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Phillip 'Chuck' Charles Kraft
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Chuck Kraft, 66, of Lower Lake, passed away suddenly on March 2, 2017, at his home.
Chuck was born in Lakeport on June 19, 1950. He graduated from Clear Lake High School in 1968. He retired from the Lake County Fairgrounds after many years of service in grounds/maintenance. He was an avid fisherman and enjoyed camping.
Chuck is survived by his mother, Sylvia Jerram; sister, Darlene (Dexter Sr.) Serpa; brother, Robert “Bob” Kraft; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews, all of whom reside in Lake County. He is preceded in death by his father, Philip Kraft, and his brother, John Kraft.
A graveside memorial service honoring his life and love will be held at Lower Lake Cemetery on March 31 at 1 p.m. with his cousin Pastor Bradley Williams officiating. A celebration of life will follow at his mother’s home.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made on behalf of Chuck to the charity of your choice.
Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary at 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – A temporary road closure is planned on a portion of Witter Springs Road on Tuesday, March 28.
The Lake County Public Works Department said that on Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Witter Springs Road from East Road to Bachelor Valley Road will be closed to through traffic.
The closure is to allow crews to perform maintenance on the bridge north of Old Witter Springs Road.
Please drive with caution in this area.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The senior centers in Lakeport and Kelseyville have released their menus for the week of March 27 through March 31.
The centers serve lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with Lakeport also serving Sunday breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m.
This week's menu – which is subject to changes or substitutions – is as follows:
• Monday: Sweet and sour chicken.
• Tuesday: Cheese stuffed green pepper with rice and beans.
• Wednesday: Potato wedges topped with ground beef and nacho cheese.
• Thursday: Chicken fajitas.
• Friday: Swedish meatballs.
The weekday luncheons include soup of the day, salad bar, entrée, dessert and beverage. Non-seniors pay $6 and seniors 60 and older pay a suggested donation of $5.
Soup of the day and salad bar – which includes two to three types of salads plus toppings and fruit – is $4.
The Kelseyville Senior Center is located at 5245 Third St., telephone 707-279-2175.
The Lakeport Senior Activity Center is located at 527 Konocti Ave., 707-263-4218.
TV Corner: ‘Chicago Justice’ on NBC Network
Given his strong pedigree with the ubiquitous “Law & Order” television programs, it was only a matter of time before creator Dick Wolf rolled out a courtroom drama to complement his ongoing “Chicago” franchise.
The crossover appeal for established series “Chicago P.D.,” “Chicago Med,” and “Chicago Fire” has already been exploited by the NBC Network. The question for developing the new series “Chicago Justice” was not why but when.
Of the existing three programs, the most logical connection for “Chicago Justice” is to tap into the complicated legal issues that often arise when law enforcement collides with heated city politics in “Chicago P.D.”
At the center of the high stakes legal wrangling and frenzy of media coverage in “Chicago Justice” is the ambitious prosecutor in the office of the state’s attorney, deputy chief of the Special Prosecutions Bureau Peter Stone (Philip Winchester), square-jawed defender of justice.
Winchester’s Peter Stone has the look and temperament of a relentless prosecutor totally committed to the pursuit of justice.
The interesting angle is that Peter is the son of New York City District Attorney Ben Stone, a primary character from “Law & Order” who is not seen here but has a presence that is unnerving to Peter.
An even greater challenge to Peter Stone than a complicated relationship with his father is the direct conflict with Mark Jefferies (Carl Weathers), the Cook County State’s Attorney who sees the world through a political prism.
The most direct link to “Chicago P.D.” is provided courtesy of Jon Seda’s Antonio Dawson, formerly a detective in the intelligence unit headed up by Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), who’s now the chief investigator for the State’s Attorney and partnered with Joelle Carter’s Laura Nagel.
An early episode touches upon the sensitive subject of potential police misconduct when Antonio has to investigate a former colleague, detective Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins), on charges that a suspect died in his custody either by negligence or design.
Justice, so to speak, may be best served in “Chicago Justice” by resolving the moral dilemmas that are wrestled with vigor by the diverse characters in Stone’s unit. Not to be overlooked is the passionate Assistant State’s Attorney Anna Valdez (Monica Barbaro).
ASA Valdez is more flexible and willing to bend the rules to get the right result. Investigator Antonio Dawson appears to be in the same camp. They don’t seem to care much about the optics and public relations efforts put forth by their boss Mark Jefferies.
The wait has been long for Dick Wolf to bring a lawyer show to the “Chicago” universe, and so it would do well to give “Chicago Justice” a close look, particularly if you have tuned in for any of his other NBC shows.
TV Corner: ‘Making History’ on FOX Network
There is nothing new about time travel and just about every network has been getting in on the act, from NBC’s “Timeless” to the new ABC series “Time After Time” that follows the adventures of science-fiction writer H.G. Wells as he pursues Jack the Ripper to modern times.
For whatever reasons, time travel has almost always been a topic for dramatic inspiration, and not so much for laughs unless you go back to “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” where two dumb teens time travel to seek help to pass a history class.
The dim-witted quotient for FOX’s new comedy series “Making History” rests with the facilities manager at a small college in Lexington, Massachusetts, a fitting location for one to engage in time travel back to the Revolutionary Era in American history.
Socially awkward, Dan the maintenance man (Adam Pally) has discovered that he can transport himself back to 1775 in a large duffel bag left behind by his father. Arriving in colonial times with only limited knowledge of history, Dan impresses the locals by quoting movies and songs.
This approach is most effective as he woos Deborah (Leighton Meester), the daughter of Paul Revere, by reciting lines to her from “My Heart Will Go On” as if they were poetic musings of his own origin.
The trouble with his meddling in colonial life is that Revere delays his famous ride and the course of history could be altered to such dramatic effect that the American Revolution never occurs and we’ll still be drinking afternoon tea and paying taxes to the Crown.
To make up for his inadvertent interference with destiny, Dan enlists the reluctant help of history professor Chris (Yassir Lester), an erudite African-American, to make things right with colonialists like John Hancock and Samuel Adams.
Time travel turns into a two-way street as Deborah, a budding feminist eager to do more than her father’s laundry, joins Dan and Chris for a trip back to the 21st Century where she’s eager to become the proprietor of an ice cream shop.
No one should mistake this new FOX series for a completely accurate depiction of history, but in the early goings “Making History” offers a modicum of humor that could sustain viewer interest in the broader picture.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sutter Lakeside Hospital recently hosted three students of Mendocino College’s Math Engineering Science Achievement, or MESA, program, which specializes in helping students in mathematics, science and engineering develop their careers.
The students spent the day orienting themselves with the hospital environment, as well as asking questions of industry professionals.
“We’re proud to partner with Mendocino College to give students an idea of the medical careers that are available locally,” said Dan Peterson, chief administrative officer, Sutter Lakeside Hospital. “Health care is such a rewarding field, and a hospital environment is an exciting place to work. We want to ensure that students in the area realize that they don’t have to leave Lake County to pursue a medical profession.”
The MESA program at Mendocino College encourages students with similar degree fields to support one another in achieving a four year degree and pursuing a career.
Tutoring, study groups, and academic advising for participants also contribute to student success.
Additionally, MESA students are able to participate in field trips, networking events, and professional development activities such as workshops, conferences, and career panels.
MESA students Jose Araiza, 19, Marco Toledo, 21, and Magali Reyes, 19, took the opportunity to gain more insight at Sutter Lakeside Hospital about prospective medical careers.
“I got to ask questions and jot down important notes on the different ways to become an employee in the medical field,” said Araiza. “The shadow day made me realize that the medical field is where I want to be. The professionalism and teamwork made me think about how awesome it could be to work in a hospital.”
“College is the place to grow as an individual,” said Araiza. “Meeting new people and learning new things is an awesome way to gain skills that will help you throughout life.”
“I’m hoping to go into a surgical career,” said Reyes. “Since I was a little kid, I’ve been around hospitals and it’s always been interesting to me. There really is more than one way to get where you want to be in medicine. Shadowing made me less anxious; there are multiple ways to reach my goal. Being at the hospital was a great experience for me. I really enjoyed it.”
“My favorite part was getting to see how big the hospital was inside,” said Toledo. “By shadowing, I felt more motivated, knowing that if I keep working hard I will become a public health nurse.
“Students should know if they are going to college, they should definitely try shadowing any field they are interested in. They will get a better grasp of what’s ahead.”
“MESA is lucky to have Sutter Lakeside Hospital as a partner,” said Amanda Xu, Ph.D., MESA/STEM director at Mendocino College. “The welcoming wealth of knowledge truly inspired the students to strive towards their career goals.”
For more information about Sutter Lakeside Hospital, please call 707-262-5000 or visit www.sutterlakeside.org .
Morgen Wells is community relations and fund development coordinator for Sutter Lakeside Hospital.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A team of Lake County gymnasts put on stellar performances at their respective state competitions over the past two weekends, with two of them now heading to a five-state regional event.
Skycatch Gymnastics of Lakeport’s boys’ gymnasts have had another winning year.
Under the direction of gym owner and coach, Roger Devore, himself a former competitive gymnast, the entire team – Philip Sparkes, age 10, level four; Alex Fordham and Trey Broyles, both age 10, level five; and Catch Devore, 14, and Tanner Broyles, 13, level six – qualified for the state finals this year.
After this month’s state competitions, Catch Devore came out with a top statewide finish, getting first-place in the all-around competition for his level.
Philip, who recently started gymnastics but quickly took to it, decided to forgo the state meet on March 12 in Emeryville, however, teammates Alex and Trey made the trip, according to their parents.
Alex had a fifth-place all-around finish. He placed second in the pommel horse, fifth on the high bar, fifth on the parallel bars, sixth on the rings, eighth on the floor exercise and 13th on the vault.
Trey placed 13th all around. He had a third place finish on the floor exercise, seventh on the vault, 10th on the pommel horse, 12th on the rings, 13th on the parallel bars and 13th on the high bar.
Top three finishers in each individual discipline took home a medal, with the top six in the all-around competition also receiving medals.
“Medaling for state is a pretty big deal,” said Annette Broyles, mother of Trey and older brother, Tanner.
Then, it was Tanner and Catch’s turn at their state competition – Level 6, Division 1, for ages 13 and over – held in Oroville on March 19. Close to 100 young athletes competed that day, Broyles said.
Tanner finished 12th all around, with a first place on vault, eighth on pommel, eighth on parallel bars, 14th on rings, 15th on floor and 15th on high bar.
Catch’s performance at the state meet would earn him first-place finishes in the floor, rings and high bar, second on the vault, 11th on the parallel bars and 14th on the pommel horse, for an overall first-place all-around finish.
Broyles said Catch’s floor exercise received more than 11 points, the highest score of the day and a topic of conversation for other athletes throughout the competition. No one thought they could match him on the floor, and it turns out that no one did.
Trey and Alex’s competitive season is now done. For Tanner and Catch, however, there is more ahead: Both qualified for the regional competition in Reno on April 9.
The regional competition covers all of California, as well as Arizona, Hawaii and Nevada, Broyles said.
This is the second time Catch has qualified for regionals, the first time for Tanner, Broyles said.
Because of his finish in the top five, Catch will be part of the Nor Cal All Star Team and will take part in a mini camp this weekend in Elk Grove, Broyles said. Catch also was on last year’s All Star Team.
Amidst their heavy competitive schedule, both Tanner and Catch maintain a 3.6 grade point average. Broyles said Tanner attends Mountain Vista Middle School and Catch is home-schooled.
“It's challenging to maintain that grade point average training four to five days a week, between 12 to 18 hours a week,” Broyles said.
Depending on how it goes on April 9, there could still yet be further competitive opportunities for the boys at the national level.
But Catch’s mom Jerae Devore, who like her husband Roger also was a competitive gymnast, is being guarded in her expectations.
“We’ve never gone that far so we’re taking it one step at a time,” she said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
