B-BAR-H Ranch Clean Up Day March 13, 2010

Click Here or Click the image above to read the complete bilingual announcement.

The B-BAR-H Ranch Residents will meet at the B-BAR-H Ranch Arch at 7:00 A.M. on March 13, 2010 to participate with Riverside County Code Enforcement Community Improvement to clean their neighborhood.  This annual event is sponsored by Riverside County.  The Community Improvement Specialist is Chaka Ferrel.

Please mark your calendar.  March 13, 2010 from 8-Noon.  Bring all unwanted items to the Arch where there will be large trash bins available to dispose of unwanted items. 

Take advantage of this opportunity!  Clean your yard, garage and house of unwanted items.  

Announcement in bilingual format courtesy of Grace Escobar, Riverside County.

March 2010 Meeting & Clean Up Day!

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend:

March 11, 2010 - Larry Ward, County Assessor, will present at our Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) meeting and talk about Property Taxes. We all pay property taxes and write checks to Larry Ward. Now, we'll be able to meet him in person and ask questions -- come prepared. DHS MAC Meeting, 6 p.m., Bubbling Wells Elem Schl.

DHS MAC Board Members & Alternates will be named. The DHS MAC has expanded its area to include more territory. Join us to meet new members.

Our MAC is sponsored by Supervisor Marion Ashley's Office and Riverside County Economic Development Agency. Brenda Salas is the Project Manager.

March 13, 2010 - B BAR H Ranch Clean Up Day at the Arch on Bubbling Wells & El Serape. We will repeat last year's clean up event. The dumpster will be located at the Arch from 8 - Noon. B BAR H Volunteers are needed to help at the Arch. Riverside County will supply T-Shirts and tools. Let's all meet at the Arch at 7:30 a.m. on March 13th to coordinate our efforts.

Arrive Early! PLAN TO BRING YOUR UNWANTED TRASH TO THE ARCH EARLY. Last year we ran out of bin space early and had to turn people away.

Last year's clean up day produced amazing results for our area. This year we are expecting a much larger response. Both the North and South sides of the Ranch were notified. Special thanks to Dennis Cline and Trudy Patee for notifying the South Side residents.

Clean Up Day is a great way for us clean out unwanted items, to see one another and work together to make our neighborhood look good. This event is sponsored and paid for by Riverside County Code Enforcement. Our Community Improvement Specialist is Chaka Ferrel.

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Please spread the word throughout the neighborhood about these two events.

Oct '09 MAC Meeting Follow-Up from Riverside County Transportation Department

  

When a Community Speaks, Riverside County Transportation Listens!

By Anna Miller, DHS MAC Board Member
Information from Lawrence Tai, Riverside County Transportation Department
October 30, 2009

The DHS Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) under the leadership of  Ms. Brenda Salas met on October 9, 2009 to discuss transportation issues within our community.   Mr. Lawrence Tai of the RCTD presented to the B-BAR-H Ranch residents and answered questions many people had about road and lighting improvements.  As a result, Lawrence conducted research and responded to the community's needs.   Below is a summary of  Mr. Tai's findings and recommendations for moving forward:

1. Recommendations for the corner of 20th Ave & Palm Drive

Mr. Tai drove both 20th Ave and Palm Dr (making left turn from Palm onto 20th Ave) after the meeting.  The intersection has no street lights and is quite dark.  RCTD will install reflective markers (Type F-2) to delineate the corner returns (NE and SE) to better guide motorists onto 20th Ave.

RCTD will also replace the existing intersection warning signs/street name signs on Palm Dr in advance of 20th Ave with larger size sign with better reflectivity to increase the target value and visibility.

Regarding the possibility of installing street lights at this intersection, RCTD contacted the SCE planner for the area and try to obtain a cost estimate for the installation of two street lights (NE and SW corner) on wood posts.   Due to the need for installing an additional post in the SE corner (to provide power) , there will be an installation charge from SCE.  The preliminary cost provided by SCE is between $3,000 to $5,000.   Will EDA be able to provide funds for the installation? 

Brenda Salas said, "We need documentation from SCE they are willing to pay for the maintenance and the exact costs, if so then I am told it is likely Redevelopment will pay for this expense to install. Appreciate your work Lawrence!"

2. Check policy for maintaining B-BAR-H Roads

B-BAR-H Ranch roads are maintained through CSA 115 funds because they are not County owned.

3. Follow up pertaining to the 20th Ave & Mountain View Road project

Based upon a recommendation made by the B-BAR-H Ranch CSA 115,  RCTD applied and was successful in obtaining safety grant funds for widening the shoulders on Mt. View Rd and adding left turn lanes at 20th Ave and at Club House Dr.  The project is currently under design and environmental clearance review.   Assuming we have no environmental clearance issues, we anticipate submitting to Caltrans (as project is federally funded) the request for authorization to advertize the project in March, 2010.  Construction is expected to begin in Fall, 2010.

4. Stop signs inside B-BAR-H Ranch North at El Serape and Sagebrush Trail and Paintbrush Trail

Since CSA 115 roads are non-county maintained, it will be up to the CSA to determine if additional STOP signs are needed.  This item needs to be put to a vote at an upcoming MAC meeting.

According to the CA Vehicle Code, at "T" intersections, traffic on the terminating street (stem of the T) has to yield to the traffic on the through street (top of the T).  STOP sign typically is not needed.  However, when there is sufficient traffic volume, and potential conflicts exist, STOP sign may be appropriate for the terminating street.

For cross intersections, if sight distance is restricted, two-way stop control may be beneficial.

5.  What is the maintenance schedule for resurfacing the roads within the B-BAR-H Ranch North.  We need to know when the last resurfacing occurred and when we can get them resurfaced again.

CSA 115 will have to research their records and make that determination.  We will contact Andy Frost at EDA to obtain past CSA 115 meeting minutes and history to discuss at a future meeting.

6.  We'd also like to know if we can work through the Transportation Dept for obtaining a low voltage solar lamp street light. 

The need for installing additional street lights will be up to the CSA to determine.  Regarding solar-powered street lights, these typically are LEDs and have a "Cool White" color - quite different from the color (more orange-yellowish) of the existing Hight Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights.   Be cautious in using solar-powered lights at this time since the solar panel on the street lamp may require high maitenance (need a clean surface to produce maximum electric current, and is highly susceptible to vandelism).  Who will be responsible for maintenance once the solar-powered lights are installed?

LED street lights using conventional power could be an alternative; however, as far as we know, the initial cost is high.  Our recent analysis for currently available products shows that the recovery period (from energy saving) is longer than the warranty life of the street light.  New and better products will be available in the next few years.  Until then, the recommendation is to wait to utilize LED street lights. 

If the MAC wishes to install additional conventional-powered street lights on non-county maintained streets within CSA 115, the CSA should work with EDA and contact SCE directly.

7.  "No Dumping Sign" on 20th Ave are needed.

If the CSA pays for the signs, RCTD will install them.  Unfortunately, these signs are subject to vandalism and knock down, and often get stolen.   RCTD will NOT be able to maintain these signs within county road rights-of-way.  We will also contact Chaka Ferrel, Riverside County Community Improvement Specialist, regarding this issue.

8.  Centerline Striping on 20th Ave and on Bubbling Wells Road

Mr. Tai drove both 20 Ave and Bubbling Wells Rd after the meeting.  RCTD will install the yellow centerline on 20th Ave between Palm Dr. and Mt. View, and on Buddbling Wells between Dillon and 20th Ave.  RCTD will install the centerline in 4 to 6 weeks when the field crews can be scheduled.

9.  Speed Limits on 20th Ave (between Palm Dr and Mt. View) and on Bubbling Wells Rd (between Dillon Rd and 20th Ave)

RCTD  will be installing 45 mph speed limit signs on 20th Ave between Mt. View and Bubbling Wells Rd based on Engineering and Traffic Surveys (E&TS).     RCTD will obtain updated speed surveys on both Bubbling Wells (between Dillon and 20th Ave) and 20th Ave (between Bubbling Wells and Palm Dr) in November.

10.  Street name signs for 18th Ave and for El Serape on Bubbling Wells Rd

Based on our field review, we'll relocate the "18th ST" street name signs to the dirt road intersection (18th Street), and install new advance street name signs "El Serape ->" on Bubbling Wells Rd in advance of the intersection of El Serape and Bubbling Wells Rd.

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Comments are open for our readers.  Please feel free to submit your thoughts.   Our next MAC meeting is scheduled for December 10, 2009 at Bubbling Wells Elementary School Library at 6:00 p.m. 

Community Improvement News

Desert Hot Springs Arial View Map
Click Image to Enlarge Map

from Chaka Ferrel,
Riverside County Community Improvement Specialist

There are two Community Improvement Programs being announced today. The programs are sponsored by Riverside County. Click the links below to read the details.

Junk and Trash Removal Program: http://www.paintbrushtrail.com/JunkTrashRemoval.pdf
Available in English and Spanish.


Desert Care Program:
http://www.paintbrushtrail.com/DesertCare.pdf
Available in English and Spanish.


Contact
Chaka Ferrel, (951) 892-1377 or email cosborne @ rctlma.org

The $400K Road to NOwhere: MAC Meeting a Lively Discussion

- VOICE OF THE PEOPLE -

The $400K Road to NOwhere: MAC Meeting a Lively Discussion
by Jim Fosbinder, B-BAR-H Resident

The first MAC meeting held July 9th at the VFW was attended by 20+ B-BAR-H Ranch Residents. And, it was a lively conversation. We learned about the purpose of the MAC, how we can participate, and most importantly, how we can be heard to get things done for the common good of all!

We were a little disappointed the "old" CSA 115 Board Members were up to their "old" tricks and decided to introduce the "new" MAC to their Standard Operating Procedure "coup d'etat" of no-show of one Board Member so there wasn't a quorum. We aren't going to tolerate that old way of doing business within our new MAC! Residents were eager to contribute suggestions and ideas for our next meeting which we hope will be scheduled prior to October!!!

Brenda Salas, Project Manager, explained we need more people for our MAC's Board of Directors; 5-7 Board Members is ideal in case there's any absenteeism. Volunteers came forth to become a MAC Board Member: Andy Biswas, Tad Seney, and Guy Hildebrand are applying for the MAC Board. Plus, Steve Grasha already submitted his application, and Brenda confirmed it has been received. We should have a strong MAC Board soon who will represent the area to help get things done for our neighborhood.

A lively discussion was centered around the new "Road to Nowhere." The County may have approved a second entrance/exit for our area, but we learned last night there's a 80-90% chance we can overturn the decision. There's no need to spend our tax dollars on a road we do not want or need. A petition was presented at the meeting signed by 20+ residents. The petition will be sent to Brenda Salas to present to the Board Of Supervisors as our first attempt to stop the "$400K Road to Nowhere." We also communicated clearly, we will do whatever it takes to stop this wasteful spending of our tax dollars.

Juan Perez, Director of Transportation, heads up Riverside County's transportation department. Brenda is going to ask him to attend our next MAC meeting to give us a staff report on the road project status and the amount of money already spent from our tax dollars for this project. We need to find out from Mr. Perez what we need to do to put a halt on this wasteful spending before it gets out of control. At our last Neighborhood Meeting (not the MAC), Chad Wilshire, Senior Development Specialist for Riverside County, informed us money has already been spent on some of the engineering of the road project. We really need to stop this unneeded spending of our tax dollars.

Did you know we have a second exit out of the area through 18th Street? It's a dirt road, but works perfectly if there's an emergency! It's large enough for dump trucks and fire trucks. We really need to think about spending $400K on a new road when we already have two entrances/exits from our area. Pat Carney said the 18th Street exit crosses a vacant lot. If you own the lot, please contact us. Regardless, I don't think Police, Fire or Ambulance care if the road crosses a vacant lot -- they'll use it anyway!

Someone mentioned the idea of putting up a gated road which would be locked and used only for an emergency. Only police and fire would have the key. Well, although this sounds like a fancy alternative, the tax dollars and cost would increase to create a gate and all! I don't think this is a good way to spend our tax dollars! And again, it's not needed because we can exit using El Serape Road and 18th Street onto Bubbling Wells.

There were many other topics discussed, and we are preparing information for our next meeting. The next MAC Meeting is tentatively scheduled for October 8, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. We're going to see if we can get an earlier date. The location will be determined later and posted on the blog.

Here's what we're planning for the next meeting topics:

1. Speed Bumps
2. Stop Signs
3. Road Improvement - Black Top
4. Solar Street Lamps
5. Traffic Study for 20th Avenue & Bubbling Wells Road
6. Change our Name from Desert Hot Springs to??? Please bring your ideas to the next meeting!
7. Arch Area Improvement
8. Staff Report from Dept. of Transportation about the status of the "road to nowhere" project

We were told things get done by people who attend the meetings.

It was good to see Code Enforcement represented at our first MAC Meeting. For those of you who are concerned, Mary Overholt, Code Enforcement Officer, said the broken fence at the end of Sagebrush Trail is being addressed. Plus, we were told there will be more Code Enforcement Officers scheduled to drive through our area on a regular basis to help us maintain the integrity of the community. On behalf of our area, we thanked Code Enforcement for attending our first MAC and for the help they've given us to clean up our neighborhood. If you haven't done so, take a drive around. You can see the difference Code Enforcement's Community Improvement Department has made! Our Riverside County, Community Improvement Specialist is Chaka Ferrel.

Let's create a fresh, new Municipal Advisory Committee! Let's do things for the common good of us all and create a community we are proud to call our home! Let's use our roads & lighting tax dollars wisely for the things we need to improve our community and our property.

Spread the word. Talk to your neighbors. Tell people who don't have a computer about the MAC.

An Economic Resource Open House

from Chaka Ferrel, Riverside County Code Enforcement

Networking Opportunities, Honoring Women, and Providing Resources and Support for Tough Economic Times

The Commission for Women, a group of experienced leaders who are appointed by the Board of Supervisors, will be hosting our annual Women of the Year Award presentation, as well as an Economic Resources Open House.

This event is offered for County employees and the Community who are experiencing hardships due to the economic crisis. Some of the resources available will be: Springboard Financial Counseling, Riverside County’s Homeownership Education Learning Program (RC’s HELP), EDA/ Housing Authority, Workforce Development, and Much More!

Event Details:
Economic Resource Open House
April 14th, 2009
8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
County Administrative Center Annex
4080 Lemon Street, Riverside

Women of the Year Award Presentation
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
County Administrative Center Board of Supervisors Chambers
4080 Lemon Street, Riverside

To R.S.V.P. to be a Vendor at this event, in order to provide resources for Women, click on the following link or copy and paste the address onto your browser:
http://thecenter.rc-hr.com/Default.aspx?tabid=2053

To R.S.V.P. as a Participant at this event, click on the following link or copy and paste the address onto your browser:
http://thecenter.rc-hr.com/Default.aspx?tabid=2056

For more information, please view the flyer by clicking on the link
http://www.rc-hr.com/Portals/0/Flyers/Woman_of_the_Year_Flyer.pdf

or copy and paste the address into your browser.
For more information regarding the Commission for Women go to:
http://www.rc-hr.com/cfw

Should you have questions about this event, you may contact Diane Harris, Liaison for the Commission for Women at DIHarris(at)rc-hr.com

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