LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's unemployment rate hit a six-year low in April, according to a new state report.

Lake County's April unemployment was 10.2 percent, the lowest rate since the 9.9 percent recorded locally in February 2008, according to the California Employment Development Department.

The April number was down from a revised 11.6 percent in March and below the year-ago estimate of 12 percent, the state reported.

California's unadjusted unemployment rate for April was 7.8 percent, also a six-year low; it's the lowest statewide rate since the 7.6 percent recorded in August 2008, according to the Employment Development Department. The state's March unemployment rate was 8.1 percent, with the rate in April 2013 at 9.1 percent.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said that nationwide unemployment for April was 6.3 percent, down from 6.7 percent in March and 7.5 percent in April 2013.

Nonfarm jobs in California totaled 15,424,600 in April, an increase of 56,100 jobs over the month, according to a survey of 58,000 businesses. The year-over-year change, April 2013 to April 2014, shows an increase of 340,200 jobs, or 2.3 percent.

A federal survey of 5,500 households shows an increase in the number of employed people. It estimates the number of Californians holding jobs in April was 17,195,000, an increase of 39,000 from March 2014, and up 272,000 from the employment total in April of last year.

Based on that survey, the number of people unemployed in California was 1,457,000 – down by 48,000 over the month, and down by 237,000 compared with April of last year.

The county with the lowest unemployment rate, Marin, registered a 3.9 percent rate in April, while on the other end of the spectrum Imperial had a 21.6-percent rate, the state's highest.

Lake County earned a rank of No. 37 statewide for its 10.2 unemployment rate, the report said.

Lake's neighboring counties ranked as follows in April, according to the Employment Development Department: Glenn, No. 43, 11.4 percent; Mendocino, No. 16, 6.7 percent; Napa, No. 4, 5.0 percent; Sonoma, No. 7, 5.3 percent; and Yolo, No. 25, 8.3 percent.

In April Lake County had 15,190 jobs, up 50 from the previous month and improved from the 14,770 reported April 2013, the report showed.

Areas of growth included durable goods manufacturing, 14.3 percent; state government, 13.3 percent; nondurable goods and wholesale trade, 5.6 percent. Job losses were reported in total farm, 6.3 percent; and other services, 4.4 percent.

The Employment Development Department reported that there were 481,018 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the April 2014 survey week, compared with 510,919 last month and 497,274 last year.

At the same time, new claims for unemployment insurance were 62,715 in April 2014, compared with 52,755 in March and 50,977 in April of last year, the agency said.

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.

State officials are warning Californians that pertussis – or whooping cough – cases are increasing in the state.

Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state health officer, said Friday that his agency has received reports of 1,711 cases of pertussis occurring from January through April, more than triple than the number of cases in the same period last year.

“Pertussis peaks in incidence every 3-5 years as the number of susceptible people in the population increases,” said Chapman. “As the last peak in California was in 2010, we are concerned that the recent increase in reported cases suggests that another cyclical peak is beginning.”

Infants too young to be fully immunized remain most vulnerable to severe and fatal cases of pertussis. Most of the 77 hospitalized cases to date in 2014 have been in children three months of age or younger.

This year’s two pertussis deaths, the first reported in California since 2010, occurred in infants.

To prevent severe pertussis in infants, CDPH recommends that pregnant women receive a pertussis vaccine booster during the third trimester of each pregnancy, and that infants be vaccinated as soon as possible.

More than 90 percent of this year’s reported pertussis cases have been in children younger than 18 years of age, including 32 percent who were 14 through 16 years of age.

Outbreaks of pertussis in elementary, middle, and high schools have been reported throughout the state.

It’s important that both children and adults are up-to-date on their immunizations. Booster shots for pertussis are critical because, unlike some other vaccine-preventable diseases, neither the pertussis disease nor vaccine confers lifelong immunity.

To prevent pertussis, CDPH recommends that:

• Pregnant women receive a pertussis vaccine booster during the third trimester of each pregnancy, even if they’ve received it before.
• Infants be vaccinated against pertussis as soon as possible. The first dose is recommended at two months of age but can be given as early as 6 weeks of age during pertussis outbreaks. Children need five doses of pertussis vaccine by kindergarten (ages 4-6).
• California 7th grade students receive the pertussis vaccine booster as required by state law.
• Adults receive a one-time pertussis vaccine booster, especially if they are in contact with infants or if they are health care workers who may have contact with infants or pregnant women.
• The symptoms of pertussis vary by age. For children, a typical case of pertussis starts with a cough and runny nose for one to two weeks. The cough then worsens and children may have rapid coughing spells that end with a whooping sound. Young infants may not have typical pertussis symptoms and may have no apparent cough. Parents may describe episodes in which the infant’s face turns red or purple. For adults, pertussis may simply be a cough that persists for several weeks.

More information about pertussis is available on the CDPH Web site, www.cdph.ca.gov .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The American Red Cross and the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. have partnered to expand their program for veterans in Lake County to include veterans in Sonoma County.

Through the Red Cross Service to Armed Forces initiative, the partner organizations provide taxi vouchers and bus passes to help veterans get to medical care at Veterans Affairs facilities.

A special check presentation ceremony by sponsor PG&E and the Red Cross will take place at the Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic on Brickway Blvd. in Santa Rosa on Friday, May 23, 2014 at 10 a.m.; all are welcome.

PG&E awarded a grant of $11,275 to allow the expansion of the program to include Sonoma County veterans.

Representatives from the local Red Cross, Veterans Administration and Vet Connect will be present to accept the ceremonial check; the two latter organizations will manage distribution of the vouchers in Sonoma and Lake Counties.

Since the fall, PG&E has sponsored the program through the Lake County VA Outpatient Clinic. Additionally, former recipients of the transportation voucher as well as individual donors to the program (veterans) will be present at the ceremony.

“We are pleased to be able to bring this important program back to Sonoma County while expanding on our existing program in Lake County,” said Tim Miller, Red Cross chief executive officer, California Northwest Region. “The Red Cross has a long history of service to the Armed Forces dating back to our founding by Clara Barton in the Civil War.”

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Sonoma County is home to more than 33,000 veterans with nearly 8,000 living in Lake County. The sprawling nature of the counties makes it difficult for many veterans without personal transportation to access VA clinics.

For low-income veterans, a bus pass or taxi voucher can dramatically increase her/his quality of life. Veterans should contact the VA Clinics or Vet Connect for details.

The American Red Cross’ commitment to members of the U.S. military, its veterans and their families continues to grow and develop more than a century after Clara Barton first recruited nurses to support the U.S. Army.

Today, the Red Cross is meeting the needs of a changing military and expanding services to veterans. Both active duty and community-based military can count on their local Red Cross and a global network to provide emergency communications that link them with their families’ back home, access financial assistance in partnership with military aid societies as well as information referral and assistance to veterans.

For more information on Service to the Armed Forces, go to www.redcross.org .

Jupiter's trademark Great Red Spot – a swirling anti-cyclonic storm larger than Earth – has shrunk to its smallest size ever measured.

According to Amy Simon of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, recent NASA Hubble Space Telescope observations confirm the Great Red Spot now is approximately 10,250 miles across, less than half the size of some historical measurements. Astronomers have followed this downsizing since the 1930s.

Historic observations as far back as the late 1800s gauged the storm to be as large as 25,500 miles on its long axis.

NASA Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 flybys of Jupiter in 1979 measured it to be 14,500 miles across.

In 1995, a Hubble photo showed the long axis of the spot at an estimated 13,020 miles across. And in a 2009 photo, it was measured at 11,130 miles across.

Beginning in 2012, amateur observations revealed a noticeable increase in the rate at which the spot is shrinking – by 580 miles per year – changing its shape from an oval to a circle.

“In our new observations it is apparent very small eddies are feeding into the storm,” said Simon. “We hypothesized these may be responsible for the accelerated change by altering the internal dynamics and energy of the Great Red Spot.”

Simon's team plans to study the motions of the small eddies and the internal dynamics of the storm to determine whether these eddies can feed or sap momentum entering the upwelling vortex, resulting in this yet unexplained shrinkage.

NASA's Juno spacecraft is hurtling toward Jupiter now, due to reach the giant planet in July 2016. Point-blank examination by Juno's instruments will undoubtedly help unravel the mystery. Stay tuned for updates from both Hubble and Juno.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. Goddard Space Flight Center manages the telescope.

The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc., in Washington.

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Medi-Cal and VA “needs based” benefits planning confronts both front end eligibility issues and back-end estate recovery issues. Medi-Cal and VA benefit rules differ.

Planning for both together, when relevant, requires satisfying two different sets of rules. Such planning often involves transfers of real and personal property by the person seeking needs based benefits.

Outright transfers, especially to persons other than the spouse, may create undesirable consequences. Transferring assets into an irrevocable trust may sometimes provide a better solution.

The irrevocable trust is a very different instrument than the revocable living trust used to avoid probate and conservatorships.

Often the most important asset being transferred is the person’s home. This is done not for eligibility reasons but to avoid estate recovery after the needs based benefits recipient (and any surviving spouse) dies.

An outright transfer, however, creates the following issues: (1) the new owners may either sell the residence or lose it due to their creditors or divorce; (2) the new owners do not necessarily get a new basis at the death of the former owner (unless a life estate or lifetime occupancy interest is retained by the transferor); and (3) should it ever becomes necessary or desirable to sell the residence and buy a new residence elsewhere then doing so becomes very problematic.

Instead, transferring the home into an irrevocable trust – with the transferor retaining lifetime benefits – provides both flexibility and protections.

First, inside the irrevocable trust, the residence is protected against the creditors and or ex spouses of the trustee or the death beneficiaries; which is not the case had these persons held title in their name outright.

Second, the trustee can sell the residence and acquire a new one should the need arise without legal difficulties.

And, third, after the settlor dies, the death beneficiaries receive an adjusted basis equal to the appraised value at date of death (as opposed to a transfer basis based on the purchase price plus or minus any adjustments).

The transfer of assets often becomes a major obstacle itself when the transferor is incompetent if he or she had not, while competent, previously conferred legal authority on an agent to make such a transfer during the principal’s incompetency.

Such authority would need to be in the transferor’s power of attorney and, if relevant, also in the transferor’s living trust. Otherwise, a court petition becomes necessary.

Next, that the trust is irrevocable creates its own set of issues because such a trust cannot, except under certain limited conditions, be modified. Thus to deal with such eventualities, a properly drafted irrevocable trust provides for a trust protector.

As power holder, the trust protector can (1) modify the trust to conform with future changes in relevant laws; (2) replace a non performing trustee or filling a trustee vacancy; and (3) modify who inherits, and how they inherit, after the settlor dies.

In addition, the trust also needs to address income tax issues such as preserving the $125,000/$250,000 (single/married) capital gains tax exclusion on the sale of one’s principal residence at a gain.

Separate state and federal income tax returns must be filed by the trustee under the trust’s own separate taxpayer identification number.

Needless to say an irrevocable trust costs much more to draft than the garden variety revocable living trust that is used to avoid probate.

In the right situation, however, the benefits can quickly pay for themselves if and when the settlor ever receives needs based benefits.

Dennis A. Fordham, attorney (LL.M. tax studies), is a State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, California. Fordham can be reached by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 707-263-3235. Visit his Web site at www.dennisfordhamlaw.com .

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A marijuana cultivation site in the Middletown area was confirmed during an overflight mission conducted by the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force last week and subsequently eradicated this past Tuesday.

On Friday, May 9, narcotics detectives conducted a routine overflight of the Middletown area, according to sheriff's Lt. Steve Brooks.

The purpose of the overflights is to seek out probable illicit marijuana growing operations, Brooks said.

He said narcotics detectives confirmed a report of 10 large greenhouses on an undeveloped parcel of property in the Jerusalem Valley area of Middletown.

From the air, detectives were able to see a large number of marijuana plants growing inside the structures. Detectives also noticed several subjects running from the area on foot.

On Tuesday, May 13, narcotics detectives responded to the parcel of property – located in the 25000 block of Jerusalem Grade in Middletown – containing the greenhouses, Brooks said.

Detectives were unable to locate anyone at the property. However, Brooks said they found a total of 1,681 marijuana plants which were eradicated from the property.

Lake County Community Development was called to assist and tagged the property for cleanup and abatement, Brooks said.

Brooks said the investigation is ongoing and detectives are pursuing all leads to identify the suspect, or suspects, responsible for the illegal cultivation of marijuana.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be contacted through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A man convicted of brutally stabbing to death an elderly Lucerne resident in 1977 was denied parole again during a hearing this week.

The Board of Parole Hearings denied parole for convicted murderer Jeffery Scott Sargent, 64, during a Wednesday hearing, according to Lake County Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.

Hinchcliff attended the lifer hearing at the Department of Corrections California Medical Facility in Vacaville to argue against Sargent’s release.

This was Sargent’s 13th parole hearing since his conviction in 1978, according to Hinchcliff.

Sargent was convicted of the first-degree murder of 88-year-old Gedney Robinson and sentenced to seven years to life on May 15, 1978, Hinchcliff reported

Superior Court Judge John Golden handed down the sentence in the case, which originally was prosecuted by then-District Attorney Robert L. Crone Jr.

Sargent's minimum eligible parole date was Oct. 28, 1984, Hinchcliff said.

According to investigation reports by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, on Sept. 22, 1977, a report was received from Fresno Police that a 1974 Ford belonging to Robinson was going to be used in a robbery.

When deputies responded to the victim’s small cabin on Second Avenue in Lucerne, they found the front door broken and Robinson dead inside.

Robinson had just returned home the same day from a rock collecting trip to Nevada. He had been stabbed seven times – five times in the heart and two times in the back – according to the investigation.

Sargent took a ring off Robinson’s finger, $40 from his wallet, and his vehicle, the investigation found.

When arrested, Sargent denied any involvement. However, the investigation revealed that Sargent was a career criminal who had just been paroled from prison and had gone to Lake County two days before the murder to see his wife, who was living near Robinson.

Sargent had been using heroin and PCP at the time of the murder. Some of the stolen property was located in Sargent’s possession, and the investigation revealed that Sargent had lied to investigators about his involvement.

Following a mistrial, Sargent pleaded guilty to first degree murder in exchange for a special circumstance allegation being dropped.

At the three-hour hearing on Wednesday, Sargent indicated that he had gone to the residence of Robinson, whom he had never met before, and asked to use the phone.

Sargent stated that they had gotten into an argument inside Robinson's residence, Robinson began to choke Sargent and Sargent stabbed Robinson to defend himself.

At the time of the murder, Sargent was 28 years old, and Robinson was 88 years old and had difficulty seeing and hearing.

Hinchcliff asked the Board of Prison Hearings to deny Sargent’s parole on the ground that he still presented an unreasonable risk of danger to the public if released, and failed to exhibit any remorse or accept responsibility for his conduct.

Robinson’s niece, his only living relative, also attended the hearing to ask the parole commissioners to deny parole.

The Board of Parole Hearings determined that Sargent did still present a risk of danger to the public if released at this time and denied parole.

Sargent’s next parole hearing will be in three years, Hinchcliff said.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – David Santos, previously the vice president of operations for St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, has been promoted to president and chief executive officer for the hospital and its clinic services in Lake County.

As a part of the restructuring, Steve Herber M.D. has been named president and CEO of St. Helena Hospital Napa Valley, which includes its Center for Behavioral Health in Vallejo.

Since October, Herber has been serving as interim CEO of the St. Helena Region of hospitals, which includes St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake.

Herber and Santos will assume their new roles effective May 15, according to Jeff Eller, president of Adventist Health’s Northern California Region to whom the two roles will report.

“David is well known for the services he has brought to Lake County over the past several years,” said Eller. “As we partnered with our medical staff leaders and community board members, it became clear that it was time for St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake to have a dedicated executive leader at this level. David lives and breathes this community every day. His heart is centered on our mission and on making Lake County a healthy and vibrant place to live and work.”

Santos is currently the vice president of operations at the 25-bed Clearlake facility and its affiliated clinics.

He has an extensive background in health care, including serving as chief operating officer of Adventist Health’s California Medical Group, where he strengthened clinic operations and significantly expanded the group’s size.

Santos also worked in physician services at Adventist Health hospitals in Hanford, Calif., and gained experience in physician practice management at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

He previously held management positions at Central Texas Medical Center and Florida Hospital Ormond Memorial.

“I am truly excited to deepen my service to Lake County in this way. Together we have a vision for a strong and growing community filled with healthy and happy people,” said Santos. “By partnering with community leaders, local government, businesses and individuals I know we can overcome some of our toughest challenges while ensuring that everyone understands the unique qualities that make our home a special place to live, work and visit.”

The hospital will be hosting a “Meet the CEO” community forum from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, in the Garden Room at St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, 15630 18th Ave. All are welcome to attend.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A new updated state fish advisory for Lake County’s Clear Lake offers safe eating advice on 15 species of fish and shellfish, including several traditional foods and species of interest to a local Indian tribe.

The advisory and eating guidelines were developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).

Safe eating guidelines for each of the 15 species of fish and shellfish covered by the advisory can be found in OEHHA’s Clear Lake fact sheet at http://www.oehha.ca.gov/public_info/facts/fClearLakefacts.html .

“Fish are an important part of a healthy and well-balanced diet,” said OEHHA Director Dr. George Alexeeff. “They are an excellent source of protein and can help reduce the risk of heart disease. These guidelines are designed to help people balance these health benefits against the risks from exposure to mercury in fish from Clear Lake.”

The update was developed in response to requests from members of the Big Valley Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians. It provides information on fish and shellfish important to tribal members and other fish consumers.

Newly added species of interest to tribal members include threadfin shad, prickly sculpin, mosquitofish, inland silversides, winged floater mussels and Asian clams.

The Clear Lake advisory, originally issued in 1987, was last updated in 2009.

The advisory says that consumers of the lake’s fish and shellfish can safety eat Asian clam or winged floater mussel seven servings per week, or women over 45 years old and men can eat seven servings per week of inland silverside or threadfin shad. But women 18 to 45 years old and children should limit silverside or shad to three servings per week.

Largemouth bass is the only species for which consumption is not recommended for women 18 to 45 years old and children. Women over 45 years and men can eat one serving of bass per week.

The other 10 species of fish and shellfish in the Clear Lake advisory can safely be eaten one serving per week by women 18 to 45 years old and children, or three servings per week by women over 45 years and men.

The recommendations for each fish species are based on levels of methylmercury.

Methylmercury can harm the brain and nervous system of people, especially in fetuses and children as they grow. It gets into fish and shellfish through the food they eat.

The Northern California Coast Range, where Clear Lake is located, is naturally rich in mercury and other ores.

In addition, the former Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine, which used to operate on the shore of Clear Lake, has caused mercury contamination of the lake sediments.

Eating fish in amounts slightly greater than the advisory’s recommendations is not likely to cause a health problem if it is done only occasionally, such as eating fish caught during an annual vacation.

The health advisory and guidelines for Clear Lake – as well as advisories and eating guidelines for other fish species and California bodies of water – are available at http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish/so_cal/index.html .

OEHHA is the primary state entity for the assessment of risks posed by chemical contaminants in the environment. Its mission is to protect and enhance public health and the environment by scientific evaluation of risks posed by hazardous substances.

Clear Lake fish advisory

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County residents – especially those who will be on south county highways this weekend – are urged to keep their eyes open for bicyclists taking part in a century ride.

The Davis Double Century bike ride will take place throughout the day on Saturday, May 17, according to the Davis Bike Club.

Caltrans asked that motorists on Highway 20, Highway 29 and Highway 53 drive with caution through the area and watch for bicyclists.

The one-day, 200-mile ride travels through Yolo, Napa and Lake counties the third Saturday of each May.

Marking its 45th anniversary this year, it's one of the oldest double centuries in California and the most popular double century in the California Triple Crown.

The ride starts at the US Bicycling Hall of Fame in downtown Davis, moves through flat farmland in the Central Valley before climbing to the Lake Berryessa area.

It then runs north through the hills in east Napa County to Middletown and Lower Lake in Lake County for lunch.

The ride resumes with a long climb up to Resurrection at the Lake/Yolo county border, then descends through Cache Creek Canyon and Capay Valley and back to the Central Valley before returning to the starting point at the US Bicycling Hall of Fame in Davis.

Altogether, there is 8,000 feet of climbing in the ride, the Davis Bike Club reported.

For more information visit http://www.davisbikeclub.org/annual_events/organized_rides/davis_double_century .

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – A vehicle stop on Wednesday led to an Upper Lake man's arrest and the seizure of methamphetamine, metal knuckles and cash totaling $9,900.

Travis Scott Jones, 21, of Upper Lake was arrested following the stop, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

At approximately 8:30 a.m. Wednesday a deputy was patrolling the Upper Lake area when he noticed a vehicle traveling eastbound on Highway 20, near Government Street, which did not have any license plates, Brooks said.

Brooks said the deputy conducted an enforcement stop of the vehicle on Government Street near the intersection of Melody Lane.

The driver was identified as Jones. Brooks said Central Dispatch conducted a records check and advised that Jones’ driver’s license was suspended, and Jones was arrested for driving with a suspended license.

Deputies conducted an inventory search of the vehicle, prior to having it towed. During the search, deputies located a glass methamphetamine pipe containing a white residue, two 5 milligram oxycodone pills and metal knuckles, Brooks said.

Brooks said the deputies also located two plastic bags containing a white crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine and a black Sig Arms P230 Air Soft pistol which had its orange tip painted black. All of the items were seized as evidence.

Deputies also located $9,900 cash, which Brooks said was seized pending asset forfeiture proceedings.

Jones told the deputy that he did not have a prescription for the oxycodone pills and admitted to selling methamphetamine, Brooks said.

Jones was also arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of a schedule II narcotic without a prescription, possession of metal knuckles, removing the orange safety tip from a replica firearm and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to Brooks.

Brooks said Jones was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Jones' bail was set at $25,000, according to his booking sheet.

A small amount of the suspected methamphetamine was tested using a narcotic identification kit. The test flashed blue indicating a presumptive positive for methamphetamine, Brooks said. The methamphetamine was weighed and determined to have a gross weight of 26.9 grams.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Community members volunteered on Saturday to spruce up Clearlake and remove tons of garbage from around the city during the 10th annual Clearlake Clean Up Day.

Volunteers of all ages teamed up to clean up multiple areas of the city and beyond.

More than 70 cubic yards of waste were collected along with a dumpster overflowing with electronic waste items.

A portion of an old dock that had washed up on the shore of Austin Beach also was collected for disposal.

Clearlake Public Works Director Doug Herren welcomed and thanked a volunteer force of more than 100 to kick off the event at clean up headquarters in Austin Park early Saturday morning.

Volunteers were provided with safety vests, trash pickers, collection bags and information to help ensure their safety.

“It's wonderful how the community comes together to help itself,” Clearlake Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson said. “It's all inclusive. We've got bikers. We've got religious organizations. We've got business people, school children and boaters, all working for the good of the city.”

Volunteers scrambled in all directions headed to their designated clean up areas.

One team headed out to the Parkwoods area in Clearlake Park. Another took off for Burns Valley Creek and Memory Lane. Others concentrated on City Hall, Austin and Redbud parks, Lakeshore Drive and areas around local schools.

Volunteers joined Cathy Wilson, who started the clean up effort 10 years ago, on Cache Creek to take the effort to the water via kayaks. District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith and volunteer Chuck Leonard helped them out in an air boat.

A team representing Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association focused on Anderson Marsh Historical State Park in Lower Lake.

Lake County Fire Protection District checked in ensure its availability should an emergency arise and a team from Clearlake Waste Solutions was geared up to ensure proper collection and disposal of all the waste.

“We've got the routine down,” Julie Price, Clearlake Waste Solutions community liaison, said as her team loaded an old coach and wrangled the tattered dock into a truck. “It's like second-nature now in the 10th year.”

Price said in all her years participating in the event, this year's collection numbers look to be highest. She said in addition to waste collection numbers, 200 tires were collected for disposal.

Clearlake Waste Solutions also hosted an educational booth with materials about composting, recycling and other waste diversion options including its tire amnesty program, which allows Lake County residents to dispose of up to nine passenger or light truck tires free of charge at either of two recycle centers located in Clearlake and Lakeport.

Proof of residency is required and auto repair or salvage businesses are not allowed to participate.

Clearlake Waste Solutions customers can also have up to two bulky items collected per year without charge. Bulky items typically consist of furniture such as couches and mattresses.

For more information about Clearlake Waste Solutions services and tips for reducing your environmental impact, visit www.CandSwaste.com .

Email Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .