SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Bureau of Livestock Identification is announcing a vacancy on the Livestock Identification Advisory Board.

The board makes recommendations to the secretary of agriculture about the curbing of livestock theft; legislation and procedures to improve the function of the bureau; and the bureau’s annual budget.
 
The term of office for a member on the board is four years. Members of the board receive no compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for mileage.

The present board membership consists of two beef cattle producers, two dairy producers, two registered feedlot operators, and one livestock marketing business representative.
 
A board position opened on May 1. Any interested individual representing the cattle feeder industry should apply.

Please send a brief resume by June 15 to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Bureau of Livestock Identification, Attention: John Suther, 1220 N St., Sacramento, California 95814.
 
The Bureau of Livestock Identification is the sole state authority to register and inspect cattle operations.

The bureau maintains a brand registration and inspection program to protect cattle owners in California against loss of animals by theft, straying, or misappropriation.

The bureau assists local law enforcement with investigations and prosecutions involving cattle theft, and it also inspects cattle for evidence of lawful possession prior to transportation, sale or slaughter. 
 
Additional information is available on LID’s web page at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Livestock_ID/index.html .

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – With the release of this article there will be three weeks or so remaining of school.

The Student of the week was Marco Anguiano. Teacher Alan Siegel who nominated Marco said, ”Marco comes ready everyday, focused, and founded the new music creating movement at our school”.

Congratulations Marco and have fun with your music.

Dan Maes has been teaching at Carlé for 10 years and has decided this will be his final year before retirement.

Maes started teaching in August of 1996 at Oak Hill Middle School for seventh and eighth grade language arts and history. He had been compelled to teach since he was a young man.

I then asked him what exactly it was that compelled him to want to become a teacher. Maes said, “I may have been driven to become a teacher because my aunt and uncle were teachers, but even while in law school I had been contemplating becoming a teacher.”

I asked what he loved so much about teaching. Maes responded, “I love teaching because it’s a challenge, but most of all I enjoy learning something new from the students everyday.”

Maes added, “I also love teaching at Carlé because of the diverse range of student that a continuation school provides.”

Why is he retiring? “I love teaching, especially at Carlé, but I have been teaching for long enough, 21 years is quite a long time,” he said.

Finally, I asked him what he would be doing during his retirement. “I’ll be traveling to all different places, to Italy, New Zealand, and also playing my guitar which I’ve grown a little rusty with, so I suppose I’ll de-rust my guitar skills,” Maes said.

Students Teagon Tompioneer and Nick Kieffer hand designed a huge plaque of sorts in which Maes name is on it painted in an artistic way as well as as numerous students signatures and sentiments.

This was given as a thank you present to Mr. Maes for all he’s done for Carlé in the hope he he will never forget us.

I asked some students for their opinion on Mr. Maes and his retirement. “Maes is a very inspiring teacher and human, he always has a way of connecting with his students,” said David Jones.

“I like how Maes doesn’t have an issue speaking his mind, if he sees you acting inappropriately he will tell you regardless of how it sounds,” said Renae Riley.

“I love you ol’ man, I'm going to miss you mucho, much love,” said Shaina Yaquinto.

“Oh my God, you’re really leaving … no we will love and miss you, you were my favorite,” said Destiny Blevins.

I personally will miss Mr. Maes very much so, Maes is an overflowing pool in which the water is knowledge. He always gave me the best advice and reinforced me when even I didn’t believe in myself, Maes truly was one of the most influential figures in my life.

With that we all at Carlé would like to thank you for the constant support of all the students and staff at Carle and hope you have a wonderful retirement, you will be missed.

Mr. Maes will present awards along with the rest of the Carlé staff at graduation on May 31.

Nicholas Phipps is a student at Carlé Continuation High School.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The senior centers in Lakeport and Kelseyville have released their menus for the week of May 15 to 19.

The centers serve lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with Lakeport also serving breakfast on the second Sunday of the month from 8 to 11 a.m.

This week's menu – which is subject to changes or substitutions – is as follows:

• Monday: Beef tamale pie.
• Tuesday: Country-style pork ribs.
• Wednesday: Orange chicken with steamed rice and stir fry vegetables.
• Thursday: Baked penne pasta with beef marinara.
• Friday: Stuffed bell peppers with rice, beef and cheese.

The weekday luncheons include soup of the day, salad bar, entrée, dessert and beverage. Non-seniors pay $6 and seniors 60 and older pay a suggested donation of $5.

Soup of the day and salad bar – which includes two to three types of salads plus toppings and fruit – is $4.

The Kelseyville Senior Center is located at 5245 Third St., telephone 707-279-2175.

The Lakeport Senior Activity Center is located at 527 Konocti Ave., 707-263-4218.

In 2015, I attended a ceremony at the White House celebrating the Obama Administration’s designation of Berryessa Snow Mountain Conservation Area as a national monument.

Over the previous several years, Congressman Mike Thompson and I, together with my fellow members of Congress, worked to shepherd this along.

But this designation was the culmination of many years of effort by local officials, as well as conservationists and recreation enthusiasts – all of whom pulled together to make it happen.

We thought we had permanently set aside this federal land for recreation, tourism, hunting and fishing, and had preserved its unique habitats, rare plants, diverse wildlife and expansive trails for future generations.

Unfortunately, under an executive order signed by President Trump, all the progress we made protecting Berryessa Snow Mountain might be lost.

The administration plans to reconsider the national monument designation for a number of national monuments, including Berryessa Snow Mountain.

That would be a terrible mistake. Our national monuments preserve natural, cultural and historic public spaces throughout the United States and provide valuable recreational opportunities for all Americans to enjoy.

Under the 1906 Antiquities Act, presidents have the ability to protect federal lands with historic, environmental, or cultural significance from new development like mining, logging and oil extraction.

Berryessa Snow Mountain has unique biodiversity and a rich Native American cultural heritage, making it an ideal national monument. It’s home to a number of hard-to-find species, including an icon familiar to every American: the bald eagle.

To ensure the broadest local support, we struck a careful balance in our planning of the national monument.

We made sure that all existing private property rights were respected, and that no private lands were included in the designation. Pre-existing firefighting protections were left unchanged, as were the grazing rights of nearby ranchers.

Motorized recreation remains at Lake Berryessa (the lake itself is not included in the national monument), and no new regulations impacting hunting, fishing, or firearm use were imposed.

Existing water rights were protected, and the national monument protects water quality in vital watersheds, including drinking water sources.

Far from impeding on development and business growth, we’ve found that the national monument designation has enhanced the local economy. Many local businesses in the Berryessa area depend heavily on tourism.

While the land is unchanged and remains as beautiful as ever, the official national monument designation adds prestige, familiarity and reputation – increasing the number of visitors who can sustain the local tourism business.

Indeed, a study by the Winters Chamber of Commerce found that protected public lands are major contributors to our country’s $646 billion outdoor recreation economy.

In California alone, more than half of all residents participate in outdoor recreation each year, supporting more than 700,000 jobs and generating more than $6 billion for our state’s economy.

The study also found that local economies surrounding national monuments expand following the creation of a new national monument. Employment, personal income, and per capita income either continued or improved in each of the regions surrounding the national monuments studied.

Under President Trump’s executive order, all of this potential for our region could be abruptly reversed. Berryessa Snow Mountain could fall victim to rapacious and destructive resource exploitation, and no tourism economy flourishes on that.

Over the years, we’ve lost a lot of pristine and unblemished lands to short-sighted development. With its national monument designation, we thought Berryessa Snow Mountain had avoided that fate.

If the Trump Administration tries to strip Berryessa Snow Mountain of its protections, they can expect a fight.

Congressman John Garamendi (D-Davis, Fairfield, Yuba City) represents California’s Third Congressional District, which includes Lake County.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club will meet at noon on Tuesday, May 16, at the Lakeport Scotts Valley Women’s Club House at 2298 Hendricks Road.

A light lunch will be served.

Bob Smart will present a program on the care of succulents. He will bring succulents for members to pot up.

There also are plans for the club’s upcoming plant sale, which will be located at the Kiwanis Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast and Craft Fair area.

The club welcomes new members and information can be found by visiting www.clttgc.org . For more information please call Dana at 707-275-3500.

The Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club is a member of the Mendo-Lake District of the California Garden Club Inc.-Pacific Region and National Garden Clubs Inc.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (Rated PG-13) 

Still weeks away from Memorial Day weekend, which could be considered the unofficial start of summer fun, Hollywood gets a jump on that marker by releasing a film fitting for a seasonal highlight.

More impressive is that the early launch of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is not only a worthy sequel, but it may prove to be arguably one of the most entertaining and fun films in a superhero orbit that has too often become increasingly repetitive and predictable.

“Guardians Vol. 2” is more than just another exciting production from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It stood out three years ago, and remains that way today with the second installment, because its irreverence and sense of humor remain defining features suitable for a wider audience.

Aside from “Deadpool,” which was fueled by a fast-talking mercenary with a morbid, profane sense of humor and thus rated R for good reason, the universe of Marvel Comics brought to film would not be so cheeky but for the emerging “Guardians” franchise.

To the delight of anyone surprised by the original film, “Guardians Vol. 2” returns the lovable key characters that became the ragtag group of misfits traveling through the cosmos to the tunes of the “Awesome Mixtapes” courtesy of the Earth-born Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), aka Star-Lord.

The second installment offers more than a glimpse into the past of Quill, a distinctly humanoid creature who appears to be this generation’s Han Solo, but whose Chewbacca is an ill-tempered raccoon who can do more than grunt while acting as co-pilot.

Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), trash-talking more than a WWE wrestler on fight night, makes for an amusing presence in his banter with the often reckless adventurer Quill as they cruise through the galaxy from one trouble spot to another.

Joining Rocket and Quill on the latest space adventure are original members, the tart-tongued, green-skinned Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the towering presence of muscleman Drax (WWE wrestler Dave Bautista), and lovable Baby Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), the miniature dancing tree stump.

An early scene of rural Missouri circa 1980 introduces a young Kurt Russell cruising to a remote forest spot with the future Mrs. Quill, the mother of our daring space adventurer who thrives on listening to cassette tapes of Seventies rock music.

It turns out that Russell in the present day has his own planet where his humility as a celestial being allows him to go by the name of Ego the Living Planet, or Ego to his friends, and he reveals himself to be the father of Peter Quill.

But before time is spent on Ego’s magical planet, where one would not be surprised to see rainbows and unicorns, Quill and his crew are tasked with an assignment by Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), the high priestess of the gold-skinned Sovereigns, to protect valuable batteries.

In exchange for Gamora’s evil sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) being held prisoner by the Sovereigns, Quill’s band of warriors has to slay a gigantic beast who wants to steal these batteries.

The mission succeeds, but Rocket decides, seemingly out of disdain for the snooty attitude of Ayesha, to sneak a few batteries into his backpack on the way out to their spaceship, and the angered Sovereigns give chase with remote-controlled fighter pods.

The adventures continue when the Guardians crash land on a remote planet, where Ego arrives in his own spacecraft accompanied by his sidekick Mantis (Pom Klementieff), an empathetic creature with forehead antennae that allow her to understand the emotions of others.

Meanwhile, Ayesha hires the blue-skinned Yondu (Michael Rooker) and the mercenary Ravagers to go after the Guardians. Having acted as foster father to a young Quill, Yondu is best-equipped to chase down the intergalactic swashbuckler and his merry band.

Interestingly, the dynamics within the volatile Ravagers are fluid as Stakar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone) banishes Yondu into exile, while Taserface (Chris Sullivan) stages a mutiny and takes it upon himself to track down Quill.

Volatility also seems to be the watchword for the family relationships that are either dysfunctional or fraught with peril. Though Quill is thrilled to meet his biological father, there is a lingering uncertainty for Star-Lord to break away from the Guardians, his improvised family unit.

Sibling rivalry takes an ugly turn when Nebula would jump at the chance to destroy Gamora for reasons that seem based solely on misconceptions. Meanwhile, Quill would like his relationship with the aloof Gamora to blossom into romance.

If the summer movie season is set to kick off this early, there’s hardly more fun to be had than with the antics of the endless bickering and bantering delivered with cleverness and sheer delight in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2.”

To be sure, as with any sequel, there are some pitfalls to this second chapter, but overall the fun quotient is off the charts and the fan base for this emerging franchise should be thoroughly satisfied.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) has announced the start of the Summer Reading Challenge.

Open to students from pre-K through the eighth grade, the challenge encourages kids in our district to read as many – or all – of the books on the Library of Congress and American Library Association’s Summer Reading List.

The list is divided into four age groups, with 25 books in each category. Students who participate in the challenge are eligible for special recognition from Thompson’s office.

“A good book opens countless doorways – both to new worlds within its pages and bright futures right here,” said Thompson. “The Summer Reading Challenges encourages our kids to keep reading, experience new perspectives, and enjoy wonderful stories.”

Students interested in participating can sign up with Thompson’s office at https://go.usa.gov/x5MVg .

A flier with more information can be found at https://mikethompson.house.gov/sites/mikethompson.house.gov/files/2017_summer_reading_challenge.pdf .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association will hold its annual “Steel Challenge” shooting competition on Saturday, May 20.

The contest will take place at the Highland Springs shooting range in Lakeport.

The registration fee is $35 per person, and includes one t-shirt, one raffle ticket, one lunch ticket and entry into either the steel shoot or three gun shoot. Entry into the second shoot will be additional $10.

Check-in will take place between 7 and 8:30 a.m., with a safety briefing at 8:30 a.m. and shooting to begin at 9 a.m.

Competition divisions are junior’s (12-17 years), women’s pistol, men’s pistol, men/women’s/senior revolver, law enforcement, senior pistol (65 years and up) and single action revolver.

Juniors will need to have a parent/guardian sign a waiver on the day of the event.

There will be medals for the top shooter in each division. The winner of each division will compete for the “top gun” award. There will be medals for the top three gun competitor and bragging rights.

The barbecue tri-tip and chicken lunch will include sides, chips and a drink, for $10 per plate. Participants receive one lunch ticket with every entry.

Questions can be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Entry forms can be downloaded at www.lakecountyDSA.com and completed by competitors prior to May 20. All fees will be collected during registration.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Luncheon Club will host a talk by Tom Nixon, a retired State Park ranger, on Lake County’s outdoor recreational opportunities when it meets on Wednesday, May 17.

Lunch will be served by the senior center at noon at the Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St. The program will end promptly at 1 p.m.

For only $5 per person, enjoy a meal of cabbage rolls accompanied by a whole wheat roll and watermelon.

It's a great time to get outdoors in Lake County. Nixon, an advocate for “all things nature,” will share the opportunities that exist for us to explore our beautiful county via foot, hoof, water or pedal power.

Nixon was most recently a ranger at Anderson Marsh and he currently volunteers to develop and promote the Konocti Regional Trails program for the Lake County Department of Public Services.

Reservations are required. Please call the senior center directly at 707-987-3113 to reserve your spot.