LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – All branches of the Lake County Library system will be closed on Saturday, Oct. 8, to observe Columbus Day.

Normal hours at all branches will resume on Tuesday, Oct. 11.

Call your local branch if you have any questions. Although the library will be closed you can still go online to the library Web site at http://library.lakecountyca.gov to download ebooks, audiobooks, movies, music and magazines.

You also can check on your account, renew any items you have checked out or request books from the Lake, Sonoma and Mendocino County Libraries to pick up at your local branch when the library does reopen.

Lakeport Library, located at 1425 N. High St., is normally open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The phone number is 707-263-8817.

Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake, is normally open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, noon to 7 p.m. The phone number is 707-994-5115.

Middletown Library, 21256 Washington St., is normally open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 707-987-3674.

Upper Lake Library, 310 Second St., is normally open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 707-275-2049.

The Lake County Library is on the Internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Robert Crawford Lininger (“Bob”), husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on Oct. 3, 2016.

He was born Sept. 16, 1929, to parents Byron Lininger and Eleanor Crawford in Fairfax, Missouri.

At 13 years old, Bob began working to support his family, and his sacrifice and commitment to those he loved continued throughout his life.

He attended Parkrose High in Portland, Ore., where he was a gifted athlete, popular among his peers, and most importantly, it was there he met the love of his life, Joan Lila Randrup.

Bob was known for the sparkle in his blue eyes, and they never lit up brighter than when he looked at Joan.

His fierce loyalty, playful spirit, and gentle heart contributed to their 70 years of deep love, marriage and friendship.

Together they raised four girls, owned and ran Scotts Valley Nursery, and enjoyed years of boating on Clear Lake, gardening and rooting for the 49ers.

His quick wit and ability to spin a story made him many friends, and often the life of the room. Though Bob was many things – a talented businessman, an avid sports fan, an active participant in his beloved Lake County community – he shined brightest in his roles as husband, dad, grandpa and great-grandpa.

He was in the front row of countless ball games, concerts, graduations, and weddings, and his love made each of his children, grand-children and great-grandchildren feel special and cherished.

His legacy of love is a tremendous gift his family will always hold, and his life stands for all who knew him as an example of hard-work, love and devotion.

Bob is survived by his wife, Joan Lininger; his children, Franki Lininger, Jo Ellyn (John) Kunz, Karla (Mike) Haskell and Luanne (Rik) Hayes; his 20 grandchildren; and 45 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Byron and Eleanor Lininger, and his siblings, Kenneth, Helen Jean (Midge) and Mary-Jo.

Visitation will be held at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary in Lakeport on Friday, Oct. 7, from 5 to 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 600 16th St., Lakeport.

Flower arrangements can be made through Flowers by Jackie, 707-263-3326.

For further information please contact Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary at 707-263-0357 or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .

While reviewing the candidates’ statement of qualifications, I noted that Jose “Moke” Simon III, candidate for county supervisor District 1, lists his occupation as tribal chairman of the Middletown Rancheria for the last 20 years. He goes on to list his many accomplishments, including the negotiation of many agreements.

Drawing on my 30-plus years of experience in the County Counsel’s Office, I noted a potential conflict of interest problem.

Government Code Section 1090 basically prohibits a public official from being financially interested in a contract in both his or her public and private capacities.

The courts of this state have found that the purpose of Section 1090 is to make certain that every public officer be guided solely by the public interest, rather than by personal interest, when dealing with contracts in a n official capacity.

Unlike most conflict of interest laws, which allow a public agency to move forward with its decision as long as the person with the conflict of interest abstains from participation and voting, Section 1090 provides for a complete prohibition on contracts with a conflict of interest unless one of the exceptions to the law is applicable.

If this law applies to Mr. Simon, unless he resigns from his occupation with the Middletown Rancheria, the county and its various special districts will not be able to contract with the Middletown Rancheria and its associated businesses. Sewer service agreements would be the most obvious situation.

Mr. Simon needs to consult his own legal advisor now, or if he wins the election, he will need to consult with the County Counsel's Office and determine whether he will need to resign from his position with the Middletown Rancheria or cause his tribe to be  barred from new contracts with the county and its associated special districts.
 
Bob Bridges is a retired retired senior deputy counsel. He lives in Lakeport, Calif.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Monster trucks, boat races, mudd boggs and jalopies will all be creating “Mayhem in the Mud” at the Lakeport Speedway this Friday and Saturday night.

Fans will be presented with two nights of monster trucks with the trucks from Straight Up Racing taking the field both nights.

Friday night will also be the final race in the 2016 Mudd Bogg Challenge with drivers competing for championship status.

Jalopie races will be happening on the infield Saturday along with the monster trucks and then at the end of the night, the finale of the Lakeport Speedway asphalt track will be the ever popular boat races.

Boat races normally happen on water but since there is no water at Lakeport Speedway, the boats are towed behind vehicles.

The track is slick, the boats slide and the drivers run into their opponent’s boats while trying to protect their boat that they are towing. It is carnage and fun to the extreme. Fans decide who wins with a cheering vote at the end of the night so drivers really try to put on a show.

Racing promoter David Furia enjoys putting on an end of the year tribute to the incredible support of the racing community.

“We have had a great year of motor action and I cannot thank the racers, their family, my crew and the fans enough for their parts in making this year such a success,” said Furia. “I am proud to put on these shows right here at home and look forward to the fans coming out and having a great time at the races this weekend. Straight Up Racing puts on a really cool show and we are fortunate to have two nights of trucks, and truck rides. We are also bringing on some of our most popular racing activities with the Mudd Boggs, the boat races and the newest class of racers, Jalopies. I am really stoked to have this awesome night of racing action.”

Straight up Racing features trucks like Rock Star, California Kid, Skeletor, Canadian Tough Guy and Identity Theft. They also present two ride-on monster trucks, Western Warrior Ride Truck and Hot Stuff, a modified classic fire truck.

Single day tickets and discounted two-day passes can be purchased ahead of time online at www.brownpapertickets.com or the night of the show. Single day tickets are $15 for anyone 12 and over, $12 for ages 5 to 11 with 4 and under being free. Two-day passes can be purchased at $25 for 12 and up, or $20 ages 5 to 11.

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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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Robby Cummins and Katlyn Thomasson are opening a martial arts dojo and gymnastics studio.

The dojo and studio is located at 15192 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake.

They will offer fitness classes, martial arts, gymnastics and much more.

Classes opened in the new studio on Oct. 1.

A grand opening is planned for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will occur at 10 a.m., with a gymnastics skills show at 11 a.m. and karate sparring throughout the day.

The facility offers an opportunity for adults and the next generation of children to get back into shape while having fun.

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 .

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Lake County Wine Studio (LCWS) is hosting a wine tasting event featuring wines from Red Lava Vineyards with Kristi Lawson, and artist reception with paintings by Cris Qualiana on Friday, Oct. 7, and Saturday, Oct. 8.

The event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday.
 
The $15 ($12/per person for studio club members) wine sampler and appetizers by Fresh and Bangin’ Eatery will showcase the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc with an arugula salad with candied nuts, goat cheese and a honey-pear vinaigrette, 2011 Syrah with eggplant ratatouille with tatziki drizzle, 2013 Syrah with Hummus and Chicken Sharma on a Pita Chip, and the 2013 Tempranillo with smoked tri-tip crostini with harissa sauce.

Bud and Kristi Lawson created Red Lava Vineyards together when they founded their first vineyard location in 1998.

Initially their focus was on the Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc grape varietals, but they found that the Tempranillo varietal thrived in the Red Hills just as grandly and they enjoyed a rapidly growing fan base for their Red Lava wines.

Kristi Lawson hails from generations of wine enthusiasts. Her Uncle "Shine" was known for “fortifying the families” during Prohibition, and she was told that he might have done a little jail time.

She grew up in the Napa Valley in an environment where a small amount of red wine with Sunday supper was traditional and not considered illegal.

Her family tree includes ancestors from the wine growing regions of France and Germany, and her foray into sensory wine evaluation classes led to a keen ability to "smell" rock and dirt for classification, consistent with the minerality of Red Lava Vineyards and their wines.

Bud Lawson passed away in August 2015. He stoically and persistently fought against a rare cancer (mantle cell lymphoma) and refused to let it keep him from his passion of farming grapes and producing their Red Lava wines. He was on his tractor working and enjoyed his purpose, family and friends right up until the day his life stopped.

Bud Lawson knew soil and even had a knack for divining water for wells. From many generations of farmers, he began his informal training as a child through observation and involvement with his family on their farm in Arizona. He served in the US Air Force and was a member of Local 3 Operating Engineers for 60 years.

Through his career as a land surveyor and work with construction companies he increased his knowledge, and concentrated his efforts on developing the unique characteristics of the soil in his vineyard and the alchemy of Red Lava wines. Kristi Lawson will be presenting her new wine releases this year at our receptions.

The protean and kaleidoscopic style of artist, Cris Qualiana, blends the humorous, whimsical, ethereal and cutting-edge, offering an invitation into worlds both strange and familiar. Early artistic prowess and promise led to a commission, at age twelve, to paint portraits of the Shah of Iran's family.

Impassioned curiosity and an insatiable wanderlust have been at the heart of Qualiana’s "travel education."

She took a brief foray into the world of music, managing several bands and touring internationally, pit-stopping in Los Angeles to create and direct subsidiaries for Epitaph Records (the largest independent record label in the world) promoting over fifty bands.

She designed promotional projects, ad campaigns, videos, and numerous record covers that can be found in music stores around the globe. While living on the road on tour, the World became her classroom. Hotel rooms doubled as studios.

The people and places she encountered – distinctive scents, sights, sounds and flavors-filled her sketch-books. And she met herself, again and again, in various incarnations, through her painting and drawing. Qualiana's artwork, paintings and illustrations have been continuously exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, London and Paris.

On May 7, 2012, Qualiana woke up unable to use her right arm and hand. Terrifying for anyone and devastating to Qualiana as an artist. A spinal tap confirmed that she has multiple sclerosis. Further tests revealed that her brain and spine were covered with lesions. She is unable to work any job according to her doctors. Regardless, she continues to create Art on a daily basis.

Lake County Wine Studio is a gallery for display and sale of art and a tasting room, wine bar and retail shop for the fine wines of Lake County. Artists’ shows are held on a monthly basis with art and wine receptions held the first Friday and subsequent Saturday of each month.
 
The gallery is located at 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake. The hours of business September through May is Thursday to Monday from 1 to 7 p.m., and Friday from 1 to 8 p.m.

The Qualiana art exhibit will be on display for the full month of October.

For more information call Lake County Wine Studio at 707-275-8030 or 707-293-8752.

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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.