CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The next free household hazardous waste dropoff event will be held Friday, July 15, and Saturday, July 16, at Quackenbush Mountain Recovery & Compost Facility, 16520 Davis St., adjacent to the landfill in Clearlake.

From Highway 53 turn on to 40th Avenue, take a left on Moss Avenue, follow the signs to the landfill on Davis Avenue.

Hours will be from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Households can bring up to 15 gallons of toxic items free of charge. Fees will be charged for amounts over 15 gallons.

Items that are accepted include paint, solvents, fuels, five-gallon propane tanks (empty), pool chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, batteries, fluorescent light tubes (up to 60 linear feet) and other toxic materials that cannot be put in the trash.

Items that cannot be accepted include televisions, computer monitors, ammunition, explosives, radioactive materials or infectious wastes.

To learn how and where to properly dispose these items, please visit www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us or contact the recycling hotline at 707-263-1980.

Household hazardous waste dropoff services are provided to Lake County residential households by the Integrated Waste Management Division of the Lake County Public Services Department and the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).

Businesses also are welcome to use this convenient service to properly dispose of hazardous waste and protect our environment, however, businesses must pay for this county-funded service and first make an appointment. Business appointments can be made by calling Lake County Waste Solutions at 707-234-6400.

Beginning in June, ask about receiving a free puncture-proof sharps container at one of these events to use for free sharps disposal.

Free recycling options for residents and businesses:

· Recycled paint is available to both residents and businesses at Lake County Waste Solutions and South Lake Refuse and Recycling Center first-come, first-served basis in five gallon containers. Colors include tan, brown, gray and pink.

· Used motor oil and cooking oil can be dropped off by businesses and residents, at Lake County Waste Solutions, South Lake Refuse & Recycling Center, and the North Shore Fire Protection District station at 6257 Seventh Ave. in Lucerne. Visit www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us for more locations.

· Electronics (e-waste) can be dropped off at Lake County Waste Solutions and at South Lake Refuse & Recycling Center.

Lake County Waste Solutions
230 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport
888-718-4888 or 707-234-6400
Monday-Saturday, 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
www.candswaste.com

South Lake Refuse & Recycling Center
16015 Davis St., Clearlake
Open daily, 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
707-994-8614
www.southlakerefuse.com

The free Household Hazardous Waste drop off program is subsidized by the Lake County Public Services Department, Integrated Waste Management Division and CalRecycle as a public service to Lake County households.

For more information about recycling, reusing and reducing, visit www.recycling.co.lake.ca.us , call the recycling hotline at 707-263-1980 or like Lake County Public Services on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LCPublicServices?fref=ts .

A painting by Virginia artist Guy Crittenden has won the 2016 California Duck Stamp Art Contest.

It was the first time that Crittenden has won the California Duck Stamp Art Contest, although he has won numerous contests held by other states.

Following the contest last Tuesday in Davis, the judges praised Crittenden’s painting, citing its autumnal feel, quality of light and anatomical accuracy.

“In my experience it is important to focus on a composition that works, first and foremost, and then worry about matters such as accuracy, feathers and habitat,” said Crittenden, a landscape, wildlife and sporting artist. “My experience with landscape painting helps me create a background that is accurate, luminescent and pleasing to the eye, one that glows with warm light and sun coming through the clouds.”

Artists from around the country submitted entries for this year’s contest, sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

Timothy Schreiber of Duffield, Va., placed second, Mark Thone of Shakopee, Minn., placed third and Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Green, Ind., received honorable mention.

The top four paintings will be displayed at the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association’s 46th Annual Classic Wildlife Art Festival, which will be held at the Double Tree Hotel in Sacramento on July 9 and 10.

Since 1971, the California Duck Stamp Program’s annual contest has attracted top wildlife artists from around the country.

The contest is traditionally open to artists from all 50 states in order to ensure a wide pool of submissions. All proceeds generated from stamp sales go directly to waterfowl conservation projects throughout California.

In the past, hunters were required to purchase and affix the stamp to their hunting licenses. Today, hunters are no longer required to carry the stamps because California’s modern licensing system prints proof of additional fees paid directly onto the license. However, CDFW still produces the stamps, which can be requested on CDFW’s Web site at www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/collector-stamps .

The subject of the 2017 California Duck Stamp Art Contest will be the ruddy duck, with details on that contest to be released at a later date.

Priscilla Jeanne Koernig
Aug. 8, 1933 – June 29, 2016

Born to Frederick Richard Koernig Jr. and Gertrude (Ross) Koernig in San Francisco, when Priscilla was 6 years old the family moved to San Mateo, Calif.

She graduated from San Mateo High School in 1951 and was a member of the Hillsdale Methodist Church in San Mateo.

She worked her entire career at Bank of America.

She loved animals and had many cats and dogs during her life. She also loved to travel abroad as well as in the states, especially to Hawaii to see Don Ho. She was a huge fan of Bing Crosby and at one time was a president of his fan club.

She was also a pianist and her parents bought a baby grand piano which sat in her living room until she moved to Clearlake, Calif.

She lived in her San Mateo family home until she moved to Brookdale Assisted Living Home in Clearlake to be by family. She brought her dog Daisy to live with her.

Priscilla is survived by her cousins, Mary (Cordell) Stiehr (Larry), Thomas Cordell (Linda), William Cordell and Frederick Cordell (Linda), many other cousins and many friends, Joyce and Brian, Fritzi, and Jesse and Marsha. 

Priscilla will be interred at Skylawn Memorial Cemetery in San Mateo on Saturday, July 9, at noon.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to your favorite animal shelter or Hospice Services of Lake County.

Arrangements under the care of Jones and Lewis CLMC Lower Lake, Calif.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Sen. Mike McGuire’s bill that will again require the state to make payment in lieu of taxes, or PILT, payments to counties has received unanimous bipartisan support in the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee.

PILT payments were established in 1949 to offset adverse impacts to county property tax revenues that result when the state acquires private property within a county for wildlife management areas.

Currently, the State Department of Fish and Wildlife owes nearly $8 million in payments to California’s 36 rural counties and a change in 2015 to the Fish and Game Code makes it even easier for the state to continue to forgo making these payments.

“The state needs to step up and follow through on a promise and advance Fish and Wildlife PILT payments to rural counties,” McGuire said. “Since 2001, California has been depositing millions of PILT dollars that should have been going to rural counties into the State General Fund and it’s time to give counties their due.”

Holding back these payments to counties on the North Coast has had a detrimental impact on the counties and their bottom line.

For example, in PILT payments alone, Del Norte is owed more than $220,000, Humboldt County is owed more than $160,000, Lake County is owed $93,000, Sonoma County is owed $116,000 and Marin County is owed over $150,000.

“This was an agreement made decades ago and the state has reneged on these payments for far too long,” McGuire said. “Let’s continue to level the playing field for our rural counties.”

SB 1188 is a bipartisan effort to make PILT payments to counties a requirement. It passed unanimously, 15-0, in the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. It will now head to Assembly Appropriations.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Anderson Marsh State Historic Park holds guided nature walks on the second Saturday of nearly every month. 

The next scheduled walk will be held on the morning of Saturday, July 9. 

Bring your 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 begins at 8:30 a.m.

The walk should take between one and a half to two hours.

Led by park docents Gae Henry and Henry Bornstein, this walk will cover the Cache Creek Nature Trail. 

Along with a general history and description of the park, come and view the birds, dragonflies,
butterflies, and other wildlife and wildflowers that can be found in the park this time of year. 

There is no fee for those attending. There will be a guided tour of the Ranch House after the July walk.

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.

For more information about the park, you may also visit www.andersonmarsh.org and click on “Park Brochure” on the home page.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County Home Wine & Beer Makers’ Festival on Saturday, June 18, proved to be a great event, according to organizers.

For the annual “Winefest,” the 2016 event may have been the most successful in its 15-year history, according to Charlie Schley, president of the Lake County Symphony Association, which sponsors the event as its main fundraiser.

“We still have some income and expense items to tally, but at first blush it looks like we’ll have more than $10,000 to contribute in part to the Lake County Symphony, which permits us to continue funding what is arguably one of the finest small-market symphonies in the state,” said Schley.

Schley credited the success to the efforts of Symphony Association members who spent weeks canvassing local businesses for donations to the silent auction and raffle which were important elements in its fundraising, and to the generosity of the many merchants who contributed.

He also saluted the many premium wineries and brewing companies who joined the amateurs in pouring tastes for the public, including Laujour, Rosa d'Oro, Wildhurst, Smiling Dogs and Don Angel wineries.

Special recognition also was given to Westamerica Bank and Kathy Fowler Chevrolet, who co-sponsored the event, and an honorary association membership was awarded to former Lakeport Mayor Martin Scheel who served as announcer and described the activities with accuracy and enthusiasm.

Event organizers also recognized the Lake County Wine Alliance and Umpqua Bank for their contribution to the LCSA Youth Orchestra.

Scheel also gave Mother Nature a salute for the event’s success. “The weather was perfect, and the Library Park venue was spectacular” he said. “People just didn’t want to leave.”

The best accolades, though, were reserved for the amateur winemakers and home brewers who presented the results of their labors to the visitors.

“I think every year has seen the quality of their beverages improve,” said one long-time attendee.

His view seems to have been supported by the panel of professional judges, who sipped and spit their way through dozens of entries.

The result included gold medals awarded to Zack Zoller for two of his wines, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Zinfandel.

Michelle Schultz of Winona Toffoli’s Finley-based Remembrance Group won gold for three entries, a Syrah, a Port and a wine in the “unique” category they called “Vin de Noix.”

Kelseyville’s Tom Harty won two golds, one for his Barbera and the other for a red blend, while other golds went to Jamie Celozzi for a Merlot and Connel Murray for a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Silver ribbons went to Murray for his Zinfandel and Barbera, to Doug Moore for a Sauvignon Blanc, and to Scott Knickmeyer for both a Syrah and a red blend, and Lucianol Coni for Syrah Port.

Harty won bronze for a Merlot and Meconi for a Syrah Port in the dessert wine category. Harty also took a bronze for his Syrah, as did Moore for his Merlot, while Murray again scored with his Sauvignon Blanc and a blend of red Italian wines.

Beers and ales were not judged by professionals, but rather by the public in the popular “Peoples’ Choice” awards.

Ribbons went to Mike Shoemaker, a member of the Malt Konocti Mashers homebrew group, for his entry in the pale ale category entitled “Raspberry Spring,” while Clint Cole took home an award for his plum and apple hard cider. In the dark beers category, Skip McFarling won for his “Trepidations.”

Home winemakers winning Peoples’ Choice awards were led by Doug Moore, who won in the white category for his Sauvignon Blanc and “The Remembrance Group” in the red wine category for their Syrah. Moore also won for his “Dream Maker’s” as the best wine label.

This year for the first time the Lake County Symphony Association shared the park with the Lakeport Camp 'n Shine chapter of the Norcal Aircooled Car club, giving attendees the chance to inspect some three dozen vintage vehicles while taking a break from their tastings it proved to be a benefit for both groups.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Joining a community event presented by New Hope Fellowship at Library Park on June 12, Worldwide Healing Hands (WHH) health care volunteers conducted free health screenings to individuals attending the event.
 
Offering consultations and health checks, 12 volunteers including physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and translators conducted “a very successful medical screening” specifically targeting the Hispanic population, according to WHH medical director Dr. Paula Dhanda.

The event was one of many health screening opportunities planned by the organization to assist Lake County’s homeless and indigent this year.
 
Dr. Dhanda reported that the team screened 21 patients – 13 men and 8 women – over the course of the two-hour event, and the physicians identified three individuals needing surgery.

“Our volunteers will assist them in accessing the care they need,” she added.
 
WHH’s volunteers were thanked by New Hope Fellowship Pastor Moses Zapata for the team’s participation in the outreach event.

“Our hearts are absolutely filled with gratitude and thankfulness to you for your generosity, professionalism and selfless care,” he wrote in a letter to Dr. Dhanda. “We realize that it was strictly voluntary on your part which makes the work you did all the more an act of human kindness that cannot be repaid with words alone.”
 
Volunteers assisting with the screening included Dr. Paula Dhanda, Dr. Arthur Bikangaga, Family Nurse Practitioner Christine Dalva, Physician Assistant Mike Mietz, Jasmin Clarke, Lacey Deas, Sandy Mietz, Falisha Johns, LVN, Perla Lovejoy, RN, Michael DelValle, Dinora Garcia and Carol Stahr, LVN.

The team checked blood pressure and other vital signs and discussed health concerns with individuals. Food was provided by New Hope Fellowship.
 
“Worldwide Healing Hands thanks the health care workers and other volunteers who gave their time during the recent free screening event to care for members of our community,” said Dr. Dhanda. 
 
WHH plans to conduct similar screening clinics in the future. Volunteers will continue to inform individuals about health care availability at upcoming sessions.

For information about upcoming screenings, Worldwide Healing Hands missions and volunteer opportunities, visit the WHH Web site, www.worldwidehealinghands.org .