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The wildland fire was reported in the 5900 block of Berryessa-Knoxville Road, according to Cal Fire.
Four hand crews and an unspecified number of engines worked the fire on Sunday, when it was contained, Cal Fire dispatchers reported. The last report of its size was 20 acres.
Cal Fire noted one hand crew was left on the scene overnight to continue mopping up.
The fire's cause is under investigation, according to Cal Fire.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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LAKEPORT – Few things symbolize October as much as a bright orange pumpkin, and there aren't many better ways to spend a warm fall afternoon than working your way through a spooky corn maze.
If you want to find both together, then it's time for a visit to Sutton Family Farm's pumpkin patch and corn maze, which are in full swing again this season.
This is the fourth year that owners Michael and Stephanie Sutton and their daughter, Samantha, have had a maze at their Scotts Valley farm.
The Suttons moved to Scotts Valley seven years ago from Marin County. Originally, they planned to grow pears, Samantha Sutton explained, but they knew nothing about pears and soon changed to the crops they harvest today.
Sutton estimated about 350 people a day are visiting the farm on the weekends this month.
The Suttons' maze is shaped from a field of silage corn – used for feeding livestock – because it features taller stalks, which makes for a more challenging trip through the maze, Sutton explained.
She said the maze also has grown every year – both in size and difficulty – and now measures four and a half acres. The challenges offered in the maze are designed for people of all ages.
Some visitors to the maze Saturday said that younger children can be expected to take an hour or more to get through the maze, with adults taking 45 minutes or less.
The cost for the maze is $6 per person, with children 4 and under entering for free.
Then there are the hundreds of bright orange homegrown pumpkins, as well as gourds, that visitors can take home with them for Halloween.
There also are Dutch Draft carriage rides, offered on weekends only, which take visitors for a 20-minute tour of the farm.
The Suttons will host Rocktoberfest, featuring several local bands playing at the farm, on Saturday, Oct. 25.
Sutton Family Farms is located at 2405 Scotts Valley Road, telephone 263-6277.
E-mail Harold LaBonte at
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For one, the August meeting, which lasted just over two hours, saw close to 100 angry residents packed into the East Lake Grange, shouting at the board over a nearly 40-percent propose hike.
Saturday's meeting, held at the Northshore Fire District's Clearlake Oaks firehouse, lasted approximately 40 minutes and was attended by about 25 people who, for the most part, appeared convinced of the necessity of a 17.7-percent increase that would go into effect in November.
The other difference notable between the two meetings was that the board now has two new members, with Frank Toney and Harry Chase being joined by Mike Benjamin and Judy Heeszel. Benjamin, now board president, and Heeszel took seats vacated after the last meeting by Pat Shaver and Mike Anisman. Another seat, vacated by Helen Locke, will be filled next month.
"This is going to be a different hearing from what we had the last time," said Benjamin, who admitted that he had "raised hell" at the last meeting himself, which in his case included starting a recall effort against Shaver and Anisman.
Before opening the meeting to public comment, Benjamin explained the new rate proposal, which was the result of work done by the board, General Manager Darin McCosker and the recently formed district finance committee in the wake of the August meeting.
In recent months, the district's serious financial situation has come into sharper focus, but it's by no means a new problem, which Benjamin made clear.
He read from a July 2004 rate hike proposal notice to ratepayers, which warned that the district was experiencing "economic strain" due to unexpected and sharply rising expenses, coupled with years of no rate hikes for sewer and water services.
One example of rising costs: Over a six-year period, the district's annual liability and worker's compensation costs tripled, rising from $27,629 to $76,147, and it was hit by more than $200,000 in charges to remove biosolids from its sewer plant.
The 2005 budget, in turn, pointed again to those increasing costs and to an aging infrastructure. The district also had, by that time, lost an estimated $100,000 to Proposition 1A and nearly $30,000 to the Lake County Redevelopment agency. In all, that budget narrative estimated a potential deficit of $474,000, Benjamin explained.
"We consider these pretty dire warnings," he said.
The rate hike that was approved at that time didn't even cover the cost of living increase, said Benjamin.
Benjamin said the district now is about $200,000 in debt, of which around $152,000 is old debt incurred more than six months ago. He added that the district is running between $10,000 and $12,000 in the red each month.
The 17.7-percent increase, raising the base rate for a single-family dwelling from $56.24 to $66.19, will address the debt that hasn't been addressed in previous years. Benjamin said the total increase for each home would be no more than $9.95.
Chase pointed out that audits of the last three years are under way, and Benjamin said the board will take the results of those audits to the community next year, when it comes time to consider whether or not another another increase is needed.
In the mean time, the district is down two and a half employee positions, which it won't be filling, and is instituting a wage and hiring freeze in the coming year, Benjamin said.
During a relatively brief public comment period, the board fielded questions about cost differences between mobile homes and stick-built homes, whether the district was being impacted by foreclosures – it's not, said McCosker – and how district rates compared to other areas (the district is better off than some areas like Lower Lake and Spring Valley that could be facing big hikes).
Clearlake Oak resident Ross Christensen thanked the board for the work they had done, saying he felt the last proposal was "more like a knee-jerk reaction."
He followed up by asking if the district had looked at selling treated wastewater to local farmers or getting a return on the water it pumps to The Geysers.
McCosker and Benjamin said they'll consider numerous ways to increase the district's revenue and are pursuing a $4 million US Department of Agriculture grant, but they need to stabilize the financial situation first.
"This has to be a lengthy healing process," which has just started, said McCosker.
He added that, over the next year to 15 months, he and the board, assisted by the finance committee, will go through the district's procedures from top to bottom to fix the problems. "This is a complete rebuild."
One woman said she would not be able to pay even the additional $9.95 a month. "I'd have to choose between food and water."
McCosker said they had crunched the numbers "as much as we can crunch 'em" to find the best solution.
Toward the end of the meeting, Benjamin made a special request to district ratepayers – asking them to pay special attention to their December bills.
Last December, the district sent out bills totaling $150,000. The following month, when the payments were expected, the district only received $49,000.
Getting only a third of its payments this coming January could prevent the district from making its payroll or paying its bills, said Benjamin. "We just won't make it."
One audience member had suggested that the holiday bill problem may have been partly due to the district not sending out bills, as in his case.
McCosker, who took over as general manager in January, said the office is running very smoothly now, with longer hours, live people answering phones rather than the former"voice mail hell" and an overall emphasis on customer service. "I apologize that hadn't been done that way in the past."
Chase emphasized the district's financial situation will be reevaluated next year before the board considers charging customers any more money. "We're not real interested in overburdening the customers, because the customers own the water district."
Keeping in mind the statement by one ratepayer earlier in the meeting that the proposed rate hike would hurt her, Chase suggested that the district should begin looking at ways to help low-income customers, as Pacific Gas and Electric does.
"We're going to turn everything this company does inside out," added Benjamin.
He ended by thanking the community members for "a very pleasant meeting," which was so amicable that it even ended with the audience giving the board a round of applause.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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The entire division will be located on the second floor of the Lake County Visitor's Center, located at 6110 E. Highway 20, according to Community Development Director Rick Coel, whose department also covers Code Enforcement.
“We have set Oct. 29 as the start date for the move to Lucerne,” said Coel.
He said that he thinks it will take a week to complete the move and for staff to begin working out of the Lucerne office.
“We plan to rotate staffing in a way that allows us to keep one staff member at our courthouse office during normal business hours,” he added.
The division originally was slated to move to Lucerne earlier this year, as Lake County News has reported. However, Coel said a number of logistical issues had to be resolved, resulting in delays.
Code Enforcement staffing has been updated effective Thursday, according to Code Enforcement Manager Voris Brumfield.
Staff includes Beverly Westphal, countywide abandoned vehicle abatement; Allison Garrett, overseeing Lucerne, Glenhaven, Spring Valley, Clearlake Oaks and Clearlake Park; Roderic Hilliard, who is in charge of Lower Lake, Middletown, Cobb Mountain, Kelseyville, Finley and the Clear Lake Riviera; and Kimberlee Heckard, whose territory includes Lakeport, Upper Lake, Blue Lakes and Nice.
Larry Fabisch, whose territory had included the Northshore areas, has been placed on administrative leave, Coel said.
Fabisch was arrested last Saturday morning for charges including cultivating and possession of marijuana and carrying loaded firearms in public. The former president of the county's employees' union, Fabisch told Lake County News that he has medical marijuana cards which allow him to have the marijuana.
Coel said there are several reasons for the move to Lucerne, including a desire to locate a county office on the Northshore, which also will allow Code Enforcement staff to make a more efficient response to complaints in that area.
The move also will give staff more elbow room, as Coel described the office space in the courthouse on N. Forbes Street in Lakeport as “crowded.”
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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Adventist Health officials announced late Friday that Redbud Community Hospital is undergoing a name change, and will henceforth be known as St. Helena Hospital-Clearlake
The new name becomes effect on Nov. 3, at which time the hospital will hold an inauguration ceremony on its campus to honor the past and celebrate the future.
Hospital administration said the switch is meant to better reflect the joint operating partnership between St. Helena Hospital in Napa County and St. Helena Hospital-Clearlake. Under that agreement, the hospitals coordinate a comprehensive spectrum of health care services for Napa, Lake, Solano, Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
“This process began more than two years ago as the two hospitals aligned their governing board, executive team, operations and many regional positions,” said JoAline Olson, the hospital's president and chief executive officer. “St. Helena Hospital has an excellent reputation in Lake, Napa and surrounding counties and is known for its high quality patient care and patient satisfaction, as well as its centers of excellence.”
Linda Gibson, senior vice president of operations at Redbud and a longtime senior administrator at St. Helena Hospital, said, “With the name change, we are extending the St. Helena brand and reputation to Lake County and strengthening our position as a regional provider of health care services.”
St. Helena Hospital-Clearlake is investing approximately $10 million in new and upgraded facilities in Lake County, including an emergency department expansion, remodeled surgery suites, a sophisticated electronic medical records system, a new hospital front entrance, new equipment, and a new family health center in Kelseyville.
In addition to being the second largest employer in Lake County, the hospital provided the following services last year: 76,000 rural health clinic visits, 57,000 outpatient visits, 15,000 emergency department visits and 1,600 in-patient visits.
Both St. Helena Hospital-Clearlake and Napa's St. Helena Hospital are part of the 19-hospital network of Adventist Health, a nonprofit, faith-based health system operating in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington.
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Sunday, Oct. 19 through Saturday, Oct. 25 is Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.
Lead poisoning may have contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire. It caused Beethoven’s erratic behavior, his death and maybe even his deafness. It is lead poisoning, and it still affects children throughout California.
Lead can damage a child’s brain and nervous system. It's especially dangerous for children under age 6 because their rapidly growing and developing bodies absorb more lead. This can cause permanent learning and behavioral problems that make it difficult for children to succeed in school.
The 2007 Census indicates there were approximately 4,094 children under the age of 5 and more than 10,000 children enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12 in Lake County.
School statistics show that 60 Lake County children ages 7 through 15 were identified having emotional disturbances and 589 children ages 5 to 18 have specific learning disabilities. Lead exposure may play a part in these behavioral and learning problems.
A blood lead test is the only way to know if a child has lead poisoning. Most children at highest risk are those who live or spend time in older housing built before 1978 which may have deteriorating lead-based paint and lead-contaminated soil and dust.
Health officials say children should be tested at both 1 and 2 years of age. Also, children 3 to 6 years old who are at risk should also have a blood lead test.
Parents can talk to their child’s doctor about getting tested for lead. According to data provided by Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait,152 blood lead tests were done in Lake County detecting one elevated lead level.
If an average of 200 young children are screened annually, at best only about 25 percent of the population can be reached. With the local prevalence of lead levels estimated at about 0.6 percent, the county should expect to have roughly 25 children under age 5 with lead poisoning.
Common sources of childhood lead poisoning include handmade ceramic tableware, especially imported pieces decorated with lead-based glaze or paint. Traditional home remedies can include Azarcon, Greta and Pay-loo-ah. Traditional cosmetics can contain Kohl and Surma.
Increasing amounts of imported toys, candies and food products are entering our country. Web sites such as www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/Recalls/allhazards.htm, www.HealthyToys.org; www.calpoison.org or www.calpoison.org provide names of manufacturers and products to be avoided or which are safe to buy.
Work clothes, shoes and workers themselves are often exposed to lead if working with lead smelting, making or recycling batteries and repairing radiators. Parents can change into clean clothes and shoes before getting into their cars or going home. Dirty clothes and shoes can be bagged and washed separately from all other clothes with running the empty washing machine again after the work clothes to rinse the lead out.
When painting or remodeling, always follow lead-safe work practices: use plastic sheeting on the ground and furniture while working; wet surfaces before sanding and scraping; and wet mop the area at the end of the day. Never dry scrape, dry sand or use a heat gun to remove lead-based paint as these create dangerous dust and fumes.
Washing one’s face and hands with soap and water before leaving work and then taking a shower and washing one’s hair, preferably at work or as soon as you get home, is recommended. Parents and caregivers can all help to prevent childhood lead poisoning by wiping clean or taking off shoes before entering the home.
Washing children’s hands and toys is always a good idea. Good nutrition helps children’s bodies resist lead poisoning. Each day children need to be served three meals and two healthy snacks which include calcium-rich foods like milk, cheese, yogurt and tofu. Iron-rich foods include lean meats, beans, whole grain cereals, dried fruit and dark green vegetables. Vitamin C rich foods such as fresh, canned or frozen fruits and WIC fruit juices are recommended.
Children who receive services from Medi-Cal, Child Health and Disability Prevention or Healthy Families are eligible for free testing. Private health insurance plans will usually pay for the test.
To find out about eligibility for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families, call Lake Family Resource Center at 262-1611or toll free, 888-775-8336.
Contact the Lake County Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at Easter Seals, 263-3949, for more information about childhood lead poisoning prevention and intervention.
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