Wonder Valley, California, in the heart of the Mojave Desert, is a rural community of artists, musicians, and other desert dwellers. Visit the Palms Restaurant, the Glass Outhouse Gallery, and the Wonder Valley Community Center. Visit the beautiful Pinto and Bullion mountains. Minutes from Joshua Tree National Park and the Gateway to the Mojave Preserve.
The Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory Council meets next Monday, May 14 at its NEW TIME: 5:30 p.m., at the Joshua Tree Community Center, 6171 Sunburst Street, in Joshua Tree.
Pat Flanagan, the representative from Desert Heights will be talking about WEMO, the West Mojave Route Network Project, which has great implications for Wonder Valley. If you've been thinking of attending a MAC meeting, this is the one you should attend.
Personally, I love taking my 4x4 out on the established trails to explore the mines, the salt flats, the hills, and the Dales, and the ability for residents of Wonder Valley to do that in the area in which they live should be maintained.
What I don't love about WEMO is the BLM opening EVERY one of our roads to ORVs and then working with private companies to advertise Wonder Valley as an off road dreamland open 24/7, 365 days a year for off-roading. The BLM has 1 (one) ranger for the whole of the Mojave and NO plan for enforcing laws in their plan. Remember, WE pay for the maintenance of our roads every year. The BLM's new use will not reimburse us for additional wear and tear.
Now, I'm just saying this as someone who lives here. You may have a different opinion about this. YMMV. (Your mileage may vary.) If you like the sound of this plan, this is your opportunity to write to the BLM and tell them. Likewise, if you don't.
A dirt-bike rider was killed in a head-on collision east of Twentynine Palms last night. According to County Fire Battalion Chief Scott Tuttle, a full-size pick-up truck was traveling eastbound on Amboy Road about 6:15 when the driver went to pass a slower-moving vehicle, just east of Chadwick Road. As the truck passed the vehicle, it crashed head-on into a dirt bike traveling westbound on the highway. The male rider—who was not wearing a helmet—was pronounced deceased at the scene. The county coroner has not released his name yet, as the rider did not have any identification on him, but he is estimated to be in his late 30s.
Saturday, January 16, 2016, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Copper Mountain Mesa Community Center
65336 Winters Road, North Joshua Tree, CA 92252
Are you concerned about ORV Routes on CSA roads in your neighborhood?
Come to a WEMO Route Letter-Writing Drop-In
The BLM (Bureau of Land Managment) is evaluating where and whether to put ORV (off-road vehicle) routes in residential neighborhoods adacent to private property. Drop in and we'll help you:
identify proposed routes near your house on the maps
M A P S http://bit.ly/wemomaps
You are most likely in TMA 3 (Travel Management Area 3). Open these from the file and you will be able to open and apply various layers.
Pat Flanagan will give a presentation on the BLM's WEMO Plan on Saturday, May 23, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at the Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526 Amboy Rd, Wonder Valley, CA 92277.
Everyone is invited and welcome to attend and participate. As this is an issue in the entire Morongo Valley, not just Wonder Valley, this presentation will be relevant to people in other areas.
Many of the routes (green) in the graphic above are contiguous with private property. While most local OHV riders are responsible and courteous and good neighbors some people are concerned that people coming from outside of the area will be unaware of the boundaries and have a negative impact on residential neighborhoods.
Letter writing materials will be available at the meeting so please come and share your thoughts with the BLM, either for or against the Plan.
I went to my second MAC (Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory
Council) meeting last night and picked up my business cards - thanks,
Gayl! What follows is my take on the
meeting – UNOFFICIAL in every way, and I invite correction for anything I got
wrong.
IN ATTENDANCE WERE: Pat FLANAGAN (Desert Heights), Mary
Helen TUTTLE (Copper Mountain Mesa), Mark LUNDQUIST (Joshua Tree), Lib KOENIG
(Flamingo Heights), Gayl SWARAT (Morongo Valley) and Teresa SITZ (Wonder Valley).
ELECTION OF CHAIR AND
VICE-CHAIR Mark Lundquist was elected Chair and Pat Flanagan was elected Vice Chair.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Tom O'KEY
traveled to Santa Rosa, CA this month to advocate for the bobcats - AB 1213.
There will be a discussion meeting on June 9 and a decision meeting in Fortuna
in August. A group of 4th graders attended to testify for the bobcats.
Watch:
David FICKS of
Joshua Tree reported on the Dollar General campaign which he said was
officially in limbo. He offered applause to the Sheriff’s department on their
recent notoriety.
PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTS
County Fire. The
new battalion chief Rick Dennison introduced himself. He serves the south
desert which includes Joshua Tree. Chief Chamberlain was unable to attend.
California Highway
Patrol (CHP). Officer Joan Griffin reported on Distracted Driver Month
including following too closely and texting.
Sheriff’s Department.
Captain Mondary reported on “social engineering” where a con man
psychologically engages someone, by computer or phone, to takes their identity. He
told everyone to never give private information like your birthday or social
security number over the phone.
PRESENTATIONS
Officer Joan Griffin presented on START
SMART free teen driving class for
parents and teens (14-19) once every month at the CHP Office on Highway 29 in
Joshua Tree. The next class is Wednesday, April 29 at 6:00 p.m. RSVP to
760-366-3707. The teen does not need to be licensed yet. They will show the
movie Red Asphalt, version 5. There is also a class for elder drivers called Age Well.
Steve Martinez from the California
Department of Public Works spoke on the ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM, a statewide opportunity to obtain
infrastructure funds to encourage biking and walking. His proposal was to
extend a class 1 bike path to the new elementary school on Sunburst. They are
asking for $1.2 million. The DPW is doing a traffic count and then a survey in
the community.
Gary, in the audience, spoke on the dangers for pedestrians
and bicyclists on Sunburst, Alta Loma and Park Boulevard.
Pat Flanagan, MAC, Desert Heights spoke on the WEMO (West
Mojave) Route Network Project and the BLMs preferred strategy to double the
number of roads available to off-roaders. There will be a meeting tomorrow
night with the BLM in Yucca Valley.
Wednesday, April 15, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Yucca Valley Community Center Complex – Yucca Room 57090 29Palms Hwy, Yucca Valley
I went to my first MAC (Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory
Council) meeting last night and was sworn in as your representative. What follows is my take on the meeting – UNOFFICIAL
in every way, and I invite correction for anything I got wrong.
If you’d like to review the meeting for yourself, it’s on
YouTube at:
In attendance
were Elizabeth KARMAN (Yucca Mesa);
Mark LUNDQUIST (Joshua Tree, who
served as Chair); Pat FLANAGAN
(Desert Heights); Gayl SWARAT (Morongo
Valley); Mary Helen TUTTLE (Copper
Mountain Mesa); Lib KOENIG (Flamingo
Heights); Teresa SITZ (Wonder
Valley). Two seats, Pioneertown and Landers, remain vacant.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Bob KARMAN, Yucca Mesa, spoke about
the mission and goals of the MAC
Tom O’KEY, Joshua Tree, spoke about
Earth Hour on March 28 – turn out your lights from 8:30-9:30 p.m. and graffiti
in the Park.
David FICK, Joshua Tree, spoke about
unfinished projects on which Mike LIPSITZ had been working.
Greg GILBERT advocated for a bicycle
path along Highway 62.
Gary BENEDICT commented on how
dangerous driving on Highway 62 can be and advocated for bicycle lanes.
Deb BOLLINGER, Morongo BasinConservation Association, urged everyone to destroy Sahara mustard, an invasive
non-native plant, growing anywhere they see it.
Sahara mustard looks very much like the plant pictured here and competes with our beautiful native spring wild flowers. A single plant may produce thousands of seeds. If the plant you pull has seed pods, dispose of it in a sealed black plastic trash bag.
If you’d like to make a comment or ask a
question you are welcome to come to the next meeting, Monday, April 13, 2015 at
6:30 p.m., or you can send your comment or question to me at teresa.sitz@gmail.com and I’ll share your concern or try to get
your question answered.
REPORTS California Highway Patrol
Lieutenant Eric ROBLES cautioned the
audience about inattentive driving, obeying the speed limit and wearing seat
belts.
Sheriff’s Department
Captain Dale MONDRAY spoke of
Sheriff McMahon’s 4-year plan.
Almut FLECK, Wonder Valley, asked
about the priority of sheriff’s calls.
Captain MONDRAY said the highest priority is emergencies, crimes in progress
and major traffic accidents. The second priority is recent calls, crimes not in
progress. The third priority is for crimes against vacation properties and
identity theft. The fourth priority is non-emergency – telephone harassment,
loud music, barking dogs, and we later learned – off-road vehicle violations.
PRESENTATIONS
Haissam YAHYA
presented on the CALTRANS Highway 62 continuous left turn lane project. I will
post links to materials that he brought with him when his department sends them
to me. The project does not extend into Wonder Valley. I asked if the project
would require power poles to be moved (no), if shoulders would be paved (yes),
and if it were possible to include bicycle lanes in the project (no – bike
lanes are a city mandate, not Cal Trans).
Sergeant Rick MILLARD, San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department,
presented on off-road vehicle (ORV) safety. The department applies for and
receives a grant each year for ORV safety and enforcement. There are 6 trained deputies, 3 – XL 650 dirt
bikes, a Chevy Tahoe and a Dodge pickup. The officers travel in pairs.
Last year the SBSD had 433 contacts with ORV riders, gave 37
warnings, and wrote 10 citations.
ORV calls are “cold crimes,” against property and are priority 4, though he
said that they will always come check them out. It’s important to record as
much information as possible – describe the vehicle, the rider and the
direction they were going. They also work proactively in known hot spots.
It is against the law to ride without a helmet, to carry
passengers, to ride at night without lights, to ride under the influence of
drugs or alcohol, or for any child under the age of 16 to ride on an ORV.
It’s important to post NO
TRESPASSING signs on your property. It’s also important to REPORT any crime, especially in areas
which are not often patrolled. Wonder Valley got a shout out for reporting the
most ORV violations which has caused the SBSD to focus most of their attention
here.
To report ORV violations call the NON-emergency line at the
Sheriff’s Department at: (760) 366-3781 or (760) 245-4211. You are also
encouraged to report to Code Enforcement and to the BLM.
ACTION ITEM
The MAC unanimously passed a motion approving a resolution against the BOWMAN SOLAR PROJECT in Landers. The SB
Board of Supervisors will meet on this issue on May 5. You may attend and
comment at this meeting via video conference at the Bob Burke Government
Center, 63665 Twentynine Palms Highway, in Joshua Tree.
COMMUNITY, OFFICER
and COMMITTEE REPORTS
Teresa SITZ, Wonder Valley, I
reported that I had created this blog and was very happy to be on the council
and to serve the people of Wonder Valley.
Elizabeth KRAMER reported on solar
projects and asked that we agendize an item forbidding new solar and wind
projects in the area.
Lib KOENIG, Flamingo Heights, also
newly sworn in, said she was happy to serve the community.
Mark LUNDQUIST, Joshua Tree,
reported that the project is requesting 9.8 million gallons of water for the
project and this is probably an underestimation.
Gayle SWARAT, Morongo Valley, is
working with the community to raise funds for a new fire engine.
Mary Helen TUTTLE, Copper Mountain
Mesa, reported on the homeless count – 150, stating that there are likely more
that did not want to be counted.
Pat FLANAGAN, Desert Heights, gave a
report on ORV deaths. Last year 62 children died, 25,000 were injured and went
to the emergency room.
The Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory Council meets next Monday, May 14 at its NEW TIME: 5:30 p.m., at the Joshua Tree Community Center, 6171 Sunburst Street, in Joshua Tree.
