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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Arts Council will present its annual Winter Music Fest this weekend.

“Red, White and Blues – and All That Jazz” will be presented at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre, 275 S. Main St., Lakeport.

Inspiration for the new format came from artist and dancer Diane Trebly-Stawicki, who will open the show with an original piece of music written by her mother, Margo, for her husband during World War II.

Trebly-Stawicki's parents were married in Honolulu on Dec. 7, and her father was immediately shipped overseas; and thus was born her song, “Home Free.”

With so many of of America's young people “over there,” the arts council wanted to recognize their service to us today, as well as the service of so many in conflicts past.

Hosting for the evening will be the mayor of Clearlake, the witty, gregarious and dapper Joey Luiz, with Cindy Strong directing the performance.

Performers will include talented pianist Andy Rosoff, with versatile musical styles ranging from New Orleans Jazz to mellow blues; Kathleen Escude, Cathy Mallow and Kathy O’Connell performing energizing numbers such as “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”; Tom Xavier on guitar accompanied by Max Leyman on bass playing their original down home county songs; the versatile acoustics of Hilarie, Milton and Moe; Antoinette’s lively song and dance troupe with “Almost Like Being in Love”; the Mendo Singers with a patriotic medley of patriotic melodies; and show newcomers Kevin Village Stone and Lindy Day, offering a professional and unique musical style on a variety of instruments including acoustic and classical guitar, flute and more.

Reserved table seating and the first two rows of the lodge are available at the theater’s box office, 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport or 707-263-0577, on Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

General admission seating is $15 per person and available at the Travel Center located in the Shoreline Shopping Center in Lakeport and the Main Street Gallery in Lakeport at 325 N. Main St.

Tickets also can be purchased online at www.soperreesecommunitytheatre.com.

For more information on the program, call the Lake County Arts Council at 707-263-6658.

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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation has awarded a $5,000 Toolbox for Education grant to the Lake County International Charter School (LCICS) in Middletown for the full replacement of the roof on the main classroom building, the Langtry House.

LCICS is one of more than 585 schools or parent organizations to be awarded a Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant for parent-initiated school improvement projects benefiting K-12 public education across the United States during the 2010-11 school year.

“Being awarded this grant has allowed us to completely replace the roof on our main building, a project that has needed to be done for several years,” said LCICS Director Gwendolyn Maupin-Ahern.

“The state budget cuts over the past few years have made it very difficult for small, public schools like LCICS to fit even necessary facilities projects like this into the budget, and we are so grateful for Lowe’s dedication to charitable giving,” Maupin-Ahern added.

The project was completed over one weekend in late January, the school reported.

“Lowe’s is committed to recognizing and supporting efforts that enrich the lives of our neighbors and customers,” said Marshall Croom, chairman of Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. “By supporting public schools like LCICS, we know we are contributing to a cause that’s important to our customers and employees and helping build stronger communities.”

Launched in partnership with PTO Today, a leading organization serving parent-teacher groups, the Toolbox for Education program has provided nearly $30 million through more than 6,000 grants since its inception in 2006. The grants have affected more than 3.7 million schoolchildren.

Grants are available to public schools in the United States for a wide range of improvement projects and large schools or school districts may be eligible to receive Toolbox grants up to $100,000 for school improvement initiatives.

All K-12 public schools in the United States are eligible. Parent groups may apply by visiting www.toolboxforeducation.com.

For more information about LCICS visit its Facebook page or Web site at www.lcics.org.

COBB, Calif. – A backhoe reported stolen from the Moore Family Winery the week after Thanksgiving has been recovered.

Shortly after noon on Wednesday the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received a call reporting the backhoe taken from the Moore Family Winery had been seen in the area of Harrington Flat Road and Sulphur Creek Road in Loch Lomond, according to Sgt. Steve Brooks.

The backhoe sighting was reported by a winery employee, Brooks said.

Brooks said the backhoe, which originally was orange in color, had been spray painted green.

Deputies responded to the area and, because of their diligence, were able to locate the backhoe, Brooks said.

He said the backhoe appeared to have been hidden in the brush on private property located on Rocky’s Point Road.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Department of Fish and Game and the California Highway Patrol assisted with the recovery, Brooks said.

Brooks said the backhoe later was returned to the Moore Family Winery.

This case is still under investigation, he said.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A parole search conducted last weekend by the Lake County Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force resulted in two arrests and the seizure of methamphetamine, digital scales, packaging materials and 14 hypodermic needles.

Arrested following the search were 41-year-old Richard Lynn Parker of Lucerne and 33-year-old Lisa Therese Lundquist of Upper Lake, according to Sgt. Steve Brooks.

On Saturday, Feb. 4, at approximately 12:10 p.m., narcotics detectives and a sheriff’s narcotics detection K9 conducted a parole search on Parker at his Roland Drive home in Lucerne, Brooks said. Once inside the residence, detectives contacted Parker and Lundquist.

During a search of the outside of Parker’s residence, the narcotics detection K9 alerted on a vehicle belonging to Lundquist, Brooks said.

Once the K9 had access to the inside of the vehicle it alerted again on two lock boxes which were behind the front seat. Brooks said detectives opened the boxes where they located methamphetamine, several hypodermic needles, digital scales and packaging materials.

Brooks said Lundquist was arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of a hypodermic needle and for being under the influence of a controlled substance, with bail set at $25,000, while Parker was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance, with his bail totaling $3,000.

Both Lundquist and Parker were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Jail records indicated that both have since posted bail and been released.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

The California Department of Fish and Game on Tuesday issued notice of its intent to sue the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

The Department of Fish and Game notified the Corps that it failed to comply with the federal Endangered Species Act when it adopted a national policy requiring the removal of virtually all trees and shrubs on federal levees.

The Corps reportedly developed its national levee vegetation removal policy in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The action against the Corps alleges that its national policy fails to account for regional variations among levees. As early as 1955, the Corps encouraged and even required the planting of trees and shrubs on California levees.

Studies conducted in 1967, 1999 and 2008 by California confirm that native riparian vegetation are compatible with flood control and that such vegetation can often act to minimize damage during a flood event.

The Corps’ own studies from 1991 and 1999 reportedly confirm that post-damage flood rates for levees containing woody vegetation were lower than levees with no vegetation.

The Department of Fish and Game said it is confident that the Corps' flood concerns can be met in a regional variation allowing this unique riparian habitat.

Only 5 percent of the Central Valley’s original riparian forest remains and it would be required to be removed under the Corps’ policy, the Department of Fish and Game said.

In addition to providing scenic beauty and recreational enjoyment for people, riparian habitat is essential for several endangered species including Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Valley elderberry longhorn beetle, riparian brush rabbit, Western yellow-billed cuckoo and Swainson's hawk.

Approximately 1,600 miles of federal project levees along the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and tributaries are likely to be affected by the Corps’ policy. Several miles of federal levees in the Bay Area and Southern California would also be affected.

In total, compliance with the policy is estimated to cost up to $7.5 billion and divert funds from more significant levee deficiencies like seepage and erosions.

Despite years of roundtable discussions between the Department of Fish and Game, the Corps and other state, federal and local entities, the Department of Fish and Game said its concerns over removing the riparian habitat remain unaddressed.

The state's suit would seek to have the Corps comply with the federal Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the federal Administrative Procedure Act before further implementation of the levee vegetation removal policy.

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LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The service of a search warrant by the Lake County Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force last Saturday morning has resulted in one arrest and the seizure of methamphetamine, Oxycodone, digital scales and drug paraphernalia.

Detectives arrested 51-year-old Michael Vernon Ferrel of Lower Lake, according to Sgt. Steve Brooks.

Brooks said that on Jan. 25 narcotics detectives secured a search warrant for a residence and travel trailer located in the 9000 block of Highway 29 in Lower Lake.

At 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, detectives served the search warrant for the residence, Brooks said.

When narcotics detectives entered the home, three people were detained without incident, including Ferrel, according to Brooks.

During a search of the travel trailer detectives located three glass “meth” pipes, digital scales and packaging materials, Brooks said.

In the living room of the residence, detectives located methamphetamine and several Oxycodone pills. Brooks said it was determined that none of the people contacted in the residence had a prescription for Oxycodone.

Ferrel was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, according to Brooks.

He was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, with bail set at $15,000. Ferrel remained in custody on Tuesday, according to jail booking records.

The other two detainees were released at the scene, Brooks said.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be contacted through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

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