Board Meeting Next Week

Just a reminder that our monthly board meeting will be held next Wednesday on March 14th at 10 a.m. in the board room.  Everyone is welcome to attend.

Beautiful Weekend Ahead

There may still be a lot of snow on the ground, but the weather forecast for this weekend is very nice.  After some wind tonight, they are calling for  highs in the 50s and 60s for Saturday and Sunday.  Can you say spring?  I hate to get too excited though,  because just about the time I get to really enjoying the warmer weather, winter generally comes back with a sneak attack.  We have had a very mild winter this year, so I can't really complain, but those 50 and 60 degree days just make you long for spring to arrive and for winter to be gone. 

Visions of gardening start dancing in my head and with all the talk this past week of a possible community garden here on the hill, it makes it even all the more exciting.  This is one community project that I hope does come into being.  Community gardens are such a wonderful addition to a neighborhood.  In addition to the food they can produce for those who garden in them,  they are also very good for meeting and getting to know other people and help to establish a real feeling of community and connectedness to others who live here. 

I have found when I am in my own yard gardening, most everyone who walks by, stops to chat.  I have met the majority of my neighbors while out working in my garden.  Gardening is an activity that most every one, young or old can enjoy and participate in and the fruits of your labors are edible.  Teaching children to garden provides them with skills that will last them a lifetime.   Many times more is grown than can be used and so is shared with others in the community, providing nutritious, fresh fruits and veggies to those who might not otherwise be able to afford them.  Gardening is so much more than just a hobby and I for one will be hoping this comes to fruition.

Board Meeting

Our monthly board meeting for March will be held on march 14.  It starts at promptly at 10 a.m. and everyone is welcome to attend.  It is held in the board room at the water district office which is located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road.  We hope you will come and join us.

Happy Leap Day

This year February has 29 days.  So instead of March coming in like a lion or a lamb today, we will have to wait until tomorrow.  As for today, the sun is peeking through the clouds.  The roads are in good shape and most are clear with the exception of a  few icy patches where the run off from melting snow froze overnight.  Highway 243 is in excellent shape and there should be no problem with leaving the mountain or coming back up.

Tonight will provide another chance of snow or rain so it looks like March might come in like a lion.  After that it is clear skies for several days.  It  should be a great week end to come and play in the snow,  if there is any left by then. 

There are still some pretty good berms along some driveways, so if you haven't been up recently, be prepared to shovel the berm out.  Or you could just wait it out and let Mother Nature melt it for you.

Snow Again!

Well it seems as if we are going to get a whole winters worth of snow inside of a couple of weeks.  Yesterday another storm moved in and as of this morning, we have close to a foot of new snow!  While the plows have been out, there is still snow on the roads, especially the side roads.  They are passable, but do be careful.  The sun is out and shining so I expect that they will start melting off before too long.  The trees are covered in snow and it is quit the winter wonderland. 

You should be able to come up if you need to, just be careful.  You can check the blog for links to highway conditions to find out more specifics.

Animal Care

With this recent storm, please remember to care for your 4 legged friends.   Bring animals indoors if at all possible.  For those that remain outdoors, please make sure they have adequate shelter that is dry so they can get out of the wind and snow.  Animals such as goats and chickens can manage the cold temperatures fine if they have dry shelter with good ventilation.  It is essential they have a place to get out of the blowing wind.

Fresh, warm water is a welcome treat that many animals enjoy on a cold morning after a frigid night. Remember, they are dependent on us for their care and we need to be responsible animal owners

Road Conditions

Jerry just got back from Idyllwild and declared that the roads are in good shape.  There is one closure though.  Highway 243 from Banning up to Pine Cove is closed due to a big rig that spun out and is blocking the road.  Once they get it moved, the road will be re-opened.  If you are planning to come up the hill today, you will have to come up from Hemet or Palm Desert instead.

There be snow! Finally.

Well it has been a fairly dry winter thus far, but last night we got pummeled.  We now have over a foot of snow on the ground and the wind is blowing it around like mad.  Roads have been plowed but are still very messy.  The sun is out and shining brightly so hopefully the roads will clear off somewhat today.  It is cold out and if you are planning to come up, be careful.  Make sure you carry chains with you as well as other emergency supplies.

Winter is Back!

Well winter has returned with some cold temps and about an inch or so of snow.  While there isn't that much snow on the ground, the roads are icy.  They have been plowed and cindered, but they it is very cold and they are not melting off.  Not sure how they are in  Idyllwild or Mountain Center, but here in Pine Cove, they are not melted off yet.  They are passable, but be careful.

Blog Transition

Great news.  We will soon have our blog available from our website  http://www.pcwd.org/.  It will take me a while to move the info from this blog onto our new blog, so I will be letting this one up for quite a while yet.  Once the new one is set up, I will begin posting on it.  Until then, I will continue on here as I work on the new one.  We wanted to make things quicker and easier for our customers here at the water district.  So stay tuned for the new blog.  I will let you know via this blog when the new one is up and running and I am posting.  Please be patient with me as well because I have a lot of information to transfer.

Turn off your water!

Just a reminder, yet again.  If you are leaving your mountain home, please turn your water off at your customer valve.  This is the single most important thing you can do to prevent a water leak.  Many times leaks are able to run unnoticed until we read meters and find a large amount of water was used.  In this colder weather, pipes can freeze and burst.  Many people think that a leak will produce a visible puddle of water or some other visible sign, but that isn't always the case.  If it is underground, it might not be noticeable and if it is in the house, that wouldn't be obvious either. Turning your water off at your customer valve will prevent any unwanted surprises.  We repeat this often because we see it happen time and time again.  We cannot say this enough.

If you do have a leak, you will be responsible to pay for all the water that runs through your meter, regardless of the cause.  Many people think that if they have a leak, they do not have to pay for the water that ran through their meter during the leak.  This is not the case.  We are required by our Board of Directors to bill for all water usage, regardless of the reason for use.  So this is another good reason to turn your water off at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home.  It is better to be safe than sorry.

Winter Weather Alert

It looks as if winter has finally arrived.  I got this weather alert email this morning.

WARNING

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT


NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
801 PM PST SUN FEB 12 2012


...A SERIES OF COLD WINTER STORMS TO IMPACT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THIS WEEK...

SEVERAL WINTER STORMS ARE POISED TO IMPACT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THIS WEEK WITH PERIODS OF RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW...GUSTY WINDS AND COLD WEATHER.

THE FIRST STORM WILL BRING LIGHT PRECIPITATION AS EARLY AS MONDAY MORNING AS IT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTH. RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THE COLD FRONT. RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT TO OCCASIONALLY MODERATE WITH A TENTH TO A QUARTER INCH WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS. UPWARDS OF A HALF INCH IS EXPECTED OVER THE MOUNTAINS WHERE SNOW WILL FALL ABOVE 5000 FEET. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS FOR 4 TO 9 INCHES OF SNOW. HIGH WIND WARNINGS AND WIND ADVISORIES ARE I N EFFECT FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS MONDAY...AND A GALE WARNING WILL BE IN EFFECT OVER THE COASTAL WATERS.


THIS FIRST STORM WILL MOVE EAST ON TUESDAY AND THE PRECIP WILL TAPER OFF DURING THE DAY. A SECOND STORM WILL APPROACH THE AREA WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. MOISTURE WILL BE LIMITED WITH THIS SECOND SYSTEM...AND PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS ARE STILL BEING DETERMINED. HOWEVER...IT WILL BRING ANOTHER SURGE OF COLD AIR AND GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS INTO THE REGION WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.


A BREAK IN THE WEATHER FOLLOWS WITH DRY WEATHER AND OFFSHORE FLOW THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY...BUT THE LONG RANGE MODELS SHOW THE POTENTIAL FOR A THIRD WINTER STORM NEXT SUNDAY OR MONDAY.

So if you are traveling up or down the mountain today, take the necessary precautions.  As of 10 am, there is no snow and it is not raining presently.  It is cold and foggy though. 

Board Meeting

Just a quick reminder that there is a board meeting at 10 a.m. this morning.  The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

February Billing

The February billing went out yesterday.  These bills are for December and January's water usage.  Please read the literature that is enclosed with your bill.  You will notice a $3 increase in the Minimum Advance Billing.  It has gone up to $25 per month or $50 each billing cycle of which there are 6.  The new water rate schedule is in with your bill and included with that is our Non Avoidance of Minimum Billing Policy set forth by our Board of Directors.

It states:  Minimum Advance Billing and payment thereof is used for administrative expenses, minimum maintenance and fixed funding charges of the District and may not be avoided by seasonal disconnection of service with subsequent reconnection.  All meters, active or inactive, will be billed advance minimum charges every two months.

This seems to be an issue that arises with each  billing cycle, so we are enclosing the policy with the billings.  It is always available in the office as well.  There are no exceptions to this policy.  The Pine Cove Water District Board of Directors set this policy and the employees of the water district employees are required to follow it.  If you have any questions about this policy you may call the office at 951-659-2675. 

On the flip side of the Water Rate Schedule is an article on the Pine Cove Water District Pipeline Replacement Program.  This article will explain why an increase is necessary and what we are doing to maintain and update our infrastructure.  Lots of interesting reading with this billing!

Remember, the February bills are due by February 25th.  Not receiving your bill does not relieve you of the responsibility to pay it.  We cannot help what the post office does with the bills once we hand them over.  If you haven't received your bill by next week, you can call and find out how much you owe.  Either Becky or Vicki would be happy to look your account up for you.

February Board Meeting

The board meeting for February will be on February 8th at 10 a.m.  It is open to the public and everyone is welcome to attend.  We hope to see  you there.