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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The 17th Annual Stars of Lake County Community Awards program takes place this Saturday, Nov. 8.
The event, which celebrates the many individuals and organizations that benefit the community, will be held at the Soper Reese Theatre, 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport.
A reception begins at 5 p.m., with local piano man David Neft playing during the reception hour. It's a gig Neft has only missed once in the event's 17 years.
Tony Barthel, chamber director and owner of the Featherbed Railroad B&B, is the evening's “awards music director.”
For the third year, Jackie Hansen of Lakeport Grocery Outlet will be singing a tribute song to nominees. This year's song is “Any Way” by Martina McBride.
“Jackie always chooses a song that speaks to the heart of why we have so many giving people in Lake County,” said Lake County Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Melissa Fulton.
Over the past 17 years almost 1,800 entities in Lake County have been acknowledged for their various contributions to their communities and fellow residents through Stars of Lake County.
The program, which was brought to the community by Judi Pollace – former publisher of the Lake County Record-Bee – was embraced by the chamber directors in 1997, with the first Stars Awards program taking place in February 1998.
From 1998 through 2009, Stars was held at Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa. Every year that the event was held at the resort, it was a sell-out event with more than 450 people enjoying the five-course dinner and awards program.
It is anticipated that Stars will be a packed house at the Soper Reese Theater again this year. To check on ticket availability, contact the Lake County Chamber of Commerce at 707-263-5092 or
The full list of nominees is below.
STARS OF LAKE COUNTY 2014 NOMINEES
Marla Ruzicka Humanitarian of the Year
(Sponsored by Cliff and Nancy Ruzicka)
1. Sam Polo, Clearlake
2. Denny Salisbury, Kelseyville
3. Sharon Dawson, Middletown
Senior of the Year
(Sponsored by WestAmerica Bank)
1. Konocti Senior Support, Clearlake
2. Shirley Crawford, Kelseyville
Volunteer of the Year
(Sponsored by Sutter Lakeside Hospital)
1. Greg Scott, Lakeport
2. Ami Landrum, Clearlake
3. Angie DeMaria, Lakeport
4. Daniel Sun McLean, Cobb
5. Doug Rhoades, Lakeport/Ukiah
6. Barbara Clark, Kelseyville
Student of the Year – Female
(Sponsored by Mendo Mill Lumber & home Center)
1. Kyra McKinley, Clearlake
2. Logan Robinson, Lakeport
3. Aliza Atkins, Lakeport
4. Linda Tuell, Clearlake Oaks
Student of the Year – Male
(Sponsored by Disney Trophies & Awards)
1. Christopher Vincent, Lakeport
2. Everado Chavez, Lower Lake
Youth Advocate of the Year – Volunteer
(Sponsored by Sutter Lakeside Hospital)
1. Children’s Museum of Art & Science, Lake County
Youth Advocate of the Year – Professional
(Sponsored by SERVPRO)
1. Jolene Chappel, Lower Lake
2. Wendy Gattoni, Middletown
Agriculture Award
(Sponsored by Twin Pine Casino – Middletown Rancheria)
1. Diane Henderson, Kelseyville
2. Emilio de la Cruz, Kelseyville
3. Yerba Santa Goat Dairy, Lakeport
Organization of the Year – Nonprofit (has paid staff)
(Sponsored by Savings Bank of Mendocino)
1. Redwood Children’s Services, Lake County
2. CASA of Lake & Mendocino Counties, Lake County
Organization of the Year – Volunteer (all volunteer staff)
(Sponsored by Mendo Lake Credit Union)
1. Time Bank of Lake County, Lakeport
2. Ely Stage Stop and County Museum, Kelseyville
New Business of the Year
(Sponsored by Konocti Vista Resort & Casino)
1. Fantasy Faces & Body Art by Chayo, Lakeport
2. Cheese’s Game Shop, Lakeport
3. Smoker’s Hardware, Lakeport
Small Business of the Year
(Sponsored by Foods Etc.)
1. Solutions for Independence, Middletown
2. McKinley Photography, Clearlake
3. The Beat Fitness Studio, Lakeport
4. The Lodge at Blue Lakes, Upper Lake
5. Griffin’s Furniture, Clearlake
6. Clearlake Veterinary Clinic, Clearlake
Large Business of the Year
(Sponsored by Bruno’s Shop Smart)
1. SERVPRO of Lake County, Lakeport
2. Mendo Lake Credit Union, Lakeport & Clearlake
Best Idea of the Year
(Sponsored by Kathy Fowler Auto Center)
1. Mendo-Lake Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP), Lakeport
2. Mr. Lake County, Lakeport
3. Heroes of Health & Safety Fair, Lakeport
4. The Hero Project, Lake County
Local Hero of the Year
(Sponsored by Congressman Mike Thompson)
1. Forrest Seagrave (posthumously)
Joshua Blair Memorial Arts Award – Amateur
(Sponsored by Cheese’s Main Street Pizza & Game Shop)
1. Rosemary “Toni” Hyden, Lakeport
2. Richard Schmidt, Upper Lake
3. Sarah Dutra, Lakeport
4. Suna Flores, Kelseyville
The Arts Award of the Year – Professional
(Sponsored by Calpine)
1. Nick Biondo, Lakeport
2. Sherry Harris, Clearlake
Woman of the Year
(Sponsored by North Lake Medical Pharmacy)
1. Jeri Spittler, Clearlake
2. Cynthia Forbes, Lakeport
3. Barbara McIntyre, Lakeport
Man of the Year
(Sponsored by Lake County Record-Bee)
No nominations.
Lifetime Achievement
(Sponsored by Strong Financial Network)
1. Charlie Jolin, Lakeport
2. Liz Callahan, Lakeport
Collisions remain the number one killer of American teenagers, killing almost as many drivers as passengers, and killing more kids than homicide or suicide. The same holds true in California.
Saving teen lives through education is a mission of the California Highway Patrol, which is providing a new, revitalized “Start Smart” teen safe driving program.
The “Start Smart” program is an Office of Traffic Safety funded grant and has been in place for
more than 11 years.
The program is focused on providing comprehensive traffic safety education classes for teens along with their parents/guardians.
The classes are facilitated by approximately 103 trained CHP public information officers and offered in schools, CHP offices and community centers statewide.
The Start Smart program utilizes innovative techniques to capture the attention of teens and parents, providing a lasting learning experience.
The curriculum is built based on collision statistics, teen driver and passenger behaviors, graduated driver license laws, cultural changes in today’s society and the need for stronger parental involvement.
“Education is the most important aspect of a new driver’s ability to develop positive driving habits,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Programs like ‘Start Smart’ are geared towards influencing and educating California’s teen drivers to make the right choices when they get behind the wheel.”
To find out when the next local Start Smart class will be offered, parents and teenagers can call the CHP's Clear Lake Area office in Kelseyville at 707-279-0103.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Have you ever wished you could have your dog neutered without having to go through surgery? Do you have concerns about general anesthesia?
Now there is a nonsurgical option for male dogs that will completely sterilize them with just a small injection of zinc into the testicles.
There is no general anesthesia, no incision, and almost no recovery period to experience with this procedure, and best of all, no cone – or Elizabethan collar – to wear.
The product used for this procedure is called Zeuterin, developed by Ark Sciences, and it is a preservative-free solution that contains just zinc gluconate and the amino acid arginine.
The zinc causes an inflammation reaction in the testicular tissue which results in fibrosis and a shutting down of the sperm production process.
The amount of zinc used is similar to that found in cold medication and it clears the body in about three days.
This process also decreases the production of testosterone over time, which means male dogs will have the beneficial effects of their natural hormones, but will have a decrease in their drive to urine mark, breed, dominate, or fight with other males.
For dogs with current behavioral problems, surgical castration – removal of the testicles – remains the procedure of choice.
Only certified and trained veterinarians may administer Zeuterin and this procedure is currently available at the veterinary clinic at Animal Care and Control, at Wasson Memorial Veterinary Hospital in Lakeport and at Mendocino Animal Hospital in Ukiah.
Thousands of dogs have been sterilized using zinc injections throughout the world in the past decade and Zeuterin has been widely received as an alternative to surgical castration, with minimal aftercare concerns.
The most common side effects seen are temporary itching or burning at the injection site.
This procedure is available for dogs over 12 weeks of age, with a minimum testicular size, healthy scrotal skin and both testicles present in the scrotum.
All dogs receive a “Z” tattoo near the scrotum, a special certificate and tag and this procedure is legal for licensing compliance in Lake County under the mandatory spay/neuter ordinance.
After the procedure, it can take up to one month for dogs to be considered 100-percent sterile as the testicular tissue dies off, so they should not be housed with females in heat during that time.
In most cases, this procedure is also less costly than a surgical castration and can be completed within the course of an office visit.
Your dog will receive light sedation that is reversed after the procedure so the whole event takes about 30 minutes.
Visit www.zeuterin.com for more information on nonsurgical castration.
A video of a veterinarian performing this procedure can be seen above.
Dr. Jennifer C. Bennett, DVM, MS, is medical director/veterinarian for Lake County Animal Care and Control, headquartered in Lakeport, Calif.
Despite recent rains and cooler weather throughout much of the state, California’s drought persists, and now for the first time, estimates of daily water use per person are being reported monthly for nearly every community water system statewide, providing important insight into how water systems are encouraging residents to save water.
“This new residential water use data, which is a first for the state, will inform localized conservation efforts and should start conversations in every community in California about the best and most judicious use of our precious water,” said Felicia Marcus, Chair of the State Water Board. “Every gallon saved today postpones the need for more drastic, difficult, and expensive action should the drought continue into next year or beyond.”
In addition, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) learned today that the statewide conservation rate leveled off in September after three months of steady improvement.
Total urban water conservation was 10.3 percent in September, compared with September 2013.
That was down slightly from the 11.6 percent year-over-year conservation rate for August, prompting concerns from State Water Board members. Total water use was down in September from August.
“Some rain and cooler weather are welcome relief, but they don’t mean the drought is over, not by a longshot,” Marcus said. “A bit of rain means we should be turning off our sprinkler systems and avoiding irrigating outdoors as much as possible while remembering to protect our trees. By far, conservation is still the most cost effective and common sense way to meet our water needs during this prolonged drought.”
Per capital daily water use
The new reporting requirement, called residential gallons per-capita per day (R-GPCD), presented to the State Water Board on Tuesday, estimates daily water use by residential customers for nearly 400 urban water agencies statewide alongside the monthly conservation data.
Both reports are a requirement of the Emergency Water Conservation Regulation adopted by the State Water Board in July and will be provided to the board monthly by urban water suppliers, along with total water conservation for each month.
The complete report is posted at http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/drought/conservation_reporting_info.shtml .
According to the R-GPCD data, water use varies widely by hydrologic region. At the low end, the San Francisco Bay region averaged 85.2 gallons per person per day. On the high end, the Colorado River region averaged 251.9 gallons per person per day.
During a staff presentation, the State Water Board was told that R-GPCD is useful for tracking water use by an urban water supplier’s residential customers and can help determine whether water supplier actions, such as irrigation restrictions, rebate programs, and rate design changes, are effective.
State Water Board staff cautioned that R-GPCD data should not be used to compare water suppliers, or even hydrologic regions, unless relevant factors are taken into account.
Those relevant factors include population density, population growth, temperature and evaporation rates, topography and socio-economic measures, such as lot size.
Nevertheless, communities or areas with very high R-GPCD rates should evaluate instituting additional conservation measures.
“R-GPCD really does help us to gain a better sense of comparison than simply looking at percentage reductions, since different areas of the state have been conserving for far longer than other areas. It also shows us what is possible,” said Marcus.
Her comments drew discussion among the board members and direction to staff to begin planning for a water conservation workshop within the next 90 days to explore what if any additional conservation measures should be adopted if the drought continues.
Statewide water conservation for September
Water conservation efforts leveled off in September after a steady rise since May.
The water conservation rate climbed to 11.6 percent in August, a substantial increase from 7.5 percent conservation in July and 4 percent in June.
But for September, the conservation rate dropped slightly to 10.3 percent.
The water conservation rate is a comparison of the reporting month with the same month a year ago.
California can capitalize and make permanent conservation gains by converting thirsty landscapes to drought-tolerant landscapes which use far less water.
Compliance with the mandatory reporting requirement is steady, with 398 (96 percent) urban water suppliers, representing 35.5 million Californians, now reporting.
The report also found that in September, 87 percent of the water agencies reporting had instituted outdoor water use restrictions, a six percentage point increase from the August reporting period.
Outdoor water use restrictions are a key requirement for urban water suppliers under the Emergency Water Conservation Regulation because outdoor watering accounts for as much as 80 percent of urban water use in some areas.
The total number of gallons saved since July is impressive, officials said. Approximately 18 billion gallons of water was saved in July, 27.6 billion gallons was saved in August, and 22 billion gallons was saved in September.
Collectively that’s about enough water to supply a million Californians for an entire year.
In his Jan. 17 Emergency Drought Proclamation, Gov. Brown called for Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 20 percent.
The trend of increasing reductions and specific local data shows that many California communities have met and exceeded the call to conserve, but more can and must be done to protect water supplies should the drought persist.
Current forecasts indicate that Californians cannot count upon a wet winter to alleviate the drought.
The State Water Board will closely monitor the implementation of the regulations and the weather over the coming months to determine if further restrictions are needed.
The Emergency Water Conservation Regulation will be in effect until April 25, 2015, and may be extended if drought conditions persist.
For more information visit www.SaveOurWater.com to find out how everyone can do their part, and visit www.Drought.CA.Gov to learn more about how California is dealing with the effects of the drought.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit said it has lifted its burn ban effective this week, but Lake County's head air quality official said the ban remains in place at the local level.
The burn ban in the Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, which ended at 8 a.m. Monday, specifically covers the State Responsibility Areas unit, which include the counties of Sonoma, Napa, Yolo, Solano and Colusa.
To see the boundaries of the State Responsibility Area, visit http://www.firepreventionfee.org/sraviewer_launch.php .
Cal Fire acknowledged that the burn ban is still in effect in Lake County and residents may not burn until after the end of the 2014 declared fire season.
Air Pollution Control Officer Douglas Gearhart of the Lake County Air Quality Management District said Lake County is still in fire season, so the local ban hasn't been lifted.
“What this means for Lake County is that agricultural operations and fire hazard reduction projects that can show significant economic need can apply for an economic exemption burn permit, which allows burning during fire season with air district and fire district approvals for specific time and date of burn,” Gearhart told Lake County News.
“Once Cal Fire declares an end to the fire season, the burn ban will be lifted for Lake County,” Gearhart added.
In 2013, the burn ban was lifted in mid-December, a month and a half later than in 2012. Local fire officials have noted that the fire season in recent years has lengthened due to dry conditions.
Cal Fire said residents in all areas of the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit must follow guidelines including contacting local air quality management districts to obtain the proper permits and to determine burn day status.
Despite the cooler temperatures, Cal Fire continues to urge extra caution given the current drought conditions.
For information on safe methods for debris burning, equipment use and wildfire prevention, visit www.PreventWildfireCA.org .
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Veterans Day will be celebrated at Konocti Vista Casino on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
The festivities begin at 11 a.m. Doors open at 10 a.m.
Veterans, their families and all supporters in the community are invited to Konocti Vista Casino to celebrate those who have served our country.
Annual past participants have included 4-H members, Lake County veteran organizations and the Military Funeral Honors Team of Lake County.
The Veterans Day ceremony will include presentations of the County’s annual “Friend of the Veteran” and United Veterans Council’s “Veteran of the Year” awards.
Through the generosity of Konocti Vista Casino, a complimentary lunch and beverages will be provided to those in attendance.
Everyone is welcome to join in the celebration and honoring of America’s veterans.
Konocti Vista Casino is located at 2755 Mission Rancheria Road in Lakeport.
You may call 707-349-2838 for further information.