Archive for Around the District

Wood Chips and Compost

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There must have been a lot of yard work and gardening going on over the weekend because when we arrived this morning, both piles were depleted!  This means Pine Covers are amending their soil so it retains moisture better and putting down wood chips to keep the moisture in the soil.  We are working on getting more compost as well as wood chips, so if you didn’t get yours, do not worry.  I will post here on the blog as soon as our supplies are replenished.  We are so happy to be able to provide these items to Pine Cove Water District customers free of charge.

Compost

Remember, if you need a large amount of either item to check in with us at the office first, as we want to be sure there is enough for everyone.  Now is the time to be outside cleaning up your yard, doing your fire abatement, amending your soil and adding a layer of woodchips to keep moisture in.  These are all very necessary chores that need done, so get them done now so you can enjoy the summer with peace of mind knowing you are doing all you can to keep your mountain home safe and that you are helping to conserve water.

Wood Chips

Jerry & Stitch

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Posted in: Around the District, Compost, Conservation, Customer Infomation, Drought, Fire Abatement, From the Office, Water Conservation, Wood chips

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Moisture on the Way

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Well, believe it or not, they are predicting that we could possibly get 2 to 4 inches of snow tomorrow!  I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the forecast, but there it was.   A snowflake graphic was posted on Tuesday’s forecast.  Naturally, I just planted my tomatoes yesterday and I cannot bring them into the house now, so I will be outside tonight covering everything with plastic or buckets.  Such is the life of a gardener.

See the forecast for yourself.  Luckily we will be back up to warm temps by the end of the week and hopefully then our tomatoes will be safe!  If it stays warm enough, we will just get rain instead of snow.  Cross you fingers!

tomatoes

Detailed Forecast

  • Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
  • Tonight A chance of rain showers, mainly after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
  • Tuesday Snow showers likely, mainly before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Breezy, with a west wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
  • Tuesday Night A chance of rain and snow showers before 11pm, then a chance of snow showers. The rain and snow could be heavy at times. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Breezy, with a west wind 20 to 25 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
  • Wednesday Partly sunny, with a high near 49. West wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
  • Wednesday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.
  • Thursday Sunny, with a high near 56.
  • Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 46.
  • Friday Sunny, with a high near 64.
  • Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 51.
  • Saturday Sunny, with a high near 70.
  • Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 52.
  • Sunday Sunny, with a high near 70.

inclement-weather-md

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Posted in: Around the District, Garden, Snow, Weather

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STORM COMING!

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A spring storm is on it’s way to Pine Cove!  Or at least that is what the weather man says.  Here is the forecast for the next few days.

Detailed Forecast

  • Today A 20 percent chance of showers after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. West wind 5 to 10 mph
  • increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
  • Tonight Rain showers likely before 11pm, then snow showers. Some thunder is also possible. Low around 30.
  • Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
  • New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
  • Saturday A 40 percent chance of snow showers before 11am. Some thunder is also possible.
  • Partly sunny, with a high near 39. Windy, with a west wind 25 to 30 mph decreasing to 15 to 20 mph
  • in the morning.  Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
  • Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
  • Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 51. West wind around 10 mph.
  • Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 42.
  • Monday Sunny, with a high near 63.

So this won’t be a very big storm and temperatures will be back up in the 60’s by Monday.  But if you are heading up to Pine Cove this weekend, you will want to be aware of the possibility that there might be snow.  It will be a cold weekend for sure!

Always remember to turn your water off at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home!

Snow

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Posted in: Around the District, Customer Infomation, From the Office, Snow, Weather, Weekend

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Drought

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As everyone is aware, the drought we are currently engulfed in is statewide and does not just affect us here on the hill.  The state of California has a website dedicated to the drought and has a lot of information regarding this situation.  Here is the website in case you would like to check it out for yourself.

http://ca.gov/drought

There is all sorts of information on the drought and all that is being done.  It is well worth spending some time there reading up on what is happening throughout the state.

On April 22, 2014, the State Water Resources Control Board approved $4 million in funding.  However, these funds are to provide interim replacement drinking water for economically disadvantaged communities with contaminated water supplies.

Occasionally, the topic of applying for grant money comes up from the public.  What they don’t realize is that the money is not just there for the taking.  There is very specific criteria that needs to be met and here at the Pine Cove Water District, we have excellent quality water and therefore, we do not qualify for these emergency monies.

We do check for grants on a daily basis and should something open up that we do qualify for, we will definitely apply .

In the meantime, we trust that the wonderful folks of Pine Cove will continue on with their water saving ways.

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Posted in: Around the District, Conservation, Customer Infomation, Drought, Water Conservation

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Storm Has Left

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A storm moved through Pine Cove late yesterday and left a little covering of snow.  Maybe an inch.  However, it is still very cold outside.  It is currently 38 degrees  and there is some ice on the roads.  The sun is out and shining and so the ice should start melting off, but it would still be best to be careful if driving around up here this morning.  There is black ice on some roads which can take a driver by surprise if they aren’t used to driving in it.  We were hoping for more snow than we got, but Mother Nature is in control, not us.  It should be back up in the high 50’s by Sunday.

snowflake 4

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Posted in: Around the District, From the Office, Road Conditions, Snow, Storms, Uncategorized, Weather

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Rain Today!

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A storm rolled into Pine Cove over night and left a light dusting of snow.  It has been lightly raining on and off most of the morning.  It is cold, (30 degrees at 10:20 a.m.) foggy and damp.  It is not too much fun to be outside this morning.  There is a possibility of some snow accumulation tonight into tomorrow morning of 3 to 7 inches, but we will have to wait and see if that materializes or not.  Any moisture is most welcome, so rain or snow, we will take it.

All in all, today is a good day to stay inside by the fire if you don’t have to be out and about, but if you do, wear a warm jacket and take a hat or umbrella to keep yourself dry just in case it starts to rain or snow, as it can be sporadic.  Roads are clear, but there is currently a light fog.  While the visibility is good here in Pine Cove,  you never know how it is elsewhere,  so if you are driving, be prepared for the possibility of running into some fog that may be thicker than what we currently have here in Pine Cove.

We will see what tonight brings and I will update weather conditions with a new post tomorrow morning.  In the meantime, the boys finished reading meters on Friday afternoon and Becky is now working on the billing.  Bills will probably hit the mail box sometime tomorrow and are due on the 25th of this month.

Stay warm and dry and please make sure you bring your pets inside during inclement weather!  Remember, they enjoy sitting in front of a nice warm, roaring fire just as much as you do.

And just in case you don’t have a fireplace where you are now, here is one for you.

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Posted in: Animals, Around the District, Road Conditions, Storms, Uncategorized, Water Bills, Weather

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Storm Approaching!

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There is a small storm coming our way.  No significant snow fall accumulation is expected, but temperatures will be dropping.  Here is the forecast:

This afternoon, sunny, with a high near 54. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

  • Tonight A 30 percent chance of showers after midnight.  Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
  • Wednesday A 50 percent chance of showers.  Cloudy, with a high near 39. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.
  • Wednesday night A chance of rain and snow showers.  Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. West wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.  Chance of precipitation is 50%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
  • Thursday A 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly after noon.  Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.  New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
  • Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.

So, not a big event, but any chance of moisture is a good thing.  Looks like it is going to be cold and windy though, so be prepared for that.  By Friday, we will be back up in the 50’s.

Old Man Winter

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Posted in: Around the District, Customer Infomation, From the Office, Hazardous Weather Outlook, High Wind Warning, Weather

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April Board Meeting

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Here at the Pine Cove Water District, our monthly board meetings are always held on the second Wednesday of each month and are open to the public.

The April board meeting will be held on April 9, 2014 at 10 a.m. sharp.  The meeting takes place in the board room at the district office, located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road, right next to the fire station.  The public is always invited to attend.  If you cannot attend the meeting, the agenda is posted on the Friday before the meeting right outside the door of the district office as well as on our website, www.pcwd.org, in compliance with the Brown Act.

The minutes from previous board meetings are also posted on our website, so you can keep up with what is happening at the water district even if you are not able to attend the meetings.  We hope you will take advantage of our website and stay informed.

If you have a question or comment, feel free to call us at 951-659-2675 during normal business hours, which are Monday thru Friday from 9 am until 4 pm.

You can email us at Vicki at pcwd.org, Becky at pcwd.org or Jerry @ pcwd.org.  You can also write a letter if you prefer and either drop it off at the office, put it through the slot in office door if it is after hours or mail it to us at PO Box 2294, Idyllwild, CA  92549.

We look forward to seeing you or hearing from you.

Board Meeting, board members, left to right, Joel Palmer, Board President, Tom McCullough, General Manager, Jerry Holldber, Board Secretary, Becky Smith

Board Meeting, board members, left to right, Joel Palmer, Board President, Tom McCullough, General Manager, Jerry Holldber, Board Secretary, Becky Smith

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Posted in: Around the District, Board Meetings, From the Office, Pine Cove Water District

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Communication

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Here at the Pine Cove Water District, communication with our customers is a top priority.  We think we do a pretty good job, however, at a recent meeting, we were informed that we need to improve communication with our customers.  With that in mind, we would like to ask your input on our communication methods and what you think we could do better or more of.  Below is a list of the methods we have employed and services we provide thus far.

  • We include a newsletter or information we think our customers will find useful in each billing cycle, which occurs every other month on the even months.
  • Information board in the office with all sorts of helpful tips and information.
  • Winterizing pamphlets that help our customers prepare for the cold weather.
  • Website and blog at www.pcwd.org and www.pcwd.org/blog.  These are available 24 hours a day and contain a plethora of information on not only the water district, but on a variety of interesting topics that we feel would be helpful to Pine Cove residents.
  • Community Outreach.  We have had a booth at the Earth Fair for several years now as well as the Book Fair at the Idyllwild School.  We also  speak at local meetings and the school when requested.
  • We have worked with the Idyllwild Garden Club as well as a local native plant grower.
  • We work with the Idyllwild Historic Society and have provided them with items to auction off.
  • We work closely with the Pine Cove Property Owners Association and provide information to them for their newsletters and speak at their monthly meetings when asked to do so.
  • We also work closing with the Fire Safe Council and provide them with water district information as well as providing our customers with Fire Safe Council information.
  • We are available by phone and in person Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm and we are now open during lunch most days.  Our phone number is 951-659-2675 and our office is located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road, right next to the fire station.  Stop in and see us!
  • Free Stuff!  Water conservation kits, mulch and compost are currently available free of charge to help our customers conserve water indoors and out.
  • Public meetings and public hearings.  Our monthly board meetings and any public hearings are open to the public and we encourage our customers to attend.  If you are unable to attend our meetings, you may write a letter to the General Manager or to the Board of Directors and drop it by the office.  Or you can send it to PO Box 2296, Idyllwild, CA  92549.  You can also call the General Manager and voice your concerns.
  • Agendas and minutes for all meetings are posted on our website in case you are unable to attend our meetings.
  • Customer appreciation lunch when the budget allows.
  • Mailbox and paper machines for customer convenience.
  • Mail slot in water district office door for drop off of after hours payments or letters to the district.
  • A Transparency Award by the California Special Leadership District.

So what do you think?  Are we doing enough to let people know what is going on around the district?  What are your ideas?  What would you like to see us doing to keep everyone better informed?  We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.  You can leave a message here on the blog, call us, write to us, stop by the office or email us at Vicki@pcwd.org or Becky@pcwd.org or Jerry@pcwd.org.  Talk to us!

Office workers

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Posted in: Around the District, Board Meetings, Board Members, Community, Customer Infomation, From the Office

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Stage I Water Conservation

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On Wednesday, March 12, 2014, our board of directors declared a water emergency at a public hearing.  Due to the current drought and the lack of winter snow and rain, they felt the time has come to move back into a conservation stage.  Stage I takes effect as of April 1st.

As most of you will remember from the last time we were in Stage I, this is voluntary compliance.  Customers are asked to conserve, whenever possible, the amount of water used for domestic and business purposes.  Fix leaking pipes, faucets and toilets.  Refrain from washing down or hosing off sidewalks and driveways.  Do not sprinkle unplanted areas for dust control.  Utilize the free compost and woodchips we provide to our customers to minimize watering in the garden.

In Stage I, water prices do not increase until the 4th tier of 18,000 to 24,000 gallons. Any increases will appear in the June bills.

As past experience has shown us, the residents of Pine Cove do a wonderful job of conserving water and we have no doubt that they will once again step up to the plate and do what they can to save as much water as possible.  We will be monitoring this situation very closely and will keep our customers informed on any new developments, good or bad.

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Posted in: Around the District, Board Members, Community, Customer Infomation, From the Office, Water Conservation

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