COBB, Calif. – A 3.0-magnitude earthquake was reported in the Cobb area on Tuesday morning.
The quake, which occurred at 8:45 a.m., was centered two miles north northeast of The Geysers geothermal steamfield, four miles west southwest of Cobb and six miles west northwest of Anderson Springs, according to a preliminary report from the US Geological Survey.
The survey said the quake was recorded at a depth of 2.1 miles.
One shake report had been filed by noon from Calistoga, according to US Geological Survey records.
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.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Clean Water Action has awarded Assemblymember Mariko Yamada its “Clean Water Champion” award in recognition of her leadership on water and environmental issues in the recently completed 2011-2012 legislative session.
She earned similar honors in 2009-2010.
Assemblymember Yamada, who represents Lake County, was one of just 13 out of 120 legislators to earn this award.
“Assemblymember Yamada has shown leadership on the issues that our members care about including ensuring safe drinking water for all communities, preventing pollution at the source, promoting the public’s right to know about toxins they are exposed to, and stopping attacks on our fundamental environmental protections,” said Miriam Gordon, Clean Water Action’s California director.
Yamada is being recognized in part for her support of a package of bills affirming a human right to water and supporting the rights of small, disadvantaged communities to gain access to safe drinking water.
“I am honored by Clean Water Action's recognition,” said Assemblymember Yamada, "Access to clean and affordable drinking water is fundamental to health, life, and commerce, and a human right we must never take for granted."
Gordon noted that Yamada was one of four legislators who received a 100 percent rating on Clean Water Action’s list of 13 bills considered in the 2011-2012 session.
Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, former Assemblymember Jared Huffman and Sen. Noreen Evans – the latter Lake County’s representative in the California Senate – also received perfect scores.
“These legislators had the courage to stand up for our environment,” Gordon said. “They recognize that pollution prevention, environmental protections and transparency about industry practices lead to cost savings and economic growth.”
Clean Water Action is a 1.2 million member national organization. With 52,000 members in California, the organization’s goals include clean, safe and affordable water, prevention creation of environmentally safe jobs and prevention of health-threatening pollution.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – During a heartfelt Sunday service, hundreds of community residents remembered a Kelseyville man who died after being shot during a Jan. 18 armed robbery, a crime that has given rise to concerns that the town’s once-safe atmosphere has been destroyed.
The 40-minute afternoon memorial service for 33-year-old Forrest Seagrave was held at Kelseyville High School, where he had graduated years before.
Pastor Steve Nesheim, who led the service, said it was a time of “more questions than answers,” as those who knew Seagrave – and the community at large – have struggled with why the friendly and generous young man lost his life in such a violent manner.
From the center, one can look across the street to Mt. Konocti Gas and Mart, where Seagrave had worked since 2006.
It was there that Seagrave had been mortally wounded during the late-night robbery nine days earlier, an act committed by a lone, masked suspect, who shot Seagrave in front of other store employees before running away into the night.
“He was taken from us, he died at his job, the one he loved,” said Nesheim.
Friends said Seagrave had struggled to fit in as a young man, yet he didn’t become resentful. Instead, he had become well known and regarded, a friendly face at the town convenience store, often wearing a funny t-shirt and willing to offer a much-needed dollar – or an ear – for those in trouble.
A picture of Seagrave was projected up on a screen, looking out over the group with the kind, friendly demeanor – and just a hint of mischief – for which he was known and remembered.
Nesheim said he hoped the murderer turns himself in or is caught soon, and that “justice takes its course.”
“Amen!” a woman called from the audience.
Nesheim addressed the fearfulness that has arisen in the community following the murder, which is the kind of crime that Kelseyville residents don’t think of happening in their town.
Kelseyville, Nesheim acknowledged, has been viewed by many as a place largely insulated from that kind of violence.
But a Kelseyville like that is a thing of the past, said Nesheim. “The reality is, that’s not true anymore.”
Nesheim offered mourners a consideration, that they could keep Seagrave’s memory alive by acting as he had in his short life – by being a good neighbor, and caring for one another.
Seagrave’s brother, Nick Wainwright, recalled having the greatest brother in the world, a man who loved everyone. In turn, he asked people to love others the way his brother did.
Seagrave’s friends, brothers Warren and Johnie Finch, also spoke in praise of their friend.
“I know you all understand how good of a person he was,” Warren Finch said.
He added, “I just wish we didn’t have to do this.”
Johnie Finch told the group that it meant a lot that they had all come, and he recounted the “fun, crazy and stupid” things he and his friend had done together.
Rebecca Warner, who like Seagrave worked at the gas station, said she was like a second mother to him, “only a little meaner.”
She said she had never come across a more pure soul, and looking out at the group of people he brought together, she remarked on what an incredible force he was in the community.
Catching Seagrave’s killer, she said, was going to take the efforts of the entire community.
“I won’t rest ‘til this comes to an end,” she said.
While community members have been impatient for an arrest in the murder, sheriff’s detectives have continued to work nonstop as they search for the suspect and follow up on every lead, the agency said late last week.
A $10,000 reward was raised by county Supervisor Rob Brown to help bring in information leading to the suspect’s arrest and conviction.
Brown said he plans to have a two-hour community town hall beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7 – also in the Kelseyville High Student Center – in order to begin addressing the town’s crime and public safety issues.
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.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A combination of gratitude and generosity led a local woman to make a large donation to the Kelseyville Fire Protection District’s effort to purchase new rescue equipment.
Jan Thompson, who lives in the Riviera West area of Kelseyville, has donated $10,000 to help complete the purchase of a new all-terrain vehicle that will assist with accessing areas that other district equipment can’t reach.
“We were right at $13,000, and she put us right over the top,” Kelseyville Fire Chief Mike Stone said of Thompson’s donation.
Thompson was visiting downtown to run errands earlier this month, and while at WestAmerica Bank across the street spotted the colorful fundraising sign – a thermometer painted by students with the Kelseyville High School art department – in front of the firehouse.
Stone said the department had been raising funds for about six months in order to purchase a Polaris six-wheel ATV to assist with rescue operations on Mt. Konocti – where a 1,500-acre county owned park is located – since the district’s ambulances aren’t four-wheel drive.
The district’s goal, however, isn’t just to use the vehicle in its boundaries, but to make it widely available to other agencies for rescues in remote parts of Lake County, Stone said.
By the start of this month, the department had raised $13,000 of the $23,000 needed to purchase the vehicle and fully outfit it with lights, radios, helmets and other necessary fire equipment. A trailer for it also is needed, according to Stone.
Most of the donations came from individuals and organizations, including $3,200 from Homestake Mining Co., $6,000 that was donated through the District Attorney’s Office Alternative to Community Service program and $500 from Bottle Rock Power LLC, according to a list of donations the agency provided.
Stone said the fire district also had a pancake breakfast at the Kelseyville Pear Festival in September, raising just over $1,900.
Kelseyville Fire was preparing for a push to raise the rest of the funds in order to purchase the ATV by springtime, before more hiking and park activities resumed, Stone said.
That’s when Thompson saw the thermometer fundraising sign.
“I was curious as to what they were raising money for,” she said.
So she called and asked, and they told her about the ATV. She asked if the money donated would stay with Kelseyville Fire, with agency officials ensuring her that the money stayed with them, but the vehicle could be loaned out when needed.
“It was important to me that it stay in Kelseyville,” she said.
Thompson then arranged to visit the firehouse. She sat down with district staff and asked how much they needed if they were to buy the fully equipped ATV the next day.
They told her $10,000. When Thompson said she would give that amount, she said they didn’t seem to believe her at first. Then she wrote the $10,000 check.
Stone, who wasn’t in on the meeting, had left early for the day and said he got a phone call from staff. They asked if he was sitting down.
At that point, he said he was expecting bad news, not the news of the unexpected gift.
Stone said they immediately ordered the ATV, which is set to arrive this week.
Thompson, a retired teacher who has lived in Lake County full-time since 1974 – and whose family had a vacation home here 15 years before that – explained that the fire department has always been there for her and her family.
Around 1995, she became seriously ill with meningitis, and it was Kelseyville Fire that came to the rescue. She said it took her years to fight back from the disease’s crippling effects.
“The fire department saved me, there’s no doubt about it,” said Thompson.
The district also was there when her elderly parents needed medical assistance, and Thompson has an additional soft spot for firefighters since her brother was one.
Stone said Thompson will get to take the new ATV for a spin, in honor of her generosity.
Thompson said she wished she had known earlier that they needed the funds.
But if Thompson and others want to continue to help the district, they’ll get the chance: Stone said the district is going to hold an ongoing, active fundraising campaign.
“There’s always going to be something that’s needed,” he said.
Besides having the new Mt. Konocti County Park in its jurisdiction, the district serves a 90- square mile area that includes one of the county’s most populated areas as well as extensive wildland. Last week’s Becks Fire on the side of Mt. Konocti was within the district.
The account is for general needs, although it is named for the ATV fundraiser; it had been set up and ready for launch when Thompson made her donation.
The district now is beginning to raise funds for other major equipment purchases, including a new ambulance and, later, a new engine, Stone said.
For that effort, said Stone, “We’re going to need a bigger thermometer.”
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.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced the arrest of three suspects who have been charged in a mortgage fraud scheme targeting struggling Northern California homeowners.
Six Web sites allegedly used by the suspects to advertise their scheme have been intercepted and redirected to a resource page on the California Attorney General’s Web site.
The felony complaint alleges that Ronald Vernon Cupp, 58, of Santa Rosa, deceived homeowners by falsely advertising a way to “kill” their mortgage debt on six websites including www.wekillyourmortgage.com .
Cupp was assisted by Randall Gilbert Heyden, 69, of San Rafael, and Angelle Wertz, 38, of Santa Rosa, a public notary who allegedly certified phony legal documents.
Cupp allegedly recorded fraudulent documents, which would only delay a foreclosure, not actually satisfy the preexisting mortgage debt.
“Vulnerable California homeowners thought they were working to save their homes but were actually the victims of a fraudulent scheme,” Harris said. “Today, it’s not enough to dismantle the brick-and-mortar aspect of a criminal operation; we need to shut down criminal operations in cyberspace as well.”
Cupp, Heyden and Wertz are charged in a 57-count complaint alleging theft, forgery, notary fraud and recording of false documents. They were booked at the Sonoma County Jail on Wednesday, Jan. 23.
Cupp and Heyden are being held with bail set at $500,000 and $75,000 respectively. Wertz was released but ordered to appear for arraignment on Friday, January 25.
Through Cupp’s business, North Bay Trust Services, homeowners would often allegedly pay upfront fees of between $1,000 and $10,000 and sign a promissory note or new mortgage for a phony offer to eliminate their mortgage debt.
Requiring up-front fees is illegal in California. The suspects would then allegedly record fraudulent documentation purporting to be the attorney for the homeowner’s actual lender and then relinquish the mortgage and record a new deed of trust in favor of North Bay Trust Services.
The debt to the original lender was never actually satisfied.
The following six Web sites have had their service suspended pursuant to a court order at the request of the Attorney General Harris’s eCrime Unit:
These pages have been redirected to the California Attorney General’s Web site ( http://oag.ca.gov/ecrime/doj-investigation ) where individuals are able to file an online complaint form if they believe they may have been the victim of the scheme.
The arrests were a result of a joint investigation by the California Department of Justice Mortgage Fraud Strike Force, Northern California Computer Crimes Task Force, Marin County District Attorney’s office, Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office and Santa Rosa Police Department.
Below are tips for homeowners on how to avoid mortgage fraud schemes:
Never pay an up-front fee for mortgage-related services. It is against California law and should be reported to the California Department of Justice.
Be skeptical of third party phone or online solicitations.
Do not give your personal financial information, such as your bank account number, social security number or the name of your loan servicer, to a solicitor. Your bank or loan servicer already has this information.
For free, trustworthy advice, on mortgage related matters call a HUD approved counselor – 888-995-4673.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Three people were flown to regional trauma centers following a Sunday evening crash near Lower Lake.
The single-vehicle collision was first reported just before 8:30 p.m. on Highway 29 between Hofacker Lane and Murphy Springs Road south of Lower Lake, according to radio reports.
Firefighters arriving at the scene reported over the radio that they had found a vehicle about 30 feet down an embankment and in a creekbed.
The vehicle was reported to have caught fire, with some nearby trees catching fire as well, according to scanner reports.
Radio traffic indicated there were three injured people – including one with burns and one with head injuries.
Highway 29 was shut down entirely for about an hour as firefighters and California Highway Patrol worked at the scene, scanner traffic indicated.
The CHP reported that the crash resulted in major injuries, with firefighters at the scene calling for three air ambulances.
The helicopters transported patients to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, UC Davis Medical Center and Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa County, reports from the scene indicated.
Officials reported that Highway 29 was reopened to one-way traffic just before 10 p.m.
Additional details – including information on the make and model of the vehicle and the names of those involved – were not immediately available.
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. – After six and a half years, a popular Kelseyville restaurant is moving to a new location outside of Lakeport.
Zino’s Ristorante and Catering closed its Soda Bay location on Dec. 30, but plans to start out 2013 with a new home at Rancho de la Fuente, 2290 Soda Bay Road.
“It was time to move on,” said owner Jan Mezoui.
Mezoui said she’s looking forward to having a larger venue at Rancho de la Fuente.
She said the restaurant will reopen on Valentine’s Day – Thursday, Feb. 14.
Mezoui and her late husband, Zino, opened the restaurant together in July 2007.
He was a well known restaurateur in Sonoma County and after moving to Lake County wanted to get back to work.
In September 2010, Zino Mezoui took his motorcycle for a ride and was mortally injured after a driver hit him and left the scene. The driver in the crash later was arrested and sentenced to prison.
Jan Mezoui continued on, keeping her husband’s dream alive, with the support of a community that had respected his talent as a chef and loved his zest for life.
The new version of Zino’s will have the French and Italian fare and fine dining experience that fans of the restaurant have come to expect, she said.
She said her chef, Mark Linbeck, is making the move to Rancho de la Fuente.
Zino’s will be open for dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with dancing afterward, according to Mezoui.
Reservations are required for the Valentine’s Day grand reopening, with reservations recommended for Friday, Feb. 15, through Sunday, Feb. 16, she said.
Mezoui said the restaurant will continue to feature music. She has a disk jockey lined up, and on Feb. 16 popular local pianist David Neft – who often performed at the the restaurant’s previous location – will be featured, Mezoui said. She expects to host more live performers in the future as well.
To make reservations or for more information, call the new Zino’s at 707-263-5061.
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.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association says it will no longer produce the Old Time Bluegrass Festival at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, as the group instead places its focus on keeping the park open.
The nonprofit AMIA – which works with the State Department of Parks and Recreation to protect and promote Anderson Marsh State Historic Park – is presently negotiating an agreement with the state that will ensure that the park remains open.
The AMIA Board regretfully made the decision to cancel upcoming bluegrass festivals in favor of other fundraisers that do not require the large amount of time and number of volunteers that need to be coordinated for the bluegrass festival.
“Over the years, AMIA has held various fundraisers to help support its work at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park,” explained AMIA President Roberta Lyons. “Originally, there was a Blackberry Festival held each year in August at the Park. The Blackberry Festival was held for over 15 years with different organizations such as the Rotary Club of Clearlake taking responsibility for planning and production.
“After the Blackberry Festival was no longer being held, AMIA began producing the Old Time Bluegrass Festival,” Lyons said. “The Bluegrass Festival was held at the park from 2006 through 2011, with AMIA providing the majority of the volunteer energies necessary to produce the event.”
“In 2011, Anderson Marsh State Historic Park was one of the state parks placed on the ‘closure list,’ and AMIA was faced with a situation in which the very existence of the park was in doubt,” explained AMIA Secretary Gae Henry.
“The Bluegrass Festival was postponed in 2012 when AMIA found that the effort necessary to work with the State Parks Department to keep the park open made it impossible for AMIA volunteers to also do all that it took for them to put on the festival,” Henry said.
According to the AMIA announcement, much work still needs to be done to both insure that the park remains open and that needed deferred maintenance is performed to insure that the park remains safe and accessible to the public.
AMIA has announced that on Sept. 14, the day that the bluegrass festival would have been held this year, a benefit concert is being planned to help AMIA with its fundraising efforts.
“While we know that many Lake County residents looked forward to the Bluegrass Festival, this decision was necessary to allow AMIA volunteers to concentrate on the important work of partnering with the State Parks Department to insure that the Park remains protected, safe and open to the public,” said Lyons.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Four cats are at the county’s animal shelter, waiting for new forever homes.
The cats cleared for adoption this week include a tabby, a Siamese, a calico and a gray cat.
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.
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”).
Female domestic short hair mix
This female domestic short hair mix is 3 years old.
She has a long gray coat, is large in size, and has not yet been spayed.
Visit with her in cat room kennel No. 20, ID No. 35272.
Brown male tabby
This brown male tabby is 7 years old.
He has a short brown striped coat, and he’s been neutered.
He’s in cat room kennel No. 35, ID No. 35292.
Dilute calico
This female dilute calico is 6 years old.
She has a long coat, is of medium size and has been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 88, ID No. 35347.
Siamese mix
This female Siamese mix is 5 years old.
She has a long luxurious coat, is large in size and has been spayed.
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, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
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.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Lower Lake High School is participating in “No Name-Calling Week,” which takes place Monday, Jan. 28, through Friday, Feb. 1.
During the nationwide event, schools attempt to reduce bullying.
Teacher Nancy Harby and part of the school’s leadership class have worked together for several weeks to create multiple displays, signs and activities for the week, including a library exhibit showcasing books on bullying, posters and artistic designs in the glass case outside the library, and even entering an online contest.
The idea of No Name-Calling Week came from the book “The Misfits” by James Howe.
The book is about a group of bullied seventh graders who advocate for a much safer school.
Typically, the focus of No Name-Calling Week is on fifth through eighth graders and it takes the place of the normal curriculum.
In the case of Lower Lake High, the event has been tailored to the school’s needs.
Rather than changing curriculum or interrupting class time, there will be lunch time activities and bulletin reminders to be a good person and to promote a safer image.
The effort also reminds students that they must be the change they want to see.
For more information visit www.nonamecallingweek.org .
Lacey Amaral is a freshman at Lower Lake High School in Lower Lake, Calif.
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol on Monday issued a report detailing the events that led to three people being injured in a single-vehicle crash the previous night near Lower Lake, where a CHP officer is credited with helping save two people who were trapped.
Dow Edwin Walton, 54, of Lower Lake, along with his passengers Regina Lee Walton, 46, also of Lower Lake and 25-year-old Andy Hopper, whose city of residence was not listed, were injured in the wreck, which occurred at approximately 8:28 p.m. Sunday on Highway 29 north of Hofacker Lane.
The CHP report said Walton was driving a 2005 Chevrolet four wheel drive pickup northbound on Highway 29 at an unknown speed when, according to witnesses, he attempted to pass another vehicle using the southbound lane after crossing over solid double yellow lines.
As opposing traffic approached, Walton was witnessed swerving back into the northbound lane, where he struck a raised curb bordering the east highway edge, according to the report.
The CHP said he then veered sharply back across the north and southbound lanes. The pickup slid sideways off the west roadway edge, flipped end over end through an open field and over a fence, and landed on its wheels in a creek bed.
CHP Officer Adam Garcia was a short distance away when he received a call from the Ukiah Communications Center advising him of the crash, the report explained.
Upon Garcia’s arrival, Hopper was standing outside of the pickup at the top of the embankment; however, Dow Walton and Regina Walton were still in the vehicle, according to the report.
The CHP said the pickup’s passenger side compartment was just starting to ignite and smolder. As Garcia reached the vehicle, it became fully engulfed in flames.
The vehicle windshield was broken out so flames began to enter the passenger compartment. The CHP said Garcia attempted to pull Dow Walton out through the broken driver’s window as the door was jammed shut. However, Walton’s leg was pinned under the driver’s side dashboard, preventing his immediate extrication.
Garcia then pulled Regina Walton from the right front passenger seat, over the top of Dow Walton, out through the driver’s window, and dragged her to a safe location to the rear of the vehicle, the CHP said.
The CHP said he then returned for Dow Walton, and with persistent pulling was able to free his leg from the dashboard. Garcia also pulled Walton out of the vehicle and got him to a safe location.
Regina Walton suffered severe burns to her upper body but was saved from further injury due to Garcia’s heroic actions, the CHP said.
Dow Walton sustained a possible fractured shoulder and wrist due to the collision, and the CHP also credited Garcia’s actions for saving Dow Walton from further injury.
The CHP said Dow Walton was flown to Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa and later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Regina Walton was flown to UC Davis Medical Center and Hopper was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with a possible skull fracture, laceration to the face and multiple broken ribs.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two teenagers saved a man’s life while traveling overseas; a doctor traveled to Nepal to perform life-changing cataract surgeries; a father saved a woman’s life and honors his son’s legacy.
These heroic community members were among those honored by American Red Cross at last year’s Real Heroes Breakfast.
Now the American Red Cross, serving Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties, is seeking new heroes to honor at the 10th annual breakfast on Thursday, April 18, from 7:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
The breakfast benefits the local Red Cross chapter and supports essential Red Cross services. It will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park.
Last year, Lake County residents honored at the awards ceremony included Hidden Valley Lake Security Officer Byran Atkins, Security Operations Manager Steve Atkinson, firefighter/paramedic Gabe Lopez, Lake County Fire firefighter/EMT Eric Vineyard and California Highway Patrol Officer Josh Dye.
All of the men had been involved with the rescue on Dec. 20, 2011, of Kevin Hart and Jordan Armstrong, injured during a house fire in Hidden Valley Lake.
For the upcoming awards, heroic acts must be ongoing or have occurred between Jan. 1, 2012 and Feb. 8, 2013. Heroes for all categories must live in, or heroic acts must have taken place in, Lake, Mendocino or Sonoma counties.
Nomination forms, which must be received by Feb. 8, are available on www.redcross.org/LakeCounty or from the Red Cross by calling 707-577-7627.
There are 10 categories of nominations: animal, education, environment, heroic deed, humanitarian youth, humanitarian adult, law enforcement, medical, military and professional rescue.
The Real Heroes Selection Committee, comprised of community leaders, will review nominations.
The selection committee chair is Dr. Frank Chong, president, Santa Rosa Junior College.
Other committee members are Siri Nelson, chief administrative officer, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Lake County; Jitu Ishwar, owner, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriot, Mendocino County; and from Sonoma County, Vince Albano, chief executive officer, Mary’s Pizza Shack; Travis Collier, lieutenant commander, United States Coast Guard; Tom Eakin, general manager, Peter Michael Winery; Chris Smith, columnist, Press Democrat; and Maria Sundeen, marketing coordinator, American AgCredit.
Companies interested in sponsorship are encouraged to contact Ashley Fehrmann, chief development officer for the Red Cross, at 707-577-7627 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
There is no set donation amount. Guests are encouraged to generously support the work of the American Red Cross in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties by donating at least $1 for every year the Red Cross has served the American people, 132 years.
To find out about becoming a sponsor, attending the event, or donating to support the Red Cross and the breakfast, interested parties can visit www.redcross.org/LakeCounty or call 707-577-7627.
