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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s communities have plenty of fun on tap for the Memorial Day weekend, with parades, fairs, the Avenue of Flags and other events planned for the next three days.
The county’s two main weekend events are in Lakeport and Lower Lake, where annual parades and accompanying activities are planned.
In Lakeport, the daylong celebration takes place on Saturday, beginning with the annual 4-H pancake breakfast at Natural High School on Main Street from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., hosted by the Lakeport Kiwanis.
The Kiwanis also are sponsoring a two-day craft faire at the same location at Natural High School, located on the lakeshore in the 800 block of N. Main Street.
On Saturday, Lakeport’s parade begins at 11 a.m. This year’s parade theme is, “Salute to America’s Heroes.”
The parade route travels from the Lake County Fairgrounds on Martin Street, entering Main at Martin Street and traveling north to Clear Lake Avenue, with the judges’ stand in front of the museum between Second and Third streets, according to the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.
The Lakeport Police Department said Main Street will be closed from Martin Street to Clearlake Avenue and citizens are being asked to use alternate routes of travel during that time. Motorists will not be permitted to cross Main Street from any side street throughout the parade route.
The agency said the intersection of Martin Street and Forbes Street will be controlled by law enforcement and will be closed in all directions to motor vehicles that are not parade participants.
The chamber requests members of the public honor the no parking signs, which will be posted on Main Street from First to Fourth streets, calling for no parking during the hours of 10 a.m. to noon to allow unobstructed views of the parade for spectators.
On Sunday, the main event switches to Lower Lake for Lower Lake Daze, which kicks off with the 11 a.m. parade.
Lower Lake Community Action Group Treasurer Kelley Slater said the parade will last about an hour, traveling down Main Street to Mill Street at the Brick Hall.
“We call it the best little parade around,” Slater said of the annual event, which has taken place for more than 50 years.
Last year’s was the biggest parade so far, but this year’s parade could top it – Slater said they have more applications for entries than they had in 2012.
“It’s going to be a really good parade,” Slater said.
The parade will feature horses, classic cars, a pet parade within the main parade, fire trucks, participants from the town’s renaissance fair – which also is going on all weekend – and more, she said.
This year’s grand marshals are Sheila and Bill Bening. Slater said Sheila Bening is the past Lower Lake Community Action Group president, and both she and her husband are very active in the community.
Slater said the parade awards will be presented at 2 p.m.
Following the parade, activities will shift to Russel Rustici Park, where there will be vendors, food, live music by the group “Without A Net” and children’s entertainment, including a jump house and trackless train, Slater said.
Slater said the day’s old time barbecue dinner, at $7 per person, will feature ribs, chicken, beans and rolls.
Separately, Lower Lake High School’s sport boosters will be selling barbecued oysters, she said.
Activities in the park will continue from noon to 3 p.m., she said.
Proceeds from the Sunday celebration will go to the Lower Lake Community Action Group’s scholarship fund, Slater said.
The group is getting set to give out $8,000 in scholarships to local students over the next few weeks.
“We had a good time giving away money this year,” which goes to deserving young people on their way to college, Slater said.
“Come and have a good time,” she added.
On Monday, Memorial Day, Avenue of the Flags will be set up Hartley Cemetery outside of Lakeport, Lower Lake Cemetery, Kelseyville Cemetery and Upper Lake Cemetery, according to Dean Gotham, president of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 951.
Installation of flags and flagpoles begins at 7 a.m., weather permitting, with the flags coming down at 4 p.m., he said.
All community volunteers who want to help with the avenues around the county are welcome, according to Gotham.
Other events taking place this weekend include those listed below.
Saturday
– Fifth annual Lake Renaissance Festival, 16175 Main St. in Lower Lake. The Tuscan Village is transformed into a turn-of-the-17th-century town filled with folk from all over Renaissance Europe and beyond: Italian nobles, Scottish lairds, pirates, gypsies, pick-pockets and rogues of every description. There will be food, drink and entertainment.
– Third annual Memorial Motorcycle Fun Run, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meet for a tree planting at 10 a.m. across from Blue Fish Cove on Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks, with kickstands up for a run around the lake at 11 a.m. The event is sponsored by the Roughnecks Motorcycle Club, Redwood Chapter, comprised of firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement, military and public service members. All motorcyclist enthusiasts and chase vehicles are welcome. The $25 donation goes towards our crisis fund. For further information, contact Keith Leffler 707-350-0383.
– Lower Lake High School and Konocti Unified School District Drama Department present “Fame, the Musical” in the high school multipurpose room at 7:30 p.m. Cost of admission is $8 students, $9 senior citizens and $10 adults. Presale tickets will be discounted $2. For more information contact Tracy Lahr at 707-994-6471.
Sunday
– Lake County Corvette Club hosts the Corvettes-only Show & Shine next to Library Park in downtown Lakeport, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
– Fifth annual Lake Renaissance Festival, 16175 Main St. in Lower Lake. The Tuscan Village is transformed into a turn-of-the-17th-century town filled with folk from all over Renaissance Europe and beyond: Italian nobles, Scottish lairds, pirates, gypsies, pick-pockets and rogues of every description. There will be food, drink and entertainment.
– Featherbed Railroad, 2870 Lakeshore Blvd. in Nice, will host an open event featuring the work of Lake County artist Jim Colling from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., with music by Michael Barrish. A $15 donation includes wine tasting and appetizer pairing, and goes to support local charities. For more information call Featherbed Railroad at 707-274-8378 or visit www.featherbedrailroad.com .
– Lower Lake High School and Konocti Unified School District Drama Department present “Fame, the Musical” in the high school multipurpose room at 2 p.m. Cost of admission is $8 students, $9 senior citizens and $10 adults. Presale tickets will be discounted $2. For more information contact Tracy Lahr at 707-994-6471.
– “Lake County Live!” performance takes place from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre, 275 S. Main St., Lakeport. The audience is asked to be seated by 5:45 p.m.; they’re also invited to stay after the show for additional performances by the featured musicians. Show creator and host Doug Rhoades hosts a lineup of local musicians as well as original sketches and comedy including the “Ladies of the Lake.” Lake County Live! airs live on Lake County Community Radio KPFZ at 88.1 FM and is also streamed live on the Internet via www.kpfz.org . Tickets cost $5 and are available at the door and and online at www.soperreesetheatre.com .
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – It will be a summer of satisfaction for Konocti Unified School District, highlighted by a June 26 grand opening of the Konocti Wellness Center clinic on the Lower Lake High School campus.
The clinic will give the district the distinction of being one of three such facilities in a rural district nationwide and make Lower Lake the only one of five high schools in Lake County with its own on-campus health care center.
Construction of the center, housed in two buildings, was completed last week.
The center will serve about 3,000 K-12 students and 200 children from birth to age 5.
The need for it is spelled out in the revenue lost in the absences of students because of illness. In the 2009-10 school year, 21,000 days were lost to due to student illness, amounting to $696,168 in lost revenue for the district, according to school officials.
The new center is the product of a partnership comprised of St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, the KUSD school nurse Susan Salmina, Safe Schools/Healthy Students and Healthy Start, Alcohol and Other Drugs Services. Other partners and services will be added to this list.
The costs were covered by a July 2011 federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in which $95 million was awarded to 278 school-based health center programs nationwide, one of the first awards in a series of allocations to the School-Based Health Center Capital Program. A $444,000 locally written grant was also instrumental to its construction.
In short, it came together because of a great get-together.
“I think it's very exciting,” said KUSD superintendent Donna Becnel. “Right now we're looking at what the need is going to be and what services are going to be offered. We hope to have that finalized before we have the grand opening, which is planned for June 26 at 4 p.m.
“We will be open during the summer,” Becnel added. “It is a wellness center that will not only service the students of Konocti Unified but also will service the families in the community. We are anticipating that the majority of students who are seen here are going to come from Konocti Unified and the surrounding area.”
The genesis of the plan for the center occurred in 2009.
“There was a big need for health care at Lower Lake High School, so we wanted to provide some on-site services,” recalled Joan Reynolds, program director of the Lake County Office of Education's Healthy Start program. “The opportunity to do that came up because there were several grants for capital improvement to build something.
“So we pulled a bunch of partners together – myself and (Clearlake dentist) Mark Cooper; district staff; Jeff Dixon, the principal at the high school; Amy Osborn, a counselor at the high school and a lot of students and outside community – just a lot of partners we thought might be interested in student health.”
Kimberly Tangeman, St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, and Salmina will be responsible for staffing the center.
The medical staff will be provided by St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake. Salmina will see that all of the services are engaging and that everything at the center is operating.
Reynolds will provide a full-time staffer who will be in the next-door building and case management. Essentially, this building – called the microfitness building – will be where classes will be conducted in a multitude of disciplines, including smoking cessation, yoga, kick boxing, light weightlifting, cardiovascular and bicycling, to name a few.
A $500,000 grant has allowed for the furniture and equipment to go into the building.
It will be outfitted with cutting edge equipment. A screen providing the various options will come down from the ceiling.
“I provided all the pieces that needed to be put together for the grant. I'm in the trenches. But I can't stop to do all the meetings,” said Salmina, who is the only nurse for entire Konocti district.
Discussing the activities the new center will engender, Becnel said, “One of our concerns is obesity in students, which is creating a national at risk. We want to be sure that we do whatever we can to be on the front end in supporting our students with health and wellness and activities. The center is going to be on the front end of things. We'll be providing things like nutrition classes, yoga classes and smoking cessation for which we were we were just awarded a federal tobacco grant.”
The clinic is situated next to Lower Lake's ultra-modern auto mechanics building.
“Originally,” said Reynolds, “it was right off the weight room. The problem was we would have had to renovate that whole section, which would have given us a little more space, but we would have had to go under a slab (for wiring) and then put all the plumbing in there. In the new location we lost a little square footage, but were able to put modern lighting system in.”
Reynolds praised Mark Cooper for his role in actualizing the clinic.
“Mark is on the California School Health Center (Association) board and I think that's pretty lucky for us here in Lake County,” she said. “Also as dental director of clinics he was instrumental in getting the clinic and hospital on board with school health services and was able to give us vital information. He is also on the Lake County County Office of Education school board and he was the go-between between the schools and the hospital.”
Email John Lindblom at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A slight warming trend will begin Friday as the Memorial Day weekend approaches, with chances for rain beginning on Sunday.
The big cool-down this week included reports of frost Thursday morning in Scotts Valley and areas of the Big Valley, with calmer winds throughout most of the day as chances for frost persisted through this morning according to Western Weather Group Lake County.
Daytime temperatures are expected to be slightly warmer Friday and Saturday with highs in the low- to upper-70s with increasingly partly cloudy skies.
Moving into Sunday, temperatures are forecast to begin to decrease once again to below-average levels.
Overnight lows also are predicted to inch upwards, but still remain in the mid-30s to mid-40s throughout the weekend.
Forecast models currently give a 40 percent chance of rain on Memorial Day, with possibilities for rain throughout early next week.
Every drop of rain will be welcome, as Lake County and all of Northern California experienced the third driest January and February on record this year – normally the months with the highest rainfall amounts – since record-keeping began in 1850, according to Wester Weather Group Lake County.
Long range weather models currently indicate near to below-normal temperatures to persist into early June.
Email Terre Logsdon at
UKIAH, Calif. – Mendocino College will honor hundreds of graduating students at its 2013 commencement ceremony on Friday.
The graduation event will take place beginning at 6 p.m. at Mendocino College, 1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah in the Gymnasium.
The college said 260 students with degrees and certificates will be honored.
Approximately 170 graduates will participate in the ceremony along with over 50 full-time professors, elected board members and college administrators.
Mr. Donald McMullen, a Mendocino College alumnus, will be the 2013 commencement speaker.
A list of graduating Lake County students is featured below.
Clearlake
Diana Torres Naja, Associate of Science
Christina E. Peterson, Associate of Arts
Alice C. Skala, Associate of Arts
Michael J. Silvia, Associate of Arts
Clearlake Oaks
Ashley A. Kelleher, Associate of Science
Jessica L. Elliott, Associate of Science
Jesse Zephan Langhorne, Associate of Science
Finley
Amy C. Escobedo, Associate of Arts
Karen Guadalupe Renteria, Associate of Arts
Glenhaven
Timothy A. Marquis, Associate of Science
Shaynna F. Sosa, Associate of Arts
Hidden Valley Lake
Kelly J. Burns, Associate of Science
Kelly J. Anderson, Associate of Arts
Stacey L. Cranfill, Associate of Arts
Hannah M. Miller, Associate of Arts
Marisa A. Silveira, Associate of Science
Kelseyville
Farrah A. Alameda, Certificate of Achievement
Renee N. Calway, Associate of Arts
Antonio Junior Castellanos, Associate of Science
Ann C. Castro, Associate of Science transfer
Leticia Covarrubias Espinoza
Maria Cruz, Associate of Arts
DeeAnn Howard, Associate of Arts
Sarah L. Johnson, Associate of Science
Carla P. Lua, Associate of Arts
Vincent J. Monreal, Associate of Arts
Leah D. Nunez, Associate of Arts
Patrick S. Ritchie, Associate of Science
Michel Anne Shenkin, Associate of Arts
Sarina L. Solem, Associate of Science
Kim D. Tippit, Associate of Arts transfer
Derek J. Tippit, Associate of Arts transfer
Enrico J. Shelby, Associate of Arts
Brittny S. Sutton, Associate of Science
Lakeport
Gary R. Bruhn, Associate of Science
Raechel A. Cano, Associate of Arts
Shelley A. Christensen, Associate of Arts
Linda A. Jones, Associate of Arts
Adriana Marquez, Associate of Arts
Jonathan D. McAloon, Associate of Arts
Maheanani M. Phillips, Associate of Arts
Angelica Sanchez, Associate of Science
Lan Dai Winn, Associate of Science Transfer
Sarah A. Dietrick, Associate of Science
Joshua C. Larsen, Associate of Arts
Tina Louise Thompson, Associate of Science
Jennifer M. Winford, Associate of Arts
Brent J. Bomia, Associate of Arts transfer
Kevin M. Burt, Associate of Science transfer
Sierra D. Davidson, Associate of Arts
Michael J. Degregorio, Associate of Arts
Alexis Dorman, Associate of Science transfer
Jolene K. Gonzales, Associate of Science transfer
Emely H. Grove, Associate of Arts
Sara S. Haworth, Associate of Arts
Ramandeep Kaur, Associate of Science
Joshua C. Larsen, Associate of Arts
Shawn C. Larsen, Associate of Arts
Roberto S. Morfin, Associate of Science
Laura D. Pankratz, Associate of Science
Joseph J. Pimentel, Associate of Arts
Kaitlin M. Reynolds, Associate of Arts
John K. Ulvila, Associate of Science
Ashley E. Potts, Associate of Arts transfer
Lower Lake
Zyola C. Blu, Associate of Science
Lucerne
Daylen C. Roberts, Associate of Science
Noelle A. Collins, Associate of Arts transfer
Middletown
Ester Laurel Keel, Associate of Science transfer
Nice
Jacqueline C. Lovrin, Associate of Arts transfer
Jonathan D. MacNayr, Associate of Science
Sammie D. Marsh, Associate of Science
Courtney H. McVey, Nice
Upper Lake
Tyler C. Rainer, Associate of Science transfer
Stephanie Marie Sneed, Associate of Science
Billy B. Binns, Associate of Arts
Diego S Harris, Associate of Arts
James G. Lolonis, Associate of Science
Silvia Aguilera, Associate of Science
Clay R. Drinnon, Associate of Arts
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California interagency effort fighting the spread of invasive quagga and zebra mussels urges boaters to remain vigilant over the three-day Memorial Day weekend.
People who launch vessels at any body of water are subject to watercraft inspections, and are encouraged to clean, drain and dry their motorized and non-motorized boats, including personal watercraft, and any equipment that comes into contact with the water before and after recreating at a waterway.
“Boaters have taken an active role in preventing the spread of mussels,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham. “These efforts must continue, so that the state’s aquatic resources are protected and available for the enjoyment of all.”
Quagga and zebra mussels, non-native freshwater mussels native to Eurasia, multiply quickly and encrust watercraft and infrastructure, and compete for food with native and sport species.
These mussels can be spread from one body of water to another attached to nearly anything that has been in an infested waterbody, or via standing water from an infested waterbody entrapped in boat engines, bilges, live-wells and buckets.
To ensure watercraft are clean, drained and dry, many local agencies are conducting boat inspections. CDFW has posted a list of these inspections on its Web site ( www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/quaggamussel ) along with additional information about the invasive mussels and what people can do to help prevent their spread in California.
Boaters should call ahead to check for restrictions prior to visiting their destination.
To prevent spreading invasive mussels and to breeze through an inspection, boaters can take steps before arriving at a water body.
These include inspecting all exposed surfaces, removing all plants and organisms, draining all water, including water contained in lower outboard units, live-wells and bait buckets, and allowing the watercraft to thoroughly dry.
Watercraft should be kept dry for at least five days in warm weather and up to 30 days in cool weather between launches in different bodies of fresh water. These measures are essential to safeguard California waterways.
A detailed guide to cleaning vessels of invasive mussels is available on the Department of Boating and Waterways Web site at www.dbw.ca.gov/PDF/BoatingQuaggaGuide.pdf .
Travelers also are advised to be prepared for inspections at California Department of Food and Agriculture Border Protection Stations. Inspections, which can also be conducted by CDFW and the Department of Parks and Recreation, include a check of boats and personal watercraft, as well as trailers and all onboard items. Contaminated vessels and equipment are subject to quarantine or impoundment.
Quagga mussels were first detected in the Colorado River system in January 2007 and were later found in San Diego and Riverside counties.
They are now known to be in 24 waters California, all in Southern California. Zebra mussels were discovered in San Justo Reservoir in San Benito County in January 2008.
Both species can attach to and damage virtually any submerged surface. They can:
- Ruin a boat engine by blocking the cooling system and causing it to overheat;
- Jam a boat’s steering equipment, putting occupants and others at risk;
- Require frequent scrapping and repainting of boat hulls;
- Colonize all underwater substrates such as boat ramps, docks, lines and other underwater surfaces, causing them to require constant cleaning;
- Cost the owners of these items a lot of money.
A multi-agency effort that includes CDFW, the Department of Boating and Waterways, Department of Water Resources and State Parks has been leading an outreach campaign to alert the public to the quagga and zebra mussel threats.
A toll-free hotline at 1-866-440-9530 is available for those seeking information on quagga or zebra mussels.
For information on Lake County’s mussel prevention program, visit http://www.nomussels.com/ .
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A large earthquake that hit Thursday night near Greenville in Plumas County was felt by people around Northern California, and set off a series of dozens of aftershocks.
The 5.7-magnitude quake occurred at 8:47 p.m. It was centered six miles west northwest of Greenville and 26 miles southwest of Susanville, at a depth of 6.8 miles, according to the US Geological Survey.
By 10 p.m., the US Geological Survey reported about 30 aftershocks, the largest of which was 3.5 in magnitude.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. reported about 660 customers were without power in the Prattville area, with the power there going out about 50 minutes after the quake.
Residents from around the North State and Nevada reported feeling the big quake, with the US Geological Survey receiving more than 7,500 shake reports by 10 p.m.
Some Lake County residents also were reporting on social media Thursday evening that they felt the quake.
Email Elizabeth Larson at