LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Department of Public Works is advising the public that traffic control will be in place on a portion of 11th Street on Wednesday, Aug. 3.
Between 8:30 a.m. and noon, traffic control will be in effect in the area of 963 11th St. while AT&T trims trees.
Public Works said there will be possible delays of up to 10 minutes.
The agency thanks the public for its patience.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Two fires that broke out in Clearlake on Friday have been fully contained.
Cal Fire reported Sunday evening that firefighters had achieved 100-percent containment on both the Extension fire and the North Branch Extension fire.
The two fires broke out within an hour and a half of each other, and both resulted in temporary evacuations in their immediate areas, as Lake County News has reported.
The Extension fire, located off 18th Avenue behind Woodland Community College, burned a total of seven acres, Cal Fire said.
The North Branch Extension burned 25 acres in the area of Ogulin Canyon and Industrial Avenue. Cal Fire Division Chief Greg Bertelli said the fire destroyed three small metal buildings.
There has been no report so far as to the cause of the fires.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Here's a fine, deftly made poem by Meg Kearney, of New Hampshire, in which the details deliver the emotions, which are never overtly named other than by the title. It's my favorite kind of poem, and it's from her book An Unkindness of Ravens, from BOA Editions. Her most recent book is Home By Now (Four Way Books 2009).
Loneliness
The girl hunting with her father approaches
the strange man who has stopped at the end
of his day to rest and look at the lake.
Do you like geese? she asks. The man smiles.
The girl draws a webbed foot from her pocket
and places it in his hand. It's late fall
and still the geese keep coming, two fingers
spread against a caution-yellow sky. Before
he can thank her, the girl has run off, down
to the edge of the water. The man studies her
father, about to bring down his third goose
today—then ponders the foot: soft, pink,
and covered with dirt like the little girl's hand.
He slips it into his coat pocket, and holds it there.
American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They do not accept unsolicited submissions. Poem reprinted by permission of The Permissions Co. Inc., on behalf of BOA Editions, LTD. Introduction copyright ©2016 by The Poetry Foundation. Introduction copyright © 2016 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake’s Live Well Program invites the community to the Wellness Rx Healthy Lifestyle Series, a free six-week series of classes focused on healthy lifestyle changes.
The classes are held on Wednesday afternoons from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. beginning Aug. 17 and running through Sept. 21.
“All of us can benefit from drinking more water, eating right and moving more, but sometimes we need some extra support or education,” said Jean McNally, care coordinator at the Live Well Program. “These classes inspire real changes and provide the information you need to feel healthier and build a life you love.”
The Wellness Rx Healthy Lifestyle series is open to all and includes healthy snacks and giveaways.
Each session features an engaging education session focusing on a different topic, including exercise, nutrition, stress management, weight management and achieving wellness goals.
Eula Ford of Clearlake attended the first two sets of Wellness Rx classes and is looking forward to coming back for a third time.
“They teach you how to choose healthy foods,” she said. “I’ve already seen a difference in my blood sugar.”
New students can join the classes at any point in the program. Sessions are hosted at the Live Well Program at 15230 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake.
For more information or to RSVP to the WellnessRx Healthy Lifestyle Series, contact the Live Well Program at 707-995-4545.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – There are several colorful cats and kittens awaiting homes at Lake County Animal Care and Control this week.
Cats available include domestic short hair and long hair mixes, with orange, brown and gray tabby coats, and torbie and tortie kittens.
In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Shelter_Animal_Search.htm .
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Domestic longhair mix
This domestic longhair mix cat of undetermined gender has a black and white coat and green eyes.
The cat is in cat room kennel No. 1, ID No. 5356.
Domestic medium hair kitten
This male domestic medium hair kitten has a gray tabby coat.
He's in cat room kennel No. 3a, ID No. 4787.
Domestic short hair kitten
This male domestic short hair kitten has a brown tabby coat.
He's in cat room kennel No. 3c, ID No. 4866.
Domestic short hair mix
This female domestic short hair mix has a brown tabby coat.
She's in cat room kennel No. 3d, ID No. 4867.
Orange tabby kitten
This male kitten has a short orange tabby coat.
He's in cat room kennel No. 4a, ID No. 5376.
Domestic short hair mix
This adult female domestic short hair mix has a brown tabby and white coat with gold eyes.
Shelter staff describe her as a sweet, cuddly girl.
She already has been spayed, so her adoption fee is less expensive.
She's in cat room kennel No. 96, ID No. 5340.
Tortie kitten
This female domestic short hair mix kitten has a tortie coat and green eyes.
She's in cat room kennel No. 5431, ID No. 107a.
Orange tabby kitten
This female kitten has a short orange tabby coat and gold eyes.
She's in cat room kennel No. 107b, ID No. 5432.
Orange tabby kitten
This female kitten has a short orange tabby coat and gold eyes.
She's in cat room kennel No. 107c, ID No. 5433.
Domestic short hair mix kitten
This female domestic short hair mix kitten has a torbie and white coat, and gold eyes.
She's in cat room kennel No. 147a, ID No. 5370.
Domestic short hair mix kitten
This female domestic short hair mix kitten has a torbie-colored coat with white markings.
Shelter staff reported that her paws have six toes.
She's in cat room kennel No. 147b, ID No. 5371.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College in Clearlake is proud to announce the arrival of a new instructor who will teach a new set of classes.
Dr. Montana Hodges is a geologist and a paleontologist.
She fell in love with the lake and the community seven years ago when her family moved in the area.
“I love that my backyard sparkles in obsidian, that volcanic ash and flows are frozen in our hills, and of course collecting the incredibly translucent quartz we know as Lake County Diamonds,” she said.
Dr. Hodges’ experience as an instructor started when she was a graduate student teaching geology and continued as she taught for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as a manager of the Montana Space Grant Consortium Space Public Outreach Team.
Just last year, she reached 12,000 students with her presentations and instruction time.
Dr. Hodges is more than an instructor. She’s also a writer and has published five books, and has dug up dinosaurs in the Arctic.
The students at Lake County Campus are bound to find a wealth of information when taking her geology classes that she will be instructing during the fall of 2016.
During the fall semester she will be teaching physical geology, which will cover rocks and minerals, volcanoes, earthquakes and plate tectonics. It also examines how water and wind shape the Earth’s surface.
The second class she will be teaching is historical geology. Students taking this class will learn how the study of fossils, rocks, tectonic processes, and geologic structures can provide us with information regarding Earth’s geologic and biologic history.
For anyone interested in registering for these new and exciting classes, please make an appointment with a counselor at 707-995-7900, visit the admissions office located at 15880 Dam Road Extension in Clearlake or visit https://lcc.yccd.edu/ .
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College in Clearlake is pleased to announce a new instructor and a new class being offered at the campus.
Dr. Christopher Hodges will be teaching astronomy during the fall semester.
Astronomy 1L will feature a survey of the solar system, stars, galaxies, history, and tools of astronomy, cosmology and exploration of space.
There also is a lab that goes along with the class. The lab will cover the study and interpretation of astronomical observations through the use of prepared astronomy exercises, the use of telescopes or computer simulations of telescopes, naked eye observation of celestial bodies, and laboratory activities using various quantitative measuring devices.
Dr. Hodges has taught for eight years at San Francisco State University and University of California, Riverside.
His interest in astronomy started when he took his first community college class when he was still in high school. He’s hopeful to bring a similar experience this fall to the Lake County Campus.
“This is a very exciting time in astronomy,” said Hodges. “That our observations and understanding of the universe has exploded over the last two decades.”
From Hubble telescope images, detection of more than 3,000 exoplanets, flybys of Pluto, to the plethora of information obtained by the Mars rovers, there are so many new discoveries in astronomy.
A discussion of the numerous modern results and what we should expect in the next decade will be part of Astronomy 1L offered on the campus.
Dr. Hodges believes that Lake County is a perfect place to discuss astronomy. The lack of big city lights allows the county to have beautiful night skies filled with celestial bodies. This should allow for spectacular visuals during the lab exercises.
Dr. Hodges is not just an astronomy instructor, he’s also a physicist. He has created antimatter, has hit the speed of light limit, turned mercury into gold and measured the age of the planets.
He will be a fabulous addition to the wonderful staff at Lake County Campus and his class will be very interesting and exciting for all students.
For anyone interested in registering for this new and exciting class, please make an appointment with a counselor at 707-995-7900, stop by the admissions office located at 15880 Dam Road Extension in Clearlake, or visit http://lcc.yccd.edu .
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Association of Realtors is sponsoring a back to school supply drive in conjunction with the California Association of Realtor's Young Professional Network August Month of Giving.
Supplies needed include backpacks, pencils, colored pencils, erasers, crayons, paper and glue sticks.
Supplies collected will be distributed throughout the Lake County school districts in August.
The school supply drive is happening now through Aug. 5.
Stop by your favorite real estate office, local title company office or the Lake County Association of Realtors office at 2559 Lakeshore Blvd. in Lakeport to drop off your school supply donations.
For more information or to locate a real estate office near you, please contact Lake County Association of Realtors at 707-263-9300.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Club's meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 9, will focus on local school issues.
The group will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the social hall of the Lower Lake Community United Methodist Church, 16255 Second St.
The usual business meeting will be dispensed with in order to accommodate several speakers.
Speakers include Pat Sabo, CTA/NEA-Retired Teachers Region 1 president, on the history of Common Core Standards and current educational topics including student debt; Mitch Markowitz, Konocti Unified School District Board member, on the new state funding plan; Sean Millerick, candidate for Middletown Unified School Board; and Helena Welsh, candidate for Middletown Unified School Board.
The Lake County Democratic Club is an officially chartered club of the Democratic Party of Lake County.
All meetings are open to the public. Membership is open to registered Democrats.
Visit www.lakecountydemocraticclub.org or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport man arrested last fall for a hit-and-run crash that seriously injured two cyclists has been sentenced to state prison.
David Allen Lent, 29, was sentenced on Tuesday to three years in state prison after pleading guilty to felony hit and run resulting in permanent, serious injury, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney John DeChaine.
Lent's defense attorney, Barry Melton, said he had no comment on the case.
Lakeport Police arrested Lent for the Sept. 29 hit-and-run crash that left Corey Bauman of Lakeport and Nick Thompson of Upper Lake seriously injured, as Lake County News has reported.
Police said Lent hit the men as they were riding their bikes in the area of Martin and Bevins streets and then fled the scene.
Bauman and Thompson were flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, beginning a lengthy recovery period that is still ongoing for them, according to their friend and fellow cyclist, Dave Garzoli.
David Lent was arrested the following morning at the home of his mother, Lynda Lent, who at that time also was arrested for being an accessory to a crime.
However, DeChaine said Lynda Lent was not prosecuted. “There was insufficient evidence to demonstrate that she was criminally complicit in the crime.”
DeChaine said David Lent – who has remained in custody since his September arrest – did not stand trial. Instead, he pleaded guilty to the felony hit and run charge.
“We insisted that he plead guilty to that serious hit and run charge as opposed to entering a no contest plea,” said DeChaine.
He said guilty pleas can be required in such cases, adding that the reasoning behind it was an attempt to provide some solace to Bauman, Thompson and their families, and to demonstrate that Lent is taking responsibility for his actions.
Lent had no prior criminal record, DeChaine said, which prevented him from receiving a more severe sentence. “His lack of criminal record was a mitigating factor.”
At the July 26 sentencing, “There was a strong turnout from the friends and family of the victims in this case,” said DeChaine. “Numerous individuals addressed the court and expressed their feelings about the crime.”
Garzoli said he was present for the sentencing, but he didn't speak. Bauman's family gave statements, he said, adding that while Thompson was present, he chose not to address the court.
DeChaine credited the Lakeport Police Department for its professional handling of the investigation, singling out Det. Dale Stoebe in particular for his work on the case.
“It's frustrating for all involved that the legislation doesn't provide for more meaningful penalties in cases like this,” said DeChaine.
He added that fleeing the scene where people are left bleeding and possibly dying “is a true act of cowardice.”
Garzoli said his friends are recovering, but the physical and emotional scars are enduring.
“As a cyclist, I think about their accident every time I ride and wonder when it's going to be me that gets hit by a texting, drunk or careless driver,” Garzoli said.
Thompson has almost recovered completely, although he hasn't returned to cycling. Garzoli said Thompson – a factory-sponsored paid BMX racer as a youngster – is “one of the most talented two-wheel guys I have ever known, on a bike or motorcycle. ”
Bauman continues to undergo rehab, but Garzoli said he has made “incredible” progress, especially considering that in the days and weeks after he was injured, friends and loved ones believed he might not survive.
The upside, said Garzoli, is illustrated in the photo above of Bauman, taken just a few days after the sentencing, when he was able to climb onto his stationary bike on his own for the first time.
Garzoli said he had been asking Bauman if he thought he could ride his spin bike and he had said yes. “I had told him a couple weeks ago, that my son Andy I would come over and help him on to it so he could see what it felt like again and he got pretty excited, so much so, he decided he wasn't going to wait for our help! ”
Garzoli also posted the picture on his Facebook page, telling all of Bauman's friends and acquaintances, “Let him be an inspiration to all of you! ”
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Lupoyoma Parlor No. 329 of the Native Daughters of the Golden West will meet on Thursday, Aug. 11, for a membership social and organizational meeting.
The group meets at 5:30 p.m. for social time and 6 p.m. for the business meeting at Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.
If you were born in California and are over 16 you are a Native Californian eligible for membership in the Native Daughters of the Golden West organization.
The Native Daughters is a fraternal and patriotic organization founded in 1886 on the principles of:
– Love of home;
– Devotion to the flag;
– Veneration of the pioneers;
– Faith in the existence of God.
All Native Daughters are welcome to attend.
For more information contact Parlor Worthy President Carla Dore, 831-524-5588, or V.P. Dee Cuney, 707-235-2902, or visit the Native Daughters of the Golden West, Lupoyoma Parlor No. 329 Facebook page.
For information about Lake County Konocti No. 159 Chapter of the Native Sons of the Golden West contact Tony Braito at 707-245-7663.
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon Restaurant in Upper Lake have announced the lineup for their tenth annual Blue Wing Blues Festival from Friday, Aug. 5, through Sunday, Aug. 7.
Details of a followup show on Labor Day, Sept. 5, will be announced shortly.
Headliners this year include Barry “The Fish” Melton and his band, the Daniel Castro Band and Chris Cain and his band.
Opening performances are by the Bill Noteman Trio and blues vocalist Rev Rabia plus guest appearances by sax great Nancy Wright
Starting at 6:30 p.m. each day of the event, these top blues musicians will perform on the veranda of the hotel with the audience gathered in the intimate garden between the hotel and restaurant.
“It’s a nice time of day and a pleasant spot to enjoy world-class music,” says owner Bernie Butcher. “With a top quality barbecue dinner thrown in with the price of admission, it’s a great value for music lovers.”
On opening night on Friday, Aug. 5, local blues harp legend Bill Noteman and his trio will open for Melton and his band of veteran rockers and blues musicians.
Melton was half of the famed Country Joe and the Fish in the 1960s and 1970s and has remained active in the business while pursuing a law career in Sacramento and now in Lake County.
He will be joined by his long time bandmates Lowell “Banana” Levinger on keys, Peter Albin on bass and Roy Blumenfeld on drums.
Headlining the show on Saturday, Aug. 6, is the dynamic blues guitarist and vocalist Daniel Castro. Popular throughout the Bay Area and beyond, Castro and his original music are now well-known locally.
Joining Castro will be the core of his trio, Johnny Yu on bass and David Perper on drums supplemented by Tony Lufrano on keys and Nancy Wright on sax.
Referring to his partnership with Yu and Perper, Castro said, “We have something special. It’s hard to describe, but we feel it and so do our audiences.”
Opening both the Saturday and Sunday shows will be the popular East Bay blues vocalist and guitarist Rev Rabia accompanied on guitar by Keizo Yamazawa.
Rabia fronted several blues and rock groups before forming a duo with Yamazawa six years ago.
The dynamic and talented Chris Cain and his band will top the bill on Sunday, Aug. 7.
Cain, now based in San Jose, grew up on jazz and blues and has melded the two into a searing style that sets him apart on the blues scene. He is well connected locally having recorded extensively with Ukiah’s Patrick Ford and his Blue Rock-it Records.
Cain will be joined by his longtime band members Greg Rahn on keys, Steve Evans on bass and Mike Mestek on drums with special guest Nancy Wright on sax.
“I invite Nancy to play with us as often as possible at our Tuesday gigs at Biscuits and Blues in San Francisco,” said Cain. “It should be fun having her join us for the Blue Wing Festival.”
“Our staff puts a lot of effort into this festival every year and we look forward to giving our guests a great time and serving them a fabulous barbecue dinner while they enjoy the music,” said Tallman Hotel Manager Susan Mesick.
Tickets are limited to 100 each evening and may be purchased directly at the Tallman Hotel, located on Main Street in Upper Lake, or by calling the hotel reception desk at 707-275-2244, Extension 0.
Ticket prices are $50 plus tax if purchased in advance and $55 at the gate.
More information can be found at www.tallmanhotel.com/concerts .
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