Homes & LandImprovement

2013

By Marshall SmithAssistant Editor

The Goldspotted oak borer, the non-native beetle that has killed more than 80,000 oaks in San Diego County, has been positively identifi ed in Idyllwild. Currently, entomologists know of no native California predator or insecticidal defense against the tree killer.

A DNA analysis, conducted by the Invasive Species Lab at University of California, Riverside, confi rmed the Idyllwild beetle has the same genetic characteristics as the GSOB invaders in San Diego County. Transportation in fi rewood from San Diego to Idyllwild is the likely culprit, according to forestry offi cials. Until this identifi cation, which CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Julie Hutchinson confi rmed in November 2012, offi cials thought the beetle habitat had been confi ned to San Diego County, with the northernmost reach of this dangerous and highly invasive pest found just north of Julian.

In her press release, Hutchinson wrote, “This new detection of GSOB represents the fi rst large scale move-ment of the beetle from its known area of infestation in San Diego County, 40 miles to the south. It is believed to have made the jump from San Diego to Idyllwild through the movement of infested fi rewood.”

History The GSOB was introduced to San Diego County in the late 1990s or early 2000s. It was likely brought into the state on oak fi rewood collected and transported

See Oaks, page 7

Idyllwild oaks under attackGoldspotted oak borer established on the Hill

A Town Crier publication

A CAL FIRE employee cuts down an oak tree infected by the Goldspotted oak borer. PHOTO BY MARSHALL SMITH

Page 2 - Idyllwild Homes & Land Improvement Guide 2013

Are you planning on planting a flower or veg-etable garden this spring? If so, be sure to read Vicki Jakubac’s story on water

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By Grace ReedPublisher

Hopefully the cold weath-er will be behind us soon. Many people are tired of shoveling snow. I know my husband Don is, even though he has Rusty and I to supervise. Now that daylight sav-ings time is here, we’ll have more time to focus on home improvement projects. We hope you will find some helpful hints in this publication. Every Idyllwild resident should be aware of the Goldspotted oak borer. San Diego county has already been hard hit — we don’t want to be next. There are ways we can all help save our trees. See page 1 to learn more.

Greetings from Graceconservation and planting recommendations on page 3. Stitch and the rest of the gang at Pine Cove Wa-ter District are offering a reward for anyone who reports a water leak in the Pine Cove area. For more information see the PCWD ad on page 5. Roscoe and his human, Idyllwild Fire Protection District Chief Patrick Reitz, offer several common sense tips for living on the hill. See page 4. When was the last time you changed your locks? If you’re like most of us, it’s been a while. I didn’t real-ize there are electronic locks that you can program with your smart phone. See page 5 to read about it. I ’ve admired Dav id Lilieholm’s work since we moved to the Hill. His de-signs are sustainable, unique and whimsical at the same time. I’m happy he agreed to write a story for us this year. See page 6. I’d like to thank our contributors and advertis-ers that make special pub-licationslike this possible and of course, the entire Town Crier staff for always producing quality publica-tions. Remember : when in doubt hire a professional.

Inside: The Goldspotted oak borer threat, page 1 | Slow the fl ow, saving water

outdoors, page 3 | Advice from IFPD Chief Reitz, page 4 | How, why and when to change your locks, page 5 | Local experts answer

common questions, page 5 | The joy of place and design, page 6

By Marshall SmithAssistant Editor

The Idyllwild Garden Club takes a major step in trying to stop further Goldspotted oak borer in-festation in Idyllwild. It has commissioned and will in-stall roadside signs advising against importation of oak onto the Hill. “Our budget allowed for 10 signs,” said Mike Feyder, Garden Club instigator of the sign project. At present the club plans to install signs at the intersec-tion of Highway 371 and Highway 74 in Garner Valley, three more between Garner Valley and Mountain Center, several on Highway 74 coming from Hemet to Mountain Center, one in Mountain Center at the beginning of

Garden Club joins oak borer fi ght with roadside signs

Highway 243, one coming into Idyllwild and one each at the county and state park entrances. Feyder said the sign will be 3 feet by 4 feet of durable corrugated plastic mounted three to 4 feet above the ground on posts. Signs are being produced and should be ready next week, said Fey-der. “All this effort is going to do is announce that we have a problem and to increase awareness of the risks of fi rewood transportation.”

Garden Club sign warning about oak transportation. Photo courtesy of Mike Feyder

Idyllwild Homes & Land Improvement Guide 2013 - Page 3

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By Vicki L. JakubacPine Cove Water District

As winter fades and spring approaches, our thoughts turn to outdoor projects. While conserving water should be prac-ticed year-round, the warmer weather of spring and summer is the perfect time to step up our conservation efforts. Since we can never let our guard down when it comes to drought, it is imperative that we plan and prepare today for our water needs tomorrow. Every structure, sidewalk, patio and driveway creates an impervious area where water runs off and cannot be absorbed into the ground. In order to help counteract this, you can start working now to make your property act like a sponge. Your yard should be absorbing, col-lecting and retaining water in order to reduce water runoff and the need for irrigation. One of the fi rst things a homeowner can do is to amend their soil. Adding organic matter to your soil will not only add essential nutrients, which will improve plant growth, but it will also improve its capacity to absorb and retain water. The more moisture it can retain, the less you have to water. Next, add a layer of mulch. Using mulch liberally and regularly helps to retain soil moisture, suppress weeds

and prevent run off. It reduces evaporation, prevents erosion and improves soil structure by imparting nutrients into the soil as it breaks down into compost. It also improves plant growth by providing insulation for plant roots. Observe your property. Watch how the water fl ows and where it runs off or gathers. Adding berms to your garden will keep water from running off your property. Swales and rain gardens will collect and store rain water in your garden, allowing it to slowly percolate down through the soil.

Landscaping touches, such as a dry creek bed in an area where water normally runs off, not only improves the look of your garden, but will help to keep water on your property where it belongs. Installing rain gutters will allow you to direct water away from your house, where it could do damage, to an area where it can be benefi cial. Rain gutters also make it easier to install a rainwa-ter collection system to collect runoff from your roof. Collecting and storing rainwater can provide water for use in the garden at a later time, thereby reducing your water usage and saving you money. Next, have a look at your hard-scape. Are you using water permeable materials like gravel, pavers or pervi-ous asphalt or cement for driveways, patios and garden paths? Could you live comfortably with less paved areas? Using water-permeable materials and removing unnecessary pavement will allow more water to penetrate and soak into the ground rather than just running off into the street. By making just a few changes out-side, we can slow the fl ow, reduce runoff and keep more water in our yard and gardens, where it belongs. For more water saving tips, visit our website and blog at www.pcwd.org and www.pcwd.orb/blog.

Slow the fl ow Tips for saving water in the garden1. Choose native plantsNative plants have had eons to adjust to the area’s normal rainfall, soil, and climate. Once established, they require little or no watering.2. Don’t supersize plantsThe bigger the plant, the more water it might require.3. Pile on the mulchMulching around plants is a great way to reduce water loss. Mulch also cuts down on water-stealing weeds.4. Make paths porousGarden paths made of porous material allow rainwater to seep into the ground and nourish plant roots, not run off into the street.5. Lose the lawnA green lawn is a suburban ideal that drinks more than 20,000 gallons of water each year.6. Put thirsty plants togetherTo save water, group plants into watering zones. Place the thirstiest plants near the house where they can drink roof runoff. Farther out, make a “transition zone” for plants that need supplemental drip irrigation.7. Plant and water when it’s coolNew plants and transplants need far less water if you put them in the ground in early fall or early spring when it’s cooler. 8. Do donutsTrees and shrubs need extra water during their fi rst couple of years to help roots take hold. An effi cient way to keep roots moist is to mound several inches of soil into a donut-shaped berm.9. Follow the sunBefore you plant, get to know how—and how long—the sun bathes your garden. Determine patterns of shade and sun.10. Create the illusion of waterA good way to conserve water in the garden is to capture rain water from your roof in a rain barrel. During a moder-ate rainfall, a 25-by-40-foot roof can shed 600 gallons per hour.

— SOURCE: Houselogic.com

Page 4 - Idyllwild Homes & Land Improvement Guide 2013

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By Roscoe the Fire Dog, as interpreted by Patrick Reitz, Idyllwild Fire Chief

Whether you rent or own a home or a business, or own several, there are sev-eral nuggets of information that you should probably have in your knowledge-base to protect your family, your investment and all of your stuff. Some of these nuggets are things that you might not think of or maybe you feel you can always call someone. But what if the world is in a bit of crisis and chaos at that moment in time or Murphy is sitting on your shoulder and your cell phone doesn’t work, or you can’t get through, or that somebody is not available? It is always good to have at least a very basic idea of how to fi x or at least stop or slow-down the problem until you can get some help.

Let’s start with the electricity Do you know where your circuit-breaker box or fuse box is located? Do you have more than one? Are the switches marked in such a way that you would know what they shut-off? I was recently at a house that had all of the break-ers marked either “lites” or “plugs.” No location was identified and we would have had to shut-down the entire house to make it safe for us to work on. If you have a fuse box, do you know how to safely

Ramblings from Roscoechange a fuse? Do you have the right fuses for replace-ments? Are they the correct rating for the amperage? Do you know how to operate the “main,” shutting off the power to everything in the house? Solar, wind, generator or batteries pose their own special problems and fi xes. We will not discuss these here but if you have any of these, you should become aware of how to address the problems that might arise.

Stopping the fl ow Do you know how to shut off the water? Do you know where the main valve for the house is located? Is there one in the house in addition to the valve at the curb? Can you shut off the water to parts of the house or specifi c faucets or appli-ances? For those of you with a private water source, do you know how to trouble-shoot your well or cistern?

Gas If you live on “the Hill,” there is a good chance that you have propane for heat and hot water. If you have a house or business some-where else, you may have natural gas. Either way, you will have valves that control the fl ow of gas to the build-ing as well as the appliances. Do you know where they are and how they work? If you have natural gas, you will need a wrench or a “gas key” to shut off the main flow of gas. If you have to shut off the gas, do you know how to safely

relight the appliances? Do you know how to check for leaks?

Have an extinguisher handy Do you have a fi re ex-tinguisher? Do you know what kind it is, what it can be used on and how to use it properly? I recommend having at least two different kinds of fi re extinguishers as well as having more than one of each. ABC or dry chemical fi re extinguishers are especially good to have in the kitchen and garage because they work on oil and grease fi res. There are also some good alternative fi re extinguishing products out there that work as well or better than ABC dry chemical fi re extinguish-ers without the mess or risk of inhaling the irritating powder. A pressurized water

extinguisher is good for or-dinary combustibles such as wood, paper and cardboard. Water fi re extinguishers are good to have near the fi re-place or woodstove. Do not keep your fire extinguishers next to where you might have to use them, but rather across the room. Why? If there is a fi re on the stove and the fi re extin-guisher is next to the stove, you may get burned trying to get to it or may not be able to get to it at all. Where there’s smoke Where are your smoke detectors? Do you have one in every bedroom? Do you have them on every fl oor of your house and in the highest point of the rooms to give you the earliest pos-sible warning? Do you have children in your house? Did you know

there was a study that found that children may not wake up to the sound of a smoke detector but will wake up to a parent’s voice? That is why there are now smoke detectors that allow you to record your voice and place them in your child’s room. When was the last time you checked the smoke de-tectors? It is recommended that you check them regu-larly and that you change the batteries twice a year. I recommend that if you have smoke detectors that are hard-wired into the house that they also have a battery back-up or battery operated ones in addition to the hard-wired detectors. If you have smoke de-tectors that are in diffi cult to reach places, like those on cathedral ceilings, use a 10-year lithium battery that you do not have to

change every 6 months. Also, smoke detectors have an expiration date and need to be changed out every 7 to 10 years, depending on the manufacturer. If you have a fireplace or woodstove, use propane or natural gas. If you have an attached garage, you should also have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector. I recommend those with a digital readout that plug-in to an electrical outlet and have a battery back-up. I am a fi rm believer in CO detectors — one saved my life several years ago when the stovepipe in the house became blocked and backed-up while I was sleeping.

Last resort escape Do you have an escape plan? Not only as a way out of your house, but out of

See Roscoe, page 6

Page 8 - Idyllwild Homes & Land Improvement Guide 2013

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can follow these steps. Tools and materials needed: Quality razor knife, orange tile sponge, siliconized caulk to match the color of grout (you will be using caulk to replace the grot you remove. Colored caulk can be purchased at the hardware store or a quality tile store. It comes in “sanded” and “non-sanded.” Select the one that most closely resembles your grout color), and a caulking gun. Instructions: 1. Use the razor knife to cut away the old caulk or grout. Be careful not to mar the tub surface with the knife and tane your time ini ordrr to remove all the material. 2. Wipe the joint clean with a damp sponge or rag and then dry with a clean cloth. 3) Squeeze the caulking gun trigger slowly and smoothly, putting a thin bead of caulk in the joint. Have a damp sponge with you and use your index fi nger to smear the caulk into the joint. Wipe your fi nger often on the damp sponge. Rinse sponge and then use it to gently smoothi out the newly sealed joint. 4. Let it dry overnight before using.

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Question: I am new to the Hill and have never had

a septic system. Is there anything I need to know?

Answer: Nearly all of the homes on the mountain have septic systems. Every-thing sent down a drain in your home goes through

this system. They consist of a tank and leach lines. The tank acts like a fi lter and has two compartments. the tank is always full. When you fl ush 5 gallons, 5 gallons are displaced into the leach line by gravity. These tanks are mainly concrete and fi berglass and should be pumped or inspected for tree roots every 3 to 5 years. The lids are usually 1 to 3 feet underground. Tank sizes range from 750 gallons to 2,500 gallons. Most of the older ones are 1,000 gallons or less. They average 8 feet long by 5 feet wide and 4 feet deep. The leach lines are where the fl uid both percolates into the ground and evaporates up throught the soil. The length of these lines averages between 500 and 100 feet long and 3 feet wide. This is depending on soil quality, the number of bedrooms in the home and plumbing fi xtures. Leach lines last between 15 and 30 years on our mountain. Tree roots are usually the cause of failure. The lines should not be paved over or driven over because it can affect the evaporation process.

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SK AN EXPERTBy Nancy Layton

Today’s homebuyer is advised to have the locks changed when they take pos-session of a new house. That’s obvious in larger, urban envi-ronments, but is often over-looked in a small town like Idyllwild. Can’t you just keep the same locks the former owner used? Sure, until someone they loaned a key to lets him-self in while you’re away. For many years, robberies and other types of home-based crimes were few and far between in this idyllic town. Not so, anymore. As the economy has worsened, some people fi nding jobs and income scarce have turned to stealing other people’s prop-erty. Such crime has found its way here in the last few years. Short of a robbery trigger-ing your awareness, however, two other situations clearly call for some sort of change regarding your home’s locks. First, if you’ve had a tenant you had to evict and the person kept the key you gave them, it’s time to have your locks repinned. Second, if you have one or more locks that are sticky, that just plain don’t want to work, the fi rst thing to try is a little spritz from a spray can of liquid graphite, which you can buy at the local hardware store. If graphite doesn’t fi x it, you need to install a new lock. If you’re handy, you can do this yourself. If you’re not, call a locksmith, who can also repin that new lock to use

How, why and when to change your locks

the same key as your other locks. If you’re going to put in a new lock, you can get Schlage or Kwik-Set locks, mechanical and electronic, at the local hardware stores. If you’re planning to use your home as a vacation rental, the electronic version might be a good option, as you can program them for specific people coming and going. The cleaning crew would have one code, guests another, and the manger a different one. Some of these electronic locks even allow you to read the entry codes used with your Smart Phone. Mechani-cal locks can achieve a similar result by having a master key system set up by your locksmith. In addition to door locks, don’t forget to check your window locks. Also, secure any outside attic hatches and doors to storage or utility areas under the house. Simple hasps with padlocks will slow down a casual thief or squat-ter. If you have valuables you really need to protect, wireless router-based camera systems are now inexpensive and relatively easy to install. They provide you a view of what’s happening via the Internet. Perhaps the best security you can have is a good neighbor who watches your place in your absence. Join a Neigh-borhood Watch group, lock up when you’re away, manage your keys wisely and relax, knowing you’ve done all you can to secure your mountain home.

Page 6 - Idyllwild Homes & Land Improvement Guide 2013

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RoscoeContinued from page 4

your neighborhood? Have you practiced your escape? What if one way is blocked? Do you have a second, or even a third? The items listed above are only a partial list of need-to-knows and need-to-haves. Time and space limit going into many more such as emergency contacts, medications, important papers, defensible space,

emergency vehicle access and others. Some additional resourc-es can be found through your local fi re department, law enforcement agency, the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Manage-ment Agency, (FEMA) to name just a few. Patrick Reitz is the Fire Chief for the Idyllwild Fire Protection District. Ques-tions and comments can be sent via the Town Crier or to chief@idyllwildfi re.com.

By David LillieholmLilieholm Design

I know our mountain home as a very intimate place. There is a depth of r ichness and diver-sity close and available in the original beauty of our landscape — low hills peppered with agave and cactus rising into chaparral then up into great forests to timberline. Geology of granite asserts in striking boulders, outcrops, and into soaring cliffs. Being a transplant from the east coast, I came for the natural beauty and have remained here because of the wonderful community, one that values inspiration. For 25 years I’ve loved see-ing Idyllwild continue to grow stronger in quality of life as an educational, artis-tic, recreational, spiritual, and civic community. Even so-called limita-tions of available land, water and sewer services, and governmental regu-

The joy of place and designlations have in actuality allowed the San Jacinto Mountain area to remain surprisingly unchanged physically, while the sur-rounding region sprawls. Living here is to partake in all this through the great views we have, and all with-in an invigorating change of seasons. Idyllwild and the surrounding mountain communities have such a strong sense of place that it beautifully infuses the design process. My design practice rang-es from new residences to additions and remodels to site work and planning. With new residences, I ’m inspired to design blending the rich attri-butes of site with each client’s unique program and dreams of what they envision to create. With additions and re-models, existing homes, some with historical fea-tures, offer an initial design route, culminating in a home of greater fulfillment

of function and attractive-ness. Finally, with site work there is the oft neglected opportunity to integrate home design into the land. Extending structure and giving definition to exte-

rior spaces heightens our appreciation of close-up natural features and makes relationships to distant views. My services for clients may begin early, consulting with people interested in

raw property or a house to purchase, and discussing the strengths and draw-backs and future potential of such a purchase. Usually I begin with an existing house or lot, creating a preliminary design, adjust-ing and developing the design until we are ready to commit to generating the actual complete con-struction drawings. I t a ke t h e s e d r aw-ings through the River-side County Building and Safety and Planning De-partment permitting pro-cess, responding to plan check concerns, clearing any county agency holds and requirements until the building permit is in hand. Generally, concurrently with the county work, I’ll assist the owner in obtain-ing contractor’s bids of

the construction drawings of their project. Ideally, a contractor is chosen by the time permits are ready. Finally, my services of-ten extend through the entire construction phase. I act as the client’s advocate with finish choices, further design considerations and quality of craftsmanship to finally culminate in the rewarding occupancy of the clients new home. I believe there is a joy to building one’s home. Through all the cost and hard work, building is about giving aspiration and ideas a physical form. It is to bring together the myriad skills of craftspeo-ple with materials, quite literally from around the world, to create in this mountain place a home and life of enduring beau-ty.

A residence designed by David Lilieholm.Courtesy David Lilieholm

Idyllwild Homes & Land Improvement Guide 2013 - Page 7

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OaksContinued from page 1

from the insect’s native range in southeastern Ari-zona or northern Mexico. The insect has caused extensive injury and mor-tality to oaks in woodlands and mixed-conifer forests in San Diego County. The GSOB prefers mature oak trees but occasionally at-tacks smaller oaks with a diameter at breast height (dbh) of about 10 inches. It has rarely been identi-fied in oaks with a dbh of less than five inches. Trees with a dbh of 18 inches or greater are the most likely to be killed. GSOB attacks only oaks and prefers those in the red oak group including coast live oak and the California black oak. It will also infect

canyon live oak. The small insect spreads by adult flight dispersal or via human assisted trans-port, for example, in fire-

wood, from its current locations. Typical damage associ-ated with GSOB infested trees includes crown thin-ning and leaf dieback, bark staining on the main stem, bark injury from wood-pecker foraging, and D-shaped emergence holes on the main stem and larger branches of the tee. Follow-ing several years of exten-sive and repeated bout of injury form larval feeding, tree health declines and eventually the tree dies.

How the GSOB damages oaks Larval feeding causes the most significant damage to host oaks. After numerous attacks, the damage forms a girdle around the tree. This disrupts water and nutrient transport from roots to branches, limbs and the top. Adults feed on the fo-liage, but this does not damage the tree or affect its growth.

Additional discoveries CAL FIRE removed the local infected tree in No-vember. Just prior to a Jan-uary public meeting, two more trees were identified with oak borer infestation. By early February, another four trees were identified in Idyllwild with GSOB infestation. A multi-agency rapid response team, includ-ing members from the U.S. Forest Service, CAL FIRE and University of California, Riverside, will conduct a local survey to determine if there are any other infected trees in the Idyllwild area.

Prospects “ Le ave f i re wo o d a t home,” advised the CAL FIRE press release. “Do not transport it to recreational cabins, campground or parks. Buy it [firewood] where you burn it.” Dr. Tom Scott, natural resource specialist at the University of California,

Riverside, suggested it would be extremely ben-eficial if anyone who has imported wood from San Diego County to Idyllwild would share that informa-tion with the GSOB task force. The information would be helpful in deter-mining when and specifi-cally from where in the San Diego area the Idyllwild beetle came. This informa-tion may help tamp the spread of the deadly pest. Scott said callers would face no penalties and would assist in what is now a fight to prevent further spread. Call (951) 827-2973 with your information. Third District Supervi-sor Jeff Stone said that Riverside County Code En-forcement would be put on high alert to target roadside wood sellers in the Idyllwild area. There is a county ordinance (853) that pro-hibits roadside vending 40 feet from any public right of way, with certain limita-tions. “We’ll step up Code

Enforcement and work with John Snyder, the county agricultural commissioner, to see how we can stop the spread,” Stone said. “If you see roadside wood vendors in the Idyllwild area, call my offi ce [(951) 698-7326]. This is now an emergency.” Because GSOB origi-nated outside of Califor-nia (northern Mexico and southeastern Arizona), there are no natural preda-tors in California to check its progress. A University of Califor-nia, Davis, study estimates that as of February 2012, $8 million in public and private funds had been spent on GSOB mitigation efforts, including dead tree removal, infested wood disposal, closure of parks and campgrounds (due to hazardous dead trees), developing and support-ing public outreach and education and engaging government agencies for response and assistance.

University of California, Riverside, scientist Tom Scott points to evidence of goldspotted oak borer damage to the fi rst infected oak found in Idyllwild. Photo by Marshall Smith

Tom Scott (center) explains to Goldspotted Oak Borer Task Force volunteers and the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council Woodies what GSOB does and does not look like.

Photos by Marshall Smith