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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT – A great way to enjoy Lake County is from a bicycle, and this weekend it's once again time to saddle up for the annual Konocti Challenge.
The 19th annual event will take off from Lakeport on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 3, with rides for all ages and fitness levels.
“It's a great way to see the county,” said Rotarian and Ride Director Jennifer Strong.
Strong said the Konocti Challenge is the only event that showcases nearly all of Lake County. The only area the ride doesn't extend to is Middletown.
The Konocti Challenge is one of the biggest annual fundraisers for the Lakeport Rotary, which took the event over from the Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce about 12 years ago, said Strong.
She and a dedicated committee of five work on the event year round, with all of the Lakeport Rotarians working the event itself.
Strong said the event usually nets between $8,000 and $10,000 for the club, although last year was particularly good, with the challenge bringing in $12,000 that was used for the Rotary's local efforts.
“All of the funds raised go to an extremely good cause,” she said.
Last year's ride also drew 450 participants from all over California and a total of eight states, Strong said.
They have high hopes for another great event this year, with beautiful fall weather in the 70s expected Saturday, according to Strong.
The ride has four courses, all of which start and end at the Lakeport Yacht Club at 15 Fifth St., said Strong.
“There's something for everybody,” she said.
The courses include a 19-miler for families which leads down to the Gnarly Dude Ranch on Steelhead Drive, and which includes Rotary escorts for children riding without their families; a 30-mile course that winds through the resort and vineyard sections in Big Valley and Lakeport; a 65-mile adventure course along the lakeshore; and the endurance-testing 100-mile course around the lake, then up Cobb Mountain.
Riders in the 30-mile course leave between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., while 65- and 100-mile riders leave between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
The 100-miler is a serious ride for avid cyclists that includes 6,200 feet of climbing. “It's rated as extremely difficult in the cycling world,” said Strong.
Helping keep riders on track will be six rest stops along the way, run by local nonprofit groups including Hospice Services of Lake County, Clearlake Rotary, Early Lake Lions, Operation Tango Mike and People Services, Strong said.
The rest stop groups compete for votes from riders, with whoever wins getting a $500 donation from Rotary. Strong said Operation Tango Mike won last year.
Along with rest stops, there will be about 12 to 15 vehicles on the road to pick up riders and assist with flat tires, Strong said. “There is a lot of support for the ride.”
After the ride, Kenny Parlet of Lakeview Market will host a barbecue back at the Lakeport Yacht Club, Strong said.
She explained that riders can sign up online at the event's Web site, www.konoctichallenge.com , until Thursday at 8 p.m. They also can sign up at the Lakeport Yacht Club from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and on the morning of the event.
For more information visit the Web site or call Strong at 707-349-0815.
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Santa Rosa Police arrested 17-year-old Marco Antonio Meza April 8, two days after the alleged driveby shooting of 18-year-old Luis Suarez, as Lake County News has reported.
Arrested with Meza, a suspected Sureno gang member, was Fernando Mendoza of Santa Rosa, who police said at the time was arrested for a parole violation.
But on Tuesday the Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua reported that a “continuing and cooperative investigation” between his office and the Santa Rosa Police Department had led to a first-degree murder charge being filed against the 21-year-old Mendoza, and the murder charge against Meza being dropped.
“Our office and the Santa Rosa Police Department consider not only incriminating evidence, but exonerating evidence, as well,” Passalacqua said. “When new evidence surfaced, we jointly investigated it thoroughly, resulting in not only the dismissal of a murder charge against one person but the issuance of an arrest warrant on the person we believe is responsible.”
Passalacqua said Mendoza also faces special allegations related to benefiting a criminal street gang and personal use of a firearm. Mendoza is due to be arraigned on the charges Oct. 15, with Deputy District Attorney Troye Shaffer assigned to prosecute the case.
Meza, whose name was previously released by police in connection with the case, was not named specifically in Passalacqua's Tuesday statement.
The initial investigation – led by Santa Rosa Police Det. Brad Connors and Sgt Steve Fraga of the Violent Crimes Investigation Team – focused on the teenager, who Passalacqua said sent incriminating text messages to a third party claiming that he committed Suarez's murder.
However, based on the new evidence, an arrest warrant was issued for Mendoza and the murder charges were dismissed on Sept. 23 against Meza, who faced being tried as an adult, Passalacqua said.
While Meza no longer faces the murder charge, he's facing charges related to the case that are now pending in juvenile court, Passalacqua reported.
Passalacqua's office said the juvenile proceedings are confidential under California law and cannot be disclosed to the public.
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Albert Gene Brandon, 47, of Lower Lake was the victim of the crash, which occurred early on the morning of Sept. 25, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Brandon died when his vehicle went off of Butts Canyon Road, a mile and a half east of Highway 29, then overturned and hit a utility pole, as Lake County News has reported.
The California Highway Patrol investigation found that Brandon was wearing his seat belt and his car's airbag had deployed.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Public Services Director Kim Clymire said Tuesday that the county is seeking applications from community members interested in taking part in the Mt. Konocti Focused Master Plan Development Committee.
He said the group will develop a master plan with policies and procedures for use for the more than 1,500 acres on Mt. Konocti that the county is currently purchasing from the Fowler family for a day use, nonmotorized trails and a county park.
The county entered into escrow on Sept. 15 for 1,344 acres, with escrow scheduled to end in November. Last year, the county purchased the 176-acre Buckingham Peak site, the location of several telecommunications towers, as Lake County News has reported.
Clymire said the park is scheduled to officially open in the spring of 2010. A master plan – or at least a draft master plan – needs to be developed in the interim to govern the park’s use.
He said that applications for representatives from several groups are being solicited and appointments will be made by the end of October with the first meeting in November.
They include:
A recreation users representative;
Two fire management representatives – one from Cal Fire and Kelseyville Fire Protection District;
An environmental tribal representative;
A flora and fauna representative with a degree in biology, botany, or related field;
A Bureau of Land Management representative;
A Land Trust, Sierra Club or Redbud Audubon Society member representative;
A representative from the Countywide Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee;
A seller's representative;
A Public Services Department representative.
For an application, contact the Public Services Department at 333 2nd St. in Lakeport, or call 707-262-1618.