LAKEPORT, Calif. – The third annual Heroes of Health and Safety Fair served nearly 2,000 Lake County residents on Saturday, Oct. 15.
 
Sutter Lakeside Hospital hosted the event at the Lake County fairgrounds in partnership with the county of Lake, Behavioral Health, Lakeview Health Center, Lake Family Resource Center, Lake County Office of Education, Lake County Fire Chief’s Association, California Highway Patrol, Hospice Services of Lake County, the Hero Project, St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, Lake County Tribal Health Consortium, the American Red Cross, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
 
“This event has grown exponentially over the last three years,” said Allison Panella, community benefit specialist at Sutter Lakeside Hospital. “We cannot commend our community partners enough for raising the bar each year. We’ve greatly expanded the onsite services available to the community because of the willingness of community leaders to help, and have received great feedback from attendees.”
 
The fair served as a family-centric day that provided entertainment, as well as education and health care services.

Kelseyville Sunrise Rotary gave away 430 children’s bike helmets, and a total of 53 bikes were raffled to children throughout the day.

Public Health administered 470 free flu vaccinations, while My Safe California educated more than 400 people on fire safety.
 
“One quarter of attendees received a flu shot,” said Panella. “Public Health did a great job of administering virtually pain-free shots.”
 
“What really makes this event so special is all of the local agencies that come together to provide fun, food, and health centered information to the whole family,” said Kim Tangermann, clinic director, Lakeview Health Center. ”Seeing kids beaming as they win a bike, or receive a new life jacket, or sit in a fire truck is heartwarming. Connecting a family with medical or dental care holds the promise of a healthy family in the future. I am honored to work alongside this wonderful group of caring people.”
 
Additionally, Tribal Health and St. Helena Hospital-Clear Lake provided fluoride treatments and dental screenings while Lakeview Health Center provided dental education and dental kits.

The fair also provided A1C diabetic screenings, blood pressure screenings, oral cancer screenings, insurance information and EKG testing.
 
“We’re thrilled with the turn out, especially because of the rain,” said Panella. “We’re already excited for next year.”

Morgen Wells is Community Relations & Fund Development coordinator at Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office has begun processing of absentee or vote-by-mail ballots for the Nov. 8 Consolidated General Election.

The processing of the vote-by-mail voter ballots began on Oct. 20 and will continue through Election Day as well as during the official canvass.

The counting of the official ballots will commence on Tuesday, Nov. 8, in the Registrar of Voters Office, however, results will not be announced until after the close of the polls at 8 p.m.

The official canvass will commence on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 9 a.m., and will continue daily (Saturdays, Sundays and holidays excluded) until completed.

Observers are invited to view the processing and counting of the ballots, but shall not interfere with the election process.

The Registrar of Voters Office is located on the second floor of the Lake County Courthouse, Room 209, at 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A joint annual Charge Conference for the seven congregations of Lake Circuit United Methodists will be held on Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. at the Kelseyville United Methodist Church.

"An annual Charge Conference is a requirement of each United Methodist Church worldwide," explained Great Northern District Lake Circuit Leader Rev. Shannon Kimbell-Auth, who is the pastor of both Middletown and Clearlake United Methodist churches.

"The six pastors of our seven Methodist Churches meet monthly to explore ways to support the focus of our various communities of faith," Kimbell-Auth said. “We will begin the day with a joint worship service that includes communion and participation by all six pastors at 11 a.m. in the Sanctuary of the Kelseyville United Methodist Church.”

A county potluck will follow in the Fellowship Hall. Individual church charge meetings will be held to approve church leadership for 2017, confirm pastoral compensation and provide reports on state of the church.

"All United Methodists members and friends are invited to join us for this day of celebration, communion and preparation for serving the people of God in 2017,” Kimbell-Auth said.

The Kelseyville United Methodist Church is located at 3810 Main and First streets in Kelseyville.

If you have questions, please contact Rev. Kimbell-Auth at 707-987-3379.

United Methodists practice “Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors” led by the teachings of Christ Jesus.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Oct. 8, 2016, family and friends of Cyndra Busch lost a beautiful soul.

Born on June 27, 1976, at Ukiah General Hospital where her mother, Joyce Busch had been born 35 years earlier, it was evident from an early age that Cyndra was destined to become a force in the creative arts and film world.

Cyndra, whose given name Cynthea means “moon goddess” in Greek, demonstrated above-average aptitude in creative writing, art, culinary endeavors, fashion, equestrian proficiency, dance and modeling. During her lifetime Cyndra never met a camera she didn’t love. It was apparent the feeling was reciprocated.

Cyndra began dancing as soon as she could maintain her balance. She gave performances on the huge fireplace hearth in her home and demanded her brother Craig “PAY ATTENTION.” Cyndra had a grace and flexibility and interpretation of dance, unmatched by someone her age. This held her in good stead throughout her modeling career and life.

Cyndra was enrolled in Hodge Podge Lodge under the tutelage of Vernise Pelzel and she participated in dance and plays throughout the ensuing years, ultimately being awarded the role of the Sunbow Fairy in the wonderful “Story of Orange.” This play was performed at many local and regional theaters and was very beloved by all.

The theme of Orange was every individual is special and almost anything may be achieved by repeating the mantra “I’ll try” and by putting one foot in front of the other.

Cyndra was also enrolled in Borenbega and her progression of talent was evidenced as she continued to perform in plays and dance. It was at this point that she was extended the honorable invitation to consider entering the San Francisco School of Ballet.

It became obvious to many that Cyndra’s creative force would open doors and follow her through most of her life. Cyndra was initially signed by IMG Models in New York but within the year she was scouted by Elite Modeling Agency in New York to enter the million dollar “Look of the Year” contest.

Among hundreds of candidates submitted from around the world, Cyndra was selected as one of the 10 finalists in the United States. She was 13 years old and remained with Elite for the next 20 years until she retired.

In addition to Elite, Cyndra’s local modeling agency was Metro in San Francisco and later Look Modeling Agency in San Francisco. Through these agencies, Cyndra worked all over the world including, but not limited to, Italy, France, Germany, the U.K., Canada, Mexico and Japan. Cyndra won both the commercial of the year award and the model of the year award in Australia.

Cyndra’s first television commercial was for the Make a Wish Foundation and her fist national print ad was with Seventeen Magazine. Many more national ads were to follow.

Because of her beauty, Cyndra was frequently hired by the hair and skin care companies such as Clairol, L’Oreal, Revlon, Graham Webb and KMS to name a few. These ads appeared in all of the major magazines in the U.S. and foreign countries.

Additionally, Cyndra also walked the runways in San Francisco, New York and Italy and modeled for I. Magnins, Macy’s, The Emporium, Bloomingdales and Armani and Versace in Italy.

Two of Cyndra’s memorable commercials were with First Union Bank and Dove, both of which were played during the Super Bowl. She also acted in commercials for Toyota and in Japan as a Geisha, additionally she was in some hilarious ice cream commercials in Australia, for which she won the aforementioned commercial of the year award.

For 22 years, Cyndra was the face of Pretty Lady Grapes in the U.S. and several foreign countries. She is still featured on the Sunlight International Web site.

Cyndra’s personal life included her passion and skill in equestrian pursuits. She showed her beloved quarter horse Skip N Chic who was trained by her father, professional horse trainer H. Buffer Wright. She won many ribbons and high point awards. Her horse Skip qualified for Cal Grand at the age of 27. Before an injury at age 14 ended her riding career, Cyndra had often beat adults in competitions, much to their chagrin.

Cyndra chose to maintain a very low profile most of her life. Many were unaware of the extent of her modeling and film careers.

Cyndra had a love of both NASCAR and local racing and she often went to the race track at Fontana, Sonoma and Avondale, Ariz. She was friends with one of Richard Childress’ racing crew members and was allowed to participate behind the wall, which she loved. Her favorite driver was Kevin Harvick who was with Childress at the time. Cyndra felt honored to have been filmed in Dale Earnhardt’s #3 race car.

It was a super fun time when Cyndra moved home and we all got together to support the #16M Modified race care to a championship with driver Mark Marek, Crew Chief Charlie Beck and John Wills.

Cyndra loved working with children and was often referred to as “the pied piper” or “auntie” as she led them in dance, games, songs or swimming. Her special bond with her brother Craig was evidenced by their interaction and shared love. They were fiercely loyal to one another and enjoyed riding horses, four wheelers and trying to outdo one another playing board games and cards.

Cyndra was predeceased by maternal grandparents Sen. Burt W. Busch and City Clerk Leonora “Babs” Busch and paternal grandparents Lincoln and Myrtle Wright, ranchers and residents of Kelseyville and her uncle Terry Wright. She was also predeceased by her faithful friends Jr. and Cowboy.

Cyndra is survived by her mother Joyce Busch, her brother Craig Busch and her father H. Buffer Wright. She is also survived by cousins Buffi, Rusty, Karen and Kristi and Uncle Marlin.

The family wishes to acknowledge the outpouring of love, concern and affection received from the many friends of Cyndra. A very special thank you goes to Jordan, who stayed the course and provided much care, comfort and support through this long, difficult journey.

Donations may be made to the Make a Wish Foundation, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or a charity of your choice.  

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – With rain returning this fall, the Caltrans “Protect Every Drop” campaign is reminding Californians about five simple ways to help keep our waterways clean by reducing pollution on our state highways.

Rain washes auto fluids, and grime off vehicles and onto highways. This polluted stormwater often ends up in California’s streams, rivers, and coastal waters.

Help keep waterways drinkable, swimmable and fishable by following these five simple tips to help reduce stormwater pollution:

– Keep your tires properly inflated. It decreases wear, improves gas mileage and makes tires less susceptible to blowouts.

– Regular vehicle maintenance. Fixing leaks helps prevent vehicle fluids from dripping on the highway and waterways.

– Keep your vehicle clean. Use a car wash facility that recycles water to get dirt and grime off vehicles before they end up in storm drains.

– Properly dispose of trash and recycling. Properly dispose of trash and recycling before they fly from a window or truck bed, and into a storm drain.

– Tarp and tie down loads. When hauling loads, make sure that items are properly secured with tarps and tie downs so they don’t fly out of truck beds.

By following these simple tips you can help keep California’s precious water clean.

For more information, visit www.ProtectEveryDrop.com .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Mendocino College invites the community to join the festivities as the college faculty, staff and students host the fourth annual Día de los Muertos celebration which will take place in the Student Plaza of the Ukiah campus on Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 4 to 8 p.m.
 
Everyone is welcome at this free event so bring your family and friends and join in for an entertaining evening which will include live music, traditional dancers, arts and crafts, food, piñatas, altars and much more. 
 
The Ukiah campus of Mendocino College is located at 1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah.

To reserve a space to create an altar or for more information, contact Juvenal Vasquez at 707-468-3115.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Here is a list of the student council of Carlé: representing Carlé from Alan Siegel’s Advisory are Triston Miller, Mathew Madrigal, and Destiny Parlett as the alternative.

Angie Siegel’s student reps are Riley Nielson, Lloyd Bridges, and Jacob Walker as an alternate.

Lance Christansen’s student reps consist of D’Angelo Wilson, Brianna E. Legg, and Candice Safreno as an alternate.

Last but not least Dan Maes’ student reps are Ana Barnard, Eli Bayer, and Micaela Martinez as an alternate.

Student of the week last week was Vanessa Gonzales. She is a very focused student who always has her eyes on the prize of graduation.

Chilys are slips students get from a teacher or staff member for either: Community, achievement, responsibility, life long learning or empowerment.

The Chilys that have been filled out with a student’s name and one of these five reasons are then put into a box for a prize-based drawing. The winners are then permitted to pick a prize she/he wishes. We do this drawing once a week on our morning TV bulletin.

The Chily winner last week was Emily Greig for responsibility. She picked a cozy blanket.

The end of the second grading period and our silver level movie is on Friday, Oct. 28. Oct. 31 is a day off. Have a very spooky Halloween!

Harvest Fest is Nov. 1 to give those hard trick or treaters a few days to come down off their sugar rushes.

The students this week who helped with the bulletin were Ryan O’Bryan, Brianna E. Legg and Ray Bassett. Thank you.

This reporter interviewed Lilli Edson, Carlé’s new counselor.

Edson was born in the Bay Area then moved to Blythe, Calif., where she lived for majority of her life. She received her Master of Arts degree in counseling psychology, with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy from the University of San Francisco.

Prior to her clinical experience in private practice and in schools, Lilli provided psychotherapy to children, adolescents, adults, and older adults in a community based behavioral health clinic.

She received specialized training for clients at immediate risk of suicide which specifically targeted the management of mental health crises.

Edson has provided services related to mental health care to school aged children and their families through the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative and the Lake County Office of Education and now as the educationally related mental health services counselor at Konocti Unified School District.

She specializes in family and child therapy and is skilled in addressing the social, emotional and behavioral needs of children. She is professionally affiliated with the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists as a Marriage and Family Therapist Registered Intern and Alpha Sigma Nu National Honor Society of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.

Edson works at Carlé High School, Blue Heron and Konocti Education Center. Before becoming part of the team here at Carlé, she was interested in learning about our school. She was intrigued by the ideals of Carlé as she spoke of the empowerment that was encouraged amongst the student body.

Now that she has been working at Carlé she has noticed the strength of the population and has learned something from each child. She values their drive and resilience. She herself is driven by her family, the work that she does and the values that she holds. Carlé High School is lucky to have her.

Brianna E. Legg is a student at Carlé Continuation High School in Lower Lake.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – A culvert located on U.S. Highway 101, just north of the Willits Bypass Project, has been identified as needing immediate replacement.

During a yearly routine inspection after last weekend’s rains, the Willits Maintenance crew discovered that the culvert is beginning to fail.

Engineering staff were notified, and their inspection resulted in the initiation of an emergency replacement contract, and the culvert was shored up with timbers to ensure the integrity of the highway on Friday.

The 5-foot by 6-foot concrete box culvert originally was built in 1917, and was extended in 1984 to allow the addition of shoulders to the two-lane highway.

Replacing the culvert will require 24/7 one-way traffic control for about two weeks, although it is hoped that the traffic control will no longer be necessary by the time the Willits Bypass opens on Nov. 3.