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LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A new educational facility at Lower Lake High School will offer students the chance to learn valuable career skills and also will help fill a need for well trained and certified automotive mechanics.

The high school’s new auto shop had its grand opening in a small ceremony on Wednesday evening.

Dana Moore, Konocti Unified School District’s director of classified services, said the new building is 3,600 square feet, with eight automotive repair bays, a classroom, tool room and locker room.

Funding for the automotive program and the shop itself came from Proposition 1D vocational money – Lower Lake High was one of the first schools in the state to receive the funds – as well as a grant written by Karen MacDougall, wife of Konocti Unified Superintendent Dr. Bill MacDougall.

Work began on the shop last September and was completed in April, according to Bill Gabe, the auto shop teacher.

Bill MacDougall said that five years ago – while he was still Carlé Continuation High School’s principal – he was asked by then-Superintendent Dr. Louise Nan to work with career tech educators in the district to create a premier school-to-career program.

A new automotive repair program – and the new facility itself – grew out of that effort, he said.

Lower Lake’s automotive program – the only one of its kind in Lake County – also will certify students as mechanics, said MacDougall.

“That will put our students ahead of the game,” he said.

Gabe said it was his dream to create a program that would fit into the modern day, and offer the most up-to-date education and qualifications for young people.

He said his shop will be a place where students will be able to take the test to become certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, or ASE.

Among the disciplines offered, Gabe’s students will learn every aspect of automotive repair, from taking work orders through body repair and painting techniques, with an emphasis placed on making cars safe.

He said the shop also has a muscle car project and is building a Jammer to compete at the Lakeport Speedway.

In addition to high school auto shop classes, the shop will host night college classes in automotive repair, Gabe said.

“I have never seen a shop quite like this, I have never seen a program quite like this,” said Gabe, adding that they also have enjoyed great community support.

Konocti Unified Board President Anita Gordon thanked her fellow board members – Bill Diener, Herb Gura, Hank Montgomery and Mary Silva – for their support for educational opportunities like the auto program.

“No matter what the state does to us, no matter how much money they take from us, no matter how much they try to strip our programs, this district believes in what’s best for the kids,” said Gordon. “And I liken us to a little engine that could. No matter what, no matter what happens, we manage to come up with money, grants – whatever it takes – to make a program like this for our kids.”

Lower Lake High School Principal Jeff Dixon said the new auto shop is one of several new additions to the campus over the last several years, including a new library and new gym.

“Not every kid is college bound, we know that,” he said. “But every kid is adult bound.”

Vocational and career technical programs help many young people advance to the next step in their lives and careers, and Dixon said the school plans to expand more of its offerings in those areas, including agricultural education. The school also is expanding its visual and performing arts classes and Advanced Placement classes, he said.

An entry point to a career

The project of bringing the new building to fruition had a lot of support from local businesses, including Clearlake-based A&B Collision, which donated a paint booth, which will be installed this summer; Lake Parts of Lakeport, which donated the paint system for the booth; and Martin Senour, which is donating the paint.

For A&B Collision owners Bill Stone and Alvaro Valencia – who advised the school on how to set up the facility – it’s hoped that the program will provide them with a qualified pool of mechanics and technicians from which to hire.

Stone told Lake County News that finding qualified employees has been one of his business’ biggest challenges, and has necessitated him bringing in staff from all around the state.

But finding well-trained and certified mechanics to fill high paying jobs isn’t just a Lake County problem, said Stone.

“It’s all across the United States,” he said.

On hand to show their support were members of the Lake County A’s, which presented $600 to the program. Clear Lake Car Club President Blue Miller also attended on behalf of his group, which raises money for scholarships for high school students.

Also present for the event was James Fairless, an educational representative for the NASCAR Technical Institute, a branch campus of the Universal Technical Institute.

He said the institute recently took a group of Lower Lake High automotive students over to tour UTI’s Sacramento campus.

Fairless said the new building signified “a lot of potential.”

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Richard Schaut, an English teacher at Middletown High School, has been selected as the 2012-13 Lake County Teacher of the Year.

Tim Gill, senior director of educational services at Lake County Office of Education, announced Schaut's selection.

Schaut will represent Lake County in the upcoming California Teacher of the Year competition.

Schaut holds a bachelor’s degree in English from University of California, Los Angeles, and a master’s degree in humanities, language and literature from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

He has been an instructor at Middletown High School since 1990 and currently teaches English 12, AP English Composition, Honors English 11 and English 9, as well as philosophy.

“Students know three things will happen when they go into Mr. Schaut’s classroom: 1) There will be energy from the teacher that will start before the bell and will run until the echo of the final bell that day; 2) As a student they will be challenged to open their mind and not be afraid to get better; and 3) Both the teacher and the student become better as a result of the interaction,” said Middletown High School Principal Bill Roderick.

Schaut explains his teaching viewpoint best. “Today my philosophy of teaching is that to teach well, we must love our subject, we must love learning, we must love the process of teaching, and we must genuinely care about our students. To do this well we must have patience, we must practice, and we must be persistent, both as teachers and as students. Teaching is about building relationships and explaining processes, passing on what we know to be true.”

Each year the school districts in the county select one exemplary teacher as their district teacher of the year. A committee of community leaders then interviews these candidates.

The criteria for selection of the Lake County Teacher of the Year is based upon the state and national  requirements, which include professional development activities, commitment to the improvement of the educational system, personal attributes, creativity and ability to communicate ideas effectively, and professional skills in delivering curriculum and instruction to students.

This year’s selection committee members were Pamela Bordisso, Tim Gill, Marilyn Grock, Nyla Norris and Richard Smith.

The outstanding district teachers of the year for 2012-12 are Matthew Carpenter, Kelseyville Unified School District; Valerie Duncan, Upper Lake Union Elementary District; Teresa Dunne, Upper Lake Union High District; and Stacy Holland, Lakeport Unified School District.

Also acknowledged for excellence in teaching is Marlene Henry, Konocti Unified School District.

Schaut and the district teachers of the year will be honored for their exceptional achievement at an event this fall.

For more information on the upcoming award dinner, please contact Shelly Mascari at the Lake County Office of Education, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced on Wednesday that the Assembly and Senate each passed important components of the California Homeowner Bill of Rights that will help protect homeowners from scams.

The bills enhance the attorney general's enforcement powers and allow the attorney general to use special grand juries to prosecute multi-jurisdictional financial crimes.

The Mortgage Fraud Strike Force established by the attorney general has been investigating and prosecuting a wide range of crimes related to mortgages, foreclosures and real estate.

"California was the epicenter of the mortgage and foreclosure crisis and scammers have been preying on vulnerable citizens who simply want to keep their homes," said Attorney General Harris. "These bills will aid our efforts to prosecute and convict these criminals."

These are two of the six bills in the California Homeowner Bill of Rights. Other portions of the package are being considered in a Joint Legislative Conference Committee, including elements to restrict unnecessary foreclosures and protect the due process rights of borrowers and homeowners.

AB 1763 (Assemblymember Mike Davis, D-Los Angeles) and SB 1474 (Senator Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley) would allow the Attorney General to convene a special grand jury to investigate and indict the perpetrators of financial crimes involving victims in multiple jurisdictions. Both bills passed out of their respective houses unanimously with bipartisan support.

The special grand jury would convene in cases involving fraud or theft that occurs in more than one county and where all potential charges are against a single defendant or multiple defendants working together.

Crimes of a financial nature often occur in multiple jurisdictions. Under current law, crimes where the fraud victims are all over the state require separate grand juries and charges filed in each county where the defendant committed the crime. This legislation would provide for the option of a special grand jury that can investigate financial crimes beyond the scope of single-county grand juries.

"The attorney general is currently engaged in the investigation of significant crimes," Senator Hancock said. "Unfortunately, county-by-county grand juries do not work well in dealing with large-scale wrongdoing in multiple jurisdictions. With this bill, the attorney general can investigate multijurisdictional crimes – it will provide protection when Californians need it the most."

In addition, AB 1950, by Assemblymember Davis, will extend to three years the statute of limitations on mortgage related crimes.

The current statute of limitations of one year can make it difficult to prosecute crimes such as the prohibition on charging up front fees for loan modification services.

Because the foreclosure process is so protracted, some homeowners may not even realize that they have been the victim of a scam before it is too late for prosecution.

"AB 1950 equips the Attorney General to do her job; to go after the bad actors that have taken advantage of homeowners. It accomplishes this by providing the Attorney General with appropriate time to investigate and prosecute those who prey on California homeowners," said Assemblymember Mike Davis. The bill passed out of the Assembly on a 46 to 18 vote.

The California Homeowner Bill of Rights also includes:

• DUE PROCESS AND FORECLOSURE REDUCTION ACT: SB 900 (Leno) & AB 278 (Eng). These bills are being considered by a Joint Legislative Conference Committee.
• BLIGHT PREVENTION LEGISLATION: AB 2314 (Carter) & SB 1472 (Pavley and DeSaulnier). These bills have passed the Assembly and Senate, respectively and now will be heard in the other house.
• TENANT PROTECTION LEGISLATION: AB 2610 (Skinner) & SB 1473 (Hancock). These bills will be heard in the Assembly and Senate by the end of the week.

For more information on the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, go to www.oag.ca.gov .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – With springtime comes kitten season, and Lake County Animal Care and Control has many young cats looking for homes.

The three male kittens featured in the video above are 13 weeks old and are up for adoption.

They're all cute, playful and fluffy.

All three are domestic long hair mixes with blue eyes. Two are gray tabbies with white markings, one is a lilac point Siamese mix.

None of them have yet been neutered.

The kittens can be found in cat room kennel No. 18a, No. 18b and No. 18c.

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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

In a strong showing of bipartisan strength, on Wednesday members of the State Assembly voted in unanimous support of legislation authored by Assemblymember Jared Huffman that would help rescue California state parks from financial paralysis and prevent park closures.

“I’m proud to be joined by my colleagues from both parties in this effort to preserve our state parks,” said Huffman, D-San Rafael. “This bill gives the state additional tools it needs to help keep state parks open and provide for more sustainable management of parks in the future.”

Assembly Bill 1589, also known as the California State Parks Stewardship Act of 2012, proposes both long and short-term strategies for keeping open many of the state parks slated for closure as a result of funding reductions to the Department of Parks and Recreation.

The bill calls on the Department of Parks & Recreation to develop a prioritized action plan to increase revenues and collection of unpaid user fees at state parks, while maintaining the character and values of the state park system.  

It also creates a State Park Enterprise Fund and states legislative intent regarding the need for a multi-disciplinary independent assessment of ways to ensure long-term management and sustainable funding options for state parks.

Additionally, it includes provisions that authorize the Department of Motor Vehicles to offer special fee-based state park license plates to support the park system and allow taxpayers to redirect portions of their tax refunds to the California State Parks Protection Fund in exchange for an annual state park day-use access pass.  

“AB 1589 will end closures and make the State Parks system more self-sufficient, with a net long-term savings to the state’s general fund,” said Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro, D-North Coast, a joint author of the bill. “This legislation is also an investment in our state’s economy. Small communities throughout rural California depend on State Parks to sustain small businesses and provide jobs.”

AB 1589 also revises the factors the Department of Parks and Recreation considers when selecting state parks for future closure, requiring the Department to publicly disclose its methodology and rationale when evaluating them, and requires that park closures be considered only as a last resort after other options, including public/private partnerships, have been explored.

AB 1589 is also jointly authored by Assemblymembers Kevin Jeffries, Roger Dickinson and Mike Gatto, and coauthored by 16 other Democratic and Republican members.

The bill proceeds to the Senate for further consideration.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The man killed in a Tuesday afternoon crash on Highway 53 in Clearlake has been identified, and a Wednesday report explained the circumstances that led to the fatal incident.

Ricardo Perez, 46, of Nice died after he was struck by a tow truck driven by 45-year-old Joseph L. Brown of Yuba City at about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP conducted the fatal crash investigation at the request of the Clearlake Police Department.

According to the report, Rosa M. Reyes, 23, of Clearlake was stopped in her Lexus sedan northbound on Highway 53 waiting to turn left on Polk Avenue.

Perez was standing at the rear of his parked 1997 Ford Ranger pickup on the shoulder of northbound Highway 53 facing north and south of Polk Avenue, the report said. Police had said Perez was doing landscaping work.

At the same time, Brown was driving his International flatbed tow truck northbound on Highway 53 at approximately 45 to 55 miles per hour.

The CHP said Brown saw Reyes' sedan stopped in the northbound lane with its left turn signal activated. He began to decelerate and apply the tow truck's brakes, but realized he would be unable to stop before hitting the Lexus.

Brown turned his vehicle to the right and continued braking, with the left of his vehicle hitting the right rear of the Lexus, causing minor damage, the CHP said.

After hitting Reyes' Lexus, Brown continued past that vehicle and went into the dirt shoulder toward Perez and the Ford pickup, according to the CHP.

The CHP report said the front of the tow truck hit Perez and then the rear of the tow truck hit the parked Ford pickup.

Perez was picked up by a REACH air ambulance to be flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, but Clearlake Police said he died en route.

Reyes sustained minor injuries and was taken to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake for treatment, the CHP said. Brown was uninjured. Both Reyes and Brown were wearing seat belts.

Alcohol was not a factor in the Tuesday collision, according to the CHP.