LANCASTER – The Prime Desert Woodlands Preserve has had an additional mile added to its walking trail. The preserve, 43201 35th St. West, at Avenue K-8, had the additional mile added to an existing two-mile trail, extending the trail toward 40th Street West. The expansion project has provided a complete and uninterrupted path for patrons. This addition highlights the continued efforts to enhance accessibility to the 100-acre park and maintain new recreational opportunities available to Lancaster residents, city officials said in announcing the change. “The Prime Desert Woodland Preserve has become a central fixture in our community. Safeguarding a pristine stretch of desert habitat, it is conveniently located for all residents to enjoy,” Mayor R. Rex Parris said. “While the city continues to grow, it is important to make sure that the beauty of our unique environment is not lost amidst the development. “The city is committed to enhancing the opportunities available to experience the preserve and expand its accessibility for all to see. This new trail expansion will greatly improve this marvelous park,” Parris added. The trail expansion allows residents to experience a new area of the preserve that until recently has been outside the reach of existing trails. The project has conserved the important ecological balance and natural surroundings of the preserve, while expanding the area available to the public and protecting the trails from a nearby wash, city officials said. “The Parks, Recreation and Arts Department is motivated to accommodate the changing needs of our community. This relaxing setting is both an escape and an educational opportunity for the thousands who visit the preserve each year,” said Bob Greene, director of the Parks, Recreation and Arts Department. “Visitors can watch a picturesque sunset, take part in various tours and presentations at the Elyze Clifford Interpretive Center or study the signage displayed throughout the park, which marks a variety of natural vegetation.”  Designs are already in the works to upgrade the preserve’s pavilion, where many talks and presentations take place. The preserve has an area of approximately 100 acres. The trails are normally open from 6 a.m. to sunset seven days a week. Tours are available. For details on the preserve, call (661) 723-6230 or log onto the city Web site, www.cityoflancaster-ca.org.

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Tuesday, February 17, 2009.

By JAMES RUFUS KOREN, Valley Press Staff Writer

PALMDALE – A massive winter storm battered nearly all of California on Monday, bringing rain, snow and hazardous road conditions to the Antelope Valley. Rain fell as far south as San Diego and as far north as Oregon. Nearly an inch of rain fell in Palmdale and about half an inch in Lancaster by early evening, with more rain and snow in the mountain and foothill areas of the Valley. “The entire state is being impacted,” said Eric Boldt, a spokesman for the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “There’s quite a bit of precipitation across the central and northern parts of the state. … It’s a pretty good storm for the entire state.” February has been the Antelope Valley’s wettest month this season, and Monday’s rainfall brought Palmdale’s total precipitation for the month to 2.6 inches – about an inch more rain than Palmdale had in all of the 2006-07 rain year, said local weather spotter Gary Thornhill. Rain years begin July 1 and end June 30. “This storm is huge,” Thornhill said. “It’s spectacular.” With Monday’s rainfall tallied, the Valley is well on its way to at least an average rain year, with 6.7 inches so far, Thornhill reported. Palmdale’s average annual rainfall is 7.36 inches. By this time last year, Palmdale had 5.05 inches of rain. “That’s good news for a little bit of relief,” Boldt said, noting a statewide drought that started in 2006. “This has been one of the better storms this season.” Rain was expected to continue through the night and could continue today. The National Weather Service has predicted a 40% chance of showers today and a 20% chance of showers tonight. Cooler air moving through the area will bring the possibility of thunderstorms to the Antelope Valley and the rest of Southern California. Temperatures will be cooler today, and snow could fall to levels as low as 4,000 feet. Snow levels were at roughly 4,500 feet Monday. The California Highway Patrol reported several collisions and spin-outs Monday morning on the Antelope Valley Freeway. A jackknifed big rig just south of Santiago Road closed several freeway lanes, though CHP Sgt. John Williams said he could not directly attribute those incidents to Monday’s foul weather. “I never blame it on the rain,” Williams said. “It’s people driving too fast for the weather conditions. When we’re not driving cautious enough, we tend to slide around in it. There were 3,000 cars that drove past (the jackknifed truck) and didn’t crash.” No one was injured, but one of the big rig’s fuel tanks cracked open, spilling about 65 gallons of fuel, about 30 gallons of which leaked into a storm drain. Quartz Hill typically floods during even moderate rainfall, and Monday was no exception. Quartz Hill Town Council President Doug Burgis said several streets filled with rainwater, especially 50th Street West between avenues L and M. Burgis said Monday’s flooding was about average for the town’s low-lying areas. The flooding can cover whole streets and sometimes creep into buildings. “It’s not good, but I’ve seen it a lot worse,” Burgis said. As rain fell on the Valley floor, fresh snow blanketed the San Gabriel and the Sierra Pelona mountains, as well as the Tehachapi Mountains at the northern end of the Antelope Valley. CHP closed Interstate 5 over the Grapevine and Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road between Highline Road, near Tehachapi, and Backus Road, between Mojave and Rosamond, because of snowy conditions. Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road was closed Monday morning and was expected to be closed all night. The winter storm should clear out of the Antelope Valley and most of California by Wednesday morning. The weather service is predicting sunny skies and a high of 57 Wednesday. But another winter storm is already moving toward California and could hit the Antelope Valley by Sunday. Boldt said he did not know if that storm will also bring rain and snow to the region, but he said it is certainly possible. “It does look like it’s another fairly significant low-pressure system, and there’s the potential to get more significant rainfall,” he said.

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Sunday, February 15, 2009.

By ALEXA VAUGHN, Valley Press Staff Writer

Presidents Day weekend might be better enjoyed indoors or on the snow slopes this year. Though the Antelope Valley had its share of snow and rain on Friday and Saturday morning, the storms are far from over. After Palmdale received between 0.25 and one inch of snow and both Palmdale and Lancaster received about 0.22 inches of rain, weather forecasters only predicted a day and half-long reprieve from rain clouds Saturday. The next storm brings more rain, possibly snow and flash flood warnings for areas throughout Los Angeles County. Today will be partly cloudy with highs in the mid-40s to mid-50s with a 10 to 20 miles per hour southwest wind in the afternoon. Tonight, conditions are expected to turn into mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. After midnight, chances of precipitation are 50% with southwind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour accompanying lows in the upper 30s and mid-40s. Presidents’ Day will be breezy and rainy while southeast winds get as high as 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Rain will continue into the night with snow showers in the foothills when snow levels reach 4,000 feet. Lows will be in the 30s and south winds could reach 20 mph. More rain and snow showers in the foothills are expected on Tuesday, while highs will be in the mid-40s to lower 50s. Forecasters are keeping an eye on a storm that still has a chance of being pushed into Los Angeles County by midweek. For right now, the forecast between Tuesday night and Saturday is partly cloudy with highs in the mid 50s to lower 60s. Drivers are being told to watch for icy roads, which caused two vehicles to spin out Saturday morning on the same patch. The icy patch on Pearblossom Highway just north of Sierra Highway overturned the first vehicle and spun out the second. No injuries were reported.

LANCASTER – With darkness surrounding him and the crisp December air burning his lungs with each stride he struggled to take, there was only thing circling through the mind of Tommy Thorogood. “What is it I need to do, (to better myself and my team)?” Only hours earlier that evening on Dec. 19, the West Coast Baptist College men’s basketball team found themselves at a pivotal point in their season. The Eagles were 3-1 in Pacific Christian Athletic Conference play and hosting what had been rumored to be the new top team in the conference, Portland Bible College. A win meant conformation for Thorogood that his team could once again be the best for the second-straight year, and left hope for the remainder of the season after a rough 3-8 start. As the buzzer sounded at the conclusion of a 40-minute PBC dominating win, Thorogood and teammates headed toward the locker room heads down and defeated, 85-64. It was a blow out. Leading up to the emotional defeat, the ride had been a bumpy one for the Eagles’ senior captain. A lot had been asked of the veteran guard during his final year in gold and burgundy – defense of a conference championship, another productive year offensively and most importantly, filling the shoes of graduated point guard Jon Sisson. Sisson had become the backbone for the Eagles, and same was expected of Thorogood. It only seemed natural for coach Curt Beeson’s second-best player to take over leadership-wise the following season. “At the end of last year I told him this is your team, your year,” Beeson said. A lot to swallow for someone who had been dependant on the guidance of a player he had looked up to for three seasons. In fact, this responsibility became so much of a burden to Thorogood, it began to affect the way he viewed himself as player and a teammate. A clouded mind led to a mediocre effort during practice and poor performances during games. The team’s second-leading scorer during his junior season was suffering some nights to put up even a single point. Players began to scoff at the captain, and the coaching staff grew weary of its leader. Thorogood was lost. “The journey of responsibility is probably the toughest to find,” Thorogood said. “I would say that because you can’t really necessarily know it, until you understand how bad you need it. “It is different when you are relying on someone else.” Confused about his focus, and searching for his role once more, Thorogood turned to long-time confidant, WCBC assistant coach Don Schellenberg. It was around the twenty third hour on that chilly December night when Schellenberg was greeted by a ringing doorbell and a visitor at his doorstep. Staring blankly at one another, Thorogood wasted no time humbling stating why he was there by muttering, “What do I need to do coach?” “I was surprised to see him,” Schellenberg said. “He was disappointed in himself … he didn’t want to let the team down. He was afraid his performance and attitude was being a detriment to the team.” Aware of the emotional and mental battles Thorogood was fighting through, the Eagles’ assistant simply challenged him with looking at the whole picture, reassuring Thorogood he hadn’t let anybody down. The WCBC guard had been stuck in a narrow mind-set, which was keeping him from settling into his role as a leader, but most importantly hindering him from being a player. Leaving his coach’s home as he ran through the night, the Eagles captain reflected on the words of Schellenberg. It had finally clicked that in order for him to succeed he would need to be a player first, and then lead by example. He had finally gotten that “wake up call.” “It was mostly a mental thing for (Tommy),” teammate Danny Galdamez said. “He lost his focus. “Now he is playing the right way, the first half (of the season) is behind him.” Nine overall games and six conference games removed from that re-awakening weekend in December, Thorogood has finally begun to come into his own. Despite four tough loses to an undefeated PBC team, the Eagles have rallied behind Thorogood for a .500 PCAC record and remain in the mix for a possible second place regular season finish. Thorogood was operating in a new light, and a focus on his defensive presence was filtering into a developing offensive game. “He is finally getting back to who he is and what his role is,” Beeson said. “He has let that stuff go out of his mind, relaxed and just played basketball.” In Saturday’s 100-75 win over rival Golden State Baptist College, Thorogood made it clear to any doubters that remained he had officially returned. He put up a career-high 31 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, had eight steals and four assists. It’s tough to argue with a night like that. Once again confident with himself on the court, Thorogood now finds good in the tribulation which he battled through early on in the season. They had transformed from burden, into driving force. “If ever there is a time where I slack off or don’t work to my full potential, I look back at that night,” Thorogood said. “When it comes to being a leader and especially at West Coast Baptist College, I don’t think I’ve let the guys down. I try and set the standards high. “No matter who you are, you are going to hit failures in life. But just because failures hit you that doesn’t mean they have to stop you. I feel like I’ve been one who has messed up a lot, but there is something inside of me that won’t let me stop pushing on.”