel below the ground surface. The more compact the fuel bed becomes, the less ignitable. Fine chips are considered less than an inch on the longest axis. The chips tend to be rectangular, with one axis much longer than the other, Padgett said to clarify.

Also, the fresher the fuel, the more volatile compounds that remain. These tend to be more ignitable and able to carry fire. However, composting the chips reduces volatile compounds and their fire capacity.

Not surprisingly, the softwoods, such as pine, were found to be more flammable than hardwoods, such as manzanita and oak. However, in the laboratory, freshly chipped oak was found to have a very fast rate of fire spread compared to other wood chips.

Finally, the depth of the chips was also an important contributor to their capacity to burn and carry the fire. Fuel beds less than 5 inches deep “exhibited very little ignition or very little spread,” Padgett said. The shallow beds were much less vulnerable than fuel beds 10 inches or more in depth. At these depths, the nature of the wood was almost irrelevant.

Work on the project started in 2010. Besides laboratory tests of chips, the final portion was a field test in the Poppet Flats fuelbreak area.

Padgett indicated that next year the brochures for the public will be prepared in addition to the professional publication of the results. The brochures will advise the public as to the best type of chipping for woody material.

Two small quakes Monday night

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Two minor earthquakes occurred Monday night. The first, about 7 p.m., and nearest to Idyllwild was magnitude 2.1. It occurred about 4 miles south of Idyllwild and 10 miles east-southeast of Valle Vista, near Garner Valley. The tremor was barely felt on the Hill.

Just after midnight, another quake of magnitude 2.3 occurred east-southeast of Temcula and northeast of Fallbrook.

Esnard continues as Pine Cove Water president

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At the December meeting of the Pine Cove Water District, Director and Board President Mike Esnard was re-elected for 2015 while directors Lou Padula and Robert Hewitt switched offices. Hewitt will be the next vice president and Padula board secretary.

Esnard, who joined the board in February 2007, was elected president in June 2013 and re-elected in December 2013.

Hewitt has been a director since 2012 and began his first full term in 2013. Padula, who joined the board in 2005, is in his third term.

In water business, General Manager Jerry Holldber reported that staff had discovered a significant leak in the Logan Creek area, which has been repaired. This is largely responsible for the large volume of unaccounted-for water during the past couple of billing periods, he said.

Water usage was 2.5 million gallons during November, 400,000 gallons greater than last year. Since January, the PCWD’s usage has been 30.9 million gallons, 1.2 million more than the same period last year and the largest production volume since 2009.

Holldber also reported that the level of the PCWD’s static well, no. 10, is still at 117 feet. Despite the drought, the well level has not fallen for about three months, since October.

Readers write: Fire abatement …

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I have read with interest the articles and letters on the new fire abatement program. I was not really con-cerned until I realized that a code being considered will make me cut down any live trees within 35 feet of my house that are touching other trees.

I went around my house 35 feet out and counted six trees that will have to be cut down. I called a tree trimmer and found out it will cost up to $10,000 to cut and haul these trees away.

These are healthy trees. I trim the dead branches and rake the pine needles every year.

I am sorry but this is a stupid new code that I will not be able to afford. I wonder if everyone realizes the potential cost of this program?

I have been trying to find out when and where this committee meets to voice my concerns before it is too late.

Lance Vannier
Pine Cove

Senator Stone announces staff

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stone
California Sen. Jeff Stone (R-28th District) being sworn into office on Dec. 1. He is the former 3rd District Supervisor for Riverside County. Photo courtesy Chris Wysocki, Stone’s chief of staff

Newly sworn-in California Sen. Jeff Stone (R-28th District) announced his initial staff line-up Tuesday of the district that includes the Hill. The whole district is roughly the size of New Jersey and represents nearly 1 million California residents.

His Sacramento Chief of Staff  Christopher Wysocki has served in various senior level positions in the state Legislature. He also was a partner in a government affairs and political consulting firm based in Sacramento.

For the final months of the campaign, Wysocki served on Stone’s staff and “is very excited to begin the challenge of the new session.”

Other staff include:

• District Director Glenn Miller: Miller brings a wealth of experience in local government and is currently the mayor pro tem in the city of Indio. His role on the Indio council has included many assignments with numerous state, regional and local government agencies, boards and commissions. In addition to his public duties, Miller also was a candidate in the primary for the 28th District seat.

• Western Office Director Maryann Edwards: Edwards is the current mayor of Temecula and previously served as chief executive officer for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest County.

• Legislative Director Chris Norden: Norden has worked as a press secretary, a field representative and a legislative director for numerous state officials.

• Legislative Aide/Scheduler Brittny Garcin: Garcin joins the Capitol office of Stone after working for Gilliard, Blanning and Associates for the last six years. She has spent the last decade in government and politics working as a political consultant, production manager, fundraiser and media buyer, and on multiple local and statewide Republican campaigns.

• Communications Director John Hunneman: Mr. Hunneman joins the office of Stone after having been a well-respected journalist in Southwest Riverside County for over 20 years. His was a reporter and columnist for The Californian and the Riverside Press Enterprise since 1993. Hunneman will be based in Riverside County and will handle print, electronic and social media for Stone.

• Other staff serving as representatives include Jesse Ramirez, who has been active in Riverside County’s education system for the past several years; Debbie Herrera, who has been active in the local community through her service in the Temecula Rotary Club and the Murrieta Temecula Group; Megan Locke, who has been an active member of the Lake Elsinore community and a small business owner; and Greg Pettis, who currently serves as mayor pro tem of Cathedral City.

Volunteer representatives are Robert Masson, a law enforcement officer for the past 26 years and current president of the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association; and Gloria Sanchez, who chairs the city of Menifee Senior Advisory Commission and is the president of the Riverside County Foundation on Aging and the chair of the Riverside County Advisory Council on Aging.

The main district office in Indio is now open at 45-125 Smurr Street, Suite B and the phone number is 760-398-6442. Another office will be established in Murietta. The phone number for Stone’s Capitol office is 916-651-4028.

Readers write: Safe mountain driving …

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Editor: 

I enjoyed Dr Know It All’s humorous response to Claudine, the frustrated driver (Town Crier, Dec. 11). I would like to give a serious reply to her letter.

If Claudine is flashing her lights and honking her horn at the slow driver, chances are very good that she is also tailgating.

Although I no longer live in Idyllwild — the home of my youth and my heart — I’ve lived in or near the mountains almost all of my life, and I’ve always been a slow driver. I normally use the turn-out to let people pass, when it’s safe to do so. But if someone’s tailgating me, I don’t dare slow down to take the turn-out lest they collide with me.

Tailgating is a sure way to ensure that everyone will be unhappy — the frustrated tailgater and the harassed slower driver.

I’d guess that some slower drivers also will get so annoyed with the rude behavior of the horn honker that they’ll refuse to cooperate out of irritation. (Honking should be used only for emergencies, such as to avoid an immediate crash).

If the faster driver would just slow down enough to give the slower driver a bit of space, it would be a win-win situation for everyone.

Please give that a try.

Julie Naidich
Santa Fe, NM

Pertussis epidemic persists: Flu season picking up

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The pertussis (whooping cough) epidemic that started last spring has continued unabated through fall. The California Department of Public Health said in its Nov. 26 report that nearly 10,000 cases have been reported this year.

The majority of cases have occurred in infants and the one fatality was of an infant 5 weeks old at the time of the disease onset.

The last pertussis epidemic in California was in 2010 when about 9,160 cases were reported. For several years, since the 1990s, the overall incidence of pertussis has increased in California. One reason for the increase, according to CDPH officials, is the use of acellular pertussis vaccines, which cause fewer reactions than the whole-cell vaccines that preceded them, but do not protect as long.

The appearance of whooping cough is occurring throughout the state. About 350 individuals have required hospital stays and nearly a quarter of these people needed intensive care.

Los Angeles and San Diego counties have seen the greatest number of cases, while Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties have the largest ratio of cases per 100,000 residents. Riverside County has reported 405 cases of pertussis, about a quarter of San Diego County cases. This represents about 18 cases per 100,000 persons compared to Sonoma’s ratio of 141.

Besides the persistence of pertussis, influenza season has started. CDPH reports, “Influenza activity in California is low but increasing.” Current hospital visits are considered within expected levels for this portion of the flu season.

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