The body of Silvino Eufracio-Navarro, 48, was found submerged in an irrigation pond at Clover Valley Vineyards Wednesday morning, according to Chief Deputy James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Bauman reported that sheriff's deputies and rescue personnel responded to Clover Valley Vineyards at 10 a.m. Wednesday to investigate an accidental death.

Arriving at the scene, first responders were led to an irrigation pond where they found Eufracio-Navarro's body, according to Bauman.

The vineyard foreman who was at the scene told officials that Eufracio-Navarro had last been heard from the previous night at around midnight when he was checking the operation of the irrigation pump station at one of the vineyard ponds, Bauman reported.

Eufracio-Navarro had called the foreman to report the irrigation pump was in good working order and he had planned to return home, said Bauman. When morning came and Eufracio-Navarro’s wife had not heard from her husband, she called the foreman and the two of them went to the Clover Valley site, where they found Eufracio-Navarro submerged in the pond below the pump station.

Bauman reported that the diesel-driven pump Eufracio-Navarro was working on the previous night was located on a wooden pier extending over the irrigation pond.

Evidence at the scene revealed that while he was working on or around the pump station, his clothing apparently became caught in the driveshaft and he was abruptly pulled through the mechanics of the system, Bauman noted. Eufracio-Navarro sustained multiple injuries as a result and ultimately fell into the pond, presumably already unconscious.

Officials performed an autopsy on Eufracio-Navarro on Thursday, said Bauman.

The official cause of death is still pending, however Bauman reported that it is believed that Eufracio-Navarro died very suddenly due to multiple traumatic injuries as a result of this tragic industrial accident.

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On April 10 a jury convicted James Wade Roberts, 46, of the October 2006 murder of 63-year-old Ruth Donaldson at the Mullen Avenue home they shared in Clearlake, as Lake County News has reported.

Because Roberts had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the charges, the trial requested an additional sanity phase.

That sanity hearing started around 9 a.m. Tuesday, with testimony and closing arguments finished by noon, said District Attorney Jon Hopkins.

The jury was instructed that they could could consider all the evidence from the first phase of the trial, said Hopkins. After an hour of deliberation they came out with their verdict, which was handed down at about 2 p.m.

The jury found that Roberts was sane at the time of the murder, Hopkins reported.

Defense attorney Stephen Carter said that, after the jury's verdict last week that Roberts was guilty of first-degree murder, their finding that he was sane wasn't shocking.

Carter said there was competing evidence on the issue of sanity, and added that his client didn't cooperate with two of the three doctors appointed to examine him.

“That definitely affected the evidence,” said Carter, and hurt Roberts in the case.

Hopkins said Robert is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. May 9 in front of Judge Richard Martin in Department Two of Lake County Superior Court.

Roberts has five previous strikes, according to Carter.

“Under the law he'll get life in prison,” Carter said Tuesday. “Because of his prior strikes, under any possible verdict, he would have gotten life.”

Hopkins estimated that Roberts is likely facing 86 years to life.

Carter said he's confident an appeal will be filed in the case, although that's something that he likely won't talk to Roberts about until closer to the sentencing date. In cases this serious appeals are standard procedure, he added.

He said he expects to file a notice of appeal, which in and of itself isn't an appeal, but is the first step in the process. An appellate attorney would then be appointed to take the case through the process, Carter said.

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

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Ricky Bush had some spectacular air time at Saturday's grand reopening event. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

The Andy Johnson Memorial Skate Park had its grand reopening Saturday, following its repairs late last year.

The park was packed with teens, smaller children, parents and even a few dogs who came along for the fun.

Michele Bush, a skate park committee member whose son Ricky spent a good part of the day airborne on his BMX bike, called the day's turnout “awesome.”

Although it's been reopened since late January, Saturday was the day to celebrate the effort by the skate park committee and community members to get the park repaired.

It also was a time to make official the park's new name, in honor of skateboarder and BMX rider Andy Johnson. The 18-year-old died April 14, 2006, while on the way from his home in Eureka to visit a skate park in Portland, Ore. The City Council approved the park naming in January.

Ken Savin, another adult member of the skate park committee, said BMX riders, skateboarders, scooter riders and inline skaters participated, some coming from Lakeport, Kelseyville, Middletown – even as far away as Ukiah – to take part.

Many riders from around the county and Ukiah came to enjoy the park. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

Four City Council members – Curt Giambruno, Chuck Leonard, Joyce Overton and Judy Thein – came to the 11:15 a.m. dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting.

Giambruno and Leonard, who stayed until early afternoon to watch the action, remarked that they were glad to see more riders using helmets and safety equipment, which has been a concern because of possible liability.

Last Thursday, the council approved skate park safety enforcement rules to ensure that safety equipment is used and that bikes and skateboards use the park on alternative days, although the two groups were riding together Saturday.

According to the requirements, if the alternate day riding rules aren't followed or helmets and pads aren't being used it will result in closures of the park for a day per violation.

Savin said new signs were posted Friday morning at the park's entrance, clearly outlining the rules and consequences of not following them.

The event also featured a raffle and booth selling T-shirts and other gear to benefit the park. Anyone wishing to donate can call Michele or Ricky Bush at 295-5754. Visit the park's Web site at http://bmxskateboardpark.wikispaces.com.

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

The new signs with Andy Johnson's name, as well as skate park rules, were posted late last week. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

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Habitat for Humanity President Richard Birk (left) and Executive Director Lisa Willardson accept the $2,000 grant check from a State Farm representative. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY – In pursuit of its goal to provide more housing to county residents who need it, Habitat to Humanity of Lake County has received another grant.

The organization recently received a $2,000 grant from State Farm Insurance, Habitat for Humanity reported Friday.

The State Farm funds will go directly to purchasing building materials for new, single-family homes.

“The condition of available housing and commercial services greatly affects the quality of life for residents and the stability of a community,” State Farm officials noted.

Habitat reported that the funds already are being put to use on its next housing project, the Clearlake Housing Project III. The money was utilized in pouring the foundation for the 11^th house Habitat has built locally.

The groundbreaking for Habitat's 11th house. Courtesy photo.

Homeowners only pay the cost to build the home – around $70,000 – with no interest charged, according to a Friday Habitat for Humanity statement.

State Farm's grant brings the total donated to Habitat from State Farm's Strong Neighborhood Community Development Grant Program to $17,000.

The local habitat chapter reported that, little by little, through such funding, the quality of housing is being improved in Lake County.

For information on State Farm and its charitable giving program, visit www.statefarm.com or speak with a local representative in Lakeport (263-7142) or Clearlake (994-7122).

For more information on how to be involved with Habitat for Humanity, please visit www.local.habitat.org/hfhlakeca or call 994-1100.

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The quake occurred at 1:23 a.m. three miles northwest of The Geysers, seven miles west of Cobb and nine miles west northwest of Anderson Springs, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake was recorded at a depth of an eighth of a mile.

The US Geological Survey reported that 16 other smaller quakes followed during the course of the day in The Geysers and Anderson Springs areas.

The last quake measuring 3.0 or above was a 3.3 earthquake that hit The Geysers area on March 27, according to US Geological Survey records.

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

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Heron Festival is in its 14th year and since its founding, by the Redbud Audubon Society, the event has grown to become one of Northern California’s most popular nature festivals. The festival is held at the Clear Lake State Park on Soda Bay Road near Kelseyville. Pontoon boat tours on Clear Lake are a popular feature of the festival, but a huge variety of other activities and programs are offered.

Boat tours are held on both days and last for approximately 90 minutes. Advanced reservations are required for the boat tours. This may be accomplished by going to the Heron Festival website at www.heronfestival.org. Price for a boat ride is just $15 per person.

Other activities on Saturday include an Audubon Bird Walk starting at 8:30 a.m., the popular Wildflower Brunch from 9 a.m. until noon, a “Nature Fair,” which features exhibit booths highlighting education displays and information from nature-related government agencies, local environmental nonprofit groups, and nature-related artists and craftsmen.

Keynote speaker on Saturday is Philip Greene, an internationally know photographer of herons and egrets. His presentation will be presented at the Visitor Center Auditorium at the park. There will also be Visitor Center tours of the interpretive displays of Lake County’s natural and cultural resources.

Children’s activities will consist of a wide range of fun educational programs for children to learn about nature, including owl masks, peanut butter birdseed feeders to take home, and making a personalized bird journal. A family nature walk is also planned.

Pontoon boat tours continue on Sunday along with more bird walks, the nature fair, a presentation by Dr. Harry Lyons on Myths and Music of Clear Lake, and at 1 p.m. a live bird presentation, “Raptor Speak,” by Native Bird Connections, that will give visitors the opportunity to see raptor behavior up close.

All events except the pontoon boat tours and the Wildflower Brunch are free and open to the public. Registration for both the boat tours and the brunch are required and can be made by going to the festival website or by calling the Lake County Visitor Center1-800-525-3743. The Web site also features the full schedule of events for the two day Heron Festival at Clear Lake State Park.

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A $3.1 million project to reconstruct parts of Lakeshore, Old Highway 53 and a portion of Burns Valley Road is set to begin April 21, city officials said this week.

“I've issued the notice to proceed and they're out marking the streets now,” City Administrator Dale Neiman said Thursday.

The project, which Neiman said is the largest contract the city has ever awarded, will be funded by state transportation funds and Proposition 1B bond money.

Thanks to early preparation, City Engineer Bob Galusha helped land the money, said Neiman. In fact, Clearlake was the first agency in the state to receive funds from the bond.

The project, the contract for which was awarded earlier this year, was bid during the winter, which is the best time to get a good contract rate, because contractors are lining up work for the season, said Neiman. The slowing economy and less construction projects also helped get a better price, he added.

The result, was that the project – originally estimated to cost $2.9 million – came in at less than $1.4 million. Asphalt prices in the bid were in the range of $70 per ton, as opposed to $140 per ton, which was the price for asphalt in the 2005 midtown overlay project, Neiman said.

The city had hoped to be able to use the leftover $1.5 million on other roads in the city, said Neiman, including Pomo, Arrowhead, Park and Lakeshore Drive starting at City Hall and going west and east for as long as the funds would last.

However, Caltrans said that plan wouldn't work because, according to its funding regulations, the area included in the project had to be contiguous, said Neiman.

So, rather than go back to the state with new plans and risk losing the money, Neiman said they'll adapt.

The plans call for starting work at the senior center on Burns Valley and moving toward, and continuing along, Old Highway 53, said Neiman. Sections of Olympic Drive not completed in the past will be done. The project also will move from Lakeshore Drive at Highway 53 and move as far down as possible.

“We think we might make it almost to City Hall,” said Neiman.

City officials reported that the project will necessitate some road closures, but alternate routes will be offered. Flaggers will help direct traffic, and there will be advance signs and handout fliers with work and traffic information that will detail dates, times and durations of planned closures.

The project's contractor is Central Valley Paving and Asphalt of Roseville.

When the work is done, said Neiman, the streets in the project area will be “brand new.”

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

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Firefighters were dispatched to the out-of-control burn on High Valley Road at about 12:30 p.m., according to Cal Fire.

Northshore Fire Protection District Fire Chief Jim Robbins said the permitted burn had included three small piles of materials, which had burned down when the winds became an issue.

“The wind really picked up and blew some embers out and caught some grass on fire,” said Robbins.

Green grass nearby actually caught fire, mostly because of the dry undergrowth, said Robbins.

The fire, he said, put up a lot of smoke but only burned about two acres.

Northshore Fire was assisted by two engines, a battalion chief, a dozer and three hand crews from Cal Fire, that agency reported.

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

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For my first review I will refer to “The Happy Garden.” But first, for the sake of complete honesty I will mention that many of the staff of “The Happy Garden” are neighbors of mine. I don’t see them around the neighborhood very much because they are at the restaurant most of the time, so it’s not like we’re close personal friends, but in the interest of integrity I thought that I should mention my passing acquaintance with them.

The Happy Garden is located in Clearlake Oaks, right on Highway 20. In all honesty, when it first opened I didn’t think it would be around very long. The Mexican restaurant that previously occupied the building was almost always empty and was in business for a very short time.

Here I am years later, very happy at being mistaken. The parking lot of the Happy Garden always has vehicles in it and at dinner times it over flows. The Happy Garden serves Chinese and Thai cuisine, and obviously I am not the only one who thinks the food is fantastic.

I almost always order from the Thai menu. If you aren’t familiar with Thai food, I plead with you to try it. It is like no other cuisine of Asia. Pad Thai is the national dish of Thailand and was created as a way to save the country’s rice supplies during wartime. It’s full of a little bit of everything, rice noodles, peanuts, vegetables, tofu, bean sprouts, and huge shrimp, just to name a few ingredients, and it’s something that I never get tired of.

That’s not to say that the Chinese side of the menu is lacking in any way. Mu Shu Pork is one of my favorite dishes of all time. You get several Chinese crepes (request an extra order of these “Chinese pancakes,” you’ll need them), the Mu Shu Pork filling (also available in vegetable, chicken, shrimp or beef varieties), and some Hoisin sauce (Hoisin sauce is best described as a Chinese barbecue sauce, dark and sweet, not spicy at all). You spread some of the filling and the sauce on the crepe, roll it up and eat like a taquito or taco.

If you don’t mind caffeine, you should try the “Thai Iced Tea.” I believe it’s made with a Lapsang Souchong type tea, a very dark, cola-colored, smoky-flavored tea which has a thick layer of half and half floating on top. I’m supposed to avoid caffeine by doctor’s orders, but I simply can’t pass up that tea!

I have never had a bad meal at The Happy Garden, although I have ordered things that were so spicy that they turned my blood to magma. One day while eating the “Chao Talay” Seafood Hot Pot, my face was sweating like Dick Cheney on his next quail hunting trip. My dinner companion asked if it was good, and I said, “I love it, but it would outright KILL you!” If you like spicy foods, this is the place to go.

The Happy Garden staff is always friendly and efficient. Errors in orders are so rare that I don’t even check through my order when I do take out. The food is quickly prepared so if I order over the phone it’s usually waiting for me by the time I get to the restaurant.

The owner of the Happy Garden also now owns The Harbor in Nice. That restaurant specializes in Chinese and American cuisine so that restaurant will be covered in a different review. The Happy Garden can easily claim to be one of the best places to eat in Lake County, and our community is richer for it being in the neighborhood.

Ross A. Christensen is an award-winning gardener and gourmet cook. He is the author of "Sushi A to Z, The Ultimate Guide" and is currently working on a new book. He has been a public speaker for many years and enjoys being involved in the community.

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The Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act (HR 5719) strengthens protections against identity theft and tax fraud, expands tax help for low-income taxpayers and stops taxpayer harassment by ending the private collection of federal taxes.

This bill also closes a loophole that allows government contractors to set up sham companies in foreign jurisdictions to avoid paying Social Security and Medicare taxes.

The bill passed the House on a vote of 238 to 179, according to Congressional voting records.

Congressman Mike Thompson voted for the bill, which he also had a hand in helping to draft in his capacity as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

“For too long, changes to the tax code have done little to benefit low- and middle-class families,” said Thompson. “But we took a step toward changing that.”

Data clearly suggests that the current tax code puts taxpayers at a disadvantage, Thompson's office reported.

For example, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that private debt collectors hired by the IRS placed over one million calls, many to innocent people, trying to reach only 35,000 taxpayers. And the IRS program that oversees debt collection has lost almost $50 million, in part because of the huge bounty paid to private debt collectors. This legislation would stop the IRS’s use of private debt collectors.

Many taxpayers are also not getting their fair share, Thompson's office reported. About 25 percent of households eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in 1999 did not claim it, and according to the GAO, working Americans may have lost out on approximately $8 billion in unclaimed earned income credits in 2004. HR 5719 would strengthen IRS outreach to make sure people know they are entitled to tax refunds under the EITC. It also would permit the IRS to refer these taxpayers to tax clinics

The legislation also addresses the rise of identity theft by requiring the IRS to notify taxpayers if there’s been an unauthorized use of their identity and it cracks down on misleading Web sites that try to get personal information by imitating the IRS.

It takes steps to close egregious corporate loopholes and stop federal contractors from using foreign subsidiaries to evade Social Security and other employment taxes. Currently, companies can avoid paying their fair share of Social Security and Medicare taxes by creating shell companies in the Cayman Islands. The Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification closes this loophole, which costs American taxpayers almost $100 million a year.

“The average American’s tax payment covers about half a second of spending in Iraq,” said Thompson. “It’s ridiculous that we’re then giving contractors in Iraq a chance to take even more American tax dollars. It’s time we close these loopholes and use our tax dollars where they’re needed – here in the U.S.”

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The 19-person grand jury is selected from the different supervisorial districts in proportion to the population of each district.

The Grand Jury serves as the public’s “watchdog” by investigating and reporting upon the affairs of local government.

The term of service runs from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009, and may entail from 10 to 20 hours of work per week attending committee and general meetings, responding to citizens’ complaints, performing research, and investigating the operations of governmental agencies and allegations of wrongdoing by public officials or employees.

The Court is looking for applicants in good health who are interested in community affairs, are objective, and are able to work cooperatively with others. Experience in researching, interviewing, writing and editing, and/or auditing is desirable and having a general knowledge of the responsibilities and functions of governmental and other public entities is helpful.

A grand juror must be a U.S. citizen, age 18 or older, speak English, be a resident of California and Lake County for at least one year prior to selection, and not hold an elected office or have any felony convictions.

Applications may be obtained by mailing a letter with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Grand Jury Coordinator, 255 N. Forbes, Fourth Floor, Lakeport, CA 95453. Applications are also available at each Superior Court Clerk’s Office; located at 255 N. Forbes, 4th Floor, in Lakeport, or at 7000 A South Center Drive, in Clearlake.

Further information may be obtained by calling the Grand Jury Coordinator at 263-2282. Applications must be received by May 30. Personal interviews will be scheduled prior to final selection.

If you are interested, please apply. If you are not interested, but know someone who may be, please let them know of this opportunity.

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SB 562, authored by Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa), designates $5.3 million to the state Department of Fish and Game to aid coastal salmon and steelhead fisheries restoration projects. Schwarzenegger signed the bill Friday.

On Thursday the federal Pacific Fishery Management Council completely closed commercial and sport Chinook fisheries off California and most of Southern Oregon because of the Sacramento River fall Chinook's “unprecedented collapse,” and the exceptionally poor status of coho salmon populations from Oregon to Washington.

“This is a disaster for West Coast salmon fisheries, under any standard,” Council Chairman

Don Hansen said in a Thursday statement. “There will be a huge impact on the people who fish for a living, those who eat wild-caught king salmon, those who enjoy recreational fishing, and the businesses and coastal communities dependent on these fisheries.”

Schwarzenegger also declared a state of emergency on Thursday in reaction to the salmon crisis.

SB 562 is an urgency measure, and takes effect immediately, according to Wiggins' office. SB 562's urgency clause required a two-thirds vote of both houses of the Legislature.

The nearly $5.3 million Wiggins' legislation allocates to help fish comes from Proposition 84 – the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act – approved by voters in 2006, according to the bill's language.

“I thank the governor for his prompt action on this bill, which will help protect California’s $100 million dollar salmon industry,” Wiggins said in a statement. “And that industry is not just about fishermen – it extends to tackle shops, processors, ice suppliers, restaurants, native tribes and tourism.”

Enactment of SB 562 will also allow the state to leverage up to $20 million federal dollars for salmon this spring, according to Wiggins' office.

Pacific Fishery Management Council reported Thursday the reasons for the Sacramento fall Chinook stock's sudden collapse aren't readily apparent, however overfishing is not blamed for the situation. Rather, several possible causes – from changing ocean temperatures to human-caused and natural factors are believed to be responsible.

The council has asked the National Marine Fisheries Service’s West Coast Science Centers to lead a multi-agency task force to research about 50 potential causative factors and report back to the council in September.

The California Fish and Game Commission reported that it took emergency action because of the salmon situation, which resulted last week in the closure of the April 5 sportfishing openers south of Point Arena to the U.S.-Mexico Border.

Salmon populations around California face challenges. In February, the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network reported that endangered coho salmon populations in Marin County had plummeted. The group reported that coho have already gone extinct in 90 percent of California streams where they once were found.

In the Eel River watershed – the headwaters of which are above Lake Pillsbury in Lake County – coho salmon are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act, according to the Eel River Salmon Restoration Project.

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

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