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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Helen Elizabeth Szymczak, née Obernesser, was born on Jan. 7, 1924 in Utica, New York, and died Nov. 17, 2016, in Lakeport.
She was baptized at St. Agnes Parish and was the youngest of Albert and Jessie (McBride) Obernesser's six children, all of whom are now deceased. There were four boys – John, Eddie, Al and Phil – along with two girls, Gertrude (Boden) and Elizabeth.
After completing high school at St. Francis De Sales in Utica she attended St. Elizabeth's School for Nursing and graduated as an RN in 1945.
While serving as a public health nurse assigned to home care for returning disabled soldiers she met Rudolph Szymczak in Utica. On Sept. 30, 1947, they were married at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. They honeymooned along Route 66 as they made a transcontinental journey from New York to San Bernardino, Calif. – their new home.
At Holy Rosary Parish in San Bernardino they raised their four sons, Rudy, Steve, Matt and Ernie, all of whom survive her. From these she has 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She and Rudolph had a total of 32 nieces and nephews.
In 1972, two years after Rudolph died, she moved to Sebastopol, Calif., and joined St. Sebastian Parish. In 2004 she moved to Lakeport and St. Mary Immaculate Parish.
Elizabeth's faith has allowed her to overcome significant adversity in her life as well as to guide her to live a loving and caring life during which she has shown an abundance of mercy and forgiveness. A world filled with people of her ilk would truly be heaven on earth.
Her faith has now led her to a place beyond all human comprehension. For eternity she will reap the reward for having lived such a good and sacrificial life. The Light of Christ will forever shine upon her and fill her with heavenly joy. Her example will continue to guide her family and the families of those who knew her so that they too may share in God's eternal home.
Visitation will be held at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary on Sunday, Nov. 20, from 3 to 4 p.m., with Rosary at 4 p.m.
Funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church on Monday, Nov. 21, at 11 a.m.
Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Joan Lila Lininger was born Oct. 19, 1930, in San Francisco to parents Benjamin Franklin Randrup and Ann Lillian Robinette.
A beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she passed away on Nov. 9, 2016, in Livermore, Calif.
She and her beloved husband, Bob Lininger, enjoyed a wonderful and rewarding life in Lakeport for 40 years, raising their four daughters, running the Scotts Valley Nursery and working as Realtors.
She loved her family above all else, and will be remembered for her warm heart, sense of humor and deep devotion to her loved ones.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 67 years, Bob, and is survived by her four daughters, Franki Lininger, JoEllyn (John) Kunz, Karla (Mike) Haskell and Luanne (Rik) Hayes; 20 grandchildren; and 45 great-grandchildren.
She was universally adored and will be missed with the whole hearts of her family and friends.
A community memorial service is being planned for early 2017.
Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Wilbur J. Wade passed away on Nov. 13, 2016, at the age of 87 in Lakeport.
He lead a very busy and eventful life. Wil was a Korean War veteran serving in the U.S. Army. After being discharged he worked for the Union Lumber Co. in Fort Bragg.
Wilbur married the love of his life, Blossom Hellgren, on Dec. 12, 1953.
He went on to join the California Division of Forestry in the 1950s where he spent a 30-plus year career. He held positions of fire equipment operator, crew foreman, assistant superintendent at Parlin Fork Conservation Camp, camp superintendent in Tulare County, State Forest Ranger II at Ben Lomond CYA camp, and State Forest Ranger II at Washington Ridge Camp in Nevada County.
He retired from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in 1985 as assistant chief of manpower in the Conservation Camp program at Sacramento headquarters.
During this time Wilbur and his wife Blossom were active in the Masonic Lodge and Eastern Star. He was a member of Mendocino Masonic Lodge No. 179. Together they traveled the state and also built a home in Mendocino. Wilbur and Blossom moved to the family ranch in Upper Lake and enjoyed many happy years there.
Wilbur is survived by his loving wife of almost 63 years, Blossom; his daughter, Vickie (David); son, Martin (Lynda); brother, Delbert; and sisters, Nancy and Mary.
He enjoyed his grandchildren, Tina (Chris), Roberta (Tim), Neil (Vickie), Brian (Mallory), Russell (Jessica), Jared and Lyndsay. His great-grandchildren are Kimberly, Matthew, Scott, Lucas, Mason, Emma and Cody. Wil also enjoyed many loving nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Virgil and Eva of Upper Lake, and his sisters, Betty and June.
A memorial service will be held at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 1625 High St., Lakeport, on Saturday, Nov. 26, at 11 a.m. A celebration of life will follow with details available at the service.
Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .
For nine consecutive years, Californians have shown increased enthusiasm for holiday travel and this year is no exception, as more than 5.8 million Californians are predicted to travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving holiday celebration.
This represents a slight increase of 3.1 percent when compared to last year’s figures.
“This ongoing travel trend is spurred by improvements in the economy, increased consumer spending, and overall strength in consumer confidence,” said AAA Northern California spokesperson Cynthia Harris. “Californians are eager to travel and turn this four-day weekend into the most traveled holiday in the past nine years.”
According to AAA, car travel will lead the way with more than 5 million Californians projected to drive during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. This represents a 3.4 percent increase when compared to last year’s figures.
AAA projects that more than 626,000 holiday travelers will fly, which is an increase of 1.6 percent when compared to 2015.
More than 192,000 state residents are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, such as boats or trains, an increase of 1.1 percent when compared to last year’s figures.
Nationally, AAA forecasts that more than 48 million people will travel 50 miles or more during the four-day weekend, a 1.9 percent increase compared to last year’s travel statistics.
The AAA Leisure Travel Index reports that prices at AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to remain relatively flat, with an average price of $155 per night.
This Thanksgiving weekend, airfares will increase by 21 percent, landing at an average of $205 roundtrip across the top 40 domestic flight routes, according to the AAA Leisure Travel Index.
Car rental rates will average $52 for the holiday weekend, down 13 percent from last year. The expected primary activities this holiday weekend will be dining, shopping and visiting family and friends.
According to www.AAA.com bookings, this year’s top destinations for Thanksgiving getaways include many popular west coast cities.
The most popular destinations are:
· Las Vegas;
· San Francisco;
· San Diego;
· Orlando;
· New York City.
With automobile travel accounting for more than 89 percent of all travel during the Thanksgiving holiday, AAA expects to come to the rescue of more than 370,000 motorists over the four-day weekend, with the primary reasons for breakdowns being dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts.
AAA recommends motorists check battery and tire condition and prepare vehicles for winter driving before heading out on a holiday getaway.
Battery and charging system: Have the battery and charging system tested by a trained technician. A fully charged battery in good condition is required to start an engine in cold weather. AAA members can request a visit from a AAA Mobile Battery Service technician who will test their battery and replace it on-site, if necessary. AAA Approved Auto Repair and AAA Car Care Plus shops can also test and replace weak batteries.
Battery cables and terminals: Make sure the battery terminals and cable ends are free from corrosion and connections are tight.
Drive belts: Inspect the underside of accessory drive belts for cracks or fraying. Many newer multi-rib “serpentine” belts are made of materials that do not show obvious signs of wear; replace these belts at 60,000-mile intervals.
Engine hoses: Inspect cooling system hoses for leaks, cracks or loose clamps. Also, squeeze the hoses and replace any that are brittle or feel excessively “spongy.”
Tire type and tread: In areas with heavy winter weather, installing snow tires on all four wheels will provide the best winter traction. All-season tires work well in light-to -moderate snow conditions provided they have adequate tread depth. Replace any tire that has less than 3/32inches of tread. Uneven tire wear can indicate problems with alignment, wheel balance or suspension—all of which must be addressed to prevent further tire damage.
Tire pressure: Check tire inflation pressure on all four tires and the spare more frequently in fall and winter. As the average temperature drops, so will tire pressures – typically by one PSI for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The proper tire pressure levels can be found in the owner’s manual or on a sticker often located on the driver’s side door.
Holiday travel projections are based on research conducted by IHS Global Insight. The Boston-based economic research and consulting firm teamed with AAA earlier this year as part of an agreement to jointly analyze travel trends during the major holidays.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg has presented the book “Lake County History A Mystical Adventure in Time” written by local author Gene Paleno to Kandice Goodman, librarian at Burns Valley Elementary School.
Paleno donated copies of his latest book to the Lake County Office of Education for every public elementary, middle and high school in Lake County.
“This book provides an opportunity for teachers to extend the curriculum by including Lake County history,” said Falkenberg.
Falkenberg is taking his time to personally deliver the books to the librarians and administrators at each school in the six school districts.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In response to a state appellate court ruling earlier this year, the Lake County Superior Court has moved forward with the process of modifying the sentences of two men convicted of a 2011 Clearlake shooting that killed a child and injured several others.
Late last month, Paul William Braden, 26, was in Lakeport for a resentencing while his co-defendant, Orlando Joseph Lopez Jr., 28, has not yet returned and may have to be ordered to do so by the court.
In 2012, Braden and Lopez were tried together but with different juries and found guilty of shooting into a crowd of people at a Clearlake apartment, killing 4-year-old Skyler Rapp, and wounding five others, including his mother and her boyfriend.
The separate juries found both Braden and Lopez guilty of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder, two counts of mayhem, six counts of assault with a firearm, a count of discharge of a firearm at an inhabited dwelling, and numerous special allegations for use of a firearm.
Calling the crime one of “the most callous and vicious and nonsensical” she'd ever dealt with, visiting Yolo County Judge Doris Shockley gave the men what local prosecutors believe to be among the longest sentences ever dispensed in the local courts.
Lopez receiving a 311-year sentence and Braden, who had a previous felony conviction, got an additional year for a total of 312 years.
In February, the First District Court of Appeal ordered that Braden and Lopez should either be retried on the first-degree murder charge or else have their convictions reduced to second-degree murder, with the two counts of mayhem stayed and the remaining counts upheld, as Lake County News has reported.
The reason for that ruling was due to a 2014 California Supreme Court decision, People v. Chiu.
Braden and Lopez successfully argued to the appellate court that their first-degree murder convictions had to be reversed “because the trial court’s instructions allowed the jurors to convict based on a theory that the premeditated murder was a natural and probable consequence of each appellant’s aiding and abetting of an assault with a firearm,” which is contrary to the Chiu ruling.
District Attorney Don Anderson, who personally prosecuted both men, said that in the 2012 trial's jury instructions, multiple theories for what drove the Rapp murder – aiding and abetting, natural probable consequences or a direct shooter – were offered.
He said that the Chiu decision requires that prosecutors must now give a specific theory of first-degree murder.
Although the Chiu ruling came two years after the Braden and Lopez trial, Anderson said it can be used retroactively.
Within weeks of the appellate decision, Anderson decided not to put the men on trial again for first-degree murder, noting there was nothing to gain by putting the family and witnesses through the lengthy process all over again. Instead, he chose to allow them to be resentenced for second-degree murder for Rapp's killing.
Anderson said that other recent changes to California law in the form of Proposition 57 will not impact the Braden and Lopez cases, because second-degree murder is a violent felony and therefore the new law doesn't apply.
Braden returns from state prison for resentencing
On Oct. 31, Braden appeared before Judge Andrew Blum for his sentence modification, Anderson said.
The changes to Braden's sentence from first-degree to second-degree murder bring it from a total of 312 years down to 248 years, Anderson said.
With neither Braden's nor Lopez's original attorneys being available – Braden's has left the county, Lopez's has died – new attorneys have been appointed to represent them in the latest proceedings.
Christina DiEdoardo said she was appointed to represent Braden, while Mitchell Hauptman now acts as counsel for Lopez.
“I was appointed very late in the game, originally for a very limited purpose,” DiEdoardo told Lake County News.
She said she was looking at doing a check of his DNA for further challenges to his sentence when the appellate court decision was handed down in February.
In March, Braden's and Lopez's appellate attorneys filed a petition for review of the case with the California Supreme Court, which denied that petition on May 25, according to court records. DiEdoardo said such denials from the state Supreme Court are common.
Braden was transported to Lake County this fall for the proceedings; DiEdoardo said she did not know where he was transported from or being housed.
Appellate court records indicated in the spring that, at that time, he was being housed in Kern Valley State Prison, located on 600 acres in Delano. A check of inmate records this week showed that Braden still resides there.
“In Mr. Braden's case, the modification is definitely appreciated. His sentence is pretty substantial,” DiEdoardo said.
DiEdoardo said Braden also has indicated that he will further challenge his sentence. “He's planning to continue to pursue federal remedies,” including federal habeas corpus, she said.
As for the basis of his plans for appeal, “He hasn't shared that with me because it's not relevant to what we're looking at here, but I know he wants to continue this proceeding,” said DiEdoardo.
DiEdoardo called the incident that led to Braden's prosecution “pretty horrific,” adding that from Braden's perspective, the sentence he's facing is likewise horrifying.
When Braden was sentenced in August 2012, he maintained his innocence, blamed his conviction on a jailhouse informant, blamed another man who had reached a plea agreement and testified against him and took issue with his then-attorney. When he used profanity in his statement to the court, he was upbraided by the judge who he then also criticized.
Shockley called him “cold and calculating” just as the victims had testified after giving him the 312-year sentence.
Court reschedules resentencing for Lopez
Still to receive his modified sentence is Lopez, whose case was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, also before Judge Blum.
Anderson told Lake County News that Lopez's sentence is to be modified from 311 years to 247 years.
Hauptman told the court during the brief hearing that Lopez previously had declined to be transported to Lake County for the resentencing.
The reason, said Hauptman, is that Lopez is now housed at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad, and doesn't want to leave there until it can be guaranteed that he will be transported back. Otherwise, he will lose his job, housing and other programming, and likely will be sent to another facility.
Lopez wanted Judge Blum to order that he be returned Soledad, but during the Tuesday hearing Blum said it was up to the state prison system – not him – to determine Lopez's housing.
Hauptman said he could write Lopez back and explain that, and the court could attempt to order him to appear.
“I ordered him here before,” said Blum.
Blum said county correctional officers had responded to Salinas Valley State Prison to transport Lopez back to Lake County, but he refused to come. The state prison officers said they would only physically remove Lopez if Blum signed what's called an “extraction order.”
“I got the impression he didn't want to be here,” Blum said.
Lopez has since indicated that he is now willing to return so he can see his family at the holidays, Hauptman said.
Hauptman asked for the court's indulgence to continue the matter one more time to allow him to again ask Lopez if he wanted to come to Lake County or would simply authorize Hauptman to appear on his behalf.
Blum noted that, while defendants generally have to be present for sentencing, in this situation, “the sentence is merely being modified somewhat” and to Lopez's favor, so he questioned if Lopez even needed to be there.
Hauptman said Lopez wanted to be present for the resentencing if he can be assured he will be returned to the same housing.
“To my knowledge, I cannot guarantee such a thing,” Blum said.
Because Lopez had shown interest in being present for the matter, Anderson asked Blum to issue an extraction order to stop further delays.
“I don't want to keep dragging this out either,” said Blum.
Hauptman said they had about 100 years to sort it out, then added he didn't want to be facetious. He suggested enforcing transport could result in a public safety issue.
Blum agreed to hold the matter over. Lopez, he said, “either wants to be here or he doesn't,” and added he was willing to proceed without Lopez if Lopez does not wish to be there. That's something he wouldn't normally do on a felony case, but he pointed out that it is a modification directed by the court of appeal.
Hauptman said he read Lopez's response so far as conditional on being able to return to the prison where he's now living. “He's not being a jerk about it,” said Hauptman, noting Lopez's polite and respectful tone in the letter, and adding it was a reasonable response for someone serving life in prison.
He asked for the matter to be held over until December, and Blum agreed. “You can tell him I cannot guarantee where he will be returned to. That is entirely up to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation,” said Blum.
The matter was continued until Dec. 6, with Blum ordering Lopez to be present.
“If he hasn't given something definitive at that time, I will order his extraction,” said Blum.
Email Elizabeth Larson at