Antelope Valley News

by Lynne Katusich

Chief Deputy Coroner, Lt. Ralph Obenberger stopped by the other day to give me a copy of his press release regarding the transportation of human remains to a funeral home in Nevada instead of all the way to Bishop. The new program is only applicable to the Walker, Coleville and Topaz areas of Mono County and will allow our residents to be transported to FitzHenry's Carson Valley Funeral Home in Gardnerville, which is the only such mortuary in the mandated mileage range. This is not a one-sided gain, though. We in the Valley must have certain information available for the deputies who arrive at the site of death, or this won't be possible. You need to have a letter from your physician that says he will either sign the death certificate or will consult with the Coroner's office upon your passing. There is also a form that the Coroner will require, which gives all vital information about the deceased; both forms should be in a plastic bag and put somewhere easily spotted by the deputies, such as the front or side of your refrigerator. The form and the information about this new service for us can be found on the Mono County Sheriff's OfficeWeb site www.monosheriff.org/coroner. I urge everyone to read the information provided on the Web site and print the necessary form. If you don't have a computer, ask a friend to make you copies or get them at the Walker Thrift Store or senior center. We all owe Sheriff Rick Scholl and Lt. Obenberger our deepest thanks for working so hard to make this happen for us.

- Fire department update

At the meeting of the commissioners of the Antelope Valley Fire District, there was also quite a bit of good news. An agreement has finally been reached for our fire department to serve the base housing complex in Coleville. In addition, the number of volunteer firefighters in training with our department is up to around 16 people per week, which is a sizable increase over the past months. We have also been able to obtain three fire vehicles from the San Bernardino fire department, at no cost. It is all positive for our department and those of us who count on them.

- Yet another bear

Early last Monday morning, Loraine Duncan was starting her workday at the local waste disposal site when she saw two bears. One of them left the immediate area, but the smaller of the two dove into the site's huge trash compactor. He went through a 12 inch hole, down into the big load of trash. After all efforts by county employees and the California Department of Fish & Game failed to persuade him to come out on his own, it was necessary to dump the complete load, including the bear, on the ground. He marched off, shooting them dirty looks, but so far I haven't heard that he has returned.

- Fall fun ahead

There are two events coming soon that are always enjoyable. Oct. 6 will be the Lions Club's 43rd annual Deerhunters Barbecue at the Walker Community Center. Oct. 13 and 14 are the dates for the Walker Fall Festival, with the much-anticipated duck race. I'll give more details on both next week.

- This and that

Coleville High School won Saturday's football game against Big Pine by a score of 60-20. Boy, they're on a roll! Try to get out and see one of their exciting games. Their next home game will be Saturday, Oct. 6 against Virginia City.

Friday and Saturday's volleyball matches for our girls' team were also very successful. They won two from Gabbs on Friday, then beat Big Pine on Saturday. Way to go, girls!

Fishing season at Topaz Lake will be ending on the last day of September, so you might want to get up there for a last try to catch the big one.