March 10, 2023 County Update

Some helpful tips

• Ensure you have plenty of extra water and non-   perishable foods on hand
• Plan travel accordingly and check latest forecasts
• Keep extra medicine and first aid supplies on hand
• Store a flashlight with extra batteries
• Protect your property against flooding with sandbags
• Remove snow off roofs
• Beware of falling ice and snow
• Clear snow adjacent to structures

Sandbags are available at all County Fire District fire stations. In this video, Battalion Chief Mike Wakoski shows how to use sandbags to protect your property. 

Road-clearing crews have made significant progress in their efforts to get vehicles back on San Bernardino County mountain roadways.   

Highway (Hwy) 18 between Lucerne Valley and Big Bear was opened to all vehicle traffic on Tuesday. Drivers are urged to exercise caution in all areas of Hwy 18 and Hwy 330 as snow removal and mitigation is ongoing. Additional mountain roadways are open to residents only as crews continue around-the-clock work to clear snow from the road. 

For the latest road conditions, visit the San Bernardino County road closure map and Caltrans.

Keep gas meters free of snow and ice

Mountain residents are urged to clear snow and ice away from gas meters with a broom or a brush, if it is safe to do so. San Bernardino County Fire and SoCalGas crews are responding to calls of natural gas leaks throughout the storm-struck mountain communities. 

Fire officials warn that gas meters may be damaged under the weight of heavy snowfall and ice.  A gas leak may occur if that weight forces a gas meter to separate from a building.

If you suspect a natural gas leak, evacuate immediately and call the fire department or SoCalGas^® at 1-800-427-2200 .

Trash Collection Sites

Mountain residents can dispose of waste at the following locations until post-snowstorm waste collection resumes:

• Lake Arrowhead Elementary School, 1300 Golden Rule Ln., Lake Arrowhead, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Charles Hoffman Elementary School, 2851 Running Springs School Rd., Running Springs, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Valley of Enchantment Elementary School, 22836 Fir Ln., Crestline, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Mary Putnam Henck Elementary School, 730 Rhine Rd., Lake Arrowhead, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Burrtec Mountain Disposal Crestline Yard, 988 Waterman Canyon Rd., Crestline, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Valero Gas Station, 26599 Pine Ave., Rim Forrest, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Lake Gregory North Parking Lot, 24171 Lake Dr., Crestline, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Prescription Delivery Available

Food and supplies available at distribution sites

Free food and supplies are being distributed daily to mountain residents in Wrightwood, Running Springs, Blue Jay, Crestline, and the Valley of Enchantment. 

Distribution sites open daily at 10 a.m. at the following locations:

• Wrightwood Community Center, 1275 Hwy 2, Wrightwood
• Charles Hoffman Elementary School, 2851 Running Springs Rd., Running Springs
• Crestline Library, 24105 Lake Gregory Dr., Crestline
• Valley of Enchantment Elementary School, 22836 Fir Lane, Crestline
• Arrowhead Library, 27235 State Hwy 189, Blue Jay

For updated information visit GIS Map of Current Snow Removal Status or call the County Storm Response Hotline at 909-387-3911.

Eligible costs include the removal of snow from private property, including driveways and walkways, and private roads. This one-time reimbursement is limited to one applicant per address/property or business.

All snow removal work must be completed by May 1, 2023, and reimbursement claims must be submitted to the County by May 10, 2023.  Apply Now.

Snow removal work that was performed prior to February 22, 2023 is not eligible for reimbursement. Additionally, this program is not available to vacant homes, unoccupied vacation rental properties, or unimproved parcels.

Ways to donate:

1. Donors may call the County hotline at (909) 387-3911 press option 2, during business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to speak with a donation coordinator, or visit San Bernardino County Storm Response Emergency Donations  for information regarding donations. A County team member will reach out to donors to coordinate next steps if the specific services or items are needed at this time. 
2. Monetary donations can be made to the Red Cross. To make a $10 donation, text the word REDCROSS to 90999. You can also visit American Red Cross or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.  Please indicate San Bernardino County Storm Disaster Relief.

Please note, the need for donations is evolving. If donors do not receive a response, the donation may not be needed at this time.

Residents interested in receiving donations can visit one of the County’s food and supply distribution sites. For updated site information, visit GIS Map of Current Snow Removal Status.

A series of six 55-hour freeway closures are scheduled on select weekends to allow crews to safely perform paving operations on eastbound (EB) and westbound (WB) SR 210 at the on- and off-ramp junctures of the San Bernardino Avenue interchange.  The work is part of the SR 210 Lane Addition and Base Line Interchange Project in Highland and Redlands.

55-hour directional closures will take place during weekends from Friday at 10 p.m. to Monday at 5 a.m., and are scheduled for the following dates*:

• Friday, March 24 through Monday, March 27 (EB)

• Friday, March 31 through Monday, April 3 (EB)

• Friday, April 14 through Monday, April 17 (EB)

* Please remember construction is dynamic and the schedule is subject to change.

SBCTA hosted a webinar on Thursday, February 16 to provide an overview about the series of directional 55-hour freeway closures on SR 210 in Highland and Redlands.

To learn more about the closures and detours:

• Visit SR 210 Lane Addition/Base Line Interchange

• Sign up for weekly construction alerts

• Bookmark SBCTA’s interactive Google Map for real time closure and detour information

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The SR 210 Lane Addition and Base Line Interchange Project is designed to provide increased traffic flow throughout this corridor. To eliminate the existing bottleneck and provide lane continuity, the SR 210 will be widened from Sterling Avenue to San Bernardino Avenue in the cities of San Bernardino, Highland, and Redlands, as well as an unincorporated portion of San Bernardino County. Base Line Interchange will also be widened from Buckeye Street to Seine Avenue in the City of Highland, which will include widening three of the four interchange ramps. As the SR 210 Lane Addition and Base Line Interchange projects aligned geographically and shared similar delivery schedules, they were combined for the design, right-of-way, and construction phases to save cost and expedite the schedule. In addition, pavement rehabilitation work was added through a cooperative agreement with Caltrans that includes new concrete pavement between 5th Street and Lugonia Avenue. Adding the pavement rehabilitation work during the Lane Addition and Base Line Interchange projects means one less project that the community will have to navigate around in the future.

In the event of a layoff, such as this one, WDB and its Rapid Response team provide the information, tools and resources to seamlessly connect displaced workers to their next employment opportunities. WDB receives a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN notices, and quickly mobilizes staff and partners to connect workers being laid off to local companies and organizations that are actively hiring.

WDB also partners with various Chambers of Commerce in the county to increase capacity and timeliness to even better serve displaced workers. In this case, the Fontana Chamber of Commerce worked with WDB to quickly assist 25 of the displaced Hubbell workers.

WDB and chamber staff held multiple career fairs, provided job search and resume assistance, and gathered information on the positions being eliminated to begin matching them with comparable opportunities around the region. Sixteen of the displaced workers were placed at Crown Technical Systems; the other nine at Pacific Forge.

“They were very helpful in making sure we were being connected to the right job for us individually. They also offered us bus passes, even work boots, if we needed them,” Orosco said.

Now at Crown Technical as a Leadman, Orosco has more flexibility and learning opportunities. In his previous position at Hubbell, he worked the night shift. In his new job, the father of four and recent grandfather is thrilled to have the morning shift, which has allowed him to volunteer to coach his kids’ baseball teams again, as well as spend time with his grandbaby. He also appreciates how Crown has been so supportive and willing to help in any way they can.

“Many of us are new here, and they really take the time to train us as much as we need,” Orosco said.

His story mirrors that of hundreds of workers across the county who have benefitted from WDB’s Rapid Response program. Late last year, after nearly 300 workers were abruptly laid off from United Furniture Industries (UFI) in Victorville, WDB and its High Desert partners immediately sprang into action, contacting local employers, such as Ashley Furniture, Big Lots, Walmart and Plastipak Packaging, to begin placing the affected UFI employees.

“By collaborating with community partners, such as Chambers of Commerce, we are able to better serve our community when they need us most. Services like our Rapid Response events are critical to someone who cannot afford to miss even one paycheck,” said Third District Supervisor and Board of Supervisors Chair Dawn Rowe.

In addition to job and career placement, WDB resources include individualized job search and resume assistance, and connection with Veterans services, skills certifications, on-the-job training, financial assistance for training, information on unemployment benefits, COBRA, 401(k) options, the Affordable Care Act, child support assistance, and more. For more information on Workforce Development Board programs, call: (800) 451-JOBS (5627), visit one of our County’s three America’s Job Centers of California, or go to our website.

About the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board

The San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board (WDB) is comprised of private business representatives and public partners appointed by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.  The WDB strives to strengthen the skills of the County’s workforce through partnerships with business, education and community-based organizations. The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors is committed to providing County resources, which generate jobs and investment in line with the Countywide Vision.

The WDB, through the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Department, offers a variety of programs designed to help youth and adults identify career pathways and get the appropriate training and skills. Programs funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) provide eligible youth, ages 16 to 24, access to a variety of career and educational services designed to help enhance job skills, develop leadership qualities, explore career options, participate in adult and peer mentoring opportunities, and take advantage of work experiences. In addition, the WDB operates San Bernardino County’s three America’s Job Centers of California (AJCC). The AJCCs provide individuals with job training, placement and the tools to strengthen their skills to achieve a higher quality of life. The AJCCs also support and provide services to the County’s businesses, including employee recruitment and business retention programs, and a free Human Resource hotline (877-282-3763) is available to answer any HR, employment and compliance-related inquiries and more.

Employers and job seekers interested in WDB programs may call (800) 451-JOBS (5627), visit our website, the WDB YouTube page and follow us @SBCWorkforce.

WDB’s job and resource fairs are a Title-1 financially assisted program and an equal opportunity employer program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Federal Funding Disclosure Information.

The draft plan is a comprehensive report that illustrates the impact made by DBH and its contracted partners in addressing the behavioral health needs of San Bernardino County. This report also includes the proposed changes to MHSA programming for the upcoming fiscal years. For complete information on the MHSA Three-Year Plan, visit Mental Health Services Act now until March 15, 2023. 

The MHSA was passed by California voters in November 2004 and is funded by a one percent tax surcharge on personal income over $1 million per year. DBH, through the MHSA, is supporting the Countywide Vision by providing behavioral health services and ensuring residents have the resources they need to promote wellness, recovery, and resilience in the community. Information on the Countywide Vision and on DBH can be found at SBCounty.gov.

Judgeships are created by the State Legislature and funded through the state budget process. The number of judges in the Inland Empire has not kept pace with rapid population growth in the region over the past 20 years. A recent needs assessment indicated that Riverside County is short 22 judges while San Bernardino County is short 30. Without enough judges to efficiently try cases, this creates a heavier caseload on current superior court judges and creates delays for County residents to resolve their outstanding legal issues. San Bernardino County is strongly advocating for the passage of SB 75, including sufficient funding in the state budget to pay for the 26 new judgeships.

The State Legislative Process

 Every year, the California State Legislature creates hundreds of new laws. At the start of the legislative cycle, the 80 assembly members and 40 senators introduce thousands of legislative proposals, commonly called bills. The rules committee assigns certain bills to policy committees to review each proposal, while budget bills are carefully evaluated by the budget committees in both chambers. Members of the Legislature are appointed to policy committees and meet regularly to hear testimony on the bills to determine whether they should be enacted into law. If the bill passes out of all assigned committees, it advances to the floor of the chamber for debate and a vote by the entire Assembly or Senate. Regular bills need a majority of votes to pass, while bills with a financial component or urgency clause require a two-thirds vote.

This process is repeated in the second house, as bills are reassigned to policy or budget committees. Once a bill passes out of both houses, it goes to the Governor’s desk. The Governor can sign it, allow it to become law without his signature, or veto it. If it’s signed or allowed to become law, the Secretary of State chapters the bill as an official state law. If it’s vetoed, a two-thirds vote in each chamber is needed to override the Governor’s veto.

The Office of Legislative Affairs tracks hundreds of bills as they move through the legislative process in Sacramento, monitoring for potential impact on County operations. The Board of Supervisors takes positions on County priority legislation, authorizing staff to influence state policy throughout this process.

Seeds: N­ature’s Artful Engineering, an exhibit that aims to increase awareness and appreciation of seeds and their incredibly valuable role in California’s ecological systems, will be open from Mar. 12 to May 7, 2023. Seeds: Nature’s Artful Engineering features over 25 detailed photographs of seeds in wild and garden settings, primarily taken by Northern California plantsman and naturalist, John Whittlesey, as well as over 30 seed specimens. The images vividly portray the intriguing seed structures and dispersal mechanisms of native plants as they enter the final stage of their evolutionary biology: ensuring the survival of plant life.

Pollinators: Keeping Company with Flowers, an exhibit that portrays the relationship between insects and the flowers they pollinate, will be open from May 21 to July 16, 2023. The exhibit features over 50 photographs of pollinators in wild and garden settings, primarily taken by Northern California plantsman and naturalist, John Whittlesey. These images vividly portray the intriguing lives of bees, butterflies, flies, and beetles. The exhibit aims to increase awareness and appreciation of the incredible beauty and diversity of pollinators in California.

Mushrooms: Keys to the Kingdom Fungi, an exhibit that explores the lives and environmental roles of fungi, will be open from July 30 to Sept. 24, 2023. The exhibit features 30 photographs of mushrooms in the wild taken by Northern California plantspeople and naturalists, John Whittlesey and Jennifer Jewell. Through large, detailed photographs, 3D models and hands-on demonstrations, this exhibit introduces viewers to a wide range of mushroom-producing fungi and their valuable roles in the environment.

The San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane in Redlands. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military/senior), $7 (student), and $5 (children ages 6 to 12). Children 5 and under and Museum members are free. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to persons with disabilities.

The San Bernardino County Museum’s exhibits of regional, cultural and natural history and the Museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.

For more information, visit San Bernardino County Museum.