Welcome to board, you're president

The Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District board of directors elected as its president a new director attending his first meeting in an official capacity.

David Worden accepted the nomination of director Jean Prel at the Dec. 17 meeting at the district's Brite Lake headquarters, and, following a vote by the five-member panel, smoothly assumed the mantle of long-time director Harry Cowan.

The board also welcomed newly elected director James Pack.

Worden's first order of business was to present a citation to Cowan for his 25 years of service to the water district and his leadership as president for 11 years. The citation said that Cowan was "an inspiration by example and his efforts to provide a viable water program."

The other retiring board member, Rob Schultz, served for 15 years, eight of them as vice president. Schultz, who was not present, was lauded as "a good director and a real gentleman."

District manager John Martin reported that – to his surprise – the district had received a 10 percent allocation of State Water Project water. The northern Sierra watershed is getting above average precipitation, he said, and the allocation may well be increased in January.

Last year, during the worst of the drought, the allocation was zero.