LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Anderson Marsh State Historic Park continues to hold monthly guided nature walks.

The next walk is scheduled for the morning of Saturday, Oct. 8.

There will be no tour of the Historic Ranch House Museum in October.

Park docent and Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association volunteer Billy Gear will lead the walk.

He says he “plans on hiking the creek trail with an option to do the ridge trail if dry. The theme will be ‘’Early Fall – flowers, galls, birds and insects.”

Bring binoculars and meet in front of the Ranch House at 8:15 a.m. for time to experience the early morning wildlife to be found in the Ranch House and Barn complex yard. The walk will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Heavy rain will cancel the walk from the Ranch House parking lot. 

There is no charge or entrance fee for those attending this event.

Anderson Marsh State Historic Park is located on Highway 53, between Lower Lake and Clearlake. 

For more information about the walks, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-995-2658.

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GUERNEVILLE, Calif. — California Water Service’s (Cal Water) Redwood Valley District Manager Gay Guidotti retired this week after leading the district since 1999.

The company has selected Darin McCosker to serve as the new local manager for the district.

Guidotti, a Guerneville native, has been part of the water industry since 1981.

She grew up in the water industry as her family owned and operated Armstrong Valley Water, which started operating in the area in 1948, and is now part of Cal Water’s Redwood Valley District.

Guidotti got her start at Cal Water as an office manager before managing all operations of the district’s Coast Springs, Lucerne and Unified systems.

In her retirement, Guidotti plans on staying in Guerneville and spending more time with her family.

McCosker started his Cal Water career in July 2012 as the superintendent of the Redwood Valley District.

He has worked in the water industry since 1991, eight years of which were in management. McCosker has Water Treatment Grade 5 and Water Distribution Grade 3 certifications from the State Water Resources Control Board, and a Grade 2 Collections Systems Technician certification from the California Water Environment Association.

“Given his years of experience and knowledge of our local communities, Darin is a great asset to our Redwood Valley District,” said Guidotti. “I am confident that he has the experience and vision to keep the district operating smoothly.”

Cal Water serves about 3,600 people through 1,900 service connections in Lucerne and parts of Duncans Mills, Guerneville, Dillon Beach, Noel Heights and Santa Rosa. Additional information may be obtained online at www.calwater.com .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Central Committee will hold its regular monthly business meeting on Thursday, Oct. 6.
 
The meeting takes place at the Democratic Campaign Headquarters at 390 N. Main St. in Lakeport at 6:30 p.m.

The agenda for the meeting includes reports from representatives for Congressmen Mike Thompson and John Garamendi, Assemblyman Bill Dodd and State Senator Mike McGuire, as well as reports from the representative of the Lake County Democratic Club.
 
Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats.

For more information about the Democratic Party in Lake County visit www.lakecountydemocrats.org or www.facebook.com/LakeCountyDemocrats .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As a service to property owners impacted by the Clayton fire, Lake County requested that the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, or DTSC, start the first phase of the household hazardous waste removal process. 

The DTSC will be conducting sweeps of properties to identify and remove hazardous waste. 

The start date for DTSC to begin hazardous waste removal is on Monday, Oct. 3.
 
This service is only for those affected by the Clayton fire.
 
Household hazardous waste has to be handled separately from other burn debris and may not go into local landfills.

Residents are strongly urged to leave all household hazardous waste in place and are encouraged to not remove any of those waste products or damaged containers from their properties.

Household hazardous waste includes unused or leftover portions of products used in your home that contain toxic chemicals.

Products labeled caution, warning, danger, poison, toxic, flammable or corrosive are considered hazardous.
 
Examples of household hazardous wastes to be removed are: antifreeze, solvents, auto batteries, auto fluids, used oil and oil filters, household cleaners, fertilizer, pesticides, aerosols, latex/oil-based paint, pool chemicals, propane tanks (less than 30 gallons).
 
If you have not yet signed up for the complete debris removal program you may do so by completing a right-of-entry form at one of the following locations:

– Debris Removal Operation Center: 16195 Main St., Lower Lake, telephone 707-994-2195;
– Lake County Environmental Health, 922 Bevins Court, Lakeport, telephone 707-263-1164.
 
You may also visit the Lake County Recovers site at www.lakecountyrecovers.com to obtain more information and to download a right-of-entry form.

California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law two bills designed to protect oceans and marine environments: SB 1363 (Monning) and AB 2139 (Williams).

“Although ocean acidification is a global phenomenon, the West Coast will face some of the earliest, most severe changes. These bills underscore the importance of taking action now on a local scale in California,” said Ocean Protection Council (OPC) Executive Director Deborah Halberstadt.

“OPC is ready to take action, as directed in these bills, and work with our network of partners on a federal, state, regional and local level to ensure that we safeguard our unique coastal ecosystems for the impacts of ocean acidification,” Halberstadt said. “We appreciate the leadership of the legislature, Secretary Laird, and the Governor in addressing such a critical issue facing not just California’s coast, but the entire West Coast and global ocean.”

SB 1363 highlights actions that can be taken at the local and regional levels to combat the global challenge of ocean acidification through eelgrass restoration and protection.

AB 2139 incorporates many of the recommendations from the West Coast Ocean Acidification & Hypoxia Science Panel report released earlier this year and tasks Ocean Protection Council staff with monitoring and yearly reporting on progress and next steps.

Both SB 1363 and AB 2139 elevate the issue of ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH) within our legislature for the first time.

The Ocean Protection Council works to ensure that California maintains healthy, resilient, and productive ocean and coastal ecosystems for the benefit of current and future generations.

Several other leading voices in the ocean protection community expressed their support of the legislation.

“Today California took a giant step forward in confronting the threat of ocean acidification to the state’s ocean and coastal communities. This new legislation will ensure that the best science is brought to bear to reduce impacts, plan for change, and demonstrate that concrete action now can help protect the ocean’s vital services for all Californians in the future. We commend the leadership of the legislature, Secretary Laird, and Governor Brown in charting a path forward for a healthy ocean future,” said George H. Leonard, PhD, chief scientist at Ocean Conservancy.

““These bills enable California to be the first of the west coast states to adopt broad-based actions stemming from the West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel’s report, which in turn builds on the state’s leadership in establishing two unique and innovative California ocean institutions, the Ocean Protection Council and the Ocean Science Trust, who played pivotal roles in convening the Panel,” said Margaret Spring, VP of Conservation & Science and chief conservation officer at Monterey Bay Aquarium.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Friends of Middletown Library will kick off a children’s book fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 15.

The fundraiser will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the community room of the library, 21256 Washington St.

The goal is to raise $10,000 by Dec. 31 to purchase children’s books and young adult books, DVDs and audio books. Friends will match dollar for dollar up to $5,000.
 
So bring your family and join them to help reach their goal. Refreshments will be served.
 
The mini book sale will take place in the library hallway at the same time. There will be lots of hardcover, paperback and special price books for sale.

Prices range from $1 for hardcover and $0.50 for paperback. All proceeds are for the purchase of new books and supplies for the library.
 
Show your support of the local library by joining them on Saturday, Oct. 15.

Travel can sharpen our awareness, can keep us on the alert, and here's a poem by Patricia Traxler from her new book Naming the Fires, from Hanging Loose Press. Traxler lives in Salina, Kansas.

Last Hike Before Leaving Montana

Late winter, almost spring. It's like finding a diamond;
now I don't want to leave. I sit in the dirt and put my hands
in your tracks. For the first time in a long time I don't
doubt. Now I know I always knew you were here. You
are the beginning of disclosure, the long-felt presence

Suddenly incarnate. Behind me my friend warns, If we
see the bear, get into a fetal position—I was born
in a fetal position. Did you know, she says, the body
of a shaved bear looks exactly like a human man?
I skip a stone, feel a sudden bloat of grief, then laugh.
I ask her, Who would shave a bear? We climb

Farther up Rattlesnake Creek, watch winter sun glitter
off dark water. No matter how high we go I look higher.
Sometimes absence can prove presence. That's not exactly
faith, I know. All day, everywhere, I feel you near at hand.
There's so much to understand, and everything to prove.
Up high the air is thin and hard, roars in the ears like love.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They do not accept unsolicited submissions. Poem copyright ©2015 by Patricia Traxler, “Last Hike Before Leaving Montana,” (Naming the Fires, Hanging Loose Press, 2015). Poem reprinted by permission of Patricia Traxler and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2016 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.