LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Nearly two dozen of Lake County's most valued volunteers and leaders were honored during the Stars of Lake County Awards ceremony, held Sunday night in Clearlake Oaks.

Humanitarians, students, volunteers and those who have given of themselves over the years were celebrated during the Sunday reception and dinner.

The winners are listed below.

• Humanitarian of the Year: Dr. Paula Dhanda, Kelseyville
• Senior of the Year: Janet Taylor, Lakeport
• Volunteer of the Year: Phyllis Kelsey, Middletown
• Female Student: Cheyanne Horvath, Cobb
• Male Student: Eli Wade, Clearlake
• Youth Advocate – Professional: Bill MacDougall, Kelseyville
• Youth Advocate – Volunteer: Bill Stone and Alvaro Valencia, Clearlake
• Agriculture Award: Farm to School Program, Kelseyville
• Organization – Nonprofit: Healthy Start, Lakeport
• Organization – Volunteer: Any Positive Change, Lower Lake
• Environmental Award    : Gae Henry and Henry Bornstein, Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, Lower Lake
• New Business    of the Year: 2 Women Traders, Middletown
• Small Business of the Year: Here for the Holidays/Accents on the Lake, Kelseyville
• Large Business of the Year: Calpine Corp., Middletown
• Best Idea of the Year: Window Treatments for Vacant Storefronts, Lake County
• Local Hero Award: Amy Zingone, Clearlake Oaks
• Arts Award – Professional: Verna Wicks-De Martino, Lakeport
• Arts Award – Amateur: Lake County Quilt Trail
• Spirit of Lake County: Voris Brumfield
• Selection Committee Special Award: John Fulton
• Woman of the Year: Antoinette Funderburg, Lakeport
• Man of the Year: Tom Lincoln, Lakeport
• Lifetime Achievement: Stephen R. Elias, Esquire, Lakeport

SACRAMENTO — The Assembly Revenue & Taxation Committee on Monday gave unanimous, bipartisan support to legislation authored by Assemblymembers Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) and Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) that offers several creative funding opportunities to help prevent state parks from being closed.

Assembly Bill 1589, also known as the California State Parks Stewardship Act of 2012, addresses short and long-term needs for California State Parks in order to achieve substantial budget savings without wide-scale park closures.

The bill includes an option for taxpayers to designate all or a portion of their state income tax refund towards purchase of an annual state parks pass.

“Today, our bipartisan effort to save state parks took an important step forward,” said Huffman, who represents the 6th Assembly District, which encompasses southern Sonoma County and all of Marin County. “It’s important that as we continue to make technical improvements to the bill, we are getting unanimous votes in committee, and members of both parties continue asking to be added as co-authors. I’m also grateful that State Controller John Chiang registered his support and is working with us to make sure key revenue elements of the bill are administratively feasible.”

“The parks closures disproportionately impact rural California, and nowhere is that more true than on the North Coast,” said Chesbro, who represents the First Assembly District. “One of the key elements I wanted included in AB 1589 is the opportunity for Californians to purchase an annual parks pass with their tax refunds. This tool will increase revenue for the parks system with no impact to the general fund and more California families will get out and enjoy our state parks.”

AB 1589 includes the following additional provisions:

• Encourages formation of a state compact that guarantees an ongoing level of state funding for operations and maintenance of state parks.
• Creates a State Park Enterprise Fund to be used for construction and installation of modern revenue and fee collection equipment and technologies to increase park visitation and revenues.
• Produces a California State Park environmental license plate which individual vehicle owners could purchase and have the fees go towards support of state parks.
• Requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to be more transparent on how it evaluates and selects specific parks for closure, and places a cap of 25 state park units on the number of park closures allowed from 2012 to 2016 without legislative approval.

AB 1589 is also joint-authored by Assemblymembers Roger Dickinson, Mike Gatto and Kevin Jeffries.

The bill proceeds to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further consideration.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – With fire season close at hand, county residents can learn how to protect their homes and communities in an annual event set for this coming weekend.

Lake County’s third annual Wildfire Safety Expo will be held on Saturday, May 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Kelseyville Lumber Home Improvement Center, 3555 N. Main St. in Kelseyville.  

Presented by the Lake County Fire Safe Council, this free community event will provide information to homeowners to help them prepare for a wildfire.  

Partners for this event include the Kelseyville, Lake County, Lake Pillsbury, Lakeport, Northshore, and South Lake Fire Protection districts; the Lake County Fire Chiefs’ Association; Cal Fire; the Bureau of Land Management; and U. S. Forest Service.

A vendor fair will focus on fuel reduction methods, fire-resistant building materials, home fire safety information, and fire safe landscaping tips.  Home fire protection products also will be demonstrated.  

Representatives from Lake County’s Animal Care and Control will answer homeowners’ questions and provide information on the Lake Evacuation and Animal Protection (L.E.A.P.) program.  

The Master Gardeners and Pacific Gas & Electric also will be there with tips on fire safe landscaping.  Information for the National Fire Protection Association's Firewise Communities program will also be available.

“We hope to provide helpful information so citizens will be better prepared in the event of wildfire,” said project coordinator Linda Juntunen. “Along with fire safety information, there will be activities that we think both adults and children will enjoy.”

Smokey Bear and Sparky the Fire Dog will be on hand for the kids, children’s games, and drawings for free prizes will be held throughout the day. Firefighting training demonstrations will be conducted, and present day and antique fire equipment will be on display.

“This event is for Lake County residents and will provide ‘one stop shopping’ for homeowners to take responsibility for their own safety and protection during the upcoming fire season. One of our themes is ‘Help them (firefighters) help you.’ Make it possible for the fire agencies to protect your homes safely and effectively” said Jeff Tunnell, fire mitigation and education specialist for the Bureau of Land Management.

Take responsibility by learning how to protect your home and create the defensible space. Be fire wise and fire safe this season – attend the Wildfire Safety Expo.

Contact Linda Juntunen, project coordinator, at 707-263-4180, Extension 106, for additional information.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is featuring a number of friendly, adoptable cats for adoption this week.

Through Friday, May 11, the county is waiving the county adoption fee, which reduces the overall cost to adopt a cat by $20.

Cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed and microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake .

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).

Gray domestic short hair mix

This male gray domestic short hair mix is 8 weeks old.

He has blue eyes, weighs 1 pound and has not yet been altered.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 100a, ID 32478.

Female tabby kitten

This gray and black female tabby is 8 weeks old.

She has blue eyes and is not yet spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 100b, ID No. 32479.

Male orange tabby

This male orange tabby is 7 months old.

He has a short coat, gold eyes and has been neutered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 1, ID No. 32499.

Female black domestic short hair mix kitten

This female domestic short hair mix is 12 weeks old.

She weighs nearly 2 pounds and has been spayed.

She is in cat room kennel No. 52b, ID No. 32501.

Male black domestic short hair mix kitten

This male domestic short hair mix is 12 weeks old.

He weighs 2.2 pounds and has been neutered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 52c, ID No. 32502.

Black female short hair

This black domestic short hair mix is 1 year old.

She weighs 8 pounds and has been spayed.

Shelter staff said she is a very mellow cat that would like nothing more in life than to curl up on the couch or chair. She also likes to sit in your lap.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 13, ID No. 32378.

Gray female tabby

This gray female tabby is 2 years old.

She has a short coat, weighs 7 pounds and has been spayed.

Shelter staff said she is playful and enjoys the company of other cats.

She is in cat room kennel No. 16, ID No. 32431.

Gray domestic short hair

This male domestic short hair mix is 11 months old.

He weighs 5.4 pounds, has green eyes and has been neutered.

See him in cat room kennel No. 40, ID No. 32494.

Brown male tabby

This brown male tabby is 2 years old.

He has green eyes, a medium-length coat and has not yet been altered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 8, ID No. 32632.

Lynx point Siamese

This female lynx point Siamese is 1 year old.

She has blue eyes and a short coat.

She is in cat room kennel No. 7, ID No. 32558.

Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Devastating wildfires threaten California every year, and to ensure Californians are ready, Gov. Jerry Brown declared May 6-12, 2012, as “Wildfire Awareness Week.”

Cal Fire is taking advantage of Wildfire Awareness Week to remind residents of the dangers from wildfires and the simple steps they can take to prepare for them.

“Despite a rainy March, this year’s overall precipitation is below average,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, Cal Fire director. “As a result of the dry winter, the number of wildfires that Cal Fire firefighters have responded to is nearly three times that of last year.”

According to the state’s final snow survey on May 1, the statewide snowpack water content is only 40 percent of normal.

From January to April, Cal Fire crews have responded to over 800 wildfires, nearly two and half times the number in 2011 when there were approximately 300. This year’s number of wildfires is above the five-year average as well, where the average is over 600 wildfires.

During Wildfire Awareness Week, Cal Fire is reminding Californians that when it comes to wildfires, remember “Ready, Set, Go!” Being ready for a wildfire starts by maintaining 100 feet of defensible space and hardening homes with fire resistant building materials.

“Before we get into the peak of fire season, residents should prepare themselves, their families and their homes for wildfires,” said Chief Pimlott. “Defensible Space and fire resistant building materials really gives a home the best chance of surviving a wildfire.”

Cal Fire relaunched its wildfire preparedness Web site, www.ReadyForWildfire.org , with added features and steps to assist homeowners in preparing for wildfires.

The site offers tips for residents to make their homes more resistant to wildfires and to ensure that their families are ready to evacuate early and safely when a wildfire strikes.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A fire at a resort destroyed a guest’s cabin and burned close to 10 acres of vegetation on Sunday afternoon.

The fire was reported at the Wilbur Hot Springs resort, located at Wilbur Springs near Bear Creek, which is close to the Lake and Colusa County border.

Northshore Fire Deputy Chief Pat Brown said firefighters from his agency were dispatched to the fire at 2:20 p.m. Sunday.

Brown said Northshore Fire and the Williams Fire Department, which have a mutual aid agreement, were the first agencies to respond.

Northshore Fire initially sent a water tender and an engine, Brown said. When firefighters got to the scene, more resources were requested.

He said Northshore Fire sent another engine, with one coming from Kelseyville as well.

Cal Fire, Colusa County and city fire departments, and Capay Valley also sent firefighters and equipment, Brown said.

Cal Fire’s Copter 104 worked the fire from the air, he said.

Brown said the fire burned one cabin, threatened two others, and went up a steep hillside, burning heavy brush.

The fire was contained Sunday night, with radio reports indicating firefighters were being released from the scene at around 7 p.m. and after.

Brown said Cal Fire had two engines and two handcrews remaining on scene and mopping up the fire area overnight.

Two more Cal Fire engines were scheduled to come in Monday morning for mop up, and Brown said Cal Fire also planned to check the fire area from the air on Monday.

The fire’s cause remained under investigation Sunday night, but Brown said investigators were leaning toward a finding that involved a possible electrical issue in the burned cabin.

One injury – a heat related issue – was reported and handled at the scene, Brown said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

COBB, Calif. – A quake that followed a larger 4.5-magnitude earthquake early Saturday, May 5, has been upgraded in size.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported Monday evening that an earthquake it originally had reported as 2.3 in magnitude – occurring just a minute after the 4.5 magnitude quake Saturday – was in fact a 3.3.

The 4.5-magnitude temblor was centered three miles east of The Geysers geothermal steamfield and three miles southwest of Cobb, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The 3.3-magnitude quake that followed – the largest of numerous aftershocks – was centered two miles east of The Geysers and four miles southwest of Cobb, according to the agency's report.

The larger quake elicited 220 shake reports from 46 zip codes, but as of Monday evening the U.S. Geological Survey had not received shake reports on the 3.3-magnitude quake.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Two county residents were injured on Monday when they were involved in a crash near Kelseyville.

Amber Erickson, 25, of Kelseyville and Robert Quammen, 52, of Lucerne, were involved in the wreck, which occurred on Highway 281 east of Inca Way, according to the California Highway Patrol. A time for the crash was not given.

Quammen, driving a Ford van, and Erickson, who was driving a Nissan Frontier, were both traveling eastbound on Highway 281, or Soda Bay Road, the CHP said.

Quammen, who was ahead of Erickson, drove through some cardboard box debris in the eastbound lane and pulled to the right shoulder and stopped. The CHP said Quammen's van was partially blocking the eastbound lane by about 4 to 5 feet.

Erickson also had driven through the debris, but the CHP report said she didn't see Quammen stopped on the shoulder and partially blocking the lane.

Erickson struck the left rear of Quammen's van, according to the report.

The CHP said Erickson suffered moderate injuries and was transported to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake. Quammen sustained minor injuries and was not transported.

The collision is still under investigation, according to the CHP, which said that alcohol and drugs did not appear to have been contributing factors.

The CHP said both Erickson and Quammen were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A Clearlake Oaks resident suffered major injuries in a single-vehicle crash early Sunday morning.

James Weiss, 40, was injured in the crash, which occurred on Sulphur Bank Road south of Highway 20 at around 3:30 a.m., according to a report from the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP report said Weiss was driving a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee northbound on Sulphur Bank Road and, due to unsafe speed, failed to negotiate a righthand curve in the roadway.

Weiss’ Jeep went off the west roadway edge and down an embankment, where it hit a tree before coming to rest on the driver’s side, the CHP said.

As a result of the crash, Weiss was trapped inside the Jeep. A person walking along the roadway at 8:15 a.m. heard him moaning, according to the CHP.

The CHP said Northshore Fire Protection District firefighters from the Clearlake Oaks station responded and freed Weiss from the vehicle.

Weiss was flown by REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of major injuries, the CHP reported.

Weiss was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash, the CHP said.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

WILLOWS, Calif. – The Mendocino National Forest will be hosting two open houses later this week for community members to meet Forest Supervisor Sherry Tune.

The first open house will be held Thursday, May 10, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Upper Lake Ranger District Office, located at 10025 Elk Mountain Road in Upper Lake.

The second open house will be Friday, May 11 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Covelo Ranger District Office, located at 78150 Covelo Road in Covelo.

Tune, who previously was the Monterey District ranger on the Los Padres National Forest, has been on the Mendocino National Forest for less than three months.

Her early months on the forest have been spent getting oriented, meeting employees and touring the forest.

She succeeded former Forest Supervisor Tom Contreras, who is now assigned to the Angeles National Forest.

Tune has the distinction of being the first woman selected to serve as forest supervisor for the Mendocino in its 103-year history.

“I am very excited to be here and look forward to working with our partners and public who enjoy the many benefits from this remarkable forest,” Tune said. “The open house is just the first step for me to begin engaging local communities to improve the overall health and sustainability of the resources on the Mendocino National Forest.”

Prior to her experience on the Los Padres, Tune served as a deputy district ranger for the Coronado National Forest in Arizona.  

Her career started as a clerk-typist in 1978 before transitioning to fire where she has extensive experience, including working on hotshot crews, leading a handcrew, serving as assistant forest fire management officer, an emergency center manager, fire planner, fuels program manager and fire ecologist.

Tune’s Forest Service experience also includes work as a certified timber cruiser, law enforcement officer, national training coordinator, and union steward.

Her educational background includes studying landscape ecology at the University of Arizona.

COBB, Calif. – A Cobb man who was arrested late last week for killing his girlfriend died Sunday night in the jail, with the cause still under investigation.

James Michael Carpy, 44, had been arrested Friday night and held on $1 million bail following the discovery of the body of his 33-year-old girlfriend in the Hogan Hill Lane home they shared on Cobb, as Lake County News has reported.

Sources close to the investigation said he may have committed suicide.

Messages Lake County News left with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office administration Sunday night and Monday were not returned.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said the District Attorney’s Office is investigating Carpy’s death.

“The sheriff’s department called us last night and asked us if we could send an investigator over to conduct an investigation and we did so,” Hinchcliff said Monday morning.

Hinchcliff said two District Attorney’s Office investigators responded to the jail Sunday night.

He said he could not release any details about Carpy’s cause of death, deferring that to the sheriff’s office.

“The investigation is ongoing,” Hinchcliff said.

Lake County News will post additional information as it becomes available.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Warm weather and balmy breezes greeted visitors on Saturday at the annual Heron Festival, held this year at its new location in Clearlake's Redbud Park.

Over a dozen vendors selling jewelry, decorated gourds, garden features and other handcrafts were set up beside the Redbud Audubon Society, sponsor of the Heron Festival.

The festival was reduced to just one day this year instead of two, resulting in the pontoon boat rides selling out online.  

During this popular feature of the festival, some lucky boaters used their binoculars to spot not just heron nests but also nests of the golden eagle and great horned owl along the water channels off Clear Lake.

Great blue herons and white egrets flew overhead and perched in the trees, creating photo ops during the 90-minute boat ride.

The day’s events schedule began at 8:30 a.m. and ended after 4 p.m.  

Several of the festival’s activities were created just for children, such as the precut, paper owl mask finished with crayons by the youngsters.  

Since the live owls and raptors show was such popular entertainment for the entire family in past years, it had a repeat performance.

Speakers Dr. Harry Lyons, Marilyn Waits and Philip Greene were scheduled in the big tent throughout the day to entertain and educate adults and children about birds and other wildlife that we see around Clear Lake.

Greene, the keynote speaker, presented an especially humorous and entertaining slide show as he explained – and acted out – the various ways the heron and egret males attract a female after building a nest for each new season and the hunting strategy of the reddish heron.  

One of his main reference books is “The Heron’s Handbook,” by authors James Hancock and James Kushlan, published by Harper and Row. Greene has found this on Amazon.com and pointed out that the illustrations are colorful paintings instead of photographs.  

He surprised his audience with the information that herons and egrets have hollow bones, making them weigh only a few pounds, even though the great blue heron can have a wingspan of 6 feet and stand 5 and a half feet tall.

Greene’s audience also learned that most heron adults leave the nest when the juveniles are about 8 weeks old, leaving them to fend for themselves.

The reddish heron differs from other heron in that it instructs its young how to hunt for prey. A common practice of the reddish heron is the use of the “closed wing” method of creating a shadow over its prey with its wings so the fish or rodent cannot see this predator strike until it’s too late.

After boat rides and stimulating lectures, festival goers had a wide range of lunch choices – tacos, barbecued pork, hot dogs, snacks and drinks from food vendors.

The festival was well attended without being overcrowded. Parking was well-organized and directed by volunteers. Plentiful shade trees and clean, well-maintained restrooms helped make this an enjoyable family outing.