LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Public Health has received a limited supply of Prevnar 13, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Prevnar 13 vaccine is used for the prevention of pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive disease caused by 13 streptococcus pneumoniae strains.

These vaccines will be provided free-of-charge except for a $9 administration fee while supplies last.

Eligibility guidelines to qualify for this program are:

– Prevnar 13 vaccine is available to adults 65 years of age or older.
– Adults 19 years of age or older with immunocompromising conditions, functional or anatomic asplenia, CSF leaks or cochlear implants, and who have not previously received PCV13 or PPSV23, should receive a dose of PCV13 first followed by a dose of PPSV23 at least eight weeks later.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Public Health at Lake County Public Health, 922 Bevins Court, Lakeport, telephone 707-263-1090 or 800-794-9291.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Michael Lorren Allen, also known as Big Mike, passed away on Oct. 24, 2016, at the age of 42, after a short illness with family by his side.

A celebration of life will be held at the Legion Hall in Kelseyville on Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. All friends and family are welcome.

Mike was born on Oct. 7, 1974, to Frances and Lindel Allen in Lakeport, the youngest of three children. He was raised in Kelseyville, where he attended Kelseyville schools. As a single father, he raised his son Michael Junior here.

In 1999 after his father had a stroke, he took over Allens Custom Farming, continuing the work his father did .

Mike was preceded in death by his father, Lindel Allen; brother, James Allen; grandparents, Ed and Hazle Pruett, and Raymond and Mauree Allen; and many aunts and uncles and cousins.

He was survived by his son, Michael Allen Jr.; mother, Frances Allen; sister, Tammy Larned (Dale); the love of his life, Gwen Anderson; family by choice, including brother, Mike Manning and sister, Debbie Read; son, Travis Moore; daughter, Jenifer McNamara; grandchildren, Trinty, Shaelyn and Audree Rose; nieces and nephews, Jamie and Thomas (Hailey, Brook, Samantha), Jessica Read (David and Kylee), Jennifer and John (Daniel and Zackary), Jimmy and Chrissy Allen, (Kathrine and Hazel), Nicole Lund, Kevin Lund (Mackenzie), and Lelend Allen; far to many aunts, uncles and cousins to name; and many, many great friends.

Big Mike was a wonderful son, father, brother, uncle and friend. He will be missed and loved by all.

In lieu of flowers, please spend time with your family and loved ones.

Please share your memories by signing the guestbook at www.legacy.com .

Thank you, District 4. I am honored to be to the top vote getter to date for District 4.

I have befriended some of the most amazing people in the last year and know I have made some life-long friends because of my campaign.

I have learned there is passion in this county, and people wanting to work together for the greater good of us all.

It is going to take every one of us to move Lake County forward, and this will be done by working together. I look forward to hosting monthly meetings to get to know even more people that want the best for Lake County.

I would like to personally thank my husband Doug and my children for their dedication with my determination to make a difference in my community.

I would also like to thank Gillian Parrillo for all the guidance and support making my victory possible.

There was also countless others that came out spending countless hours to spread the positive word about my candidacy.

I promise I will not let you down and will always work hard for Lake County.

Now the real work begins.

Tina Scott lives in Lakeport, Calif.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Community Colleges Board of Governors on Monday elected Cecilia V. Estolano to serve as president and Thomas Epstein to serve as vice president for 2017.

The board, appointed by the governor, nominates and elects its president and vice president each November.

“I couldn’t be happier or more honored to be elected as board president by my colleagues,” said Estolano, who served previously as board vice president. “This is a very exciting time for our system, as we prepare to welcome a new chancellor. I’m very much looking forward to working with the board, in partnership with the governor and the Legislature, to help our 2.1 million students to accomplish their educational goals.”

More on the two officers:

Cecilia V. Estolano of Pasadena, was appointed to serve on the board in 2014. She is co-founder of Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors, which provides consulting services to public agencies, foundations, business associations and other stakeholders looking to grow vibrant communities.

Estolano previously served as chief executive officer of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). Prior to joining CRA/LA, Estolano was of counsel at the law firm of Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher. Her career also includes service on the California Coastal Commission.

Estolano is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and holds a master’s in urban planning from the University of California, Los Angeles. She received her bachelor’s degree in social studies with honors from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges.

Thomas Epstein is vice president of public affairs at Blue Shield of California, a statewide not-for-profit health plan based in San Francisco. Prior to joining Blue Shield, he was vice president of communications for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and served in the Clinton White House as a special assistant to the president for political affairs.

Before moving to Washington, Epstein was deputy commissioner for consumer protection and communications in the California Department of Insurance. He earned a J.D. from UCLA School of Law and a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a senior fellow at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

He is a member of the California Bar and serves on the board of trustees of the Coalition for Clean Air, Enroll America and the Blue Shield of California Foundation.

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 113 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year.

For more information about the community colleges, please visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/ , https://www.facebook.com/CACommColleges or https://twitter.com/CalCommColleges .

California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith this week warned holiday travelers to protect themselves from mosquito bites when traveling to areas with known transmission of Zika virus, including Latin America.

Many areas of Mexico are now experiencing transmission of the Zika virus, particularly popular tourist destinations, including Cancun, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa, and Mazatlan.

The states of Baja California Sur, where Cabo San Lucas is located, and Sonora, which borders Arizona, have recently reported local Zika virus transmission.

While the state of Baja California bordering California has not reported local Zika virus transmission, the mosquitoes that transmit the virus are present along the border.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers any travel to Mexico to be a potential risk for Zika virus infection.

“Pregnant women and couples contemplating pregnancy need to be particularly cautious because of the severe defects that can be caused to a fetus by the Zika virus,” said Dr. Smith. “Both state and federal public health officials urge pregnant women not to travel to areas with known Zika transmission.”

Zika virus can be spread through mosquito bites and can also be transmitted by both men and women during sex.

All individuals, particularly women of childbearing age, should take steps to protect themselves against mosquito bites while traveling and when they return home.

Sexually active adults who travel to areas with Zika transmission should use condoms or other barriers to avoid getting or passing Zika during sex.

Couples planning pregnancy when either partner has been exposed to Zika virus should speak with a health care provider about a safe time to try to get pregnant. Men should wait six months to conceive after Zika exposure. Women who have been exposed should wait a minimum of eight weeks before becoming pregnant.

“The mosquitoes that can carry and infect people with Zika live in many areas of California,” said Dr. Smith. “If one of these mosquitoes bites an infected person, it can spread the virus by biting another person. That is why we ask people traveling to Mexico, or any other place where Zika exists, to take steps to prevent mosquito bites for three weeks after a trip, even if you don’t feel sick.”

While there has been no local transmission of Zika virus in California to date, CDPH has confirmed 362 cases of travel-associated infections in the state.

To prevent mosquito bites, apply repellents containing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-registered ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 to exposed skin and/or clothing (as directed on the product label).

Individuals should wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks and shoes when outdoors. Be sure window and door screens are in good condition to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.

Most people who are infected with Zika do not experience any symptoms. However, symptoms of infection can include fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes).

The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. There is currently no vaccine or treatment for Zika other than rest, fluids and fever relief.

More information about Zika can be found in the November 2016 CDPH Health and Travel Advisory, and on the CDPH and CDC Web sites. In addition, the Mexico Ministry of Health Web site contains more Zika-related information, www.cdph.ca.gov .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Redbud Audubon is pleased to welcome Bob Lewis to its November meeting on Thursday, Nov. 17.

Refreshments will be offered at 7 p.m. and the program begins at 7:15 p.m. in the Glebe Social Hall, St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 4085 Main St. in Kelseyville. The program is free and are open to the public. 

The title of Lewis' talk is “A Bird’s Rainbow,” and is a look at the fascinating mysteries of the color of birds.

Many birds are brightly colored; others use patterned feathers for camouflage. How do these colors originate? What’s the difference between colors from pigments and physical colors? From yellow warblers to Anna’s Hummingbirds, from snow geese to Brewer’s Blackbirds, each species makes unique use of the feather colors it possesses.

What do the colors indicate to other birds? And do birds see the same colors we do? Lewis will unravel some of the mysteries of color in birds with a little chemistry, a bit of physics and a lot of brightly colored slides.

Lewis trained as a chemist and worked for Chevron for 33 years. He’s taught birding classes in the Bay Area for over 20 years, and served as the chair of Golden Gate Audubon’s Adult Education Committee.

Currently he’s co-teaching a popular master birding class at the SF Academy of Sciences with Jack Dumbacher and Eddie Bartley, and birds of the Bay Area with Rusty Scalf.

He loves to travel and photograph birds, and has recently returned from a trip to Peru, chasing the brightly colored birds of that area.

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SAN FRANCISCO – Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) is joining utilities throughout North America to make customers aware of telephone, mail, email and door-to-door/in-person scams that involve criminals posing as utility company representatives and demanding immediate payment or personal information.

The “Utilities United Against Scams” collaboration has designated Nov. 16 as “Utilities United Against Scams Day.”

This day will be supported by a week-long campaign, beginning Nov. 14, with information focused on exposing the tricks scammers use to steal from customers, and how customers can protect themselves.

“The safety and security of our customers is the foundation of how we operate, so it’s heartbreaking when you hear about people being affected by these types of scams,” said Deb Affonsa, vice president, PG&E Customer Care. “Awareness is a key part of stopping this type of crime and we are working hard to continue getting the word out to our customers.”

The North American-wide collaborative encourages the public to share these messages to help guard against scam activity.

To date in 2016, PG&E has received more than 2,400 scam reports. Scammers continue to employ increasingly more sophisticated tactics to exploit customers.

PG&E continues to work with law enforcement agencies that are conducting investigations as well as supporting ongoing efforts to help educate customers about scams.

Scam red flags and how to protect yourself

• A scammer tells the customer his or her account is past due and service will be disconnected if payment isn’t made through prepaid cash card – usually within an hour.
• PG&E never requires a customer to purchase a prepaid debit card to avoid disconnection. Customers behind on their bill receive multiple advance disconnection notifications – never a single notification one hour before disconnection. Customers can make payments online, by phone, automatic bank draft, mail or in person.
• Hang up on suspicious calls. Contact local police on their non-emergency number and then call PG&E.
• Never dial phone numbers scammers provide or assume caller ID is accurate. Scammers use sophisticated systems where they can mimic caller ID that appears to be PG&E’s number.
• An in-person scammer wears a hard hat, an orange vest and holds a clip board and asks to see your utility bill or to be let inside your home.
• If someone is at your door claiming to represent PG&E and is unwilling to show their ID or is otherwise making you uncomfortable, don’t let them in and call local law enforcement immediately. PG&E employees carry identification and are always willing to show it to you.
• Expect to receive an automated call from PG&E 48 hours before a scheduled visit. You may also receive a personal call from a PG&E gas service representative before a scheduled visit. You can also call PG&E to verify an appointment.
• A scammer sends an email that demands immediate payment, asks for financial information or contains suspicious links.
• Beware of emails requesting your personal information. Never click on suspicious links or open attachments that demand immediate payment or financial information.

Customers who suspect or experience fraud, or feel threatened during contact with one of these scammers, should contact local authorities and then PG&E 1-800-743-5000.

For more information visit www.pge.com .