LAKEPORT, Calif. – Get ready to taste samples and cast votes for the best grillers while supporting improvements at Westside Community Park.

Attendees at this year’s “Grillin’ on the Green” will enjoy some of the best barbecue in Lake County, organizers say, while a dozen competitors serve up tastes of their prime dishes in one of the hottest contests this summer, and the public is invited to help choose the winners.

Barbecue amateurs and experts will pit their skills against one another Saturday, Aug. 3, at the10th annual “Grillin’ on the Green” at Westside Community Park, 1401 Westside Park Road.

The event, which takes place from 5 to 7:30 p.m., will feature the popular barbecue competition with plenty of food, drink, and entertainment for all ages.

Presented by the Westside Community Park Committee, the event is an annual fundraiser for development of the park, home to soccer fields, a dog park, baseball and softball diamonds, horseshoe pits, and a bicycle pump track. Future plans include establishing a horse park.

Local organizations, individuals and professionals go head-to-head in the Grillin’ on the Green cookoff, preparing their best barbecue recipes for attendees who then cast People’s Choice votes for their favorites.

A group of celebrity judges will select their favorite as well. Joining Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin on the panel of celebrity judges this year will be Dana Stubblefield, retired defensive tackle for the 49ers and the Raiders, and Luis Castelero, a Kelseyville farm owner who has more than 60 years in the restaurant business and who now offers cooking classes from the Finca Castelero venue just outside of Kelseyville.

Event attendees will enjoy a variety of barbecued dishes, accompanied by side dishes and beverages, and entertainment including live music by the LC Diamonds, children’s water activities, a car show featuring vintage vehicles from local car clubs.

Tickets purchased in advance of the event are $25 per adult, $10 per child between the ages of 5 and 12, and no charge for children 4 years old or younger. Adult tickets purchased at the event will cost $30 per adult .

All proceeds benefit the Westside Community Park development. Call event chair Cindy Ustrud, 707-263-7091, or Dennis Rollins, 707-349-0969, for more information.

Advance tickets for “Grillin’ on the Green” may be purchased at the Lake County Chamber of Commerce and The Travel Centers in Lakeport and at Polestar Computers in Kelseyville. Tickets are also available online at Eventbrite.com.

“Grillin’ on the Green gets better every year with incredible barbecue dishes created by our participating teams and lots of fun, family entertainment,” said Ustrud. “Attendees call the fare the best barbecue around, and what a great way to raise funds for continuing improvements to our community park. We hope to see you there.”

This year’s grill competitors include teams from the Lakeport Kiwanis, the Early Lake Lions, and Troop 42 Boy Scouts (sponsored by Lakeport Lions). Also signed up to vie for bragging rights are The Smokin’ Aces (Adam Bruch; sponsored by Lakeport Rotary), Beef Cakes (Jessie Richardson; sponsored by Westside Community Park Committee), People Services, Inc. “Chix-Ke-Bob-In” (sponsored by the Delta Iota Tau Sorority), Team Sutter Lakeside (Dennis Rasner; sponsored by Sutter Lakeside Hospital), It’s a Family Affair (Aaron Rollins; sponsored by Cindy Ustrud and Dennis Rollins), Fresh & Bangin' (John Arslanian), Drinx Bar and Grill (Andre Williams), the Lakeport Fire Department (Casey Dye), and a team of city of Lakeport staff (sponsored by the City of Lakeport).

For side dishes, salads, desserts and beans will be provided by Westside Community Park Committee, Lakeview Market, Main Street Bicycles, Angelina’s, Suzie Q’s, and Nancy Ruzicka. Wine from Thorn Hill Vineyards and Shannon Ridge Family of Wines, beer from O’Meara Bros. Brewing Company, and water will be available for purchase, as will snow cones by Marta and Domingo Avillea.

“We thank the many sponsors helping us to present this year’s event and support the development of our park,” said Rollins.

Sponsors include Sutter Lakeside Hospital ($2,500), the Ustrud-Rollins Family ($1,000), and additional “WorldCup” sponsors ($500 or more): the Keeling-Barnes Family Foundation, Community First Credit Union, Kelseyville Lumber and Supply Co., Lake County Tribal Health, and Alice and Jim Holmes.

“Grand Slam” ($300) sponsors include Sandy and Carol McGeoch, Brian L. Grey,DDS, Savings Bank of Mendocino County, Matt Mazzei Auto Dealership, Clear Lake Redi Mix, Mendo Mill, and Beckstoffer Vineyards - Red Hills.

“Home Run” ($100) sponsors are Susie LaPointe, The Dock Factory and Supply Co., Willam C. Kranz, attorney at law,Lake Parts/Napa Auto Parts, Wilda and Jim Shock, Margaret Silveira, Lincoln Leavitt Insurance Agency Inc. and Lakeport Furniture.

Rollins also expressed gratitude for the in-kind contributions from Lake Event Design, Lake County News, Lakeport Cinema 5, KNTI, Lake County Record-Bee, Disney Trophies and Awards, UCC Rental Center, Thorn Hill Vineyards, Shannon Ridge Family of Wines, and the O’Meara Bros. Brewing Company.

Information about the event can be found on the park’s Web site, www.westsidecommunitypark.org, or on Westside Community Park’s Facebook page.

Westside Community Park is a regional recreational facility that is operated by the City of Lakeport and the Westside Community Park Committee. It has been in development for 19 years.

The nonprofit park committee is developing the park in conjunction with the city of Lakeport, volunteers, and numerous contributions by individuals and businesses dedicated to constructing a recreational facility for the youth and adults of Lake County.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Tickets are now available for “Music at the Marsh,” an afternoon of acoustic music and fun planned for Saturday, Sept. 14, from noon until 5 p.m. at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, located on Hwy 53 between Lower Lake and Clearlake.

The event is a benefit for Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, or AMIA, the all-volunteer nonprofit organization that helps support the State Park.

Featured will be local musicians who are all donating their time and talent to support the Park, and all proceeds from the event will benefit AMIA.

Before the music starts, there will also be a guided nature walk beginning at 8:30 a.m., followed by a tour of the historic Anderson Ranch House. Both the walk and tour are free of charge and will be led by state park docents.

Everyone is encouraged to come and enjoy the guided walk and tour, and then to stay to hear some wonderful music in the afternoon. Admission to the afternoon of music is $20, and children under 10 are free.

Beer, wine, food and other refreshments will be available for purchase. Seating is very limited, so attendees are asked to please bring their own folding chairs. No dogs or other pets please.

The music and entertainment lineup includes Summit Singers, the Konocti Fiddle Club, Dave Hooper, Angle of Repose, Ely Fiddlers, Sheridan Malone, Clear Lake Clikkers and Uncorked. The popular Burt Hutt will lend his talents as master of ceremonies.

Advance tickets are available now online at www.andersonmarsh.org , and will soon be available at Watershed Books in Lakeport and Catfish Coffeehouse in Clearlake. Tickets will also be available the day of the event at the gate.

For information about the event, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , go to www.andersonmarsh.org and watch for frequent Facebook updates.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – District 4 Lake County Supervisor Tina Scott said she is seeking applicants to represent her district on the Lake County Planning Commission.

The Lake County Planning Commission is the general advisory body to the Board of Supervisors with regard to land use decisions and acts on those matters delegated to it by the supervisors and state law.

The commission consists of five members appointed by the Board of Supervisors for a two-year term.

The planning commission usually meets on the second and fourth Thursday of each month in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport.

Occasionally for special purposes, the commission will schedule other meetings at different times.

Planning commission meetings are open to the public and agendas are posted the week prior to the meetings.

Scott plans to hold interviews with applicants.

If you are interested in an interview, contact Scott at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Gabriel Neal, Texas A&M University

I easily remember laughing at Wile E. Coyote trying to catch the Road Runner while watching Saturday morning cartoons as a child. I can still see the Coyote walking slowly through the sweltering desert, sun high in the sky, sweating, tongue-hanging-out, about to collapse from heat, hunger and thirst. Then, BEEP! BEEP! the Road Runner would fly past, and the chase was on with a perfectly revived Coyote.

If only fixing heat stroke were that quick and easy.

As a primary care physician who treats patients with heat related illnesses, I know that heat stroke is certainly no laughing matter. Each summer, a heat wave (or, like, 17) rolls over the U.S., precipitating a rash of death and hospitalizations related to what is, in doctor-speak, “severe non-exertional hyperthermia.”

Let’s stick to calling it heat stroke.

As much of the nation braces for a heat wave, it is important to consider how to prevent this potentially deadly condition.

Heat stroke is when a person’s core body temperature rises too high (often more than 104 F) because high environmental temperature (typically over 90 F) and humidity (over 70% relative humidity) prevents the body from cooling through its normal means of sweating and breathing. As heat stroke develops, our heart beats fast, our lungs breathe fast, we feel dizzy and nauseated, our muscles cramp, and we become confused, eventually losing consciousness entirely.

Without medical intervention, heat stroke is often fatal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes on average, about 658 Americans die each year from heat stroke.

Victims of heat stroke can be of any age, but more often it is the elderly, particularly those over the age of 70. As people age, our bodies’ ability to cool declines, and the elderly often take medication that further impairs this ability. In addition, the elderly may not be aware of the dangerous heat wave, and may not have working air conditioning in their home, nor have anyone to check on them. As a physician, I know from experience how the heat of summer and the cold of winter test the lives of the very old.

Other factors that increase the risk for heat stroke are obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Hydration, rest and finding a cool environment are the keys to preventing heat stroke. If you don’t have an air conditioned home or car, steps to take include wearing light, breathable clothing; avoiding time in direct sunlight; not exercising during the hot hours of the day; spraying yourself with water and sitting in front of a fan; taking a cool bath or shower; or placing a cold pack on your neck or armpit. In a heat wave, please take time to check in with your elderly neighbors, family and friends, to make sure they have the means to stay cool.

Fans help, not by lowering the air temperature, but by causing air movement over the skin, causing evaporation of sweat which lowers the body temperature. So fans are useful when there is no air conditioning, but having an air conditioned space is best.

Heat stroke is preventable – just stay cool and stay hydrated. Simple, right? But during a heat wave that is easier said than done, particularly for the poor and elderly. Do what you can to prevent it among your family and friends, and if you should encounter someone having the symptoms of heat stroke, call 911 to get them to an emergency room for evaluation and treatment.

Gabriel Neal, Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Texas A&M University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department said it has arrested a Lower Lake resident for a Friday night drive-by shooting at a gas station that injured a man.

Michael Thomas Wagner, 52, was arrested early Saturday and booked into the Lake County Jail on numerous felony charges, according to police.

Clearlake Police Sgt. Ryan Peterson said that at approximately 8:41 p.m. Friday officers responded to the Mobil gas station in the 15000 block of Lakeshore Drive for a report of a shooting.

Based on the investigation, Peterson said it is believed that Wagner arrived at the gas station on his “trike”-style three-wheeled motorcycle and had a verbal altercation with a male adult passenger seated in a vehicle next to the gas pumps.

As the vehicle began to drive away, Wagner retrieved a handgun and fired a single shot at the vehicle, Peterson said. The single gunshot struck the victim in his torso and he was immediately transported to the hospital by the driver of the vehicle.

Peterson said Wagner left the area on his motorcycle and was seen by witnesses driving toward Lower Lake.

The victim was transported to an out-of-county hospital for further treatment and was last reported to be in stable condition, Peterson said.

As officers continued their investigation into the early morning on Saturday, they obtained information that led to the identification of Wagner and the location of his residence in Lower Lake, according to Peterson’s report.

Officers went to Wagner’s home, found his trike motorcycle and then located Wagner in a nearby trailer. Peterson said Wagner was still in possession of the handgun believed to have been used in the shooting and wearing the same clothing.

Wagner is a convicted felon prohibited from owning firearms or ammunition, Peterson said.

Peterson said Wagner was arrested on probable cause for attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a loaded firearm with the intent to commit a felony, and a convicted person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Wagner was booked at the Lake County Jail on the felony charges.

Jail records show that Wagner is being held on $200,000 bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Leo Flores at 707-994-8251.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Authorities have one subject in custody and are investigating the possibility of arson as the cause of a Saturday evening fire that came close to a Clearlake apartment complex, triggering evacuations.

The fire, which was reported at about 5:45 p.m., began in an open field near a homeless camp and southeast of the Tractor Supply and Big 5 Sporting Goods stores on Dam Road, according to Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White.

“We have one in custody,” White told Lake County News on Saturday night.

While the investigation remains under way, “At this time it does appear that it was an arson,” and not an accidental fire, White said.

Pushed by wind and burning in heavy brush, the fire was spotting and headed toward the nearby Cache Creek Apartments.

Pictures posted online by residents showed the flames approaching the complex.

“It was really close to the apartments,” said White.

Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta, the incident commander, said the incident had huge potential for damage.

Sapeta said evacuations were implemented immediately by the Clearlake Police Department with help from the California Highway Patrol – which happened to have units in the area – before firefighters arrived on the scene.

Altogether, between 150 and 200 people were evacuated from the complex’s four buildings, Sapeta said.

While the apartment residents weren’t in any immediate threat, “You just don’t want to take a chance anymore,” Sapeta said.

Cal Fire sent a full wildland fire dispatch of engines plus aircraft, with tankers dropping retardant and helicopters making water drops to hem in the fire, according to radio reports.

In addition to Lake County Fire and Cal Fire, Sapeta said Northshore Fire and South Lake County Fire also sent units to assist.

A chaotic scene

In the midst of the firefighting effort, a chaotic situation developed around the shopping center, as people tried to leave the apartments and onlookers were reportedly gathering to watch the fire, blocking traffic.

Within about 10 minutes of dispatch, authorities began to receive reports of a male subject who witnesses said set the fire. Radio reports stated that they were provided with pictures of the man.

Later, White confirmed they had taken a subject into custody and were questioning him.

Firefighters stopped the fire’s forward progress by 6:40 p.m., with size estimated at up to four acres, according to scene reports.

About an hour later, residents of buildings A, B and C at Cache Creek Apartments were allowed to start returning to their homes, with residents of building D – which had fire apparatus staged there – allowed to return just after 8:30 p.m., White said.

In the midst of the firefighting effort, White said police were tracking down the male subject believed responsible for setting the fire, responding to numerous other nearby incidents – including fights and a man making threats at a nearby business – and helping control traffic.

At one point, they had four individuals in connection to those various incidents in custody, White said.

“It’s pretty chaotic,” White said.

White said a police volunteer was helping to conduct traffic control at the Dam Road entrance into Saturday evening as mop up continued and residents returned home.

He said Saturday’s fire was in the same general area but more to the west of a blaze that burned two acres on the afternoon of Saturday, July 13, as Lake County News has reported.

For his part, when asked if the Saturday fire was arson, Sapeta said it was too early to make that determination, noting fire investigators were still at that point working with police to speak with witnesses and validate stories.

He said the July 13 fire was definitely suspicious but the cause was undetermined and there was no suspect, so they will look at whether Saturday’s fire was connected to the fire two weeks ago or any other incidents.

More fire incidents

After containing the Saturday evening fire, firefighters – who already had been through a hectic 48 hours that included a structure fire and shooting – weren’t done yet.

Just before 10:15 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to a small wildland fire in the 16000 block of Dam Road near the site of the earlier fire.

Units arriving on scene minutes later found a 25 foot by 25 foot spot in the brush, outside of the previous fire’s burn area, according to scene reports. Forward progress was quickly stopped, with firefighters spending about 45 minutes in overhaul.

“This was not associated with the first fire,” Sapeta said of the smaller fire, the cause of which he said was undetermined.

“We’re going to continue to patrol the area,” Sapeta said.

Then, shortly after 10:35 p.m., a vehicle fire was reported at the intersection of Lake Street and Dam Road, near the Cache Creek Apartments.

Sapeta responded to that fire, which was quickly contained. He said that fire was associated with the car’s fuel system.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.