At their June 20 meeting, Fern Valley Water directors unanimously declared a water shortage emergency. The board adopted Resolution 543, spelling out its process for declaring a water shortage, defining the four stages and implementing the stages. Fern Valley General Manager Steve Erler followed the resolution adoption with a declaration of Stage 1 Water Shortage…
Another grand jury report this year, directed at the behavior and operation of Idyllwild Fire Protection District employees, was issued Thursday, June 19. This is the second report focused on IFPD from the 2013-14 grand jury and the fifth since 2008. This report investigated three topics — the behavior of the administrative captain, Mark LaMont,…
Idyllwild Water District directors approved a preliminary 2014-15 budget, which includes a 6-percent water and sewer rate increase, originally approved in June 2010, and applied to the budget annually for five years since. The board also set a public hearing for Aug. 20 to discuss other changes to water fees. A board workshop to discuss…
The Pine Cove Water District budget for fiscal year 2014-15, which starts July 1, will be $800,000, which is $25,000 or 3 percent lower than the current-year budget. And the budget the directors adopted last week was about $11,000 lower than the preliminary budget presented at the May meeting. An uncertainty of whether Sprint would…
Last week, a Los Angeles County judge ruled that the state laws on teacher tenure and seniority were unconstitutional. However, he suspended any enforcement to provide for the expected appeal of his decision (Vergara v. State of California). Judge Rolf M. Treu found that the statutes on granting teachers tenure after two years, the dismissal…
Thanks to those of you who responded to last week’s column and apologies to Helene Lohr for leaving the “e” off her first name. All government agencies affecting us from the county level to the local water districts take their June 30 budget deadline seriously. And they should because we, the people, want to know…
Editor: What a delight to read the article about Daniel Rondeau, the new vicar at St. Hugh’s. I wanted to add some personal comments about Father Dan. Before his forced retirement due to illness, Dan was the beloved associate rector at St. Margaret’s in Palm Desert, and in his pastoral care role, had ministered to…
Editor: In the article about the forest being too dense, the recommendation was to trim existing trees up 15 to 30 feet and remove the young ones. If I trimmed my older trees up that high, I would no longer receive their shade, and my home, soil, plants and area temperature would be hotter, causing…
The Idyllwild Fire Department’s preliminary 2014-15 budget was adopted last week with the $1.8-million budget projection about $65,000 more than the 2013-14 adopted budget. Fire Chief Patrick Reitz and Commissioner Nancy Layton, chair of the Finance Committee, said they will continue to review and adjust the 2014-15 budget until a final version is adopted in…
A Grand Jury report, with the Idyllwild Fire Protection District as the subject, was issued Thursday, June 19. This is the second report focused on IFPD from the 2013-14 Grand Jury and the fifth since 2008. This report investigated three topics — the behavior of the Department’s Administrative Captain, Mark LaMont, nonfeasance of the Fire…
