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HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The Hidden Valley Lake Men's Niners golf club held a stroke play tournament on the back nine at HVL Golf Course on April 28.
The results were as follows:
– First flight winners: first place, Dennis Bero, net 29; second place, Scott McAllister, 31; third place, Fred Figg, 32.
– Second flight: first place, Paul Peterson, 32; second place, Mike Higman, 33; third place, Bill Surber, 35.
– Third flight: first place, Carl Dennis, 31; second place, Ed Brooks, 34; third place, Doug Carter, 36.
Dennis Bero and Fred Figg were closest to the par three pins. Jim Dovark and Joe Vallee had chip-ins.
Thirty-six golfers participated.
Early each spring, Nebraska hosts, along a section of the Platte River, several hundred thousand sandhill cranes. It's something I wish everyone could see.
Don Welch, one of the state's finest poets, lives under the flyway, and here's his take on the migration.
His most recent book is “Gnomes” (Stephen F. Austin State Univ. Press, 2013).
With Spring In Our Flesh
With spring in our flesh
the cranes come back,
funneling into a north
cold and black.
And we go out to them,
go out into the town,
welcoming them with shouts,
asking them down.
The winter flies away
when the cranes cross.
It falls into the north,
homeward and lost.
Let no one call it back
when the cranes fly,
silver birds, red-capped,
down the long sky.
American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They do not accept unsolicited submissions. Poem copyright ©2015 by Don Welch, “With Spring In Our Flesh.” Poem reprinted by permission of Don Welch. Introduction copyright © 2016 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Hundreds of people attended a Saturday memorial service that honored the life of a Lake County Sheriff's deputy.
The hour-and-a-half-long service for Deputy Jacob Steely at Don Owens Stadium in Lakeport drew law enforcement and fire agencies from around Northern California.
Steely, a husband and father of five, was in law enforcement for nine years, beginning with the Lakeport Police Department and joining the Lake County Sheriff's Office in early 2010, according to local officials.
On April 18, just eight days after his 39th birthday, Steely was with his family at Mendocino Headlands State Park when, for reasons that are still not entirely clear, he and his 11-year-old son went into the ocean.
Accounts of the incident indicated he was trying to save his son when he was mortally injured – possibly by waves that caused him to hit the rocks. He would be taken to Enloe Hospital in Chico, where he died April 21.
At the noon service, a law enforcement procession of California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers and Lake County Sheriff's Office personnel escorted a limousine with Steely's wife, Lynda, and their children to the field.
After them came a horse-drawn hearse that bore the urn with Steely's cremains, which was placed on a table before the stage, with a bagpiper playing at the beginning of the ceremony.
On Saturday, the emphasis was on his service to the community and his love for people – not just the family, friends and colleagues that were key to his life, but also for the people he encountered in the course of his challenging daily work.
Steely's friend and colleague, Gary Frace, read a poem that he said Steely shared with him, and explained that Steely was his pal and part of his tribe.
Next, Sheriff Brian Martin came to the podium. He thanked Steely's family for allowing him to serve this community. “Having a law enforcement officer in the family is no easy task,” he said, voicing his gratitude for both Steely's service and his family's support.
Martin said the Lake County law enforcement community is a closely knit one, with police officers and deputies often working closely together on the streets.
It was while Martin was a new sergeant that he first met Steely, who physically was a powerful and towering figure. “My first thought when I saw him was, 'I'm really glad that guy is on our side,'” a sentiment that would evolve into, “I'm really proud that guy is on our side.”
Martin said Steely also was a compassionate and kind-hearted person, who treated everyone with respect, even when they weren't respectful of him. He often took time to counsel people who, Martin said, had never had a person in a position of authority take the time to address them as a human being.
Steely was a loving and involved father and a devoted husband who had a true partnership with his wife, Martin said.
“He was the guy who many of us tried to emulate,” and also was a person who would encourage others when they were down, said Martin.
Steely's longtime friend Tim Wynacht was the main speaker during the service, discussing both serious and comical recollections of his friend, as well as the toll his death has taken on his family and the local law enforcement community.
Wynacht recalled Steely's struggles to deal with hurt and lack of hope in the face of the problems he faced during his job. “Everything that's broken is your life,” Wynacht said, summing up the stresses of the profession.
However, he said Steely had attended a seminar that helped him restore his hope and enthusiasm, and at that time he wrote his own obituary, which Lake County published this past week.
In the obituary, Steely wrote that he “lived a life worth living,” found purpose with his wife and children, and “embraced life without grudges or resentment.”
Wynacht urged those who knew and loved Steely to not struggle with the question of why he only had 39 years, but to reframe it, and instead view him as a “39-year gift.”
As the ceremony concluded, there was a three-rifle volley and the playing of “Taps,” by the Lake County Military Funeral Honors Team.
There also was a flyover by a helicopter with a long line and harness underneath it that's used for dropping deputies into remote areas for operations, an activity that Steely enjoyed, it was reported.
A Lake County Sheriff's honor guard folded an American flag which was given to Martin, who along with Undersheriff Chris Macedo presented it to Steely's widow.
Helping to make the event possible was assistance from neighboring law enforcement agencies such as the sheriff's offices of Mendocino and Sonoma counties, who sent personnel to cover patrol and dispatch.
Among those helping to cover shifts on Saturday was Mendocino County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Wristen.
Wristen was the first on the scene on the morning of April 18 after the water rescue of Steely and his son was dispatched at Mendocino Headlands State Park. He told Lake County News that he heard the volunteer fire department was dispatched to the area and he responded, too.
When he arrived, a family member of Steely's told Wristen that Steely and his son were in the water. Wristen said he got an inflatable throw stick from his vehicle and ran down to the bluffs to help.
Since Wristen had recently had shoulder surgery, he had one of Steely's sons throw the flotation device, which they were able to get to the boy. Firefighters later pulled Steely himself from the water and lifeflighted him to Chico.
Wristen, whose brother Matthew was a Lake County Sheriff's deputy from 2000 to 2008, said he was glad that he had been there to assist Steely's family. “I wish I could have done more.”
He added of his service on Saturday, “I'm happy to be able to continue to assist.”
A full video of the service can be seen above, with a photo gallery of the event posted below.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Thelma Dangel, a longtime resident of Soda Bay in Lake County, Calif., passed away on April 13, 2016, due to natural causes.
She left us in comfort and peace just shy of her 91st birthday.
Thelma was born to Norwegian immigrants John and Clara Johnsen and raised in Oakland, Calif., graduating from Fremont High School in the class of 1942.
Soon after, she met Bob, the love of her life, through a Nordic folk dancing group and they were married in 1943.
After Bob returned from the War in the Pacific, they settled in the Oakland hills and raised their two children, Gene and Jackie.
Bob joined the Oakland Fire Department in 1947 and not long after Thelma became a charter member in the Oakland Fireman’s Wives Club, the purpose of which was to provide charitable support to the less fortunate in times of disaster. She would serve as the group’s secretary and president which likely started her on a lifelong path of community service. Thelma also volunteered in the Oakland Camp Fire Girl’s Council and was president in 1959.
Norwegian heritage would become a central part of Thelma’s being. Her mother Clara was an early member of the Daughters of Norway, joining in 1914 and Thelma in 1945.
Both mother and daughter were members of Gjoa Lodge 18 in Oakland, dedicating decades of service to the organization. Thelma was a trustee, secretary and past president from 1957 to 1958 of the lodge. She attended every DofN convention and served as secretary, vice president from 1964 to 65, and was elected to the honor of Grand Lodge President, serving from 1966 to 67.
After Gjoa 18 was disbanded in 1996 she joined Crown Princess Martha Lodge. Thelma initiated her granddaughter Cari into the Daughters of Norway, which continues the tradition as a member of Aase Lodge 33.
Summer vacations spent boating at Larsen’s Resort in Soda Bay in the early 1950s resulted in the acquisition of a nearby lot a few years later. This purchase would be the beginning of many years of water skiing, sailing and family fun.
When Bob retired from the Oakland Fire Department in 1973, the old summer shanty was torn down and a new home was built where they both enjoyed many happy years of retirement.
It did not take long for Thelma to immerse herself in the community, giving countless hours of service for charitable and social groups.
She volunteered for the Kelseyville, Lakeport and Clearlake senior centers. She was co-chair for several years of the wine and food events at the fairgrounds. Known for her culinary talents she placed scores of entries in the Lake County Fair, earning mostly blue ribbons. She was involved with the Chamber of Commerce, concentrating her efforts on what was best for the community's common good.
Bob and Thelma joined the Lakeport Yacht Club and were very active members, both being past commodores. The LYC led to participation in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and supporting the Sea Scouts. She was very involved in the Lake County Historical Society and a volunteer docent at the State Park.
Her cake decorating skills produced wedding cakes second to none that eventually led to her teaching classes on the subject. Thelma took up painting and her artistic talents were expressed in beautiful works of traditional Norwegian Rosmaling.
Many locals refer to her as the “Mayor” of Soda Bay for her many years on the Soda Bay Homeowners Association Board as secretary, treasurer and president.
The Trowel and Trellis Garden Club, the Buckingham Ladies golf group, Red Hats Society, and helping out at the Gleaners were just a few more of the activities that occupied her days.
In 2007, for recognition of her dedication to community growth and development, Thelma was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Stars of Lake County Community Awards Celebration.
In 2005 Thelma became a charter member of the Sons of Norway Vikings of the Lake Lodge 6-166. The lodge met at the Galilee Lutheran Church and the congregation became a big part of her life after being predeceased by her husband Bob in 2001.
The family wishes to thank her caregivers, neighbors, and others for the loving support and rides so she could remain in contact with the many organizations and friends she so dearly loved.
For the past several years Thelma resided in Walnut Creek to be near her family. Being able to see her two little great-granddaughters, Hannah and Emma, made her very happy. She appreciated the cards, letters, and bits of news from her friends in Lake County and always looked forward to receiving mail.
Thelma is survived by her son, Gene [Sue]; daughter, Jackie [John]; grandson, Shawn; granddaughter, Cari [Andrew]; and great-granddaughters, Hannah and Emma.
A celebration of life will be held at the Galilee Lutheran Church, 8860 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville, on June 12 at 1 p.m.
If you never had the pleasure of meeting her in person, perhaps you encountered her along the stretch of Soda Bay Road between Gaddy Lane and Soda Bay wearing an orange vest … she was Thelma, of “Thelma and Louise,” making it a better place.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association's annual membership meeting and open house will take place on Wednesday, May 11.
The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, located on Highway 53, between Lower Lake and Clearlake.
Join AMIA members in the historic ranch house for an evening of information, refreshments and entertainment.
The program will include music, introduction of AMIA’s 2016 officers and board members, a presentation explaining the special projects AMIA is planning for the next year and AMIA’s 2016 Volunteer of the Year Awards.
AMIA Board members will be available to answer questions about the ranch house and what is happening in the park.
This event is open to the public, so please bring your friends to join in the fun.
For information about the event, contact AMIA at 707-995-2658 or email
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Central Committee will hold its regular monthly business meeting on Thursday, May 5.
The meeting will take place beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Lower Lake United Methodist Church Social Hall, 16255 Second St. Map link: https://goo.gl/maps/v6yp62whsBy .
The agenda for the meeting includes reports from representatives for Congressmen Mike Thompson and John Garamendi, Assemblyman Bill Dodd and state Sen. Mike McGuire, as well as reports from the representative of the Lake County Democratic Club.
Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats.
The Lake County Democratic Central Committee is the official governing body for the Democratic Party in Lake County.
For more information about the Democratic Party in Lake County visit www.lakecountydemocrats.org or www.facebook.com/LakeCountyDemocrats .
Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-533-4885 or by email at