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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Due to its potential health risks, federal, state and county agencies are urging swimmers, boaters and recreational users to avoid direct contact with or use of waters containing blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), now blooming in a reach of the Pit River arm of Shasta Lake, and in Lake Britton in Northern California.
Sampling has confirmed low concentrations of cyanobacteria (Anabaena spp.) and the associated toxin, Anatoxin-a, in the upper Pit River arm of Shasta Lake, in the Pit River at Big Bend, and near the State Park Boat Ramp at Lake Britton.
Recreational water users of the Pit River arm of Shasta Lake, and Lake Britton are urged to use caution and avoid getting in the water or letting dogs swim near these bloom areas.
Blue-green algae can pose health risks, particularly to children and pets. The affected area is approximately between the “No Ski” buoy markers near the middle arm and the buoys at the head of the Pit arm and in Lake Britton.
The bloom density is variable and wind and currents can move and concentrate the bloom. It is recommended that people and their pets avoid contact with water in locations with blooms, and avoid swallowing or inhaling water spray in an algal bloom area.
Although a bloom was not observed at Big Bend, Anatoxin-a levels in the water indicate the same cautionary measures are recommended along the lower Pit River between Lake Britton and Lake Shasta.
The algal bloom appears as bright green in the water with streaks that look like spilled paint. The blooms can also appear as blue-green, white or brown foam, scum or mats that can float on the water and accumulate along the shore.
Recreational exposure to toxic blue-green algae can cause eye irritation, allergic skin rash, mouth ulcers, vomiting, diarrhea, and cold and flu-like symptoms. Liver failure, nerve damage and death have occurred in rare situations where large amounts of contaminated water were directly ingested.
Pets can be especially susceptible since they tend to drink the water and lick their fur after going in the water.
The Statewide Guidance on Cyanobacteria and Harmful Algal Blooms recommends the following for blue-green algae impacted waters:
– Take care that pets and livestock do not drink the water, swim through algae, scums or mats, or lick their fur after going in the water. Rinse pets in clean water to remove algae from fur.
– Avoid wading, swimming, or jet or water skiing in water containing algae blooms or scums or mats.
– Do not drink, cook or wash dishes with untreated surface water from these areas under any circumstances; common water purification techniques (e.g., camping filters, tablets and boiling) do not remove toxins.
– People should not eat mussels or other bivalves collected from these areas. Limit or avoid eating fish from these areas; if fish are consumed, remove guts and liver, and rinse filets in clean drinking water.
– Get medical treatment immediately if you think that you, your pet, or livestock might have been poisoned by blue-green algae toxins. Be sure to alert the medical professional to the possible contact with blue-green algae.
For more information visit the following:
– California Department of Public Health: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/healthinfo/environhealth/water/Pages/Bluegreenalgae.aspx ;
– State Water Resources Control Board - California CyanoHAB Network: http://www.mywaterquality.ca.gov/monitoring_council/cyanohab_network/index.html ;
– California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, information on microcystin: http://oehha.ca.gov/ecotoxicology/general-info/information-microcystins ;
– US Environmental Protection Agency CyanoHAB Web site: https://www.epa.gov/nutrient-policy-data/cyanohabs ;
– US Environmental Protection Agency, Anatoxin-a report: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-06/documents/anatoxin-a-report-2015.pdf .
The Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce would like to thank everyone who came out to the 49th annual International Worm Races during the Lakeshore Lions Club’s Redbud Festival and Parade.
We would like to congratulate our winners: Amber Arthur, first place; Gian Fouche, second place; and Jazymyn Smith and James Zenca Wallman-Jordon, third place.
We would also like to thank Kevin Ness Jewelers for donating the trophies commemorating this year’s event; Foods, Etc. for donating gift cards for our winners; and Nott’s Liquor, for donating our wriggly worms.
Also, thank you to our worm master, Alvaro Valencia, and Angela Newfeld, for all her help during and after the races.
See you at the 50th annual International Worm Races next year!
Jo Bennett is president of the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce in Clearlake, Calif.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Art Center’s new “Art Talks” series will present wood sculptor Marcus Maria Jung on Saturday, July 30, at 6:30 p.m.
Jung was born in Germany, but has lived in California since 1998.
His art studio on Cobb Mountain perished in the Valley fire, but many of his pieces, created from our local forests, survived. Many new ones have been fashioned from the rubble.
Time magazine recently published an excellent article on “The Healing Power of Nature.” It discusses how walking in a forest, breathing its air and hearing the forest’s sounds is good for the human psyche. The article also mentions how beneficial it is even to simply view nature out one’s window.
Jung’s works, known as “Tree Souls,” have been polished to glistening beauty, enhancing their natural contours. But the true wonder is in touching them; one can feel their healing energy.
Holding a small piece induces a state of deep relaxation. The larger pieces are like totems, bringing the awe of nature into our space.
Jung recently returned his “Circle of Elders,” a Stonehenge-like tree installation that was originally created for the EcoArts Sculpture Walk, to Lake County. It was recently the focus of a sunset ceremony on a Malibu beach, hosted by a local gallery there.
He will also be screening his excellent photographs, discussing his artistic inspirations and influences, drawn from his travels around the world. In addition, he’ll discuss the development and refinement of his work processes.
Jung explained, “My sculptures and installations function as a reflection of our relationship with nature, and as a portal to connect to the physical and metaphysical world.”
Several “Tree Souls” sculptures are part of Middletown Art Center’s (MAC) current exhibit, “Multi Lingual.”
Visit the exhibit Fridays from noon to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. until Aug. 14.
Jung’s presentation will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 30. The suggested donation is $5. Light refreshments will be available.
MAC is an arts nonprofit made by and for community members. The “Art Talks” series will feature artists and aficionados presenting and speaking about painting, sculpture, photography, music, film and other media, detailing themes, techniques and influences.
The EcoArts Sculpture Walk is currently on view at the MAC Art Garden on the corner of Highways 29 and 175 and open dawn to dusk daily. Art Classes for all ages, in a variety of modalities and media are regularly offered. A two-week healing arts program, open and free to the public, will begin Aug. 8. Musical events happen bi-monthly on Friday evenings.
The Middletown Art Center is located at 21456 Highway 175.
Learn more about MAC at www.middletownartcenter.org , call 707-809-8118 or email
NICE, Calif. – A major Northshore businesses is under new ownership and management.
Grocer Larry Montgomery has sold Sentry Market to Mar-Val Food Stores, a Lodi-based company in operation since the 1950s.
Mar-Val Food Stores is owned by the Kidd and Rodacker families, who operate seven other grocery stores, primarily in Central Valley communities.
While a new name – Mar-Val Sentry Market – and management were in place by May, and the signage changed accordingly, Montgomery told Lake County News last week that the escrow, which was to have been complete on July 15, had not yet closed, but was expected to do so at any time.
Montgomery opened Sentry Market in May 1997.
He had worked his way up through the grocery business, beginning as a box boy with Safeway in 1960. Montgomery worked for Safeway for 18 years before striking out on his own, wanting to have his own store.
He would own several stores in Humboldt County and when he decided to open Sentry Market in Nice, he sold off all but one, a small grocery in Fortuna that he still owns.
When he first built Sentry, the area was farmland. Later, the WorldMark resort came in, with casinos arriving not long afterward, as well as a proliferation of wineries.
“I think the Northshore has really been cleaned up a lot through the years,” he said, noting Lucerne's fantastic park facilities.
Over the years, Montgomery has watched big technological advances take place in the grocery business.
Where once he had ordered stock with colored pencils and a handbook given weekly to a truck driver, the ordering system later began being routed through phone lines and is now online and interactive. “It's really changed,” Montgomery said.
Montgomery belonged to the Unified Grocers cooperative, to which Mar-Val also belongs. He said that after 56 years in the grocery business, “I felt it was time to just relax a little bit.”
He said the arrival last year on the Northshore of small box retailer Dollar General – which now has stores in Nice and Clearlake Oaks – didn't impact his business or influence his decision to sell.
“I'm not saying that it hasn't hurt businesses, but it hasn't hurt our business,” he said. “We just had more to offer than they do.”
He didn't advertise Sentry as being for sale, however, “I had a number of companies contact me asking me if I would consider selling.”
When he began to consider the possibility of selling to Mar-Val, he said he researched the company and visited some of their stores. While he had a better offer from another company, he ultimately went with Mar-Val. “I felt they were better suited for the community.”
Tyler Kidd, whose parents are among the Mar-Val owners, said they had known Montgomery for many years, and were aware of his involvement in the community. “And that's how we like to operate.”
He added, “Our niche is small markets, small community-minded stores.”
Like Montgomery, Mar-Val's owners supports communities, high schools and clubs, Kidd said. “It was just the perfect opportunity. It fit our plan.”
Casey Rodacker, another of Mar-Val's co-owners, said they already are implementing changes, including lowering thousands of prices, adding Harris Ranch beef, Clover Stornetta and Crystal dairy products, and $5 Mondays, where they will offer discounts on selected items.
They're also planning to expand natural and organic products, and the store's overall variety, Rodacker said.
Kidd and Rodacker said they plan to roll out the addition of the store's community card, which puts 1 to 3 percent of purchases toward nonprofits. Rodacker said they gave out $68,000 to nonprofits in 2015, and $250,000 since 2012.
That card is expected to be added soon, at which point organizations will be able to come in and sign up, Rodacker said.
In addition, they offer several $1,000 scholarships annually to high school seniors or young people currently enrolled in college. Applications will open for those in the spring, Rodacker said.
Rodacker said customers are giving good feedback about the changes. He said Montgomery had a great store and they're just putting their touch on it. “We don't want to shake it up too much.”
As for employees, Rodacker said they offered every one of Montgomery's employees a position. Some did decline.
Store Manager Jeremy Dodson, a longtime Mar-Val employee, estimated there currently are about 50 staff at the store, and they are open to new applicants, particularly for the deli, bakery and front end cashiers. People interested in applying can come in and get an application and ask for Dodson.
Longtime Sentry employee Kathryn Cole said she felt the timing for the sale was right. “I think the changeover was good.”
In selling, Cole said Montgomery “looked for someone he thought would be a family business just like him, so I think that was important.”
Cole, who has worked for the market for 16 years, said it took about a month to settle into the changes, with one of the challenges being the training of new employees.
She said the store needed “an uplift,” and that's what it's getting.
“The response on the store is really good, I think,” she said, noting Mar-Val also is very customer service oriented.
Montgomery said he and wife, Fran, miss the people at the store the most. “We really had a good group of people working for us.”
He said he hasn't really had enough time to sit back and say he's enjoying not going back to the store every day.
Montgomery, who lives in Lakeport, still has his Humboldt County grocery store, as well as another project – the former Sons of Italy building just down the road from Sentry.
He purchased that building in October 2014 and is still in the process of upgrading it for use as an events center. Montgomery said he's in the process of getting bids to pave the parking lot for the facility, which people can rent for weddings and other special events.
He and his wife plan to do some traveling, including to the East Coast, but intend to continue to make their home in Lakeport.
“We love Lake County,” he said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
COBB, Calif. – The next Valley Fire Long-Term Recovery Task Force meeting will be held on Thursday, July 28.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at Cobb Elementary School, located at 15895 Highway 175.
It is open to all members of the public.
Lake County Administrative Officer, Carol Huchingson reported that the task force meetings will continue to be scheduled on an "as needed" basis to ensure the county recovery team can be responsive to Valley fire survivors.
The format of the meetings will change slightly, effective with the upcoming meeting, in that a brief written status update on all aspects of county recovery activities will be available for the public to pick up, and the meeting will simply be opened up for questions and answers between the public and the various recovery branch directors.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – At its latest meeting the Lakeport Planning Commission approved a home project on the lakeshore and a temporary building on the grounds of Lake County Tribal Health.
Following a lengthy discussion at its July 13 meeting, the commission approved James and Cindy Shuell's application for a shoreline development permit, use permit and fence permit to build a home on a half-acre property at 2468 Lakeshore Blvd.
Associate Planner Dan Chance said the parcel has a fence, seawalls and ramps, but no primary structure. It's zoned resort high density residential.
In the 1980s the property hosted a boat rental business and there was an application for the property to operate seaplanes there. The planning commission approved a fence there in 2012, he said.
Chance said the Shuells were in the process of renovating a dock and pier when the project was brought to the city's attention. The county of Lake had approved the project as it pertained to the lake but it needed to be approved by the city because the dock and pier are accessory uses.
Part of the project is a new single family home, which is inconsistent with the current zoning and so would require a shoreline development permit, the sole purpose of which is to protect rare and endangered species, Chance said.
The Shuells' original plan had portions of the home and deck extending over Clear Lake, which had been a point of concern for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife – specifically as it related to the Clear Lake hitch – and the county, Chance said.
As a result, Chance said the Shuells revised the plan, which satisfied the state. He said the county hadn't responded to the plan revisions.
Chance said a majority of the property is underwater, with only a sliver of land that's developable. That area doesn't lend itself to a high density residential or resort development, with Chance adding that the property's highest and best use is probably a single family home.
The Shuells had wanted to keep a 6-foot fence approved by the commission in September 2012, but staff had concerns about visibility.
A compromise was reached in which the fence would be converted from a solid, 6-foot-tall wood structure to three feet of wood and three feet of hog wire, Chance said. They also will put in curb, gutter and sidewalk per city standards.
During the brief public hearing, the Shuells thanked staff for the help in working on the project, and said they agreed to the city's conditions in moving forward, including the change to the fence.
Commission Chair Ken Wicks Jr. suggested the area where the property is located needs to have its zoning cleaned up because it is currently convoluted.
The commission voted to approve the project with conditions including the upgraded plan for the fence, which is to have two electric openings and no foliage on it.
The commission also approved a request from Steven Rugg of Lake County Tribal Health for a minor architectural and design review for a temporary trailer to be located in the rear of the facility's main building at 925 Bevins Court for a period not to exceed three years.
Chance said the trailer had been placed without permits and reported to the city as a violation.
The trailer is being used as an office for a pilot program for senior injury prevention. Rugg said staff help seniors make their homes more accessible and safer.
According to the discussion, the trailer is anticipated to have four to five office personnel working there.
Rugg apologized, took responsibility for the trailer's placement and said he had placed it where a former “job shack” building had been located, explaining it hadn't occurred to him that a permit would be needed. He said the organization is now working on a master plan.
Community Development Director Kevin Ingram said, from an economic development standpoint, staff believes it's important for the city to be flexible, noting that Tribal Health serves an important community function.
While not ideal to have the temporary buildings, it is allowing Tribal Health to see what works best in its effort to serve the community, Ingram said.
He added that any master plan the organization comes up with will come back to the commission.
The commission approved the project 5-0.
The commission next meets on Aug. 10.
Email Elizabeth Larson at