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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
MIDDLETOWN – Two Middletown men have been arrested in connection with a stolen vehicle case, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Raymond Marrujo and Jason Hagan, both aged 34, were arrested Wednesday, according to a Thursday report from CHP Officer Adam Garcia.
Garcia explained that witnesses reported a dumped vehicle consisting of a pickup truck cab and frame on Socrates Mine Road in Middletown on Nov. 10.
CHP Officer Erich Paarsch responded and, with the assistance of Lake County Code Enforcement Officer Rod Hillard, was able to identify the vehicle as stolen out of Vacaville, Garcia said.
Paarsch and CHP Officer Kevin Domby obtained a warrant for a residence on Mead Road in Middletown where witnesses believed the suspects had been dismantling the pickup. Garcia said the search warrant was served on Wednesday with the assistance of the Lake County Narcotic Task Force.
Officers located the engine belonging to the stolen vehicle along with several other components, said Garcia. As a result of the search, Marrujo, a construction worker, was arrested for receiving stolen property and conspiracy to commit a crime.
CHP officers and Narcotic Task Force agents discovered information leading them to a second residence in Middletown off of West Road where they recovered more parts from the stolen pickup, according to Garcia.
There, they contacted Hagan, who they arrested, said Garcia.
Charges against Hagan include vehicle theft, receiving stolen property, conspiracy to commit a crime and several other charges including illegal dumping, altering a vehicle identification number and tampering with a vehicle, according to jail documents.
Bail was posted at $42,000 for Hagan, whose profession is listed as chef on his booking sheet. Marrujo's bail was set at $20,000.
Both men remained in the Lake County Jail early Friday.
Paarsch stated that the investigation is ongoing with additional suspects being sought in connection with the theft.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
KELSEYVILLE – The Lake County Historical Society has two interesting projects that need the assistance and talents of our local tradespeople.
The society is seeking help for its Ely Stage Stop Museum and cable car restoration projects.
In July of 2007, the Ely house, one of the county's oldest buildings, was relocated from Highway 29 near Kit's Corner to a beautiful five-acre parcel on Soda Bay Road adjacent to the Riviera area. This was all made possible by vintner, Andy Beckstoffer who donated both the historic building and the five acres.
The county of Lake, in conjunction with the Lake County Historical Society, has been charged with the challenge of turning this generous donation into a first-class agricultural museum and visitors center.
Restoration efforts on the stage stop have begun. Due to the fine efforts of Public Services Director Kim Clymire and his staff, the building now has a proper foundation, a new roof and windows.
Clymire plans to add a wrap-around porch to the building next year and begin restoration efforts on the interior of the building.
After the restoration of the building is completed the county plans to turn over the site to the Lake County Historical Society.
The Lake County Historical Society has grand plans for the agricultural museum that will be located near the Ely house.
Under the direction of Greg Dills, chairman of the Ely Stage Stop Museum Committee, they plan to erect four turn-of-the-century barns on the five-acre parcel. Two of the four barns have been donated to the society and one has already been disassembled for shipment to the museum site.
As the barns are reconstructed on site, they will be filled with unique agricultural equipment that has been donated to the historical society over the years. Horse-drawn wagons, tractors and farm implements are just a few of the items that will be featured.
In order to make this museum a reality, the historical society will need the talents of local contractors and builders.
They will need an excavating contractor to cut the pads for the barns, cement contractors to lay the foundations and cement flooring of the barns.
Also needed are carpenters to erect the barns, roofing contractors and painters to help complete the buildings. The historical society is a nonprofit organization dependent on volunteer efforts but tax credits can be issued for those contractors who wish to realize some compensation.
Another important project on the drawing board of the society and the county is the restoration of a one-of-a-kind cable car. Car 38 is the last example of a pre-1906 earthquake cable car. Built in 1907, it was one of the last to be built in likeness of the pre-quake models. Surprisingly it is in fairly good shape but needs to be refurbished from top to bottom in order to insure it will last into the next millennium.
Bud Boyce of Lower Lake, a welder with over 60 years of experience, has offered to work on the steel undercarriage. The wooden cab of Car 38 is in need of an expert finish carpenter with "old school" savvy to supervise the restoration of the woodwork. Also needed is a building large enough to house Car 38 while restoration proceeds.
If you or anyone you know might be able to assist the Lake County Historical Society in any aspect of these two worthy endeavors please call Greg Dills about the Ely Museum at 707-263-4180, Extension 12, or Randy Ridgel about Car 38 at 707-490-8279.
Visit the Lake County Historical Society's Web site at www.lakecountyhistory.org.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
At the same time, federal officials are investigating a complaint filed by the union alleging that the association has broken federal labor law by not bargaining in good faith.
The first of the employees were locked out starting this weekend, with the rest of them finding themselves locked out on Monday, as Lake County News has reported.
The dozen and a half union members, represented by Laborers International Union of North America Local 139, continued a protest picket on Wednesday, asking the community for donations of food and toys to help them get through the lockout and the holiday season.
They stood on a corner by Hardester's Market and near the elementary school, dispensing flyers and waving to drivers, many of whom honked in reply.
Union business manager Dave George said they still haven't received any information from HVLA about why it locked out the employees. “It's been the strangest negotiations.”
George and the union maintain that the lockout is illegal, and that HVLA is not bargaining in good faith.
HVLA General Manager Jim Johnson has refused to comment publicly on the situation, and HVLA Board President Don Dornbush did not return a call placed Wednesday seeking comment.
However, on Wednesday HVLA did offer a written rebuttal to the flyers being distributed by the union workers.
The document, which HVLA would only hand out at its office, said that Johnson's place of residence, salary and pension package should not be questioned, and explained he is a Hidden Valley Lake resident who receives no pension from the association.
HVLA's response stated that Johnson has neither “'coerced' nor encouraged union workers,” the majority of which currently make more than the union contract rates.
The association also asserted that they've not suggested those contract rates be lowered, and added that the only HVLA employees who currently have pensions are union workers.
HVLA maintains that it has bargained in good faith throughout the negotiation process, and signed a contract continuance that ended Nov. 14.
According to the rebuttal, the union canceled a contract negotiation scheduled for Nov. 11, Veterans Day.
George told Lake County News on Tuesday that the union planned to file charges against HVLA with the National Labor Relations Board.
Joseph Norelli, the National Labor Relations Board regional director for the San Francisco regional office, confirmed Wednesday that his office had received the filing.
“We are just beginning to investigate this,” Norelli said.
On Nov. 14, the day the bargaining agreement expired, the union filed a charge alleging that HVLA had threatened the employees with a lockout on Saturday because they were at an impasse, according to Norelli.
He was notified by the union's attorney on Saturday morning that the lockout had begun.
Local 139 has alleged the lockout is illegal. For the lockout to be legal, Norelli said HVLA needs to show that they haven't committed unfair labor practices, that they're bargaining in good faith, and have been unable to reach an agreement and so must lock out employees.
“The law gives them that right,” said Norelli, but he said it remains to be seen if this is a legal or illegal lockout situation.
Norelli said he's expediting an investigation into the allegations at the union's request. The investigation could take as long as 49 days, although Norelli said they'll try to get it done faster than that.
The union has requested the labor board seek an injunction in federal district court that would require HVLA to immediately reinstate all of its employees, said Norelli.
That, in turn, could lead to a settlement or litigation before the labor board concerning whether or not the employees would have to be permanently reinstated and “made whole” with the payment of back wages and benefits, he said.
Norelli said Local 139 began filing a succession of charges against HVLA in the late spring.
“We investigated all of those charges and in September we found that there was merit to a number of those charges,” he said, adding that some charges also weren't found valid.
HVLA was found to have made changes in employment terms and conditions without notice or bargaining with the union, said Norelli, which is a breach of labor law.
As required by law, the labor board offered HVLA an opportunity to settle, which they did. That settlement required that HVLA – which didn't admit guilt – agree that they would not repeat the mistake, and would post a notice telling employees of their rights and listing the allegations.
“It's just bringing to everyone's attention that this was done unlawfully without bargaining,” Norelli said of the notice.
HVLA also had to reimburse employees for any losses they suffered which, in this case, were related to changes in the rules about letting employees take home company vehicles, he said.
After the settlement, things appeared to be resolved. “We haven't heard much from them since then until we got a charge late in the day on Friday,” said Norelli.
Norelli said the new charges against HVLA also raise concerns about the association's compliance with the previous settlement, which was reached toward the end of September, and is still in a 60-day notice period.
He said that settlement also required that HVLA not refuse the union relevant information requests about such things as wage levels – which George and Local 139 are alleging HVLA is now doing.
“We have not yet closed this case on compliance,” he said. “They may be breaching the settlement agreement, which would require that this settlement be set aside.”
That would necessitate a new complaint, which Norelli said could lead to a new settlement or to litigation.
George suggested that HVLA's new management may not fully understand its duties in the negotiations process.
An HVLA Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The lockout is expected to be a topic of discussion.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Organizers sought to send a loud and clear message that Californians do not accept elimination of this crucial program for low-income senior, blind and disabled Californians.
The statewide day of action came in response to Gov. Schwarzenegger's use of the line-item veto power to eliminate $191 million in tax rebates for low-income elderly and disabled Californians. This was the governor's single biggest line-item veto in the budget.
The governor defunded the entire Senior Citizens Property Tax Assistance program, also known as the “renters' rebate,” a program that has been in effect for decades.
With no forewarning, Schwarzenegger struck all funds from the program, despite the fact that the Legislature had included the funds in the budget approved by the state Assembly and Senate.
The Senior Citizens Renters Tax Assistance program, which has been in effect for four decades, makes senior and disabled renters who earn less than $44,096 eligible for up to $347.50 as a tax rebate.
Many eligible Californians had already filed their claims and were counting on these funds. With the governor's veto, the Franchise Tax Board now will not pay these claims.
Assemblyman John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, characterized the cuts to the tax assistance program as “unconscionable.”
Tenants Together, a statewide organization for renters' rights, advocates for the rights of California's estimated 14 million renters.
“We're outraged that the governor would take aim at low-income senior, blind and disabled renters during these difficult times,” said Dean Preston, executive director of Tenants Together, California's statewide organization for renters' rights. “The state's neediest residents were counting on this money. The governor's veto is totally unacceptable.”
According to Nan Brasmer, President of California Alliance for Retired Americans, “The governor's veto of rebates for renters is a slap in the face to the neediest seniors. To add insult to injury, the governor also cut the tax rebate for homeowners, which also targets lower income homeowners, many of whom are seniors. We call on legislators to override the governor's veto and restore these rebates as soon as possible."
The group is collecting signatures on its online petition condemning the governor's veto of these funds. The petition can be viewed at www.tenantstogether.org.
The coalition opposing the Governor's veto is remarkably broad. More than 30 organizations have signed onto a letter to the governor urging the governor to fully fund the tax assistance program.
Signatories included Access to Independence of San Diego, California Alliance for Retired Americans, California Church IMPACT, California Disability Community Action Network, Center for Independent Living - Fresno, Coalition for Economic Survival, the San Francisco Tenants Union and others.
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