“We had incredibly good weather, lots of great activities and fantastic support from throughout Lake County,” said fair Chief Executive Officer Richard Persons. “Everyone had a good time and we got lots of very positive comments. The staff and volunteers are all tired, but planning has already started for another great run in 2010.”

Persons said they're still crunching the numbers, but it appears the fair was about even in total gate revenues and up in other areas, like the carnival and food sales.

He said preliminary carnival numbers indicated an increase of nearly 12 percent in ride revenues, largely driven by the free hour of admission offered on Friday evening.

“That one free hour brought in 3,087 people, and admission ticket sales the rest of the night were nearly average for a Friday, so everything else on the fairgrounds benefited from that bump in attendance,” he said. “Saturday saw nearly a 10-percent jump in ticket sales at the gate.”

The Lake County Fair does not release specific gate attendance figures, but Persons explained that he expected the final total attendance numbers to be up slightly, with many people taking advantage of discounted tickets that were available in the weeks prior to the event.

Once again, the junior livestock program was a main attraction for fairgoers, with the number of animals entered in the 4-H and FFA contests about even with 2008, he said.

Persons said there was a shift from the market animal contests into the breeding animal contests, which Persons said is good for the long-term health of the programs.

“Breeding animal projects require a longer term, more intensive commitment from the kids, which in turn encourages more involvement from their siblings and friends, and all of that leads to better knowledge and understanding of animal husbandry and agriculture in general,” said Persons.

Other animal attractions included miniature farm animals provided by Oops Ranch, an open goat show, and draft horse wagon rides from Eleven Roses Ranch.

This year's attractions in the main grandstand included an invitational sheep dog trials, the traditional demolition derby, mud bog races and the California State Finals of the WGAS Tuff Truck Races. The main grandstand arena was sponsored by Robinson Rancheria Resort and Casino.

“The motorized entertainment continues to pack the seats at Lake County Fair,” said Persons, adding “the sheep dog trials struggled to find an audience, which is too bad really. It's a fascinating and intense sport, and we'll be discussing the possibility of 2010 show, but it'll take some more intensive promotion if we go that way again.”

Local acts and attractions were the rule at the 2009 Lake County Fair, he said.

Entertainment on the Theatre Main Stage included local acts like the Hip Replacements, Side of Blues, the Mark Weston Band, Bill Noteman and the Rockets, the Bottle Rock Blues and Rhythm Band, and the Lake County Amateur Talent Competition.

The Enhance H2O Stage hosted Mike Wilhelm and Jim Williams playing solo guitar, the Carter and Chambers Duo, and the Kustom Cuts playing rockabilly.

Special appearances by magician Ken Garr, and Mickey the Clown were complemented by the performances by Chaz Marquette the juggling unicyclist.

“We want to thank all of the fairgoers, participants and sponsors of this year’s event,” said fair board president Janeane Bogner of Clearlake Oaks. “This event is truly a celebration of life in Lake County, and it takes participation from everyone to make it a success.”

The outage began at approximately 5:34 p.m. Sunday and lasted until 12:36 a.m. Monday, according to Pacific Gas & Electric spokesman JD Guidi.

Guidi said 569 customers were without power during that time.

A failed insulator led to the issues with the wire, which was reported down at 615 E. Highway 20, Guidi said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews .

Last Thursday night, a mountain lion was spotted taking a cat off off a porch on Edgewater Drive.

Resident Sid Donnell said shortly before 10 p.m. he heard a loud noise and went out of his door, where he saw the lion with the cat in his jaws going down the stairs of his porch.

“The cat, Oscar, has been around our neighborhood for years,” said Donnell. “He goes from house to house, plays with the local kids, and makes friends with everyone that comes around the area.”

Donnell said the mountain lion appeared smaller than one recently photographed at Wheeler Point.

He said he notified the sheriff's office dispatch immediately.

Several reports have been made around the summer about mountain lions in neighborhoods – with reports from Nice to Lakeport to Kelseyville. A large cat was also believed to have been roaming a Lucerne neighborhood in recent weeks.

Fish and Game Warden Loren Freeman, who couldn't be reached for comment on the situation, told Lake County News in an interview last month that he's been receiving more reports about mountain lions this summer.

He advised against leaving out food or water for pets, and reminded area residents that feeding deer – which is illegal – is the No. 1 reason mountain lions end up in neighborhoods, because they follow the prey there.

While mountain lions are known to be in Lake County, Donnell worried that the animals are actively hunting in peoples' yards and around their homes, which means they don't fear humans. He said he doesn't believe mountain lions have been frequent guests to the neighborhood until recently.

“I'm concerned that someone is going to get attacked,” he said.” We have a number of women that walk in this area in the early morning hours. Someone needs to alert the community that the cats aren't just hunting in the wildland, they are hunting in our front yards.”

California Fish & Game's “Keep Me Wild” Web site's page on mountain lions (www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/lion.html) urges against hiking, biking or jogging alone in at dawn, dusk or nighttime in areas where mountain lions are active.

It's also critical to not leave small children and pets outside unattended, Fish & Game reported.

If a person does spot one of the lions, don't approach them, and don't run; instead, face them, make noise and try to look bigger by waving arms, or throwing rocks or other objects. Should an attack occur, fight back.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews .

The Oasis Fire, reported just after 6 p.m. Monday, is located near Highway 20 six miles west of Highway 16 in the Cache Creek Wilderness Area in Colusa County, according to Cal Fire.

The 700-acre fire was reported to be 15 percent contained, Cal Fire said Tuesday afternoon.

But reports from the scene Tuesday indicated that firefighters were having challenges, as the fire began to make runs in the morning that resulted in it jumping from the south side to the north side of Cache Creek and escaping containment lines.

Aircraft were being called in from Redding and Ukiah to help fight the blaze, officials reported.

At about 1:30 p.m. reports from the scene indicated that the fire was “progressing aggressively” on the south side of Cache Creek.

Cal Fire was requesting a California Highway Patrol reconnaissance flight to help with the effort, but availability was an issue, so other local government agencies with aircraft were being sought.

More updates on the situation will be posted as information becomes available.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews .

Don’t misinterpret my intent. I don’t know a whole lot about bluegrass. I do know that bluegrass combines elements from more than one culture which, in my mind, is a good thing. I am aware of folks like Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson. I also know a local picker, Patrick Ickes, whose band is playing at this year's event and I’m itching to hear them play. (Unfortunately, it won’t be at this year’s Bluegrass Festival.)

It’s good that Lake County is making a dent in the festival scene, period. The handwriting is already on the wall suggesting that musically speaking the community here is growing out of the only-one-kind-of-music-will-sell-here exile that has been heaped upon us concert after cry-in-your-beer concert for a lot of years now.

You might say, “What the heck is the CyberSoulMan raving about now?” Is he bashing country music? Is he not bashing bluegrass?

Well no, I’m not bashing country. Yes, I am similarly not bashing bluegrass. Whether or not they are similar or dissimilar is a matter of personal preference. What I’m angling at here is that there is room for more that one musical artistic palette here.

The mission statement of the Oldtime Bluegrass Music Festival is “a community benefit to help support education in science, history and performing arts for the children of Lake County.” That is a noble notion to help the children of Lake County. They’ve got a long way to retirement and need all the help we can give.

Over in Upper Lake, a very successful third annual Blue Wing Blues Festival was recently held. Up on Cobb Mountain, merchants present a yearly music festival.

Whatever the venue or the genre, all the music festivals I’ve been to have been outstanding. This year, as I’ve reported, I have been to several blues festivals. They include the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival in Davenport, Iowa; the Monterey Bay Blues Festival in Monterey; and the Reno Tahoe Blues Festival in Reno.

The people I run across at festivals are always interesting, the food is usually superb. Oftentimes, I am able to hang out with performers. They are usually some of the nicest people ever.

At the Russian River Blues & Jazz Festivals in the past I have seen pristine performances by the likes of Etta James, Ike Turner, Little Richard, Chaka Khan, Ledisi, Boney James and Bettye Lavette – and that’s just the short list. I met Blues Queen Koko Taylor there twice. The last time, a couple of years back, we hung out together backstage for close to 30 minutes. Sadly she passed away this year.

Next weekend, I’ll be heading down to the Russian River for the first-ever combined Jazz & Blues Festval. That’s why I won’t be able to hear Patrick Ickes and his band at the Lake County Old Time Bluegrass Festival this year. Headlining at the Russian River are Al Jarreau, Dr. John and The Neville Brothers. Next week I’ll bring you a full report.

Keep prayin’, keep thinkin’ those kind thoughts.

*****

Upcoming cool events:

Labor Day Special In The Garden: Roy Rogers & The Delta Rhythm Kings plus Gerald Mathis & Starlight. 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7. Blue Wing Saloon & Café, 9520 Main St., Upper Lake. Telephone 707-275-2233, www.bluewingsaloon.com .

Roy Zimmerman, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at the Kelseyville Senior Center, 5345 Thirds St.

Front Porch Blues, Blue Wing Saloon & Cafe Sunday Brunch, Sept. 13. Brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; music from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Blue Wing Saloon & Café, 9520 Main St., Upper Lake. Telephone 707-275-2233, www.bluewingsaloon.com .

Fourth annual Old Time Bluegrass Festival, featuring Laurie Lewis and Nina Gerber, and Susie Glaze and the Hilonesome Band. 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, Lower Lake. A community benefit to help support education in science, history and performing arts for the children of Lake County. Information: 707-995-2658, www.andersonmarsh.org/Bluegrass/AMIA-Bluegrass.htm or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Russian River Jazz & Blues Festival, Saturday, Sept. 12, and Sunday, Sept. 13. Johnson’s Beach, Guerneville. Saturday's jazz festival lineup includes Al Jarreau, Jazz Attack, Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, Richard Elliot, East Bay Soul, Jackiem Joyner, Mads Tolling Quartet and Times 4. On Sunday, the blues festival includes the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue, Tommy Castro Band, Bernard Allison, Rick Estrin, Janiva Magness, Otis Taylor, the Delta Wires and MoFo Party Band. Information: 707-869-1595.

Petaluma Summer Music Festival, through Sept. 13. For lineup go to www.cinnabartheater.org/cinnabar.2009-petaluma.summer.music.festival.html or call 707-763-8920

T. Watts is a writer, radio host and music critic. Visit his Web site at www.teewatts.biz.

My daughter doesn’t realize that I’m worth more alive than dead, because I’m sure she’s trying to kill me. She’s being very clever about it, though; she’s trying to make it look like a heart attack.

She has often expressed the wish to eat vegetarian, but she is systematically eliminating the vegetarian foods that I can cook with. She doesn’t like tofu, she is only just tolerant of falafel (I’m still trying to perfect a recipe that she might like), and she outright hates the pre-made meatless meatballs and “meat patties.” Even quinoa, as simple and innocuous as it is, sits on her plate uneaten.

How can I cook vegetarian if she is systematically eliminating all of the popular vegetarian dishes? That banging noise you hear is my head against the refrigerator; a few more good hits and I’ll be exposing brain.

However, she does like vegetarian lasagna, which, if you’ve ever made it you will know, is a labor-intensive dish (both vegetarian and meat-packed types). But it’s OK – I love my daughter and if she requests a vegetarian dish that she will actually enjoy, it’s my pleasure to put in the effort. Why not? I like a challenge!

The root word for lasagna is said to come from the Greek, either from “lasana” meaning a stand for a pot, or possibly “laganon” which is a sheet of pasta cut into strips. Either way, the Romans adopted the word into the Latin and it lived on into the Italian language.

There was a wild rumor that the British invented the dish since the recipe for “loseynes” (pronounced “lasan”) is found in Britain’s oldest cookbook, “The Forme of Cury.” I was going to write down the recipe as it is written in the book but old English is very difficult to read so it would have almost appeared as gibberish.

My best translation of what the cookbook says is, “make a dough and dry it, then make several layers with cheese and sauce, then cook.” That’s it, pretty simple, no other recipe needed, and I’m going to follow that example.

Oh, and did you notice? There’s no meat in this recipe. Lasagna was originally a vegetarian dish.

To give the English their due, “The Forme of Cury” is the oldest recipe for lasagna currently on record. The cookbook was compiled in the year 1390, and the discovery made quite a number of British hearts flutter with pride, but the fact that Britain was once a Roman province makes the idea of lasagna being an aboriginal British invention not quite believable. And while they smugly claim they invented lasagna, they have yet to explain why it has a Greek name.

However, also to the Brits' credit, they are a little truer to the original lasagna idea in that, to this day, they prefer it made with a white (béchamel) sauce as opposed to the tomato sauce that Italians and Americans favor. Tomatoes hadn’t even made their appearance in Europe when this first recipe was recorded, and wouldn’t be used popularly for another 400 years.

The traditional flat noodles with ruffled edges are a throwback to when the pasta was rolled out with simple rollers and then set out in the sun to dry, which resulted in a pasta similar to what we expect when we think of lasagna noodles. In Italy lasagna noodles are usually flat without the ruffle.

The original recipe for lasagna describes layers of dough with sauce between the layers, and baked into more of a flat cake. It eventually evolved into the casserole type dish that we recognize.

Since lasagna was a dish that was cooked in an oven and only the wealthiest homes possessed those, lasagna was considered a very special dish. Even as ovens became common in every home, the many steps and lengthy preparation involved relegated the dish into a rare treat.

Nowadays, with so many time-saving kitchen gadgets, prep time can be managed reasonably. You can even purchase no-boil noodles and put them in without cooking. Yes, please! Less work is better!

I use a mandolin to slice all of the vegetables, and wear a special protective glove so I can use it extra fast without having my fingertips become part of the finished dish (I purchased the glove at The Kitchen Gallery). The mandolin gives you perfect slices quickly and uniformly, much better than using a knife. Besides, you really don’t want to show off a large collection of razor sharp knives if your child is trying to kill you.

Before we get started with the recipe, something I highly recommend is to use a disposable aluminum pan. If you’ve ever washed a lasagna pan, you know what I’m talking about and will love the idea. If you are going to make lasagna you might as well make two at a time and freeze one for a later date.

The great thing about lasagna is that you don’t really need a recipe. You put a cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9-inch by 12-inch baking dish, then a layer of the no-boil noodles, and then go to town any way you want.

I like to start with some ricotta and then just layer on ingredients as I go. Keep in mind that you don’t want to make the layers too thick or tightly packed. You want the cheese to have room to melt downward and the sauce have gaps to bubble upwards so the flavors can meld. Gaps in the layers are good.

When choosing what to put in the lasagna remember there are no rules about what the layers should be. Some suggestions would include zucchini, shiitake or portabella mushrooms, butternut squash, spinach leaves, diced tomatoes and onions or leeks, sliced garlic, eggplant, fresh basil, oregano and thyme.

I also recommend at least three types of cheese; I use mozzarella, Parmesan and ricotta. And let’s not forget, you’ll want your favorite tomato sauce intermingled throughout.

To be totally honest about my own recipe, I also add a layer of my own personal roasted bell pepper sauce in there which we’ll talk about it another day.

As you can tell, with all this pasta dough and cheese and sauce, this is not exactly health food. I didn’t say it wouldn’t be rich, I just said it doesn’t contain meat. You’ll have to excuse me for a moment, I have to make an appointment to change my will.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and put a cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan, spreading it out to cover the entire surface. Add a layer of no-boil lasagna noodles then (my preference) a layer of cheese, then lay a few layers of whatever you chose for veggies, followed by another cup of sauce, noodles, cheese, and then a couple more layers of your favorite ingredients. You don’t have to spread the ricotta too thin since the layers will compress it and the heat of the oven will cause it to flow.

When you’ve completed all of the layers, top it all with a nice layer of shredded mozzarella and Parmesan and a sprinkling of herbs, which will give it a nice color as it bakes.

Cover it with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes or until a knife can pierce the center easily.

Carefully remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese starts to get golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes. This is a very important part of the process, as it gives the melted cheese an opportunity to reset and hold everything together when you cut it. Serve.

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. Follow him on Twitter, http://twitter.com/Foodiefreak .

EDITOR'S NOTE: THE TWO 3.0 QUAKES MENTIONED  HAVE BEEN DOWNGRADED TO 1.1 MAGNITUDE AND 2.8 MAGNITUDE, RESPECTIVELY.

LAKE COUNTY – The Labor Day weekend saw several sizable earthquakes occur around the county.

Before the weekend even got started, a 3.7-magnitude quake was reported in The Geysers area at 3:20 a.m. Friday, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's earthquake array.

Then, on Saturday, The Geysers saw two quakes measuring 3.0 in magnitude within eight seconds of each other.

The first 3.0 quake, which occurred at 1:48 a.m. at a depth of 1.6 miles, was centered one mile west of Anderson Springs, four miles south of Cobb and five miles east southeast of The Geysers, according to the US Geological Survey.

The 3.0 quake that followed it seconds later was measured at a depth of 0.6 of a mile and was centered in the exact same area one mile west of Anderson Springs, the US Geological Survey reported.

While no shake reports were made to the survey regarding the first quake, they received numerous reports on the second, with reports coming from Middletown, Covelo, Santa Rosa and Eureka to as far away as Santa Clara and Palmdale, the latter over 600 miles away.

Then, on Monday the US Geological Survey reported a 3.2-magnitude quake occurred near Lake Pillsbury at 1:22 a.m.

That quake, at a depth of 6.6 miles, was centered three miles east southeast of Lake Pillsbury, 16 miles north of Upper Lake and 19 miles north of Nice, the survey reported.

Only one shake report was received on the Pillsbury quake – it came from the San Francisco area, according to US Geological Survey records.

The last series of quakes to hit the county measuring 3.0 or above occurred early in July, when The Geysers area experienced five such quakes in just a few weeks, as Lake County News reported earlier this summer.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews .

The Insurance Information Network of California, the California Highway Patrol and the California Trucking Association have joined forces to focus attention on truck and passenger vehicle driver safety this Labor Day weekend.

Trucks often weigh 20 to 30 times more than a passenger car and have a harder time maneuvering around an emergency situation.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that 4,602 people died in truck collisions in 2007. Of these deaths, 16 percent were truck occupants and 70 percent were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles.

The CHP estimates that more than half of the 7,262 collisions involving big rigs last year were caused by passenger vehicle drivers.

“Motorists need to know that sharing the road with a big rig requires patience and understanding how to recognize and avoid a truck’s blind spots,” said Candysse Miller, executive director of the Insurance Information Network of California.

“Truckers in California maintain the highest standards of safety and need the help of passenger drivers to keep the roads safe,” added CTA Chairman Bob Ramorino.

“The number of trucks using the California highway system will inevitably increase over the coming years,” said Deputy Commissioner Skip Carter. “For that reason, the CHP is working to create public awareness about driving around commercial trucks; and thus, minimizing truck-involved collisions and fatalities.”

The CHP urges motorists to understand these basics of sharing the road with big rigs:

• Allow plenty of room when changing lanes in front of a truck;

• Pass trucks quickly and don’t linger beside a truck;

• Pass a truck on the left, not on the right, because the truck's blind spot on the right runs the length of the trailer and extends out three lanes.

• Allow a lot of room around trucks. Try to leave a 10-car length gap when in front of a truck and 20-25 car lengths when behind a truck.

• Check a truck's mirrors. If you are following a truck and you cannot see the driver's face in the truck's side mirrors, the truck driver cannot see you.

• Allow trucks adequate space to maneuver. Trucks make wide turns at intersections and require additional lanes to turn.

The town hall will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, on Country Club Drive between 9th and 10th streets.

County staff will provide updates on the Lake County Redevelopment Agency activities and other issues of interest including local enforcement activities.

The agenda includes an update from community organizations and the topic of how citizens can help the health of Clear Lake.

This is an opportunity to participate in an open forum discussing critical issues of concern to the Lucerne Community.

For more information, contact Rushing at 707-263-2368 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The smoke plume of the Oasis Fire seen from Lake County on Labor Day evening, Monday, September 7, 2009. Photo by Eric Cox.

COLUSA COUNTY – On Monday evening a wildland fire broke out in an area of the Cache Creek Wilderness Area in Colusa County, not far from the Lake County line.

The Oasis Fire was reported just after 6 p.m. Monday, according to Cal Fire.

The fire was burning both in and outside of the Cache Creek Wilderness, in an area between Highway 20, Morgan Valley Road and six miles west of Highway 16, according to reports from the scene.

Several residents of south Lake County reported seeing the fire and the aircraft headed to it Monday evening.

Cal Fire estimated the blaze to be between 300 and 500 acres, with no containment reported late Monday.

No cause was given, but shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday firefighters reported finding an abandoned camp with food and a campfire that may have been the source of the blaze. Investigators are expected at the scene on Tuesday.

Cal Fire incident command said Cal Fire personnel and firefighters from Colusa County were responding. Scanner reports indicated Northshore Fire and personnel from Middletown also were going to the scene.

Ground units were having difficulty accessing the fire, which was being fought principally by air, with several helicopters and air tankers, along with and one fire air command on scene, according to fire observers with www.wildlandfire.com .

Firefighters had to access the fire from a Bureau of Land Management road east of Walker Ridge Road, according to reports. They also were staging at Morgan Valley Road and Reiff Road.

Six dozers were reporting to the scene, where they were being used to gain access for ground crews, build fire lines and go through a brush field. The dozers, which also were working in several areas, including along a ridgetop, were said to be making good progress early Tuesday morning.

Firefighters were trying to cut the fire off at the creek, and spent time burning brush patches throughout the early morning hours.

Reports indicated that fire camp was begin set up at the nearby Payne Ranch, and strike teams en route from Mendocino and Sacramento counties. A helicopter base was being set up in the area as well.

Shortly before 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, firefighters reported spot fires across Cache Creek. Engines weren't able to access the spots by ground, so they planned to start hitting the spots with aircraft Tuesday morning.

It was noted that the weather appeared to be working in firefighters' favor.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews .

Heather Anderson and her dog, McGruff, were separated for more than two months when a chance visit to a fire station helped reunite them. Photo courtesy of Diana Anderson.

LAKE COUNTY – A young local woman who was severely injured in a June crash recently had a happy reunion with one of her best friends.

Heather Anderson and her little wired hair rat terrier McGruff were reunited last month after a crash that nearly killed her and which also resulted in him being lost and on his own for weeks.

The story began when Anderson, who is a member of the Robinson Rancheria Pomo, was involved in a serious vehicle collision near the Wilbur Springs Fire Station on June 15.

Scott Ross, a Middletown resident and a Cal Fire firefighter stationed on Wilbur Springs, said the crash happened on Highway 20 west of the Wilbur Springs station on Highway 16.

He said a vehicle went over the side of the road, with three injuries resulting – one major, one moderate and one minor.

Anderson, who was living in the county at the time, was in a car driven by a friend that day, and McGruff was with her. They were headed to Red Bluff at around 8:30 a.m. when the driver lost control of the vehicle, with the brakes locking up and the vehicle going off a cliff.

The crash resulted in Anderson being ejected through the car's back window, and McGruff with her.

“I don't remember any of that,” she said, noting that she didn't fully wake up until weeks later.

Ross and fellow firefighters responded to the crash scene, where they cared for Anderson, who was later transported to Santa Rosa for medical care.

Anderson was so badly injured, Ross noted, “None of us there expected her to live.”

Indeed, her injuries were severe.

Diana Anderson, Heather's mother, said her daughter – the youngest of five daughters who also has two brothers – suffered extensive injuries, and for the first three weeks after the crash, they weren't sure she would live.

The young woman was on life support, with a breathing tube placed through a tracheotomy. Diana Anderson said her daughter sustained a broken neck, as well as breaks to her scapula, ribs on both sides, cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, a broken pelvis in two places and a dislocated right hip. The contusions on her lungs had caused her to go into acute respiratory failure.

She also suffered a lacerated liver, kidney and spleen. Both bones in her lower left leg were broken – the tibia so badly that they inserted a metal rod from the knee to the ankle and screwed it in place to repair the fracture, Diana Anderson said.

The young woman's C4 vertebrae also was shattered in the front and had to be replaced with one from a cadaver, then her C3 through C5 vertebrae were fused together, with a titanium plate with screws in the front of her neck to hold the repair in place, Diana Anderson explained.

On top of that, the young woman also has suffered both short- and long-term memory loss, her mother said.

“There's a lot of stuff wrong with me,” Heather Anderson said.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the crash, little McGruff had gone missing.

Approximately two weeks after the crash, on the morning of June 29, a little dog in bad condition, his coat matted with stickers and a foxtail in his eye, showed up at the station. Ross said it took several hours before he would even approach the firefighters.

Later that day, the Rumsey Fire broke out, and Ross and his fellow firefighters responded.

Middletown's Cal Fire engine came over to cover their station, and when they returned the next day, the Middletown firefighters had bathed and groomed the little dog, removed his stickers and the fleas that were plaguing him, and even removed the foxtail from his eye.

The cover crew even took a sleeve off a shirt with a Cal fire logo, cut holes in it, and made the little dog a spiffy outfit.

“He was happy as a clam,” said Ross.

The Wilbur Springs firefighters kept the little dog – who they dubbed “Wilbur” – at the station with them for two weeks before their chief started dropping hints that maybe he should go to a new home.

Ross took the dog home to Middletown and tried to help him find the dog a new home for over a month. He had lots of interest in the cute little dog, but no one committed to take him home.

Anderson, who had been in the hospital for more than a month after the crash and was still unable to walk had, by that time, moved to Paradise to be with family while she recovered.

She was worried and upset about McGruff, who she hadn't seen since the crash. Her sisters had taken two trips to the area of the crash scene to look for him, but had been unsuccessful in finding any trace.

So she made flyers and on Aug. 18, with the approval of her mom, she and her sisters set off for a trip in her mom's car to Lake County to see if they could find the little dog.

The young women handed out flyers that day, but hadn't heard of a McGruff sighting.

With their last flyer in hand, they stopped at the Wilbur Springs Fire Station, where Anderson said her sisters stopped to ask if they could post the flyer.

Ross was at the firehouse when they drove up. One of the sisters explained to him the story, and Ross immediately realized that they were talking about the June 15 crash. Then, to his surprise, he saw Heather Anderson – who he thought might not make it – sitting in the car's front passenger seat, wearing a neck brace.

“We never find out if they're OK,” he said of the crash victims they help.

The next surprise Ross got was when he saw the flyer with the picture of the dog, who he instantly recognized as the dog that he'd known as Wilbur.

He told Anderson and her sisters that he knew where McGruff was. He gave them his home number and they called his wife from the nearest spot will cell reception to arrange to go and pick up the dog.

When Ross' wife got the call, she called McGruff by his real name, and he got so happy he started dancing in circles, Ross said.

The sisters went directly to Ross' home in Middletown. McGruff started barking when the family showed up. He went up to the sisters and then, when Heather Anderson – who was unable to get out of the car – called to McGruff, he jumped into the car and settled into her lap, where he stayed. When he went home, he got to take his goodies, including his Cal Fire shirt.

Since then, Anderson is back in Paradise with her family and McGruff, who turns 5 this November.

She's had McGruff since he was just a puppy, who her sisters found wandering as a stray in Chico.

Even though they were separated for a few months, they quickly got back to normal, Anderson said.

They go everywhere together, she said. “He's just like the old dog I left.”

She said she's also doing better, which her mother confirms.

Diana Anderson said her daughter is determined to be on her own as soon as she can, works hard in her therapy sessions and doesn't like to be a burden to anyone. She added that her youngest daughter has always been strong willed.

“Finding her dog McGruff has been the greatest healing for her,” she said.

Diana Anderson added that she's grateful to the “wonderful” firefighter who found her daughter and saved her life.

“Everyone who heard it just seems to think it's an amazing story,” said Ross.

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On Wednesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that he had signed a gaming compact with the 210-member tribe, an important step in clearing the way for the new gaming facility, which will be located on Highway 20 next to the Upper Lake County Park.

“I am pleased we were able to reach an agreement with the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake that benefits the members of the tribe as well as the local community and the state,” said Schwarzenegger.

Tribal Chair Sherry Treppa Bridges said the new casino will have 349 slot machines, six table games, sitdown and fast food restaurants, and a retail shop in a roughly 34,000-square-foot facility, with about 175 employees.

But if the tribe wants to break ground on its new $25 million casino this fall in time for a scheduled spring opening, they must still receive the Legislature's approval, Bridges said.

Bridges said the tribe believes it has a legislative sponsor who will work to get the matter before the Legislature before its last day of business for the session, which is Sept. 11.

After the tribe's land was received into federal trust last fall, the Habematolel immediately began the compact negotiation process, Bridges said.

The 112-page compact Schwarzenegger signed with the Habematolel this week – which has an additional 111-page appendix based on federal regulations for internal gaming controls – follows a blueprint similar to other recently negotiated compact, according to Schwarzenegger spokesman Jeff Macedo.

The compact will run through Dec. 21, 2030, and allows a maximum of 750 slot machines at one gaming facility. Under the compact's terms, the tribe will share 15 percent of annual net win revenues with the state.

Macedo said recent compacts have varied in how they've determined how much of the gaming proceeds will go to the state. The 2004 compacts varied between different options, including per-device fees and two-tier systems.

He said each compact is negotiated as a package. “Each one is negotiated on a tribe-by-tribe basis,” Macedo said.”

The Habematolel's compact provisions calls for binding arbitration before a retired judge for disputes over patron injuries and gambling; environmental protections including a requirement that the tribe prepare an environmental impact report and negotiate mitigation of any off-reservation impacts with the county; the right for employees to collectively bargain; the participation in the state's worker’s compensation system and unemployment insurance program, compliance with federal and state occupational health and safety standards, and enhanced employment discrimination provisions.

In addition, the tribe has agreed to comply with standards that meet or exceed the federal National Indian Gaming Commission standards, will meet or exceed the California Building Code and Public Safety Code and address issues of problem gambling through training, advertising and signage.

The tribe also has agreed to pay into the state's Revenue Sharing Trust Fund when it operates over 349 slot machines. That fund provides $1.1 million annually to each of the state's non-gaming tribes.

County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox credited the tribe for its proactive approach to working with local government. “The tribe went out of their way from day one,” Cox said.

He said the Habematolel and the county have worked out a memorandum of understanding that will help cover law enforcement, traffic, fire and emergency services and more. The agreement was entered into in July of 2006.

“We didn't want them to pay any more than they would have to pay if they were a private business,” said Cox.

The tribe won't be paying taxes, but instead has agreed to an in-lieu contribution that would be an amount equivalent to the property tax value of their 11-acre site, Cox said.

The Habematolel also have agreed to pay a small contribution to the county's marketing department until they build a lodging facility, at which time they would pay an amount equal to the 9-percent transient occupancy – or bed – tax paid by accommodations, he said.

In addition, the tribe has contributed $378,000 to the Lake County Sanitation District, as Lake County News has reported.

Cox said those funds were used for capacity expansion in the Upper Lake area, which was needed regardless of whether or not the casino is built.

Bridges said tribal leaders have been extremely busy in recent weeks, trying to facilitate the necessary work in the Legislature.

Thursday was the last day to get a bill gutted and insert the language approving the compact, and Bridges said it was going to take some maneuvering to get it quickly through committees and to the floor of the legislative houses.

On Monday, when they started discussing the need for the bill with legislators, Bridges said they weren't totally welcomed. However, she added, “We have made some major movement in at least getting through the process.”

The tribe has other work to do in a short amount of time, including completing a few more steps before finalizing its environmental impact report on the casino, said Bridges.

“We expect to open the doors next spring,” said Bridges. “We're targeting May. We've got a very aggressive schedule.”

The groundbreaking is expected this fall, and the building will be handled by the general contractor that did Twin Pine Casino's major expansion, Bridges said.

To view the compact and related appendix please visit http://gov.ca.gov/pdf/press/2009UpperLakeCompactFinal.pdf and http://gov.ca.gov/pdf/press/2009UpperLakeCompactAppendixA.pdf .

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews .