IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

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Westgate Petroleum Company Failed to Complete Follow up Testing for Bacteria

Our water system failed to test our water for bacteria in September 2016, as required by the California Code of Regulations. Although this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we did to correct the situation. Please share this information with other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly. You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or giving out copies by hand or mail.

What should I do?

You do not need to take any corrective actions at this time. This is not an emergency. If you have health concerns, you may wish to consult your doctor. General guidelines on regulated contaminants in drinking water are available from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

What happened?

We are required by state regulations to monitor our drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of this routine monitoring are an indicator of whether or not the drinking water meets health standards. During September 2016, a water sample tested positive for total Coliform Bacteria. We did not complete all required follow up testing for bacteria after we received a positive result. Therefore we could not be sure of the bacteriological quality of the drinking water between September 13 and October 13. After all required water quality tests were performed during the October monthly tests NO total Coliform Bacteria were present indicating we are sure of the bacteriological quality of the drinking water now.

What does this mean?

Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, bacteria may be present. Coliform bacteria indicate the possibility of potential contamination and may originate from human, animal, or soil sources. If the coliform standards are met, the water served can be considered safe from bacteria. If they are not met, drinking the water may not necessarily result in illness, but that possibility exists. Routine and follow up sampling are important to periodically verify the safety of the water. OUR failure to Conduct all required follow up testing for bacteria September 2016 was a violation of Section 64424, Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR).

What corrective actions have been taken by the Westgate Petroleum Company to prevent this violation from occurring in the future?

Water Samples will be taken during the first week of the month, the chain of Custody document will be recorded and linked to the sample results report making sure the results are received before the middle of the month. If a positive result is issued we will follow the procedure in the Bacteriological Sample plan.

This notification of the public is being done in compliance with Sections 64463.4 and 64465.
Title 22 of the CCR as a means of keeping the public informed.

Persons wishing more information should contact: Duane Phelps, 9453 Diamond Dust Trail, Kelseyville, CA 95451 408-497-2487

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Ten community leaders attended the final session of the AgVenture 2016 program on Nov. 4.

This session marked the close of the seventh year of the AgVenture program.

Created by the Lake County Chapter of the California Women for Agriculture, AgVenture is an agricultural educational program devised for non-farming community leaders who aspire to understand the vital role that agriculture plays in Lake County.

Session four showcased Lake County olives production and farm labor issues.

Class members learned about olive oil production from Emilio dela Cruz and toured the Chacewater Olive Mill and olive orchards.

Cecilia Chi-Ham, PhD of HM Clause gave a presentation of the role of science and technology in agricultural production.

Class members heard about labor issues framed in policy and practical perspectives from Bryan Little from the Farm Employers Labor Service and David Weiss of Bella Vista Farming Co.

The session culminated in a farm labor panel consisting of local farm workers facilitated by local pear farmer Diane Henderson. The panelists were Octavio Jimenez and Jesus Flores of Scully Packing Co. and Jesus Martinez from Bella Vista Farming Co.

“This program has shown that Lake County has an impact on the country and the world and we have to start thinking like that,” Bob Massarelli, Lake County Community Development director and 2016 class member remarked upon graduating from the AgVenture program.

“This program demonstrates that today’s farmers not only have to be competent businesspeople to navigate producing and marketing products in an ever-changing global market and regulatory climate, but they must also appreciate and utilize science, technology and a bit of good luck in order to be successful,” said Brenna Sullivan, executive director of the Lake County Farm Bureau and 2016’s AgVenture coordinator.

Graduates of the 2016 class included: Robert Massarelli, Lake County Community Development director; Katherine “Kat” McDowell, real estate broker, Real Estate Alliance and Lease; Andy Lucas, business representative, Community Development; Will Evans, deputy Water Resources director, county of Lake; Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, property management, community mitigation and consulting; Roberta Lyons, conservation chair, Redbud Audubon Society; Morgen Wells, public relations and philanthropy, Sutter Lakeside Hospital; Brian Martin, sheriff, county of Lake; Mark Melendez, agricultural biologist, county of Lake; Courtney Van Leuven, adjunct agricultural instructor, Lake County Campus of Woodland College; and Victoria Brandon of the Lake County Sierra Club.

Class members are selected yearly through an application process. Selection into the program is based on the applicant’s interest in the program, their professional position in the community and their ability to help maintain a viable agricultural industry in Lake County. Program acceptance is competitive.

Generous sponsors for the 2016 series of seminars included: Lake County Winegrape Commission, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Umpqua Bank, Beckstoffer Vineyards, Scully Packing, American AgCredit, Lake County Farm Bureau, Bella Vista Farming, Weed Tech, Rainbow Ag, Wilda Shock, Monica Rosenthal, Kenny Parlet, Lisa Wilson, Mary O’Meara and Lois Suchan, Gregory Graham Winery, Lake County Winery Association, Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon Restaurant, Chacewater Wine & Olive Oil Co. and Boatique Winery.

The AgVenture program Steering Committee, all CWA members, are Annette Hopkins, Paula Bryant, Toni Scully, Diane Henderson, Terry Dereniuk, Debra Sommerfield, Sharron Zoller and Brenna Sullivan.

Upland game hunters statewide are gearing up for the opportunity to bag their Thanksgiving dinner, as California’s 2016 general fall wild turkey hunting season opens statewide on Saturday, Nov. 12.

The season extends through Sunday, Dec. 11, with a bag limit of one turkey (either sex) per day and no more than two per season.

“Turkey populations are doing very well in many areas of the state despite recent drought years,” said Scott Gardner, manager of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Upland Game Program. “Not only are they plentiful, but they’re also a very healthy alternative to store-bought turkey. Wild turkey meat is low in fat and has no additives. You can’t get much healthier than that.”

Wild turkeys are found in most counties in California, with the top five for fall harvest being Placer, El Dorado, Shasta, Sonoma and Tehama. Both a hunting license and upland game bird stamp are required to hunt turkeys, although an upland stamp is not required for hunters with junior licenses.

Rio Grande turkeys are the most widespread wild turkey subspecies in California, occupying much of the mixed oak and pine woodlands of the coast ranges, Central Valley, Sierra Nevada and Cascade foothills. Merriam’s turkeys can be found in habitats dominated by pines in northeastern California.

The eastern subspecies can be found in isolated pockets along the northern coast and eastern/Rio Grande hybrids from the Midwest inhabit areas along the south coast.

Today, California’s wild turkey population is estimated at about 250,000 birds. CDFW estimates that about 10,000 turkeys are harvested by about 20,000 hunters in the fall.

As of July 1, 2016, nonlead shot is required for wild turkeys statewide, unless taken on the grounds of a licensed game bird club. For more information, please see the CDFW nonlead ammunition page.

Many populations range on private land, but turkeys can be found on public lands administered by CDFW, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. A list of state wildlife areas and ecological reserves can be found on the CDFW Web site.

For places to hunt turkeys and additional tips and information, hunters should refer to the “Guide to Hunting Wild Turkeys in California” on CDFW’s upland game hunting Web page.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Mendocino National Forest fire managers plan to conduct prescribed burns on the Grindstone Ranger District starting Wednesday, Nov. 9, and continuing through the week as conditions allow.

Crews anticipate burning approximately 240 acres on the Black Diamond conversion unit and 120 acres on the Diversion Dam unit. Both projects are in the general vicinity of Stonyford.

Smoke may be visible from Interstate 5, Highway 162, Stonyford, Elk Creek and surrounding areas.  These units are predominantly grass and smoke should disperse quickly after ignitions are completed. If traveling in this area, please use caution and watch for fire crews and equipment.

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

Fire managers follow a burn plan that outlines the “prescription” or environmental conditions such as temperature, wind, fuel moisture, ventilation, and relative humidity that need to be met before the project begins.

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

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Shannon Michele of Cache Creek Catering and Lake County Wine Studio are presenting a food and wine experience featuring gourmet appetizers paired with select Lake County wines.

Locally produced foods are proudly featured as key ingredients in recipes created by Cache Creek Catering.

The event will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11. The per person cost is $30 and $25 for Wine Studio club members. Reservations are required.

Nov. 11 will feature a Thanksgiving menu of roast turkey with pan gravy, purée of potato and parsnip, mushroom-sausage dressing, cranberry pomegranate sauce with a side by side red selection of Olof Cellars Malbera blend and Chacewater Highlander blend.

The dessert course will be pumpkin crème brûlée with the Petite Sirah “Fire” dessert wine from Thorn Hill.

For reservations and additional information, contact Susan at 707-293-8752.

Lake County Wine Studio is both a gallery for display of arts and a tasting room, wine bar and retail shop for the fine wines of Lake County. Artists' shows are held on a monthly basis with art and wine receptions held the first Friday and subsequent Saturday of each month.

The gallery is located at 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake.  It is open Thursday through Monday, from 1 to 7 p.m., and Friday from 1 to 8 p.m.

The art show on display for the month of November is designer quilts by Laraine Wade-Butter.

For more information call Lake County Wine Studio at 707-275-8030.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Walt Campbell will be the featured speaker at the Lake County Historical Society Thanksgiving dinner meeting on Saturday, Nov. 20, and the public is invited to attend.

The meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. at the Lakeport Senior Center and the turkey dinner with all the trimmings will be served at 2 p.m. The senior center is located at 527 Konocti Ave. in Lakeport.

Campbell retired as principal at Coyote Valley Elementary School after serving 11 years there and then moved to Six Sigma Ranch &Winery.

He was the first speaker in the Gibson Museum and Cultural Center’s Fireside Chat series earlier this year. Campbell’s reputation as an entertaining speaker precedes him.

Dinner tickets for Lake County Historical Society members are $15 and for guests are $18; tickets for children 12 and under are $5.

Reservations are encouraged, but tickets will also be sold at the door. The deadline for reservations is Nov. 11.

For more information about the dinner contact Bonnie Skee at 707-262-1432 or Jackie Ridgel at 707-279-4062.

For more information about the meeting or the Lake County Historical Society contact Voris Brumfield at 707-295-7174.

The group's Web site is www.lakecountyhistory.org displays details about the society’s programs and projects around Lake County.

To reach the Lakeport Senior Center, take Highway 29 to the Lakeport Boulevard-Todd Road exit. Turn east on Lakeport Boulevard, heading toward the lake. Turn left on either Larrecou Lane or South Forbes Street, then turn onto Konocti Avenue. The senior center is between South Forbes Street and Larrecou Lane.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Friends of the Lake County Library in Lakeport invites all its members and the public to their book sale.

This year the sale will be held on the second Saturday of the month, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but members may enter at 9:30 a.m. Members also will be entitled to a free book.

The categories available to choose from are novels, mysteries, nonfiction of different types, biographies, histories and how-to books.

Also available this year is a large selection of young children's books.

Chico Bags will be on sale for $5 or $10 dollars. Canvas bags with the Library logo will sell for $15 each. There will also be a table to sign up or renew as a Friend of the Library.

The library is located at 1425 N. High St.