LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sutter Lakeside Hospital staff are hitting the streets to bring preventative education to Lake County.

Beginning Thursday, Oct. 13, hospital staff members will pledge to educate five friends or family members about the signs and symptoms of stroke using key ring tabs printed with the “BE FAST” acronym. More than 300 staff members are participating.

“We use the acronym ‘BE FAST’ to make it easy for people to remember the symptoms of a stroke. It stands for ‘balance, eyes, face, arms, speech, and time’,” said Nicole Lamm, RN, Emergency Department nurse manager. “While many people know the signs of a heart attack, fewer people know what a stroke looks like.”

A stroke is caused by the interruption of blood flow to the brain caused by either a blocked artery or the leaking of a blood vessel, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The signs of a stroke include loss of balance, change in vision, one-sided facial drooping, inability to raise both arms and slurred speech.

During a stroke, a victim loses 32,000 brain cells per second.

“Time is brain,” said Lamm. “That’s why recognizing a stroke and calling 911 right away gives the patient the best odds of a successful recovery. Often a victim doesn’t know he or she is having a stroke, so it’s up to the people around him or her to recognize what’s happening and get help.”

Staff are participating in the grass roots education initiative as part of Sutter Lakeside’s yearly education fair, a time when staff refresh clinical skills through presentations and hands-on practice.

“Community stroke education give the residents of Lake County the tools they need to BE FAST when they see the signs of a stroke,” said Lamm.

Sutter Lakeside Hospital serves as the only Certified Stroke Center in Lake County, and uses telemedicine technology to connect patients with top neurointerventionalists at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.

“We strive to bring the best medical care to Lake County,” said Lamm. “The first step is education.”

Morgen Wells is Community Relations and Fund Development coordinator.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is conducting an art contest to select the design for the state’s 2016-17 upland game bird stamp.

The California Upland Game Bird Stamp Art Contest is open to all U.S. residents ages 18 and over. Entries will be accepted from Nov. 14 through Dec. 5.

This year’s stamp will feature the California quail, the state bird. Entries must include at least one California quail, preferably in a habitat or setting representative of California.

Entries will be judged on originality, artistic composition, anatomical accuracy and suitability for reproduction as a stamp and a print.

The contest will be judged by a panel of experts in the fields of ornithology, conservation, art and printing. The winning artist will be selected during a public judging event, with the date and location to be announced later.

An upland game bird validation is required for hunting migratory and resident upland game birds in California.

The money generated from stamp sales must be spent on upland game bird-related conservation projects, education, hunting opportunities and outreach.

CDFW sells about 175,000 upland game bird validations annually. Any individual who purchases an upland game bird validation may request their free collectable stamp by visiting www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/collector-stamps .

For collectors who do not purchase a hunting license or upland game bird validation or for hunters who wish to purchase additional collectible stamps, an order form is also available on the Web site.

For contest information and entry forms, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/upland-game-bird-stamp .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Acme Foundation thanks all those who donated, volunteered and participated at its 18th Anniversary Celebration of Caring, which took place on Sept. 18, at the Twin Pine Casino and Hotel Event Center in Middletown.

Last year’s event was scheduled for Sept. 13, but due to the Valley fire for the first time the annual “Celebration of Caring” had to be canceled.

The delicious champagne lunch was prepared and served by Twin Pine staff and exceptional service was provided by Twin Pine staff members, Rebecca Henry and Sheryl Bielenberg.

The organization extended thanks to John Zimmerman and wife, Karen for the wide array of wonderful live music they provided.

Jon and Pat Meyers, the Acme Foundation's founders, said the event could not have happened without the help and enthusiasm from Acme volunteers Yvonne Scott from Clearlake Veterinary Clinic, Liz Daugherty, Nancy Oliver, Cathy Wilson, Dennis Gilson, Kristin Speed and volunteers, Jan and Paul Woycheshin from San Leandro.

Pat Meyer’s sister, Ann Aldridge, spent months behind the scenes from her Bay Area home requesting most of the more than 130 auction and raffle items from throughout the United States for the fundraiser which included gift certificates to the San Francisco Ballet, Sonoma Raceway, Atlantis Casino Resort, Aquarius Casino Resort, Disneyland, Sol Rouge Vineyard and Winery, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, home decorator and kitchen items, pet items, jewelry and much much more.

The Meyers also offered gratitude to Lake County auction item contributors including Gregory Graham Wines, Langtry Estate and Vineyard, Kathee Toy Massage, Fultz Winery, Kaz Winery, Smiling Dogs Winery, Twin Pine Casino, Quilts by Jacque Spiker, 2 Women Traders, Carolyn Graham, The Bunk House, Star Gardens, Hardester’s Markets, Clearlake Veterinary Clinic, Photos by KmZ, art by Gene Thompson, and art and books donated by Helen Whitney.

They also thanked friends of The Acme Foundation from outside Lake County, Margaret and Rhys Truman, Bobbi and Freddy Mallace, and artist, Christofer Aven for their auction donations and continued support.

Vendors Joyce Blohm, Phyllis Kelsey, Susan Byrnes and Kristin Speed added variety to the event with their unique creative items that were for sale.

Congratulations to Gary Wilson of Berkeley for winning the Disney raffle which included four tickets to Disneyland and the Disney California Adventure.

One hundred percent of all net proceeds from Acme Foundation events are used to provide grants to Lake County’s low income seniors and the disabled to help with the expenses incurred for the treatment of their seriously ill cats and dogs.

The Acme Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The foundation’s Web site is at www.AcmeFoundation.org .

Donations are tax-deductible and can be sent to Acme Foundation, P.O. Box 308, Cobb 95426.

To be included on the annual fundraiser invitation list, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake announced that it has completed its second installation of a cutting-edge wastewater treatment system to eliminate built-up organic sludge at its Southeast Regional Wastewater Plant.
 
This follows dramatic results achieved by the Blue Frog System by Absolute Aeration, LLC, during a pilot study in the plant’s North Lagoon, which became virtually sludge-free roughly 10 months after installation.

The second system, which was installed the week of Aug. 22 in the South Lagoon, is expected to achieve similar results.

Both ponds treat roughly 0.5 MGD and had previously used high-horsepower aerators that consumed significant energy and were not effective in eliminating accumulated organic sludge.

Prior to the pilot study, the plant was incurring an annual dredging fee of $1,000 per dry ton, which translated to an annual cost of roughly $150,000, not including the cost of inspecting and cleaning the chlorine contact ditch, estimated at $15,000 to $20,000 per year.

During the spring of 2014, the county began extensive research and analysis of available alternatives to eliminate dredging. The goal was to identify affordable treatment and disposal methods that would reduce the plant’s annual dredging expense and have a positive impact on the receiving environment.
 
The Blue Frog Patented Technology had proven its effectiveness in dozens of municipal wastewater applications nationwide by digesting built-up sludge in situ, eliminating the need to mechanically dredge the waste.
 
The pilot project went online in the North Lagoon on Oct. 30, 2014, and began delivering results almost immediately, according to John Sparkes, site superintendent for the plant.

Just 86 days after installation, the Blue Frogs had eliminated 49 percent of the stored sludge in the pond, reducing the sludge depth from 5 feet to 2.55 feet. By the second quarter, it had dropped by almost 62 percent.
 
“Our North Lagoon is now essentially sludge-free,” said Sparkes, in June 2016. “We have a system that can eat through virtually anything very quickly, and we are fine-tuning the process to support our system’s on-going compliance needs. The pond sludge has reached equilibrium, and we are preparing to install the Blue Frog System in the South Lagoon later this year.”

Sparkes also noted that the plant’s power bill had been reduced by 16 to 18 percent for the year, yielding an estimated savings of $34,000 to $36,000 annually. Since the initial installation, the Blue Frog System has also been installed in Lake County’s Kelseyville and Northwest facilities.

Rick Roberts, Co-Inventor of The Blue Frog System, said that selecting for the indigenous facultative organisms that are already present in the pond is a natural way to optimize in situ sludge digestion and eliminate mechanical dredging.
 
“The Blue Frog patented process gently mixes the available nutrients and microbes, facilitating the new growth of a vast number of newly produced bacteria,” said Roberts. “These microbes are then distributed at the sludge water interface on the bottom of the lagoon to begin the process of organic sludge digestion.”
 
For more details about Blue Frog Technology visit www.BlueFrogSystem.com .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – More than six million young people across the country observed National 4-H Week, an annual celebration of 4-H during the first full week of October. 

This week provides opportunity to showcase the great things that 4-H offers young people and highlights the incredible 4-H youth in the community who work each day to make a positive impact on the community. 

The organization is certainly alive and well in Lake County where nine clubs thrive. 

The 4-H youth volunteer at the Lake County Fair, Grilling on the Green, People Services Chicken Q, Veteran's Day Celebration, Pear Festival, Wreaths Across America and more.

The organization emphasizes the importance of young people connecting to their communities; being well-informed and engaged in civic affairs; developing leadership skills; and preparing for college, work, career and life.

The 4-H Youth Development is a program of the University of California Cooperative Extension. 

For more information on the 4-H program contact U.C. Cooperative Extension, 883 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport, telephone 707-263-6838.

LUCERNE, Calif. – Friends of Locally Owned Water, or FLOW, will meet on Saturday, Oct. 15.

The group will meet for its regular board meeting at 11 a.m. at the Northshore Community Center – formerly the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center – located at 10th and Country Club.

Public comment is welcome.