KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Facing deep cuts to its multimillion dollar budget, the Kelseyville Unified School District Board of Trustees will sit down in a special Tuesday night session to make what may be some of the toughest decisions of its members' tenure.

The open session of the meeting will convene at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, in the Kelseyville High School Student Center, 5480 Main St.

The agenda and associated documents can be downloaded at www.kusd.lake.k12.ca.us/#!/District/Events/130908-Special-Board-Meeting.html .

The board must decide which services to cut and which to keep in order to arrive at cuts to district services ranging between $1.6 million and $2.3 million for the next two years, according to district Superintendent Dave McQueen.

That higher budget cut number would become necessary if proposed tax measures aren't passed this June, McQueen said.

The district's budget ranges between $13 million and $14 million, he said.

McQueen said the board can implement many of the cuts unilaterally, while some items must be

negotiated with the collective bargaining units.

The 57-page budget packet includes a seven-page matrix of proposed cuts – staffing cutbacks; elimination of the sports programs, the yearbook class and K-Corps; closure of Gard Street School; closing Mt. Vista Middle School, creating two K-6 schools and a seventh grade through 12^th grade secondary school; and closure of Riviera Elementary and combining Kelseyville Elementary and Mt. Vista Middle School to create a “super campus.”

Last year the board voted against four possible scenarios, including closing Riviera Elementary, as well as other district reconfigurations. However, Board President Rick Winer said Monday that those options were back on the list “because they have to be.”

McQueen said the board will have to prioritize its services.

Because the board voted against closing Riviera Elementary, for 2011-12 “that one's kinda off the table,” but it has to be looked at because they're considering cuts for two years, McQueen said.

“We're going to get as many reductions as we can,” he said.

As a lead up to the decisions that must be made in this special session, Winer said the board received a report from a financial expert at its last meeting.

As part of the discussion, the agenda calls for the board to consider a fiscal recovery plan.

“Right now what we have is a list of elements that will eventually compose the recovery plan,” Winer said.

Winer said the board has to act on that plan soon. “We do have a deadline in that we have to develop an interim budget by the 15th of this month.”

Following its December interim report, the district recently moved into “qualified budget certification,” McQueen said.

He said districts are required give a multiyear projection of fiscal stability for the current year and two subsequent years. “While Kelseyville Unified is projected to meet its financial obligations for 2010-11 and 2011-12, it may not be able to meet its financial obligations for 2012-13.”

That concern led to the qualified status, McQueen said.

The district, facing dwindling funds from the state, has been living off of reserves. “You're seeing it all across our state and country,” McQueen said. “It's not like we're the only district going through this.”

McQueen said the district is working with a fiscal advisor, Susan Birch Grinsell – who was appointed by the Lake County Office of Education to help in developing a fiscal stability plan – in order to a reach a goal of “positive” certification in ensuing interim reports.

Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook told Lake County News that his office has oversight responsibilities in cases like Kelseyville, where qualified status is declared.

McQueen said 85 to 90 percent of the district's budget is for salary and benefits, and they can only cut so much out of that remaining 10 to 15 percent.

The district also must hand out teacher layoff notices by March 15. McQueen didn't have the number of layoffs available yet, but noted, “ We've had some resignations, so that's helped us.”

There are no easy decisions, and it's disheartening, said McQueen.

“It is so important that people see what the state is doing to education,” he said, noting the school would be OK if it was funded at the right level.

“It's just a terrible situation to be in,” Winer added.

McQueen said it's imperative that the governor's tax plan be implemented this summer.

He said he didn't get into education to have to carry out these kinds of cutbacks, but rather wanted to help students attain success in life.

“Unfortunately the state of California doesn't have the same idea,” he said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Vector Control District reported that it will carry out an aerial larvicide treatment this Wednesday, March 9, weather permitting.

District Manager Dr. Jamie Scott said the aerial spraying, which will take place between Clear Lake State Park and south Lakeport, will begin at 10 a.m.

Scott said the application is meant to reduce the number of mosquitoes that will hatch out later this year.

The treatment will use Aquabac, which is based on the naturally occurring soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti).

Aquabac is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for the control of larval mosquitoes in nearly all aquatic habitats.

For additional information contact the Lake County Vector Control District at 707-263-4770 or visit the district's Web site at www.lcvcd.org.

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A hit-and-run that occurred early on Saturday, March 5, 2011, in Lucerne, Calif., left a pickup, a canoe, a fence and a home damaged. Photo by Gary McAuley.

LUCERNE, Calif. – There has been plenty of nature-generated excitement throughout Lake County in recent weeks, from the snow flurries of the south shore to the seismic events at The Geysers and Lake Pillsbury.

So when John Lordemann, 60, of 6433 11th Ave. in Lucerne, was awakened around 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning to a violent shake, he assumed he was experiencing another natural event.

“I thought it was an earthquake,” he said.

After he awoke, he phoned two of his daughters who live nearby to tell them of the shaker.

He said he was then visited by a woman who inquired if he was all right and, after a brief conversation, she left.

Then, at around 2 a.m., a California Highway Patrol officer appeared on Lordemann's doorstep.

As it turned out, the officer was investigating a vehicle crash that occurred next door at 6421 11th Ave. It had been reported to law enforcement by a neighbor that a woman had driven a light-colored, later model Jeep or Toyota SUV, in reverse, into a Ford F150 pickup belonging to John Sanders.

The SUV eventually came to rest in Lordemann’s front yard, after plowing through Sanders’ yard and two fences along the way, he said.

When the CHP arrived, the female driver and vehicle were gone. By then, one of Lordemann’s daughters, Tabbitha Hodges, 28, of Nice, had arrived to help her father with the police report.

Lordemann said he eventually went back to bed and woke again at around 8 a.m. to find out that the hit-and-run accident was worse than anyone had thought.

“I could see daylight through my ceiling,” he said.

He then went outside to find the power pole, normally positioned upright in his front yard, was now pushed over and resting against the roof of his home.

Hodges had returned and was later joined by her sister, Tiffany Hunter, 32, of Upper Lake, and several of Lordemann's grandchildren. They all reported hearing wires arcing underground at the power pole.

Lordemann and his family members began evacuating the trailer, taking his personal belongings and the three family dogs.

Hodges said she felt a strong shock to her hip as she was about to exit the trailer, while Hunter reported that she and the children all developed headaches and nausea at the scene. They attributed the symptoms to the electrical current from the damaged power line.

Northshore Fire Protection District's Station 80 Lucerne was notified via a phone call around 12:30 p.m. that someone’s home had been hit by a vehicle and might need to be looked at, officials said.

The crash pushed the power pole into the trailer, which necessitated that resident John Lordemann leave because his family heard arcing and one experienced an electrical shock. Photo by Gary McAuley.

Northshore Fire responded with an engine, a medic unit and a battalion chief. On scene, Firefighter Odell Landers established incident command.

“We disconnected power to the residence at the main panel, cordoned off the property, requested PG&E and CHP, and stood by making sure the scene was safe,” he said.

Landers confirmed that no one complained of health issues, or requested medical treatment or transport, from the scene.

PG&E later arrived to disconnect power to the pole and informed Lordemann that once he had the damage repaired, by a contractor, they would restore power.

CHP arrived and amended their report to show the damage, previously not noted, to the pole and structure.

Lordemann said that CHP had several leads to the whereabouts of the driver in question and they were attempting to locate her. He also stated he is expecting to hear from his insurance agent on Monday and believes the structure will be totaled.

“I’ll live with my daughter, in Nice, until things get fixed,” he said.

Next door at Sanders' home, though not losing his power or lodging, he didn’t fare very well either. He plans on meeting with his insurance agent early next week.

“I lost my truck, my fences, my canoe and my yard lights,” he said, stating that he won’t even try to start his pickup until the agent arrives.

Saturday afternoon CHP Sgt. Richard Getzelman and two other CHP officers were investigating the scene, with one taking pieces of what appeared to be decorative lettering from a vehicle and putting it into evidence bags.

Getzelman said they had information on a possible suspect in the case.

There were reports from the scene that a vehicle matching the description was seen being towed from the lake’s shore west of Pepperwood Cove, which was reported to CHP.

Early Sunday morning jail records did not reflect an arrest in this case.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two men became heroes Saturday afternoon when they pulled a seriously injured San Francisco woman from her burning vehicle.

Darcelle Chatoian, 45, was trapped in her burning SUV and semiconscious after she went off Highway 29 over Mount St. Helena just inside the Napa County line, as Lake County News has reported.

The story might have ended there, with a tragedy.

But that's when life-saving help arrived in the form of two men – Ryan Perez, 32, of Napa, and Peter Hart, 38, of Clearlake – who put themselves in harm's way to save her.

Hart was driving northbound, coming down Mount St. Helena and heading toward his Clearlake home, when he said he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

It turned out to be Chatoian's SUV, which was off the road and heading over the side of the hill, he said.

He tried to slow down and another vehicle passed him. He turned around and came back, with he and Perez arriving on scene close to the same time.

Perez, traveling with girlfriend Victoria Rossi to a friend's home in Middletown, said he was driving more slowly due to wet conditions, and from the vantage point of his tall pickup he was able to see a vehicle off the roadway.

He said he told his girlfriend, “I think someone's crashed there.”

They pulled over, with Perez noting that he could already see smoke and flames. They tried to call 911 but couldn't get cell reception.

By the time Perez and Hart stopped, Chatoian's SUV already had caught fire.

The men headed down to the SUV, and when they got there Hart said he could see a woman inside, pinned under the steering wheel and the dash, with a lot of luggage and other items pushed in on top of her. Perez said he could hear Chatoian groaning in pain.

Hart said he couldn't get the passenger door open, and his attempts to smother the fire with a blanket didn't work.

Although the SUV's back door was partially open, they couldn't get it open the rest of the way, said Perez. He said another man showed up with a fire extinguisher to try to help, but the fire kept going.

Meanwhile, Rossi was up on the roadway, asking someone to get down the hill and call 911, he said.

Hart said they had wanted to pull Chatoian from the passenger side, since the driver's side was facing down into a ditch. But when they couldn't get that door open, they went around to the driver's side and looked for a way to break the windows. By that time, the flames were starting to go up under the dash.

“She kept saying, 'Help me,'” Hart remembered.

Up on the hill, he said people were screaming, “It's gonna blow! It's gonna blow!”

Hart said at that point, their goal was just to get Chatoian out of harm's way. “There was no time to think about it, we just had to do it.”

With few other alternatives, and the fire getting “too big too fast,” as Hart said, Perez kicked the driver's side window out.

Hart comforted Chatoian, telling her that it was going to hurt a bit as they got her out. They were then able to reach inside, unbuckle Chatoian and pull her out of the vehicle.

But even then, the two men couldn't get her up the hill by themselves. Perez said a friend of his pulled up, and the friend and another man helped them get Chatoian up to the roadside.

By that time, Hart said, the whole driver's side was on fire. Within what he estimated was another eight to 10 minutes the entire vehicle was ablaze.

“It was pretty much a done deal,” added Perez.

Hart said they covered Chatoian with coats to keep her warm, but she started to become unresponsive and went into shock. It was about 10 minutes before medics arrived, with CHP getting to the scene shortly afterward, he said.

Perez's leg injury then became apparent. “At that point I realized I had been bleeding ever since I kicked the window out,” he said.

One of the other men on the scene used Perez's shirt as a tourniquet on the injured leg, and Rossi then rushed him to St. Helena Hospital, Clearlake, where he received 12 stitches.

He said when he tried to leave the hospital, his leg began to bleed again, making it necessary for his leg to be restitched.

Perez called his injury “minor considering what she had to go through,” he said of Chatoian.

Perez said Chatoian was saved thanks to “a good group effort.”

Hart said he's never been in such a situation before. Later, when he realized how dangerous it had been, he said it scared him.

He said he was grateful others stopped to help. “A lot of people just kept on going by.”

Napa CHP Officer Jaret Paulson said Chatoian's condition is improving, although she remains in serious condition with major injuries.

“She was basically unconscious for a couple of days,” he said.

Paulson added, “We are optimistic and hopeful but she’s still beat up pretty good,” and has serious injuries to overcome.

Hart greeted the news of Chatoian's improving condition as “wonderful.”

Perez's mother, Stacy, a medical technician who works in Lakeport, said the family was proud of him and thankful for Chatoian's survival.

Perez, who said Monday that his leg was feeling better, said he believed the situation was meant to work out.

He said he understood Chatoian's situation. Perez said he was once in a serious crash and others had helped him, too.

“People came to help me, so I figured I'd return the favor,” he said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

A courtesy dock at Lucerne Harbor Park in Lucerne, Calif., was cut in half by a vandal on Wednesday, March 2, 2011. Here the dock is shown taped off by Public Services staff a day later. Photo by Elizabeth Larson. In the background, a Sheriff's Marine Patrol boat heads in to make a pass through the harbor.

LUCERNE, Calif. – County officials are asking for the community's help in keeping an eye on local parks after several vandalism cases in recent weeks did expensive damage to park facilities in Lucerne.

The Lake County Public Services Office – which oversees the county Parks Department – reported that the incidents occurred at Alpine Park and Lucerne Harbor Park, both located on Highway 20.

Public Services Director Kim Clymire said he and his staff were “very frustrated and disappointed with the senseless vandalism” that occurred at the two county facilities.

During the week of Feb. 15 someone smashed a windshield on one of the contractor’s vehicles who was working on improvements to Alpine Park, located near Second Avenue, Public Services reported.

Then, during week on Feb. 25, someone used a crow bar to pry open the door on the Alpine Park restroom door and the pump room door. The prize: a case of toilet paper, according to Public Services.

Both doors were damaged, with Public Services estimating that repairs will cost approximately $200 for each door.

But the worst – and most expensive – instance of damage occurred last week, on March 2, at Lucerne Harbor Park, located further down Highway 20 near Eighth Avenue.

That's when officials said a 40-foot-long courtesy dock with a steel frame was cut in half. It's surmised that the suspect used a portable saw.

Repair of the steel dock is estimated to cost well over $1,000, Public Services reported.

Clymire called it “a sad state of affairs for the community and very disheartening” to have his staff find deliberate and costly damage to the county's park facilities.

“In light of the current budget crises we are facing, we have fewer dollars for improvements and maintenance and vandalism is a total waste of our taxpayer’s money,” said Clymire, whose department oversees 22 county parks and almost 2,000 acres.

He said his staff has been working diligently on county park maintenance and improvements projects for all residents' and visitors' enjoyment.

Clymire said he's spoken to Sheriff Frank Rivero, who pledged to do all he can to assist with patrolling the parks. Clymire said he appreciated Rivero's “zero tolerance position” on vandalism.

There was evidence of a stepped up law enforcement presence at Lucerne Harbor Park during this reporter's visit to the park on March 3, as a Sheriff's Marine Patrol boat cruised in to make a pass through the harbor before heading back out on the lake.

This isn't the first time Lucerne's parks have been damaged by vandals.

During 2007, following the completion of the $200,000 restroom facility at Alpine Park – the same facility whose doors were just damaged with a crow bar – it was damaged several times with graffiti and the restroom doors being pulled off the hinges, as Lake County News has reported.

At that time 17 pop-up sprinkler heads in the park's lawn area had been broken off.

Other parks in recent years have been targeted by vandalism, including Hinman Park in Nice. Last year, some oak trees on the county-owned property on Mt. Konocti also were cut down, according to Clymire.

Clymire asked anyone who witnesses a vandalism or hears accounts of damage to county parks and facilities to call the Lake County Sheriff’s non-emergency dispatch at 707-263-2690 or, in case of emergency, to all 911.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

The restroom facility at Alpine Park in Lucerne, Calif., was damaged during the last week of February 2011 when its two doors were pried open with a crow bar. Officials have taped off the facility, which is closed until repairs are made. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

Bryan Keith Hurtado-Stratton, 20, a handyman from Lower Lake, Calif., was arrested on Saturday, March 5, 2011, about an hour after he is alleged to have raped a 13-year-old girl at the Lower Lake Community Park. Lake County Jail photo.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Sheriff's deputies arrested a Lower Lake man Saturday for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl.

Bryan Keith Hurtado-Stratton, 20, was arrested shortly before 1 p.m., which was approximately one hour after he reportedly raped the girl in a bathroom at the Lower Lake Community Park, according to a report from Capt. James Bauman.

Bauman said that at about 12:15 p.m. sheriff's dispatch received a report that a white male adult had been caught raping a 13-year-old girl.

Sheriff’s dispatch additionally was told the brother of the victim was chasing the suspect, Bauman said.

Within minutes of the call sheriff’s deputies were in the area, Bauman said. They were assisted by a game warden from the Department of Fish and Game and California Highway Patrol Officers who arrived to help search for the suspect.

Sheriff’s deputies rapidly developed information that identified Hurtado-Stratton as the suspect. They determined he was on searchable probation and lived several blocks from the incident, and Bauman said deputies subsequently went to Hurtado-Stratton's home and arrested him.

Bauman said sheriff’s detectives and the Sheriff’s Crime Scene Investigations Unit were called in to assist with the investigation, collection of evidence and processing of the crime scene. Sheriff’s detectives secured and served a search warrant on Hurtado-Stratton’s home where they collected additional evidence.

Hurtado-Stratton has been charged with rape by force, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, sexual penetration with force, sexual battery and lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14 years of age, according to Bauman.

Sheriff’s detectives sought and secured a bail enhancement, and Bauman said Hurtado-Stratton was booked at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.

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The awards were drawn from 67 nominations that were submitted from all around Lake County.

The selection committee, which reviews all the nominations and meets to vote on the final recipients is comprised of Wally Holbrook, Lakeport; Judy Thein, Clearlake; Gloria Flaherty, Kelseyville; Jeff Smith, Clearlake; John Tomkins, Lucerne; Sandy Tucker, Rick Hamilton and Linda Diehl-Darms, Middletown; Barbara Flynn, Cobb; and Trena Pauly, Kelseyville.

The chamber board of directors extended its gratitude to all those who took the time to write nominations for the very deserving individuals, organizations and businesses this year.

“There are so many in this county who share their time and energy to make Lake County a great place to live and we take great pride in being able to present this program every year,” said chamber President Armand Pauly.

The list of 2011 recipients follows.

Humanitarian: Ben Finneston, Clearlake.

Senior: Ginger Frank, Clearlake Oaks.

Volunteer: Lorrie Gray, Kelseyville.

Student-Female: Alexis Marie Valdovinos, Middletown.

Student-Male: John- Wesley Davis, Middletown.

Youth Advocate-Volunteer: Dennis and Ruth Darling, Lakeport.

Youth Advocate-Professional: Connor Snyder, Kelseyville.

Agriculture: Scully Packing Co., Finley.

Organization-Nonprofit: AmeriCorps of Lake County, Lakeport.

Organization-Volunteer: Delta Iota Tau, Lakeport.

Environmental: Marilyn Waits.

New Business: Sweet Freedom Sensitive Bakery, Hidden Valley Lake.

Small Business: RAH Outdoor Media, Lower Lake.

Large Business: Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina.

Best Idea: AgVenture, All Around Lake County.

Local Hero: Frank Toney (posthumously), Clearlake Oaks.

Arts-Amateur: Cobb Mountain Artists, Cobb.

Arts-Professional: George Waterstraat, Kelseyville.

Spirit of Lake County: Henry Anderson.

Woman of the Year: Julie Kelley, Lakeport.

Man of the Year: Ron Quick, Kelseyville.

Lifetime Achievement: Bill Knoll, Lakeport.

Recognition was given throughout the evening by a video of all the nominees photos and names of the category/event sponsors. The video was created by Alex Humphrey of www.ActionHD.com.

Music for the reception was provided by the wonderful David Neft, a 2007 Star recipient; Neft has been providing music for Stars every year since the beginning of this community awards program.

Following Neft at the end of the reception was Tony Barthel, owner of the Featherbed Bed & Breakfast, a DJ of extraordinary talents who was able to find music to match the recipients and their award category in just seconds, much to the delight of everyone. Barthel also played for the dancing crowd following the awards presentations.

Category sponsors for 2011 are Cliff & Nancy Ruzicka, WestAmerica Bank, Calpine Corp., Mendo Mill & Lumber, Mt. Konocti Truck & Auto Parts, RAH Outdoor Media, Umpqua Bank, Strong Financial Network, Lake County Land Trust, Kelseyville Lumber, Food’s Etc., Bruno’s Shop Smart, Kathy Fowler Auto Dealerships, Congressman Mike Thompson, Shannon Ridge Winery & Vineyards, Jonas Heating & Cooling, Northlake Medical Pharmacy, John Tomkins the Lake County Record-Bee and St. Helena Hospital, Clearlake.

Additional sponsors are Anna Girod, AGM Property Management Inc., Bob Bartley Pump Inc., Moran & Associates, Robinson Rancheria Resort & Casino and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce. Star Awards have been purchased through Disney Trophies & Awards for several years.

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THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEN WHO RESCUED THE WOMAN.

NAPA COUNTY, Calif. – Good Samaritans are being credited with saving a San Francisco woman from her vehicle after it caught fire as the result of a Saturday afternoon crash.

Darcelle Chatoian, 45, was semiconscious and seriously injured when the passersby pulled her from the burning SUV, according to a report from the California Highway Patrol.

The two men who saved her life are 38-year-old Peter Hart of Clearlake and 32-year-old Ryan Perez of Napa, according to Napa CHP Officer Jaret Paulson.

In the process of the rescue, Perez injured his leg, Paulson said.

At 4:50 p.m. Saturday Chatoian was driving her 2004 Food Explorer southbound on Highway 29 over Mount St. Helena, just inside Napa County, according to Paulson's report.

For reasons which Paulson said are still under investigation, Chatoian failed to negotiate a lefthand curve, allowing her vehicle to travel onto the north shoulder where she collided with a tree.

After she hit the tree, Chatoian's vehicle caught fire, Paulson said. At that point, Chatoian was still seat-belted and semiconscious in the driver's seat.

Paulson said Hart and Perez put themselves at risk during the rescue. Perez kicked out the driver's window – injuring his leg – so they could pull Chatoian from the fire that would have killed her.

Chatoian was transported by REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with major injuries.

The CHP reported that Highway 29 had been closed for a time as first responders worked at the scene and the tow company arrived to remove Chatoian's vehicle.

Traffic control was conducted for approximately two hours in the area of the collision, Paulson said.

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Kenneth Gary Coburn, 23, a dancer from Upper Lake, Calif., was arrested on Saturday, March 5, 2011, after leading a police sergeant on a high speed chase through Lakeport, Calif. Lake County Jail photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A police sergeant's attempt to stop a driver led to a high speed chase through residential areas of Lakeport on Saturday.

Sgt. Jason Ferguson eventually was able to take 23-year-old Kenneth Gary Coburn of Upper Lake into custody after Coburn ran into an unoccupied vehicle.

A report Ferguson issued Saturday explained that Coburn was seen driving a white Honda Prelude at a high rate of speed in the parking lot of CVS Pharmacy on 11^th Street.

Sgt. Dale Stoebe said Ferguson, who was on foot in the parking lot, saw Coburn driving recklessly and tried to get him to stop. In doing so Ferguson recognized Coburn, who he arrested about a month ago for driving on a suspended license.

But Coburn didn't stop and fled the scene, with Ferguson going after him, Stoebe said.

Stoebe, who lives near the area, said he heard Ferguson yelling at Coburn to stop and went out to see what was going on. Many other area residents started out to see what was going on, with a lot of foot traffic in the area.

He said the chase lasted about half a mile in the area of Sixth and Seventh streets.

The chase finally ended when Coburn hit the parked vehicle and gave himself up, according to Ferguson's report.

Coburn was taken to the Hill Road Correctional Facility where he was booked on charges of felony evading a peace officer, hit and run and driving on a suspended license. His bail has been set at $100,000.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews , on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/LakeCoNews .

SACRAMENTO – California's controller issued a Monday report that questioned the impact of redevelopment and the jobs it creates across the state.

State Controller John Chiang released the results of a five-week, limited-scope review of 18 redevelopment agencies (RDAs) across California. No local agencies were included in the review.

The report comes as the state Legislature is preparing to vote on legislation that could support Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to eliminate redevelopment and use funds from agencies around the state to help fill the state's multibillion dollar budget gap.

Chiang's report also was released the same day as a coalition of government and community groups launched the “My Vote Counts” effort to appeal to state voters based on the argument that Proposition 22, approved last November by California voters, prevents the state raiding local funds.

In the report, Chiang said he found no reliable means to measure the impact of redevelopment activity on job growth because RDAs either do not track them or their methodologies lack uniformity and are often arbitrary.

Chiang's office said the review exposes the difficulty of holding RDAs accountable for their funding decisions when existing legal standards are so loose that any area can be deemed “blighted.”

The report also identified several missed payments to school districts and widespread accounting and reporting deficiencies, questionable payroll practices, substandard audits, faulty loans and inappropriate use of affordable housing funds.

“For a government activity which consumes more than $5.5 billion of public resources annually, we should be troubled that there are no objective performance measures demonstrating that taxpayers are receiving optimal return for each invested dollar,” said Chiang.

He added, “Locally-controlled economic development is vital to California’s long-term prosperity. However, the existing approach – born in the 1940s – is not how anyone concerned with performance, efficiency and accountability would draw it up today.”

The 18 selected agencies represent 16 percent of all redevelopment dollars in fiscal year 2009-10. Auditors from the controller’s office conducted the review by interviewing redevelopment staff and analyzing financial statements, reports, plans, budget documents, ledgers, job creation data and payroll records.

The report notes that the 18 RDAs share no consensus in defining a blighted area.

While run-down sections of Los Angeles with abandoned buildings show obvious need for redevelopment, other cities were far broader in their declaration of blight.

Coronado’s redevelopment area covers every privately-owned parcel in the city, including multimillion dollar beachfront homes. In Palm Desert, redevelopment dollars are being used to renovate greens and bunkers at a 4.5 star golf resort. That RDA receives the 10th-highest tax revenue in the state, with a fund balance worth $4,666 for each of the city’s 52,000 residents.

Only 10 of the 18 RDAs attempted to track the number of jobs created by their projects. Of those 10 agencies, four could provide no methodology or explanation for their figures.

The remaining six all used different methods to find the number of jobs created. The county of Riverside used projections from developers, while the City of Desert Hot Springs looked at permit and employment records.

Employee compensation levels for RDAs were largely consistent with the salary and benefits offered to other local government employees. But the report found that redevelopment dollars often went to city or county payroll without evidence that those dollars actually supported redevelopment services.

In the city of Pittsburg, the redevelopment agency signed a service agreement with the city and transferred $3 million to the city’s general fund. But no documentation exists to show that the $3 million actually went to redevelopment services.

Five of the 18 RDAs failed to make $33.6 million in required payments to schools within their redevelopment areas. When RDAs fail to make these payments, it increases the state general fund’s financial obligations to local school districts. RDAs are able to borrow funds in order to make these school payments, but none of the five agencies attempted to do so.

While all the RDAs made the required deposits into their low and moderate housing funds, the review found that many of them made inappropriate charges to this account that were not directly related to affordable housing, as required by the state’s Health and Safety Code.

Some of those inappropriate charges included:

• The city of Los Angeles inappropriately charged 20 percent of its redevelopment administration costs to the fund (amounting to $833,000).

• The city of Calexico also charged a percentage of its administrative costs, but also charged the fund for code enforcement and the cost of performing audits of the RDA.

• The city of Desert Hot Springs inappropriately charged $162,000 for “code enforcement.”

• The city of Parlier inappropriately charged the cost of purchasing a daycare center.

• The city of Hercules inappropriately charged $9,600 of its lobbyist expenses.

None of the 18 reviewed agencies met all of their filing requirements, the controller reported. In some cases, annual financial reports were fed to the RDA governing bodies in pieces, while others simply did not file.

Auditors from the controller’s office found that many of the RDAs’ department staff were confused by filing requirements, and the report recommends strong training improvements for financial staff. The report also found that independent audits often failed to identify major audit violations and did not include all required information.

“The lack of accountability and transparency is a breeding ground for waste, abuse, and impropriety,” said Chiang. “In whatever form local redevelopment takes in the future, the level of oversight and openness must be consistent with the amount of public dollars entrusted to their care.”

Two of the RDAs made questionable loans to their cities’ general fund, the report said.

In Pittsburg, the agency loaned $16.6 million in fiscal year 2009-10 without interest to the city for specified projects. By the end of the fiscal year, $15.4 million was unspent, allowing the city to earn interest on those funds.

The city of Calexico’s RDA loaned $1.75 million to the city in 1993 with 6 percent interest. The city Council, acting as the RDA board, lowered the interest rate to 1.42 percent in 2004. While the loan was supposed to be fully repaid by 2009, the city still owes $1.1 million to the redevelopment fund, based on information provided to the State Controller’s Office.

The full report can be found on the State Controller’s Web site at www.sco.ca.gov.

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The meeting will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lucerne Alpine Senior, Center, located at the corner of 10^th Avenue and Country Club Drive.

Supervisor Denise Rushing will host the meeting, one of a regular series of such town halls that she hosts around her district.

Topics will include an update on community redevelopment projects, other county projects and issues, a community group update and announcements, and an open forum.

Free tables will be set up for local groups, businesses or organizations wishing to distribute informational literature.

For more information contact Rushing at 707-263-2368 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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This passel of parsnips reflects the variation in their shape and size. Photo by Esther Oertel.

My great-grandfather, a staunchly religious New Englander, had a love affair. He just couldn’t help himself. His beloved was oh, so tempting! Spicy … rich… buttery … sweet … and just a little bit nutty.

Who was this temptress? Believe it or not, the parsnip. My mother is fond of telling me that this humble relative of the carrot was her grandfather’s favorite vegetable.

One would never guess from its simple, rough exterior just how exquisitely flavored the parsnip is.

Upon peeling a parsnip, its strong, spicy scent is emitted immediately. If eaten raw, the taste remains true to its spicy aroma; however, cooking the parsnip mellows its flavor and the spice forward taste becomes a pleasant and subtle back note.

I just ate a bowl of mashed parsnips, prepared very simply from nothing more than the peeled, sliced vegetable simmered until tender in salted water and mashed with a little of its cooking water. Even without seasoning, it was surprisingly flavorful.

In other words, it carried its own flavor tune without the need for culinary back up music. And because of its high starch content, it was also immensely comforting.

When I think of parsnips, things such as a pastoral English countryside and Beatrix Potter characters, like Peter Rabbit and his ilk, come to mind.

This makes sense in a way.

Until the potato was introduced to Europe from the Americas, the starchy parsnip was a staple in European cuisine and used much like the potato is today.

Though not as popular a vegetable as it once was, parsnips are still featured in traditional Sunday roast dinners in the United Kingdom, as well as on Christmas tables in much of the British-influenced world.

The Irish mash them with carrots and concoct creamy soups with them, often with leeks, one of their common companions.

They’re a popular vegetable for stews, soups and purees, and – despite their wonderful flavor independent of spice – pair well with seasonings such as allspice, anise, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, thyme and sage.

The parsnip has gained some notoriety outside of European cuisine and can be found paired with – for example – Indian curries. In fact, a quick review of recipes on the Internet yielded some interesting uses for parsnips, including parsnip fritters topped with bleu cheese, parsnip-apple soup, baked cheesy parsnips and parsnip-bacon chowder.

One of my favorite ways to bring out the lovely flavor of parsnips is to roast them until they’re brown and caramelized. Roasted parsnips can be eaten in their pure form, used in a soup, or pureed for a side dish.

Peeling reveals a parsnip