Animals Return to the Big Bear Zoo Following Radford Fire Evacuation
When evacuation orders were lifted for the Big Bear Alpine Zoo last Friday, and after a quick checkup by the zoo veterinarian, all birds and small mammals were cleared to return to the zoo by that evening after being evacuated to Meadow Park located in Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District due to the Radford Fire.
Just days earlier, Regional Manager and Zoological Curator Bill Hoffman noticed on Labor Day Monday a plume of smoke billowing behind the area between Bear Mountain and Snow Summit and grew concerned. “A local social media source confirmed that there was a fire. We kept an eye on it, but went about normal business,” said Hoffman.
It wasn’t until Tuesday morning that Hoffman said he noticed the smoke was intensifying and reports confirmed the fire was growing. “We discussed the fire in our morning meeting and out of an abundance of caution we began to assemble kennels to be prepared in case of evacuation. The birds are extremely susceptible to smoke,” said Hoffman.
When the wind changed direction later that morning, the decision was made to close the zoo to the public and shortly thereafter, around 11:30 a.m. the sheriff’s issued an evacuation order.
All larger animals were moved into their indoor holding and the birds and smaller mammals were kenneled and transported to a gymnasium at Meadow Park, where they spent about three days.
“It’s amazing what our teams can accomplish when called upon,” said Hoffman. “The Sheriff offered us assistance with two covered vehicles. We also had help from (employees) Oscar Mendez, John Gallegos and his wife Molly, who helped receive animals and watch them as went back and forth in the vans.”
According to the zoo’s evacuation plan, the first step is to close the zoo and prepare the animals for transport. It takes approximately four hours to evacuate the animals from the zoo, Hoffman said.
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National Preparedness Month: Build An Emergency Kit, Be Ready
It’s important for County residents and their families to be prepared for emergencies and disasters, such as fires and earthquakes, particularly in our region.
When building an emergency kit don’t forget to include these basic items:
- Non-perishable food and water that can last several days.
- Flashlights, radios and extra batteries.
- A first aid kit.
- Get full checklist of items here
Consider the needs of your family and include supplies needed by pets, older adults and people with disabilities.
Make a plan and plan to be ready when disaster strikes.
An emergency kit should have everything you need to survive for several days. Keeping your kit stocked with necessities like food, water and medical care can make the difference in the face of a disaster.
Sign up for local government and federal alert systems.
Countywide Alert Systems
- Help us keep you safe during a disaster by registering each of your mobile phone numbers in the Telephone Emergency Notification System (TENS) to receive messages by telephone and text.
- Download the Ready SB County disaster preparedness app at ReadySB.com to be prepared and get alerts when it’s time to evacuate, create your emergency supply kit and your evacuation plan.
Federal Alerts Systems
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Download the FEMA app. Get weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five different locations anywhere in the United States.
- Sign up for FEMA text messages to get updates from FEMA (standard message and data rates apply).
- To sign up to get preparedness tips: text PREPARE to 43362.
For more information on building a kit, visit Ready.gov/kit.
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Board Unanimously Appoints Chris Wilhite as Assessor-Recorder-Clerk
The Board of Supervisors unanimously appointed Chris Wilhite, assistant assessor for San Bernardino County, to serve as Assessor-Recorder-Clerk and complete the final months of Bob Dutton’s term which ends in December.
Wilhite spent more than 22 years in public service in the Assessor-Recorder-Clerk’s office as lead appraiser and in supervisorial and management roles. Since 2000, he served as the Assistant Assessor. Wilhite also has more than 36 years of appraisal and real-estate related experience in the private sector as a business owner.
Dutton died on July 23 from cancer. He won the June primary for the Assessor-Recorder-Clerk seat which would have kept him in office until 2026.
The Board of Supervisors will meet again later this year to determine who they should appoint to complete the first two years of term which begins in January 2023. A special election will be held for the Assessor-Recorder-Clerk seat in November 2024 for voters to determine who should serve the final two years of the term Dutton would have served, 2025-26.
Wilhite intends to seek appointment by the Board to the for the first two years of the term but did not indicate he would run for the office in November 2024.
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New COVID-19 Boosters with Broader Protection Now Available
A new COVID-19 booster has been authorized for use and is now available throughout San Bernardino County vaccination sites. The booster targets the fast-spreading Omicron variant as well as the previous virus strains; this is called a “bivalent vaccine.” Everyone 12-years of age and older is eligible to receive the bivalent booster, 2 months following completion of their primary series or last monovalent (original) booster dose.
“The updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters are designed to give you broad protection against COVID-19, including the Omicron variant, and can help restore protection that may have waned since your previous vaccination,” said San Bernardino County Assistant Health Officer Dr. Sharon Wang.
The highly transmissible Omicron variant has commonly been detected in most COVID-19 cases. The bivalent booster, in combination with testing and prevention, are vital in continuing to keep the community safe.
Make an appointment for the new booster vaccine by visiting myturn.ca.gov. For additional information about COVID-19, visit sbcovid19.com.
National Voter Registration Day Campaigns
for New Voter Attention on Sept. 20
On Sept. 20, 2022, Americans will celebrate National Voter Registration Day with a cross-country effort to register voters ahead of the midterm elections.
National Voter Registration Day was created in 2012 to serve as a nonpartisan rallying point to help eligible voters across the country register and give them the option to participate in our democracy. Since then, nearly 4.7 million citizens have registered to vote on the annual holiday, including a record-breaking 1.5 million in 2020.
Every eligible American voter has the freedom to exercise their right to be heard at the ballot box, and National Voter Registration Day is the perfect day to get registered or help someone else get registered.
A democracy relies on its citizens to choose its elected leaders, and San Bernardino County joins communities across the country who are using National Voter Registration Day to drive attention to voter registration. To register to vote in San Bernardino County, check your voting status, or to change your name, address or political party preference, visit the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters voter registration page.
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Recovery Happens Virtual Event Celebrates Awareness on Mental, Substance Abuse Disorders
Recovery Happens is a free community event promoting recovery and the societal benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental and substance use disorders. This year, the annual Recovery Happens event will be held virtually on Sept. 22 from 11 a.m. – 1p.m and all our invited to join in on the celebration. Registration for the free event is open at recoveryhappens.vfairs.com.
Recovery Happens celebrates people in recovery, commends the contributions of treatment providers, and promotes the message that recovery is possible. The event features inspirational messages of hope from a variety of speakers, musical performances, award recognition, and the opportunity to connect with community resources while providing prevention and treatment information. The event was created to engage the community in celebration of successful healing and to spread awareness of all the support available to those who need it.
Nationally, Recovery Month has adopted the 2022 theme of
“Every Person. Every Family. Every Community” as its permanent theme.
According to data published in the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health as prepared for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 20.4 million people had a past year substance use disorder, 14.5 million people had and alcohol use disorder, 8.3 million people had as illicit drug use disorder, and 2.4 million people had both an alcohol use disorder and an illicit drug use disorder. DBH’s Substance Use Disorder Recovery Services (SUDRS) is dedicated to being part of the solution by helping individuals and families through their recovery journey by providing no cost treatment and resources. In addition to treatment, the need to gather and celebrate sobriety, recovery, and the hard work of treatment providers remains.
The Recovery Happens Committee led by DBH is gathered to ensure diverse representation in the planning efforts. Committee members include DBH staff, substance use disorder contract providers, community members, community partners, private businesses, and people in recovery. The event itself averages 1,500 in attendance, including individuals and families, people in recovery, treatment providers, elected officials, and celebrity keynote speakers in recovery.
The SUDRS team is proud to work collaboratively with the Recovery Happens Committee to make this event possible for the communities of San Bernardino County.
From left to right: Martha Nunez, Community Crisis Response Team (CCRT) Clinical Therapist; Amber Francis, CCRT Clinic Supervisor; Erin Zamora, CCRT Program Manager II; Julie Hale, Acting Deputy Director for 24-Hour & Emergency Services Division; Dr. Georgina Yoshioka, DBH Interim Director.
Behavioral Health Recognized by City of Chino for Suicide Prevention Efforts
At a city council meeting on Sept. 6., the City of Chino Hills presented a proclamation to the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral (DBH) in recognition of September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, as well as the work being done to help prevent suicide and reduce the stigma associated with behavioral health.
City of Chino Mayor Eunice M. Ulloa presented the proclamation while City of Chino Hills Human Services Community Services Supervisor Ana Lizzeth Ordonez and DBH Community Crisis Response Team (CCRT) Program Manager II Erin Zamora spoke about the available behavioral health services in the city and throughout San Bernardino County.
“It’s important, as many people are affected by suicide, to bring awareness and knowledge to the resources that are available,” Zamora said during the city council meeting.
To support the acceptance of the proclamation, DBH Interim Director Dr. Georgina Yoshioka and Acting Deputy Director for 24-Hour & Emergency Services Julie Hale were in attendance, along with CCRT Clinic Supervisor Amber Francis and CCRT Clinical Therapist Martha Nunez.
For more information about the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline that can be contacted by dialing 988, visit https://988lifeline.org/. For additional local crisis support, please call the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) 24-hour helpline at (888) 743-1478.
For more about DBH urgent care services, visit https://wp.sbcounty.gov/dbh/urgentcare/.
Pawsitive Update on Matiere
Subaru’s Subiefest Pet Adoption Event Hits National Orange Show on Sunday
San Bernardino County Animal Care will be participating in an offsite adoption event at Subiefest at the National Orange Show on Sunday, Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is a part of Subaru’s ongoing commitment to pet adoption leading up to October’s Subaru Loves Pets campaign.
Animal Care staff have been working hard to ensure the well-being of animals at the Devore Animal Shelter and we want to thank everyone who have adopted animals to become part of your family. We treat and care for injured animals and get them ready for adoptions.
Treating Matiere the Doberman
Recently, Matiere, a young Doberman, was found with an injury to his paw. An Animal Care officer took him to a local veterinarian who examined him, cleaned his wound, applied a bandage, and prescribed antibiotics and pain medication.
After his visit, the Animal Care Officer transported him to the Devore Animal Shelter where he continued to receive care and was adopted a week later, on Sept. 3, by one of our Rescue Group Partners. Thank you to our Rescue Group Partner who came forward to help Matiere and we wish him the best in this next chapter.
When there are injured stray animals, they will be examined by a veterinarian and while they are at the shelter, Animal Care staff, including a registered veterinary technician, will oversee the animal’s care.
Animals who need additional medical care are made available for adoption to Animal Rescue Group Partners.
There are many ways to assist animals in our shelter. If you would like to make a donation to assist animals at the shelter, visit www.arffund.org.
For more info about dogs, cats, and other animals awaiting adoption, call (909) 386-9820 or visit animalcare.sbcounty.gov/pets.
American Idol Chayce Beckham to Perform at Oct. 5 State of the County
San Bernardino County is pleased to announce the 2022 State of the County and Regional Business Summit will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 5 with a performance by American Idol winner Chayce Beckham.
Each year the event attracts 1,000 business, government, and community leaders to hear more on what is driving economic growth across San Bernardino County.
Hosted by Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman, the State of the County will feature presentations on each district from the Board of Supervisors covering unique County initiatives and programs in their region. This year, each supervisor will also introduce a business champion from their respective district that is making a difference in the County’s growth and leadership.
This years’ event theme is “Vision Forward,” and will include forward-looking commentary on industry trends impacting San Bernardino County from business leaders such as Randall Lewis of Lewis Group of Companies and Kim Snyder of Prologis.
“I am thrilled to once again host our State of the County event. There is no better event in our region to celebrate what makes San Bernardino County such an exceptional choice for business growth and quality of life for our residents. Across the county, we are seeing population and job growth that is making a difference. This event will share what this means now and for the future,” Hagman said.
The event will close with a live performance by Beckham, a BMG Nashville recording artist and San Bernardino County native who performed at State of the County last year.
Registration for State of the County 2022 will begin at 4:30 p.m. The main event begins at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by opportunities for business networking. The 2022 State of the County will be held at the Ontario Convention Center, 2000 E. Convention Center Way in Ontario. Tickets are $60. Registration is now open at www.SelectSBCounty.com.
Follow along on social media: #StateoftheCounty2022 |#VisionForward |#SelectSBCounty
 Job Openings and Hiring Events in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County has jobs that will be opening on Saturday, September 10.
We encourage you to apply and share these job openings with those who may be interested in them. Recruitments listed are subject to final department approval. Check sbcounty.gov/jobs for the most up-to-date recruitments.
For all COVID-19 related information, including case statistics, FAQs, guidelines, and resources, visit the County’s COVID-19 webpage at http://sbcovid19.com/. Residents of San Bernardino County may also call the COVID-19 helpline at (909) 387-3911 for general information and resources about the virus. The phone line is NOT for medical calls and is available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you have questions about social services, please call 211.
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