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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The 50th quilt block on the Lake County Quilt Trail has been installed in Kelseyville.
The latest quilt block is located on TnT Mini Storage, 3562 Big Valley Road.
The 4-foot by 4-foot quilt block is sponsored by Ratel Investments, TnT Mini Storage, managed by Kathleen Ahart and Lynnette Bertelli.
The quilt block is called “Oak Leaves and Acorns.”
Oak leaves represent great strength, while acorns symbolize development and growth. A circle pattern embodies community and unity.
The images of oak leaves and acorns in a circle pattern were chosen as a depiction of the business’ commitment to work to strengthen and develop the local community.
The checkerboard pattern in the corners denotes diversity and creativity which is appreciated throughout Lake County.
TnT Mini Storage was built back in the 90s by the Totorica family. Ratel Investments purchased TnT Mini Storage in 2002 and has maintained a steady commitment in supporting the community.
The LCQT is an agricultural and tourism project designed to promote community pride.
The 4-foot by 4-foot quilt block was drawn and painted by the LC Quilt Trail team, a group of dedicated quilters, graphic artists, painters, writers, carpenters, and a videographer.
For more information about the Lake County Quilt Trail visit www.lakecountyquilttrail.com or visit the trail on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-Quilt-Trail/187014251326163 .
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – No matter the size, age or breed of dog you're looking to add to your family, you are likely to find one that is the perfect fit amongst this week's adoptable canines at Lake County Animal Care and Control.
From little Papillon and Chihuahua mixes, up to dogs with lab, boxer, beagle and pug ancestry, the selection of dogs needing homes is large.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).
Male Chihuahua mix
This male Chihuahua mix is 2 years old.
He has a short coat and brown eyes, weighs nearly 8 pounds and has been neutered.
Find him in kennel No. 2, ID No. 39500.
'Chocolate'
“Chocolate” is a 1-year-old beagle-fox terrier mix.
He has a short brown and white spotted coat, weighs 31 pounds and has been neutered.
He's in kennel No. 3, ID No. 39610.
Male Papillon mix
This male Papillon mix is 2 years old.
He has a long white and tan coat, weighs 13 pounds and has been neutered.
Find him in kennel No. 5, ID No. 39708.
Beagle-pug mix
This female beagle-pug mix is of undetermined age.
She weighs 32 pounds, has a curly white and brown coat, and has been spayed.
Find her in kennel No. 6, ID No. 39493.
'Baxter'
“Baxter” is a 4-year-old male boxer mix.
He has a brown and white coat, weighs 92 pounds and has not been neutered.
He's in kennel No. 8, ID No. 39794.
'Gringo'
“Gringo” is a 4-year-old male boxer mix.
He has a white coat, weighs 75 pounds and has not been neutered.
Find him in kennel No. 8, ID No. 39795.
'Cricket'
“Cricket” is a 4-year-old female Labrador Retriever-shepherd mix.
She has a short black and white coat, weighs 55 pounds and has been spayed.
She's in kennel No. 9, ID No. 39720.
Boston Terrier mix
This female Boston Terrier mix is 2 years old.
She has a short brown brindle and white coat, and weighs 15 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if she has been spayed.
Find her in kennel No. 11, ID No. 39728.
Wire hair terrier mix
This male wire hair terrier mix is 3 years old.
He has a long black and brown coat, and weighs 12 pounds. Shelter staff did not report if he has been neutered.
He's in kennel No. 13, ID No. 39780.
Female Labrador Retriever mix
This female Labrador Retriever mix is 13 years old.
She has a medium-length black coat. It was not reported if she has been spayed.
Find her in kennel No. 14, ID No. 39781.
Pit bull terrier mix
This female pit bull terrier mix is 1 year old.
She has a short gold-colored coat and weighs 38 pounds. It was not reported if she has been spayed.
She's in kennel No. 16, ID No. 39784.
Hound-Shar Pei mix
This female hound-Shar Pei mix puppy is 14 weeks old.
She has a short red coat and has been spayed.
She's in kennel No. 25a, ID No. 39408.
Hound-Shar Pei mix
This male hound-Shar Pei mix puppy is 14 weeks old.
He has a short chocolate-colored coat and has been neutered.
Find him in kennel No. 26, ID No. 39407.
Pit bull terrier mix
This male pit bull terrier mix is 1 year old.
He has a short tricolor coat, weighs 72 pounds and has been neutered.
He's in kennel No. 28, ID No. 39789.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
Over the years, as temperatures around the world have ratcheted upward, climate change researchers have kept a wary eye on one place perhaps more than any other: The West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and particularly the fastest melting part of it, the glaciers that flow into the Amundsen Sea.
In that region, six glaciers hang in a precarious balance, partially supported by land, and partially floating in waters just offshore.
There's enough water frozen in the ice sheet that feeds these icy giants to raise global sea levels by 4 feet – if they were to melt.
That's troubling because the glaciers are melting. Moreover, a new study finds that their decline appears to be unstoppable.
"We've passed the point of no return," said Eric Rignot, a glaciologist working jointly at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of California, Irvine.
Rignot and colleagues have used 19 years of satellite radar data to map the fast-melting glaciers.
In their paper, which has been accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters, they conclude that "this sector of West Antarctica is undergoing a marine ice sheet instability that will significantly contribute to sea level rise" in the centuries ahead.
A key concept in the Rignot study is the "grounding line" – the dividing line between land and water underneath a glacier.
Because virtually all melting occurs where the glaciers' undersides touch the ocean, pinpointing the grounding line is crucial for estimating melt rates.
The problem is, grounding lines are buried under thousands of feet of glacial ice.
"It's challenging for a human observer to figure out where they are," Rignot explained. "There's nothing obvious that sticks out on the surface to say, ‘This is where the glacier goes afloat.’"
To find the hidden grounding lines, they examined radar images of the glaciers made by the European Space Agency’s Earth Remote Sensing satellites from 1992 to 2011.
Glaciers flex in response to tides. By analyzing the flexing motions, they were able to trace the grounding lines.
This led to a key discovery. In all the glaciers they studied, grounding lines were rapidly retreating away from the sea.
"In this sector, we are seeing retreat rates that we don't see anywhere else on Earth,'" Rignot said.
Smith Glacier's line moved the fastest, retreating 22 miles upstream. The other lines retreated from six to 19 miles.
As the glaciers melt and lose weight, they float off the land where they used to sit. Water gets underneath the glacier and pushes the grounding line inland. This, in turn, reduces friction between the glacier and its bed.
The glacier speeds up, stretches out and thins, which drives the grounding line to retreat farther inland.
This is a "positive feedback loop" that leads to out of control melting.
The only natural factor that can slow or stop this process is a "pinning point" in the bedrock – a bump or projection that snags the glacier from underneath and keeps it from sliding toward the sea.
To investigate this possibility, the researchers made a novel map of the bed beneath the glaciers using radar and other data from satellites and NASA's airborne IceBridge mission.
The map revealed that the glaciers had already floated off many of their small pinning points.
In short, there seems to be no turning back.
"At current melt rates," concluded Rignot, "these glaciers will be 'history' within a few hundred years."
Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Library invites all children and teens to participate in “Paws to Read,” the 2014 summer reading program which begins on May 31 at all Lake County Libraries.
Animal-themed events and activities will occur at the various libraries over the summer. More details about library events and programs will be posted on the library calendar at www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Lake_County_CA__Library/Calendar.htm .
Program for children
Children from preschool through sixth grade can sign up at any time during the program to receive a game packet at any Lake County Library and then read library books to earn prizes.
Each participant in the children’s program will receive a prize.
The Friends of the Lake County Library will donate a book to the library with a special bookplate commemorating each “Independent Reader” who reads 25 books or 1,000 pages.
The children’s program ends Aug. 2. Prizes will be presented at awards parties on Aug. 9.
'Super Sign-up Saturday'
Barbara Green, children’s programs coordinator, will conduct Lakeport Library’s “Super Sign-up Saturday” with special crafts and fun for children on Wednesday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Contact Barbara Green at 707-263-8817, Extension 17102 or email
Teen Summer Reading Program
The Lake County Library invites teens from seventh through twelfth grade to participate in “Paws to Read” the library’s teen summer reading program which begins May 31.
Teens are invited to visit the library and read for prizes as well as to take part in special animal-themed events offered throughout the summer.
Beginning May 31, students going into the sixth through 12th grade can register to attend these free events at the Lakeport Library, 1425 N. High St.
Teens also can sign up to read three young adult books during the program. Those who succeed will receive reading awards and their names will be put on commemorative bookplates inside new library books. Teens who turn in book reviews will have their names entered in a grand prize drawing.
Special events this summer will start with decorating the young adult area of the library with photo collages.
Amy Patton, the teen program’s coordinator, has planned several events for the teens this summer including a visit with a dog agility trainer, a dog groomer and other animal experts.
“Join us for decorating cupcakes, duct tape crafts, and much more,” said Patton.
The “Paws to Read” teen summer reading program is sponsored by the Lake County Library and the Friends of the Lake County Library.
Amy Patton can be reached at 707-263-8817, Extension 17105 or email
Contact libraries for information
Lakeport Library, located at 1425 N. High St., is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The phone number is 707-263-8817.
Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake, is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, noon to 7 p.m. The phone number is 707-994-5115.
Middletown Library, 21256 Washington St., is open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 707-987-3674.
Upper Lake Library, 310 Second St., is open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 707-275-2049.
The Lake County Library has an Internet presence at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and at www.facebook.com/lakecountyca.gov .
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's unemployment rate hit a six-year low in April, according to a new state report.
Lake County's April unemployment was 10.2 percent, the lowest rate since the 9.9 percent recorded locally in February 2008, according to the California Employment Development Department.
The April number was down from a revised 11.6 percent in March and below the year-ago estimate of 12 percent, the state reported.
California's unadjusted unemployment rate for April was 7.8 percent, also a six-year low; it's the lowest statewide rate since the 7.6 percent recorded in August 2008, according to the Employment Development Department. The state's March unemployment rate was 8.1 percent, with the rate in April 2013 at 9.1 percent.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said that nationwide unemployment for April was 6.3 percent, down from 6.7 percent in March and 7.5 percent in April 2013.
Nonfarm jobs in California totaled 15,424,600 in April, an increase of 56,100 jobs over the month, according to a survey of 58,000 businesses. The year-over-year change, April 2013 to April 2014, shows an increase of 340,200 jobs, or 2.3 percent.
A federal survey of 5,500 households shows an increase in the number of employed people. It estimates the number of Californians holding jobs in April was 17,195,000, an increase of 39,000 from March 2014, and up 272,000 from the employment total in April of last year.
Based on that survey, the number of people unemployed in California was 1,457,000 – down by 48,000 over the month, and down by 237,000 compared with April of last year.
The county with the lowest unemployment rate, Marin, registered a 3.9 percent rate in April, while on the other end of the spectrum Imperial had a 21.6-percent rate, the state's highest.
Lake County earned a rank of No. 37 statewide for its 10.2 unemployment rate, the report said.
Lake's neighboring counties ranked as follows in April, according to the Employment Development Department: Glenn, No. 43, 11.4 percent; Mendocino, No. 16, 6.7 percent; Napa, No. 4, 5.0 percent; Sonoma, No. 7, 5.3 percent; and Yolo, No. 25, 8.3 percent.
In April Lake County had 15,190 jobs, up 50 from the previous month and improved from the 14,770 reported April 2013, the report showed.
Areas of growth included durable goods manufacturing, 14.3 percent; state government, 13.3 percent; nondurable goods and wholesale trade, 5.6 percent. Job losses were reported in total farm, 6.3 percent; and other services, 4.4 percent.
The Employment Development Department reported that there were 481,018 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the April 2014 survey week, compared with 510,919 last month and 497,274 last year.
At the same time, new claims for unemployment insurance were 62,715 in April 2014, compared with 52,755 in March and 50,977 in April of last year, the agency said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
State officials are warning Californians that pertussis – or whooping cough – cases are increasing in the state.
Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state health officer, said Friday that his agency has received reports of 1,711 cases of pertussis occurring from January through April, more than triple than the number of cases in the same period last year.
“Pertussis peaks in incidence every 3-5 years as the number of susceptible people in the population increases,” said Chapman. “As the last peak in California was in 2010, we are concerned that the recent increase in reported cases suggests that another cyclical peak is beginning.”
Infants too young to be fully immunized remain most vulnerable to severe and fatal cases of pertussis. Most of the 77 hospitalized cases to date in 2014 have been in children three months of age or younger.
This year’s two pertussis deaths, the first reported in California since 2010, occurred in infants.
To prevent severe pertussis in infants, CDPH recommends that pregnant women receive a pertussis vaccine booster during the third trimester of each pregnancy, and that infants be vaccinated as soon as possible.
More than 90 percent of this year’s reported pertussis cases have been in children younger than 18 years of age, including 32 percent who were 14 through 16 years of age.
Outbreaks of pertussis in elementary, middle, and high schools have been reported throughout the state.
It’s important that both children and adults are up-to-date on their immunizations. Booster shots for pertussis are critical because, unlike some other vaccine-preventable diseases, neither the pertussis disease nor vaccine confers lifelong immunity.
To prevent pertussis, CDPH recommends that:
- Pregnant women receive a pertussis vaccine booster during the third trimester of each pregnancy, even if they’ve received it before.
- Infants be vaccinated against pertussis as soon as possible. The first dose is recommended at two months of age but can be given as early as 6 weeks of age during pertussis outbreaks. Children need five doses of pertussis vaccine by kindergarten (ages 4-6).
- California 7th grade students receive the pertussis vaccine booster as required by state law.
- Adults receive a one-time pertussis vaccine booster, especially if they are in contact with infants or if they are health care workers who may have contact with infants or pregnant women.
- The symptoms of pertussis vary by age. For children, a typical case of pertussis starts with a cough and runny nose for one to two weeks. The cough then worsens and children may have rapid coughing spells that end with a whooping sound. Young infants may not have typical pertussis symptoms and may have no apparent cough. Parents may describe episodes in which the infant’s face turns red or purple. For adults, pertussis may simply be a cough that persists for several weeks.
More information about pertussis is available on the CDPH Web site, www.cdph.ca.gov .