Valerie Cassity
Special to the Sun

The notion that high speed Internet access could soon be coming to more areas in the valley was the hot topic at the Aug. 6 meeting of Kern River Valley Revitalization (KRVR) in Kernville.

Anthony Sobieski, the Mediacom Technical Operations Supervisor for Ridgecrest/Kernville, informed the group that Mediacom has been seeking permits to lay the necessary 31.6 miles of fiber optic cable lines from Inyokern to Onyx in order to connect existing lines. This would allow Mediacom to offer high speed cable Internet service to Kernville and other portions of the Kern Valley. They have completed the required archaeological and biological evaluations, necessary because the cable will be underground. This process, according to Sobieski, has taken two years. Currently, the company is working with CalTrans and BLM on right-of-way issues, then they can begin laying the underground cables.

Anthony Sobieskii, Mediacom Technical Operations Supervisor for Ridgecrest/Kernville, at left, and Mitchell Grubbs, Mediacom’s Director of Technical Operations for the Mid-Atlantic/West Region, explain their company’s plan for increasing high speed Internet access in the valley.

Once it has a fiber optic cable to Inyokern in place, Mediacom would no longer need the 28 T-1 lines it leases from Verizon in the Kern River Valley, freeing those up for Verizon’s own use, explained Grubbs.

In response to an inquiry by Wofford Heights resident Win Lievsay, an Information Technology expert from Orange County, Grubbs said Mediacom is exploring the state grants available as incentives to improve broadband access. But he reaffirmed that Mediacom is committed to the project with or without independent financial assistance. “It just makes good business sense for Mediacom,” he said. The proposed fiber optic line could be completed in 4 months.

According to Grubbs, once completed, the current waiting list would be fully accommodated and Mediacom will be able to serve every customer that has access to their cable TV lines and wants a cable modem Broadband connection. The speed and quality of service will be greatly improved, he added.

To learn more about this issue and get updates as they occur, visit krvr.org/broadband.

Camp Owen Great Resource for Troubled Boys

Guest speaker Marc Bridgford, Director of Camp Erwin Owen, gave a brief history of the juvenile facility and spoke about current programs, achievements, and future plans. Camp Owen was founded in 1938 on 58 acres of U.S. Forest Service land, built by the staff and wards. The food eaten by the wards is raised, grown, and prepared at camp, which holds 125 delinquent males aged 14-18 for an average of three months at a time. Most of the wards have problems with heavy drug use or gang activity, for which Camp Owen maintains a zero tolerance policy. “This may be the first time in their life (sic) these boys have to get along with other kids that they otherwise wouldn’t, and it’s a bit of a culture shock,” said Bridgford.

Camp Owen has a structured schedule which leaves little time for idleness. The program balances strong work ethics with academics, and the boys’ days are split up half in a work program to teach them practical skills and the other half is spent in school. The school portion of Camp Owen is operated by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, and most of the boys entering camp should be operating at a tenth grade level, but instead the average ward tests at a fifth grade level when entering the program. In three short months, most students increase two or more grade levels; a huge feat for the young men and the camp both.

Currently, Camp Owen is undertaking two major projects which are interrelated. Because the land is still owned by the Forest Service, improvements cannot be made. Kern County is currently going through a land exchange, wherein they will trade comparable land in Alta Sierra with the 58 acres that Camp Owen sits on, so that they can build a new mess hall. The plans for the mess hall are already complete, and as soon as the land exchange is finalized, they will break ground.

Another new addition to camp is a new mental health program, which will be offered in conjunction with College Community Services. One important addition that Camp Owen is bringing to its wards is Aggression Replacement Therapy, which teaches skills, ideas, and directions to go when the wards get upset. “This has been proven effective to reduce aggressive behavior, and when a cost vs. benefit analysis was done, it was found to create a savings of $14,000 per year to the county,” explained Bridgford.

Camp Owen is seeking community volunteers to serve as Friday Night Friends to the young men who do not have family to visit them. All that is required is chatting with an “adopted” ward who needs someone to talk to. To make a difference in a young man’s life, call Camp Owen at 376-2844.

Students Help to Make Kern Valley Fire Safe

Student Conservation Association (SCA) interns Mimi Jenkins, Doug Rock, and team leader Ashley Thrasher gave a presentation on the work they have been doing over the summer. SCA was founded in 1957 and works with various federal agencies and non profit organizations on nature-related projects throughout the nation. Rock gave an overview of fire ecology, stating that fire is necessary and a natural part of a forest ecosystem, and explained that the focus is now on reintroducing fire while ensuring that structures have a defensible space. The SCA interns have been doing education through festivals and a library day, as well as assisting with the informational aspect of the recent Clover and Piute fires. Most importantly, the students have been conducting home assessments in Kern Valley, Kennedy Meadows, and Tehachapi, teaching homeowners how to ensure that their homes are fire safe. The students do evaluations for home owners who request them, assessing access (fire routes for escape and emergency personnel), vegetation (fuel load, defensible space, vegetation near the roof), and construction (roofing, combustible structures, eaves, and propane tank). The students then create a report and give suggestions on how to improve fire safety. To request your free home fire safety evaluation, contact Ashley at (208) 608-6329 or email her at athrasher@thesca.org.

Bob Powers Gateway Preserve Moving into Next Phase

Tom Anderson of the Kern River Valley Heritage Foundation announced that the foundation is preparing a grant to submit to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy requesting funds to construct an upstream berm for simple enhancement to the wetlands across from the Vons shopping center. The grant would also fund permitting for the berm and creation of a strategic plan for their future plans to create a nature walk, wildlife garden, and visitor interpretive center on the land. KRVR voted to write a letter of support for the grant application.

Seniors Summer Health & Information Faire and Peddlers Faire Coming Soon

Jeanette Rogers announced that the Kern Valley Healthcare District will be hosting its 8th annual Seniors Summer Health and Information Faire on Monday, Sept. 29, from 9-11:30 a.m. at the Senior Center in Lake Isabella. The faire will offer many free health and information services from more than 45 community participants. They are also offering a Cardiac Assessment Blood draw for $10, and those who are interested in the draw are reminded to fast for 12 hours prior.

The Kern Valley Healthcare District is also sponsoring their annual Peddlers Faire on Sept. 19-20, where 55 organizations, small local businesses, and others have the opportunity to showcase their products and services to the community. For more information about either event, call Jeanette at 376-4419.

Kernville Chamber to Hold Event for Circle Park Gazebo

The Kernville Chamber of Commerce will be holding a free community event on Monday, Aug. 18, at Circle Park to unveil their plans for a large gazebo which will enhance the opportunities for performances at the park. The event will include a barbecue and musical entertainment from Cut in Stone, the Jazztones, Sweet Adelines, and Marty O’Harra. The Kernville Chamber invites everyone from the community to come help them celebrate.

Kern County Dark Sky Ordinance in the works

Three Kern Valley residents traveled to the Kern County Board of Supervisor’s meeting on July 29 to support the creation of a Dark Sky Ordinance, which would protect our view of the night sky. Following a short presentation by Planning Director Ted James, KRV residents Rick Crockett, Ron Hyatt, and Richard Rowe spoke on the necessity of the ordinance, after which the supervisors discussed the issue, and voted unanimously to direct the Planning Department to conduct public workshops and return in Feb. 2009 with a draft ordinance for board consideration. For more information, visit krvr.org/darksky.

KRVR is a collaboration of local agencies, business owners, and concerned citizens working to facilitate the social, natural, and financial health of the KRV for this and future generations. Everyone in the Kern Valley is invited to come share their ideas at the Community meetings, as everyone who lives here is a stakeholder in our community’s future.

KRVR meets the first Wednesday of every month, and the public is welcome and encouraged to attend. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 9 a.m. at the Kernville Chamber Building. For more information, visit www.krvr.org.

Richard Rowe contributed to this story.