The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is reminding hunters that nonlead ammunition is now required statewide when hunting wild turkeys with a shotgun.

The upcoming 2017 spring wild turkey season will be the first hunting season with significant participation for which nonlead shot will be required statewide.

These regulations apply both to public and private lands (except for licensed game bird clubs), including all national forests, Bureau of Land Management properties and CDFW lands.

Private landowners or anyone authorized to hunt on private land must also comply with these regulations.

California’s 2017 general spring wild turkey season opens statewide on March 25 and extends through April 30.

The archery-only season will follow immediately afterward, running from May 1 to 14. Hunters who have a current junior hunting license may also hunt the weekend before the opener (March 18 and 19), and the two weeks following the general season (May 1-14), using shotguns or any other legal method of take.

Hunters are encouraged to practice shooting with nonlead shot in order to ensure their shotguns are patterned appropriately before heading into the field.

For more information on nonlead ammunition regulations and the implementation process, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/nonlead-ammunition .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport Elementary School has begun making appointments for Kindergarten Round-Up.

Round-Up day will be April 18, beginning at 8 a.m. Appointments are required.

If your child will be 5 years of age on or before Sept. 1, 2017, he or she is eligible to register for fall enrollment at Lakeport Elementary School.

Registrations will be held on Tuesday, April 18, from 8 to 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. 

Appointments are mandatory, so parents are asked to please call the Lakeport Elementary School office at 707-262-3005 to schedule an appointment and pick up a registration packet.

For those students that have a birthday that falls between Sept. 2 and Dec. 2, Lakeport Elementary School offers a transitional kindergarten class. You may contact the school office for more information regarding this program.

Please remember that a birth certificate, immunization records and proof of residence are requirements when entering school. Students will not start school without up-to-date immunization records on file.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Road work this week will close New Long Valley Road for a few hours.

On Thursday, March 9, New Long Valley Road will be closed to all traffic at the Bailey bridge from 1 to 3 p.m. in order to pave the bridge approaches, according to the Lake County Public Works Department.

All vehicles must stay off the asphalt until it cures.

Public Works apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause the residents of Spring Valley.

Online shopping can be a great way to beat the winter blues. It’s been a few months since the holidays, but there’s something about a package delivered to your front door that brings back the festive spirit.

One thing that’ll dampen your mood, however, is if something goes wrong with delivery.
 
Getting something delivered has associated risks; from phishing emails and delivery scams to package theft.

Follow these tips from your BBB to ensure your packages are delivered safely and your personal and financial information isn’t compromised.
 
Be a savvy online shopper

· It’s easy for scammers to create fake Web sites that take your money but never send goods. In 2016, BBB Scam Tracker received more than 2,700 reports of online shopping scams, and 74% involved a monetary loss!

· Before shopping on a Web site, look it up on bbb.org to make sure it’s trustworthy. There, you can see its rating, complaint history and reviews from past customers.

· Make sure the site is secure – look for the “https” where the “s” stands for “secure” – and read its privacy policy. Check for a physical address along with both a phone number and email for customer service, and read the refund and exchange policies carefully.

Protect your packages from theft

· First off, don’t schedule deliveries unless you’ll know you’ll be home and not on vacation. If you can’t avoid having a package delivered when you’re not home, have it delivered to the post office or other carrier facility where you can pick it up, consider having it delivered to your work or ask a friend or trusted neighbor to pick it up from your home for you.

· It’s always a good idea to request a tracking number for your package and track it as it’s shipped – paying attention to estimated delivery dates. Save this number, along with order confirmations and other delivery information.

· You can sometimes choose to require a signature for delivery – this ensures that a package won’t just be left on a doorstep. You can also request that a package be delivered to a more secure back or side door.

Watch out for phishy delivery emails

· In 2016, consumers nationwide reported more than 1,200 phishing scams to BBB Scam Tracker, and the median loss was $400 – watch out!

· How it works: fraudsters, pretending to be from an identifiable shipping service, send “missed delivery” or “shipping confirmation” notices to unsuspecting email users. Recipients are instructed to click on a link or open an attachment to complete the delivery process. Unfortunately, the links and attachments will likely unleash a virus or other malware that can track your logins and passwords as you travel the internet or corrupt your computer files.

· Don’t open any emails you aren’t expecting or click on links or attachments within them. Even if you did order a package, legitimate delivery companies will leave a tag on your door if they’re unable to deliver, not send an email.

Don’t let a delivery scam steal your info

· The scam begins like this: a delivery person shows up at your door out of the blue with a gift basket. You don’t know who sent it, and neither does the delivery person. However, they inform you that you need to pay a nominal “verification fee” with your credit or debit card. The card scanner, however, is actually a skimmer and will collect your credit/debit card number and security code. Then, you may be subject to identity theft or fraudulent charges.

· Protect yourself by being wary of any packages delivered by an unrecognized delivery service or source – you should recognize the company. If you don’t, look it up on www.bbb.org . Unless you ordered the package and expected to have to pay, you should never be required to pay a fee to receive a package or gift. If you’re receiving alcohol, you may have to show ID, but never supply your card information!

Rebecca Harpster works for the Better Business Bureau serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – In an effort to get each of their 75 sixth graders to science camp in Occidental this May – considered by many to be the culmination and pinnacle of the elementary school experience – parents of sixth graders are hosting a superhero-themed 5k fun run and walk starting at Coyote Valley Elementary School on Saturday, March 11.

This event is open to everyone, whether part of the Coyote Valley School community or just those looking for healthy outdoor recreation.

The 3.1 mile run and walk consists of a flat course through the Mountain Meadow area of Hidden Valley Lake.

Superhero costumes are highly encouraged, though optional.

Prizes will be awarded in the following categories: Best costumes for Child (under 12), Youth (13-18), and Adult (19 and up); First place finish for the same age categories; Most original finish line crossing; Best homemade costume; and Superhero Family Spirit Award.

Water will be available along the course and afterward, along with other refreshments. There will also be Krispy Kreme Donuts available for purchase.

Participants are encouraged to register in advance to receive a complimentary prize drawing ticket, but registration will also be available the day of the “race,” and prize drawing tickets will be available for purchase at that time.

The first 100 registrants will receive a race bag filled with goodies for all ages. Event pricing is set at $5 for kids under 13 and $15 for ages 14 and up (no charge for kids under 4). To register in advance, visit http://runsignup.com , and enter Coyote Valley in the “Find a Race” search area.

The race will get underway at 10 a.m. March 11, but participants are asked to arrive as early as 9 a.m. to take advantage of free bouncy house fun, provided by Lopez Jumpers, and have pictures taken in the photo area, provided by Bob Rider Photography. 

The cost of the camp is $305 per student, bringing the entire cost to $22,875. Because of the dedicated and hard work of a few select parents, more than $11,000 has been raised, but more than $11,000 still remains outstanding.

Support for this cause has been generous, with numerous sponsors such as the event’s main sponsor, “Dynamite” Sponsor Mendo Lake Credit Union, of whom Brittany Bettencourt, race co-organizer and mother of a sixth grader, said, “Mendo Lake Credit Union has been a pinnacle in our community. From stepping up during times of crisis in our community to supporting our schools, they have shown time and again what generosity and a great team can accomplish.”

Also sponsoring are “Hero” Sponsors Clear Lake Dental, Lake County Milers, St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, Prime Time Builders, Cember Machining, Vantage Construction, Bower Chiropractic, Alphabet Soup Preschool, Pullman Heating & Cooling, Hidden Valley Auto Body, and Sidekick sponsors Anytime Fitness, Conover Electric, and Hardester’s Market.

Prizes have been donated from nearly 20 local and out-of-county businesses as well.

Marinda Redford, race co-organizer and parent of sixth grader Easton, expressed enthusiasm and gratitude for the outpouring of support, “Because of our generous community, we are hopeful that these kids will be going to camp!”

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Friends of the Lake County Museum is inviting the community to join them for a hotsy-totsy time at a 1920s-themed murder mystery dinner on Saturday, April 8.

This shindig will be happening at the Historic Courthouse Museum in downtown Lakeport.

Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show at 6:30 p.m.

Produced by Murder Us Productions, the mystery portion of the evening is set in 1920s Lake County and guests are encouraged to dress in their swankiest, spiffiest dress to fit the theme.

A three-course catered dinner, refreshments and a watering hole will round out the evening. It will be the pig’s wings, the eel's hips and the bee’s knees.

Tickets are $65 per person and $60 for Friends of the Lake County Museum.

To buy tickets, stop by the Historic Courthouse Museum in Lakeport, open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., at 255 N. Main St. in Lakeport, or call the museum at 707-263-4555.

Here's a poem by John Stanizzi, who lives in Connecticut, in which we get a good look inside middle-school culture in the 'sixties. But is it really any different today? This poet's most recent book is Hallelujah Time! (Big Table Publishing, 2015).

Cry To Me

We walked through some heartache in '62.
Gary liked Teresa but Teresa
asked Elizabeth to tell Peter that
she really wanted to go out with him
but Peter had been making out with Jane
in the theater, celebrating their
one month anniversary, so that was
out, and even though Jane broke up with Pete,
Peter kept asking Gail to talk with Jane
which Gail wouldn't do because she'd told
Brenda that she thought that Peter was cute
but Brenda wasn't listening to a word,
wrapped up in lonely teardrops shed for Greg.
The waters of 8th grade were never still.

American Life in Poetry does not accept unsolicited submissions. It is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2016 by John Stanizzi, “Cry To Me,” (2016). Poem reprinted by permission of John Stanizzi. Introduction copyright © 2017 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Lagoons Clubhouse was a lovely place to be on Friday Feb. 10 as the Lakeport Women’s Civic Club hosted its annual new member tea party.

Ladies of the board prepare all of their favorite tea time treats and sandwiches and set a lovely buffet for the new members that have come on board during the last year.

New members get to mix and mingle with ladies of the executive board and learn about what each of those positions entails.

The executive board learns all about the new members and what qualities and passions each of them brings to the club.

This gathering provides a wonderful opportunity to welcome new members and encourage their participation on the committees that manage the very important event planning and fundraising activities that LWCC is responsible for each year like the Mad Hatters Luncheon in April and the Holiday Craft Fair in November, just to name a few.

Ten new members joined this year, putting total membership roster at 100.

The Lakeport Women’s Civic Club meets for lunch on the first Friday of the month at Riviera Hills Country Club Restaurant at 11:30 a.m. and they always feature and enjoy an informative speaker.

For membership information please call Carol Jordan at 707-900-5046.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Redbud Audubon Saturday bird walk will be held on Saturday, March 18.

The field trip will be at the Clear Lake State Park, 5300 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville.

This is always a great walk with the likelihood of seeing numerous songbirds and wildfowl as well as raptors, Great Blue Herons and egrets.

Although the park is officially closed, the group is permitted to walk in the park. Carpooling is encouraged, as they must park on Soda Bay Road.

Group members will meet in the parking lot area near the visitor’s center and begin the walk at 9 a.m.

This is an easy walk. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch for after the walk.

As with all Audubon events, the public is cordially invited to join the club.

Should the park officially reopen, please pay the park entrance fee and park in the lot. In the event of rain and the need to cancel, visit the Redbud Audubon Facebook page or its Web site, www.redbudaudubon.org .

Bonnie Thompson is a member of the Redbud Audubon Chapter.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – For patients recovering from the aftermath of a stroke, support is vital.
 
That’s why every patient who is treated for a stroke at Sutter Lakeside Hospital receives a followup call after discharge.

The calls aim to ensure patients are connected to the resources necessary for an optimum recovery.
 
Veteran nurse Yvette Neil follows a checklist of questions, but conversations sometimes go off-script.
 
“I ask patients about their experience with the hospital, their satisfaction, and if they know the signs of a stroke,” said Neil. “I also speak with family members to get a more complete picture of the experience. The calls last anywhere from thirty to sixty minutes, because patients and loved ones appreciate having someone to talk to.”
 
During followup conversations, Neil reiterates teaching about the symptoms of a stroke, because patients who have had a stroke are at a higher risk for another one.

During the call, Neil assembles a packet of information that will help patients care for themselves, and connect with community resources such as meal services, or equipment like wheelchairs.
 
For patients who easily identify stroke symptoms, Neil sends “BE FAST” cards, which serve as an education tool.

The cards help the patient educate friends and family members on how to identify a stroke using an acronym.

“BE FAST” stands for balance, eyes, face, arms, speech, and time; which refers to loss of balance, blurry vision, facial paralyzation on one side, the ability to only raise one arm, slurred speech, and the time symptoms began. The card comes with a tear-off key fob as an easy reminder.
 
“I send information depending upon the patients’ needs,” said Neil. “Some patients or caregivers struggle with depression or grief, so I tell them about the free support group that meets monthly at the hospital. Others are surprised to learn that they can advocate for more physical therapy sessions if the patient is showing progress.”
 
For Neil, the desire to help others comes from personal experience.
 
“My husband has had four strokes over the past two years. I know how frustrating and hopeless it can feel,” said Neil. “It’s important to be realistic, but also ask providers to list the positives of stroke recovery. The brain heals.”

Between emotional support groups and rehabilitation services ranging from physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, recovery can be possible.
 
“There are resources available in Lake County,” said Neil. “We help patients find them.”