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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Local educators and members of the legal community are partnering to bring a new educational experience to the community's young people.
The Mock Trial Program is set to make its debut in the 2012-13 school year.
The program, which began in Southern California, gives young people the chance to study court cases and argue them before real judges in real courtrooms as part of mock bench trials competitions.
The Lake County Superior Court and Lake County Office of Education partnered late last year to bring the program to Lake County.
Close to 20 people – including Superior Court Judge Andrew Blum, Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook and Upper Lake High School Superintendent Patrick Iaccino – met in the Lake County Superior Court Department 2 courtroom on Tuesday afternoon to talk about the next steps necessary to make the competition a reality.
Holbrook said presentations have been made at local high schools, four of which expressed their interest in forming teams for the competition.
He said the plan is to be ready at the start of the coming school year.
Court staffer Suzanne Blavet said a number of local attorneys – Stephen and Angela Carter, Anna Gregorian and Bill Conwell, David Markham, Jon Hopkins and Jacqueline Snyder – already are committed to working with teams forming at the various schools.
Still other local attorneys may be joining as well, Blavet said.
Stephanie Wayment of the Lake County Office of Education said every county that has a mock trial competition has the opportunity to send one team to the state competition, which this coming year will be held in Anaheim.
Holbrook said Lake County's Mock Trial Program will have its actual kick off at the end of September or start of October.
Community members interested in participating at various levels should contact the Lake County Office of Education, 707-262-4100.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Sanitation District (LACOSAN) will be initiating this season’s round of wastewater collection system inspections in the coming weeks.
This year will include smoke testing inspections starting with approximately 50,000 lineal feet of the sewer collection system in Upper Lake.
Smoke testing involves use of non-toxic liquid smoke that leaves no residual and pinpoints potential leaks in sewer lines.
Leak detection and subsequent repairs have a significant impact on minimizing spills throughout the year.
Miksis Services Inc., specializing in leak detection, and LACOSAN crews will be introducing smoke under pressure into the system through the manholes.
“Smoke is introduced approximately every 400 to 800 feet,” said Special Districts Administrator Mark Dellinger. “If there is a leak in the sewer system, the smoke will find its way to the ground surface, showing our crews where problems exist. Smoke is also visible where there are leaks such as private cleanouts that are not capped properly. We’ve seen many cleanouts that are not capped off.”
Additional common problems detected are rain gutters and roof vents that are illegally connected to the cleanout to avoid flooding yards. All of these contribute to excess rain water entering the collection system. Additionally, if a building’s drain system is faulty, smoke may appear in the building.
“It’s difficult to quantify the exact savings resulting from smoke testing but we do know that all preventive measures taken now will reduce inflow and the amount of storm water treated at the wastewater treatment plant,” said Dellinger. “This method of regular inspection ensures continued proper operation of the collection system.”
In addition, homeowners are encouraged to do their part by doing the following:
- Inspect the rain gutters on your house to see if the downspout connects to a sewer line. Such connections are illegal. If the gutter downspouts are connected to the sewer line, have them disconnected – the large amount of water from the roof can cause a sewage spill. The rainwater needs to be directed onto your lawn and/or to the storm drain system.
- Look for and visually inspect your sewer cleanout. The cleanout is usually a small pipe, about 4 inches in diameter, outside your house that is used to access the sewer lateral for cleaning. You will normally find it near the house (where the sewer lateral comes out) and/or near the property line (where the sewer lateral connects to the main sewer line). Make sure the cap to the cleanout pipe is not missing and has not been damaged (such as by a lawn mower). Replace missing caps so that rainwater cannot get into the sewer line.
- Check to see that outdoor patio, deck or yard drains are not connected to the sewer. Also, be sure that pool or pond overflow drains are not connected to the sewer. These connections are prohibited by the Lake County Sewer Use Ordinance.
LACOSAN is appreciative of the cooperation shown by the community during collection system inspection and testing.
Residents are encouraged to take an active interest while observing the procedure, asking questions and taking time to explore potential corrective actions on their property.
Special Districts provides water and wastewater services in many areas of Lake County.
Any individuals with questions about smoke testing or any work that we do are encouraged to contact the LACOSAN Administrative Office at 707-263-0119.
MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – A Mendocino County jury last week found two San Francisco men guilty of abalone poaching following an incident off the Mendocino Headlands.
Jurors found Hou N. Huang, 47, guilty of excessive taking of abalone, and Hong Mei, 39, guilty of unlawful possession of abalone.
The trial lasted three days, but jurors deliberated for only 2 1/2 hours, according to the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office.
The prosecution’s trial evidence came through single-witness testimony of state Fish and Game Warden Don Powers.
Powers testified that he was patrolling the Mendocino Headlands, when he stopped and watched Huang dive and come up with an abalone on 14 separate occasions. Huang put nine abalone in his dive tube.
The warden testified Huang then swam over to Mei, and Mei took five abalone from Huang. The men then went out of view behind a rock. When the two came back into view, they were now accompanied by a woman. When these three people were subsequently contacted on shore, they had three abs each.
Warden Powers explained to the jury that it is common, but illegal, for people to "high-grade" abalone, meaning a diver illegally takes more than his or her allotted three per day, and then compares and discards all but the largest three. Since abalone blood does not clot, the abalone left behind often die.
In summary, the jury rejected the defendants’ claims of misidentification. It was argued that Warden Powers could not have positively identified and distinguished the two defendants from the other divers in the same area.
The court-appointed defense lawyers aggressively questioned the warden’s observations because, it was argued, he was using binoculars at a distance of 130 yards.
Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Clayton Brennan sentenced Huang to 24 months court probation, 15 days in jail, court fees, a fine of $2,545, plus forfeiture of his dive gear and the seized abalone.
Judge Brennan sentenced Mei to 24 months court probation, court fees, a fine of $1,499, five days in jail, and other terms similar to Huang. The men are now prohibited while on probation from recreational or commercial fishing.
"I would like to thank the jury," said prosecutor Tim Stoen, “for their service and for reaching a just verdict." DDA Stoen also commended Warden Powers for a good investigation. District Attorney David Eyster said his office will continue “to work with the Fish and Game wardens to target poachers in order to protect the abalone resource that belongs to all of us.”
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can find a lone hero.
If you’re even luckier, you can find a team of them.
That was the case last Dec. 20, when a fire was reported at a home on North Shore Drive in Hidden Valley Lake.
The fire critically injured 18-year-old Kevin Hart and 20-year-old Jordan Armstrong, but the two young men would find help from a team of men who were converging at the scene.
According to Facebook pages dedicated to the young men, both have continued to endure lengthy and sometimes excruciating treatments – including multiple surgeries – for their very serious injuries.
Both are now home, but still face lengthy recoveries due to their burns, the extent of which make them highly susceptible to secondary health issues.
Hidden Valley Lake Security Officer Byran Atkins, Security Operations Manager Steve Atkinson, off-duty firefighter/paramedic Gabe Lopez, Lake County Fire firefighter/EMT Eric Vineyard and California Highway Patrol Officer Josh Dye would all play a key part in coming to the aid of Hart and Armstrong.
Just what started the fire still hasn’t been determined.
South Lake County Fire Battalion Chief Scott Upton said insurance investigators continue to work to settle on the cause.
“They haven’t released anything yet,” he told Lake County News on Monday.
All five men were honored last month at the Red Cross’ ninth annual Real Heroes Breakfast and Fundraiser and Lopez was nominated for the Stars of Lake County’s Local Hero of the Year Award.
The bravery of all of the men was praised again on Monday when CHP Northern Division Assistant Chief Ruben Leal presented Dye with certificate of commendation from the CHP Commissioner’s Office and a CHP Meritorious Award.
Dye received the award at a potluck CHP held at its Kelseyville office.
The Red Cross awards narrative of the event explained that Lopez and his family were driving home to Hidden Valley when they saw the house fire. Lopez parked and ran to the fire, where Vineyard and a neighbor were caring for Armstrong.
A short time later, Lopez found Hart stumbling down an embankment, on fire, the narrative explained. Lopez then worked to put out the fire on Hart and in the grass around him.
During the afternoon ceremony Sgt. Rick Okazaki said that Dye heard the fire call and responded to the area, finding the house fully engulfed when he arrived.
Dye told Lake County News at the Monday event that he has responded to fires before, but this one was different.
When he initially got the call, he said there was a report of someone still trapped in the house, which later was found not to be the case.
When Dye got there, Hidden Valley Lake Security directed him to the fire, where he found Lopez with Hart. Dye, Atkins, Atkinson, Lopez, Vineyard and Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Lyle Thomas attended to Hart, Okazaki said.
Between the men and the home was a 250-gallon propane tank that caught fire and sent flames 20 to 30 feet in the air, and there was smoke everywhere, Okazaki said.
When firefighters arrived minutes later Dye and the group secured Hart for transport and helped get him to an air ambulance, which flew him out of county, according to Okazaki.
“They did everything they needed to without caring for their own safety,” Okazaki said of the heroic group.
Five other CHP officers – Erica Coddington, Kory Reynolds, Mark Crutcher, Randy Forslund and Brian Engle – later would arrive to offer assistance at the scene, Okazaki said.
Dye would suffer smoke inhalation and be treated for it at the hospital, Okazaki said. While he was being treated, his fellow officers dealt with biohazard issues on Dye’s equipment.
In presenting the award plaque to Dye, Leal – who traveled from Redding for the ceremony – said, “This is the fun part of my job.”
He added, “We have so many officers that go above and beyond, and take the extra step, with no regard for their own safety, to help others.”
Lt. Greg Baarts, commander of the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office, hand-delivered the nomination package to Leal, who said he knew right away that Dye’s actions deserved recognition.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Monday the preliminary hearing began for a Clearlake man charged with vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence and a number of other charges for an April 15 crash that took the life of his passenger.
The hearing began Monday afternoon for Danny Kirk Fields II, 27, before Judge Andrew Blum, according to Deputy District Attorney John Langan.
Langan said the proceedings didn’t conclude Monday and so will continue beginning at 2 p.m. Friday due to a waiver of the single-session preliminary hearing rule.
Fields is facing charges in connection with the crash that took the life of 31-year-old Clearlake resident Jennifer Clark. Fields himself suffered major injuries in the wreck.
He’s charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated with a special allegation of fleeing the scene and hit and run, driving under the influence causing bodily injury with a special allegation of great bodily injury causing death, hit and run, two prior DUIs, driving on a suspended license, special allegations that the crash occurred while he was on bail for two separate cases and allegations of having two prior prison terms, Langan said.
Fields also has two other felony drug cases involving methamphetamine set to go to preliminary hearing, which have been continued until the current case is handled, Langan said.
Clark, a female acquaintance of Fields’, was a witness in both of those drug cases, Langan said.
If convicted of all charges, Fields could face up to 15 years in state prison, according to Langan’s calculations.
Early on the morning of Sunday, April 15, Fields – driving a 1984 Chevrolet El Camino – went off Highway 29, traveling down an embankment and hitting a walnut tree, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The CHP said Fields left the scene and was picked up by an unidentified driver, who took him to the Lower Lake Tower Mart. From there, his parents were contacted, and they reportedly took him to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake.
The original CHP report said hospital staff reported the crash to CHP just before 9 a.m. that day, and less than 20 minutes later sheriff’s deputies found the crash scene and Clark’s body.
Langan said Clark died of blunt force trauma she suffered during the crash.
Fields was arrested, released for medical treatment and then rearrested four days later on Thursday, April 19, the CHP said.
Langan said urine and blood tests taken about an hour after the crash showed a .05 blood alcohol level. Separate blood samples tested positive for methamphetamine, marijuana and opiates.
Fields is alleged to have admitted to drinking whiskey and beer, smoking marijuana and using meth, Langan said.
“That’s what’s in evidence,” Langan added.
As for why Clark was riding with Fields, “That’s going to become clear on Friday,” when testimony continues, Langan said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The annual Middletown Days celebration has been going on for 51 years, and it’s one of those things that just gets better with time.
The event this year starts with roping on Friday, June 15, at 6 p.m. at Middletown’s Central Park.
Saturday, June 16, is the big day.
The parade through downtown Middletown at 10 a.m. is followed by a barbecue and rodeo at Central Park and a dance featuring the original Silver Creek band.
Sunday is the annual Father’s Day breakfast and the gymkhana at 1 p.m., plus music, food, and vendors in the park all day.
More information and entry forms are available at www.middletowndays.org or by email at
The annual event raises funds to support Middletown’s Central Park, which features an equestrian arena, children’s play area, barbecue facilities, and a stage and dance floor.
The park is operated and maintained solely by a nonprofit corporation using funds raised through community events.
The parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, traveling from Perry’s Deli south of Middletown down Highway 29 to Tri Counties bank. Spectators should get to town before 9:30 a.m. to avoid getting caught in the detour traffic.
Parking is available on all streets east of Highway 29. Parking will not be permitted on most streets west of the highway.
Parade applications are available by email at
Parade entry cost is $5 for kids under 12, $7 for adults, and $10 for organizations and groups.
The barbecue starts at noon at Central Park, located just south of downtown Middletown.
Enjoy a delicious chicken or tri-tip meal with all the fixings while parade winners collect their trophies.
The cost is $12 for adults, $8 for children 12 and under. A karaoke contest follows at 1 p.m.
Fast action in the arena also starts at 1 p.m. with the Ranch Rodeo and Junior Rodeo.
Traditional rodeo events alternate with events for little cowboys and cowgirls throughout the day. Kid events include calf roping, mutton bustin', calf riding, and the hide ride.
Older cowpokes will compete in bronc riding, team roping, steer riding, and trailer loading events sanctioned by the Western States Ranch Rodeo Association (WSRRA).
Signups start at noon. For information contact Kevin Tighe at 707-355-2276.
The park will be filled with food, vendors and fun all day Saturday.
A special treat at last year’s 50th anniversary was the return of Silver Creek, a group of men who grew up in Pope Valley and played for Middletown Days while they were still in their teens.
The original members and friends reunited for the anniversary event, and will return this year to play for the traditional Saturday night dance.
The dance is from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. under the stars at Central Park.
The cost is $15 for adults, $10 for teens 13-18, and free for 12 and under.
Sunday starts early with the Father's Day Breakfast hosted by the Middletown Lioness Club from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Cost is $7 for adults, $4 for kids 6 and under.
Entertainment in the park includes a variety of music all day long and the gymkhana beginning at 11 a.m. (signups at 10 a.m.).
The big finale is the Queen’s Drawing for beef donated by the Deberry family just before the most exciting events, the rescue race and hide ride.
Contact Johanna Snell for gymkhana information at 707-355-1276.
The Cowboy Cafe is open with delicious hamburgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches all day, and of course the Middletown Lions will be pouring at the beer booth.
Take the short drive to Middletown for some country western family fun and see for yourself why Middletown has been Lake County’s mid-June destination spot for 51 years.