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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-5) will hold a telephone town hall for constituents of California’s Fifth Congressional District at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5.
Constituents interested in participating in the telephone town hall event can call 855-756-7520 and enter access code 24029#.
Mike Thompson represents California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The planting of grapevines on a five-acre property near Butts Canyon Road is close at hand for Middletown High School, thanks to a $50,000 grant from the California Department of Education.
Attendant with that will be the birth of a new course of study for Middletown High students encompassing the science and business of growing grapes, according to Principal Bill Roderick.
Middletown Unified School District was among 67 California school districts that received a total of $3.3 million in Specialized Secondary Programs grants, according to the California Department of Education’s award announcement.
The California Department of Education said the grant has a long history of supporting the development of innovative, cutting edge programs that offer high school students the opportunity to learn real-world skills.
"What the kids will learn is there is a whole batch of math and science before grapes are ever turned into wine," said Roderick. "We can show kids that there's an industry coming from our high school that they can 100 percent go into at any different level and from many different angles – from being a mechanic, a scientist, an accountant and an advertising executive. That's what's cool.
"I wouldn't expect anything to go into the ground until fall or spring. We still have planting to do, but the course will start," Roderick added. "It will actually be a two-course sequence. The first course is viticulture modeled after what they teach at Santa Rosa Junior College."
Middletown High’s plan is to divide the course into two segments. The vineyard segment will be in the fall; the vineyard management course will be conducted in the spring.
The grant, written by Roderick, himself, actually set off what is expected to become a chain reaction that may eventually involve several of the area's vineyards and wineries. For that, teacher Karen Jones can be thanked.
In anticipation of the grant, Jones, who will oversee the new course, was more than ready to mobilize a network of experts and resources in the viticulture industry that will get the Middletown High School course off the ground and the roots of the vines into the ground.
"Karen will be in charge and she has a great knowledge of (vineyards)," said Roderick. "But more than that, she knows everybody. Once I told her we got the grant she said, 'OK, I've got to call this person, this person and this person.
"And once this thing starts going forward we've got community members who are going to say 'we can help you,’” Roderick said.
"Our community loves this high school," Roderick added. "A big chunk of the money from the grant is going to go toward getting some of the things we need to operate. Then we're going to look to get some community support and support from some of the vineyards around here."
So far James Creek Vineyards owner Scott Brown and A Cut Above vineyard manager Jim Munk have volunteered support for the course and Shannon Ridge Vineyards and Winery has endorsed it, said Jones.
"It's just a matter of contacting them," Jones said.
Justin Skinner, a junior at Middletown High School and a third-generation dairy farmer, will serve as a student manager. He has been involved in the Middletown High ag program since his freshman year.
A big break in the project came when Roderick got Middletown Unified School District Superintendent Korby Olson to OK creating a vineyard on the five-acre plot where a new elementary school was once being considered. So an environmental study was already completed.
"Part of the property is a flood plain, so there wasn't enough ground," Roderick said of the elementary school plan.
The size of the vineyard is expected to be about four acres, he said.
"What I would like to see when this thing starts going is to figure out where the water is coming to come from, but there is a well there," said Jones. "We need to get a lot of things figured out with our resources."
The course will come online at a time when Lake County has only begun to carve out its niche in the vineyard and winery industry.
Middletown, said Jones, has the type of rocky soil conducive to growing grapes.
"We don't have the soil around here to grow crops," she said. "Our soil isn't like Kelseyville's. We don't have the higher quality soil so we have to be smart in what we're doing and what fits in our climate.
"You look this direction and that direction you're seeing grapes,” she said.
Email John Lindblom at
CLEARLAKE, Calif. - Soroptimist International of Clear Lake held its annual "Spring Fling" luncheon Saturday at the senior/community center in Clearlake, welcoming Dr. Kay Taylor as its guest speaker.
Dr. Taylor is a gynecologist, women's health advocate and founder of Prevention International No Cervical Cancer (PINCC) foundation.
Soroptimist of Clear Lake is part of an international organization with a mission to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and throughout the world.
Locally, the club sponsors educational scholarships for women and girls, a free mammogram program, a clothes closet project, offers support for a shelter for victims of domestic violence and provides financial support to a variety of other community projects.
Soroptimist member Olga Martin Steele described Taylor as an inspiration to all women in what they can become and as an example of what they can accomplish.
She was particularly intrigued, she said in introducing the speaker, with Taylor's educational journey, which culminated in Taylor graduating alongside her sons.
Taylor established PINCC in 2005 after a medical mission to Honduras. She said she saw more cases of women dying of cervical cancer during that single trip than she had in her entire medical career.
She said the disease is treatable and the death of these women is unnecessary.
"Cervical cancer is the medical success story of the century," Taylor said, explaining that medical breakthroughs in treatment and early detection have resulted in significantly lowering the death rates attributed to the disease.
She said because of limited access to medical resources, women in impoverished countries are suffering painful deaths from a cancer that could have been stopped with one simple test.
"For this reason, in the developing world (cervical cancer) is the biggest public health failure in the world," Taylor said.
Taylor said cervical cancer is caused by a slow-acting virus called human papilloma virus, or HPV , which she said also infects men.
Vaccination against HPV is key to eliminating the disease, much like was done with polio, she said.
Taylor's nonprofit, volunteer medical service organization creates sustainable programs that prevent cervical cancer by educating and treating women, training medical personnel and equipping facilities in developing countries.
PINCC has worked in 10 countries and has established 30 sustainable medical sites.
"We can help our sisters in these countries," Taylor said. "This has been a life-changer for me. I encourage everyone out there to find your passion and follow it."
The club thanked Taylor for her efforts to better the lives of women and children with a $1,000 donation to her foundation.
The event included a silent auction as well a live auction that saw a fair number of bidding wars between the ladies.
It was Jane McKnight who put up the biggest fight in her battle against Sally Munger, who ultimately claimed the San Francisco Giants grand package with the top bid of the auction.
Chic Le Chef catered to the guests of the luncheon with the assistance of student volunteers from Lower Lake and Carle high schools. Lunch was topped-off with the club members' traditional dessert bar.
Email Denise Rockenstein at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, which provides homeless, senior, and immigration services in six counties of northern California, announces new programs to reach those in need in Lake County starting in March.
The Rural Food Project continues to offer free food distribution in Middletown at the Community United Methodist Church on Armstrong Street on the third Wednesday of each month from 4-5:30 p.m.
In Kelseyville, the food distribution is held at St. Peter Church on Main Street on the fourth Monday from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
At these food distributions, Catholic Charities also will be providing information and application assistance in both English and Spanish to those who qualify for CalFresh (formerly food stamps), Medi-Cal for children and Covered California health insurance.
Additionally, outreach events will be held in Lucerne at Lucerne Alpine Seniors and in Clearlake at the Clearlake Pantry food distribution site.
Catholic Charities, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by community partnerships, grants, and individual donations, provides these services as part of its mission to reach out to those most in need, offer hope through service, and build better communities.
For more information and to confirm dates and times, please contact Jensyn Hallett at Catholic Charities at 707-528-8712, Extension 170.
Daylight Saving Time is just around the corner, which means losing an hour of sleep as we set clocks forward an hour on March 9.
Losing even one hour of sleep can affect a person’s internal clock and consequently impact their ability to safely drive.
In an effort to reduce the number of fatigue-related collisions, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is joining with the National Sleep Foundation in observing National Sleep Awareness Week, March 2-9, 2014.
“The safe operation of any vehicle requires a driver to be wide-awake and alert at all times,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “It is imperative to get the sleep that your mind and body need, your life and the lives of those on the highway with you depend on it.”
Sleep deprivation and fatigue impact a driver’s attention, which can lead to other behaviors behind the wheel that can result in a collision.
According to the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, in 2011, the most recent year that finalized data is available, more than 3,700 collisions occurred in California involving a drowsy driver.
Those collisions resulted in 42 deaths and injuries to more than 2,200 people.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorists can take effective steps if they become sleepy while driving, including:
• Stop driving altogether.
• Consume the caffeine equivalent of two cups of coffee.
• Take a 20-minute nap, and after the nap, drive to the closest safe resting spot, such as a motel, friend’s house, or go home and sleep.
“Drowsy driving leads to thousands of collisions every year in California,” added Commissioner Farrow. “These crashes, like many others, are preventable and prevention begins with a good night’s rest.”
The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of safety, service and security to the people of California.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – With renovations complete at Lake County Youth Services, the center is reopening and has plans to offer a new schedule of activities for the community’s young people.
Lake County Youth Services is open from 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays at 4750 Golf Ave., across from Redbud Park, in Clearlake.
The program serves children age 7 to 17 years.
The membership fee is $15.
The center’s volunteer director Joyce Overton said building renovations are complete and activity schedules are being developed.
Current volunteer hosts include dance instructor Tess James, who will lead a hip-hop/free style dance session once a week, and local yoga instructor Roslyn Griffin, who also will lead a weekly class.
Overton said the center welcomes volunteers who would like to share their programs with the community's youth.
She said evening dance schedules are being developed that could benefit from volunteer assistance as well.
"We need all the help we can get," she said.
Fundraising efforts continue and donations are always welcomed and appreciated, Overton added.
She said that with renovations complete, funding programs, activities and operation of the center can be the main priority.
A mystery dinner fundraiser is being organized for May 3 with assistance of Public Education Government (PEG) TV and the Lake County Theater Co. Volunteers for the event are being sought.
Anyone who would like to volunteer their time and/or talents with the children at Lake County Youth Services is encouraged to call the center at 707-994-KIDS (5437).
Monetary donations, including those supporting the center's child sponsorship program, also are appreciated.
Email Denise Rockenstein at