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HAPPY CAMP, Calif. – David Norman Rasmussen passed away at home on Jan. 26, 2017, after a long battle with cancer and heart disease.
Born on Oct. 11, 1947, in Custer, South Dakota, to Crofford and Blanche Rasmussen, he was the third of six children. Shortly after his birth his family relocated to the Pacific Northwest.
He joined the United States Army at the young age of 17, serving as a paratrooper and ranger in numerous countries from 1966 to 1968 and as a member of the Army Reserve from 1969 to 1972.
Upon his honorable discharge, David moved to Happy Camp, Calif., to work in the logging industry with his father where he met Connie Marie Zink. They wed in 1968 and had three sons.
David had a long, successful career in the United States Forest Service, serving nine different National Forests throughout California and Oregon in resources, fuels, wildland fire suppression and law enforcement.
David was a loving, devoted father, husband, and grandfather. Throughout his life he continuously served his family and local communities as a youth baseball coach, hunter safety instructor, school board member, reserve deputy sheriff, fireman and EMT.
He gained three beautiful daughters when his sons wed and had eight grandchildren with whom he loved spending time.
He is preceded in death by his parents; brothers, James and Gregory; and sister, Phyllis.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Connie; his sons, David Bradley (Karyn) of Lakeport, Jason Hans (Veronica) of Happy Camp, and Ryan Paul (Denege) of Redwood City; his grandchildren, Craig, Stephanie, Savannah, Meranda, Jordan, Chaance, Joshua and Joseph; and his sisters, Josie Asche and Paula Diggle.
Services will be held Friday, Feb. 3, at the Happy Camp Grange Hall at 11 a.m. followed by a military honors graveside service at Happy Camp Cemetery at 12 p.m. A reception will follow at the Happy Camp Grange Hall.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Happy Camp Volunteer Ambulance, P.O. Box 596, Happy Camp, CA, or Happy Camp Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 189, Happy Camp, CA.
Girdner Funeral Chapel is serving the family, and online condolences may be made at www.girdnerfuneralchapel.com .
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Lake County Wine Studio and artist Diana Liebe are presenting a “Wine & Watercolors” painting party at the wine studio on Sunday, Feb. 5, from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
This Sunday's event will feature painting Valentine's Day greeting cards.
The class fee of $40 covers all of the painting supplies needed along with Leibe’s step by step guidance and a glass of fine Lake County wine. Reservations are recommended to ensure that materials will be available.
Please call Susan Feiler at 707-293-8752 to reserve a seat.
Liebe is a former art teacher at both the high school and college levels. She has been very involved in the Lake County Arts Community since moving here from Mendocino County 11 years ago, and actively teaches art workshops around the county.
Lake County Wine Studio is located at 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake and is open Saturday through Monday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 7 pm, and Friday from 1 to 8 p.m.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Members of the Sons In Retirement held their first monthly meeting of 2017 at the TNT Restaurant in Lakeport on Jan. 13.
Much of the meeting was devoted to planning the traditional SIRs Valentine’s Day celebration. This includes treating the members wives and sweethearts to a special lunch in their honor.
Other activities planned include a trip to see the races at Golden Gate Field on March 16. They will leave about 10 a.m., enjoy a great buffet lunch at the Turf Club and see the races from great seats. They'll arrive home around 6:30 p.m. The cost is $62 per person.
On May 25 there will be a trip to see the 2 p.m. performance of the “Phantom of the Opera.” The trip includes roundtrip bus transportation to the Civic Theater in Sacramento and a luncheon at the Spaghetti Factory.
The theater trip's cost is $115 per person and there are only 40 tickets available, so call as soon as possible to make your reservations. Contact Bill at 707-277-8846 or Bob at 707-279-0187.
Sons In Retirement is a social organization for men of retirement age who are pursuing the goal of enjoying their later years.
Branch 168 holds a Luncheon on the second Friday of each month at the TNT Restaurant in Lakeport.
If you are already a member and would be willing to plan and coordinate any of the desired activities mentioned above contact Bob Rumfelt at 707-263-0844.
If you are not a member but would be interested in learning more about Sons In Retirement, please feel free to contact Larry Powers, chair of the membership committee, at 707-263-3403 or visit the state Web site at http://sirinc.org/sirhappenings/ .
LUCERNE, Calif. – Robert Leroy Westcott passed away Jan. 11, 2017.
He is survived by his sister, Lynda Westscott; nieces, Candice and Mystie; nephews, Michael and Shannon; and eight great-nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held at Rock of Faith Community Outreach Center of Lucerne on Feb. 25 at 1 p.m.
Arrangements entrusted to Jones Mortuary FD311, Lakeport, telephone 707-263-5389.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's unemployment showed a minor increase in December, while the jobless rate in California dropped and the nationwide number went up slightly.
The California Employment Development Department's latest report on unemployment rates showed Lake County registered a 6.8-percent rate for December, down from 6.6 percent in November and 7.8 percent in December 2015.
In December California’s unemployment rate fell to 5.2 percent, down from 5.3 percent in November and 5.9 percent the previous December, the Employment Development Department said.
The number of unemployed Californian’s was 1,009,000 in December, down by 29,000 over
the month, and down by 115,000 compared with December of last year, according to the report.
The state also reported that California's employers added 3,700 nonfarm payroll jobs in December; with December’s job gains, the state has gained a total of 2,420,100 jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010.
Nonfarm jobs in California totaled 16,606,600 in December, up by 332,500 jobs, or 2 percent, over the year.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics said unemployment increased from 4.6 percent in November to 4.7 percent in December, while employers nationwide added 156,000 nonfarm payroll jobs. The national unemployment rate in December 2015 was 5 percent.
Lake County's civilian workforce totaled 29,260 individuals in December, down from 29,520 in November but improved from the 28,590 reported the previous year.
The number of unemployed Lake County residents totaled 1,980 in December, up from 1,950 in November but down from 2,230 reported the previous December, according to state data.
The Employment Development Department reported that all of Lake County's industries showed a cumulative 4.6 percent increase in jobs over the past year, with the “total farm” category having a 25-percent increase, the “total nonfarm” subcategory of mining, logging and construction showing a 30-percent increase and durable goods production a 33-percent increase.
Categories showing drops included wholesale trade, 13.3 percent, and nondurable goods, 12 percent, the data showed.
In a monthly comparison, most local job categories dropped during the typical December slowdown, with the only subcategories showing growth in Lake County being service providing, up by 0.1 percent, and durable goods, up by 14.3 percent.
Lake County's December unemployment rate ranked it No. 36 out of California's 58 counties. San Mateo had the lowest rate, 2.7 percent, while Colusa had the highest unemployment rate, 19.5 percent.
The Employment Development Department also reported that there were 367,944 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the December survey week, compared with
358,096 in November and 393,350 in December of last year.
In December, new claims for Unemployment Insurance were 52,953 in December, compared with 54,252 in November and 53,248 in December of last year, the agency said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's real estate market had a strong year in 2016, according to the latest report from the Lake County Association of Realtors.
The association, or LCAOR, reported that the median sales price of single family residences for Lake County rose from $208,500 in 2015 to $235,000 in 2016, a 12.7 percent gain.
The number of units selling in 2016 decreased by 1.7 percent, going from 874 units in 2015 to 859 units in 2016, LCAOR said.
The report said the 2015 median sales price showed a 23.4-percent increase over the 2014 median of $169,000, suggesting that market gains are leveling off.
In 2006 the median sales price in Lake County peeked at $310,000 before falling to a low of $107,000 in 2011 during the great recession, LCAOR said. Since 2011 the median sales price has increased in each of the subsequent years.
Distressed property sales accounted for 10.6 percent of the 2016 sales, down from 14.6 percent of the sales in 2015, the association said. While this number has been on the decrease over the last few years the percentage is still high when compared to the statewide median. In 2011 more than 72 percent of the single family residential sales were considered distressed.
On a year-to-year basis, financing of property sales remained relatively the same, according to the association.
In 2016, 30.5 percent of the sales were financed with cash and, in 2015, 32.2 percent of the transactions were cash financed, LCAOR reported.
LCAOR said conventional loans were used in 36.4 percent of the 2016 deals and 36.2 percent of the 2015 deals. FHA loan financing was used in 15.4 percent of the sales up from 11.4 percent in 2015.
Land sales in the county had a total dollar sales volume of $20.8 million on 310 sales, which the association said was up from 2015 land sales of $17.3 million and 233 sales.
Over the last 11 years, 2006 had the highest volume and number of sales, with $53.2 million and 563 sales recorded, the association said.
The dollar volume for reported commercial sales in 2016 was $18.6 million, up from $8.5 million in 2015. LCAOR said the number of sales in 2016 was 29 compared to 23 sales in 2015. There were six transactions that were above the $1M in 2016 compared to one in 2015.
LCAOR President Bobby Dutcher said 2016 was an excellent year for Lake County real estate values.
“The market performed well on all levels, residential, land and commercial. Lake County continues to offer a more relaxed lifestyle than many other areas in the state and that is attractive to potential buyers,” Dutcher said.
The California Association of Realtors is forecasting a 4.6-percent increase in the statewide median sales prices in 2017, which would be down from an estimated 6.2 percent gain in 2016.
The California housing market continues to be constrained by a number of factors most notably housing affordability and the lack of new housing starts, the association said.
LAKE COUNTY NUMBERS AT A GLANCE
Single family residential sales
Median price: $235,000
Median days to sell: 79
Units sold: 859
Single family residential sales 2015
Median price: $208,500
Median days to sell: 87
Units sold: 874
Land sales
Sales dollar volume: $20.8 million
Median days to sell: 111
Units sold: 310
Land sales
Sales dollar volume: $17.3 million
Median days to sell: 146
Units sold: 233
Commercial sales
Sales dollar volume: $18.6 million
Median days to sell: 241
Units sold: 29
Commercial sales 2015
Sales dollar volume: $8.5 million
Median days to sell: 183
Units sold: 23