MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Mendocino National Forest offices will be closed Monday, Feb. 20, in observance of the Presidents Day holiday.

Forest offices will resume regular business hours at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21.

If you are planning a trip to the forest, please look for infomation on the forest Web site at https://www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino/ .

Hoop netting for crabs off California piers

Question: Is it legal to use hoop nets to catch crab off piers in California this time of the year?

I thought that I read crab season runs through June. However, the hoop net is a net that people use for catching California spiny lobster too, so do I need the California Spiny Lobster Report Card even though I’m not fishing for lobster?

I ask this because someone might think that I intend to fish for lobster if I am operating a hoop net.

Also, I have a fishing license I recently purchased for this year, but in general, does one need a license to operate a crab trap during crab season on a pier in California? (Trevor W.)

Answer: Dungeness are the only crabs with a closed season, and they are found mostly along the northern half of California’s coast.

Dungeness crab season varies depending on location, so you should check the regulations once you know where you will be crabbing (see section 29.85 on page 51 of the 2016-2017 Ocean Sportfishing Regulations booklet).

The other crabs belonging to the Cancer genus (yellow crab, rock crab, red crab and slender crab) are found statewide and may be taken year round.

You need a sport fishing license to take crab generally, but whenever you are fishing from a public fishing pier, a sport fishing license is not needed. You are limited to two fishing appliances on a public fishing pier, though (two nets, rods, lines, etc.).

As long as you immediately release any lobster that may wander into your net, you do not need a Spiny Lobster Report Card.

This means you cannot keep them for any length of time. If you pull one up, it must go right back into the water.

Before taking crab, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) encourages you to check for any health advisories related to domoic acid by calling the California Department of Public Health at 1-800-553-4133.

Using artificial scents as fish attractants?

Question: Are you allowed to use artificial scents applied to lures such as fish oil-based products to attract fish in freshwater lakes of California? What’s the difference between bait and using scents that do not contain food to attract fish? (Dean H.)

Answer: Artificial scents may be applied to lures or baits except in areas with specific artificial lure restrictions.

An artificial lure “does not include scented or flavored artificial baits” (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 1.11). This means attractants may not be applied to the lure while fishing in waters restricted for artificial lure use only. It is very common to use fish oil products and or scents in many areas of the state.

Does a loaded Bandolier make an unloaded gun loaded?

Question: If a gun is unloaded but has a Bandolier attached to the stock containing loaded bullets/shells, is it actually considered to be a loaded gun? (Anonymous)

Answer: No. Loaded gun laws that apply to vehicles on roads open to the public have changed over the years, and there are differences between the Fish and Game Code and the Penal Code.

Long guns are considered to be loaded pursuant to Fish and Game Code, section 2006 “when there is an unexpended cartridge or shell in the firing chamber but not when the only cartridges or shells are in the magazine.”

Under the Penal Code, a firearm is also considered to be loaded if there is a round in the magazine that can be loaded into the firing chamber with the firearm’s action. A firearm with rounds in a holder attached to the stock would not be considered loaded under these standards.

Hunting small game with a .22 air rifle?

Question: What are the laws on hunting small game (doves, quail, etc.)? Do I need a hunting license to hunt small game?

I live in the Bakersfield area and am wondering if I can hunt doves and quail with a .22 air rifle? (Arnold C.)

Answer: You will need a hunting license to hunt big and small game mammals as well as game birds.

If you don’t yet have your license, you will need to take and successfully pass a Hunter Education course.

You can find information about the courses, dates and locations of upcoming classes, and you may sign up for a class on our Hunter Education website.

Methods of take for resident small game include “air rifles powered by compressed air or gas and used with any caliber of pellet, except that wild turkey may only be taken with a pellet that is at least 0.177 caliber” (CCR Title 14, section 311(f)). Different methods of take are specified for migratory birds, such as doves. Air rifles or all other rifles are prohibited for the take of migratory birds (CCR Title 14, section 507).

Carrie Wilson is a marine environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week in this column. Please contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Nelson Robert Hopper
Jan. 27, 1917 – Feb. 9, 2017

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Traditional Native American visitation will be held at Big Valley Gymnasium starting on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 11 a.m. and continue to Saturday morning.

Rosary service at the Gymnasium on Friday, Feb. 17, at 5 p.m. Graveside funeral service at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 11 a.m.

For further information please contact his daughter, Loretta Harjo, at 951-581-7499, or Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary at 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .

Not every business that a consumer deals with will be committed to protecting their personal information.

That’s why it’s important for consumers to take the protection of their privacy into their own hands, and make sure the businesses that receive their data will safeguard it.

The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, received nearly 500,000 complaints about identity theft in 2015. Making sure your personal information is protected is one of the best ways to prevent identity theft.

BBB encourages consumers to find out the answer to these questions before dealing with a business or entering information on a Web site.

Businesses can use these questions as a framework for ensuring that they’re respecting the privacy and safeguarding the data of their customers:

Does the Web site have a privacy policy?

The California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) requires any commercial Web site or online service that “collects personally identifiable information through the Internet about individual consumers residing in California” to “conspicuously post its privacy policy on its Web site.”

The policy must include what information is being collected and who it is shared with, along with other disclosures.

Make sure any Web site that may be collecting your information has a privacy policy. If it doesn’t, not only are they breaking the law, they’re also probably not protecting your privacy.

·How is your data being protected?

Every business should have a data protection plan, and be open and transparent about it to their customers.

A data protection strategy should detail how data is stored, the security of the storage system and how it’s backed up, recovered and moved.

If you aren’t convinced by a business’ data protection or they aren’t transparent about it, don’t feel pressured to continue with the interaction.

What is being collected and shared?

A Web site’s privacy policy should be clear about what data is being collected and shared. If you are dealing with a company offline, you’ll know what data you’re supplying them with.

However, it’s important to ask if your data is being shared with vendors or partners, or if it’s being sold.

Even if the original business is committed to protecting your privacy, their vendors may not be. After figuring out which entities your data is shared with, determine the security practices of those businesses as well.

Is the business PCI compliant?

The PCI Security Standards aim to protect financial information and cardholder data.

The Standards maintain that “payment security is required for all entities that store, process or transmit cardholder data.”

Make sure that any business you supply financial information to is PCI complaint.

What will be done if your data is stolen?

The Identity Theft Resource Center’s 2016 Data Breach Report includes more than 1,000 breaches that exposed more than 36 million records. Every business should have a plan to prevent data breaches.

Additionally, the business should have a plan detailing what they will do if a data breach does occur. What measures do they have in place to detect a breach?

If a breach is detected, what’s their communication plan for notifying customers? Will they attempt to investigate the breach and mitigate the damage?

If you’re concerned that your personal information has been compromised by a data breach, you can find tips and suggestions at www.bbb.org/breach .

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

Elizabeth Carol Schramm
Dec. 25 1924 - Feb. 14, 2017

NICE, Calif. – Carol Schramm peacefully left her earthly life from her home in Nice. She had been under the loving care of family, Hospice Services of Lake County and Sequoia Senior Solutions.

Mrs. Schramm was preceded in death by her husband, Bryan; daughter, Janet; and brother, Robert Stetson.

She is survived by son, Richard (Rita) of Nice; daughter, Carol von Tempsky (Randall) of Maui; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and sister-in-law, Mary Ashworth of Upland.

Longtime residents of Nice, Carol, Bryan and Richard ran True Value Hardware until 1999.

Carol filled her 92 years with family, painting and ceramics, choral groups, ladies bowing league, time in her yard and extended stays at their second home in Kihei, Maui.

Ms. Schramm's life will be celebrated by family at a later date. Chapel of the Lakes is assisting the family and the family requests any donations in Carol’s memory to be make to Hospice Services of Lake County.

Aloha, Mom.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – As part of its ongoing efforts to provide quality care and services to the community, Hospice Services of Lake County is offering free volunteer training for adults who want to make a difference.

The non-medical training sessions provide new volunteers with knowledge and skills for visiting patients in hospice care and for offering bereavement support to the patient’s loved ones and family members, according to Hospice Services Development/Marketing Coordinator Janine Smith-Citron.

An introductory meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 15, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The introduction is followed by two days of training on Saturdays, March 18 and 25, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The initial meeting and trainings will take place at the Hospice offices, 1862 Parallel Drive in Lakeport.

All training materials and lunch on both Saturdays will be provided free of charge. Participants must be age 18 or older. To reserve space and obtain information, contact Terry Phelps at 707-263-6270, Extension 136, or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Training is provided by guest speakers who are experts in their respective fields.

The volunteers-in-training will learn new skill sets and practical information to become successful hospice volunteers.

Patient support volunteers give non-medical support, companionship and practical help to hospice patients and offer respite to the caregivers.

Bereavement volunteers provide support to loved ones and grieving family members at camps and support groups.

Hospice Services of Lake County has additional opportunities for volunteering with the agency.

For more information, call 707-263-6222 or visit the organization’s Web site at www.lakecountyhospice.org .

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – This week Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) introduced AB 525 to help small and new businesses stay open when faced with unexpected tax bills.

“The tax code is complex for anyone, but for a new business it can be overwhelming and lead to unintended mistakes. Few small businesses have accounting specialists, so the responsibility falls on the owner. The Offer in Compromise Program provides entrepreneurs with a second chance if they find out that they’ve made a mistake calculating or reporting their taxes,” said Aguiar-Curry.

The Board of Equalization, or BOE, operates the Offer in Compromise Program, which gives BOE authority to compromise on a tax plan with a business owner who may be unable to pay unexpected business taxes in full.

This can happen if the owner does not realize their transactions are subject to sales tax and can force them to close.

“Running a small business in California is challenging and sometimes they run into trouble. Small businesses are vital to California’s economy and the Offer in Compromise program is a critical tool that helps these mom and pop stores stay open,” said Board of Equalization Chairwoman Fiona Ma, CPA. “The end of this program would devastate small business owners trying to stay afloat, while simultaneously causing an unnecessary hit to California’s economy. We need AB 525 to continue this important program to keep our businesses running and contributing to our economy.”

This particular part of the Offer in Compromise Program is scheduled to sunset on Jan. 1, 2018.

AB 525 will make permanent the Board of Equalization’s authority to operate the Program. If the provision were allowed to sunset, small businesses that face unanticipated taxes would be forced to pay their back taxes in full or be forced out of business.

Since 2009, the BOE has accepted compromises from 42 businesses that remain open today and continue to pay their sales and use taxes properly and on time – totaling an additional $14.3 million to the benefit of state and local governments.

“I am proud to partner with the BOE and Chairwoman Ma on this important legislation,” said Aguiar-Curry. “The Offer in Compromise Program has been proven to work.  Giving small businesses a second chance to meet their tax responsibilities and be successful not only saves jobs, but also helps our State fund important programs.  This is a great example of the creative way our Government can and should work.”

Cecilia Aguiar-Curry represents California’s Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Colusa, Lake, Napa and Yolo counties, Dixon in Solano County and Rohnert in Sonoma County. Visit her Web site at www.asm.ca.gov/aguiar-curry .