Big Bear: The Ongoing Evolution of Stanfield Marsh

Vanessa Finney has written about the Stanfield Marsh over on 93.3FM KBHR’s website.  If you haven’t visited, it’s a lovely walk.  From the article:

A favorite scenic spot in Big Bear is the Stanfield Marsh Wildlife and Waterfowl Habitat that extends east from Stanfield Cutoff. Visitors can park in the southwest corner, stop by the wooden gazebo acting as an informational kiosk, then stroll along the water on the wooden walkway. The wooden walkway has a dual purpose: to encourage pedestrians to avoid the highway, and to provide cover for nesting waterfowl. But waterfowl didn’t always have such a haven. In 1982, the Big Bear Municipal Water District (MWD) designated the 145 acre Marsh as a wildlife preserve. Today the many beneficiaries of the project include aquatic species, wetland species, winteríng and breeding waterfowl, wintering bald eagles, Osprey and summer resident and potentially nesting pelicans. The best time of day for people to visit the Preserve for wildlife watching is early morning or late afternoon when the ducks and fish are looking for food.

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‘USA Today’ report ‘extremely flawed,’ AOPA says

USAToday, in typical sensationalistic fashion, presented a fictionalized piece about general aviation on June 18th.  I found it to be inaccurate.  Seems that I’m not the only one.

From AOPA:

A USA Today story, “Unfit for flight,” published June 18 “gets the general aviation safety record wrong, it ignores efforts by the industry to make general aviation safer, and it violates basic tenets of fairness and accuracy when it comes to good journalism,” AOPA said in response to the article.

The three-part report paints GA aircraft as death traps, pilots as “amateur,” and aircraft manufacturers as villains, and pits pilots against manufacturers. AOPA, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, and Textron had provided information to the reporter, information that was not included in the sensational, one-sided, inaccurate report.

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Women’s Air Race Classic lands in Scottsbluff

From ARC: Women’s air racing all started in 1929 with the First Women’s Air Derby. Twenty pilots raced from Santa Monica, CA to Cleveland, OH, site of the National Air Races. Racing continued through the ‘30’s and was renewed again after WWII when the All Women’s Transcontinental Air Race (AWTAR), better known as the Powder Puff Derby, came into being. The AWTAR held its 30th, final and commemorative flight in 1977. When the AWTAR was discontinued, the Air Race Classic, Ltd., (ARC) stepped in to continue the tradition of transcontinental speed competition for women pilots and staged its premier race. The Air Race Classic was reincorporated in 2002 into the Air Race Classic, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

Air Race Classic, Inc. is dedicated to:

  • Encouraging and educating current and future women pilots
  • Increasing public awareness of general aviation
  • Demonstrating women’s roles in aviation
  • Preserving and promoting the tradition of pioneering women in aviation

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Today is National Get Outdoors Day!

Why are you inside reading this?

National Get Outdoors Day is an annual event to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun.

No Adventure Pass is required today across the San Bernardino National Forest!

And if you are looking for fun things to do with your family, come join us for lots of fun activities outside:

  • 9:30am-10:30am- Build a Birdhouse (Fee: $6)
  • 10:30am-11:30am- Nature Craft- FREE!
  • 10:00am-12:00pm- Gold Panning (Fee: $3)
  • 11:00am- Map & Compass- FREE!
  • 12:00pm- High Flying Rockets- FREE!
  • 1:00pm-3:00pm- Kayak Eco-Tour ($30 per person)
  • 4:00pm-6:00pm- Kayak Eco-Tour ($30 per person)
  • 8:00pm- Campfire: Bluejay Blues By Firelight, Campfire Songs (Suggest Donation $5)

More information at www.mountainsfoundation.org or call 909-382-2790

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