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It’s official. The Bristlecone Pine Forest Visitor Center located in the White Mountains of the Inyo National Forest is now open. The forest held a grand opening celebration Sept. 1 with 400 people in attendance.

Serving as Master of Ceremonies was John Louth, Manager of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Louth has been nominated by the Pacific Southwest Region of the U.S. Forest Service for the national Gifford Pinchot Excellence in Interpretation and Conservation Education award for his work in the development of the new visitor center exhibits. The nomination also recognizes Louth’s 20 years of work in interpretation and conservation education and his contributions and assistance to many local communities, non-profits, tribes and other organizations in the development and delivery of interpretive services in the Eastern Sierra region.

Located at 10,000 feet elevation in the congressionally designated Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, the new visitor center interprets to an international audience the significance of the oldest living trees on earth. The new building is entirely solar powered and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified and was built to replace the old log cabin visitor center that was destroyed by arson fire in 2008.

The 2,500-square-foot visitor center, which was designed by Shah Kawasaki Architects from Oakland, Calif., features a high-beamed ceiling and is a rustic wood and stone design, reminiscent of some national park lodges. Inside the building visitors are treated to a 28-seat theater (where the film Living History is shown), a bookstore operated by the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association, an art gallery of Bristlecone art and interpretive exhibits that tell the story of the natural history of the ancient trees. Patio exhibits outside the building help after-hours visitors to understand how these trees live for so long and in such environmentally harsh conditions.

The grand opening celebration, hosted by the Inyo National Forest and the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association, honored the many volunteers, donors, and supporters who contributed resources, time and energy in helping to make the reconstruction project possible. Artists and the Interpretive Association were recognized during the ceremony for all they have contributed over the past four years.

For more information about the Bristlecone Pine Forest Visitor Center please go to the Inyo National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/inyo or call 760.873.2500.

(Submitted photo)

Inyo National Forest Supervisor Ed Armenta is pleased to announce that the long-anticipated opening of the new Bristlecone Pine Forest Visitor Center has been scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 1. A grand opening celebration is slated to take place at Schulman Grove with music starting at 1 p.m. and the formal ceremony at 2 p.m. The celebration will include music by the Idle Hands String Band, guest speakers, a Paiute blessing , an art exhibit, a ribbon cutting and much more. Interpretive programs and patio talks will be offered throughout the day.

The state-of-the-art facility is entirely solar powered and includes a small theatre, beautiful exhibits, stunning architecture and a wonderful new bookstore run by the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association. The visitor center is in the same location as the previous facility and is fully handicapped accessible.

The grand opening celebration is bound to be an enjoyable event for visitors and locals alike, many of whom have donated to and supported the reconstruction effort. Those planning on attending the grand opening are urged to carpool with friends and neighbors as parking will be limited . Additional information on the grand opening can be found at the Inyo National Forest website, www.fs.usda.gov/inyo, or by calling John Louth at 760.873.2577. -Press Release

Two Big Pine men were recently arrested for allegedly stealing a motorcycle and ATV from Tinnemaha Campground. The two vehicles were reported stolen on Nov. 10. By the following afternoon Inyo County Sheriff’s Department had located the stolen motorcycle as it was being driven in the Big Pine area.

Casey Stine, 18, was the rider. When the Sheriff’s Deputy tried to make an enforcement stop, Stine failed to pull over and a pursuit ensued. After fleeing the scene, Stine abandoned the stolen motorcycle in the area of the Big Pine sewer ponds.

Also on Nov. 11, Daniel Bencoma, 23, was found to be in possession of the ATV. He was taken into custody. Stine was later apprehended by CHP while hiding in Bishop. –CHP/LAK

Big Pine residents are preparing to comment on and potentially protest a significant sewer rate increase intended to bring the town sewer system back within state standards.

According to the latest Big Pine Community Services District proposal, household rates will double from $15 to $30, while commercial business rates will increase from $.90 to $3 per billing unit (the first raise since 1978). The proposal also includes a monthly charge of $10 to both residents and businesses that will continue for 5 years to fund maintenance and repair of the 40 year old sewer treatment facility.

The cost of repairs and upgrades to equipment could be as much as $400,000 said treatment plant operator Denis Tillemans. Previous district board members have left sewer rates too low to cover the cost of these repairs, in part to help commercial businesses, and in part because raising rates is “a nasty business. You get a lot of upset people. So the mentality has been, ‘let the next board member deal with the problem.’ Now we have to face the music,” said Tillemans.

Big Pine is facing the music specifically because of a recent notice of violation issued by the Lahontan Regional Quality Control Board, which stated that Big Pine’s sewer system was not up to state code. If the district fails to make improvements, Lahontan will issue a cease and desist order, after which it can fine the district up to $5,000 per day until the sewer system is in code compliance. Were Lahontan to impose this fine, Tillemans said, the district would be bankrupt in 2 months. Lahontan would also have the power to appoint an administrative law judge to run the district, and “there can be no public protest at that point,” Tillemans explained. The district has determined rate increases with residents’ incomes in mind; the administrative law judge might not have the same concern. “If the community turns down the rate increase, it doesn’t mean it won’t happen,” Tillemans said.

Residents will have a chance to protest the Big Pine Community Services District proposal on Nov. 17 per their Proposition 218 rights. Proposition 218 “ensure(s) that all taxes and most charges on property owners are subject to voter approval.” This means that property owners have the right to protest the rate increase, and with a majority of 50% plus one, to overturn it.

But Tillemans pointed out that a similar case five years ago regarding water rates was resolved without enough protest to veto the plan. “This one is a bigger rate increase, so there probably will be more protest,” he said. “But we’re between a rock and a hard place. The outcome just depends on how well the district explains the situation to the community.”

The public hearing will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17 at the Big Pine Town Hall on Dewey Street. For more information, call the district at 760.938.2660.

Sitting in his RV with his most important belongings, watching flames lick the edges of Big Pine, Kent Schlick had one major concern on his mind: a friend whom he hoped had evacuated his home as well.

“I had gone over to my friend’s trailer because he is a private individual and I was concerned he had decided to wait for the fire to blow over and had not evacuated,” Schlick said.

When he arrived with a Sheriff at the Glacier View Trailer Park where his friend lived, there was fire 25 feet from his trailer. Schlick went inside and looked around but did not find his friend. As he sat in motorhome later, he feared that somehow he had missed him and he was still in his trailer that had now burned to the ground – along with nine other trailers.

Fortunately, it turns out his friend had heard Inyo County Sheriffs driving through the trailer park with loudspeakers telling people to evacuate. He had heeded that warning, grabbing all but two of his cats, which are still missing.

The Center Fire started around 3 p.m. on March 18 less than one mile from the town of Big Pine. Reports have been verified that an AA group, which had been renting rooms from the Bernasconi School had started a fire to keep themselves warm. When the group left, they believed the fire to be out, but strong winds picked up the fire’s embers and it quickly began to spread.

Schlick had been in Bishop when the fire started. He could see smoke in the direction of Big Pine and decided to start heading home. It was then that he received a red alert on his phone from the Sheriff’s Department.

“The Sheriffs Department has a code red system that you can sign up for in order to receive alerts about any emergencies in your town,” Schlick explained.

The system calls one’s phone and reports what it going on and continues to send you updates throughout the incident. ]

“It keeps you in the loop and helps word travel quickly,” Schlick explained.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon and into the evening the fire raged all around Big Pine, jumping whichever way the wind dictated. U.S. 395 was shut down in both directions for hours, and Big Pine residents watched and waited, some from outlying roads where they had been evacuated, others still in their homes waiting for word from the Sheriff’s Department in case they had to flee as well.

At one point the fire was headed for the center of town, right toward the fire station.

“The command center had been set up next to the fire station so at one point the emergency teams thought they were going to have to evacuate as well,” Schlick said. At the last minute, however, the fire changed direction. In a similar nail-biting situation, Schlick watched as the fire headed toward the town’s landmark Bristlecone Pine, ready to consume it. At the last minute, the fire jumped the highway, away from the tree.

19 residences were not so lucky.

“The relief efforts started immediately,” Schlick explained. Town leaders began organizing the recovery and the Big Pine Unified School District offered to put a link on its home website to all the efforts going on and options for those in need. This link has now become the central information source for people either in need of help, or looking to help. (Check it out at www.bp.k12.ca.us).

Deja vu

Schlick has lived in Big Pine long enough to have also experienced the Inyo Complex Fire several years ago. Still a newcomer to town then, he had arrived home that fateful day to discover there was a fire in progress, he found that his neighbors had come over to his house to help his wife pack up the car.

“They were helping her when they could have just been helping themselves,” Schlick said.

So this time around, Schlick wishes to return the favor.

“The support of everyone in the Eastern Sierra has been overwhelming,” he said. “We’re taking care of each other, which is the way America should be.”

Updated March 21, 8:15 a.m. The Center Fire is 100 percent contained after burning 850 acres and destroying 19 residences, according to Cal Fire’s website. One injury was reported. All evacuations have been lifted and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. As of yesterday, firefighters remained at the scene to mop up and patrol for hot spots. The American Red Cross is offering assistance to the victims whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the fire.

A fire, which started on the afternoon of March 18 continues to burn into the weekend, but diminished winds and a light rain on the morning of March 19 are helping firefighters get the blaze under control. As of 8 a.m. on March 19 Cal Fire was reporting that the blaze, dubbed the Center Fire, had burned approximately 1,200 acres and damaged or destroyed 19 residences with 100 residences still threatened.

On Friday evening, March 18, the fire closed the U.S. 395 in both directions, blocking skiers and snowboarders from reaching Mammoth Mountain. By Saturday morning the highway had been reopened.

Approximately 200 firefighters are working to put out the blaze, which is expected to be fully contained by Sunday, March 20. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Visit Cal Fire’s website for further information.

It’s tough to imagine a great western movie without the cowboys in it bellying up to the bar once or twice, so this year, for its 21^st birthday, the Lone Pine Film Festival honors the film studio that gave so many “cowboys” their start.

The 21^st Annual Lone Pine Film Festival takes place this weekend, Oct. 8-10, and as usual celebrates the movie locations in the Eastern Sierra, specifically Lone Pine, where many great westerns were filmed. In addition, the festival will also pay homage to Republic Pictures, which created the cowboy phenomena popular in B westerns and recently celebrated its 75^th anniversary on Sept. 25. The studio’s very first film release was “Westward Ho!” starring John Wayne, which was filmed primarily in the Alabama Hills and the Owens Valley.

“Republic created more than 40 films in the area and created John Wayne as we know him today,” said Inyo County Film Commissioner Chris Langley, referring to Wayne’s name change from Marion Morrison to John Wayne during his up and coming days with Republic.

“Republic producers and directors loved going on location to Lone Pine as one of their favorite locations for nearly 30 years,” says the Film Festival’s website. Gene Autry and Roy Rogers were also brought up through the movie-making ranks by Republic and made films in the Lone Pine area.

In addition to recognizing Republic’s anniversary, this year’s Lone Pine Film Festival also offers four new tours.

“Our bus tours are what make us stand out from other film festivals,” said Festival Director Robert Barron.

Instead of just hearing where the films were made, festival-goers are actually driven to the sites where their favorite movie heroes once stood.

The first new tour is “The Duke Stopped By: John Wayne Film Locations,” which will explore spots where Wayne filmed I Covered the War and Tycoon, among others. Wayne’s “Image Carrier” Jake Thorn will accompany the group and share first-hand stories of the Duke.

The second tour is an in-depth exploration of the Hopalong Cassidy film locations of Dangerous Venture and the third new tour will visit film locations for three of Tyrone Powers’ films: Brigham Young; Rawhide and King of the Khyber Rifles. Powers is featured on this year’s festival button, which is your key to entry into many of the weekend’s events.

The fourth new tour this year steps away from the western genre and into the world of science fiction. “Chasing the Sand Worms: A Focus on Tremors” takes participants to the many locations where this 1990 film starring Kevin Bacon was shot.

“The sites for this tour are not close together so it will be a car caravan tour, not a bus tour,” Langley said.

The Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History plays a key role in the annual festival, which according to Barron “takes over the whole town.”

The museum, now in its fourth year, hosts many of the festival’s events as well as special exhibits, including one from actor and artist Buck Taylor.

According to the festival’s website Taylor “shares both his extended acting career and his artistic accomplishments in an exhibit of his paintings this weekend. Perhaps best remembered for his continuing role in Gunsmoke as Newly O’Brien, he also appeared in the series Dallas, The Greatest Show on Earth and even General Hospital. Some film features include The Wild Angels, Pony Express Rider, Cattle Annie and Little Britches, The Legend of the Lone Ranger and Alamo. Buck had starring roles in Gettysburg, Tombstone, Gods and Generals, The Wendell Baker Story and Truce. Buck brings an exhibit of paintings for sale as well as an exhibit from his personal collection. His painting appears on the cover of the Festival program, on the poster and the Tee shirt, which he generously donated the use of to the Festival.”

Rounding out the weekend will be one-on-one interviews with all the celebrity guests conducted by Cheryl Rogers Barnett (daughter of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans). The interviews will be recorded on DVD and made available for purchase for those who are unable to attend the actual event or who just want to take a piece of it home with them, according to Langley.

Having Rogers Barnett in attendance also helps kick off a year-long celebration of Roy Rogers who would have celebrated his 100^th birthday in 2011. The theme of next year’s film festival will be focused on Rogers.

Celebrity panels will also be held and moderated by Packy Smith. Both interviews and panels will be held at Statham Hall.

For more information on the Lone Pine Film Festival visit www.lonepinefilmhistorymuseum.org.

Photo: Cat Connor

According to a press release from the Inyo National Forest, the paved road into the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest as far as Schulman Grove will open tomorrow, May 21.

Bristlecone Pine Forest Manager John Louth stated that while the Methuselah Trail is still blocked by snow,  two other trails at Schulman Grove are now open and snow free. The Bristlecone Pine Forest Visitor Contact Station will be staffed on weekends beginning May 29 and will increase days of operation after the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Louth also noted that the Silver and Wyman Canyon Roads will also open on May 21. The White Mountain Road past Silver Canyon, the White Moutnain Peak Trailhead and Patriarch Grove all remain closed due to snow.

For further information on the road conditions in the White Mountains or days of operation at the Bristlecone Pine Forest Visitor Station please contact John Louth at 760.873.2514.

Big Pine artist Carroll Thomas turns 100 on April 29 (Photo courtesy Meta Cheryl White)

Local artist and gallery owner Carroll Thomas marked his 100th birthday on April 29, and to celebrate he’s having a party on May 1 and wants the public to attend.

Born in Clarinda, Iowa in 1910, Thomas has had a long and winding road of a life, according to his friend and author of his upcoming book, Meta Cheryl White. At age 9, he and his family moved to Manitou Springs, Colo., where he first began his painting career. There was much in Manitou Springs to impress a young artist, including stately Pikes Peak and the brilliant Garden of the Gods, which inspired his very first painting at age 9 (which he still has).

“Pikes Peak was his favorite,” White explained. Mt. Sill near Big Pine reminded Thomas of his childhood, which is why he decided to settle down and open a gallery in the Eastern Sierra at age 96. Mt. Sill is the view he has from his window.

Thomas Gallery is situated on US 395 and is the first gallery Thomas has owned that houses only his art.

“He owned a gallery in Tahoe in the 70s, but it had other people’s art in it too,” White said.

He had numerous close-calls over the years, including a dozen concussions, a Model T accident, several near drownings and a plane crash. Through it all, Thomas was painting beautiful watercolors of his experiences in the form of landscapes and wildlife. His art reflects his life of adventure.

According to White, he is known by many as the oldest living artist in America who still paints and runs a gallery, and he is quite proud of that title. He paints a little bit each day, only using tube watercolors, and is currently working on a depiction of a black bear.

A book by White, titled “The Adventures of the Oldest Living Artist,” is nearing publication and its pages recount Thomas’ colorful and daring life. His birthday party is being held on May 1 at the Thomas Gallery, the first building on the left in Big Pine as you head south from Bishop (look for the white picket fence). The general public is welcome to visit between the hours of 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

“He’s very excited and thinks he’ll make it to 105,” White said.

For those interested in getting a copy of the upcoming book of Thomas’ life story, visit www.carrollthomasgallery.net and click on “upcoming book.”

Residents of Lone Pine were awakened early Thursday morning — VERY early, around 3:01 a.m. — by a series of earthquakes, the largest of which was a magnitude-5.1 on the Richter Scale, that rattled that area of the Eastern Sierra.

The largest temblor was located about 18 miles southeast of Lone Pine along the east shore of the Owens River, and was followed during the next three hours by several smaller quakes ranging in magnitude between 3.0 and 3.5.
Inyo County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Faith Felton said no damages or injuries were reported.
Quakes with magnitudes of about 5.4 have previously occurred in the area in recent years, according to U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Randy Baldwin.
Thursday’s events were centered primarily in a rural area near Sequoia National Park. Lone Pine and its surrounding areas are located about 180 miles northeast of Los Angeles.