State of California Department of Transportation PRESS RELEASE
October 30, 2019 Press Release Number: 19-424 Project ID: 08-1K520 District: 8 Riverside/San Bernardino Emergency Work Update on State Route 243 in Idyllwild RIVERSIDE – The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is pleased to announce that the emergency work on State Route 243 (SR-243) is now complete. The route will reopen to the public from Interstate 10 (I-10) to Idyllwild on Friday, November 1 by 6 p.m. Know before you go! To stay on top of roadwork in the Inland Empire go to Caltrans District 8 and sign up for commuter alerts.
We are so happy the the road work on highway 243 to Banning is complete!
When the beautiful fall leaves turn and the air becomes crisp is a good time to think about how to prepare for the coming cold months. It is important to make sure your home is ready for the coming winter. Winter can cause cause costly bills. Heating costs can double if your windows are poorly insulated or if the heating system is out-of-date. Plumbing can break or burst creating extensive damage to your home and high water bills. To prevent damage, it is just as important to winterize your home even if it will be vacant for long periods of time. Making proper precautions to ensure your home is prepared for winter can save you time, money and a lot of unnecessary hassle.
Learn how to properly shut off your water valve (in case a pipe bursts) and turn your water off every time you leave your mountain home.
Insulate pipes with insulation and wrap any exposed pipes.
Clean your gutters; make sure water can flow freely through your gutters to avoid icicles and ice dams.
Change your ceiling fans clockwise to force hot air at the ceiling towards the floor.
Replacing the filters in your forced heating unit improves the efficiency of your unit.
Window insulation film can help keep heat from escaping out your windows.
Winterize your home to extend the life of your fuel supply by insulating walls and attics, caulking and weather-stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows or covering windows with plastic.
The simple act of installing a storm door can increase energy efficiency by 45%, by sealing drafts and reducing air flow
Placing a rolled towel at the bottom of your exterior door or a draft guard prevents heat from leaking out.
Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected every year. Your chimney doesn’t necessarily need to be swept every single year, but it does need an annual inspection. Wood stoves, however, should be swept more often.
Trim tree branches near your windows, roof, or parking areas before the weight of winter ice and snow can cause them to snap.
Inspect your home for any openings where animals could use to get inside. Make sure your fireplace flue or damper is closed, as bats, birds and squirrels are known to get inside this way.
Winterize your house, barn, shed or any other structure that may provide shelter for your family, neighbors, livestock or equipment.
Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk, as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions.
It is wise to communicate with a trusted friend or neighbor if you plan to be gone for a prolonged period of time and make sure they have your contact information. Taking these steps can help protect your home from theft, water damage, and heating or electrical system issues while you are away.
Early this year we experienced extreme low temperatures and lots of snow. Pine Cove lost of over a million gallons of water in February and March this year. This loss was a result of many leaks around the District and caused by freezing temperatures. PCWD always recommends turning your water off at the street customer valve to prevent any water disasters or leaks. Conserving water whenever possible is important to this District. Pine Covers are very aware and are cautious about conserving water as much as possible. If you aren’t sure how you can reduce your water usage, we have many water conservation tips here on the blog and on our website at pcwd.org that are useful for conserving water both inside the house as well as outside.
We have been releasing Monarch Butterflies all week. Most of them look great but there are the few sad ones that emerge with some deformities like bent or shriveled wings. Below you can see three examples of chrysalis and the one on the far right will not make it to becoming a butterfly but the one on the left looks like it will emerge any minute and you can even see the beautifully formed orange wings. The green one in front looks healthy.
Three Chrysalis the new green one, about to hatch is black and one that has gone bad
PCWD is enjoying hosting the majestic Monarch butterflies and watching the hungry little caterpillars grow. We have been watching the Monarch’s for months now. They flutter into the garden leaving their tiny little egg behind. It wasn’t long before we started discovering tiny little baby caterpillars. For weeks we found more eggs and more caterpillars. Now, everyday we see the changes in these little growing caterpillars and we have started finding newly formed chrysalis.
Did you know that the percentage of monarchs that survive from egg to adulthood is very low? Some researchers believe that less than 10% of the monarch’s that make it to adulthood and others think it is less than 5% that survive to become a Monarch Butterfly. Here at PCWD we are enthusiastic about helping support these majestic creatures along their journey of transformation. It seems that the Monarchs have been enjoying the Milkweed garden dedicated to them.
Majestic Monarch Butterfly
Big and little hungry caterpillars
Monarch caterpillar’s make a J shape befor forming a chrysalis
One hungry caterpillar and one ready to transform
Caterpillar and a chrysalis
Beautiful chrysalis at the office
couple of chrysalis hanging in the rain
More caterpillars coming to join the chrysalis
Did you know that Monarch Butterflies don’t make a cocoon but the actually form what is called a chrysalis. For the most part, butterfly caterpillars do not build cocoons, but instead harden into chrysalis during their transnational pupal stage. There are a few exceptions but primarily it is the moth that surrounds itself in a cocoon for protection during its pupal stage. The major difference between a chrysalis and a cocoon is that a chrysalis is the hardened body of a butterfly pupa, whereas a cocoon is an external structure constructed by larvae to protect themselves during the pupal stage. The life cycle for both the moth and the butterfly is very much the same. Starting with the adult female laying eggs, which hatch into caterpillars. As caterpillars grow, they molt and shed their skin four to six times before transforming into pupae. The pupa is the final stage of development, during which metamorphosis takes place over a period of about two weeks. At the end of which an adult butterfly or moth emerges. For Monarch butterflies like most butterflies the chrysalis is the pupal stage of butterfly development. Just before its final molt, a butterfly caterpillar spins a small disk of silk to attach itself to the underside of a leaf or twig. The caterpillar sheds its skin one last time as the pupa emerges. The outer surface of the pupa hardens into a protective shell, which often takes on a color and shape to help blend it into its surroundings.
Over this past month we have experienced a few larger sized earthquakes. Luckily for our little mountain town none of them have caused any massive damage here. Earthquakes can be extremely destructive causing down power lines, loss of water, destruction of roads and homes. In the event of a massive quake in our area are we as prepared as we need to be for our survival?
Its great idea to think about how to earthquake proof our home now to minimize the extent of the damage. Starting with anchoring bookcases and large furniture to walls and install latches on drawers and cabinet doors to keep contents from spilling out. Learn more about our community’s disaster preparedness plans. Create a personalized family plan with escape routes and emergency meeting place. Its recommended to establish a contact person to communicate with concerned relatives and it is a good idea that this person be out of state because if all the local lines are tied up they can help. It is important that all adult and teenage family members know where the gas, electric and water main shutoff controls are in your home and how to turn them off if there is a leak or electrical short. Keep the tools necessary for emergency shut offs close by.
Put together an emergency kit and make sure all household members know where it is. Some important items to include in your kit are:
WATER – 1 gallon of water per person per day for at least 3 days. (Store a longer than 3-day supply of water, if possible).
FOOD – Store at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable food for all members of your home, including pets. Include a non-electric can opener for canned food.
FLASHLIGHT/RADIO – You will need to be able to charge these items without electricity. Your flashlight and radio should be either hand-cranked or battery-powered, and stored with extra batteries.
MEDICAL – Include first aid kit, prescription and non-prescription/over-the-counter medications, and medical supplies.
SANITATION – Pack supplies for sanitation, such as hand sanitizer, towelettes, paper products, and plastic bags, to use if water resources become limited.
BATTERIES/CHARGING DEVICE – Include mobile cell charger it should be hand-crank, solar, or able to be charged from a car outlet. Batteries will be necessary for flashlights, radios, etc.
CLOTHING AND BLANKETS – Long sleeves and long pants, thick-soled shoes, and work gloves to protect yourself after the earthquake, and a sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person, if you live in a cold-weather climate.
WHISTLE – Include a whistle to signal for help.
CASH – Store cash in case ATMs are not functioning after the earthquake.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER – Earthquakes can cause fires to break out; have a fire extinguisher so you can put out any small fires. Use a fire extinguisher only if you are physically capable
Are you interested in hassle free bill paying? Pine Cove Water District has you covered. The end of credit processing fees, worrying about payment due dates, writing and mailing checks, setting up bill pay with your bank and say good bye to late fees. We now offer ACH automatic payments free of charge that are directly linked to your checking or savings account. Water bills are generated the beginning of every even month and you will still receive a statement of your records that says DRAFT BILL. Payment for your account will be automatically deducted on the 1st of every odd month. (depending on weekends and holidays payment may be after the first) Many have signed up for ACH and we have received overwhelming positive feedback.
Are you ready to sign up for ACH Automatic Payments for your Bimonthly Water bill? Contact us at the office by phone, email or fax. A link for the ACH payment form is also located on our website in the payment section.
Pine Cove Water District has an updated weather station now live on our website. The new weather station shows the current temperature and the high and love of the day. It also displays current wind direction and mph, humidity percentage, daily rain total with seasonal accumulation and barometric pressure. We are very excited to offer this new system to our customers and we hope you enjoy having current and accurate weather readings for right here in Pine Cove. Click Here!
Multiple CA agencies involved in the rebuilding of Route 74, got together on Wednesday, March 20th at Cranston Station. Three news stations along with our own JP, reported on speakers representing the CHP – San Gorgonio Pass, RivCoReady, Caltrans District 8, our District 3 Supervisor Chuck Washington, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Ames Construction and other support agencies. We were green-lighted to send the drone up for some footage … Click for Video
At last weeks board meeting Jerry was happy to announce that the winter’s heavy precipitation has given us enough water to get out of Stage 2 water restrictions. This is great news for the district and its customers. As of April 1st we will be starting Stage 1 voluntary compliance. As always, PCWD encourages the customers to conserve our precious water. PCWD customers have always done a great job about conservation so keep up the great work!
Please remember to turn your water off at the customer valve at the street when you leave your mountain home.
In the last month we have experienced very cold temperatures and with cold temperatures comes an increased risk of frozen or burst pipes and leaks. In the past four weeks the workers have been out searching, listening, and assessing for leaks. Countless hours of digging to uncover water meters. Many emergency shutoffs have been called in because of leaks. The water production had doubled in a short time and with all the leaks we found combined the total of water is a minimum of 1,200,700 gallons. Wow.
There were 25 leaks located around the district and 20 of them are not full time residents and they did not shut the water off at the street at the customer valve.
We appreciate all the help from our customers in locating a leak and as always you will receive a leak reward for calling in a confirmed leak on a property tat isn’t your own. As always we highly recommend shutting off your customer valve at the street if you plan to leave your mountain home for 24 hours or more.
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