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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Ten individuals representing Lake County’s professional vineyard work force received accolades Thursday, Nov. 15, when the Lake County Winegrape Commission presented its first graduating class of the Commission’s Master Vigneron Academy.
The graduation and celebration took place in the Lakeport Yacht Club.
The 2012 graduates of the yearlong course are Felix Aguilar and Gabriel Martinez of Bella Vista Farming; Antonio Batres and Alonso Raygoza, Beckstoffer-Red Hills; Tarcisio Corona, Stokes Vineyards; Federico Gonzalez, L & L Vineyards; Gerardo Mendoza, Red Hills Vineyard; Jeronimo Rico, Dorn Vineyards; Jaime Rosas, Lyon Vineyards; and Amador Villalobos, Nissen Vineyard Services.
“You guys are tops,” said Randy Krag to the group of vineyard foremen and supervisors.
Offering congratulations to the class, Krag said the men had each earned the title of “Master Vigneron” by completing the course and pursuing a career path.
In a video presented prior to the introduction of the graduates, Krag said, “It’s the people who make our business work.”
While praising the class’ work over the past year, he reiterated the comment to the approximately 50 people attending the graduation Thursday.
“People are the strength of what we do. (Lake County) is in good shape if our industry is in such capable hands,” Krag said.
Krag, research/education chair for the Lake County Winegrape Commission, has been credited with the concept of the Master Vigneron program.
He explained Thursday that he proposed a program to help develop the professional workforce of vineyard managers.
The experience workers and managers involved in the industry are at the core of the program goals, he said.
Krag and Paul Zellman, director of the Master Vigneron Program, presented each of the graduates with certificates of completion in English and Spanish and a hat sporting the “MV” logo on its band.
Zellman coordinated the monthly meetings of the Master Vigneron Academy and led the group on its visits to wineries and vineyards in Lake County and outlying counties.
Commission Chair Peter Molnar acknowledged the group, noting that the first year of any type of program is usually the hardest but that from what he observed “there is every indication that it was successful.”
Molnar said the Master Vigneron Program is “very important” to the commission, and he thanked Krag for the idea.
The program contributes to professional development and recognition of the workforce leaders while allowing the individuals to stay in Lake County, have their families with them and build their careers, Molnar said.
The graduates were congratulated by Molnar and commission President Shannon Gunier who called the completion of the yearlong program “an amazing accomplishment.” Gunier said the individuals’ recognition was well-deserved.
Honorees, their families and guests of the commission enjoyed lunch and dessert prepared by Chic Le Chef. A selection of Lake County wines was served with lunch.
For information about the Lake County Winegrape Commission and its Master Vigneron Program, visit the commission’s Web site at www.lakecountywinegrape.org .
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The annual Wreaths Across America commemoration is seeking local sponsors to help remember veterans this holiday season.
There are many ways to show your support for veterans every day of the year. One of the biggest fears of veterans is being forgotten.
A very special way to remember and honor a veteran is to sponsor a holiday wreath to be placed at Hartley, Kelseyville and Lower Lake Cemeteries for Wreaths Across America.
On Saturday, Dec. 15, members of the community will gather together to honor veterans during the holiday season as part of the annual Wreaths Across America day.
Youth organizations, the Lake County Military Funeral Honors Team and members of the Patriot Guard Riders have volunteered to conduct the Wreaths Across America ceremony this year at Hartley, Kelseyville and Lower Lake Cemeteries starting at 9 a.m.
Seven ceremonial wreaths will be placed to remember all soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who served, honor their sacrifices and teach younger generations about the high cost of our freedoms.
Specially designated wreaths for the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, and POW/MIA will be placed on memorials during a ceremony that will be coordinated simultaneously at more than 750 participating locations all across the country.
The Wreaths Across America story began more than 20 years ago when the Worcester Wreath Co. from Harrington, Maine, initiated a tradition of donating and placing wreaths on the headstones of our nation’s fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery.
Recognition of the service and sacrifice of our veterans and their families is especially poignant during the traditional holiday season.
Wreaths Across America has helped honor the memories of veterans buried at Hartley Cemetery since 2006 and moved to Kelseyville Cemetery last year and on to the Lower Lake Cemetery this year.
Individual sponsorships cost $15 for one wreath and the family option costs $60 for four wreaths, small businesses can fund 10 wreaths for $150 and corporations can sponsor 100 or more wreaths for $1,500 or any amount can be sponsored for $15 per wreath.
Toni Funderburg, Wreaths Across America coordinator in Lake County, said a recent anonymous sponsorship was made for 100 wreaths to be placed at the Kelseyville Cemetery.
This donor family has a very strong respect for those that have served in the military as they have and feel it is important to remember and honor those that have given so much for our country. Funderburg said the donors visited both Hartley and Kelseyville Cemeteries last year and were very moved by the respect that was shown to our Veterans.
She said the donors would like to see more fallen veterans honored and have committed to match sponsorships totaling $1,000 to make that happen.
Sponsorship forms can be picked up at Lakeport Tire & Auto Service, 1901 S. Main St. in Lakeport, or you can call 707-263-5422 and they will fax or email you a sponsorship form.
If you use Facebook, go to Wreaths Across America-Lake County, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wreaths-Across-America-Lake-County/103251736433906 . You can download the form after liking the Wreaths Across America page. Checks must be made to Wreaths Across America.
Wreaths also can be sponsored for veterans’ gravesites at other cemeteries but the wreath will need to be placed by the sponsor.
The cutoff date for sponsoring a wreath this year is Nov. 24.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Forecasters are warning of the potential for gusting winds and rain in the run up to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Early Tuesday morning the National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for areas of Northern California, including Lake County. The advisory is in effect until midnight Tuesday.
South winds of 15 to 30 miles per hour are anticipated, with gusts between 40 and 50 miles per hour possible, the National Weather Service reported.
The agency said the gusting winds raise the possibility of difficult driving conditions and power outages.
Lake County and parts of Northern California also are the subjects of a National Weather Service special weather statement forecasting rain and, in some higher elevations, snow through the middle of the week.
Those conditions are expected to result from low pressure that is moving from the Gulf of Alaska and into the Pacific Northwest through Wednesday.
Rain is forecast in Lake County for Tuesday, with showers also likely on Wednesday. Thanksgiving is expected to start with patchy fog that will clear and give way to sunny conditions, with daytime highs in the mid 60s.
Sunny conditions are expected to continue Friday, with chances of showers on Saturday, and Sunday bringing more sun, giving way to clouds at night, the National Weather Service reported.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Public Health officials are overseeing a first-of-its-kind survey in Lake County that will look at how prepared local residents are for potential disasters.
Later this month the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response – or CASPER – survey will take place in neighborhoods around Lake County, according to Lake County Public Health Office Dr. Karen Tait.
To the best of Tait’s knowledge, Lake County is the first area in California to use the CASPER survey.
“It’s actually something that we're doing voluntarily,” she said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Health Studies Branch developed CASPER to enable government at all levels to rapidly assess a community’s health needs after a disaster, as well as to measure household preparedness for disasters or emergencies.
In Lake County’s case, Tait said it’s meant to measure preparedness and help her staff know how to best respond in times of disaster to help meet the community’s needs.
Tait, who is overseeing the local work, said that among its many benefits, the CASPER survey is “a rare opportunity for local, state and federal agencies to coordinate at the field level.”
Such work often is challenging and messy in real disasters, she pointed out, so it’s a good practice exercise.
Coming as it does following a summer of wildland fires that threatened Lake County communities, “It’s really perfect timing,” she said.
The survey will take place Monday, Nov. 26, through Wednesday, Nov. 28, in Nice, Lucerne, Clearlake Oaks, Clearlake, Clearlake Park, Middletown, Hidden Valley Lake, Cobb, Lakeport and Kelseyville, according to Tait.
Spring Valley, which Tait said the county had planned to survey before August’s Wye Fire, will be the focus of a separate and specific CASPER survey.
Fifteen two-member survey teams will visit neighborhoods, going door to door, looking to locate seven respondent households within each census block. Tait said team members will have signage on their cars and will carry identification cards.
She said survey team members will include epidemiologists from neighboring counties, state public health personnel, public health students and some of the county’s own public health nurses.
They will not be collecting any personal information and will only conduct the work during the daytime, Tait said.
Tait said that, at the same time, there will be teams working in some neighborhoods to conduct air quality measurements in order to find evidence of geothermal venting, a phenomenon that’s been seen in parts of the county.
By Friday, Nov. 30, Tait anticipates having some initial analysis completed on the results. “It should be fairly fast.”
How the process works
Tait and her staff began planning for the survey in June. “It's been a pretty intensive planing process for us,” she said, adding that they’re also getting a lot out of it in terms of experience and information.
Lake County Public Health is offering much more local support than CDC is accustomed to, said Tait. “We decided to make it a kind of logistical exercise for ourselves.”
Tait said the CASPER process involves choosing 30 census tracts within Lake County that are weighted toward more populated areas. Seven houses within each tract are then selected at random.
In Spring Valley, where a separate CASPER is being undertaken, 14 households will be surveyed, Tait said.
Tait said there will be questions about disaster preparedness, health needs and knowledge of safe drinking water sources.
The survey teams also will ask residents about how to best communicate with others during disaster, hearing or vision impairment issues, how they have planned for their health care needs, their particular disaster-related concerns and barriers to their own disaster planning, and if they will evacuate during disasters and, if not, why not, Tait said.
It’s important for people to realize that they’re not being graded on their answers, Tait added.
She said those answers should be interesting and, in fact, could provide surprises during analysis.
Tait said she has frequently heard from community members that they want to be included in the planning process for disasters, and the survey will offer that chance.
The information from the survey can be used in future planning efforts. Tait said she hopes to have the community’s help in identifying gaps in the local government’s response.
She said Lake County Public Health had a limited role in responding to the Wye Fire, including helping get medications to an evacuee and providing support to the evacuation shelter but noted, “There was room for improvement.”
All of the advance planning and information gathering from the CASPER work will help them in the future, she added.
Tait said community members who have questions about the CASPER survey or the teams visiting neighborhoods can call Lake County Public Health at 707-263-1090.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The month of October brought mixed results in unemployment rates locally, around the state and across the nation.
The California Employment Development Department’s latest report on unemployment said that the state’s jobless rate for October, 10.1 percent, was down slightly from 10.2 percent in September and also down compared to October 2011, when the state’s rate was 11.5 percent.
The number of people unemployed in California in October was 1,848,000 – down by 29,000 over the month, and down by 274,000 compared with October of last year, the agency said.
Nonfarm jobs in California totaled 14,417,200 in October, an increase of 45,800 jobs over the month and 295,300 jobs over the year, for a total gain of 574,900 jobs since the recovery began in February 2010, according to data from two separate surveys.
California’s unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,500 households, while a survey of 42,000 California businesses is used to measure jobs in the economy.
Lake County’s preliminary October jobless rate was 13.8 percent, up from 13.4 percent in September but improved from the October 2011 rate of 15.2 percent, according to the Employment Development Department report. The county was ranked No. 49 statewide for unemployment.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the nation’s October unemployment rate was 7.9 percent, up from 7.8 percent in September but down from 8.9 percent the previous October.
Lake County’s labor force had 25,310 people in it in October, down from 25,500 the previous month and 25,900 in October 2011, according to Employment Development Department data.
In October, 3,500 Lake County residents were unemployed, compared to 3,420 in September and 3,930 in October 2011, the agency reported.
Dennis Mullins of the Employment Development Department’s North Coast Region Labor Market Information Division, said Lake County’s wage and salary employment declined 160 jobs from September to October. He said Lake County is down 160 jobs for the year over as well.
Six industry sectors gained or were unchanged and five declined for the period, Mullins said.
He said year-over job growth occurred in information, 10; private educational and health services, 20; and other services, 10.
Mining, logging and construction; manufacturing; and financial activities had no changes over the year, Mullins reported.
Industry sectors with decline over the year included farm, -20; trade, transportation and utilities, -20; professional and business services, -10; leisure and hospitality, -100; and government, -40, according to Mullins.
The employment report showed that Marin continued to hold onto its position as the county with the lowest unemployment rate, 5.8 percent, with Imperial remaining at the highest rate, 28.1 percent.
Lake’s neighbors had the following rates and ranks: Colusa, 13.9 percent, No. 50; Glenn, 11.8 percent, No. 36; Mendocino, 8.7 percent, No. 14; Napa, 6.9 percent, No. 4; Sonoma, 7.6 percent, No. 8; Yolo, 9.7 percent, No. 24.
A detail of the monthly and yearly job picture
The Employment Development Department’s report said payroll employment in the nonfarm industries of California totaled 14,417,200 in October, a net gain of 45,800 jobs since the September survey, following a gain of 32,000 jobs in September.
The federal survey of households, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed an increase in the number of employed people, estimating the number of Californians holding jobs in October was 16,512,000, an increase of 56,000 from September, and up 200,000 from the employment total in October of last year.
There were 453,448 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the October survey week, compared with 470,515 last month and 494,752 last year, the Employment Development Department.
At the same time, the agency said new claims for unemployment insurance were 55,543 in October 2012, compared with 48,017 in September and 68,724 in October of last year.
California’s latest jobs report detailed which industries were showing improvements in employment and which were showing declines from September to October.
Seven categories – construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and other services – added jobs over the month, gaining 58,200 jobs. The state said trade, transportation and utilities posted the largest increase over the month, adding 24,700 jobs.
Four categories – mining and logging; information; financial activities; and government – reported job declines over the month, down 12,400 jobs, the report showed.
The Employment Development Department said government posted the largest decrease over the month, down 8,600 jobs.
In year-over-year comparisons, seven categories – construction; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; professional and business services; educational and health services; and leisure and hospitality – posted job gains, adding 346,100 jobs.
Professional and business services posted the largest gains on a numerical basis, adding 86,000 jobs, a 4-percent increase over the year. Information posted the largest gains on a percentage basis, up 5.3 percent, adding 23,100 jobs.
Four categories – mining and logging; manufacturing; other services; and government – posted job declines over the year, down 50,800 jobs.
Government posted the largest decline on both a numerical and percentage basis from October 2011 to October 2012, down by 37,800 jobs, a 1.6 percent decrease, the report showed.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This Thanksgiving week has a number of cool cats waiting for new homes at the county’s animal shelter.
These cats are all ready to join your home in time for the holidays – all have had their shots and are altered, and would make great additions to loving families.
Cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed and 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”).
Female torbie
This female torbie is 3 years old.
She has gold eyes, a short coat and weighs 5 pounds. She has been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 105, ID No. 34742.
Male gray tabby
This male gray tabby is 1 year old.
He has a short coat and green eyes, and has been neutered.
He’s in cat room kennel No. 100, ID No. 34479.
Gray female tabby
This female gray tabby is 4 years old.
She has a short cat, is quite friendly and personable, and has been spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 63, ID No. 34571.
Gray and white domestic long hair
This male domestic long hair mix is 1 year old.
He has green eyes and is a smaller-sized cat. He has been neutered.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 54, ID No. 34655.
Domestic long hair mix
This black and white female domestic long hair mix cat is 3 years old.
She has green eyes, is of medium size and has been spayed.
She’s in cat room kennel No. 52, ID No. 34632.
Gray tabby kitten
This gray tabby kitten is 5 months old.
He has green eyes, a short coat, weighs 3.6 pounds and has been neutered.
He’s in cat room kennel No. 20d, ID No. 34746.
Buff-colored female kitten
This female buff-colored kitten is 5 months old.
She has a long coat, weighs 2.6 pounds and has been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 20c, ID No. 34792.
Female torbie kitten
This female kitten is 5 months old.
She has a short torbie-colored coat and gold eyes, weighs 3.6 pounds and has been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 20a, ID No. 34743.
Gray male tabby
This handsome gray male tabby is 2 years old.
He has a fluffy medium-length coat, weighs nearly 9 pounds and has been neutered, so he’s all ready to join a new home.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 11a, ID No. 34357.
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