Didn't see this until now...

I was looking up the boundaries of Wonder Valley at the San Bernardino County LAFCO site and found this:

San Bernardino County Fire Protection District - Service Zone FP-4 (Wonder Valley)
Report Created: 1/22/2018

"The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District reorganized in July 2008 and created the South Desert Regional Service Zone. The South Desert Regional Service Zone is a component unit of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, in which the County Board of Supervisors is the board of directors of the district. Within the South Desert Regional Service Zone, Service Zone FP-4 Wonder Valley special tax was originally authorized by the Board of Supervisors in August 1972 (originally under CSA 70 M Zone FP-4). Service Zone FP-4 provides fire protection services to the community of Wonder Valley. These services are funded by a special tax of $30 per parcel with an annual 1.5% cost of living increase as approved by the voters in June 2005. The current special tax rate is $34.82 per parcel. Services had previously been provided through Fire Station #45. However, this fire station will be closing due to lack of funding and future services will be provided by the nearest available fire station. Data for 2012 is not available as there was a change in interpretation of reporting standards which returned in 2013. Additional information on the District can be accessed via the link below."

There was nothing official until now.

Lightning Storm

Lisa Manifold, the July Artist of the Month at the Wonder Valley Community Center, caught this amazing display in the wee hours of July 18, 2018. I believe this is lightning hitting the Bullion Mountains in Wonder Valley.

Come see Manifolds art hanging at the WVCC through the end of the month.

Wonder Valley August Artist of the Month | Joe Barrett

Joe Barrett is a local photographer and videographer who has loaned his expertise to the developing interest in Hazel I. Stiles’ Volcanic Gardens | Sermons in Stone.

Sermons in Stone is a text-based art project created by Wonder Valley homesteader Hazel I Stiles sometime in the 1980's. The text references both religion and patriotism, but is complicated by her vast personal readings and oblique references to Shakespeare and religious poets like Charles Barlow. The text was laid out meticulously -- stone by stone -- and can really only be read from above. The project covers an area of land about 300’ - 150’. Hazel’s personal story is interesting in itself and mirrors the disappointments that drive so many people out to this harsh land.

Ten photographs of the project, and 10 minutes of stunning drone footage, will be featured at the Wonder Valley Community Center, through August.

Joe Barrett will speak about his work on this project, drone photography, and videography, starting at 11 a.m., on Saturday, August 4th, at the Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526-½ Amboy Road, in Wonder Valley. Ken Sitz, his project partner, will also speak on Sermons in Stone, and the process that has taken place in bringing this homestead art to the public eye.

Everyone is welcome to come, enjoy the artwork, join the discussion, and ask questions.

ARTIST’S BIO

After serving in the US Air Force, Joe Barrett worked in the film industry in Los Angeles in several positions, including Production Design, Camera Operator, and Director. Active and involved in multiple artistic projects, Joe was sidelined in 2015 by the rare and debilitating disease, transverse myelitis. Retreating to the Morongo Basin, his long-time home away from home, Joe worked on his recovery, and turned to photography and video. He eventually bought land in Wonder Valley and transformed the remains of a derelict homestead cabin into one of the area’s most popular and unique HipCamps -- the Edge of the Wilderness.

In time, and with a lot of work, Joe got back on his feet - literally, and began shooting videos for local musicians and bands. Through these he became familiar with our harsh terrains, which he embraced, and optimized to emphasize human form and talent, making expert, and stunning, use of drone photography.

Joe met Ken Sitz at the local watering hole -- The Palms, and the two became friends. When Ken became interested in exploring Hazel Stiles’ homestead art project, long neglected and mostly forgotten, Ken turned to Joe for assistance in framing the project in a way that was more accessible to the public. Joe and his team spent many days on site photographing and filming this challenging project, which is best seen from above.

Joe’s latest video for Spectra Records recording artists, Firebug may be seen at the link below. The song is “Follower”, and was filmed almost entirely in Wonder Valley.
https://youtu.be/L8H7FirQyKY

Salvation Army Food Distribution

The Salvation Army Food Distribution takes place starting at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 25, at the Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526-½ Amboy Road, Wonder Valley, CA 92277. The Community Center is located between the Fire Station and the palm tree cell tower.

The distribution is first come first served, and ends when there is no more food. The distribution is open to Wonder Valley residents, who self-certify on site. No documentation is required, though you will need to fill out a form the first time you attend.

Starting in July the distribution will be “shopping style,” so bring a bag, and take what you like from a selection of food from Trader Joe’s. Please be mindful that people behind you need food, as well, and only take what you need. There may also be a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables.

A Salvation Army worker will be present to help people apply for Energy Assistance Funds (EAF) in partnership with Southern California Edison and the United Way. This program provides up to $100 towards a SoCal Edison bill for those who qualify. This program is open to anyone in the Morongo Basin, not just Wonder Valley residents. To qualify you will need three things:

1. An appointment. There are 10 appointments available this month. Call Teresa Sitz at 760-367-9880 for an appointment. Be sure to keep your confirmation number.
2. Your most recent Southern California Edison bill.
3. Your most recent proof of income.

Appointments will be scheduled starting at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 25, at the Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526-½ Amboy Road, Wonder Valley, CA 92277. The Community Center is located between the Fire Station and the palm tree cell tower.

Experimental Sound, July 14, The Palms

It will be an evening of experimental sound starting at 8:30 p.m., Saturday, July 14th, at The Palms, 83131 Amboy Road in Wonder Valley. Phog masheeen headlines. Omninaut hales from the Netherlands, and Usufruct! from Wonder Valley.
   
The Kate Short Experience will regale us with accordion.

The event, as well as camping, is free, though donations for gas are much appreciated.

WV USDA Food Distribution

The USDA Food Distribution will begin sometime after 10:30 a.m. on Monday, July 16th at the Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526-½ Amboy Road, Wonder Valley CA 92277. The Community Center is next to the Fire Station.

Low income Wonder Valley residents self-certify on site. No ID or other documentation is required. You may pick up a box for a neighbor, or they may pick up a box for you, IF you present a signed pick up form. Pick up forms are available online at http://tinyurl.com/wv-pickup-form. They are also available at the WVCC on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m..

For more information, call Teresa Sitz at (760) 367-9880.

Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Mike Stinson and Rosa Pullman, July 28th

Kevin Bone, from The Palms, reports:

"Holy smokes, MIKE STINSON is going to be playing at the PALMS (with his band, all the way from Houston), and on the same bill is ROSA PULLMAN!!
Sat, July 28th, 7 PM. If you're looking for your bartender after the show starts, he'll be out on the dance floor bouncing up and down."

Crime Stats for June 2018

In June 2018 there were 64 calls, 4 reports, and 1 arrest. The arrest was for violating penal code 4573, which pertains to taking drugs or a controlled substance to a jail.

There were four 459s - burglaries or attempted burglaries, and one petty theft.

There were several reports of fighting in public, which I have not seen here before.

Teresa Sitz, the MAC Delegate for Wonder Valley, has been teasing our stats out of media reports since May of 2017. This is tedious work. The stats are unofficial, and there is a small margin of error.

A change in numbers does not reflect a change in service. A change in numbers can reflect a change in the willingness to call the Sheriff's Department, with reports and arrests correlating in response.

If you call the Sheriff's Department, ALWAYS ask for an INCIDENT NUMBER. Please write it down.

Get out of the heat on Friday.

The Wonder Valley Community Center will be open this coming Friday, July 6, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for those of you who would like to get out of the heat. Service animals on leash and under their owner's control are welcome.

Temps are expected to be 111 degrees. We have A/C, WIFI, books, and puzzles. Bring a snack and something to entertain yourself.

Wonder Valley Community Meeting - July 2018

Everyone is invited and welcome to attend and participate in a

Wonder Valley Community Meeting
11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Wonder Valley Community Center
80526-1/2 Amboy Road, Wonder Valley CA 92277

The agenda is linked below and will be posted online and at the WVCC by July 10, 2018.
https://tinyurl.com/wv07182018

We will be addressing the proposed expansion of FP 5 (Fire Protection District). If you'd like to come prepared, please read:
Fire deficits possible resolution at
http://www.wondervalley.org/2018/06/fire-deficits-possible-resolution.html.
County Fire will not be present to review the plan, but will be sometime in the future.

We'll also be talking about positive changes in the Salvation Army Food Distribution, and their help with EAF applications (Energy Assistance Funds).

I encourage everyone to attend.

WVCC Artist of the Month | Lisa Manifold

Wildlife and nature photographer Lisa Manifold is the Wonder Valley Community Center Artist of the Month for July 2018. Twelve photographs are on display and are for sale from $75 - $300. Manifold is donating 20% of her sales to the WVCC art program.

Manifold's work will be on display for the entire month of July. The WVCC is open from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. It will be closed July 4. The WVCC is located at 80526-1/2 Amboy Road, Wonder Valley, CA 92277.

Wonder Valley residents interested in being an artist of the month should contact Teresa Sitz for an application at teresa.sitz@sdd.sbcounty.gov or call (760) 367-9880.

From Lisa Manifold's Artist's Statement:

Photographs of my six siblings and I --- adorned in 60’s style outfits, hairdos, pointedly colorful eye glasses and toothless grins --- were prominently displayed in my childhood home. The memories of those photos coupled with my newfound love of grandchildren drove me to purchase a digital camera in 2015. Little did I know just how much that camera would change my life! One photo after another, click after click after click; a few college classes, seminars, and months on end of photographing, downloading and posting prompted me to retire to see the world full time, through a Nikon lens or two or three...

What I see and experience beyond the camera lens is captured in the photos I share through LM Manifold Photography on Facebook, Instagram and my website.

INSPIRATION

As a freelance wildlife and nature photographer I’ve found inspiration in the Southwest deserts --- Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan. The deserts are an absolute paradise to photograph: clear nights full of stars, meteors, and the milky way; moonlit pathways; unfathomable daylight perfection; “take-your-breath-away” sunsets and sunrises; monsoon lightning; hummingbird whimsy; lizard scampering dances, melodic Coyote “lullabies”; jackrabbit ears; cottontail tails, bobcats, tortoises, shaking rattlers; bighorn sheep; thundering hooves of wild horses; vast landscapes; Joshua Trees; magnificent Spring blossoms; geological wonders; uninhabited Homestead Cabins; earth shattering silence… Everyday is a new day to experience.

RECOGNITION and CONTACT INFORMATION

Contact Info: Not every photo I take is desert themed… sometimes my nomad spirit goes to the oceans, lakes, and forests. You can view my work and upcoming events on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – Manifoldlm -- and see my upcoming events and/or purchase a piece via a PM on Facebook, or my website: https://lisa-manifold.pixels.com

.

Recognition:

Copper Mountain College’s Howl Art & Literary Magazine

(Volume 19), Joshua Tree, California; 2015

GuruShots™ 

My photo “Jack or Jack’ette?” was featured in 29 Photographs of the Most Amazing Faces on Earth (Thataren’t Human), March 28, 2017

GuruShots™ 

My “Roadrunner Flight” photograph was featured in “32 Photos of Creatures BIG and Small – We Photographers

Love to Photograph Them”, April 11, 2017

The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center’s Marine Corps Community Services Desert Life Style Magazine Spring/Summer of 2017, Vol 10 Issue 2; and Farewell 2008-17, Vol 9 Issue 3

The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s 2018 Arizona Wildlife Calendar: Wildlife Views, 

Vol 60, Number

I‘ve also participated in two Highway 62 Art Tours and several local shows to include selection as a participant in the 2017 Joshua Tree National Park’s Art Expo. I look forward to hearing from or seeing you via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, on my website or at any upcoming events I’ll be participating in.

EAF - Energy Assistance Funds

"Electricity is a basic necessity. Because of unexpected expenses, many customers can find themselves facing financial hardships. The Energy Assistance Fund (EAF) is committed to providing critical support to those who need it most during trying times.

"Since EAF started in 1982, Southern California Edison has partnered with the United Way of Greater Los Angeles to provide one-time bill payments of up to $100 for nearly 250,000 qualified Southern California households. Last year alone, 15,000 SCE customers received help!"

The Salvation Army will be at the Wonder Valley Community Center starting at 11 a.m., on Wednesday, July 25, to help residents fill out applications for EAF funds to pay a portion of their electric bill.

You will need three (3) things:

1. An appointment. Call Teresa Sitz at (760) 367-9880, or stop in at the Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526-1/2 Amboy Road in Wonder Valley. Be sure to get a confirmation number for your appointment.
2. Your most recent Edison bill.
3. Your most recent proof of income.

There are 10 appointments open. If you don't get one this month, you can get one during the following months as long as the funds last.