News

California’s commemoration of Arbor Week got under way on Wednesday.

California Arbor Week runs March 7 to 14 each year.

Over the course of the week cities, nature groups, schools, and youth organizations will host events to plant trees and provide educational opportunities to learn about the benefits of forests, both rural and urban.

California is one of two states that celebrates Arbor Week for an entire week each year with the goal of emphasizing the important impact that trees have on residents and their communities.

“There are millions of acres of public forest in California that people use every day for recreation, but California also has urban forests that provide benefits every day for millions of people,” said Chief Robert Little, Cal Fire’s state urban forester. “Healthy urban forests store carbon, cool our cities, clean the air, beautify the streets and offers shade relief. This is why Cal Fire is dedicated to improving urban forests across the state through grants and education.”

As part of that education outreach, Cal Fire and California ReLeaf, an organization that works diligently to preserve, protect, and enhance California’s urban forests, host a statewide poster and video contest each year.

On Wednesday, officials from both organizations gathered in West Sacramento to announce the winners of the statewide Arbor Week poster contest.

Students from across California in third, fourth and fifth grades were asked to create original artwork based on the theme “Healthy Trees, Healthy Me.”

This year’s poster contest winners are third grader Abigal Osborne of Anderson; fourth grader Marianna Hinojosa of Stockton; fifth grader Sarah Osborne of Anderson; and winner of the Imagination Award was fifth grader Morgan Becker of Wheatland.

This year’s video award goes to 11th grader Iris Bookholtz of Wheatland.

“Arbor Week gives communities in California an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the vital role that trees play in our cities and in our forests,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, Cal Fire director and California’s state forester. “The outpouring of participation from the school children reflects their growing understanding of trees in their backyard, but also the forests across the state and the effect that healthy forests can have in our everyday life.”

As part of the department’s mission, Cal Fire is charged with protecting California’s forests by maintaining the sustainability of the state’s natural resources including both urban and wildland forests.

Cal Fire is encouraging everyone to be a part of California Arbor Week by planting a tree.

It’s important that you carefully plan before you plant a tree to help ensure that your tree is drought tolerant and properly placed to avoid growing into power lines, buildings or other infrastructure.

Get more tree care tips on the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating a male subject responsible for a carjacking in Hopland on Tuesday.

The California Highway Patrol’s Ukiah Area office said the incident occurred at 1:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Retech Systems.

An unknown male subject took a Ford F-250 pickup. The CHP said the vehicle’s owner jumped on the running board to stop the thief. The owner was thrown from the truck but was not injured.

The CHP said its officers located the pickup traveling through Hopland. It fled south to Cloverdale, where pursuing units lost sight of it.

Mendocino County Sheriff’s units later located the truck near Hopland. The CHP said the vehicle again fled south on Highway 101. The pickup was driven into wooded terrain and the male subject fled on foot.

Despite an area search by the CHP, Mendocino County Sheriff’s personnel and CHP aircraft, authorities were unable to locate the male subject, the CHP reported.

A second vehicle, a gray Chevy Camaro driven by Margarita Sobalvarro, 26, of Richmond, was located in Hopland. The CHP identifed her as an accomplice in the case.

Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputies located Sobalvarro in Hopland and the CHP reported that it arrested her at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Sobalvarro later was booked into the Mendocino County on multiple felonies, the CHP said.

The CHP said that inside the Camaro Sobalvarro had been driving officers located two loaded handguns, one of which had been reported stolen.

The stolen pickup was returned to the carjacking victim, the CHP said.

Anyone with knowledge of the identity and/or whereabouts of the man who committed the carjacking is asked to call the Ukiah CHP at 707-467-4420.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday honored those who volunteer on the city’s boards and commissions, accepted a grant for a new police vehicle and approved street closures for a May school event.

The council and city staff held a half-hour reception for the city’s commission and committee members immediately before the Tuesday night meeting.

After the meeting convened, Mayor Mireya Turner read a proclamation honoring those who serve on the committees and commissions, with Mayor Pro Tem Tim Barnes helping congratulate them and distribute service pins.

Those honored included the members of the Lakeport Planning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee, the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee and the Measure Z Oversight Committee.

They also honored outgoing committee and commission members, including Christine Hutt. George Linn, Taira St. John and Harold Taylor.

Before the council approved the consent calendar, Turner announced that last fall Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation requiring the city council to orally report a summary of any council action on salaries, salary schedules or fringe benefit for any executive managers.

She said items on the consent agenda included a recommendation to approve the salaries and benefits package for the Lakeport Unrepresented Management Employees, which consist of at-will management employees and mid-management employees.

The benefit package included a 4-percent salary increase per year and a $750 annual technology allowance for mid-management and $1,500 for at-will management over the term of the contract, Turner said.

Turner said on the consent agenda was an amendment to City Manager Margaret Silveira’s contract that included a 15-percent salary increase – which the accompanying staff report said brings her annual salary to $132,250 – and a 40-percent reduction in her annual technology allowance, bringing it down to $750 a year.

The council also approved Police Chief Brad Rasmussen and Public Works Director Doug Grider closing a portion of N. High Street, Lakeshore Boulevard, Giselman Street, Sayre Street and Lange Street, and to control intersections along the route from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 9, for Lakeport Unified School District’s International Bike/Walk to School Day event.

Officials expect 1,000 students and more than 50 staff members will be participating in the event.

Rasmussen told the council that the council that the event will be similar to the one that took place in October, only this time it will be expanded for bicycles.

The walk staging area will be at the High Street shopping center, with bike staging areas at the old Natural High School on N. Main Street and the Shoreline Shopping Center where Grocery Outlet is located, he said.

He said two police vehicles will escort the bicycling students so street closures won’t be needed.

He said press releases, social media posts and “a swarm of information” will be released to notify the public ahead of the event.

Suzanne Lyons, a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, explained that the city received a community transformation grant from Sutter Lakeside Hospital to encourage exercise, which was used for a walking path marked by medallions set in the sidewalks.

She said the seniors in the city challenged the council, staff, seniors at the high school and others to walk the path toward the school as part of the walking event on May 9.

The council liked the idea, with Turner adding that Lyons “kinda upped the game there.”

In other business, the council unanimously approved a resolution supporting the city’s application to the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Communities Facilities Loan and Grant Program for a new police vehicle.

The resolution was added to the agenda as an urgency item due to a short turnaround time to accept the funds, according to staff.

Silveira told the council that the city was notified on Tuesday that it had received the grant – not to exceed $45,000 – for the purchase of a 2018 Chevy Tahoe.

“We were very excited about that,” said Silveira, who explained that the city only has 10 days to send in the necessary acceptance documents – including the council’s resolution.

Rasmussen said the new Chevy Tahoe will be used as an incident command vehicle.

He said the grant will cover two-thirds of the cost of the vehicle, estimated to cost about $65,000.

The Tahoe will be assigned to the senior sergeant as a patrol vehicle but also will have special incident command equipment and a higher clearance for getting through water, Rasmussen said.

“We’re excited about it,” he said.

Rasmussen said his department already has gotten the necessary bids from vendors and they’re just waiting for the final approvals to purchase the vehicle.

Councilwoman Stacey Mattina voted to approve the resolution, with Councilman Kenny Parlet seconding and the council voting 5-0.

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.

030618 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will consider approving the award of a design project for Austin Park and discuss the purchase of equipment to help it continue to move forward on its road improvement projects.

The council will convene in closed session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8, to hold a performance evaluation of City Manager Greg Folsom before the regular meeting convenes at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

The meeting will feature presentations by Mayor Bruno Sabatier to former Councilman Russ Perdock, a proclamation declaring March as March for Meals Month and the Highlands Senior Center annual report.

On the agenda is the consideration of awarding a contract for design services to the firm Design Workshop for the Austin Park Improvement Project. The contract is not to exceed $224,000.

The council also will discuss purchasing equipment for road improvements with up to $530,000 in Measure V sales tax funds.

The pieces of equipment that the city is proposing to purchase are as follows: new roller, $70,000; new five yard gas dump truck, $80,000; new backhoe, $100,000; new trailer-vactor, $80,000; new/used boom truck, $60,000; and a newer used grader/loader, $140,000.

In other business, the council will consider sponsorship of the Meals on Wheels program.

Also planned for Thursday is a public hearing to confirm assessments totaling $35,000 for failure to abate nuisances on a number of properties.

Items on the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the Jan. 4, 11 and 25, and Feb. 1; consideration of continuation of a declaration of local emergency issued on Oct. 9 and ratified by the council on Oct. 12 in response to the Sulphur fire; and consideration of a request for approval of a purchase order for a 2017 Ford F250 and animal transport box.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that a mountain lion was spotted in the Lakeport area.

Authorities said the animal was seen on Tuesday in the 2500 block of Hartley Street, outside of the Lakeport city limits.

The mountain lion, which appeared to be stalking a deer, ran from the area after seeing a human, the sheriff’s office said.

Tuesday’s occurrence is the latest in a series of sightings of mountain lions in and around Lakeport.

Last year there were four reports of mountain lions being spotted within the city between June and December, at locations near the Lake County Fairgrounds and in the forested area between Page Drive and 19th Street, and two incidents near the Lakeport Unified School District campus, as Lake County News has reported.

Although this latest sighting didn’t occur within the city limits, Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen updated the Lakeport City Council about it on Tuesday night.

He said he was notified of it by a Fish and Wildlife investigator because it was not far from the school, where mountain lions were seen twice last year.

Noting last year’s four sightings in the city, Rasmussen explained, “It’s really not uncommon. We live in a rural area and there are a lot of mountain lions around. And where there’s deer, there’s mountain lions. That’s their primary food source.”

He urged people to stay vigilant and said he also had advised the school superintendent of the sighting.

Below is a list offered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for living in and staying safe in mountain lion country, which includes Lake County:

- Don’t feed deer; it is illegal in California and it will attract mountain lions.
- Deer-proof your landscaping by avoiding plants that deer like to eat. For tips, request “A Gardener’s Guide to Preventing Deer Damage” from the agency’s offices.
- Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.
- Don’t leave small children or pets outside unattended.
- Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
- Provide sturdy, covered shelters for sheep, goats and other vulnerable animals.
- Don’t allow pets outside when mountain lions are most active – dawn, dusk and at night.
- Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opossums and other potential mountain lion prey.
- Do not hike, bike or jog alone.
- Avoid hiking or jogging when mountain lions are most active – dawn, dusk and at night.
- Keep a close watch on small children.
- Do not approach a mountain lion.
- If you encounter a mountain lion, do not run; instead, face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms; throw rocks or other objects.
- Pick up small children.
- If attacked, fight back.
- If a mountain lion attacks a person, immediately call 911.

For more information visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Lion.

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.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Four years ago, Riviera Elementary School in Kelseyville implemented a new program entitled Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports, or PBIS.

Today they are reaping the benefits of the program with a more positive school climate.

The US Department of Education, through the Lake County Office of Education, funds the PBIS program.

The underlying theme of PBIS is to teach behavioral expectations in the same manner as any core curriculum subject.

Put in simpler terms, PBIS is a program that works to change the discipline culture in schools by focusing on rewarding positive student behavior, instead of just focusing on negative consequences for poor student behavior.

“It’s a twofold process,” explained Riviera Elementary School Principal Tavis Perkins. “First, we communicate to our students how we expect them to behave. At Riviera Elementary, our students are taught to follow the SOAR rules: Safe inside out, on time & on task, accept responsibility, and respect.”

Once the students understand what type of behavior is expected of them, they are rewarded for following it. “When a student is ‘caught’ following a rule, they are awarded a SOAR Buck,” said Perkins.

There is a SOAR store at Riviera Elementary where students can use their bucks to purchase prizes and privileges.

Perkins said that some of the most popular prizes have been snap bracelets and emoji keychains, while the most popular privileges include eating lunch on the stage with a friend and moving ahead in the lunch line. Students can even save up their SOAR bucks to pie the principal.

After the successful rollout of Tier 1 of the program, the data has shown a tremendous decrease in major office referrals compared to the previous year.

The Riviera Elementary PBIS team continues to meet monthly to analyze data, make new goals, reward students who meet expectations and support those students who may be struggling.

“It has been an exciting and rewarding process seeing Riviera students soaring high,” said Tavis.