Monday, 11 November 2024

News

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Former local prosecutor David Moranda has been named a judge in Merced County. Courtesy photo.
 

 

 


Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday announced the appointment of a former Lake County prosecutor to a judgeship in Merced County Superior Court.


David Moranda, 56, of Merced, has served as chief deputy district attorney and previously deputy district attorney for the Merced County District Attorney’s Office since 1993.


Prior to that, he served as a deputy district attorney for the Lake County District Attorney’s Office from 1987 to 1993, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office from 1985 to 1986 and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office in 1981.


Moranda earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.


He fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on Dec. 26, 2008.


Moranda is a Democrat.


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LAKE COUNTY – The threat to schools across California due to deep budget cuts has prompted members of California's Congressional Delegation to send a letter to state leaders urging them to take every step possible to prevent teacher layoffs by getting federal stimulus money to school districts. {sidebar id=136}


Local educators hope that the money arrives in time to avert serious damage to educational programs.


The letter, dated March 17, addresses Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Secretary of Education Dr. Glen W. Thomas and State Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell.


“We write to express our concern about a reported misunderstanding regarding who should decide how local educational agencies spend State Fiscal Stabilization Funds allocated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” said the letter, whose signatories included 26 members of Congress, among them North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson.


The members of Congress addressed the suggestion that the state has the ability to intercept stabilization fund dollars – which they emphasized it does not.


Officials reported that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed by President Barack Obama last month, includes a state stabilization fund to give states emergency relief.


That relief would help stave off teacher layoffs, as well as backfilling harmful cuts to education programs. In addition, funds would be available to repair and modernize schools, which would create jobs.


The legislation's structure gives states the funds, and then the states would allocate the money to school districts and colleges and universities.


The plan allocates over $5.9 billion in stabilization funding to California, officials reported.


Thompson's office is still compiling final number estimates for Lake County's schools.


Congress' intent, the letter stated, is that local educational agencies may determine how they will use stabilization funds. The money also is meant to be allocated from the state to school districts and higher education institutions as soon as possible.


“The purpose of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund is to help stabilize local government budgets, to minimize or avoid harmful cuts to education programs and services, to keep teachers in the classroom, and to support modernization, renovation, and repair of school facilities,” the letter stated.“It is imperative that local educational agencies receive stimulus funds as soon as possible so they can appropriately adjust their budgets to address these challenges.”


The letter added that thousands of California's teachers will be laid off in the coming weeks without the infusion of stimulus funding, and they asked Schwarzenegger and education leaders to quickly resolve issues relating to the funding, which could be done with the technical assistance of the US Department of Education.


“Any delay in funding local educational agencies may have dire consequences for children and teachers in our great state,” the letter added.


Local education cuts go deep


On March 13, educators, parents and students gathered in downtown Lakeport on “Pink Friday” to send a message to Sacramento – that the level of cuts to education isn't acceptable. Pam Klier, president of Lakeport's California Teachers Association chapter, said the “deep, drastic cuts” facing schools will change how teachers are able to do their jobs.


Based on a poll of school districts, Lake County News estimates that 112.3 school employees – many of those teachers, but also including some administrators and classified staff – have received layoff notices so far this year. Many more classified staff may be laid off in the weeks ahead.


In the Lakeport Unified School District, 17 employees were given layoff notices – 13 classified and four certificated – earlier this month in an effort to meet a shortfall $800,000 resulting from both state cuts and lost revenue.


In the Konocti Unified School District, 53 teachers and eight administrators have received layoff notices, which amounts to a reported quarter of the district's teaching staff.


While the district has said that it expects to be able to hire many of those teachers and administrators back, it has the challenge of a $1.2 million budget cut in the coming fiscal year. The Konocti Unified board voted March 11 to close Oak Hill Middle School as a cost-saving measure.


Stimulus funding amounts still unclear


Countywide, Lake County Superintendent of Schools Dave Geck has estimated school districts will face a total of $5.7 million in cuts over the next 16 months.


So local districts are hoping the federal stimulus money will be able to offer them some relief.


Konocti Unified district officials said during a school board hearing on March 18 that the district is estimated to receive $880,000 in stimulus funds, but that still hasn't been confirmed.


Geck said it's still not clear just how much stimulus money could be coming to Lake County.


“We only have initial projections from the feds,” he said. “The amounts have not yet been confirmed by the state since the initial projections did not include charted schools and special school programs like our juvenile hall and community school programs.”


Geck said he expects that the state will identify the specific amounts sometime this week since the funds are going to be released by the end of the month by the federal Department of Education.


Whether the money actually will arrive in time to avert damage to programs is harder to answer, said Geck.


The stimulus funds won't be enough to cover all the cuts local schools are facing, but Geck said if the funds are released quickly and available to be used by school districts to help mitigate the budget cuts, some of the damage will be repaired.


He noted that some of the funds coming from the federal stimulus package are targeted for certain specific purposes, including Title I, which supports student achievement for children in low socio-economic brackets and supporting student achievement for students with identified disabilities. Geck added that some of the funds are more discretionary in nature.


In addition, budget cuts can be avoided if the six propositions to aid school funding, which will go before voters in a special May 19 election, pass and if the revenue projections that will be part of the governor's May budget revise are not as terrible as currently projected.


Declining enrollment challenges local districts


While stimulus money is looked at as help in current difficult times, all of the district superintendents point to consistently declining enrollments as a longterm issues for local schools.


In Kelseyville, Superintendent Boyce McClain said the district is facing a budget cut of just under $1 million in the coming fiscal year.


He has four teachers retiring, and three of those positions will not be replaced. That prevented the district from having to issue layoff notices by the March 15 deadline.


So far, the district has had no classified layoffs, but there may yet be some classified layoffs at the end of April, McClain said.


Middletown Unified Superintendent Korby Olson said his district was able to absorb the roughly $530,000 in mid-year budget cuts for 2008-09.


Still ahead in the 2009-10 fiscal year is an estimated cut of just over $1 million from the district's general fund, with 15.3 certificated positions slated to be cut, which includes some administrative slots.


“We haven't done classified yet,” he said. “We have a different deadline on those.”


Olson said the majority of the certificated cuts are a result of declining enrollment.


Over the last several years, enrollment losses have been fairly spread out. But then it began to accelerate last year, when the district lost 30 students. This year, they lost 65 more.


Olson believes a few things explain the lower enrollment. For one, there were a few years of low birthrates, and students in better birthrate years are coming into the school system. There also are many people leaving the county because of the lack of work opportunities.


At Upper Lake High, Superintendent and Principal Patrick Iaccino said they've laid off a total of 11 classified and certificated staff.


He hopes that, in the worst case scenario, they'll only end up losing a maximum of two teachers and three classified staff, since the district is being creative in handling planned retirements, which may allow them to bring back some staffers on at least a part-time basis.


Sue Milhaupt, Upper Lake High's business manager, said the district is looking at $511,000 in cuts – $236,000 for this fiscal year, and $275,000 in 2009-10.


Changes to rules for how to spend categorical funding will give districts more flexibility, Iaccino said, which means cuts in the coming year may not have to go as deep as previously anticipated.


However, the school's music program appears to be in danger of being cut. Iaccino said he didn't yet know the outlook for the music program, noting there are a lot of ifs in the budget process.


One thing is for sure, said Iaccino – the bigger issue is declining enrollment, which promises to hurt school budgets long after the current economic crisis.


The high school district stands to lose an estimated 100 students over the next five to six years, which Iaccino said amounts to more than $700,000 in lost income for the district on an annual basis.


Iaccino calls it one of the most difficult scenarios the district has ever faced.


If enrollment numbers don't improve, “this doesn't end for us,” he said.


Upper Lake Elementary School District also has been seeing declining enrollment for some time.


District Superintendent and Principal Kurt Herndon said they've lost an estimated 100 students in the past six or seven years. Losing that number of students equates to a loss of roughly $500,000 for the small district, which has a $4 million annual budget.


“We're so small just a few kids is quite an impact on us,” Herndon said, estimating that many young families were priced out of the housing market during its height and so they left the county.


The result is that the district has been trimming its budget for years, and gave out two layoff notices this year, one to a person in a one-year position and the second to a kindergarten teacher who they hope to have back if next year's kindergarten class fills up. They also have lost a custodian position through attrition, when the person retired last fall.


Herndon said they're doing their budget right now, so they're not sure of the amount of cuts they're facing.


Lucerne Elementary Principal and District Superintendent Mike Brown said his school is anticipating being down 10 students in the coming year. Currently the school's enrollment is about 260 students. Brown said enrollment has declined by about 10 students a year in the past several years.


Brown said the district has issued two layoff notices to teachers and will lay off four part-time classified employees, with hours to some other classified staff cut back. He said one teacher may be coming back.


At this point, Brown said the budget numbers can be confusing. For the remainder of this year, they're looking at $71,000 in cuts. Next year will see greater cuts, but those numbers aren't certain yet. The district has an annual budget of about $2.5 million.


When 85 to 90 percent of a school district's budget is salaries, there's no way to make deep cuts without cutting jobs, Brown 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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LAKE COUNTY – A moving tribute to the fallen men and women of the Vietnam War will visit Lake County this summer, thanks for the effort of an intrepid group of veterans seeking to share their experiences and find healing for many of their comrades. {sidebar id=135}

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 951, based here in Lake County, will bring “The Moving Wall” to Lake County for four days in June – June 11 through 15. It will be open to the public 24 hours a day during its visit, with computers available to help search for names on the wall.

The wall is a half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. Several of the replicas, created by Vietnam Combat Veterans Ltd., have toured the United States since 1984, according to the group's Web site, www.themovingwall.org. Two currently are making their way around the country from the spring through the fall.

John Devitt, one of the group's founder, was inspired to create the traveling memorial after attending the 1982 dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the group reported. The Moving Wall is a tribute to the 2.7 million men and women who served in Vietnam.

The wall – which is approximately 252.83 feet long, 4 feet high on the ends and 6 feet high at the center – will be housed at the Lake County Fairgrounds, said Dean Gotham, VVA Chapter 951's president, who came up with the idea to bring the wall to Lake County.

The effort started in September 2006, when Gotham and another chapter member, George Dorner, began the application process.

It was just over two years later – in October 2008 – that Gotham got the call “telling us it was our turn.”

The wall's visit to Lake County will coincide with Flag Day and Armed Forces Day on June 14, Gotham said. As of the first of this year, the wall has visited 1,155 communities across the country. It was first displayed in Tyler, Texas, in October of 1984.

The moving wall has been to other areas of the North Coast before, including Ukiah in 1985, Yountville in 2006, and Napa and Santa Rosa in 2008, according to wall records.

The wall bears the names of 52,253 individuals, including eight women who served as nurses, and 1,300 men who were either prisoners of war or listed as missing in action, according to the wall's founders. The names are listed chronologically, according to date of death.

The names of eight Lake County men are included on the memorial (see sidebar, “Lake County's Vietnam casualties,” for their information).

Gotham and fellow chapter members who are working on the wall's visit to Lake County are all expecting an emotional experience.

“It's very, very personal,” said Gotham, explaining that everyone in the chapter knows someone whose name is inscribed on the memorial.

Gotham, who served in the Marines in Vietnam, said he first saw a small plastic replica of the original wall in the 1980s at Santa Rosa Junior College. He happened across it by accident while working on a nearby landscaping project.

It was an early morning with drizzling rain. Gotham saw the candles and approached it. “It knew what it was when I walked up to it,” he said, describing the goosebumps and tears that resulted.

Gotham knows two men whose names are on the wall – a high school buddy killed while serving as a Marine and another man who he knew who was killed in an artillery barrage.

Lakeport resident Dan Davi, who served four tours on active duty in the Navy as a second-class bosun mate, grew up in San Francisco.

When it comes to numbers of casualties, California took the hardest hit of all the states in the union, said Davi.

Davi, who graduated from high school in 1966, stimates between 10 and 15 percent of his high school class is listed on the wall.

“It will be a very humble occasion for me to go and get etchings of their names and settle my heart, so to speak,” he said. “It's going to be quite emotional for all of us.”

Retired Navy Capt. Herman “Woody” Hughes of Lakeport said he's seen the original Washington, DC memorial twice as well as the traveling wall in Branson, Mo.

Hughes, who retired after 26 years in the military, including just under a year in Vietnam, doesn't think of himself as emotionally demonstrative, but he said the initial impact of seeing the wall can be pretty strong.

When he first saw the memorial in Washington, DC, “It was almost as if I couldn't breathe,” he said.

That wall is located in a depression. As he and he wife were going down the walkway, he said he turned to her and said, “I don't know if I can do this or not.”

He did go on, he said, and found the name of a friend who had died in the war.

Gotham said all of the veterans are very excited to bring the memorial to Lake County, to share it with their community. Likewise, reactions so far from community members have been very positive, he said.

At the same time, some veterans are also a little scared, Gotham added, “because we know we're going to be facing some demons, quite frankly.”

He called bringing the wall to Lake County “an extreme example of an act of love.”

Said Davi, “We all get kind of teary-eyed just talking about it.”

Gotham said having the wall here will give the county “the opportunity to reveal itself.”

“It will be a major event,” added Hughes.

Lots of work ahead

VVA has kicked into high gear, with biweekly meetings to take on the enormous organizational challenges ahead.

Davi has assumed project manager duties, and is tracking everything from the opening ceremony preparations to hospitality, security, lighting, landscaping and fundraising.

“It's moving along really well,” Davi said.

When the wall arrives on June 9, the VVA and community volunteers will carry out the five-hour setup process. The wall should be set up and ready by the following day, Gotham said.

The structure itself is aluminum, with the names silk screened onto it, he said. The result is that it looks dramatically like the black granite of the original.

Fundraising duties are being handled primarily by Gotham, who has begun making the rounds of local community groups to seek funding assistance to bring the wall here. Just to bring it cost $5,000.

But the group, which first began meeting in December of 2004 and was chartered the following month, in January of 2005, is tenacious when it comes to doing community projects.

“We're still the new kids on the block,” said Gotham.

However, they've raised thousands to help veterans and other area residents in need, and have spent several years conducting the “Seniors Not Forgotten” project to bring seniors in local care facilities some cheer during the Christmas holidays.

They're seeking not just monetary donations but volunteer help from anyone who is interested.

Expecting an outpouring of emotion

For many of the young men and women who returned home after serving in the military in Vietnam, their homecoming was as emotionally harrowing as their time on the battlefield.

The United States was a country divided over its participation in the war in Southeast Asia, and when soldiers, Marines and sailors came home, what many of them encountered has left many bruised, devastated and even embittered lives.

Many of those vets will tell you how they were treated maliciously – “to say nothing of disrespectfully,” said Hughes.

He said when he came home he found a curious reaction from people about what was happening in Vietnam – lack of interest.

“For something that we had laid our lives down for, we came back to find that America had no interest in it. That was difficult,” he said.

His experience was less harrowing than some vets, who came home to find active protests targeting them. It was something they weren't prepared to face, and it's a factor that he believes influences the situations of many Vietnam veterans today.

He recounts speaking with Vietnam vets who still are in various states of trauma. One man hasn't left his home in 15 years. Another came to a Vietnam Veterans of America chapter meeting but never returned. Hughes said the man looked closed in on himself.

Such men came home not to ticker tape parades – which had greeted their fathers' returns from World War II – but protests, abuse and ignorance, he explained.

While movies have been made about “the greatest generation,” which has become the subject of deep reverence, Vietnam is consistently held up as a bad example – “the war that should never have been,” Hughes said. Movies about that war, he said, basically are antiwar films.

It's for that reason that VVA's motto is “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another,” said Hughes.

Vietnam veterans also have worked hard to make sure today's young veterans and members of the military are treated with more compassion and respect, Hughes said.

Turning millions of young men and women into villains caused great emotional stress, he said. Several of his veteran friends continue to regularly attend counseling today which isn't just because of the war.

“We're not asking for anything, nothing special, just don't treat us like baby killers,” said Hughes.

Added Gotham, “For everyone who served in Vietnam, there was someone here at home who disagreed.”

Davi estimates that many Vietnam veterans – as high as 15 percent – haven't dealt with the emotional fallout from their service in the war.

Even when you try to get on with your life, 40 years later you realize how it affects you, he said.

Davi said many Vietnam vets have gone through numerous marriages, suffered drug and alcohol abuse, then they channeled that energy into being workaholics. Eventually, though, the weight of their experiences hits them.

Hughes agrees with that assessment. “There are a number of Vietnam veterans who are hiding from facing the issue of their experience over there.”

Gotham, Davi and Hughes all believe many vets will visit the wall during “off” hours – especially at night and times when others aren't likely to be there. That's one of the reasons for making it available to the public at all hours of the day and night during its stay, said Gotham.

Hughes, who is chaplain for VVA and the United Veterans Council, will be on hand to help. He expects some people will have a hard time when they first see it, not just veterans but those who knew someone on the wall.

Some of the emotion that may result, said Hughes, won't necessarily be sadness and grief. Some of it may also be anger from veterans recalling their treatment on coming home.

Hughes, whose time in Vietnam included three months on riverboats running river security just below the demilitarized zone in South Vietnam, said he hopes he'll be able to help some of those who come to see the wall by offering support and a willingness to listen, to help people work through the emotions that will arise.

He's been offering help since he put his arm around a young sailor whose friend was badly hurt when a Howitzer shell landed on their bunker in Vietnam's Quang Tri province.

“He was so devastated by seeing what happened to his buddy, and afraid, and nothing's wrong with that,” said Hughes, recalling the event decades later.

Is the wall's visit an opportunity for closure?

“Closure? What the hell is that?” Gotham asked. “This is a part of our lives forever.”

A better word, and a more appropriate result, he suggests, would be “forgiveness.”

Many survivors feel guilty for making it home when their friends didn't, he said.

“The only resolution out of that is forgiveness, and that's pretty hard for guys to do,” said Gotham.

As viewpoints about Vietnam have changed, many people have started to recognize Vietnam veterans as heroes in their own right. But that's not necessarily what men like Gotham seek.

“The heroes that we look at are the guys on the wall,” he added. “They're our heroes.”

If you would like to help with donations to the wall or volunteer help or other services, call Gotham at 350-1159.

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

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CLEARLAKE – A man currently on leave from his duties as a Clearlake Police officer was arrested earlier this week on charges of driving under the influence and possession of a firearm.

 

Michael William Hansen, 24, of Oroville was arrested Monday following a traffic stop on Highway 20, according to a report from the California Highway Patrol's Williams office.

 

Just before midnight on Monday the Colusa County Sheriff's Office notified Williams CHP officers of a possible drunk driver on Highway 20 west of King Road near Williams, the CHP reported.

 

CHP officers responded from Williams and arrived on scene to find a Colusa County Sheriff's deputy had stopped Hansen, who had been traveling westbound, because his vehicle didn't have a rear license plate light.

 

The CHP report said that, after making the stop, the deputy contacted Hansen and observed signs of alleged alcohol intoxication.

 

CHP officers subsequently conducted field sobriety tests on Hansen and arrested him for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

 

The sheriff's deputy who pulled Hansen over searched the vehicle and found several firearms and a small amount of marijuana, according to the report. Hansen had a prescription from his doctor for the marijuana.

 

Hansen was transported to the Colusa County Jail, where he was booked on charges of driving under the influence and possession of a firearm, the CHP reported.

 

Jail records indicated that Hansen was released on his own recognizance following his booking, and was not required to post bail.

 

Clearlake Police Chief Allan McClain said Hansen is a city employee, but “has no peace officer standing at this point.”

 

McClain, who said he was limited by what he could say because of personnel matters, said Hansen had been on leave for some time prior to the arrest on Monday.

 

Hansen, who has commuted to his Clearlake job from his home in Oroville, was involved in a fatal shooting last June, as Lake County News has reported.

 

He shot 63-year-old David Vestal to death after Vestal allegedly confronted Hansen and other police officers with a .410 shotgun. Police were responding to a report of a fight at York's Mobile Home Park.

 

A District Attorney's Office report issued in February concluded that Hansen's actions were justified.

 

In February, Vestal's daughter, Shavon, filed a $32 million lawsuit in federal court over the shooting. The suit names Hansen, McClain, the city of Clearlake and Clearlake Police.

 

Shavon Vestal's attorney, Don Anderson of Lakeport, said he hasn't yet received the district attorney's report on the shooting. The case alleges that David Vestal had no shotgun based on four independent witness statements, as well as statements from Shavon Vestal and her boyfriend.

 

Anderson said he understands a shotgun was recovered at the scene, “somewhere near” David Vestal's body.

 

He said he doesn't anticipate Hansen's arrest becoming an issue in the civil lawsuit, “but strange things happen so you never know.”

 

District Attorney Jon Hopkins confirmed officials found a shotgun at the scene.

 

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

 

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KELSEYVILLE – Officials are still investigating the cause of a crash that sent three people to the hospital on Saturday.


The collision occurred just before 11 a.m. on Highway 29 near Cruikshank Road.


California Highway Patrol Officer Steve Tanguay said Faye Jones, 58, of Clearlake was driving a 1994 Ford Crown Victoria southbound on Highway 29 when she lost control of the vehicle and began swerving.


Tanguay said Jones' vehicle slid sideways into the northbound lane, colliding with a 1990 Isuzu Trooper driven by 60-year-old Wayne Engle of Kelseyville.


Kelseyville Fire Protection District ambulance transported Engel to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for severe injuries. Tanguay did not have updated information on Engel's condition.


Jones and her 17-year-old female passenger also were transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for complaints of pain, said Tanguay.


Tanguay said the cause of the crash has not yet been determined.


CHP Officer Dallas Richey is investigation the crash, Tanguay 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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KELSEYVILLE – On Sunday the 12th annual Stars of Lake County Awards added many deserving individuals and groups to its long list of honorees.


The awards were handed out at Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa in Kelseyville Sunday evening.


Awards in 24 categories were given this year. Organizers had the challenging task of taking 127 nominations and narrowing them to those final two dozen awards.


Once again this year, Congressman Mike Thompson was on hand to assist with handing out the awards.


Here are this year's winners.


Marla Ruzicka Humanitarian Award: Faith Hornby, Lakeport


Hornby, 12, is a caring seventh grader who began her efforts to help others when she was only about 7 years old, saving her change to donate to local animal rescue efforts.


She was then introduced to a group of cancer survivors, and she began helping them as well, holding a raffle for Cancer Awareness Month, raising money to assist cancer patients, creating artwork to cheer patients up and helping Operation Tango Mike by packing care packages for troops overseas.


Senior of the Year: Treva Ryan, Nice


She's cooked for Meals on Wheels and been one of the most devoted volunteers at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center.


Treva Ryan has more energy and determination than a lot of people a third of her age. Ryan has been a volunteer at the center for 12 years. She's also a volunteer at the First Lutheran Church.


Ryan was credited with her efforts to feed the community's hungry.


Volunteer of the Year: Bill and Carolyn Tobin, Middletown


The Tobins have worked tirelessly to relieve the hunger issue for local residents.


They have been dedicated supporters of the Catholic Charities' rural food project. In 2002, the project was helping 23 families; by this year, that number had grown nearly tenfold, to more than 200.


The Tobins are also involved in the “Spirit of the Season” Christmas food drive in Middletown.


Student of the Year, female: Alma Martinez, Clearlake


Most teens probably can't imagine the challenges that Alma Martinez has faced in her young life. She was raised by a single mother who was injured on the job, which forced the young woman to have to take on the role of breadwinner for her family.


She has worked two jobs after school for three years to support her family, all the while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average and applying for college.


Martinez helps encourage her peers to make the right decisions and also has volunteered to assemble food baskets for those in need.


Student of the Year, Special Recognition Award: Upper Lake High School Academic Decathlon Team


The awards committee created a special award this year to honor the team, which has won the local Academic Decathlon competition 10 out of the last 11 years and gone on to state competition. Last week, the team placed sixth at the state competition, held in Sacramento.


“The learning curve is very steep and the terrain unfamiliar,” Lake County Superintendent of Schools Dave Geck said in describing the brain-bending competition.


Team members include Kyle Coleman, Courtney Havrilla, Belarmino Garcia Jr., Sarah Barnes, Marisa Feliciano-Garcia, Stephanie Tregea, Thonyoon Chao, Hannah Johnson, Chae Carter, Ben Mullin, Megan Morgan and Brenda Mendoza. Head coach is Anna Sabalone; assistant coach is Steve Harness.


Student of the Year, male: Anthony Tavares, Lower Lake


Anthony Tavares is pursuing a career in automotive repair, and he's getting there under his own steam. He was described as a “self-supporting” student who works long hours at a local grocery story.


A model citizen, Tavares maintains a 3.0 grade point average in addition to those long hours to support himself. He's won scholarships and is planning to pursue his education at an out-of-state technical school.


Youth Advocate, Volunteer: Shel Bush, Clearlake


Bush was lauded for her efforts on behalf of children, all of whom she treats as if they were her own.


She fought to get the Clearlake skate park renamed for Andy Johnson and urges youngsters to choose activities like music or BMX bike riding over drugs.


One student wrote to the committee noting how that her willingness to listen and offer compassion helped him choose a better path than drinking away his troubles.


Youth Advocate, Professional: Anna Santana, Clearlake


Raised in Lake County and a mom herself, Santana has been a tireless advocate for the community's children.


She's a soccer coach at Upper Lake High School, works with students at Pomo Elementary and also has worked to make a dental van available to care for the dental health needs of needy children.


Agriculture Award: Lake County Community Co-Op, Clearlake


The Lake County Community Co-Op began in December 2007 when JoAnn Saccato asked the community a question: Is there a need for a local food cooperative?


The answer was a resounding yes, and since then the group has built its number to more than 300, making fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally available on a weekly basis.


The group will open its community garden this summer.


Organization, Nonprofit: People Services Inc., Lakeport


Now in its 35th year, People Services was created by a group of parents who wanted to help local adults who have disabilities.


Since then, the group has created job opportunities for the disabled – particularly those with developmental disabilities – in order to help them enjoy the greatest independence possible.


Organization, Volunteer: Operation Tango Mike, Kelseyville


Ginny Craven started Operation Tango Mike in March of 2003 after a local group of National Guard members were deployed overseas.


But since then the effort has grown much larger, extending to dozens of troops. The group also has grown from Craven and a handful of volunteers to people from all over Lake County, who donate money, materials and their time during packing parties.


Each month Operation Tango Mike – which stands for “Thanks much” in military lingo – send between 80 and 100 care packages to troops overseas.


“What the care packages do and what they mean is incredible,” said Jennifer Strong, who introduced the award.


Support from home is crucial to morale for troops overseas, Strong said. One soldier wrote to the group, “Because of you, I had a better day.”


Environmental Award: Leona Butts, Clearlake Oaks


Leona Butts and her husband, D.A., moved to Lake County in 1995. Since then, she's been active in local groups such as the Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association – she even put together the group's manual – as well as the local Redbud Audubon Society. An avid bird watcher, she's generously shared her knowledge of wildlife with community members.


Then, in January of 2008, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed closing dozens of state parks, including Clear Lake State Park and Anderson Marsh.


Schwarzenegger didn't bargain for people like Butts, who helped lead the local fight to keep the parks open. She offered both the driving force behind the push to keep the parks open as well as possessing the organizational skill to carry out a campaign that included collecting more than 5,000 signatures locally, which were sent to Schwarzenegger's office.


Today, Lake County's state parks remain open.


New Business of the Year: Harbor Village Artists, Lucerne


The little artists colony next door to Harbor Park in Lucerne got its start last year with the help of the county's redevelopment agency.


Four little alpine-style cottages house four art-based businesses – The Gourd Gallery, Konocti Art Gallery/Studio, Lakeside Art and Pomo Fine Arts Gallery.


The shops have given a much-needed boost to the lakeside community, besides showcasing the unique talents of local artists, including the traditional Pomo basketmaking of Luwana Quitiquit.


Small Business of the Year: Solo Flight School, Lakeport


The business, located at Lampson Field, is credited with helping to rejuvenate the local airport by attracting flying students from around the country and the world.


They've also done several “dream days” in an effort to make wishes come true for local seniors.


The school has made aviation accessible to all, as as such they've become far-reaching ambassadors for Lake County.


Large Business of the Year: Umpqua Bank, Lakeport and Kelseyville


Umpqua Bank's local branches are heavily involved in the community. Over the last year they've donated more than $20,000 to local causes, in addition to the hundreds of hours employees donate to helping groups including Operation Tango Mike.


The bank takes a whimsical approach to community involvement, offering umbrella giveaways on rainy days and the occasional dessert surprise.


Fortune magazine recently named the company the 13th best in the country to work for, and it's been in the United State's top 100 companies to work for during the past three years.


Best Idea of the Year: Ageless Dream Day-Orchard Park Assisted Living, Clearlake


Orchard Park Assisted Living in Clearlake began asking its residents about their long-held dreams, and the result was a series of “dream days.”


Over the past year residents have done everything from spending a day with Clearlake Police to taking a flying lesson to going skydiving.


Local Hero: Walt Foster, Clearlake


Lifelong Lake County resident Walt Foster, who works for Sears, was delivering an appliance to a man's home in Clearlake, but the man wouldn't let him into the house. Foster convinced the man to let him in to deliver the appliance, but found the man was not in good health.


The man hadn't had a drink of water in a few days, so Foster got him some water to drink, but the man wouldn't let him call for help.


“I didn't think anyone should live like that,” Foster is reported to have said afterward.


Clearlake Police Chief Allan McClain was reported to have said of Foster that if he hadn't acted the man might not have lived.


Arts Award, Amateur: Patsy Mitchell, Kelseyville


Mitchell devotes four days a week to running the gift shop and tasting room at Tulip Hill Winery in Nice.


She also tirelessly promotes the arts and local events.


Mitchell is credited with assisting with functions at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre in Lakeport as well as other community happenings.


Arts Award, Profession: Gail Salituri, Kelseyville


Gail Salituri is a talented artist who, over the past year, has devoted countless hours to promoting the Barbara LaForge Memorial Fund, which Salituri founded to remember her friend, who was murdered in October 2002.


Salituri is raising money for the fund, which in turn benefits Lake Family Resource Center's domestic violence shelter fundraising effort.


Since she began the fund, Salituri has raised thousands of dollars through raffles and silent auctions of art pieces including her own original oils.


She is the owner of Inspirations Gallery on S. Main Street in Lakeport.


Spirit of Lake County Award: Dwayne Furman, Lakeport


Dwayne Furman has been serving the community in various ways for 40 years.


Every Sunday he ministers to inmates at the Lake County Jail. Furman also offers ministry to Lake County Juvenile Hall and Konocti Conservation Camp inmates.


In addition, he's run the Livestock Pavilion at the Lake County Fair and been a longtime member of the local chapter of the California Cattlemen's Association.


Woman of the Year: Georgina Lehne, Middletown


Lehne is executive director of the Lake County Community Action Agency, where she has increased programs offered to the community from six to 19.


She oversees the Hot Spot youth center in Clearlake as well as food cupboards and New Beginnings, a drug rehabilitation program.


She's also working on fundraising and grants to build a safe house for the county's homeless children.


Man of the Year: Willie Sapeta, Clearlake


Sapeta, a battalion chief/paramedic for Lake County Fire Protection District, has been with the agency for 28 years.


He's one of the good guys – a man who is on the scene during critical moments in the community.


Besides his duties at Lake County Fire, Sapeta also works with the Lake County Sheriff's Office Office of Emergency Services office on emergency preparedness issues.


In addition, Sapeta also is a force behind the infant and child safety seat program.


Lifetime Achievement Award, Woman: Eva Johnson, Kelseyville


Alzheimer's disease touched Eva Johnson's life when it struck her husband.


She would go on to found local Alzheimer's respite and day care programs, which helped give many families a little space for themselves amidst the commitment to care for family members with the devastating disease.


Johnson also is credited for being a tireless advocate for caregivers.


Lifetime Achievement Award, Man: Father Phillip Ryan


Father Phillip Ryan helped found the Lake County Passion Play, which will mark its 29th year this May.


The play, which depicts the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, has a cast of hundreds of people and attracts thousands of people each year.


Ryan himself tends to the Passion Play grounds and stages, and cares for the animals that live on the grounds. He also built a costume house and a new barn.


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


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Stoney Prior is believed to be in northern Nevada. Courtesy photo.
 

 

 

 

CLEARLAKE – A high-risk sex offender being sought by local officials appears to have fled to Nevada.

 

Stoney Martin Prior, 31, is being sought in Humboldt County, Nev., according to the county's sheriff's office, based in Winnemuca.

 

Authorities there received information that led them to believe that Prior may be in the McDermitt, Nev. Area – on the Nevada-Oregon border – after leaving California earlier this month.

 

Officials reported that a blue van that Prior may have left California in was located last week in McDermitt on the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, home to the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe.

 

Prior was released from state prison on March 12 and returned to the south Lake County area, as Lake County News has reported.

 

The day after his release, he allegedly removed a GPS ankle bracelet being used to track his movements. Clearlake Police said he was on Main Street in Lower Lake when the bracelet was cut off.

 

A Clearlake citizen reported seeing Prior in a gold 1980s sedan on 40th and highway 53 in Clearlake on March 17, according to a police log entry from that date.

 

The California Attorney General's Megan's Law Web site reported that Prior was incarcerated for “assault with intent to commit rape, sodomy or oral copulation.”

 

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation was not able to furnish Lake County News with specifics about Prior's conviction or the terms of his release before the end of the day on Wednesday.

 

Prior is an American Indian, 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He has his name, “Prior,” tattooed on both his left and right arms.

 

Law enforcement urges anyone who sees Prior not to approach him.

 

Instead call 911 or, if it's not an immediate emergency, Humboldt County, Nev., Undersheriff Curtiss C. Kull at 775-623-6419 or Clearlake Police at 994-8251.

 

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

 

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LAKE COUNTY – Community members are invited to a live telephone town hall that will be hosted this Wednesday by Congressman Mike Thompson.


Thompson (D-St. Helena) is inviting every member of the First Congressional District to join him on the call, which will take place from 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., Pacific time, on Wednesday.


“In these challenging economic times, I want to make sure that people from across our district can discuss what’s on their mind,” said Thompson. “It’s extremely important to me to hear from constituents, and this telephone town hall will be a great chance to talk about the challenges facing our country and what Washington is doing to stabilize our economy and revitalize our communities. I hope everyone will join me on Wednesday night.”


Participants will be able to ask Thompson about issues that impact the First District and the nation and he will respond on the spot for all to hear.


To participate, call the toll-free number, 877-229-8493, and enter the passcode 13293.


Visit Thompson's Web site, http://mikethompson.house.gov/, to find out more about his current issues.


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Law enforcement and fire personnel cleaned up the crash scene for about an hour on Saturday, March 21, 2009, near Kelseyville. Photo by Harold LaBonte.


 

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CORRECTED AND UPDATED BASED ON NEW INFORMATION FROM THE CHP. CORRECTIONS RELATE TOTHE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SENT TO THE HOSPITAL AND THE MAKE OF ONE VEHICLE.



KELSEYVILLE – A head-on collision that occurred Saturday morning near Kelseyville resulted in major injuries, with three people being transported to the hospital.


The California Highway Patrol reported that the crash occurred just before 11 a.m. on Highway 29 just south of Live Oak Drive.


The two vehicles collided in the middle of a long, sweeping curve south of Live Oak. The vehicles involved were a Ford Crown Victoria and an Isuzu Trooper.


Both vehicles came to rest on the righthand side of the northbound lane, with the SUV on its roof and the Crown Victoria incurring major front end damage.


CHP, sheriff's deputies and fire personnel responded to the scene.


Three medic units transported three subjects to Sutter Lakeside Hospital. Major injuries were reported, but names and specifics of those involved were not available at the scene.

 

Traffic in both directions was backed up nearly three-quarters of a mile. CHP kept at least one lane passable while crews worked to clear debris and load vehicles for transport.


CHP reported that the roadway was clear just before noon.


Harold LaBonte contributed to this report.


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

 

 

 

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The small SUV was badly damaged after having been on its roof following the crash. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

 


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RIPON – A major supplier of organic brown eggs for Northern California Safeway and Costco stores has voluntarily recalled their eggs because of salmonella concerns.

 

The den Dulk Poultry Farms of Ripon, which distributes eggs to Costco and Safeway in Northern California, south to Fresno and into western Nevada, is voluntarily recalling their organic brown eggs because the eggs have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella, according to a federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) statement.

 

The eggs were sold at 71 Safeway and Pack n’ Save stores as O Organic Grade A large brown eggs throughout Northern California and Western Nevada and packaged in 12-count cartons.

 

Expiration date and plant code can be found on the end of the carton: April 1 062, 35 P1776.

 

At Costco, the eggs were sold as Kirkland Organic brown rggs and are packaged in 18-count cartons. Expiration dates and plant code read as follows: April 1 062, 35 P1776; April 8 069, 35 P1776.

 

The FDA reported that no known illnesses have been reported in connection with these eggs.

 

The recall was initiated after it was determined that the eggs in question tested positive for salmonella during an internal investigation by den Dulk Poultry Farms, according to the FDA.

 

Den Dulk Poultry Farms has informed the FDA of its actions and is fully cooperating with the agency.

 

Consumers who have purchased or are the recipients of these eggs are urged to return them to Costco or Safeway for a full refund.

 

Questions may be directed to den Dulk Poultry Farms, 209-599-4269 or the Safeway Consumer Service Center, at 1-877-Safeway (723-3929). Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PDT).

 

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, the FDA states.

 

Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

 

For more information about salmonella, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site at www.cdc.gov.

 

For information on purchasing eggs locally, visit Lake County Farmers' Finest at http://lakecountyfarmersfinest.org/direct.htm.

 

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NORTH COAST – On Wednesday morning, if a tsunami warning comes across your radio or television, don't panic – it's part of a planned test.


The National Weather Service, the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA) and the Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino Offices of Emergency Services are planning the test, which will take place between 10:15 a.m. And 10:45 a.m. Wednesday.


Although the test is specially targeting Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino counties, Lake County residents also may encounter the warnings.


Those who hear or see the warnings don't need to take any action. Don't call 911 or local authorities, and don't evacuate homes and businesses.


The National Weather Service reported that the system test will include interruptions of television and radio stations and activation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) weather radios with the public alert feature. Not all cable television stations may be able to participate.


The test will check the Emergency Alert System to ensure it works properly during a real tsunami emergency.


If you are watching television between 10:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday morning, expect to see a crawler indicating that a tsunami warning has been issued, and hear a voice indicating that it is only a test. If you don't hear the TV audio for any reason, please remember that this is only a test.


If you are listening to the radio, you will hear alerting tones followed by a voice announcing that the test is occurring. If you have a NOAA weather radio with the public alert feature, the radio will automatically turn on and you will hear the same message as broadcast on radios.


In some areas of Humboldt County people may hear the sounding of a tsunami siren, and some schools and communities in Humboldt County may be practicing their evacuation plans during the test.


A survey of this test can be taken online at at www.weather.gov/eureka or by calling 707-443-6484.


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LAKE COUNTY – The winter-like storm that moved into Lake County Friday is expected to continue affecting the county throughout the day on Sunday and overnight temperatures are forecast to dip below freezing overnight, according to the National Weather Services in Sacramento.


Because this is a cold weather system, thunderstorms and hail are possible on Sunday, the National Weather Service predicts.


Gusty winds will continue throughout the day and daytime high temperatures will only reach the mid-40s, which have been closer to our overnight temperatures for the previous week.


This past week, Northern California has experienced above-average temperatures. That was until Friday, the same day as spring officially began.


The storm is forecast to move out of Lake County by Sunday afternoon with clear skies overnight, leading to a drop in temperature.


Many plants may be vulnerable overnight as the temperature drops below freezing and into the 20s, according to the National Weather Service.


The National Weather Services stated that on Monday temperatures are predicted to return to normal with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s and remain that way throughout most of the week, with clear and sunny skies.


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


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