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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A nationwide search for photos of fallen Vietnam War soldiers has reached Lake County.
Janna Hoehn, a resident of Maui, has for the last several years conducted a search for photos as part of “The Wall of Faces,” which is seeking to collect pictures of America’s casualties and MIAs of the Vietnam War.
The Wall of Faces, part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, has a goal of “putting a face with every name etched on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.”
The online portrait gallery can be found at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund's Web site, http://www.vvmf.org/ .
At present, there are more than 58,286 names etched on the wall. Photos of more than 32,000 have been secured, Hoehn said.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund lists five Lake County men who died in Vietnam: Lewis D. Grothe and David C. Lindberg of Lakeport, Paul W. Hill of Upper Lake, Robert T. Mills of the Clearlake Highlands and George L. Silva of Nice.
The Wall of Faces has collected photos of all but Silva, and Hoehn is issuing an appeal for help in finding a photo of the young soldier, who died in February 1969 at the age of 20.
Hoehn is requesting that any Lake County residents who may have information about Silva or his family email her at
Hoehn said she began searching for photos of the Vietnam fallen after visiting the Vietnam Wall five years ago with her husband.
She did an etching of a name she chose randomly on the wall, that of Gregory John Crossman. She subsequently researched Crossman and tried to find his family. A cousin helped her find a photo of Crossman.
Two years later, she saw a local news segment about a call for photos for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. She immediately sent in the photo she had of Crossman, and five days later received an email from Jan Scruggs, the founder and president of the Vietnam Wall.
“He asked if I could help him find the photos for the 42 Maui County Soldiers that were killed in Vietnam,” said Hoehn.
Once she finished finding all the Maui County photos, she worked to find the six soldiers who came from her childhood home in the Hemet and San Jacinto area in California.
After that, she became involved in trying to locate photos of Native American soldiers, which, in turn, evolved into searching for all Vietnam War soldiers in the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, Sacramento, Imperial, Kern, Lassen County and Placer.
Presently, she is conducting searches for photos in Sonoma, Fresno, Nevada and Napa counties.
“Next on my list is Lake County,” she said.
Hoehn said she would appreciate hearing from any relatives, friends or classmates of Lake County's fallen Vietnam veterans.
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Cal Fire is investigating a fire that damaged buildings at the Hidden Valley Lake Little League field on Saturday night.
The fire was reported at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the field on Hartmann Road, as Lake County News has reported.
Numerous Cal Fire and South Lake County Fire firefighting units and a medic unit were in the response team because the fire was a threat to surrounding vegetation, according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Greg Bertelli.
The fire burned the field's “snack shack” and did some minor damage to an equipment shed sitting next to it.
Community members have voiced concern that the fire was a result of arson. So far, however, officials haven't had a time to reach a conclusion.
“We're going to look at all possibilities of how the fire started from what we have left over (of the buildings),” said Bertelli.
Email John Lindblom at
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – After burning two days in a remote area outside of Lower Lake, the Cantwell Fire was contained Sunday evening by firefighters.
The fire began Friday afternoon, reportedly due to a pickup fire, off of Cantwell Ranch Road near Morgan Valley Road.
Cal Fire reported Sunday evening that the fire was fully contained at 120 acres.
One outbuilding was destroyed by the fire, Cal Fire said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Colorful and playful cats are waiting for homes at Lake County Animal Care and Control this week.
This week's cats range in age from 6 months to 6 years, with long to short coats in colors including gray and orange tabbies, and calico markings.
In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped 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 there, hoping you'll choose them.
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Dilute calico
This dilute calico is 6 years old.
She has a short coat, weighs 13 pounds and has been spayed.
She's in cat room kennel No. 32, ID No. 38256.
Female brown tabby
This female brown tabby is 1 year old.
She has green eyes and a short coat, and has not yet been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 41, ID No. 38213.
'Copper'
“Copper” is a 4-year-old male orange tabby.
He has a short coat and green eyes, and has been neutered.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 48, ID No. 38359.
Male domestic long hair mix
This male domestic long hair mix kitten is 6 months old.
He has an orange and white coat, and has not yet been neutered.
He's in cat room kennel No. 62, ID No. 38452.
Domestic medium hair mix
This domestic medium hair mix cat is 11 months old.
She has has a black and white coat, weighs 7 pounds and has gold eyes. She has been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 67, ID No. 38040.
Female gray tabby
This female gray tabby is 7 months old.
She has a short coat; shelter staff did not report if she has been spayed.
She's in cat room kennel No. 98, ID No. 38287.
Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .
Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.
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
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – A fire Saturday night destroyed a building and damaged another at Hidden Valley Lake's baseball field.
The fire was first reported at around 9:30 p.m., when firefighters were dispatched to a fire in an outbuilding at the field on Hartmann Road, according to radio reports.
Witnesses described that building as the “snack shack,” which initial reports indicated was a total loss.
A second building, used to house equipment, also was damaged by the fire, according to witnesses.
Radio reports indicated that a Cal Fire investigator was being sent to the scene to look for the cause.
The field hosts events including Little League games for the community's children.
Additional details were not immediately available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Literacy Task Force celebrated its third anniversary at the Lake County Office of Education this past Tuesday, Nov. 5.
The task force has a vision that everyone in the county – young, adults and elders – not only be able to read, but desire to read.
It supports four literacy programs in the county.
The Big Read, which took place in October, promotes adult literacy through focusing on an author and novel.
Lake County Reads is a program supported by service clubs that purchases books for elementary school libraries and has a service club member read the book at the school.
Schools of Hope is a joint program of the Lakeport Unified School District and the United Way that provides reading tutors for low readers in the primary grades.
The primary focus of the celebration was the fourth program of the task force, Imagination Library.
This program offers the literacy program sponsored by the Dolly Parton Foundation to very young children in Lake County.
For $25 per year a child, from newborn to age 5, receives one age-appropriate book each month through the mail.
The purpose of the program is to prepare every child for kindergarten by having the child become familiar with books.
Research shows that a child that is read to in infancy becomes a better reader in school. Moreover, the child is more likely to become a life long reader.
A parent could not purchase half of these books for the cost of the program. This past year Imagination Library has provided almost 1,200 books to children in our community.
According to Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook, the goal is “to put a book into the hands of every young child in the county.” Currently 18 percent of the preschool children in the county receive a book every month.
Imagination Library is sponsored by many organizations and individuals in the county. Both Sutter Lakeside Hospital and the St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake provide a subscription for one year for the first 100 or so babies born in their hospital.
The Habemotel Pomo tribe provides books to all babies born into their tribe. Other sponsors are the Lakeport Women’s Civic Club, Konocti Lionesses, Early Lakeport Lions Club and numerous individuals.
“This is a perfect program for Lake County because organizations can sponsor children that would not normally get books in the home, and families can sponsor their own children for much less than it would cost to buy the books themselves,” said Stephanie Wayment, the Lake County Office of Education manager of this program.
Wayment promotes Imagination Library as a way for parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts to give a Christmas, baby shower, or birthday gift to a young child that is not only very valuable, but keeps on giving throughout an entire year.
When signing up for the program, the Lake County Office of Education sends out a gift announcement to the parents of the child and can follow up with instruction to the parent on how to read to a young child. A month later the first book arrives in the mail, to the joy of the child.
If you want to give Imagination Library as a Christmas present or gift to a young child, contact Staphanie Wayment at 707-262-4163.
If you want to donate to this valuable program, and provide books to children that might not otherwise get them, it is tax-deductible and can be made to the Lake County Office of Education at 707-262-4100.