UPPER LAKE, Calif. – In 1916 Harriet Lee Hammond provided for Upper Lake what Andrew Carnegie provided for Lakeport and more than 2,500 other towns and cities – a library building.

That library still serves Upper Lake, making it one of the town’s oldest continuously-operating businesses.

The Lake County Library invites the public to the centennial celebration of the Harriet Lee Hammond Library on Sunday, Oct. 16, from 2 to 5 p.m. The historic library is located at the corner of Main and Second Streets in Upper Lake.

Linda Bushta has worked in the Hammond Library since 2006 and loves the quiet atmosphere of the library’s soaring ceilings and redwood-paneled interior.

“Upper Lake is a wonderful little community and by working in the library I feel I belong here,” she said. “Every week, the kindest and friendliest people come in the door, both residents of the Northshore and people passing through our little county on their way somewhere. I love the history of the old building and hearing the stories of the people a century ago who made it happen.”

Plans for the celebration include closing Second Street from Main Street to Washington Street to allow the party plenty of space.

Special displays will chronicle the history of the library and the Upper Lake Women’s Protective Club, or ULWPC.

Speakers will talk about the library history, musicians will entertain the crowd and refreshments will be served. Members of the Lake County Model A Club will show off their cars. Guests are encouraged to wear hats to reflect the fashions of 1916.

The Upper Lake High School band and local groups Almost Midnight and Eleanor Cook & Friends will perform old-fashioned tunes. The ULHS band will perform “America,” which was performed at the library dedication in 1916.

Among those scheduled to speak are Caroline Everts, a great niece of Harriet Lee Hammond, Martha Fargusson representing the ULWPC, Christopher Veach from the Lake County Library, Jan Cook on the history of the Hammond Library and Wanda Quitiquit, an Eastern Pomo, a volunteer with the Lake County Tribal Health Clinic and the Native American Advisory Committee for the Upper Lake Unified School District and a member of the ULWPC will read a poem.

Every party needs refreshments and the centennial celebration is no exception. The Blue Wing Saloon will bake Winnie Riffe’s old-fashioned chocolate cake that was served in Upper Lake a century ago and other tasty treats are on the menu.

The founding of the Hammond Library is tied into the political and social issues that were important in Lake County a century ago.

The Yolo Water and Power Co., or YW&PC, was condemning land around Clear Lake, buying it up to use the shore to increase the volume of water available to people in Yolo County.         

In response to YW&PC’s actions, women in several Lake County towns formed “protective clubs,” “with the object of starting a county wide organization among women for the preservation and conservation of their homes. The movement [was] aimed against the Yolo Water and Power Company and kindred projects” and sought local control of the waters of Clear Lake.

While fighting the water battles, Lake County citizens also tackled other civic projects including starting libraries in their towns.

Upper Lake’s library history depends heavily on Charles and Harriet Hammond who settled in Upper Lake in the 1880s. Charles M. Hammond and his wife Harriet Paine Lee were born in Massachusetts, both members of prominent New England families. Mrs. Hammond’s sister Alice was Theodore Roosevelt’s first wife.

The Hammonds became involved in the civic, political and social life of Lake County where their wealth gave them the means to support community causes.

One of the things that the Hammonds wanted to accomplish was a permanent library for Upper Lake.

In 1914, Upper Lake took its first steps in that direction when the Upper Lake Women’s Protective Club set up a small library in merchant J.N. League’s store.

The club still hoped for a permanent library and meeting place and in 1915 events coincided to bring it about.

In September fire destroyed several businesses and homes at the corner of Main and Second streets. Amy Murdock and Lottie Mendenhall, both members of the ULWPC, bought the burned lot and donated it for a library building.

Harriet Lee Hammond donated about $6,000 to build the library in memory of her husband who had died in June.

She hired noted Boston architect Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow who designed the mission-styled gem with rooms for the ULWPC, for the book collection and a workroom for the librarian.

Construction began in June 1916 and the building opened in October. At the dedication on Oct. 19, 1916, the speakers were ULWPC president Lou K. Howe and H. H. Witherspoon, Mrs. Hammond’s representative.

Mrs. Hammond lived primarily in Massachusetts after Charles died but kept her ties to Upper Lake and continued to support the library until her death in 1936.

Between Mrs. Hammond’s financial support and many fundraising events, the ULWPC operated the library until 1940 when a tax-supported, county-run library district began to fund the library operations.

In 1975 the Hammond Library joined the newly-formed Lake County Library. Since 2001 the Lake County Library has shared a computerized catalog and circulation system with the libraries in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, giving local patrons access to more than one million items.

For more information call the library at 707-275-2049. The Lake County Library is on the Internet at http://library.co.lake.ca.us and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .

Jan Cook works for the Lake County Library.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Mendocino National Forest fire managers are preparing for prescribed burning on the Upper Lake and Covelo Ranger Districts.

Burning may begin as early as Wednesday, Oct. 12, and continue through the fall and winter as conditions allow.

Prescribed fires are conducted to help reduce the potential for future severe wildfires, increase firefighter safety, remove hazardous fuels, and protect communities and watersheds.

The ignition of all projects is dependent on the availability of personnel and equipment, favorable weather, conditions that minimize smoke impacts as best as possible, and California Air Resources Board approval.

The local air quality district manages the number of acres available to burn during allotted burn days based on the amount of projects proposed.

Burns are conducted within a “prescription” that is determined by appropriate fuel moisture, temperature, humidity, wind, and ventilation.

Fire crews implement, monitor, and patrol each project to ensure it meets the goals and objectives outlined in the prescribed burn plans.

Forest officials said they strive to keep the public informed of planned prescribed fires as smoke may be visible at different times across the forest.

Forest visitors should contact the appropriate ranger district for prescribed fire information before beginning their trip to the forest.
 
These are the prescribed fires on the Upper Lake and Covelo Ranger Districts that may occur this year:

· Howard Mill Underburn: 7,400 acres in Lake County. Lake Pillsbury is approximately five miles north and Upper Lake is about five miles south of the project.

· Westshore Underburn: 1,070 acres, project units are located in Lake County. Lake Pillsbury is less than one mile east and Potter Valley is nine miles west of the project.

· High Valley/Lakeview Underburn: 2,575 acres, located in Lake County above the lakeside communities of Nice, Lucerne and Clearlake Oaks.

· Howard Lake Underburn: 175 acres, the project is located in Mendocino County near Howard Lake and Little Doe Campground. Covelo is approximately 10 miles southwest of the project.

· Boardman Ridge Underburn: 2,350 acres, project units are in Lake County. Lake Pillsbury is three miles south of the project.

· Horse Mountain Underburn: 545 acres, units are located in Lake County. Lake Pillsbury is approximately five miles north and Upper Lake is about five miles south of the project.

· Elk Mountain Fuelbreak Underburn: 700 acres, located in Lake County along Elk Mountain Road beginning just north of Middle Creek Campground to Lake Pillsbury Basin.

· Upper Lake and Covelo Pile Burns: 4,000 acres, located across the Upper Lake and Covelo Ranger Districts within Lake, Glenn and Mendocino counties.
 
As projects are implemented, updates will be posted on the forest Web site, http://www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino .

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A young Clearlake man died and another was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence following a Friday night vehicle rollover near Lower Lake.

Nick Mittelstedter, 19, died as a result of the solo-vehicle crash, which occurred at approximately 10:10 p.m. Friday on Morgan Valley Road just west of Bonham Road, according to the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.

Jeramy Michael Isom, 19, of Clearlake, the driver, was arrested for the crash, the CHP said.

The CHP said Isom was driving a 2006 Toyota Tacoma eastbound on Morgan Valley Road at an unknown rate of speed when, for reasons still to be determined by investigators, he allowed the Toyota to drift out of the lane.

Isom attempted to turn the vehicle back into the eastbound lane, and as a result of that turn the Toyota rolled over, the CHP said.

Mittelstedter, one of three passengers riding with Isom, died of his injuries at the scene, according to the CHP.

The CHP said the other two passengers in the vehicle were Clearlake residents James D. VanHoose, 32, and Gabriel A. Wetzel, 19.

The CHP said VanHoose had moderate injuries, including an abrasion to the head and a complaint of pain to the neck. Wetzel had minor injuries consisting of a complaint of pain only.

Isom had moderate injuries, including abrasions to the back of his head and to his ankle, the CHP said.

The CHP arrested Isom and transported him to the Lake County Jail, where he was booked on felony charges including two counts of driving under the influence causing bodily injury and vehicular manslaughter. His bail was set at $150,000, according to booking records.

Isom's booking sheet showed he is set to appear in court on Oct. 11. He remained in custody early Sunday.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

The majority of Americans are not aware that concussions affect males and females differently, and that females actually suffer from a higher rate of concussions than males in similar sports, according to a national survey in a new report by the Women Sports Safety Initiative.

Women and girls suffer higher rates of concussions, take longer to recover from the injuries, and are often more severely impacted due to hormonal differences, according to recent research compiled from medical and athletic-training journals by the Women’s Sports Safety Initiative in a new report titled Sports-Related Concussions: Changing the Game for Women and Sports.

“Concussions are routinely viewed as an issue affecting male athletes, but a significant number of female athletes also experience serious head injuries,” said Mary Hayashi, project director of the Women’s Sports Safety Initiative. “We need a better understanding of why women and girls are suffering from more concussions in similar sports, and we need to make sure this issue is getting the attention it deserves from both legislators and researchers alike.”

The report’s survey data – collected online by Harris Poll on behalf of the Women’s Sports Safety Initiative in September 2016 among 2,025 adults, including nearly 500 parents of children under 18 – showed that majorities are either misinformed or unaware of the facts relating to the impact of concussions on women and girls.

A strong majority also believes that more research and guidelines are necessary to ensure the safety of all athletes.

Among the key findings, nearly two-thirds – or 65 percent – are not aware that concussions affect men and women differently; nearly eight in 10 (79%) are not aware that males do not suffer a higher rate of concussions than females in similar sports, including two out of five (41%) who mistakenly believe men actually suffer from a higher rate.

In addition, 80 percent did not know that concussions can be more severe based on hormonal differences, and nearly nine in 10 (87%) don’t know that female athletes take longer than males to recover from concussions.

The study also found that the majority of Americans want to learn more about concussions, with only 29 percent of Americans saying they believe they know all they need to know. Forty-two percent do not know where to turn for reliable information.

Other key findings:

– About three out of four U.S. adults (76%) believe more money should be dedicated to research on the impact of concussions on women.
– A vast majority (89%) agree that more guidelines should be put into place to ensure athletes’ safety when returning to play after suffering a concussion.
– Three in four parents of kids under 18 (75%) worry about concussions when their children play sports.
– Nine in 10 (90%) advocate for more guidelines to ensure athletes’ safety when returning to play after suffering a concussion.
– Nearly 4 in 5 (78%) believe more money should be dedicated to research on the impact of concussions on women.

“Knowledge and understanding of concussions have grown over the years, but there is still much that is unknown about these injuries and their repercussions, specifically for female athletes,” Hayashi said. “We know women suffer higher incidence in men, now we need to find out why.”

Hayashi added that establishing a better data collection system is needed to improve gender and age appropriate prevention and treatment guidelines.

The Women’s Sports Safety Initiative is a special project fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, dedicated to advancing the lives of women and girls by raising awareness of sports-related injuries.

It is advocating for more research and guidelines on the state and federal level. Among its goals are requiring concussion-recognition training in coaches, developing guidelines outlining best practices for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of concussions for female athletes, increasing research to determine why women concuss at a higher rate than men, and developing a better data collection system to identify trends in female and male athletes.

To learn more and to read the full report, visit www.womenssportssafety.com .

“Those little nimble musicians of the air, that warble forth their curious ditties, with which nature hath furnished them to the shame of art.” – Izaak Walton

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The McVicar Trail at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, off Highway 53 between the City of Clearlake and Lower Lake, is a bird-lover's paradise.

The McVicar Wildlife Preserve, given to the National Audubon Society in years past (and sustained by our local chapter, the Redbud Audubon Society), is now a part of Anderson Marsh State Historic Park.

The trail is open, according to Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, or AMIA, " ... as a result of a Partnership Agreement between the Department of Parks and Recreation and AMIA."

The McVicar Trail is about three and a half miles long. After you enter the park by paying the fee (or parking along the road outside the park), take a stroll through the grasslands, then veer up the rise of oaks to the western border of the marsh.

The enchantment of the woods with its dramatic mahogany-hued manzanitas and old acorn caches that the woodpeckers “bank” in each season is an extravagance of nature.

The Pomo, Koi, Lake Miwok and other Indians made use of these and many, many more resources 14,000 years ago, as archaeologists have determined.

It is heartening to know that today their descendants continue many of the cultural traditions, thereby keeping the past alive. 

The McVicar Trail is lush and green, with a wide variety of grasses and trees. If you look closely you may find fragrant wild mint, too.

After a walk under the tunnel-like foliage, you soon come to an opening where views of the iconic tules that line the marsh are in evidence, capped by a lovely mountain view in the background.

The trail is deliciously damp, and almost jungle-like in comparison to the open grasslands of Anderson Marsh.

The group of birdwatchers on our recent Audubon hike was friendly and knowledgeable. Leader Pat Harmon was ever-ready with both her binoculars and Leopold scope; she was well-prepared to locate the wide variety of avian species we viewed that day.

We saw mourning dove, Anna's hummingbird, Say's Phoebe, Canada geese, scrub jay, cedar waxwing, redtail hawk, and more.

To find out about future walks and more information on Anderson Marsh, see the Redbud Audubon Web site at www.redbudaudubon.org/ or the AMIA Web site at www.andersonmarsh.org .

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.