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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Kelseyville Unified School District has announced that Cheryl Mostin is the district's 2015-16 Teacher of the Year.
Mostin is a math teacher at Mountain Vista Middle School.
“Cheryl is a dynamic and passionate educator,” said Mountain Vista Middle School Principal Nicki Thomas. “What sets her apart from others is her dedication to her students’ success. Her energy, enthusiasm and love for teaching shine through in every lesson that she teaches. Cheryl has an extremely positive impact on the lives of students at Mountain Vista Middle School.”
Mostin graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with highest honors. She earned a bachelor of science degree in physical education and was invited to join the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
She continued her education at Chico State and fulfilled her student teaching requirements while coaching high school volleyball and basketball.
Mostin has earned a Multiple Subject Credential, the Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development Permit and a Single Subject Teaching Credential.
“I have been teaching all of my life,” said Mostin. “My mom used to call me the ‘Pied Piper’ because little kids always followed me around. I helped teach Sunday School for 4- to 5-year-old children, I tutored friends in math and I taught my little sister to play volleyball. This gave me the confidence to know I was good at working with children. Helping people learn something new makes me feel great.”
After leaving Chico State, Mostin moved to Lake County and married a pear farmer. She began her career as a substitute teacher, taught second grade for seven years, fifth grade for five years and physical education for three years. She’s currently in her fifth year teaching middle school math.
“I’m honored to have been selected as the Kelseyville Unified School District Teacher of the Year but the best recognition I receive is when a parent or student sees me at the grocery store and tells me that I made a positive impact in their life. My reward is when positive change occurs,” Mostin said.
Many of Mostin’s students describe her as “entertaining.” She works with students in a variety of capacities afterschool in addition to teaching math.
“Cheryl’s lessons are creative. She utilizes hands-on, interactive approaches to engage her students. She is always trying out new ways to get students excited about learning,” said Thomas.
Most recently, Mostin implemented the STEM Robotics program and took her students to a robotics competition at UC Davis.
To learn more about Cheryl Mostin, the STEM Robotics Program or Mountain Vista Middle School, call 707-279-4060.
Robyn Bera works for the Lake County Office of Education.
California’s adolescent birth rate has continued to decline to a record low of 23.2 births per 1,000 females aged 15-19, state health officials reported Tuesday.
The 2013 rate reflects an 11 percent decline from the 2012 rate of 26.2 and a 50 percent decline from the 2000 rate of 46.7, according to the newly released data.
“California’s continued success in reducing adolescent births is an excellent example of public health at work,” said California Department of Public Health Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. “By providing adolescents the knowledge, tools and resources to make healthy choices, we can have a positive effect on their options for a successful future.”
The adolescent birth rate decreased among all racial and ethnic groups between 2000 and 2013, the data showed.
Over this time, adolescent birth rate dropped among Hispanics from 77.3 to 34.9, among African Americans from 59.1 to 28.3, among whites from 22.3 to 9.3, and among Asians from 15.0 to 4.3, CDPH reported.
Despite declining birth rates, disparities persist in adolescent childbearing in California. African American and Hispanic adolescents were 3.0 and 3.8 times, respectively, as likely to give birth as white females, the state said.
In addition, the adolescent birth rate varies considerably across counties, from a low of 8.1 in Marin County to a high of 49.1 in Kern.
In Lake County, the birth rate for the 2011-2013 period was 35.5, which earned the county a ranking of 11th from the bottom of the state's 58 counties. The repeat birth rate was 15.2 percent.
However, the latest data shows that Lake County's overall picture has improved compared with previous years.
In the 2010-12 reporting period, Lake County's birth rate was 38.8, in 2009-11 it was 42.1 and in 2008-10 it was 43.4.
California has a number of programs aimed at preventing adolescent pregnancy and improving pregnancy outcomes.
The state of California funds the Information and Education Program, the Personal Responsibility Education Program authorized through the Affordable Care Act of 2010, and the Adolescent Family Life Program for expectant and parenting adolescents.
In addition, the state provides no-cost family planning services to eligible males and females, including adolescents, through the Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment Program.
LUCERNE, Calif. – In the wake of last week's announcement that the president of Marymount California University is leaving to take another position, the Board of Trustees on Tuesday announced the institution’s interim leadership.
Board Chairman Burt Arnold announced the appointment of interim co-presidents Provost and Dean of Faculty Ariane Schauer, Ph.D., and Senior Vice President of Finance Jim Reeves.
Dr. Schauer and Reeves are well-known and respected leaders who have both played key roles in the transformation of the institution, according to the board.
The Board of Trustees unanimously selected Schauer and Reeves as the new interim co-presidents and has great confidence in their abilities to provide executive leadership to the university, Arnold said.
Schauer and Reeves, with current President Michael Brophy – who leaves the university in August to serve as president of Benedictine University in Illinois – are working together during the transition to ensure the university’s progress toward its 2015-2016 priorities.
The trustees will select a consultant to guide a national search for the next university president.
Dr. Schauer joined the Marymount faculty in 1998. She has served as Marymount’s chief academic officer for the past six years, leading the institution’s academic transformation from a two-year college to a university with bachelor’s degrees, and the addition of master of business administration and master of science degrees.
She brings a breadth of expertise to the position including experience in accreditation, program development, curriculum, assessment, governance, advising, cross-cultural understanding and faculty development.
Schauer serves as a peer evaluator for the WASC Senior College and University Commission and regularly presents to higher education peers. She holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Reeves joined Marymount in 1978 as a member of the faculty and quickly moved into a leadership role.
Serving three university presidents, Reeves was appointed dean of Student Affairs in 1982, and since 1994 has served in the senior leadership role of vice president. He was promoted to senior vice president in 2013.
Reeves' oversight of the institution’s finances and operations has helped grow the student body and expand to sites in San Pedro as well as to Lake County, where the university has established its presence at the Marymount Castle in Lucerne.
His work in managing the institution’s real estate assets, including playing a key role in the acquisition of Marymount’s two student residential sites, is viewed as a milestone in advancing the student experience at Marymount.
Reeves holds a master’s degree in education from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
For information about the university visit www.MarymountCalifornia.edu .
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A wildland fire in Pope Valley was close to full containment overnight after having broken out Tuesday afternoon.
The Chiles Fire was first reported after 2 p.m. Tuesday east of St. Helena off of Chiles Pope Valley Road, according to Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit.
Cal Fire, Napa County Fire Department and St. Helena City Fire Department responded to the fast-moving wildland fire, which burned in steep terrain, pushed by gusty winds, Cal Fire said.
In an early Wednesday morning report Cal Fire said the fire burned 38 acres in grass and brush and was 80-percent contained.
There were no injuries, no structures were damaged and no evacuations were necessary, Cal Fire said.
Firefighters had challenges accessing the fire, however, Cal Fire said air and ground firefighting forces kept the fire from reaching a residence above it.
“The well-maintained driveway, clear signage, defensible space, and water supply on site definitely aided our firefighting effort,” said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jason Martin, the incident commander.
Chiles Pope Valley Road between Highway 128 and Lower Chiles Valley Road was to remain closed until at least 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to Cal Fire.
Resources assigned to the incident included eight engine/truck companies, four water tenders, three volunteer companies, four fire crews, two helicopters, four overhead personnel, two bulldozers, three air tankers and 120 firefighting personnel, Cal Fire said early Wednesday
Cal Fire said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Authorities are continuing the effort to locate a local veterinarian who has not been seen for nearly a week.
Dr. Helen Sharp, 45, of Hidden Valley Lake was last seen on Wednesday and reported missing later in the week by her boyfriend, the Lake County Sheriff's Office told Lake County News.
On Monday, Lake County Sheriff's detectives continued to search for leads as to her whereabouts, and were attempting to find out if she had used her credit cards in the last several days, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.
In addition to working to get financial records, Brooks said detectives have followed up with Sharp's coworkers and relatives, and checked places where she had been spotted prior to her disappearance.
For their part, Sharp's friends and family are sharing fliers with her photo and information both online and in the community, and posting updates to a newly created Facebook page, Bring Helen Home .
Sharp was last seen in the Middletown area driving her Toyota 4Runner, with the California license plate 5DTY013, the sheriff's office reported.
The vehicle has front-end damage from a wreck Sharp was in on Saturday, June 6, according to the California Highway Patrol.
CHP Officer Joe Wind told Lake County News that the single-vehicle crash occurred at 8:40 a.m. that day as Sharp was driving northbound on Highway 29 at the intersection with Hartmann Road.
He said she had stopped at the three-way stop sign and was just crossing the intersection when her attention was momentarily diverted while she tried to plug in her cell phone.
Sharp's vehicle veered across the intersection and hit a stop sign, leaving the driver's side front-end with moderate damage, Wind said.
He said Sharp – who was alone in the vehicle – was not injured in the low-speed crash, and there was no evidence of drugs or alcohol being involved.
“It was just a real simple crash,” said Wind. “Nothing major, nothing suspicious.”
Her Toyota was towed into Hidden Valley Auto Body on Monday, according to the shop's manager, Jesse Jones.
Then on Wednesday, Sharp texted Dr. Debi Sally – owner of Clearlake Veterinary Clinic, where Sharp has been on staff for a decade – asking that all of her appointments be canceled, Sally told Lake County News.
“She was very upset about a variety of things. Hopefully she is OK,” Sally said.
On Wednesday afternoon, Sharp – who had gotten a rental car at Hidden Valley Auto Body – showed up alone to the shop, turned in the rental car and picked up her damaged Toyota, which hadn't yet been repaired, Jones said.
“She was upset, I didn't ask her why,” said Jones, adding that he had believed it was because of the wrecked vehicle.
Sharp's boyfriend told authorities that he didn't believe the Toyota was drivable, Brooks said.
However, while the vehicle had damage, Jones said Sharp still managed to drive it away.
From there, the trail has gone “stone cold,” according to Sharp's longtime friend, Trish Beltrami.
“It's just as if she vanished into thin air,” Beltrami said.
Brooks said a member of Sharp's family told authorities she had an appointment in Calistoga that day that she didn't make.
Beltrami said that, as far as she or anyone else in Sharp's circle of family and friends knows, Sharp did not take any clothing with her.
Also baffling to Beltrami is that so far no one has reported seeing the obviously damaged Toyota 4Runner driving around.
Making the case more challenging is that Sharp left her cell phone at home, so it can't be used to track her, Brooks said. There also is no communications system – such as OnStar – in the Toyota that could help locate it.
Brooks said the investigation has revealed that Sharp was upset about a recent argument with her boyfriend and has a history of depression. She had made statements hinting at her depression to friends and coworkers, and was having difficulties focusing on her work.
According to her Clearlake Veterinary Clinic profile, she has two young children – a boy and a girl. Beltrami said Sharp is “utterly devoted” to her children.
Sharp's boyfriend told detectives that Sharp is “driven” and wouldn't readily deny her responsibilities, Brooks said.
On the new Facebook page dedicated to the effort to find her, Sharp's friends have stated that Sharp and her boyfriend have broken up.
Brooks said information about Sharp and her vehicle, along with her picture, were broadcast over the Missing and Unidentified Persons System – MUPS for short – with a be on the lookout also issued.
Not only do the alerts go everywhere in the state, Brooks said, but if any law enforcement anywhere in the United States were to contact Sharp, the alert would come up.
Besides the MUPS and BOLO alerts, Brooks said detectives also entered Sharp's information into a system that sends fliers of missing persons to all law enforcement agencies.
Beltrami said Sharp went to high school and college in Texas. She's lives many places – including Southern California, Hawaii, Texas and Utah – and is self-sufficient.
In 2005 Sharp came to Lake County and began working for Clearlake Veterinary Clinic. Since her disappearance, there have been numerous posts by community members who lauded her care of their pets, a number of them calling her their favorite veterinarian.
The struggle for family and friends like Beltrami is not knowing if Sharp had an accident, harmed herself, if she was victimized or if there is another explanation.
There exists the possibility that, like the majority of missing persons cases, Sharp may have left on her own and intentionally not returned.
As Brooks points out, when it comes to adults voluntarily walking away, “There's no law against it.”
Nationwide, the caseload of missing persons cases is very large, with the US Department of Justice's National Missing and Unidentified Persons System reporting that there are as many as 90,000 active missing person cases at any given time.
The California Attorney General's Office reported that between 2011 and 2013 – the years for which the most recent statistics are available – there were more than 111,000 missing persons cases involving adults in the state, and of those the majority, nearly 93,000, were cases where the person had left voluntarily.
Sharp is 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs 190 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information about Sharp is asked to call the Lake County Sheriff's Office at 707-263-2690.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Clear Lake High School student Brent Hinchcliff has achieved Boy Scouts' highest rank, that of Eagle Scout.
Brent, 14, is the son of Richard and Denise Hinchcliff of Lakeport.
Brent was recognized for his achievement at a Court of Honor in May where approximately 60 family members, friends and other scouts attended.
Only approximately 4 percent of Boy Scouts earn the Eagle rank.
To achieve Eagle rank the scout must earn at least 21 merit badges and complete a community service project that is planned and organized by the scout.
Brent currently has 31 merit badges and completed his community service project in November.
For his Eagle project Brent designed, planned and organized a work crew that constructed two shooting berms at the Konocti Rod and Gun club shooting range.
The berms are located at the 7 and 15 yard lines and include permanent target stake holders that make it easier for older and handicapped shooters to use.
Brent joined Cub Scouts in 2006 and joined Lakeport Boy Scout Troop 42 in 2010. He has been the Senior Patrol Leader for Troop 42 since July 2013.
In addition to his Eagle rank, Brent went through the Order of the Arrow Ordeal in 2013 and was inducted into the Order of the Arrow Brotherhood in the fall of 2014. He also has been the Order of the Arrow Chapter Chief for the Tu Je Sa-Sa Chapter since October 2014.
Brent attended a week-long National Youth Leadership Training in Marin County in July 2014. In August Brent will attend the National Order of the Arrow Conference in Michigan to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Order of the Arrow.
In addition to achieving a 4.0 grade point average in his freshman year at Clear Lake High School, Brent is a member of Concert Band and Jazz Band, has a black belt in karate, and will be testing for his second-degree degree black belt this fall.
In his spare time Brent likes going hunting, shooting, reading novels and drawing.