ART AND CHARITY MERGE IN CEDAR GLEN By Tim Clarke
I had a chance to sit down with Robin Lyles owner of The Lake House in Cedar Glen to talk about her “First Friday events” and her support of mountain charities. We sat down in front of the fireplace in the comfy sofa and chairs in a living room type atmosphere of her gallery and began to chat. Robin and her husband John came up to the mountain for good 20 years ago from Orange County after successful careers in restaurant management for her and architecture for him. They remodeled the site inside and out to create the gallery space merged with a store of unique food items and utensils with a cocktail chic vibe. Opening in May of 2004, design work and growing sales made it all work. Then, the recession of 2008-9 took the wind out of sales and Robin had to come up with an idea to get people through the doors again. The lighting bolt came in the form of an e-mail from a gallery owner friend in Illinois of all places. Her friend had sent her a flier about a “First Friday” event she was putting on and Robin picked up the ball and ran with it. Ideas flew around the room she would create a party atmosphere with food from her vast restaurant experience and have a couple of artists each time showing and hopefully selling their work. Truly a mountain art experience changing each month.
in 2014 she decided that the commissions that she was receiving at her special Friday events could go to selected mountain charities. Robin freely admitted that these events weren’t totally altruistic but beneficial to the charity by increasing donations and to the Lake House by broadening the customer base. A merger of both charity and commerce.
Surviving through Covid, Snowmageddon and whatever comes next, the giving will continue and is now in its 15th year. This year’s recipients are, (from July to December), Blue Jay Jazz Foundation, Lauri Carleton Memorial Fund, Rim Educational Foundation, Lake Arrowhead Rotary Foundation, Mountain Community Hospital Foundation, and Rebuilding Together Mountain Communities (formerly Christmas in April).
At this point my organization, Rebuilding Together, is the last First Friday event of the year and I encourage all who read this to come and support this truly noble organization of dedicated volunteers who help needy homeowners in our mountain communities. So, save the date, Friday, December 6, from 4 to 7 PM and support our mountain communities.
Event Location
The Lake House, 28966 Hook Creek Rd, Cedar Glen, 909-337-7676
On July 24, 2024, The Rebuilding Together board of directors had our annual potluck bar-b-que. This year we were joined by a delegation from the national Rebuilding Together organization. This group representing the many states in which they work, came to So Cal to confirm Long Beach as the site of the next conference and to visit a few local affiliates as well. We spent a pleasant afternoon talking and getting to know one another. It was quite an energizing few hours. Much advice was given on ways to help resolve our funding short fall. But the fact remains unless we can raise $40,000 to $50,000 by next year, we will not be able to carry on this vital work for our mountain neighbors, some of whom may have to leave the mountains having insufficient funds to make their homes warm safe and dry.
Rebuilding Together Mountain Communities would like to greatly thank the over 100 volunteers, trades people, and the support of our local businesses for making a successful Rebuilding Day! For 2024 we were able to help keep four homeowners stay safe, warm, and dry in their homes. Our community showed their generosity once again donating their time on April 27th. House #1 in Cedarpines Park was sponsored by the Ted Roy Foundation and Mountain Storage. The House Captain was Wayne Palmer with Volunteer Coordinator Lorna Polley. They with their volunteers replaced fascia boards, repaired front stairs, and cleaned up two dumpsters of yard waste with rain gutters to be installed. House 2, in Running Springs was sponsored by the Lake Arrowhead Rotary and Joan Leopold. The House Captain was Scott Markovich with Volunteer Coordinator Allison Banner. Firewood was split and stacked, fences, gates, and other items were repaired, the fence and house paint was touched-up, and two dumpsters of yard waste was cleaned-up. House 3 in Crestline was sponsored by Mountain Sunrise Rotary with workers from Mountain Sunrise Rotary and the Skyforest Elks. The House Captain was Willie Kanayan with Volunteer Coordinators Rudy & Karyn Westervelt. Their were extensive deck and stair repairs, new fascia boards installed, a window repaired, a new microwave installed, plumbing and electrical repairs, with two dumpsters and three trailer-fulls of yard clean-up and debris. House 4 in Crestline was sponsored by Running Springs Golden Oaks and Lake Arrowhead Community Presbyterian Church with workers from Lake Arrowhead Community Presbyterian Church, Church of the Woods, and Lake Gregory Community Church. The House Captain was 
