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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Lake County/City Area Planning Council and Caltrans are hosting the second community meeting for the Highway 29 South Corridor Engineered Feasibility Study and Middletown Community Action Plan Project on Tuesday, June 4.
The meeting will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Middletown High School in the multiuse facility, located at 15846 Wardlaw St.
The project’s purpose is to make area travel safer and more convenient, reduce congestion and
address local community needs.
The Highway 29 South Corridor Engineered Feasibility Study is identifying and analyzing potential transportation improvements from the Napa County line to Highway 53.
The community action plan is focused on potential road, bike, pedestrian and equestrian improvements
in Middletown.
Attend the June 4 meeting to learn about progress on this important project, ask questions and share your ideas.
The meeting will feature a presentation on key findings in the existing conditions report – including level of service/delays, accident data and environmental constraints – and an introduction to “Complete
Streets” planning for Middletown.
Several information stations with maps and project information will be staffed by representatives from the Lake County/City Area Planning Council, Caltrans, county of Lake and project consultant team, who will be available to discuss the project, answer questions and discuss ideas in an informal format.
For more information visit the project Web site at www.lakecountysr29.com , email
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The annual food and wine event, "A Taste of Lakeport," will return to downtown Lakeport on Saturday, Aug. 24.
Taking place along three blocks of Main Street in downtown Lakeport, the food and wine tasting runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with street dance following until 10 p.m.
The event once again pairs premium Lake County wines with gourmet food from local purveyors.
Event tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door, and include all activities and a souvenir wine glass. A $15 ticket is available for food tasting only.
An expected 20 wineries will offer tastes from fine wines either produced in Lake County or made from grapes grown in the county. Approximately 20 local restaurateurs and caterers will provide tasty bites.
To keep the fun going, live music will play throughout the tasting by Polecat Rodeo and Without A Net. A great antique car collection will be on view as well.
After 8 p.m., the party turns into a lively street dance under the stars with music by the Lake County Diamonds.
Tickets are now on sale at these outlets:
– Soper Reese Community Theatre online at www.soperreesetheatre.com or at the box office on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 275 S. Main, Lakeport, 707-263-0577.
– The Travel Center, 1265 S. Main, Lakeport, 707-263-3095.
– Lake County Chamber of Commerce, 875 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport, 707-263-5092.
– Hillside Honda, 460 S. Main, Lakeport, 707-263-9000.
Proceeds from A Taste of Lakeport benefit the Lakeport Main Street Association and its work toward the continuing revitalization and renovation of downtown Lakeport.
For more information contact Lakeport Main Street Association at 707-263-8843 or
More than 57,000 drivers were ticketed for handheld cell phone talking or texting during April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety and the California Highway Patrol.
The citations written by CHP officers as well as over 250 local law enforcement agencies across the state match the number handed to drivers in last year’s April campaign.
The monthly number of cell phone tickets outside of this special high visibility enforcement averages 36,000 violations. More than 3,500 citations were handed out for other types of distracted driving violations.
The Office of Traffic Safety also announced that the percentage of drivers actively using cell phones at any one time in the state dropped from 10.8 percent in 2012 to 7.4 percent in 2013, nearly returning to the baseline 2011 total of 7.3 percent.
The largest drop, 33 percent, was from those holding a cell phone to their ear, the report said.
The information was contained in the third annual cell phone observational survey conducted in March by OTS through the UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center.
The results are likely the low-end indicators due to the short, limited view observation of whether a driver was using a phone, especially for texting.
“We are very encouraged to see the usage figures decline, especially after the increase last year,” said OTS Director Christopher J. Murphy. “But any number is too high, since any usage of cell phones while driving takes away too much of our brain’s ability to react to what’s happening on the road, not to mention when our hands or eyes are disengaged also.”
Law enforcement agencies from across the state joined in the high visibility enforcement efforts of the April campaign.
Officers have been witness to the ever increasing number of crashes in recent years due to cell phone use and other distracted driving.
Participating agencies came together for two area-wide concentrated enforcement days during the month as well as smaller city-wide enforcement days.
“The month of April is behind us, however, distracted driving awareness education and enforcement continues for law enforcement statewide,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Inattention while driving is a dangerous behavior with potentially deadly consequences. Motorists, especially parents with impressionable children in the vehicle, are strongly encouraged to practice safe, legal driving behaviors. Lives depend on it.”
Over and above the enforcement efforts, the “It’s Not Worth It!” campaign continued to make drivers and the public aware of the dangers of distracted driving, as well as the high cost of tickets, through Caltrans changeable message signs over highways, DMV messaging in field offices, plus internet, social media and other outreach.
Costs for violating the cell phone laws start at $162 for the first offense and $285 for subsequent offenses. Other violations for actions that can be classified as distracted driving can range even higher.
More important are the hundreds killed and thousands seriously injured every year due to drivers thinking they can operate a vehicle safely while engrossed in talking or texting on a cell phone.
Following a few uncomplicated steps would go a long way in keeping you safe from distracted driving:
– Put your cell phone out of reach or turn it off when you get in the car so you won’t be tempted to use it.
– Mention on your outgoing voice mail message that you can’t answer because you might be driving.
– Don’t call or text anyone when there is a good chance that they may be driving.
– If you must call or text, pull into a parking space. The extra couple of minutes are worth it.
– The ability to safely multitask while driving is myth. Cell phone use actually diminishes the brain’s ability to drive safely.
– Never check Facebook, run an app, read or otherwise allow your full attention to leave the task of safely driving.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A horse is a horse, of course, was once the introduction to a popular television series.
But there are deer who think they are goats or sheep, according to Dr. Susan Cannon, doctor of veterinary medicine at Wasson Memorial Veterinary Clinic in Lakeport.
That's not as funny as it seems. In fact, such delusions for wild animals frequently lead to fatal results.
The delusion occurs when deer or other animals are taken out of their natural habitat during infancy and raised in unnatural surroundings in which they fail to develop a sense of danger, Cannon explained.
"A deer that has no fear of human beings or house pets that thinks it's a sheep or a goat is going to get hurt," said Cannon. "It's going to go into people's yards and destroy their garden. The people are going to get mad. So people who pick up wild animals don't realize they aren't doing these animals any favors.
"People are kind-hearted. They can't stand to see a little animal distressed," Cannon added. "Sometimes they'll find a baby bird and they go online to find out what to feed it. They raise them and then what you have is an adult bird that has no fear of humans, and invariably a cat or a dog ends up killing them."
This issue has arisen as it does every year during the spring season because spring is a time when people are most apt to find a baby bird seemingly alone on the ground, or a tiny jackrabbit all by itself in tall grass with its mother nowhere in sight.
"The same with a baby fawn," Cannon observed. "People they see them by themselves and assume that their mother has left them. Sometimes that's true, but the majority of people are too quick to pick them up and take them someplace.
"There are times when they are endangered. They fear that the baby animal is going to get eaten by a dog roaming the neighborhood or run over by a car. If people find an animal in these circumstances, the first thing to do is not grab it up and start handling and taking it away from its normal state," said Cannon. "The first thing to do is call somebody who has some information, like a rescue center."
Frequently people who have found wildlife that appears to be in danger call Wasson or Clearlake Veterinary Clinic, a similar facility.
"Physically we are a veterinary clinic not a rehab center like they have in some counties," Cannon explained. “Mostly what we do here is somebody reports an injured animal to animal control. On a single day recently we got a baby crow, a baby raccoon and a baby rabbit. Week before that we got a baby great horned owl."
Last year, Wasson took in 230 wildlife cases, mostly birds. There were hawks, owls and others of all species. There were also raccoons, rabbits, even mice.
Cannon provides a set of commonsense rules for what to do if you find a small animal or bird that is seemingly all alone.
– In the case of fawns, their mother takes them into a bush while she goes out to graze. Then she comes back. If there is reason to believe the fawn is abandoned, leave it alone and give the mother at least 12 hours to come back. If fawns look healthy and are not in any immediate danger it's better for the animal to be left where it is. They have a much better survival rate If they are raised in nature by their parents.
– Because young birds can't fly very well, do not assume that they are either orphaned or abandoned and take them away. It's natural for most birds to leave the nest before they are capable flyers and their parents continue to feed them on the ground for weeks. This year, during a severe windstorm, several baby birds have been blown out of their nests or they were jostled out.
– It's best not to pick up baby animals, such as baby jackrabbits. Their parents forage for food at night and feed them, then leave them tucked away in the grass during the day. If the animal – birds, rodents, bunnies, etc. – has been caught by a cat, yes, pick them up; they need to be safe. But any small animal that has been picked over by a cat is likely to need antibiotics.
– Remember that almost every animal is protected by law. It is unlawful to shoot, trap or confine most of the undomesticated animals, whether it's a blackbird, a rat, a squirrel or a deer. Even bats, who, if you're a rancher may have a colony in your barn, are protected. Hawks suspected of killing chickens cannot be shot except when caught in the actual act of attacking livestock. Some animals that are not native to the area, such as opossums, are not protected, said Cannon.
Wasson functions as a clearinghouse for the animals and birds that are brought there, Cannon said.
"We evaluate them and ship them to a rehab facility in Santa Rosa," Cannon explained. "Most of the birds of prey, raptors especially, go to Santa Rosa because we don't have a flight cage. You can't believe how many hawks we get in here because they've been shot with a BB gun.
"We do have local volunteers who take care of certain species," she added. "Like a woman who takes care of possums. But each species has its own requirements, so you need to get familiar with the animals."
Sadly, there are hard cases, such as the occasional raptor that must be euthanized because it does not respond to treatment and will never fly again.
"If a hawk can't fly it spends the rest of its days sitting on a perch and it's not a very dignified way for a big bird to live,” said Cannon.
Email John Lindblom at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This week Lake County Animal Care and Control has several new additions to its group of adoptable cats.
Besides several very cool adult cats, this week there are several kittens available for adoption that are guaranteed to bring some excitement to your household.
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”).
Domestic short hair mix kitten
This female domestic short hair mix kitten is 9 weeks old.
She has a black and white coat, has blue eyes, weighs 2 pounds and has been spayed.
She's in cat room kennel No. 4a, ID number 36088.
Domestic short hair mix kitten
This female domestic short hair mix kitten is 9 weeks old.
She has a short black and white coat, has blue eyes, weighs nearly 2 pounds and has been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 4b, ID No. 36089.
Domestic short hair mix kitten
This male domestic short hair mix kitten is 9 weeks old.
He has a short black and white coat, has blue eyes, weighs almost 2 pounds and has been neutered.
He's in cat room kennel No. 4c, ID No. 36090.
Domestic short hair mix kitten
This female domestic short hair mix kitten is 9 weeks old.
She has a short white and gray tabby coat, has blue eyes, weighs almost 2 pounds and has been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 4d, ID No. 36091.
White domestic medium hair
This female white domestic medium hair cat is 9 years old.
She weighs 24 pounds, has blue eyes and has been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 22, ID No. 36285.
Female brown tabby
This female brown tabby is 3 years old.
She has a long, luxurious coat with white markings and gold eyes, and she has been spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 29, ID No. 36214.
Male domestic long hair kitten
This male domestic long hair kitten is 9 weeks old.
He has a gray and white coat, weighs nearly 2 pounds and has been neutered.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 45b, ID No. 36383.
Domestic short hair mix
This female domestic short hair mix is 8 years old.
She has a gray and white coat, green eyes, weighs nearly 8 pounds and has been spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 105, ID No. 36162.
‘Susie Q’
“Susie Q” is an 8 year old domestic medium hair mix.
She has green eyes, a gray and white coat, weighs 14 pounds and has been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 106, ID No. 36161.
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
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As warm weather returns, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is reminding the public to be rattlesnake safe.
All of California is snake country. Much like bats, rattlesnakes often are misunderstood. They play an important role in the ecosystem by keeping rodent populations under control.
California has six venomous snakes, all of which are various species of rattlesnake. They are heavy-bodied, blunt-tailed with triangular-shaped heads.
A rattle may not always be present, as they are often lost through breakage and not developed on the young.
Additional species information can be found here: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/snake.html .
Rattlesnakes generally are not aggressive and usually strike when threatened or provoked. Given room, they will retreat and want to be left alone. They are not confined to rural areas and have been found in urban environments, lakeside parks and golf courses.
The best protection against unwelcome rattlesnakes in the yard is to have a “rattlesnake-proof” fence. The fence should either be solid or with mesh no larger than one-quarter inch. It should be at least 3 feet high with the bottom buried a few inches in the ground.
Keep the fence clear of vegetation and debris. Encourage and protect kingsnakes, which prey on rattlesnakes, and other natural competitors like gopher snakes and racers.
On rare occasions, rattlesnakes can cause serious injury to humans. Most bites occur between the months of April and October when humans are most active outdoors.
The California Poison Control Center notes that rattlesnakes account for more than 800 bites each year in the U.S. with one to two deaths.
CDFW recommends the following outdoor safety precautions:
- Wear hiking boots and loose-fitting long pants.
- Never go barefoot or wear sandals when walking through wild areas.
- When hiking, stick to well-used trails.
- Avoid tall grass, weeds and heavy underbrush where snakes may hide during the day.
- Do not step or put your hands where you cannot see, and avoid wandering around in the dark.
- Step ON logs and rocks, never over them, and be especially careful when climbing rocks or gathering firewood.
- Remember, rattlesnakes can swim so never grab “sticks” or “branches” while swimming in lakes and rivers.
- Teach children to respect snakes and to leave them alone.
What to do in the event of a snake bite:
- Stay calm and wash the bite area gently with soap and water.
- Remove watches, rings, etc, which may constrict swelling.
- Immobilize the affected area and go to the nearest medical facility.
What you should NOT do after a rattlesnake bite:
- DON’T apply a tourniquet.
- DON’T pack the bite area in ice.
- DON’T cut the wound with a knife or razor.
- DON’T use your mouth to suck out the venom.
- DON’T let the victim drink alcohol.
For more general information on rattlesnakes, visit:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74119.html .