Palomar Mountain News

Long time mountain friends, Dutch Bergman and Bruce Druliner have been singing together since the 1970s. We’ve enjoyed their music at local gatherings around the campfire, at weddings, birthday parties with, oh, so many great memories! Now by popular demand they are back with a manager as The Smith Mountain Boys! Their manager happens to be Dutch’s wife, Denise and she really has them booked for our listening pleasure!

YOU are invited to bring your family, friends, invite the neighbors and go listen to some great music. You’ll be humming along, tapping your feet or even be up dancin’. The venues offer food so that makes it even better!

A group of mountain fans started carpooling to Borrego Springs and Julian. Like to meet up and go along? Just let us know, or put your own group together and we’ll more than likely see you there!     Keep reading for schedule from Denise.

Bonnie Phelps

From: Denise Bergman

Here is a lineup of Smith Mountain Boys gig dates and locations that we have on the books as of now:

Saturday, Sept 28 American Legion, Borrego Springs, 5-7pm
Sunday, Sept 29 – Volcan Mountain Winery, Julian, 1-4pm
Saturday, Oct 5 – Volcan Mountain Winery, Julian, 1-4pm
Friday, Oct 11 – Wynola Pizza, Julian, 6-9pm
Saturday, Oct 19 – La Casa del Zorro, Borrego Springs, 7-10pm
Saturday, Nov 9 – La Casa del Zorro, Borrego Springs, 7-10pm
Friday, Nov 15 – Wynola Pizza, Julian, 6-9pm
Friday, Dec 13 – Wynola Pizza, Julian, 6-9pm

Denise sends out a monthly newsletter that outlines the gigs for that particular month. If you want to be added to the monthly newsletter, please send your email to palomarmtn@aol.com and Denise will add you.

Recently you have heard a lot about ADUs in the news.  Click for info I shared recently.  One of the Crestline folks really went to work on some research to add one to his property.

Alas, he brought to my attention that the Palomar Mutual Water Company share is not set up to add ADUs.  I was unaware of this so looked it up on their bylaws where it is mentioned in item six: http://www.palomarmountainwater.com/bylaws.pdf

From what I understand, water share holders may still be able to add a garage or shed (of course there are other requirements to work through with the county).

So, if you have property anywhere else in San Diego County, except where you have a Water Share with Palomar Mutual Water Company, you may be able to add an ADU.

Hope you are enjoying this wonderful change in the weather with our official first day of Fall tomorrow!

Bonnie Phelps

It is pretty fun to meet your neighbors at Mother’s on Saturday mornings.  Pop in to say ‘hello’ or linger awhile.  No rules.  Make it work for you.  Come for a cup of coffee and cookie like Mike Pique did last week or a full-on breakfast.  (Those waffles are delicious!)

Mother’s Kitchen, 9 am-ish, Saturday morning, Sept 20th

In an emergency situation, it would takes some work to get a fire truck into many places I’ve been to lately off Crestline and Birch Hill.  Kenny Lindquist, new owner of Center Septic was up to do a cert for a new listing.  I knew it was going to be tight getting their truck in.  I drove Kenny in first since there are two ways to access this cabin.  The lower road was not going to work at all.

He was confident taking the upper road after we trimmed quite a few branches. Kenny’s driving skills really were impressive!  He had about an inch and a half on the left, between a stump and 3 inches on the right along the side of a tall fir.   I couldn’t help but think that his truck is the exact same size as Cal Fire’s main fire truck.

We had such wonderful rain this spring so our forest is really doing well.  This is just a gentle nudge to check out your access.  Rather have someone else do the work?  Click for some options for ‘Local Resources’ on the Fire Safe Council webpage.

Bushes and trees are just like children!  They grow up so fast!

With you,

Bonnie Phelps

Oh yes!

How fun it is to be able to pop in Lake Henshaw Café for a great burger or very yummy pizza and (drum roll!)  Soft Serve Ice Cream!  Chocolate, vanilla or swirl, of course!

So, now you know!  Grab your family, neighbors and friends and head to the lake for some good eatin’ topped off with a cone!  Enjoy!

See also: Lake Henshaw Café – Great food with new owners!

Fall sunsets from Palomar are pretty special.  Smoke from a local fire added contrast to the always beautiful sky.  Coming up from Henshaw, we pulled over twice to get these for you.  What a difference a couple curves make!

The locals never tire of our amazing views, welcome our change in seasons and enjoy so much, our lifestyle on this wonderful mountain.

Dreaming of your own piece of Paradise on Palomar?  I keep promising new listings to Fall for….  Have keys to several.  Let’s connect on your wish list and we’ll see what we can do to welcome you as a new neighbor.

Bonnie Phelps

It has been a pretty somber week remembering 911.  I thought some of you might appreciate this post with five kids from Palomar being introduced to such a significant event for our country.

Their home school mom, our daughter-in-law, and main driver for their cross-country ‘field trip’ vacation this summer, posted this on social media:

From: Heidi Phelps

They read the names. “Why is this building and this waterfall with these names here?” Well, let me tell you…   #teachthembytouchingthetwistedmetal 

Heidi is also the director/producer for the Christmas Play coming up the last weekend in November.  Hope you Save the Date to kick off the Christmas Season with a fun play staring lots of great mountain kids.

Bonnie

It is Back to School for the kids on Palomar Mountain!  Of about 55 kids privileged to live on Palomar fulltime,  all but just a couple are home-schooled.  Everyone has it pretty amazing living on this beautiful mountain.

The past few years the Home Schoolers have enjoyed a very vibrant Kids Club orchestrated by Stacy Eriksen.  They meet each Tuesday.

This Tuesday they’ll be meeting Will Meyst at the State Park! He’ll be doing the Junior Ranger Navigating / Compass / Map Reading program with the kids.  They’ll meet Will at the Campfire Center at 10am.  If the activity isn’t working for the little kids, Doane Pond is right there to go play at while the big kids do the navigating activity.

Another day has been added this year for twice the fun!

Thursday Mornings the older kids have ‘Next Step’ hosted by Heidi Phelps and Lori Morrison.  To finish their unit this month on Math, they’ll be making cookies. Measuring, weighing, comparing, and enjoying the fruits of their labor!

Unit Themes for this year:
September: Math
October: Weather
November: Culture Through Cuisine
December: Christmas Around the World
January: Planets and Space
February: Art
March: Literature
April: History (History Presentations, April 30)
May: Science (Science Fair, May 28)

But, that’s not all!  Kids Club isn’t just all about kids.  Two events this Fall for the community to come together and enjoy some old fashioned fun on the mountain:

October 31st, Thursday night –  The second Annual Trunk or Treat for a faBOOlous Halloween is coming up for all you mountain folks.

November 30th – Be sure to mark your calendars for Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend to see “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” staring the mountain kids!  More info real soon!

Kids Club has private pages on Facebook to make it real easy for the parents to keep in touch with all the activities. Like more info? Just let me know and I’ll get you connected.

Bonnie Phelps

Tomorrow morning, by popular demand, a few mountain folks will be meeting at Mother’s for breakfast.  YOU are invited, too.

This was to be a once a month Palomar Breakfast Club (PBC), but it was so beautiful out on the patio last week that it was decided to meet up tomorrow, too.

Before breakfast, some of us picked up our mail.  New license plates arrived.  Well, one of our neighbors, Burt Hulbert showed us a tip that could perhaps save you some frustration and a trip to the DMV.

Apparently, new tags are quite a target for some of the bad guys out there.  Burt took out his handy pocket knife and made a half dozen or so slits across the new tag.  That way it can not be easily taken.  You heard it first on the PMNews!  You’re welcome!

Hope you can join us Saturday morning, about 9 am, Mother’s Kitchen.

A fun time meeting some of your neighbors with your choice of pastries, breakfast and steaming hot coffee…

Bonnie Phelps

Most of you have heard about Accessory Dwelling Units or ADUs in the news.  In January of last year some intriguing options with the county building department opened up.

Basically, the rules for adding a second living area on your property, relaxed, and fees were reduced.  With our smaller lots in the Crestline, Birch Hill and Bailey area, most parcels would not be able to fit another unit since, at this time, each would need to have their own septic system.  However, there is a possibility of larger lots being able to add a garage/ADU.

At this time an ADU can be a small ‘tiny house’ or up to 1200 sf.  1200 feet is larger than most of our cabins!  A few properties I know of might keep their little cabin and add something bigger as a main house.  An ADU can also be attached!  Lots of options to add to your property with quite a savings over the next few years while this opportunity is in place.

If you are considering adding another structure to your property, or adding on to your existing cabin or home, perhaps by the name of a granny flat, companion unit, guest house, studio or workshop, it you might really appreciate this information.  From what I understand, pulling a permit after Jan. 1st would require solar.  Prior to the first of the year, apparently does not.  That is something to consider with the height of our trees in some areas and the effectiveness of solar.   If interested, pulling a permit prior to the first of the year could save you some money.

The North San Diego County Association of Realtors, NSDCAR is hosting a free event for homeowners to get their questions answered:

Wednesday, September 25th from 4 to 8:30 at Center for the Arts.

Click for more information and to reserve your seat.  I saw there are 38 seats available tonight.

The Union Tribune also has a very informative article here including a 42 page pdf of a informative handbook.

I’m always glad to be a resource to help get questions answered.

Bonnie Phelps