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The clinic, which was dedicated last October, is located at 15145 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake, and is operated by the San Francisco VA Medical Center. It is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
With Lake County considered to have one of the highest per-capital veterans populations in the state – an estimated 10 percent – local leaders partnered with Congressman Mike Thompson to advocate for the clinic, a process which lasted for more than a decade.
In the nine months since its opening, the clinic's staff of 19 – including doctors, nurses, nutritionists and social workers – led by clinic director Dr. Mike Novak, is continuing to build a caseload, said Judi Cheary, public affairs director for the San Francisco VA Medical Center.
“We're seeing well over 1,000 veterans right now,” Cheary said Wednesday.
However, Cheary added that despite public outreach efforts thus far, clinic staff is still hearing from many veterans who are just learning about it.
“We're still working hard to get the word out,” she said.
Cheary added, “We have awesome support from the local service organizations as well. They're our best advocates as far as spreading the word.”
One of those groups is the United Veterans Council, which earlier this year launched its Vet Connect effort to connect veterans with available services.
Frank Parker, the council's president and Vet Connect chair, said the group meets twice a month – on the second Wednesday at the American Legion Post No. 437, 14770 Austin Road in Clearlake, from 9 a.m. to noon, and the same hours on the third Wednesday in Lakeport at Umpqua Bank, 805 11th St.
Parker said they are averaging four vets an hour during the three-hour sessions, with some of their referrals being for clinic services.
Now, as it works to reach more veterans, the VA has begun a new shuttle service that can take vets from several locations around Lake County to the Clearlake clinic.
“Veterans living in Lake County have expressed the need for transportation assistance to and from the Clearlake VA Clinic and this initiative is an attempt to address that need,” said VA Rural Health Coordinator Kathy King.
King said the following transportation schedule was developed to provide different options and locations for veterans living in the county.
The shuttle will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The schedule follows.
Tuesdays:
7:30 a.m. – Cobb: Hardester's Shopping Center, 16295 Highway 175
7:45 a.m. – Middletown: Perry's Deli, 21308 Calistoga Road, No. A
8:15 a.m. – Hidden Valley: Mug Shots, 18990 Coyote Valley
8:40 a.m. – Lower Lake: DJ's Pizza, 16135 Main St.
9:00 a.m. – Arrive Clearlake VA Clinic
2:00 p.m. – Depart Clearlake VA Clinic
2:50 p.m. – Lower Lake: DJ's Pizza, 16135 Main St.
3:05 p.m. – Hidden Valley: Mug Shots, 18990 Coyote Valley
3:20 p.m. – Middletown: Perry's Deli, 21308 Calistoga Road, No. A
4:00 p.m. – Cobb Cobb: Hardester's Shopping Center, 16295 Highway 175
Thursdays:
7:30 a.m. – Upper Lake: Hi Way Grocery, 160 W. Highway 20
7:50 a.m. – Lucerne: Highway 20 and First Street
8:15 a.m. – Clearlake Oaks: Highway 20 and Keyes Boulevard
9:00 a.m. – Arrive Clearlake VA Clinic
2:00 p.m. – Depart Clearlake VA Clinic
2:30 p.m. – Clearlake Oaks: Highway 20 and Keyes Boulevard
2:50 p.m. – Lucerne: Highway 20 and First Street
3:15 p.m. – Upper Lake: Hi Way Grocery, 160 W. Highway 20
Fridays:
7:30 a.m. – Lakeport: Grocery Outlet, 1155 S. Main St.
7:50 a.m. – Kelseyville: Kit's Corner, Highway 29 and Highway 281 (Soda Bay Road )
8:15 a.m. – Lower Lake: DJ's Pizza, 16135 Main St.
9:00 a.m. – Arrive Clearlake VA Clinic
2:30 p.m. – Lower Lake: DJ's Pizza, 16135 Main St.
2:50 p.m. – Kelseyville: Kit's Corner, Highway 29 and Highway 281 (Soda Bay Road )
3:15 p.m. – Lakeport: Grocery Outlet, 1155 S. Main St.
“I think this transportation system is a big step in the right direction,” said Cheary.
Parker acknowledges that travel has been an issue for veterans accessing the clinic, noting that while Clear Lake is the county's greatest asset, it also presents a travel barrier. He said the United Veterans Council has discussed transportation with the VA, and the VA is listening.
Regarding the new transportation services, Parker said, “The biggest thing is getting the word out. We have to let the people know it's available, and once they know it's available, they have to use it.”
For more information about the new service contact Dottie Deerwester at the Clearlake VA Clinic at 707-995-7238.
Veterans who wish to register for services can visit www.va.gov or www.sanfrancisco.va.gov, or call the VAMC Eligibility Office at 415-750-2015.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The grand opening of the Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum will be celebrated at a special event this month.
The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 24. The official ribbon cutting will be held at 2:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
The Ely Stage Stop dates to the 1880s and, over the years, served as a stagecoach stop, hotel, post office, general store and at one point, even a gas station before taking on its current role as a historical and agricultural center.
When complete, the museum complex will encompass the Ely Stage Stop building, as well as several reconstructed old barns, farm equipment displays, agricultural demonstrations, and interpretive and living history exhibits, including a blacksmith shop.
Attendees at the grand opening will view the new museum, see the progress to date, and learn about development plans for the future exhibits. Light refreshments will be available.
Musical entertainment will be provided by Don Coffin and Friends and sponsored by Wildhurst Vineyards.
Coffin, Andi Skelton and Eleanor Cook will be playing old-time fiddle tunes and other songs on fiddle, mandolin and guitar. On-site shuttle transportation will be provided courtesy of People Services Inc.
Several vintage, antique and classic car clubs will be participating in the event.
The Lake County A’s car club is hosting a special club tour day in honor of the grand opening event. The club, whose members include Model A Ford owners from Lake County and surrounding counties, will have several 1928-1931 Model A Fords on display during the event.
The Clearlake Car Club will be present at the grand opening with a display of one dozen special interest antique and classic cars from 1900 to the present.
Mt. Konocti Antique Auto Club will be present with approximately 10 1920s-30s-era classic cars on display.
A collaborative project, the Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum is owned by the county of Lake and will be operated by members of the Lake County Historical Society.
The project was made possible through the generous donation by Beckstoffer Vineyards of the historic building and the five-acre parcel upon which it rests.
A generous donation was made by the Kettenhofen Family Foundation, funded by the estates of Ernest and Polly Kettenhofen who owned the S-Bar-S Ranch from 1960 to 2000.
On July 29, 2007, the historic Ely Stage Stop structure was relocated from its original location at 7909 Highway 29 across the highway and one mile north to its new location on Soda Bay Road/Highway 281.
Although its age and condition made the relocation a challenge, the building’s varied history adds character to the new museum. The site also features dramatic views of Mount Konocti and overlooks the former S-Bar-S Ranch.
The Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum is located between Kelseyville and Lower Lake at 9921 Soda Bay Road (Highway 281), near the intersection with Highway 29 (Kit’s Corner). For more information, call 707-274-8323.
Donations of artifacts and old barns are still being sought. Photographs that depict the original building, its transformations and many uses, also are needed.
Anyone interested in contributing time or resources to the project may contact Greg Dills, chairman of the Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum project for the Lake County Historical Society, at 707-263-4180, Extension 12.
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The tour is free and the public is welcome and encouraged to attend.
The third week of July is California’s annual “Invasive Weed Awareness Week.” This statewide program is designed to educate citizens about the undesirable effects and impacts of non-native invasive weeds.
The self-driving tour is a fun and informative event that gives participants the chance to view and learn about several species of invasive weeds.
The tour will begin in Lakeport, proceed to Nice, Kelseyville and end at Lakeside Park with a discussion and samples of aquatic weeds followed by lunch.
This year’s tour includes revisiting some of the same sites as last year to observe the progress in controlling the invasive weeds and, in some cases, to see how rapidly the unattended invasive weeds have spread.
Participants will see a demonstration area where goats have been used to control Spanish broom. The tour will also highlight weeds such as Arundo donax, tamarisk, tree of heaven, water primrose and various other aquatic weeds.
Passenger vans with limited seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. All other participants will need to provide their own transportation and carpooling is encouraged.
Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. at the Lake County Department of Agriculture, located at 883 Lakeport Blvd. The tour will depart from the parking lot at 8:45 a.m.
Please RSVP with Kristi at 707-263-0217 by July 19 if you plan on attending and indicate if you would like a seat on one of the vans.
The tour is sponsored by Lake County Department of Agriculture, the Lake County Department of Water Resources, and the East Lake & West Lake Resource Conservation Districts.
The end-of-tour lunch is free but donations to offset the costs of lunch and refreshments will be greatly appreciated and cheerfully accepted.
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The burglaries happened sometime late on Saturday, July 9, or early Sunday, July 10, according to business owners Lake County News spoke with on Tuesday.
“I was lucky that it wasn't worse,” said Susan Conley, who owns the Bunk House gift shop and said that the area has been hit by other break-ins this year.
Along with Bunk House, several other businesses were reported to have been affected by this weekend's burglaries, including the Olive Tree Spa & Salon, B. Lavish day spa, Beulah's Kitchen, Cowpoke Café and Magic Wok Shangri La, all of which are located along Calistoga Street.
Lake County News asked the Lake County Sheriff's Office for information on the burglaries, but did not receive the requested details on the agency's investigation by Tuesday night.
Based on their discussions with the sheriff's office, the Middletown business owners who spoke with Lake County News said five arrests resulted – two adults and three juveniles.
Conley lauded the work of Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Andy Davidson and Deputy Dennis Keithly.
“They caught all these guys the next day,” she said.
The two adult suspects business owners identified as being connected to the case were recent Middletown High School graduates Dorian Jay Decker, 18, of Middletown and Wyatt Joseph O'Brien, 18, of Hidden Valley Lake, according to jail records.
The two were booked into the Lake County Jail on Monday evening. Decker was booked on felony charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, two counts of first-degree burglary and a count of receiving stolen property, with bail set at $10,000. O'Brien was booked on felony counts of second-degree burglary and receiving stolen property, with his bail also set at $10,000, jail records showed.
Decker remained in custody early Wednesday, while jail records showed O'Brien was no longer in custody.
Conley said she received a phone call from a customer on Sunday morning reporting that one of her window screens was on the ground and that it looked like her door had been kicked in.
When Conley came into Middletown and checked out her store, she said she knew something had happened.
“I knew not to go in and not to touch anything,” she said.
The break-in is believed to have happened before 4 a.m. July 10, said Conley, because it was about that time that an employee at the Cowpoke Café noticed the window screen on the ground.
Conley called the sheriff's office, and Davidson responded on Sunday, with Keithly assisting with the investigation.
“They were really great,” said Conley, explaining that the deputies took fingerprints and photographs of footprints left in the store on Sunday.
Conley said the burglars took two necklaces, two wallets, a purse and manicure sets from her store.
“They didn't take the change out of my cash register,” she said. “They were almost careful. I thought that was kind of odd.”
Cheryl Trapani, a stylist at Olive Tree Spa & Salon, said the business didn't suffer serious losses or damages, other than a door the suspects appeared to have kicked in or forced open.
Among the items taken from the salon in the weekend burglary were black and brown hair color products, she said.
“How weird is that?” she asked.
That's different than the break-in the salon suffered on March 12, when suspects – who Trapani believes were the same individuals as those taken into custody this week – broke into the salon through a window.
In that incident, she said the burglars took just under $2,000 in merchandise, including hair care products – particularly styling aids for men – shears and clippers, and some other items.
The sheriff's office was able to recover a small number of those items, including some half-used bottles of hairspray, Trapani said.
Trapani said Sheriff Frank Rivero contacted her on Monday night to ask if all of the salon's missing property had been recovered.
Brittney Fiske, owner of B. Lavish, Bunk House's next door neighbor, said the burglars also broke into her business.
“Nothing was taken from me, but they did come into my store,” said Fiske, who noted this was her first break-in since she opened the business in March.
Fiske said that since she carries mostly skin care products. “Boys walking in here were a little bit lost.”
Conley said a deputy called her on Monday to say they had arrested the suspects in the case.
In addition, almost all of her stolen merchandise has been returned.
While she's going to have to replace her kicked-in door, her store is otherwise intact, with Conley noting that the burglars could have made a mess.
“I'm just so proud of our local deputies that they put it all together,” she said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
Lakeport Police Sgt. Dale Stoebe said Tuesday that the two juvenile suspects – whose names were not released due to their minor status – were arrested for allegedly burglarizing the Terrace Middle School computer lab.
The burglary was reported to police just after 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 8, Stoebe said.
Stoebe reported that janitorial staff, who were still on scene at the school, were alerted by the security alarm company to the burglary to the computer lab room.
He said they found the computer lab's door open and witnessed the two male juveniles fleeing the area.
Further investigation into the matter revealed two Apple Mac book laptop computers, valued at over $1,300, had been stolen by the suspects, Stoebe said.
Stoebe credited Officer Gary Basor's “timely and persistent” followup investigations in the case with the subsequent identification of the two boys.
Basor's followup contact with the suspects led to the Monday arrest of both juvenile suspects, and the recovery of both stolen laptop computers, Stoebe said.
Both of the boys provided statements implicating themselves in the crime, and were released to parents on citations, according to Stoebe's report.
Stoebe said police are forwarding the criminal complaint to the Lake County Probation Department and seeking prosecution of both suspects.
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Sheriff Frank Rivero's public information officer, Capt. James Bauman, issued the statement after 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The statement was in response to stories posted earlier in the day in Lake County News and other local media regarding the lawsuit filed against Rivero and the county of Lake by Sgt. Corey Paulich, a 16-year veteran of the sheriff's office.
Paulich is alleging that Rivero repeatedly violated his peace officer due process rights in a March investigation into a high speed chase involving two deputies under his supervision, as Lake County News has reported.
In the suit Paulich is seeking $150,000 in civil penalties – $25,000 for each of the six alleged violations under the 34-year-old Peace Officer Bill of Rights (POBR) – along with attorney fees, court costs and writs seeking to have the disciplinary investigation put aside.
Rivero had not responded on Monday to Lake County News' request for comment on the case.
In the Tuesday evening statement issued by his office, Rivero said neither he nor the county had been served with the suit.
“We honor and respect the procedural rights of any deputy under investigation. However, we are equally obligated to hold our law enforcement personnel strictly accountable for their actions,” Rivero said in the statement.
The statement went on to say, “Internal Affairs investigations, personnel issues and disciplinary actions involving law enforcement personnel are held in strict confidence. Irrespective of the union lawyers’ attempt to taint public perception in the media, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Professional Standards Unit will adjudicate this case in its proper venue.”
Christopher Miller, who is general counsel for the Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association and is representing Paulich in the case, could be reached after business hours on Tuesday to respond to Rivero's statement.
However, on Monday Miller had accused Rivero of showing a “blatant disregard for the due process rights of his employees.”
“He appears to be unwilling to follow the law, so this court action was necessary to protect and enforce Sgt. Paulich’s rights and indeed the rights of all of the county’s peace officers,” Miller said.
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