VOICE OF THE PEOPLE: We Oppose a Second Entrance to Our Neighborhood & Higher Taxes!

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
We Oppose a Second Entrance to Our Neighborhood & Higher Taxes!
by Andy Biswas, B-BAR-H Resident

Riverside County approved the building of a second entrance into the North End of the B-Bar-H Ranch using our tax dollars accumulated in the CSA 115 funds. None of the people who live here were given an opportunity to voice our opinion of this new entrance until now!

Talking with many of the residents, we do NOT want the second entrance into our area. We were told the second entrance is for emergency purposes, but we do not think a second entrance and the spending of our tax dollars is the solution for any emergency! We can't predict the future, and we cetainly do not want our tax money spent on something we don't need or with little guarantee it will help in the time of an emergency! There's absolutely no guarantee a second entrance is the solution for an emergency.

First, we like the safety of having one way in and out. Our area gets uninvited people driving through all the time looking for ways to vandalize the unoccupied homes. It's good to know, when these uninvited people enter, they must leave the same way. Many of us have already escorted unwanted visitors from these premises. If there's a second road to exit, it's just an invitation for trouble makers to come and go as they please.

Second, the traffic will increase. Right now, the speeders come zipping down our streets at high speeds. Having a second entrance/exit will only cause people to use this area as a thorough-fair. We do not want more traffic in here coming and going from both ends.

Third, we like the privacy, and we bought these homes because it is a quiet, secluded area. Opening it up and using our tax dollars to create more problems is not what we want. We need to maintain the roads we have now, not add more roads! Plus, using our tax dollars to add a road not needed or wanted may cause our property taxes to go up! We do not want to pay higher taxes for a road we do not want or need.

People say the second entrance is for emergency purposes. But, our current entrance located at El Serape and Bubbling Wells is huge. Between the Arch and the roads around it, at least 4-5 lanes can be used by cars in case of an emergency. If you look at the current large entrance design at the Arch area, we have 2-3 entrances/exits from this property.

We truly believe the approval of this second entrance and road was made without consulting or asking any of the residents, and we are upset. If you do NOT want the second entrance built, please leave a comment on this blog post. We are asking everyone who reads this blog to help us stop the building of a second road into the North Side of the B-BAR-H Ranch.

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Please leave a comment, an opinion, or reaction to this blog post. Or you can send an email to Webmaster(at)PaintbrushTrail.com.

Please attend the MAC Meeting on July 9, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. at the VFW to voice your opinion on how your tax dollars are spent for roads & lighting. Details are listed below.

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B-BAR-H Ranch Arch Repair - March 22, 2009

Frank Torres, Cochran Communications Construction
Sunday, March 22, 2009

Pat Carney, North B-BAR-H Ranch Resident, coaching Frank Torres of Cochran Communications Construction.

Jim Fosbinder, North B-BAR-H Ranch Resident

Walter Santos (left) and Bill Bentinck, North B-BAR-H Ranch Residents

On March 22, 2009, Cochran Communications Construction came to the resue and repaired the B-BAR-H Ranch Arch. The Arch was built around 1929, so at 80 years old, the Arch deserved some TLC. In 2007, the Arch was struck by a DUI from Bubbling Wells Road. The neighbors on the North side of the B-BAR-H Ranch gathered early on a Saturday morning to rebuild the broken down structure, and the last remaining item to repair, was the logs shown in the photos. The logs were jolted during the DUI accident and they remained hanging until March 22, 2009. Special thanks to Pat Carney, El Serape resident. Pat called Cochran Communications Construction and arranged to have Frank Torres come to our rescue. We thank Jason Cochran for helping us solve this long-overdue problem.

Neighbors gathered on this very windy day to watch the historical event! Jim Fosbinder, Bill Bentinck, Walter Santos and Pat Carney held their breath watching the skilled Frank Torres maneuver the repair. We all thought the wind would prevent the repair, but Frank handled it skillfully.

Special thanks to the North Side B-BAR-H Residents who donated time and money for this repair. Our neighbors deserve recognition for stepping forward to help preserve this special piece of the B-BAR-H Ranch history: Bill Bentinck, Walter Santos, John Annala, Mark & Sharon Boden, Fred Philippi, Bob & Rose Alsup, Steve Grasha, Jim Fosbinder & Anna Miller, Pat & Sue Carney, Larry Hoffing and Betty Woods.

Cochran Communications Construction
36630 Cathedral Canyon Dr

Cathedral City, CA 92234
Phone: 760-328-6778

Jason Cochran & Frank Torres

Do you want to say, "Thank You?" Click here and write a note of appreciation for Cochran Communication Construction.

B-BAR-H Ranch Neighborhood Pride . . . . . . . . . . . . Our Heroes!

Click Here to See the Complete Slide Show

B-BAR-H Ranch Neighborhood Pride!

About Clean Up Day
The B-BAR-H Neighborhood Clean Up Day held from 8-Noon on March 14, 2009, was a HUGE success thanks to B-BAR-H Residents and partners from Riverside County Code Enforcement -- Chaka Ferrel, Community Improvement Specialist, Officer Rich Arriola, Riverside County Code Enforcement, Grace Escobar, Media Relations and Barry Busch, Board Assistant to Supervisor Marion Ashley.

Riverside County Code Enforcement said this was the first event they've ever seen with such a large participative turn out by a small community. There were over a dozen volunteers wearing orange Riverside County T-shirts scouring the neighborhood and working at the dumpster site on March 14th. Please look at the Slide Show to see all our friends and neighbors!

We take pride in sharing this blog and thanking EVERYONE who participated in the March 14, 2009 community clean up event sponsored by Riverside County Code Enforcement. There are about 90-100 occupied homes in this area. According to the day's event, every home in the subdivision participated with the exception of about 5-6 homes. That's a record turn out for Clean Up Day!

The Volunteers
Special thanks are extended to the men and women who used their private vehicles, trucks and wagons to scour the neighborhood and carry trash to the dumpster. Without people like Dorlane Stanley, Curtis Schway, Bill Bentinck and Bob Alsup the day's event would've been less impressive. Curtis, Bill and Bob spent four hours driving through the subdivision loading their trucks to capacity with garbage and trash. Dorlane (DL) Stanley walked through fields and empty lots the entire morning hauling rubbish to the dumpster. Our hats go off to these residents.

Others who helped all morning include: Rose Alsup, Pat Carney, Larry Hoffing, Chayo Duarte, Jose German, Juan Villalobos, Joy Brown, Randy Blom, Gabriel Duran, D. Bonilla, Fred Phillipi, Jim Fosbinder, Anna Miller, Chris Georgesco, Walter Santos, John Annala, and others whose names we don't have at the time of this writing.

Children volunteered to go on foot throughout the neighborhood with bags and pickers. We are sorry we don't have their names to post here today, but they have become our blog's poster kids! See their pictures above and in the slide show. The children came back to the dumpster with full garbage bags continuously throughout the morning. Their photo is our website's icon! Thank you for showing pride in your neighborhood. You are wonderful children with a very good Mom. Thanks for encouraging your children to take pride in their neighborhood!

Take a few minutes and drive through the neighborhood. Just about every home and yard is clean with the exception of a few places. Actually, we ran out of time and dumpster room. We filled two full dumpsters. The dumpsters were full by 11:45 a.m., and we actually had to turn away a few last truck loads. We encourage people to arrive earlier next time to make sure we get everything dumped.

About the Arch
The day's event covered a dual purpose. During the clean up, we discussed and planned a "Save the Arch" event. All sorts of suggestions were discussed: make the Arch area into a park, repair the broken logs, paint it, fill the area with rocks, fundraising event, purchase the land, etc. The B-Bar-H Ranch Arch was built in 1929, and the residents want to keep it intact. They are willing to donate time and money to preserve the Arch. Help preserve the Arch by joining the effort. Contact Webmaster(at)Paintbrushtrail.com.

Early Saturday morning, March 21, 2009, everyone is going to meet at the Arch once again to clean up the Arch area, repair the broken log and discuss future plans. Pat Carney, El Serape Road, arranged to have professional assistance to help with the log repair. Chayo Duarte, El Serape Road, is arranging to bring a dump truck of large boulders and rocks to the Arch to create a barricade and protect the Arch from possible vehicle accidents. We almost lost the Arch a few years ago due to a DWI accident.

We're asking neighbors to make a donation to help preserve the Arch. The log repair is going to cost $200. We will all donate what we can to cover this cost. Please arrange your schedule to stop by the Arch on Saturday morning, March 21, 2009 to share ideas and make a donation. The B-BAR-H Ranch Arch is the entrance to our neighborhood and it's something we have all grown to love. Contact Webmaster(at)Paintbrushtrail.com.

View the Slide Show to see the B-BAR-H Neighborhood Clean Up Day
March 14, 2009

This Saturday: March 14th Neighborhood Clean Up Day

Get ready..... we're going to do it again.....

It's just about time to meet at the B-BAR-H Ranch Arch located on the North end of the B-BAR-H Ranch to get our neighborhood cleaned up and lookin' good! The photos are from last year's event, and we'll take more photos this year!

Everyone is planning to meet at the Arch at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2009. Riverside County's Chaka Ferrel is the Community Improvement Specialist assigned to our area. Officer Regina Keyes from Code Enforcement will be with us throughout the morning.

The neighborhood met, we discusssed a simple plan and now we'll make it all a reality this Saturday morning. Join us at the Arch at 8 a.m. this Saturday.

We're going to clean up and fix the Arch, too. Bring a ladder, bring your creative ideas and some muscle. This is a neighborhood team effort brought to you by the B-BAR-H Neighborhood Association.

Clean Up Day Planning Meeting a Success!

Meeting:
B-BAR-H Neighborhood Association, VFW, 6:00 p.m.

Meeting Minutes:
March 4, 2009

Many new people came to the meeting on March 4th. It was good to see and meet new neighbors. The purpose of the meeting was to plan the March 4th Clean Up Day sponsored by Riverside County Code Enforcement.

Discussion Topics:

1. March 14th Clean Up Day. Everyone will meet at the B-BAR-H Ranch Arch on Bubbling Wells and El Serape Roads at 8 a.m. We will discuss and assign specific duties at that time.
   
2. Repairing the Arch. It was suggested we finish fixing the Arch and adding some solar lights to preserve the hisorical landmark built in 1929. We will discuss this more on the 14th and make plans to complete this project to the best of our ability. We already looked into preserving the Arch as a historical landmark. We spoke to the Historical Society, City Planners, and the State of California. The piece of land is privately owned.
   
3. Neighborhood problems. Many people are upset about some of the homes not being kept up properly or being overrun by vehicles. Code Enforcement visits our neighborhood frequently and will address these items.
   
4. Vandalism. Some people are seeing strangers in the area. We discussed a recent break in. If anyone sees suspicious things, they need to call the Sheriff's Dept. We are not to take anything into our own hands. Be safe. Call the Sheriff.

The meeting discussion was on task and was over by 7:00 p.m. We'll see everyone at the Arch on March 14th at 8:00 a.m. Special thanks to everyone who wants to preserve the integrity of our neighborhood!

More Neighborhood Pride: Chris & Maria Georgeso on El Serape

Chris Georgesco was featured in Palm Springs Life Magazine. Click the Photo to read the story. Click on each photo to read the complete story.

Chris and Maria Georgesco were featured in Desert Magazine. Click the Photo to read the story.

We see Chris' artwork everyday when we drive down El Serape. His work definitely adds glamour to the neighborhood. His art is modern metal sculpture. It can be displayed inside or outside a home or business. Chris Georgesco Art is available for sale by contacting Chris through his website at http://www.georgescoart.com/

The B-BAR-H Ranch near Desert Hot Springs, California 92241

Photos Courtesy of the Desert Hot Springs Historical Society.
To see more photos, Click Here.

On April 7, 1927, Lucienne Hubbard, a mogul in the film business, and Charles Bender, Hubbard’s son-in-law, purchased land from the Southern Pacific Land Company which was the beginning of the B-bar-H Guest Ranch. The size of this soon-to-be popular playground for the celebrities was 240 acres. Charlotte Stocks, Lee Anderson’s daughter, remembers bringing date shoots to the B-bar-H from her family’s date farm. Citrus and other products were marketed under the B-bar-H brand. Cattle and poultry were also raised at the Ranch.

Lucienne Hubbard was a professional writer, war correspondent and contributor to The Reader’s Digest. He spread the knowledge of Desert Hot Springs with its marvelous hot medicinal water far and wide. It was very exclusive, and was only by invitation that one could visit the B-bar-H Ranch. Eventually the temporary structures were replaced with permanent and more modern and deluxe accommodations. The present-day location would be from 18th to 20th Streets and from Bubbling Wells Road to Mountain View in Desert Hot Springs.

In l937 the B-bar-H Guest Ranch was opened to the public. In the April, 1939, issue of “Desert Magazine,” an ad for the ranch carries a Garnet, California address with a notation that it is in the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs. Joe Gottchalk was the desk clerk, bellhop, did the marketing with their station wagon, took money to the bank and ran errands as a teenager in l939-l940. He picked up guests at the train station in Garnet, rode a horse to deliver a telegram to Janet Gaynor at the Singing Trees Ranch near the B-bar-H on 20th street, and took guests gambling at the private membership Dunes Club in Cathedral City (today we would know that location as Date Palm Drive near Highway 111). There were also card games and slot machines at the Ranch.

Over the years, authors such as Les Starks, Cabot Yerxa and John Hunt have written about the B-bar-H and listed the many celebrities who frequented it and Cabot Yerxa’s Trading Post. Cabot tells of their interest in his pet rattlesnakes, lizards, and the items he sold at the Trading Post. Many visitors rode horses to h is place to just sit and visit. Jack Krindler, who originated the Twenty-One Club in New York City, was one of his visitors as well as Sol Lessor, producer of the Tarzan pictures.

Because Lucienne Hubbard was an outdoorsman, an expert rider and horseman, the atmosphere of the ranch was entirely Western in character. The ladies had many attractive Western outfits. In the dining room some folks were dressed like real cowhands; at the next table might be people just in from the city all decked out in swank evening clothes; however, if they stayed at the ranch for any length of time, they changed to Western-style clothes. Cabot writes that no matter how many millions they had or how much space in the newspapers was devoted to their names, they all had fun. Louis Sobol wrote of being initiated into the Order of Pamperers. The code of the Pamperer is never to do today what can be done tomorrow. There was laziness in the air. Charlie Bender was the host and manager of the B-bar-H Ranch, his wife helped organize picnics, campfires and riding parties nearly every day. They visited Seven Palms, Willow Hole, various mountain canyons along with trips to Two Bunch Palms, a beautiful oasis close at hand. Two Bunch Palms was once owned by the B-bar-H Ranch in the late l940’s. They traveled to Cabot’s place on Miracle Hill. Many of the guests at B-bar-H were from the nearby Circle B Ranch owned by Warner Baxter.

As time went on, a swimming pool, tennis court and rodeo arena were added to the property with stretches of grass and gorgeous beds of flowers which delighted the guests. Rodeo competitions were held in the arena, and on Saturday nights there was Western dancing at the recreation hall with live bands from Palm Springs. The accommodations and comforts of this guest ranch became famous and guests came from New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Hollywood. Often large groups from all walks of life came to stay a weekend, a month, or the season. Bankers, financiers, men prominent in political life and big businessmen rubbed elbows with movie stars, those from the legitimate stage, famous writers and well-known musicians.

In l940, Jay Kasler (grandfather of Richard N. Roger MD of Rancho Mirage) paid $42,000 for the 240-acre B-bar-H Ranch. Mr. Kasler owned the Free Sewing Machine Company (second only to the Singer Company) which was sold to a Japanese company in l960. Mr. Kasler also founded City National Bank. Dr. Roger’s family spent almost every weekend and holidays at the ranch. They came from Los Angeles via old Highway 99, now Varner Road. The cash register from the B-bar-H bar is now located at Cabot’s Pueblo Museum. Dr Roger related that in l949 he took some 78 RPM records from Cabot’s Eagle’s Nest and returned them to Cole Eyraud (past resident/protector of Cabot’s Museum) in l974.

The present-day Covington Park in Morongo Valley was once a part of the B-bar-H holdings. The horses were moved up there for the summer. The 640 acres were purchased in l946 for $10 an acre. In l950 Mr. Kasler closed the Ranch to the public and maintained it for family use. In l959 he donated Covington Park to The Nature Conservancy.

In l978, Leonore “Lee” High purchased the B-bar-H property. It has been divided into ¼-acre individual lots, many of which have sold for more than $90,000. Lee remembers being invited to the B-bar-H Ranch by Ginny Sims and Mary Pickford. Lee was in real estate in Beverly Hills at that time. She also has memories and mementos from the party held there for employees of Lockheed. Many private parties were held at the ranch after it was opened to the public. Lee had purchased it for her daughter who planned to open a school, but this never materialized.

The beautiful old lodge on the Ranch boasts an impressive fireplace and great room for public, office or family use. There are several bedroom units accessible from the patio area, as well as a professional kitchen, dining room with beamed ceiling, bar room, and wine cellar. A VFW Club has used the former recreation hall for meetings; the swimming pool has been filled in.

In 2006, a new private owner acquired the lodge, and various homes have been built on the land, thus creating a new usage and future for those passing under the historic B-bar-H Ranch arch.

###

SOURCE: Unknown. Edited by Richard N. Roger, M.D., April, 2007, Word processed by Alta Hester, Secretary, Desert Hot Springs Historical Society.

Clean Up Day Saturday March 14, 2009

B-BAR-H Community Association News
Please RSVP -- Thank You!
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Last year our small area participated in the Riverside County Code Enforcement's Clean Up Day at Bubbling Wells Elementary School, and it was a huge success for us all. Our neighbors pitched in and helped to remove trash along roadsides and houses. The team effort really made a difference in our neighborhood.

For this year, we have Very Good News! We get our own dumpster!

We met with Code Enforcement, and here's the details for Saturday, March 14, 2009:

1. We will have one large dumpster located under the Arch on Bubbling Wells from 8 - Noon
2. We also get 6 people to walk the area and pick trash and litter
   We get trash bags, trash pickers, gloves, T-shirts, a table, tools, etc. on loan from Code Enforcement
3. The B-BAR-H Community Association has $20 in the Treasury, so we are getting Orange Juice and DoNuts for the event. Plus, if anyone wants to donate food, please bring it to the Arch that morning.

WE NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION to ensure this event is meaningful and worthy.

Here's what you can do:

1. RSVP to confirm you have trash items to bring to the dumpster.
2. If you have a truck and can help bring items to the dumpster from the roadsides within our neighborhood, please confirm.
3. Volunteer to help supervise at the event.
4. Confirm if you want to bring food or donuts.
5. Talk with your neighbors about the event, and with those who don't use email.
6. Invite neighbors to the March 14th event - 8 a.m. til Noon.
7. Volunteer to help distribute paper invitations to our neighbors, please reply.

Last year Doug, Ford, Andy, Curtis, Jim, Kathy, George and many others created a successful team.

Let's do it again on March 14th! Any questions? Please write to Webmaster(at)PaintbrushTrail.com.

Please "Think Twice" before saying, "No." The coordination of a clean up event takes time, money and effort. If we do not receive neighborhood participation for the March 14th event, it will be the last clean up event the B-BAR-H Ranch Community Association sponsors.

Jury Duty Scam - Read this warning!

This has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below). Please pass this on to everyone in your e-mail address book. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.

The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security Number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo---your identity was just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , and Colorado . This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

Check it out here:

http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm

http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp

March 14th Neighborhood Clean Up Day

Volunteers at the Octbr 11, 2008 Riverside County Code Enforcement Clean Up Day held at Bubbling Wells Elementary School

* * *

Mark your calendar for March 14, 2009. We're having a clean up day in our area coordinated in partnership with Riverside County Code Enforcement Community Improvement Specialist, Chaka Ferrel.

Plans are for us to have one dumpster located near our area, probably under the B-BAR-H Ranch Arch shown above on the corner of Bubbling Wells and El Serape Roads. Specific details will be posted here after a meeting with Code Enforcement next Friday. The event will be held from 8:00 a.m. until Noon on Saturday, March 14, 2009.

Our neighborhood actively participated in last year's event and brought truck loads of trash to the dumpsters. It truly made a difference in the neighborhood to see garbage and trash removed from yards and from alongside houses. This year's event will give everyone an opportunity to do the same by cleaning out old items too bulky for pick up by our weekly trash removal service.

This year, our neighborhood will get one dumpster placed nearby so we can dispose of unwanted items without driving to the school. However, the March 14th main event will be held at Bubbling Wells Elementary School just like last year's event.

If you have items not accepted in a dumpster, like tires, chemicals, paints, etc. contact County Waste Management for a list of their clean up events. They are held almost every weekend. The website is www.rivcowm.org and the schdedule can be found there for the disposal of tires, paints, and chemicals, etc.

Chaka Ferrel, Riverside County Community Improvement Specialist is sponsoring this event and will be available at Bubbling Wells Elementary School to answer your questions.

We anticipate this year's event to be as successful as last year's, and we'll keep you updated with news about the event. If you have a question, want to volunteer at the event, or suggestions for Code Enforcement, please send an email to Webmaster(at)IGMproducts.com.

Desert Hot Springs Code Enforcement Cases & Foreclosure Stats

Mountain views surround Desert Hot Springs, California

by Anna Miller, Secretary
B-BAR-H Ranch Neighborhood Association

Desert Hot Springs, California is probably one of the best kept secrets in the State. It's a quiet city nestled between Palm Springs and Yucca Valley. It has a beautiful landscape with many new homes for sale. The cost of living in Desert Hot Springs isn't quite as high as its neighboring Desert Cities, and it has all the conveniences with short travel times to many other areas.

B-BAR-H Ranch Arch constructed in the 1920's is in need of repair

Our Community, the B-BAR-H Ranch neighborhood, is located in Riverside County between Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs. We're about a 10 minute drive to either city. Palm Springs is well-known and developed. Desert Hot Springs is smaller, mostly residential with a few shopping centers and many, small, well-known spa resorts. It's the perfect, quiet area to live and raise a family. Dining out is less expensive than other Desert Cities, and there are restaurants to please all sorts of traditional Thai, Italian, Mexican and American diners. The service is great and the people are friendly.

The B-BAR-H Ranch organized a neighborhood community watch program in 2008. Under the direction of a group of neighbors, the B-BAR-H Ranch Community Association holds meetings and helps organize neighborhood functions to maintain the property value of the new homes located in the B-BAR-H Ranch neighborhood.

View from Pierson Blvd in Desert Hot Springs, California

An important function held throughout the year is a neighborhood clean up day sponsored by Chaka Ferrel, Community Improvement Specialist, Riverside County Code Enforcement Department. The B-BAR-H Ranch works in partnership with Code Enforcement to obtain annual clean up goals. Chaka, and fellow associate, Regina Keyes, Code Enforcement Officer, attended and presented at the B-BAR-H Ranch Community Association meeting held on January 17, 2009.

Courtesy of City-Data.com

As follow up to our in depth discussion with Code Enforcement on January 17th, Chaka responded to our request with details about our area. According to Chaka Ferrel, as of November 2008 statistics, the Desert Hot Springs area has about 253 properties in foreclosure, and 39% of the 253 foreclosed homes have open, active Code Enforcement cases. There are about 98 Code Enforcement cases as summarized below:

• 20 – Accumulated Rubbish (20.4 %)
• 7 – Construction without Permit (7 %)
• 60 – Substandard Structures / Dwellings (61.2 %)
• 2 – Vehicle Abatement (2.4 %)
• 9 – Zone Violations (9 %)

Our goal is to continue to work in partnership with Riverside County Code Enforcement to keep the B-BAR-H Neighborhood clear of violations. Our next neighborhood clean up day is being planned for Spring 2009. The date, location and activities will be defined and posted here. We'll also send out an email and notify the neighborhood by printed newsletter. The tasks and activities sponsored by the B-BAR-H Ranch Community Association are accomplished by a team of concerned neighbors. We work together to uphold the quality of our neighborhood.

For more information, to Subscribe to our emails, to submit an article for this blog, or to become a part of the B-BAR-H Ranch Community Association, please send your email address to Webmaster(at)PaintbrushTrail.com.

January 17, 2009 Meeting Minutes

DHS Relay for Life Cancer Walk
Click to enter Team B-BAR-H Ranch: We BAR Cancer Website.
Join our team today!

B-BAR-H Ranch Community Association
January 17, 2009 Neighborhood Meeting Minutes Summary
By Anna Miller, Secretary

• New Year Welcome by President Curtis Schway
o Welcomed everyone & new attendees
o Summarized 2008 accomplishments
o We miss Guy Hildebrand and hope he is doing well.
o 2009 ongoing effort to keep our neighborhood clean and safe

• Guest Speaker Introductions by Secretary Anna Miller
o Neighborhood improvement is ongoing. Code Enforcement has already helped us by contacting the owners of many of the vacant lots to have the lots cleaned of garbage and construction remnants. Chaka and Regina from Code Enforcement helped us identify CE violations and what we can do to get situations addressed.
o Chaka Osborne, Code Enforcement Improvement Specialist. The next neighborhood clean up is schedules for March 21st. We'll be in touch with Chaka to get trash bins set at the B-BAR-H Ranch Arch.
o Regina Keyes, Code Enforcement Officer establishd one point of contact for our neighborhood. We requested "illegal dumping" signs be posted along 20th Avenue and Bubbling Wells Road.
o There have been complaints about a trailer parked on the street in front of a house on Paintbrush Trail. Regina said she notified the owner to have the trailer moved to his driveway.

• DHS Cancer Walk by TreasurerJim Fosbinder and Pat Carney
o Team B-BAR-H Ranch - We BAR Cancer! has been established to walk in the DHS Relay for Life Cancer Walk 2009
o January 28th party at Senior Center - Kick Off Party, food, silent auction, fun!
o Contact Jim to register as a participant to walk on our team.
o Click Here to Register Online or make a donation to our team. All donations are tax deductible.

• Shake Rattle & Roll - Earthquake Simulation was announced by Pat Carney. It's scheduled on February 21, 2009 at the DHS High School Vendors will be there with products and services available to prepare for earthquakes. This is to be a very informative and simulated real-life event.

• Neighborhood Party by Toni M. Ringlein
o Toni Ringlein volunteered to head the coordination of our neighborhood party. It was suggested we have the party on the same day as the next clean up day, March 21st.
o Party Planning Committee was formed.
o First planning meeting is set for January 27th.

• Meeting Closure by President Curtis Schway
o Attendees want to meet every other month in 2009. Some people can't attend on the weekend. We decided to have our next meeting during the week. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for March 4th at 7:00 p.m. at the VFW. Pat Carney will confirm date and time.
o Invitations will be sent via door-to-door, email and posted on the blog at PaintbrushTrail.com. People volunteered to help distribute paper invitations.

Relay for Life Meeting - DHS Cancer Walk - Community Event

Relay for Life Meeting

Desert Hot Springs Senior Center‎

11777 West Drive

Desert Hot Springs, CA‎

Thursday, January 8, 2009

6:00 p.m.

(760) 329-0222‎

Join us at the Desert Hot Springs Senior Center on Thursday, January 8, 2009 at 6 p.m. for a meeting about an upcoming DHS Cancer Walk called the Relay for Life.

The Senior Center is located right behind the Carl May Center on West Drive. Mapquest the directions if needed. Above is a map. If more details are needed please contact Pat Carney.

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting to coordinate a DHS cancer walk.

Neighborhood Meeting Notice

We hope everyone had a restful and satisfying holiday season. Now, as promised, it's time for our next Neighborhood Meeting. Please mark your calendar...

January 17, 2009

10 a.m.

VFW
(South B-BAR-H Ranch)

We have guests coming to the meeting from Code Enforcement. Improvement Specialists Chaka Osborne and Regina Keyes from Code Enforcement will be introduced and asked to tell us more about how we can keep our neighborhood looking good. We can ask questions, discuss situations, and learn more about the Code Enforcement policies and procedures. Chaka was the driving force behind the last Clean Up Day we participated in at Bubbling Wells Elementary School. Let's ask her about getting her Department to sponsor a Clean Up Day specifically for the North and South B-BAR-H Ranch.

Here's the tenative agenda for the January 17th meeting:

• New Year Welcome by President Curtis Schway
  
• Guest Speaker Introductions by Secretary Anna Miller
  Chaka Osborne, Code Enforcement Improvement Specialist
  Regina Keyes, Code Enforcement Improvement Specialist
  
• Audience Open Discussion: Questions for Code Enforcement
  
• Neighborhood Party by Toni M. Ringlein

Please feel free to contact Webmaster(at)PaintbrushTrail.com if you would like to add an agenda item. We look forward to seeing you on January 17th.

Neighborhood Watch Meeting Minutes - Stray dogs discussed

The main focus of today's Neighborhood Watch meeting was "stray dogs" what to do, who to call and how to help.

Officers Rosa and DuShane from the Riverside Animal Control Department delivered an informative presentation to a large group of community residents today. They stated the facts, brought hand out materials for our education, and gave us clear instructions what to do when we are faced with stray animals in the neighborhood.

There were many newcomers to the meeting. It's good to see and meet our neighbors. Today's meeting minutes are available by clicking the link below:

B-BAR-H Community Association Meeting Minutes October 18, 2008

There will be no meeting in November and December due to the holidays and people not being available. The next meeting will be scheduled for January. We'll post the date on the blog later this year.

Grafitti Busters of Riverside County Rock!

The B-BAR-H Ranch had a few graffiti problems this past month. Some of the neighborhood watch members decided to have a chat with the parents of the neighborhood teens. Now, we think the problems will go away. We're hoping anyway. The graffiti was found on the sides of a few homes and on some of the area's signage.

Graffiti is annoying for many reasons. It devalues property and it creates a mess for someone to clean.

We would like to extend a special thank you to the Graffiti Busters of Riverside County. Their response time is awesome. We reported graffiti on a home and within a few days the Graffiti Busters had the entire wall painted like new. Most of the Graffiti Busters are volunteers who are committed to keeping the community clean!

Thank You Graffiti Busters of Riverside County from the B-Bar-H Ranch Community Association! For more information about Graffiti Busters visit their website.

Clean Up Day a HUGE success!

The Clean Up Day sponsored by Riverside County Code Enforcement on October 11, 2008, at the Bubbling Wells Elementary School was a huge success. There were six large dumpsters filled to the brim with throw-away items.

Volunteers arrived in the masses to be a part of something greater than themselves and for the common good of us all! One of the area churches drove in with over 12 strong, eager helpers to assist people with the loading and unloading of trash. Neighbors from the B-BAR-H Ranch Community Association helped, too.

Here's a list of volunteers from the B-BAR-H Neghborhood: Kathy and George Munoz, Curtis Schway, Andy Biswas, Doug Gordon, Ford Wathen, Anna Miller and Jim Fosbinder. Curtis and Doug volunteered to use their trucks and canvas the neighborhood for trash. They made several trips back and forth removing large items from the street sides in our area plus went into the fields to clear large items from the hiking trails.

Hats off to all the people for volunteering their Saturday morning in an effort to help create a clean community.

Chaka Osborne, Riverside County Community Improvement Specialist coordinated this event. Her Associates from Code Enforcement attended the event and included Officers Cindy Black, Tom McMullen and Tony Green. Everyone was in attendance to make the morning's event a huge success. Steve Hernandez, Legislative Assistant from the Board of Supervisors rolled up his sleeves and pitched in to help. It was definitely a true team effort.

People from all areas of the DHS Unicorporated areas filled their trucks, cars and trailers with unwanted items and arrived between 7 a.m. to Noon to this free clean up day. Driving home it was obvious the day was a success. The neighorhood looks better! Special thanks to Chaka, her team at Riverside County Code Enforcement and all the volunteers who made this event a HUGE success!

Community Clean Up - Desert Hot Springs Unicorporated Areas ONLY!

Area Clean Up, Saturday, October 11, 2008 at Bubbling Wells Elementary School from 7 a.m. until Noon!

Clean it up! Haul it away! It's FREE to all unicorporated areas of Desert Hot Springs. This Saturday take advantage of an area clean up sponsored by Chaka Osborne, Riverside County Improvement.

CLICK HERE to read the English/Spanish flyer with details about Saturday's event. Help spread the word and get remind your neighbors of this event.

FREE Clean Up Day & Neighborhood Meeting Agenda

Please click a link to view the B-BAR-H Community Association Neighborhood News.

Mark your calendar and plan to attend both events.

Event #1 = October 11, 2008

FREE Neighborhood Clean Up Day at Bubbling Wells Elementary School

Event #2 = October 18, 2008
B-BAR-H Community Association Neighborhood Meeting at the VFW Hall

Special thanks to everyone who made donations for the Neighborhood Watch signs. President Curtis Schway and Treasurer Jim Fosbinder attached the signs at 12' heights on telephone poles throughout our community.

If you would like to make a donation to the Neighborhood Watch effort, please contact the Webmaster @ PaintbrushTrail.com.

Animal Control Presentation at October 18 Meeting

Grrrrrrrrrr

We are pleased to announce Riverside County Department of Animal Services will be attending and presenting at our next Neighborhood Watch Meeting. The meeting is scheduled for October 18, 2008, 10:00 a.m. at the VFW Hall. Should you have any questions, please contact us through the Webmaster @ PaintbrushTrail.com. Look forward to seeing you on October 18th!

Veterans of Foreign Wars
1 B Bar Ranch,
Desert Hot Springs, CA 92241

FREE - FREE - FREE Come & Get it!

FREE TO GOOD HOME
LIGHT WOOD - GOOD CONDITION

One Table & Four Chairs (shown)
(B-BAR-H Ranch, DHS Area)

A B-BAR-H resident has a table and chairs set looking for a good home! See photo above. If you need a table and matching chairs and have a way to pick it up, write to Webmaster @ PaintbrushTrail.com. You must include your name and phone number. We will forward your information to the people who have the free furniture, and they will call you to arrange a time when you can pick it up. No deliveries are possible.

Logo design for B-BAR-H Ranch Community Association

Tell us what you think? Post your comments below! Is this a cool logo for the B-BAR-H Ranch Community Association?

As an organization, we need to have professional letterhead for our external communications. B-BAR-H Ranch Resident, Douglas Gordon, aslo a graphic designer, was kind and created the logo.

We want your thoughts. Click the comments link below and send your feedback. Which one do you like best? Or, should we use them both!

Special thanks to Doug for taking the time to design our logo. Doug's website is located at D Design Douglas Gordon.

http://www.dddg.biz/home/index.html

Our next meeting is Saturday, 10.18.08, 10 a.m., VFW. We're expecting more people and new faces. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend.

B-BAR-H Neighborhood Meeting Minutes

The B-BAR-H Neighborhood met on September 13th and September 27th to discuss a neighborhood watch program. The minutes to both meetings are available by clicking the links below:

September 13, 2008 - Meeting Minutes

September 27, 2008 - Meeting Minutes

For more information, details or if you'd like to attend our next meeting, please contact the Webmaster @ PaintbrushTrail.com.

The next meeting is scheduled for October 18, 2008, 10:00 a.m. at the VFW Hall. Please plan to attend.

Lost your rooftop solar panels? Check the Web

Solar panels were stolen from the roof of Jim & Shayna Powell's home in Palm Desert, California.

(J. Emilio Flores for The New York Times)

from Steve Grasha, B-Bar-H Resident
by Kate Galbraith, International Herald Tribune

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, California: Solar power, with its promise of emissions-free renewable energy, boasts a growing number of fans. Some of them, it turns out, are thieves.

Just ask Glenda Hoffman, whose fury has not abated since 16 solar panels vanished from her roof in this sun-baked town in three separate burglaries in May, sometimes as she slept. She is ready if the criminals turn up again.

"I have a shotgun right next to the bed and a .22 under my pillow," Hoffman said.

Police departments in California - the biggest market for solar power, with more than 33,000 installations - are seeing a rash of such burglaries, though nobody compiles overall statistics.

Investigators do not believe the thieves are acting out of concern for their carbon footprints. Rather, the authorities assume that many panels make their way to unwitting homeowners, sometimes via the Internet.

Last November, someone tried to sell solar panels stolen from a toll road in Newport Beach for $100 each on eBay. Detectives from the local police department entered the bidding and won the panels, which were worth nearly $1,500 each, according to Sergeant Evan Sailor, a Newport Beach police spokesman.

When Nathan Tyrone Mitchell, a resident of Santa Monica, showed up to hand over the panels, the police greeted him with handcuffs.

Mitchell, who was charged with possession of stolen property, has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer, Charles Stoddard, said that his client had bought the panels from someone on Craigslist and then tried to resell them on eBay for a profit. "Our contention is that Mr. Mitchell is just an innocent purchaser who kind of got caught up in this thing," Stoddard said.

In Contra Costa County, detectives accustomed to handling thefts of copper began to notice solar panels disappearing in the past six months, according to Jimmy Lee, a spokesman for the county sheriff's office.

This summer, a police officer on a routine patrol became suspicious when he spotted a man trying to sell solar panels to a home builder who had advertised on Craigslist that he was seeking panels.

The officer confiscated the solar panels and, after detectives found that they matched panels stolen from a school, a California man was charged. Lee says that law enforcement agencies are investigating about a half-dozen other solar panel thefts in his area.

"We were surprised and kind of caught off guard" by the solar panel thefts, said Lee, who recommends that people engrave their driver's license numbers onto their panels for better identification.

For Tom McCalmont, president of Regrid Power, a solar installation business near San Jose, the problem hit home in late June. His own headquarters were struck by thieves, who took more than $30,000 worth of panels from the roof.

The panels were disassembled expertly, he said, leading him to suspect that someone in the solar industry had done it. He urges clients to install video cameras and alarms for their solar arrays, and likens his own revamped security system to Fort Knox.

"This is the crime of the future," McCalmont said.

After suffering a solar panel theft, some victims find unusual ways to protect their property. Hoffman, of Desert Hot Springs, could not sleep for several weeks during the string of thefts from her roof.

One night, she waited beside a nearby building and watched her house in an attempt to catch the thieves, causing a suspicious neighbor to call the police. She vows that if she ever catches the culprits, "they're not going to leave walking" - especially if she feels threatened.

So far, with the losses still modest, homeowners' insurance is processing the claims with little resistance. Hoffman's insurer, State Farm, is paying $95,000 to replace her entire system. She plans to install an alarm, and possibly a video camera.

Not far from Hoffman, in the town of Palm Desert, Jim and Shayna Powell were devastated after thieves took 19 of their solar panels in June, just when they needed air-conditioning the most, causing their electricity bill to shoot from $3 to $300.

"Of all the times of year to steal the panels," Jim Powell said in frustration.

Beyond California, solar power markets are comparatively small, so thefts are still rare - but they are spreading. In the past 18 months, Oregon's highway department has lost a few panels used to power portable traffic message boards.

In Minnesota, the Sauk River Watershed District has lost at least eight small panels, worth $250 each, in the past few years, according to Melissa Roelike, who coordinates the water-quality monitoring program there.

In response, the district has taken steps to protect the panels, including putting them in trees and atop poles. But thieves promptly stole one such panel.

"Obviously, hoisting them 20 feet in the air on a metal pipe does not work," Roelike said.

In Europe, where the solar industry is well established, thievery is entrenched, and measures to ward it off have become standard, including alarm systems and hard-to-unscrew panels.

But in the United States, installers are just coming to grips with the need for alarms, video cameras and indelible engraving of serial numbers. Some people prefer simpler solutions.

Ken Martin Jr. lost 58 panels, which will cost $75,000 to replace, this spring from the roof of a half-empty office building in Santa Rosa, California, that he owns.

He is considering slapping paint on some parts of his remaining panels - bright pink paint.

"At least if someone comes across them and they're painted, they'll know that's my color," he said.

Keep Kids Safe at the B-BAR-H Ranch!

The efforts we make to improve our neighborhood can be focussed on one very important fact. Our streets need to be safe for our children. We may not all have children, but for those who do have children living on the B-BAR-H Ranch property, there are concerns about their children's safety, and that's important. It's important enough for all of us to take a stand for the children.

We all should be concerned about our neighbors' children. Please take time to make sure the items in your yard are child-proof. Clean the street area in front of your home where the children walk to the bus stop. Take time to create a safe environment for the children. We do not want anything to happen to any of the children in our neighborhood.

There have been a variety of comments made by many of the people who live at the B-BAR-H Ranch. The PaintbrushTrail.com Blog is designed so anyone can make an anonymous comment about anything they desire. Open communication will help us bridge the gaps and understand all the viewpoints. There's no right way or wrong way -- there's only differences, and the way we can approach the tasks at hand is as a community. It's a way we can address the concerns of the neighborhood.

Here's some comments made pertaining to the safety of our children. These comments are taken directly from the anonymous comments our neighbors made. If people are thinking about these things, then we need to do something to minimize the stress and create a safe neighborhood for the children.

One person wrote, "Our children have to walk to the bus stop in fear of being attacked by DOGS! There's glass in the streets!!! There's garbage piled in yards which attract RATS! Things are getting out of control."

Another comment was made, "We have our children waiting for the school bus with sometimes glass in the street or dumped construction materials that are in the bus stop areas. This is a health hazard for our children as well as having loose dogs running around the neighborhood, my family and I have had issues with loose Pit bulls in our yard once even attacking my vehicle with myself and children inside as we sat in our drive way thinking how we were going to get inside our home safely."

On Saturday, September 13, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. at the VFW Hall (scroll page to see the map) the B-BAR-H Ranch Neighborhood is meeting to discuss items like those listed above. We hope you attend the meeting and join the conversation.