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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – During a two-week period between Feb. 16 and Feb. 29, the county of Lake’s Valley Fire Long-Term Recovery Task Force completed a survey of Valley fire survivors.
Recovery Coordinator Carol Huchingson was pleased with the response. “We received 413 responses, 350 of which were from survivors who lost their primary residents. This allows our results to be statistically significant at a 95 percent confidence, with a 5 percent margin of error.”
Of the 350 responses received from those who lost their primary residences, more than 50 percent stated they plan to rebuild, and 24 percent stated they are still unsure of whether they will rebuild.
Some of the barriers to rebuilding include lack of financial means and the amount of time and energy that goes into the rebuilding process.
“We will be able to use this data from the survey to help the county focus our attention on the areas that are concerning our residents, and find solutions to make the rebuilding process easier for them,” said Huchingson.
As many as 67 percent of Valley fire survivors have been able to find housing in Lake County. “We were happy to see that so many Lake County residents have been able to find alternate housing in Lake County. Before this survey we didn’t know where all our Valley fire survivors relocated,” said Huchingson.
Links to the survey were emailed to more than 700 fire survivors. Those who did not have email addresses on file were encouraged to call in to a survey phone number and set up an appointment. Recovery staff also were able to call fire survivors and help them complete the survey.
The Lake County Valley Fire Recovery Task Force is a partnership of local, state, federal and tribal representatives. These agencies are working together to provide comprehensive services to aid in the recovery of Valley fire survivors and Lake County residents.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – After a winning performance at the state competition this past weekend, a young Lakeport gymnast is now preparing for a trip to the regional finals next month.
Catch Devore, 13, attended the NorCal Level 4-5 State Championships in San Luis Obispo on Saturday.
He placed second all-around out of 39 gymnasts ages 11 and up from Region 1, which includes portions of California, Nevada and Oregon.
Along with Catch, 12-year-old Tanner Broyles of Kelseyville also competed at the state championships, just missing the regional qualification but still putting on a very strong performance, all the while dealing with an injured hand.
Unlike the beginning Level 4, gymnasts like Catch and Tanner in Level 5 must qualify in competition to attend the state championships, according to their coach – and Catch's dad – Roger Devore.
Catch placed first on high bar, with a score of 10.750, and came in second on parallel bars, eighth on vault and fifth on the floor exercise, while tying for fifth on rings and tying for fourth on pommel horse.
Tanner finished 15th all around. He had a fifth place, medal-winning performance on parallel bars, earning a 9.950 score. He placed 17th on high bar, 16th on rings, 14th on pommel horse, 10th on vault and ninth on the floor exercise.
Both boys practice at Skycatch Gymnastics – located at 888 Lakeport Blvd. in the Vista Point Shopping Center in Lakeport – which is owned by Jerae and Roger Devore.
Annette Broyles, Tanner's mom, said the young gymnasts don't focus so much on winning or losing at the competitions, but rather on meeting personal goals, such as strengthening particular skills.
While he would have liked to join Catch at regionals, Broyles said Tanner met his personal goals for the competition.
And, after an exhausting weekend of competition and travel, the boys were back in the gym on Monday, she said.
The competitive gymnastics season runs from December to March, with the championship season now under way for Catch.
Still, practice goes on year-round, and Catch and his fellow gymnasts again were practicing their skills on Wednesday evening.
Broyles and Jerae Devore said the gym has two mottoes: “Don't let your excitement steal your focus” and “Teamwork makes the dream work.”
Catch next competes at the Region 1 Championships, which takes place in Santa Clara April 6 to 10, according to the Region 1 gymnastics Web site. Jerae Devore they have not yet been told which day he'll compete.
Jerae Devore said that, thanks to his placement, Catch will be a member of the all-star team representing Region 1 – the top four are chosen – and that he's been fitted with a uniform for the event.
Another benefit of being an all-star team member is that Catch also has been gifted with a day camp on April 3 in Davis to help prepare for the regional competition, his mother said.
In the run up to the regional competition, Jerae Devore said her son will work on his routines and flexibility, and polish his skills on the six disciplines in his level – floor exercise, high beam, parallel bars, pommel horse, rings and vault.
Once regionals are past, the season for Level 5 gymnasts will end, Broyles said.
Catch – like Tanner – is now set to advance to Level 6. They will continue practicing in the months ahead for their next competitive season, which starts in December, said Jerae Devore.
Once they're in Level 6, they'll not only have the chance to participate at the state and regional level, but also at the national level, according to Roger Devore, who was busy Wednesday evening training all of his young male gymnasts, who overall have had a winning season.
Throughout the last several months of competitions the boys – including Level 4 gymnasts Alex Fordham, Tanner's younger brother Trey Broyles, and Jaden Wienke – have racked up a collection of medals.
In addition to learning new skills, Catch and Tanner are looking forward to participating in a prestigious summertime gymnastics camp at Stanford University and the “Future Stars” program in September, which is meant to develop young gymnasts for the national team, Jerae Devore said.
She said it's been great to watch the boys grow in their sport, recalling how they started when they were little, and how today they keep moving ahead thanks to their hard work and dedication.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The filings for the two remaining supervisorial races have closed.
Lake County Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley said that, as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, the filings had closed for supervisorial District 1 and District 4, currently held by Jim Comstock and Anthony Farrington, respectively. Neither filed for reelection.
In District 1, Fridley said the candidates who will appear on the June primary ballot are Voris Brumfield of Anderson Springs, Monica Rosenthal of Middletown, Jim Ryan of Hidden Valley Lake and Jose “Moke” Simon III of Middletown.
In District 4, the final slate of candidates are Ted Mandrones, Phil Murphy, Ron Rose, Martin Scheel and Tina Scott, all of Lakeport, according to Fridley.
The filings for the race in District 5 closed at 5 p.m. Friday. That race closed earlier because the incumbent, Rob Brown of Kelseyville, filed to run for reelection, Fridley said.
Running against Brown this year are Philip Reimers of Cobb and John Wesley Stoddard of Kelseyville, Fridley said.
Also on the late spring ballot is the Kelseyville Unified School District's $24 million Measure U bond, which will fund school improvement projects including classroom modernization and renovation; repairing and replacing leaky roofs and inefficient heating and air-conditioning systems; upgrading restrooms and school facilities; updating inadequate electrical systems; and improving physical education fields and facilities for school and community use, according to the measure's language.
The primary is June 7. Absentee ballots will be mailed out in May ahead of the precinct polling.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In recognition of Women’s History Month, state Sen. Mike McGuire has chosen seven women from throughout Northern California as Women of the Year for their dedication, hard work and extraordinary accomplishments throughout Northern California.
Among the honorees is Carol Huchingson, Lake County’s Valley fire recovery coordinator and incoming county administrator.
Every March, Sen. McGuire celebrates the contributions women have made by recognizing Women’s History Month. It is an opportunity to highlight the significant achievements women have fought to accomplish all throughout this great nation.
This year’s national Women’s History Month theme is “Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service & Government” and this year’s Northern California recipients exemplify that sentiment with unmatched commitment and dedication.
In addition to being named the Lake County Woman of the Year from the Second Senate District, Huchingson is being recognized as the overall North Coast Woman of the Year.
Huchingson started with the county of Lake in June 1993. She served as the county’s director of Social Services during many tough years when staffing and budgets were especially tight in Lake County.
Then when the devastating fires tore through Lake County last year, Huchingson wore many hats as the director of Lake County Office of Emergency Services and Valley fire recovery coordinator, and the director of the county’s Social Services department.
Huchingson, who has helped lead the county through a very difficult past six months, recently accepted the position as the next Lake County administrative officer, an appointment that goes into effect April 2.
“At a time when Lake County needed a strong, dedicated and organized leader to deliver emergency and recovery services, Carol stepped up and led the county through the disaster and she's now leading the charge with rebuilding local communities. Thank you Carol for your commitment to Lake County!” McGuire said.
Also recognized from the counties that comprise Northern California’s Second Senate District are the following: Gina Zottola, Del Norte; Connie Stewart, Humboldt; Pat Kendall, Marin; Janet Pauli, Mendocino; Jennielynn Holmes, Sonoma; and Kelli Gant, Trinity.
“This phenomenal group of women continue to inspire and bring positive change to our local communities and we're excited to recognize their track record of success,” McGuire said.
Senator McGuire will be honoring these Women of the Year at a luncheon in Santa Rosa on Friday, March 18.
Profiles of the recipients from Del Norte, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, Sonoma and Trinity counties are featured below.
Del Norte: Gina Zottola
Gina Zottola is the director of the Wild Rivers Community Foundation and is improving Del Norte’s future.
Zottola is working on engaging youth in the community and creating opportunities for Career and Technical Education.
She also served as the Crescent City-Del Norte Chamber executive director and focused on physician recruitment in Del Norte.
Humboldt: Connie Stewart
As the director of the California Center for Rural Policy, Connie Stewart is front and center to the research that informs policy and builds community for rural California.
Formerly the mayor of Arcata, Stewart serves the community in so many ways: as a board member to Open Door Community Health and the Redwood Acres Fairground and as a member of the Humboldt Food Policy Council.
Marin: Pat Kendall
For three decades Pat Kendall has worked tirelessly and fearlessly to help build a healthier Marin.
She is the driving force behind Healthy Marin Partnership, has helped to lead the efforts to raise funds to rebuild San Rafael’s Pickleweed Community Center and founded the Marin Autism Collaborative, among many other accomplishments.
Mendocino: Janet Pauli
Janet Pauli has worked for many years on local watershed issues, is a director on the Potter Valley Irrigation District Board and is chairwoman of the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission.
Pauli is active with the Farm Bureau, and with her husband Bill, owns and operates Pauli Ranch, farming pears and winegrapes.
Sonoma: Jennielynn Holmes
Jennielynn Holmes is an incredible advocate for Sonoma County’s most vulnerable, serving as director of Shelter and Housing Programs for Catholic Charities.
Holmes is a tireless advocate for expanded homeless services in local communities. She also serves her local community on the Santa Rosa Community Advisory Board.
Trinity: Kelli Gant
Kelli Gant is a director for the Trinity PUD and the Trinity Chamber and was a driving force behind creating a vision for the North Trinity Lake communities on the Trinity Lake Revitalization Alliance.
Gant keeps community first in everything that she does. She was recently appointed to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – For many Californians, March 17 calls for a party. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reminds everyone who celebrates St. Patrick’s Day that no one is immune from the consequences of drunk driving.
Last year on St. Patrick’s Day, the CHP made more than 120 arrests statewide for driving under the influence (DUI). This is a decrease from the 489 arrests in 2014 and 430 arrests in 2013.
“Any decline in drunk driving arrests is certainly good news, especially if it truly indicates an increase in responsible behavior,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said. “However, one year does not necessarily show a trend, and the CHP will continue to remind people of the dangers of drunk and impaired driving.”
More than 1,000 people have died in alcohol-related collisions in California every year since at least 2000, data collected through the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System of the CHP showed.
Approximately one-third of all traffic fatalities in the United States involved drunk drivers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported.
Because of the associated festivities, St. Patrick’s Day often attracts special attention from law enforcement and traffic safety agencies.
“Don’t test your luck this St. Patrick’s Day,” said Rhonda Craft, director of the Office of Traffic Safety. “Be sure to use a designated driver this St. Patrick’s Day, or the party will be over before you know it.”
Commissioner Farrow and Director Craft remind people of the costs of DUI, beyond the risk of injury or death to yourself and others: car repairs, hospital bills, legal fees, bail, higher insurance rates, fines, court costs, and lost time at work, to name a few.
Ways to avoid impaired driving:
• Designate a sober driver before you go out to drink.
• If you become impaired and do not have a designated driver, call a cab, a ride-sharing service, a friend or family member, or take a bus.
• If you see a friend who is too drunk to drive, take their keys and call them a cab or ride share.
• Find out ahead of time if your community has a safe rides program, and use it.
• If you see a driver who appears to be driving impaired, do not hesitate to call 911.
LUCERNE, Calif. – A Lucerne teenager was seriously injured Monday evening when officials said he rode his skateboard through a stop sign and was hit by a vehicle.
The California Highway Patrol said the crash occurred at approximately 6:43 p.m. Monday on Country Club Drive at Robin Hood Way in Lucerne.
The CHP's report did not name the 17-year-old male skateboarder or the 35-year-old Lucerne man driving the 2001 Range Rover that hit him.
Initially, the CHP said its dispatch center received a 911 call at 6:45 p.m. reporting a vehicle had hit a pedestrian at the intersection of First Avenue and Country Club Drive.
When CHP officers arrived on scene, they were told that the teen was riding his skateboard southbound on Robin Hood Way as the driver was heading west in the Range Rover on Country Club Drive east of Robin Hood Way.
The CHP said the skateboarder failed to stop at the posted stop sign at the intersection of Country Club Drive and Robin Hood Way and rode his skateboard directly into the path of the Range Rover.
Reports from the scene indicated the teen was knocked unconscious by the crash. The CHP said the teen – who was not using safety equipment – sustained major injuries to his head and back.
REACH 6 responded to Lucerne Harbor Park and picked up the teen, who the CHP said was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
The CHP said alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the collision, which is under investigation.
Commenting on a Lake County News social media account on Tuesday, the victim confirmed his injuries include a broken rib, spinal injuries, a concussion and a gash on his head. He explained he’ll be on bed rest for some time.
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