MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Monica Rosenthal, candidate for Lake County District 1 supervisor, will host a series of “Meet and Greet” events in the communities of Clearlake, Lower Lake, Hidden Valley Lake and Middletown.

The first community gathering will be held at the Lower Lake Coffee Co. from 8 to 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 10.

On Friday, Oct. 14, at 10 a.m. they will meet at Shady Acres Campground in Clearlake for coffee, pastry and conversation and an opportunity to kayak Cache Creek. 

“Meet and greets” also will take place in Hidden Valley Lake and Middletown. Stop by and enjoy a cup of coffee, candidate conversation and pick up a free Lake County Connections magnet. 

“I consider it essential to speak regularly with my neighbors in South County,” said Rosenthal. “I look forward to hearing their concerns and ideas, especially regarding the Lake County fires of 2015, the recent Clayton fire and our community’s recovery challenges.”

The schedule of Rosenthal's upcoming events is below.

Lower Lake

– Monday, Oct. 10, 8 to 10 a.m., Lower Lake Coffee Co. 
– Monday, Oct. 17, 8 to 10 a.m., Lower Lake Coffee Co.

Hidden Valley Lake

– Wednesday, Oct. 12, 8 to 10 a.m., Mountain High Coffee & Books 
– Wednesday, Oct. 19, 8 to 10 a.m., Mountain High Coffee & Books

Middletown

– Thursday, Oct. 20, 4:30 to 6 p.m., 2 Women Traders
– Thursday, Oct. 27, 4:30 to 6 p.m., 2 Women Traders

Clearlake

Friday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m., coffee, pastry and kayaking at Shady Acres Campground on Cache Creek near Anderson Marsh

Other opportunities to speak with District 1 Candidate Rosenthal include:

– Tuesday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m. to noon, District 1 Candidate Forum on KXBX Radio.
– Thursday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m., Middletown Area Town Hall meeting.
– Wednesday, Oct. 19, noon to 1 p.m., Middletown Luncheon Club candidates' forum.

Rosenthal encourages all South County residents – as well as those living in other parts of the County – to attend and bring their questions, concerns and vision for the future.

“I look forward to meeting and speaking with you,” said Rosenthal; “Please put the meet and greet on your calendar, stop by to pick up your free magnet and remember to vote on Nov. 8.”

For further information, questions or comments, contact Monica Rosenthal by phone, 707-355-2762, or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or visit the “Monica Rosenthal for Supervisor” Facebook page or the www.MonicaforSupervisor.com Web site.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The United States Postal Service doesn’t take a holiday, and neither should the mail.

And for businesses that will be open for business on a nontraditional holiday like Columbus Day the USPS will take their mail.

Business mailers can deposit their mail at any district collection box throughout the San Francisco postal district on Monday, Oct. 10. Collectors will be making collections outside the normal holiday schedule.
 
The San Francisco postal district includes post offices north of the Golden Gate to the Oregon border and the peninsula to Mt. View. The district serves ZIP Codes in the 940, 941, 949, 954 and 955 range.
 
While there will be no delivery or retail service at Post Offices on the Columbus Day Holiday, the Postal Service will still be processing and transporting mail to ultimate destinations.
 
Many businesses will be open on the Columbus Day Holiday, and the Postal Service suggests that businesses avoid mailroom clutter by depositing their mail in collection boxes on the Monday holiday instead of holding it for the following day when mail processing facilities experience heavy volumes the day after a holiday.
 
mail processing centers work around the clock, even on holidays, which means businesses can benefit by taking advantage of up-and-running postal operations and get a jump on daily business transactions, ensuring their mail gets advanced in the mail stream and on its way to their destination.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Green Party will hold its next meeting on Sunday, Oct. 16.

The meeting will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. at Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.

Guest speakers will be three local supervisorial candidates: Jose “Moke” Simon III, District 1, will speak from 4:15 to 5 p.m.; Monica Rosenthal, District 1, from 5 to 5:45 p.m.; and Martin Scheel, District 4, from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m.

This is the Green Party's last meeting of the year.

Everyone is welcome. Meetings are free and open to the public. There will be no host pizza and beverages.

For more information call 707-263-3391 or visit http://www.cagreens.org/ .

What impresses me so much about Tina Scott, candidate for Lake County supervisor for District 4,
is that she doesn’t just talk about issues, she makes solutions happen.

She has shown her support for many years for the vulnerable youth in our community – as a foster parent, a court-appointed special advocate and a juvenile justice commissioner.

She joins others to tutor first grade students because she knows that only 23 percent of Lake County third graders in 2015 were meeting grade-level standards compared to 37 percent statewide, and that students proficient in reading are more likely to be engaged in school, graduate from high school and go to college.

As a school board member for the Lakeport Unified School District she spearheaded the passage of a $17 million school bond that will bring a new pool to the community, add a learning center at a middle school and bring 21st learning capabilities to Lakeport classrooms.

Whether it’s organizing fundraisers for her children’s schools, chaperoning a group of cheerleaders to cheer camp, funding the upgrades for the Meals on Wheels thrift store in town, hosting a welcome reception for a new high school principal or entering prize-winning baking entries in the Lake County Fair, Tina Scott always steps up. She loves this county, and she pours her heart and soul into making it a better place for all.

She has pledged to provide 20 percent of her salary to organizations within District 4 who support senior and youth programs and to hold monthly meetings with her constituents to gather ideas and hear concerns from the community.

I’m voting for Tina Scott because she is a problem solver who carefully weighs options and chooses the best path for all of us, keeping the greater good in mind.

I can’t wait for her to bring her voice of the people, decency and can-do attitude to the Board of
Supervisors. Please join me in voting for Tina Scott in the November election.

Steven Sartori and Doyle Awtrey live in Lakeport, Calif.

Determining the sex of black bass
 
Question: We fish Lake Silverwood most of the time, and usually it’s for bass.

Is there a way to determine the sex of a largemouth bass? We are interested primarily in the fish we catch in the spring.

Also, are crayfish part of the diet for bass in Lake Silverwood? (Doug T., Hesperia).
 
Answer: Unfortunately, there is no easy way to sex black bass (including largemouth bass) unless they are in spawning mode.

The males move up first into the spawning areas and make the nests. The females then join them when they’re ready. When you see a pair on a nest, the male is usually the smaller of the pair and will be the most aggressive.

A single female will mate with more than one male during the spawning season. And regarding their diet, yes, crayfish are part of the black bass diet.
                     
Deer hunting from my house?

Question: I have a house on five acres in Northern California and have some really nice bucks on my land. Every day they come within a few feet of my house and graze on my garden and plants.

If I purchase an A Zone tag this year, can I legally shoot a deer on my land from my house or porch?

My house is situated more than 200 yards from any other property or house and it is outside of the city limits. (Brian T.)
 
Answer: Yes. The safety zone law prohibits shooting within 150 yards of any occupied dwelling without the permission of the occupant.

As long as it is otherwise legal to discharge a firearm in this area (e.g. not in the city limits or not prohibited by county ordinance), then go for it!
 
Landing net size for ocean kayak fishing?

Question: What size opening on a landing net is needed for ocean fishing? I fish from a kayak between San Francisco Bay and the Mexico border, and all points in between. (Jeff K.)
 
Answer: A landing net is required when fishing from any vessel on the ocean.

“No person shall take finfish from any boat or other floating device in ocean waters without having a landing net in possession or available for immediate use to assist in landing undersize fish of species having minimum size limits; the opening of any such landing net shall be not less than eighteen inches in diameter” (California Code of Regulations Title 14, 28.65(d)).
 
Fishermen are ultimately responsible for being able to determine whether the fish they take are of legal size. When in doubt, your best bet is to consult the California Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet.
 
What license for crabbing via a "crab snare"?

Question: A friend and I would really like to try our hand at getting some crab this year using crab snares (loop traps). I am referring to the types that have a bait cage with a bunch of snares attached and are cast out using a rod and reel.

The problem is that I'm not sure if we just need a normal fishing license or something else. Can you please clarify? (Kyle C.)
 
Answer: Just a normal fishing license is all that is required for crabbing.
 
Is ocean fishing with a crossbow legal?

Question: Is it legal to take fish in Southern California oceans using a crossbow? I know that using a bow and arrow is legal but I would like to know if crossbows are also legal.

I also realize that the usual bag limits, size limits and closures apply. (Rod)
 
Answer: Spears, harpoons and bow and arrow fishing tackle (including crossbows) may be used for taking all varieties of skates, rays and sharks, except white sharks.

Such gear may not be possessed or used within 100 yards of the mouth of any stream in any ocean waters north of Ventura County, nor aboard any vessel on any day or trip when broadbill swordfish or marlin have been taken.

Bow and arrow fishing tackle may also be used to take finfish other than giant (black) sea bass, garibaldi, gulf grouper, broomtail grouper, trout, salmon, broadbill swordfish and white shark (CCR Title 14, section 28.95).
 
For hunting purposes, crossbows are not considered to be archery equipment (see CCR Title 14, section 354). But under the fishing regulations, crossbows qualify as bow and arrow fishing tackle.

It does not matter what type of bow or crossbow is used under legal bow and arrow fishing, but a line must be attached to the bow and the arrow/bolt (CCR Title 14, section 1.23).

If using a crossbow for shark fishing, be sure of the species and any associated size and/or bag limits before pulling that trigger.
 
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. .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake has begun a remodel project around the front entrance of the hospital to improve accessibility.

The new entrance will feature a redesigned stairway and ramp and is anticipated to be completed by Jan. 1, 2017.

“The goal of this project is to ensure all patients and visitors have easy access to our services,” explains David Santos, St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake president and chief executive officer. “The temporary inconvenience of the construction will have a lasting benefit for our patients and community by improving accessibility for all.”
 
The main entrance of the hospital will continue to be available for patients throughout the remodel project.

The first phase of construction is currently in progress. It includes demolishing and rebuilding the front stairway. The ramp to the left of the stairs as patients and visitors approach the hospital remains open.
 
The ramp area will be remodeled after the new stairway opens. During this time, patients with mobility challenges will be welcomed into the hospital through the Emergency Department entrance, located on the side of the hospital facing 18th Avenue.
 
Lake County NAACP Chapter President Rick Mayo commended the hospital on its efforts around improving accessibility.

“The experience of elderly and disabled residents of our county is important, especially when it comes to accessing health care services,” Mayo said. “This project is just the latest phase in St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake’s accessibility efforts. I am very pleased to see the hospital moving forward with these improvements.”
 
Visit www.sthelenahospitalclearlake.org for more information.

MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN (Rated PG-13)

With many films to his credit, ranging from “Edward Scissorhands” to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” director Tim Burton is undeniably imaginative and visionary.

“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” is definitely in his creative wheelhouse.

Based on the best-selling novel with the same title by author Ransom Riggs, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” is a spooky, haunting and wonderful coming-of-age story that could only be fully realized by Tim Burton.

The titular heroine of the book and movie, Miss Peregrine (Eva Green), is the protector of the Peculiars and is similarly strange in that she resembles a dark Mary Poppins-like figure that is rather eccentric and fearless.

The story begins in South Florida where awkward teenager Jake (Asa Butterfield) is devoted to his dementia-suffering grandfather Abe Portman (Terence Stamp), who was always telling him wild stories about the orphanage in Wales run by the astonishing Miss Peregrine.

When his beloved grandfather dies mysteriously, Jake travels to the Welsh island with his father (Chris O’Dowd) to find out about Abe’s past and to discover if the home and its residents, which Abe talked about, really exist.

Thrust from a dull suburban existence in Florida to the surreal gateway of a world trapped in the World War II era, Jake goes from knowing the ordinary to having to leave all semblance of normal life behind.

At first, Jake is escorted around the island by surly hired guides, only to discover the decaying remains of Miss Peregrine’s Victorian castle. Left to his own devices, he soon discovers the Peculiars and a passageway to Miss Peregrine’s alternate universe.

Time travel takes Jack back to 1943, where Miss Peregrine and her charges live in a “time loop” of reliving the same day, similar to “Groundhog Day,” where the mission is to thwart a Nazi warplane from bombing the Home.

The residents at Miss Peregrine’s Home have their own peculiarities, mostly supernatural or incredible powers that set them apart from other kids, as if they candidates for Professor Xavier’s school in the “X-Men” franchise.
 
Jake finds a like-minded soul in Emma (Ella Purnell), a blonde beauty who has the ability to manipulate air and must wear a pair of heavy lead boots to keep from floating away. Their relationship blossoms into a sweet, naïve teenage love story.

Not so loving is Enoch (Finlay MacMillan), the oldest boy with a talent for giving life to inanimate objects, who distrusts the newcomer and begrudges the affection Emma shows for Jake.

Among the many children, Olive (Lauren McCrostie) is a free spirit who must wear long black gloves at all times because she ignites everything she touches. The cutest kid might be the Shirley Temple-look alike who has sharp teeth on the back of her neck.

The central villain is Samuel L. Jackson’s Barron, who commands an army of invisible skeletal monsters that only Jake can see. His mission is to destroy all the children for the odd purposes of consuming their eyeballs.

Consistent with Tim Burton’s darker material, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” though stunning in its surreal imagery, has plenty of nightmarish visuals that might be too much for the very young to handle.

For all others, including teenagers and adults, the twisted fairytale with creepy moments is equal parts entertaining and fascinating as only the creator of “Beetlejuice” could conjure.

TV CORNER: 'WESTWORLD' ON HBO

More than 40 years have passed since Yul Brynner starred as a robotic gunslinger in “Westworld,” and now a modernized but still Old West fantasy world based on the Michael Crichton novel runs on HBO for 10 episodes.

In HBO’s “Westworld,” under the autocratic rule of theme park founder Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins), the very wealthy are willing to pay top dollar to share Wild West adventures with android “hosts.”

Visitors to the Westworld playground indulge in every appetite, no matter how noble or depraved. No wonder these fantasies include gunfights, drinking and gambling, and visits to the brothel run by Maeve (Thandie Newton).

The virtual reality of Westworld, staged with Old West authenticity, includes fascinating characters which keep you guessing as to whether they are “guests” or “hosts.”

Rancher’s daughter Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) begins to discover that her idyllic existence is a carefully constructed lie.

James Marsden’s charming Teddy is handy with a revolver, but the Man in Black (Ed Harris) distills the essence of pure villainy.

More importantly, the Man in Black speaks on more than one occasion about the fact that “there’s a deeper level to this game,” and the audience, much like this character, will be seeking this greater truth over the run of this science-fiction Western.

Another point of fascination with Dr. Ford’s fantasyland is that incidents of aberrant behavior cropping up in some recently re-coded hosts lead to top programmer Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright) bickering with staff members.

“Westworld” requires attention to details, such as the meaning of one host having an unscripted encounter with an artifact from the outside world. By the second episode, tension is noticeably rising inside and out of the park and you may wish to stick with this series to the end.

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

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – The Mendocino National Forest is seeking input on the development of the Black Butte River and Cold Creek Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP).

The CRMP will address how best to manage the river into the future.
 
The CRMP will focus on protecting the river’s free-flowing condition and water quality as well as the outstanding remarkable values and classification for which the river was designated.

A CRMP is required by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 for each segment to provide for the protection of the river values.

The three designated river segments on the Mendocino National Forest are:

· 16 miles of Black Butte River, from the Mendocino County Line to its confluence with Jumpoff Creek were designated as wild.
· 3.5 miles of the Black Butte River, from its confluence at Jumpoff Creek to its confluence with Middle Eel River were designated as scenic.
· 1.5 miles of Cold Creek, from the Mendocino County Line to its confluence with Black Butte River were designated as wild.
 
The forest is working on the initial steps needed to complete this plan and would like your input on these steps as well as on our approach and management actions.

Comments will be most useful if they are received by Oct. 28.

Comments can be sent electronically via email, mailed or faxed. Comments may also be hand-delivered to the Upper Lake Ranger District office at 10025 Elk Mountain Road from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays.

For more information visit the forest Web site at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mendocino/home/?cid=FSEPRD517563 .