HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Firefighters took quick action to knock down four small wildland fires – some of which threatened structures – near Hidden Valley Lake Thursday afternoon.

“All the fires are now contained,” South Lake County Fire Battalion Chief Greg Bertelli told Lake County News just before 5 p.m.

Bertelli said firefighters were dispatched just before 3 p.m. on the report of a wildland fire with additional fires in the Hidden Valley Lake area.

The fires were located north of Hidden Valley Lake along Highway 29, Bertelli said.

Two of the fires were small spots, with the third reaching one acre in size and the fourth burning about five acres, according to Bertelli.

Engines from South Lake County Fire, Cal Fire and Northshore Fire responded, along with Cal Fire handcrews, a dozer and helicopter, he said. Two additional handcrews were called from local fire agencies.

On two of the fires structures were endangered but Bertelli said a quick response from firefighters protected the buildings.

The five-acre fire presented the greatest challenge, with Bertelli noting that it took the better part of an hour and a half to two hours for firefighters to contain it.

He said firefighters were hampered by erratic winds and deceptively dry vegetation.

“It might be green but it was still pretty dry,” he said.

The winds helped drive the largest fire up a hillside, with the Cal Fire copter hitting it with water at the ridgetop, Bertelli said.

The windy conditions “just really makes it unpredictable and safety is obviously a concern,” Bertelli added.

He said firefighting resources remained on scene early Thursday evening, with the possibility that they would be on scene overnight for mop up.

The cause of the fires is under investigation, Bertelli said.

The California Highway Patrol sent one unit to assist with traffic control at Highway 29 and Hofacker, according to CHP Officer Brian Engle.

Traffic control will be extended into Thursday evening, Bertelli said.

“We will keep traffic control at least for another few more hours,” he said.

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

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Nearly a year’s worth of negotiations have resulted in an agreement on salary and benefits for teachers in the Kelseyville Unified School District.

The updated collective bargaining agreement between the district and the Kelseyville Unified Teachers Association was ratified at a special meeting of the district’s board of trustees on April 30, according to district Superintendent Dave McQueen.

The vote was 4-0, with Trustee Gary Olson – whose wife is a teacher in the district – recusing himself, McQueen said.

The agreement – part of the teachers’ overall contract, which McQueen said goes through 2013 – is effective July 1 of this year through June 30, 2014, according to district documents.

“It was a long, tedious process,” said Rico Abordo, president of the 85-member association.

While sacrifices were made on both sides, “This was an agreement we feel we can live with and are appreciative it got settled and resolved,” Abordo said.

Abordo explained that the association’s contract with the district is for three years, but every year salary and benefits are open for discussion. The negotiations on the collective bargaining agreement lasted for about 10 to 11 months.

The new agreement’s main points revolve around a cap on health benefits and minor salary increases this year and next, as well as renewed stipends for bilingual teachers and an increase to $32 per hour for those teaching summer school.

McQueen said the benefits cap and salary were the main changes. “Everything else is pretty much the way it’s been.”

One of the bargaining issues was a $16,000 cap on health benefits that becomes effective July 1.

“That was monumental. That was the pivotal issue,” said Abordo.

McQueen agreed that it was a key issue. That’s because previously the district’s teachers had no cap on health benefits, he said.

Abordo said Kelseyville’s teachers have considered insurance part of a compensation package that was the highest in terms of benefits in the county.

With the rising cost in health care – and the district getting an annual increase in insurance costs averaging between 7 and 12 percent – not having a cap had made the district financially unhealthy, McQueen explained.

The health care cap agreement for the teachers brings all of the district’s employee bargaining units into line, with the same $16,000 cap, McQueen said.

District projections show that the cap will save the district close to $1.2 million over the coming two school years. This year’s costs total $1.6 million, and were projected to grow to nearly $1.8 million next year and $1.95 million in 2013-14. Now 2012-13 and 2013-14 are estimated to cost just over $1.25 million each.

McQueen said the changes will help the district plan for the future and have more accurate multiyear projections.

Abordo said the association is reviewing a tiered rate structure for health benefits with five plans available. They will meet to discuss and identify those plans Thursday, as all changes must be made by July 1.

The other key aspect of the agreement was a 2 percent salary increase, effective this coming July 1, and a 2.5-percent salary increase effective July 1, 2013.

“The salary increase helped to kind of soften the blow of the huge hit that they’re taking in taking the cap,” said McQueen. “They’re still losing but they’re not losing as much.”

Abordo said a salary increase was a long time in coming. “We have not had any movement on our salary schedule for six years.”

Even with the salary increase, the district is projected to save close to $900,000 over the coming two fiscal years due to the health insurance savings, according to district documents.

The California Department of Education last year placed Kelseyville Unified in qualified status over concerns that it couldn’t meet its financial obligations. Since then the Lake County Office of Education has offered financial oversight for the district.

McQueen said the Lake County Office of Education signed off on the collective bargaining agreement.

One subsequent point of disagreement between the district and teachers’ union was the layoff of the equivalent of 7.75 full-time teaching positions, which the Kelseyville Unified Board of Trustees voted to approve at a special meeting on Tuesday night.

Abordo said the union believed the district could have safely maintained those jobs.

He said the district is “grossly understaffed,” and counting retirees and the recent layoffs will be down 13 additional staff members.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Miss Lake County Scholarship Program and Pageant, an official preliminary pageant to Miss California and Miss America, is in the process of recruiting contestants to participate in this year's pageant.

The pageant will be held on Saturday, Aug. 4, in the Soper-Reese Community Theatre, 275 S. Main St., Lakeport.

The program has scheduled two upcoming orientation sessions.

The first will be held on Saturday, May 26, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the CPS Country Air Properties office, 901 S. Main St. in Lakeport. The second will take place on Sunday, June 3, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the same location.

Potential contestants need only attend one session. If they are unable to attend either session, contact pageant organizers to schedule another time to meet.
 
The scholarship program is open to all young women who live, work or attend school in Lake County.  

The Teen program is open to ages 13-16 and the Miss Program is open to ages 17-24.

Parents are invited to attend the orientation sessions with their daughters. All areas of the competition will be covered, which includes talent, lifestyle and fitness, evening wear, on-stage question, and private interview. Academic achievement and community service are also considered in a contestant’s overall evaluation.

Rehearsals will start in early July, and will be held twice a week, on Wednesday and Sunday.  

Even if this is your first year competing, you will have a lot of fun and meet some great girls. Volunteer committee members are there to support and mentor contestants throughout the program.

There also is a Princess Program for girls ages 6 to 12. This program is a great way to introduce the girls to the Miss America program. They participate in community events with the teen and miss contestants and will be introduced and “crowned” on stage at the August pageant.

Community members who would like to join the program also are being recruited.

For more information, contact Executive Director Sandra Orchid by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone at 707-277-0707; or Associate Director Diana Dahl at 707-328-1356.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – If you're a new county resident or need to update your voter registration, the deadline to do so is coming up in less than two weeks.

The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office advised new residents of Lake County and registered voters who have moved to a new address, changed their mailing address within the county, or changed their name that they may need to reregister in order to be eligible to vote in the upcoming statewide Presidential Primary Election.

Don't delay – the last day to register to vote for the June 5, 2012 Presidential Primary Election is Monday, May 21.

The completed voter registration form must be either personally delivered to the Registrar of Voters Office on or before May 21 or postmarked on or before May 21 and received by mail by the Registrar of Voters Office.

Please be aware that pursuant to Section 2101 of the California Elections Code: “A person entitled to register to vote shall be a United States citizen, a resident of California, not in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election.”

Residents may register to vote at the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office, Room 209, Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport, or may phone the Registrar of Voters Office at 707-263-2372 for information.

Registration also are available at most local post offices, libraries, senior centers, city offices and chamber of commerce offices.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Officials from the city of Clearlake and the county of Lake are investigating an issue at a Lakeshore Drive property involving an offensive odor that was first reported over the weekend.

Clearlake City Manager Joan Phillipe reported Thursday that the city received a call Sunday advising of an offensive odor coming from a property located on Lakeshore Drive in the “Parks” area.  

Initial investigation isolated the location where the smell was coming from and testing did not reveal any hazardous material, Phillipe said.

She said further evaluation Thursday morning resulted when an individual had an adverse reaction to the odor.  

Taking a precautionary position, personnel from the Clearlake Police Department, Lake County Fire Protection District, Lake County Environmental Health and Lake County Air Quality along with other city staff met and determined that the vacant lot should be secured, Phillipe said.

As a result, Phillipe said they covered the ground with plastic to contain the odor.

Soil samples have been taken in an attempt to determine what may be the cause of the odor, according to Phillipe.

She said the property owner has been notified of their responsibility to clean the property immediately.

On Tuesday night Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1), founder and co-chair of the Congressional Wild Salmon Caucus, along with Republican Rep. Don Young (AK-At Large) led representatives in rejecting an amendment to H.R. 5326, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Commerce, Justice and Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, that they said would harm Pacific Coast salmon.

The amendment, introduced by Rep. Paul Broun (GA-10), would have eliminated $15 million from Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Funds (PCSRF).  

The amendment was struck down by bipartisan vote of 239-168. The bill would fund PCSRF at $65 million for FY2013.

“A strong salmon population is an important component of a strong economy,” said Thompson. “The PCSRF has been tremendously successful in rehabilitating salmon and by cutting the fund by more than 23 percent would devastate salmon recovery and kill local jobs.”

“Alaskans know firsthand the economic benefits of a strong fishing industry,” said Young. “By helping to rehabilitate salmon populations across America, these recovery funds go a long way in building and maintaining healthy fishing industries. I was happy to see that my colleagues recognized this last night and rejected this misguided amendment in a bipartisan manner.”

The PCSRF was established by Congress in 2000 to restore, conserve, and protect Pacific salmon and steelhead and their habitats. PCSRF also seeks to maintain the healthy populations necessary for exercising tribal treaty fishing rights and native subsistence fishing.

With funding from the PCSRF, states and tribes have undertaken 10,214 projects, which have resulted in significant changes in habitat conditions and availability, as well as the establishment of planning and monitoring programs that support prioritization and tracking for salmon and steelhead population conservation.

The salmon industry is important to California’s economy. When the salmon industry was shut down in 2008 it was found that the salmon industry contributed $1.7 billion to California’s economy and 23,000 jobs were lost.

Studies show that if salmon could be fully recovered it could contribute up to $5 billion to California’s economy and create 94,000 jobs.

With the help of the PCSRF, there have been significant improvements from 2000 to 2011 including:

• 879,194 acres of habitat improved or added for salmonid use
• 5,336 miles of stream made accessible to spawning populations
• Marking programs tagging 238,643,775 fish, improving stock identification and supporting more effective fishery management practices.
• Biologists are predicting that as many as 820,000 fish - the most in at least seven years - will return to spawn in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta this year.
• The California King Salmon Fishery is open for the first time in four years.

In 2010, 787,740 pounds of salmon were caught in U.S. waters, totaling 11 percent of all fish captured that year, and generating more than $554 million.

Thompson represents California’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa and Yolo.