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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Election day is past, but there is still a lot of work ahead for the Registrar of Voters Office in order to finalize ballot counts and certify the election.
Each election day usually ends with a preliminary count and thousands of vote-by-mail – or absentee – and provisional ballots that still need to be processed and counted.
That's the case again this year.
Early Wednesday morning, Lake County Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley and her staff were working on absentee ballot processing, which had begun in late October with absentee ballots that were returned early.
Fridley's preliminary ballot count issued early Wednesday included 6,587 absentees and 6,897 precinct ballots, but those numbers don't accurately reflect the total turnout, the initial estimate of which is 38.9 percent.
In the weeks ahead, the turnout should change significantly, as presidential election turnouts in Lake County have been much higher – 73.6 percent in 2008, 67.8 percent in 2012, according to Registrar's records.
After the initial preliminary count of precincts and absentees, Fridley tallied another 6,937 absentee ballots that had been turned in to her office but remained to be processed and counted.
In addition to those absentees, there were still thousands more that at that point hadn't yet been counted. They were contained in dozens of cases that were in two large stacks at the back of the room where Fridley's staff was working on the count.
Also in those stacks were cases of provisional ballots that hadn't yet been counted, Fridley said.
The majority of Lake County's registered voters have over the last several years gravitated toward voting by mail.
While some voters have been moved to vote-by-mail because they no longer have a physical precinct, Fridley believes the overall shift is largely an issue of convenience.
On election night, Fridley told Lake County News that she believed her office had issued the most vote-by-mail ballots that it has in its history in this election, and as a result received the largest-ever return of absentees.
The California Secretary of State's Office said voting by mail also has increased significantly statewide.
State records showed that in the 2000 presidential primary, 23.38 percent of Californians voted absentee, while the June presidential primary saw 58.92 percent voting by mail.
Absentee ballots must either be turned in at the polls or to Fridley's office, or mailed on or before election day, meaning that ballots can still be arriving up to three days later, the Secretary of State's Office reported.
To process vote-by-mail ballots, Fridley's staff has to go through a number of steps, including confirming the voter's registrations status and verifying their signature on the ballot envelope, and making sure that the person didn't vote elsewhere.
There also are the specific issues that can arise with vote-by-mail ballots, such as those encountered by Fridley and her staff Tuesday night when working to issue the first count of the evening, which was the initial tally of absentees.
Fridley said they had problems with ballots that were creased, torn, folded or otherwise damaged that made them difficult to process through the vote tabulation machine.
The Registrar of Voters Office now has a month to finish processing the uncounted absentee and provisional ballots as part of the official canvass and the work to certify the election.
Until that work is done, the results of the local races won't be final.
That's important to remember in close races such as those for seats on the city councils for Clearlake and Lakeport, where in some cases only a few dozen ballots separate the finishers; in the close race between Jose “Moke” Simon III and Monica Rosenthal for the District 1 supervisorial seat, in which Simon leads by approximately 113 votes; and the final results of Measure V, Clearlake's specific road sales tax, which requires a two-thirds supermajority and so far has cleared that requirement by a slim margin of six-tenths of a percentage point.
The Secretary of State's Office reported that elections officials have 28 days to report the final results for presidential races and 30 days to report the final results of all other contests. This year, those dates fall on Dec. 6 and Dec. 9, respectively.
The Secretary of State Office reported that it will certify the results for presidential electors to the governor by Dec. 10, with all other state contests to be certified by Dec. 16.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre su agua potable. Traduzcalo 0 hable
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Westgate Petroleum Company Failed to Complete Follow up Testing for Bacteria
Our water system failed to test our water for bacteria in September 2016, as required by the California Code of Regulations. Although this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we did to correct the situation. Please share this information with other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly. You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or giving out copies by hand or mail.
What should I do?
You do not need to take any corrective actions at this time. This is not an emergency. If you have health concerns, you may wish to consult your doctor. General guidelines on regulated contaminants in drinking water are available from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.
What happened?
We are required by state regulations to monitor our drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of this routine monitoring are an indicator of whether or not the drinking water meets health standards. During September 2016, a water sample tested positive for total Coliform Bacteria. We did not complete all required follow up testing for bacteria after we received a positive result. Therefore we could not be sure of the bacteriological quality of the drinking water between September 13 and October 13. After all required water quality tests were performed during the October monthly tests NO total Coliform Bacteria were present indicating we are sure of the bacteriological quality of the drinking water now.
What does this mean?
Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, bacteria may be present. Coliform bacteria indicate the possibility of potential contamination and may originate from human, animal, or soil sources. If the coliform standards are met, the water served can be considered safe from bacteria. If they are not met, drinking the water may not necessarily result in illness, but that possibility exists. Routine and follow up sampling are important to periodically verify the safety of the water. OUR failure to Conduct all required follow up testing for bacteria September 2016 was a violation of Section 64424, Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR).
What corrective actions have been taken by the Westgate Petroleum Company to prevent this violation from occurring in the future?
Water Samples will be taken during the first week of the month, the chain of Custody document will be recorded and linked to the sample results report making sure the results are received before the middle of the month. If a positive result is issued we will follow the procedure in the Bacteriological Sample plan.
This notification of the public is being done in compliance with Sections 64463.4 and 64465.
Title 22 of the CCR as a means of keeping the public informed.
Persons wishing more information should contact: Duane Phelps, 9453 Diamond Dust Trail, Kelseyville, CA 95451 408-497-2487
Upland game hunters statewide are gearing up for the opportunity to bag their Thanksgiving dinner, as California’s 2016 general fall wild turkey hunting season opens statewide on Saturday, Nov. 12.
The season extends through Sunday, Dec. 11, with a bag limit of one turkey (either sex) per day and no more than two per season.
“Turkey populations are doing very well in many areas of the state despite recent drought years,” said Scott Gardner, manager of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Upland Game Program. “Not only are they plentiful, but they’re also a very healthy alternative to store-bought turkey. Wild turkey meat is low in fat and has no additives. You can’t get much healthier than that.”
Wild turkeys are found in most counties in California, with the top five for fall harvest being Placer, El Dorado, Shasta, Sonoma and Tehama. Both a hunting license and upland game bird stamp are required to hunt turkeys, although an upland stamp is not required for hunters with junior licenses.
Rio Grande turkeys are the most widespread wild turkey subspecies in California, occupying much of the mixed oak and pine woodlands of the coast ranges, Central Valley, Sierra Nevada and Cascade foothills. Merriam’s turkeys can be found in habitats dominated by pines in northeastern California.
The eastern subspecies can be found in isolated pockets along the northern coast and eastern/Rio Grande hybrids from the Midwest inhabit areas along the south coast.
Today, California’s wild turkey population is estimated at about 250,000 birds. CDFW estimates that about 10,000 turkeys are harvested by about 20,000 hunters in the fall.
As of July 1, 2016, nonlead shot is required for wild turkeys statewide, unless taken on the grounds of a licensed game bird club. For more information, please see the CDFW nonlead ammunition page.
Many populations range on private land, but turkeys can be found on public lands administered by CDFW, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. A list of state wildlife areas and ecological reserves can be found on the CDFW Web site.
For places to hunt turkeys and additional tips and information, hunters should refer to the “Guide to Hunting Wild Turkeys in California” on CDFW’s upland game hunting Web page.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The community is invited to join local veterans in Lake County's annual Veterans Day celebration on Friday, Nov. 11.
The commemoration takes place beginning at 11 a.m. at Konocti Vista Casino, 2755 Mission Rancheria Road, in Lakeport.
The annual event features guest speakers, and the presentation of awards to local veterans and those who support them.
Also featured is the Military Funeral Honors Team, which provides a rifle volley and the playing of “Taps.” The dedicated group has carried out the solemnities at hundreds of veterans' funerals.
Beginning at noon, after the ceremony, the casino will serve complimentary lunch and beverages while supplies last, and provide entertainment and awards.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Walt Campbell will be the featured speaker at the Lake County Historical Society Thanksgiving dinner meeting on Saturday, Nov. 20, and the public is invited to attend.
The meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. at the Lakeport Senior Center and the turkey dinner with all the trimmings will be served at 2 p.m. The senior center is located at 527 Konocti Ave. in Lakeport.
Campbell retired as principal at Coyote Valley Elementary School after serving 11 years there and then moved to Six Sigma Ranch &Winery.
He was the first speaker in the Gibson Museum and Cultural Center’s Fireside Chat series earlier this year. Campbell’s reputation as an entertaining speaker precedes him.
Dinner tickets for Lake County Historical Society members are $15 and for guests are $18; tickets for children 12 and under are $5.
Reservations are encouraged, but tickets will also be sold at the door. The deadline for reservations is Nov. 11.
For more information about the dinner contact Bonnie Skee at 707-262-1432 or Jackie Ridgel at 707-279-4062.
For more information about the meeting or the Lake County Historical Society contact Voris Brumfield at 707-295-7174.
The group's Web site is www.lakecountyhistory.org displays details about the society’s programs and projects around Lake County.
To reach the Lakeport Senior Center, take Highway 29 to the Lakeport Boulevard-Todd Road exit. Turn east on Lakeport Boulevard, heading toward the lake. Turn left on either Larrecou Lane or South Forbes Street, then turn onto Konocti Avenue. The senior center is between South Forbes Street and Larrecou Lane.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Ten community leaders attended the final session of the AgVenture 2016 program on Nov. 4.
This session marked the close of the seventh year of the AgVenture program.
Created by the Lake County Chapter of the California Women for Agriculture, AgVenture is an agricultural educational program devised for non-farming community leaders who aspire to understand the vital role that agriculture plays in Lake County.
Session four showcased Lake County olives production and farm labor issues.
Class members learned about olive oil production from Emilio dela Cruz and toured the Chacewater Olive Mill and olive orchards.
Cecilia Chi-Ham, PhD of HM Clause gave a presentation of the role of science and technology in agricultural production.
Class members heard about labor issues framed in policy and practical perspectives from Bryan Little from the Farm Employers Labor Service and David Weiss of Bella Vista Farming Co.
The session culminated in a farm labor panel consisting of local farm workers facilitated by local pear farmer Diane Henderson. The panelists were Octavio Jimenez and Jesus Flores of Scully Packing Co. and Jesus Martinez from Bella Vista Farming Co.
“This program has shown that Lake County has an impact on the country and the world and we have to start thinking like that,” Bob Massarelli, Lake County Community Development director and 2016 class member remarked upon graduating from the AgVenture program.
“This program demonstrates that today’s farmers not only have to be competent businesspeople to navigate producing and marketing products in an ever-changing global market and regulatory climate, but they must also appreciate and utilize science, technology and a bit of good luck in order to be successful,” said Brenna Sullivan, executive director of the Lake County Farm Bureau and 2016’s AgVenture coordinator.
Graduates of the 2016 class included: Robert Massarelli, Lake County Community Development director; Katherine “Kat” McDowell, real estate broker, Real Estate Alliance and Lease; Andy Lucas, business representative, Community Development; Will Evans, deputy Water Resources director, county of Lake; Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, property management, community mitigation and consulting; Roberta Lyons, conservation chair, Redbud Audubon Society; Morgen Wells, public relations and philanthropy, Sutter Lakeside Hospital; Brian Martin, sheriff, county of Lake; Mark Melendez, agricultural biologist, county of Lake; Courtney Van Leuven, adjunct agricultural instructor, Lake County Campus of Woodland College; and Victoria Brandon of the Lake County Sierra Club.
Class members are selected yearly through an application process. Selection into the program is based on the applicant’s interest in the program, their professional position in the community and their ability to help maintain a viable agricultural industry in Lake County. Program acceptance is competitive.
Generous sponsors for the 2016 series of seminars included: Lake County Winegrape Commission, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Umpqua Bank, Beckstoffer Vineyards, Scully Packing, American AgCredit, Lake County Farm Bureau, Bella Vista Farming, Weed Tech, Rainbow Ag, Wilda Shock, Monica Rosenthal, Kenny Parlet, Lisa Wilson, Mary O’Meara and Lois Suchan, Gregory Graham Winery, Lake County Winery Association, Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon Restaurant, Chacewater Wine & Olive Oil Co. and Boatique Winery.
The AgVenture program Steering Committee, all CWA members, are Annette Hopkins, Paula Bryant, Toni Scully, Diane Henderson, Terry Dereniuk, Debra Sommerfield, Sharron Zoller and Brenna Sullivan.