I will be on the November 8, 2022 ballot to continue my public service as a Councilmember for the City of Big Bear Lake. I had planned to take a break from the role, but ultimately decided continuing was the right thing to do under our current circumstances. I am grateful for, and humbled by, the outpouring of support. Now we just have to get me re-elected. Please consider my Candidate Statement:
I have faithfully served Big Bear Lake for 14 years as an elected City Councilmember and School Board Trustee. My many leadership positions, including Mayor, Chairman of Big Bear Fire Authority and Mountain Transit, as well as regional leadership roles at the Southern California Association of Governments and the League of California Cities, is a demonstration of the trust and confidence placed in me by my community and my peers. I am valued for my calm demeanor and common sense. I take a balanced, rational approach to problem solving, always striving to represent all members of the community, working to find consensus and a positive way forward.
I raised my children in Big Bear Lake, and have deep roots in the community as a local businessman, 23-year resident, and founding member of both the Big Bear Valley Trails Foundation and the Big Bear Valley Education Trust.
My experience counts and helps our community rise to the challenges ahead. Please support thoughtful, reasonable, and respectful public service. Please support me, and help me help Big Bear Lake. Help me help you.
Also consider my 3 personal goals for an ongoing role in the City, recognizing that they are only possible when I can effectively work with my fellow Councilmembers, City Staff, and community members:
Mending fences & building bridges – focus on our strengths and capacity for significant accomplishments when we work together.
Fiscal Responsibility – maintain the City’s capacity to provide critical public services and invest wisely in the things people need and care about.
A Collective Vision for the City – create a new 20 year roadmap that reflects Big Bear Lake’s values, requirements, and reality.
I also hope to continue to tackle thorny issues that include affordable workforce housing and a balanced approach to Private Home Rentals. This is difficult work, made harder recently by an unprecedented Pandemic and self-centered, polarizing politics. I will continue to push forward, but I do need your support. Wanna help? Call me at 909-752-5342. Thank you for being the best part of Big Bear Lake.
As we continue to consider the impacts of local Big Bear Lake tourism, here are some interesting articles for reference, collected over the last several years:
I have been honored and proud to serve our Valley for the last 10 years, first as a School Board Trustee for Bear Valley Unified School District, and most recently as Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Big Bear Lake. I will be seeking re-election this Fall to City Council so that I can continue to build on the work of those before me and help our local government agencies continue towards greater efficiency and effectiveness. Most people don’t realize that our local Councilmembers have a variety or other responsibilities, which in my case have included overseeing Mountain Transit, chairing the Big Bear Fire Authority, directing the Mojave Desert / Mountain Recycling JPA, and representing us at the League of California Cities. I am very proud of our little City, which enjoys disproportionately large regional influence and stature, and continues to evolve in many positive ways. But much hard work remains, including balancing the demands of a visitor-based resort economy with a high quality of life for residents. I look forward to again rolling up my sleeves and helping model good responsive local government. Thank you for your continued support.
Big Bear Lake has been selected as the race’s Stage 6 Finish on Friday, May 18, 2012. The City of Palmdale will serve as the Host City and start location for Stage 6, which ultimately finishes with a demanding climb to Big Bear. This is the second time in three years Big Bear Lake has been selected as a Host City, which reaffirms the mountain resort as a world-class road cycling destination.
Two years ago I served as Community Outreach Director for Big Bear’s Local Organizing Committee. Phil Hamilton and I did numerous presentations to local community groups and brought up professional cyclists to visit our local schools. We even had a student art contest with the wining pieces published in a calendar. I admit it was quite something to witness the peloton racing live up Summit Blvd with the whole world watching.
Footage from the Tour’s 2010 visit to Big Bear:
Cover of the 2010 Tour of California Big Bear Lake Student Art Contest Calendar (all participants received a limited edition silicon bracelet we made just for the students – the winner got a bike):
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Millions of fans around the world will watch Stage 6 – The “Big Bear Climb” – of the Amgen Tour of California, which begins in Pasadena and finishes 130 grueling miles later in Big Bear Lake on Friday, May 21, 2010.
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Watch Big Bear’s Ryan Hall run the Boston Marathon live Monday at 6:30am PST, Charter Channel 305, KNBC 4.4 with a digital (DTV) receiver, or online at www.universalsports.com.
My latest Gobo bike map project is now widely available. Thanks to the support of the City of Big Bear Lake, the Big Bear Valley Trails Coalition, and several local businesses, Big Bear Lake Bike Maps are now available to help you find great road riding in Big Bear Lake. You can find the bike maps in many places around the Big Bear Valley, including the Visitor Center in the Village, the Discovery Center, bike shops, and many card racks located in local businesses. An online version is also available for download here.
The user-friendly maps label bike routes by degree of difficulty, and include points of interest you will find along your journey! The maps also correspond with milepoint markers along each route, making it easy to always know where you are. Stay tuned for a Valley-wide version that will include all trails and all activities…
What a thrill last night to watch our own Ryan Hall run the Olympic Marathon in Beijing. Seeing him line up in China with the fastest marathoners in the world gave me chills. Ryan was considered a medal contender and the build-up, especially here in his hometown of Big Bear, was huge. While Ryan’s 10th place finish means he won’t be returning home with any extra hardware, his performance still is exceptional and points to an increasingly bright future. Remember, Ryan is only 25, his first Olympics was only his 4th marathon, and yet he already ranks among the running world’s elite.
It sure is nice when things go perfectly, and admittedly it would have been incredible last night if Ryan Hall had medalled in the Beijing Marathon. But in my experience, a perfect performance can be hard to come by, and the times that things go perfectly are in fact rare. And that is why they are so special. If perfect was commonplace, no one would care. Perfect, again? Ho, hum.
The thing about Ryan that resonated most with me from the very beginning was they way he dealt with challenges, setbacks and disappointment. It’s easy when things go well. It’s when things are tough that we really discover who we are and what we are made of. To me, it’s not Ryan’s accomplishments that are most impressive (even though they are pretty impressive), it’s what he endured on the way to those accomplishments that are most inspiring. I am curious to see what Ryan does with this latest gift of 10th place.
Last week at Big Bear High School‘s Back To School Night, I was in my daughter’s AP US History classroom with her teacher, Mr. Hahn. He had a quote up on the wall that seems especially appropriate:
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to go on that counts.”
If you are planning on watching Ryan Hall run the Olympic Marathon in person, or are just curious where the course goes, the Beijing Olympic Marathon Course Map below shows the route that begins at Tian’anmen Square and ends in the National Stadium or “Bird’s Nest.”
If you won’t find yourself in China on August 24th at 7:30am, you can watch it on the West Coast on Saturday, August 23rd at 6:30pm (PST) on NBC. The marathon broadcast will be live on the East Coast (coverage begins at 7:30pm EST) and delayed a couple hours in the West. Beijing is 15 hours ahead of the West Coast, which means Ryan will actually be running at 4:30pm local Big Bear Lake time.
Local Big Bear fans have a few different ways to catch Ryan’s Olympic Marathon debut: Residents with Charter cable can watch the delayed KNBC feed as mentioned above on Channel 4 (104.2 in HD or 784 on Digital Service) beginning at 6:30pm PST. Satellite subscribers can pick up the live East Coast WNBC feed beginning at 4:30pm PST (Channel 241 on Dish or 82 on DirecTV). There will be a gathering at the Convention Center in Big Bear City that will watch the delayed feed at 6:30pm with doors opening at 2pm. Sandy’s Sports Restaurant will show the live East Coast feed at 4:30pm. Radio station KBHR will also be broadcasting reports live from Beijing via Mayor Rick Herrick.
Last night on television I watched the amazing Opening Ceremonies in Beijing. It was quite a show, but what really moved me was what I saw before hand. An hour before the Opening Ceremonies began, NBC aired a show called, “The Road to Beijing,” where they highlighted key Olympic athletes. I had heard our local hero Ryan Hall was going to be included, and I kept watching and waiting. And as I watched and waited, I noticed the caliber of the athletes kept getting more significant, and that NBC was staging athletes in a specific order to keep you watching. Finally at the end they showed the segment on Ryan, followed by the final piece on Kobe Bryant. Ryan, then Kobe. Our Ryan next to Kobe. I liked that.
The Road to Beijing segment on Ryan was great to watch. Its one thing to see the familiar sites around Big Bear on a daily basis. Its another to see them through the eyes of a network camera. It reminds you just how beautiful it is here in Big Bear. I must admit seeing our Move a Million Miles work on national television was also a huge thrill. I’ve never seen my artwork on television, and I got a kick out of the scenes of Ryan in front of the Coldwell Banker thermometer banner and all the kids with red Run Ryan Run hats. It feels good when your hard work gets noticed. Especially on network TV.
After the Road to Beijing segment, the NBC lead-up to the actual Opening Ceremonies began, and again there was our Ryan, running beside our Lake, showcased among the top athletes in the world, while millions of people watched. I really liked that. I wonder how many others Big Bear residents understand the value of such publicity for our Valley. With the Opening Ceremonies over, I finally went to bed, I’m sure, smiling ear to ear. This morning I was greeted with a very kind e-mail from Ryan’s mother, Susie Hall, thanking us for our efforts on the Move a Million Miles campaign. I wrote her back and said you’re welcome, but really, thank you for Ryan and for helping create this incredible experience and opportunity we all get to share in.
It’s not everyday a small town gets to embrace their own Olympic athlete. We’ve been told that Big Bear’s unprecedented Million Mile Campaign is historic and that no athlete has ever received that level of support. Ryan has said he thinks this Campaign will help give him an advantage in Beijing. I can’t wait to see what happens when he runs the marathon on August 23rd.
Months ago when planning, we all thought it would be a fitting gesture – a send-off event to celebrate Ryan and the Big Bear Community that supported him. We had no clue how many people would show up, and when it started raining, I feared folks would stay home. But in true Big Bear fashion (we seem to have a way with the weather up here and can even summon snow to put out fires), the skies cleared and gave way to a remarkable event.
Thousands showed up on August 5th to wish Ryan Hall good luck. Hundreds of children ran around the Middle School track, the same track where Ryan first discovered running, to celebrate their participation in the Move A Million Miles for Ryan Hall Campaign. Major media covered the event and the emotion. Many tears were shed, including some from Ryan. “I’m glad I am wearing my Oakleys so you can’t see me crying,” he said. As Ryan ran around the track, arm after arm reached out to him in support.
And to top it all off, we actually surpassed our goal of a million miles, and did so a few weeks early. Back in December when we began work on the Move A Million Miles Campaign, we really didn’t know if we would make it. A million was a big number, and we didn’t have very much time to pursue it. How do we motivate thousands of people to move and log a million miles? But through the hard work and support of a dedicated community, we did it. We presented Ryan a banner with 1,203,556 miles on it. Right here in little ‘ol Big Bear.
The Lighthouse Project has partnered with the Big Bear Valley Trails Coalition for the Bike Ride for Ryan on Saturday, May 24. Join us for a “Day of Biking†with the Lighthouse Project’s “Move A Million Miles for Ryan Hall†Campaign, a community spirit initiative that encourages an active lifestyle by supporting Big Bear running hero Ryan Hall’s quest for 2008 Olympic Marathon gold this summer in Beijing, China. Our goal on this day is to simply get as many people as possible to ride their bikes as many miles as they can in support of Ryan.
Check-in is from 8:00 am to 10:00 am, with all rides completed by 3:00pm. Optional Guided Rides begin at 10:30am, as does the City of Big Bear Lake’s official ribbon cutting for its new bike routes. The rides stage and begin at the Snow Summit overflow parking lot on Brownie Lane. There is no cost or registration fee for this free event. We want your miles, not your money. Riders who have checked-in prior to their ride and logged their mileage when finished riding will receive a free special Ryan Hall ASICS tee shirt and complimentary Gatoraide. Bike riders of all types and skill levels are encouraged to attend, with several ride options available.
After an especially good road ride in Palm Springs, I was in a bike shop rattling off a bunch of statistics about our local Big Bear running hero, Ryan Hall. (He’s an exceptional athlete who will be representing the USA in the 2008 Olympic Marathon in Beijing, China, and the fastest American-born marathoner EVER.) The shop owner commented that I sounded like either a groupie or a stalker. His comment made us laugh, and I responded that I was neither – just a dedicated volunteer helping with the Move A Million Miles for Ryan Hall campaign. Won’t you, too, help us by getting up, getting out, and moving? You’ll feel much better for it. You might even become a groupie.
On Tuesday and Thursday evenings when we can’t bike due to Winter weather, we will often snowshoe up the Bear Mountain ski runs to the top of the mountain range above Big Bear. Usually we do this in the dark with headlamps, but as the days get longer we sometimes are treated to spectacular sunsets and views almost all the way to the coast. Below is a panoramic view of the San Bernardino Mountains from the top of Silver Mountain at 8,564′. In the panorama to the left is San Gorgonio Peak, which is the highest point in Southern California at 11,501′. In the middle you can see Big Bear Lake, and to the right, Baldwin Lake at the East end of Big Bear Valley.
I’m excited to have been asked to serve on the Big Bear Valley Trails Coalition and look forward to helping develop and promote responsible use of our Valley’s incredible trails. The Coalition benefits from a variety of stakeholder members, including the City of Big Bear Lake, the County of San Bernardino, the US Forest Service, Caltrans, and SANBAG. Current successes include 26 new “Share the Road” signs around the Valley, an updated bike route system within the City of Big Bear Lake, and a cross-city bike route in the East end of the Valley. To the right is a little logo I designed for the Coalition.
As the updated 2008 SoCal Mountain Bike Racing Calendar shows, there are many competitive events for those of us who like the fat tire. Note that in 2008 there are several events in our local San Bernardino Mountains. I also included some of our other favorite endurance cycling events.
Big Bear’s Lighthouse Project has launched a community spirit initiative, “Move A Million Miles for Ryan Hall,†which challenges the community surrounding Big Bear Lake, California to get up and out, and “move a million miles†between now and Big-Bear-native Ryan Hall’s August 24 marathon race date in Beijing, China during the 2008 Summer Olympic games. I’ve been helping out with the campaign, and even had a chance to meet and run with Ryan and his wife Sara. Support the campaign and report your miles here.
A couple days ago I attended the City of Big Bear Lake Planing Commission meeting intended to review an application for a Marathon around Big Bear Lake next year in 2008. I went with Pat Follett because we both believed events of this sort are important to the vitality of the Big Bear Valley and wanted to voice our support.
Having promoted and managed hundreds of mountain bike races around the Country for the past 20 years, Pat was able to speak to the Planning Comission with some authority on the subject. He spoke to the challenges of pulling off competitive sporting events in the Valley and noted the impact of declining mountain bike racing in Big Bear ever since Snow Summit stopped hosting those events.
I presented a bit different view and mentioned to the Planning Commission that most people who came to Big Bear needed an excuse to visit, and that competitive outdoor events brought a quality guest appreciative of our unique mountain setting. I said how events like the Big Bear Lake Marathon help fill Big Bear Lake cabins, help keep employees employed, and help collect TOT tax for the City of Big Bear Lake. And I reminded everyone that while I wish events like this magically happened with no effort and no inconvenience, the reality was that if we wanted the benefits of this kind of event, we had to all work together.
I also addressed the issue of the brief early-morning road closures necessary for an event like this. One of my neighbors had complained via letter that if Highway 18 were closed, he wouldn’t be able to get his JC Penney delivery. I mentioned how little traffic there is on the Highway from 4am to 8am, and said that I would much rather choose to briefly close the Highway early in the morning for the benefits of an event like this, than suffer through involuntary closures due to fuel spills, traffic accidents, and acts of nature. Pat reminded me about the C.A.V.E. people – Citizens Against Virtually Everything – and it made me laugh. I figured if this neighbor is worried about deliveries a year and a half from now, he probably has bigger problems than a 4 hour early-morning road closure.
The Planning Commission will revisit the Marathon application next month, but several Commission Members did comment on the very professional organization and preparation of those seeking to put on the Marathon.
I will be on the November 8, 2022 ballot to continue my public service as a Councilmember for the City of Big Bear Lake. I had planned to take a break from the role, but ultimately decided continuing was the right thing to do under our current circumstances. I am grateful for, and humbled by, the outpouring of support. Now we just have to get me re-elected. Please consider my Candidate Statement:
Big Bear’s 
