UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake recently made donations to two local schools.

The local tribe, a proponent of youth development and education, donated $2,500 to Upper Lake Middle School for its computer lab and $1,500 to the junior class of Upper Lake High School for its prom.

“In times of declining economies and lack of state funding for various educational programs, the tribe is thrilled to be in a position to provide needed funding for the development of well-rounded youth in our local community,” said Habematolel Tribal Chair Sherry Treppa.

“I am always impressed how local businesses and organizations step up to make sure our local students get what they need to stay competitive with the rest of the county,” said Upper Lake Middle School Principal Anthony Loumena. “Habematolel has stepped up to the plate in a big way for our kids. I can’t thank them enough.”

Upper Lake Middle School has been slowly updating its computer lab to ready themselves for the new Smarter Balance testing coming to California in 2014.

With this generous donation the middle school was able to purchase seven computers which helped them finish updating the Fuller Tech Center a year ahead of schedule.

The Junior Class Prom is an annual event that is both a tradition and the biggest fundraising event of the year.

The donation received from the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake will assist the class in paying for the event location and decorations among other costs that will ensure the Junior Class Prom will be a big success. This year’s Prom theme is “Alice in Wonderland.”

The tribe has demonstrated over the course of several years that being a good partner with the local community is of paramount importance.

Formerly landless, the tribe in 2004 embarked upon the arduous task of restoring its land base, eventually placing 11.24 acres of land into trust in 2008 for the purpose of economic development.

Last May, the tribe opened Running Creek Casino, and has provided funding to the county of Lake, Northshore Fire Protection District and Lake County Search and Rescue.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Short of fishing or drowning night crawlers, at times there’s not a lot that happens in Clearlake Oaks.

But on Saturday, May 11, 750 zombies will – borrowing from the lyrics of Cole Porter – do that voodoo that they do so well.

Their reason for being there will be to chase and otherwise harass participants in a “Run for Your Lives” 5K run that will begin at the nearby Oasis Vintage Motocross.

Already more than 3,000 runners have ponied up $87 to $97 for the “privilege” of trying to outrun the zombies behind them and the several obstacles in front, including a blood pit, smoke house and electric shocks.

If spending three hours in this sort of environment sounds like barrels of fun to you, Lauren Gambler, the event’s customer service manager, assures that there’s room for another 3,000 to 4,000 entrants.

Try to imagine the impact of 6,000 scared-out-of-their wits runners chased by professionally made-up ghouls will have on the Oaks, population 2,400.

In all, there are 10 obstacles on the course, “and,” said Gambler, “when you come to the zombies you have to sprint or slow down to dodge them. So it takes people a little bit longer to run a 5K.”

“Run for Your Lives” is the creation of Reed Street Productions of Baltimore, where it was first held in October 2011.

Under its format runners begin the course wearing a flag football-like belt with three hanging flags that the zombies attempt to remove throughout the run.

The run seems to be gaining popularity. Last year there were a dozen of them around the country. This year there are 21 scheduled.

Clearlake Oaks was selected as an event site because (1) Reed Street wanted to establish itself in northern California; and (2) the run needs to be held in a place where it can spread out over 150 acres.

“It’s more of a test of survival than an athletic event,” said Gambler. “If the zombies take all three of your flags you’re still part of the race and you’ll get a medal. If you finish up with one flag you get a survivor medal.

“I’m sure there have been some runners who finish with all three flags, but most of them just squeeze by with the one flag left,” she said.

The event, she added, promotes camaraderie for families and friends in a team concept.

Another concept that has caught on it seems is the lively interest in being among the dead. “There’s a flat entrance fee of $35 to be a zombie and we are sold out,” said Gambler.

Doubtlessly it’s more fun to be chasing than being chased. One good reason for that is the creativity that goes into becoming a zombie.

“We’ve had Forrest Gump and Teletubby zombies, doctors and people who dress up as bride zombies in old wedding dresses that they’ve shredded to pieces,” said Gambler.

Others are outfitted as iconic television and film stars. Runners have also been known to enter the event costumed. One entered in a banana suit. To date no one has invaded the run al fresco as has been the case for other popular runs such as Bay to Breakers.

“We hope that no one ever comes undressed,” Gambler demurred.

The proceeds from “Run for Your Lives” go to Baltimore-based Kennedy Krieger Institute, which aids children and adolescents with pediatric developmental disabilities and disorders of the brain, spinal cord and musculoskeletal system.

A warning: Clearlake Oaks, you have just three weeks to get ready for this.

For more information visit http://www.runforyourlives.com/locations/northern-california/ .

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

Anticipation is building as Comet ISON plunges into the inner solar system for a close encounter with the sun in November 2013.

Blasted at point-blank range by solar radiation, the sungrazer will likely become one of the finest comets in many years.

When NASA’s Swift spacecraft observed the comet in January 2013, it was still near the orbit of Jupiter, but already very active. More than 112,000 pounds of dust were spewing from the comet’s nucleus every minute.

It turns out, some of that dust might end up on Earth.

Veteran meteor researcher Paul Wiegert of the University of Western Ontario has been using a computer to model the trajectory of dust ejected by Comet ISON, and his findings suggest that an unusual meteor shower could be in the offing.

“For several days around January 12, 2014, Earth will pass through a stream of fine-grained debris from Comet ISON,” said Wiegert. “The resulting shower could have some interesting properties.

According to Wiegert’s computer models, the debris stream is populated with extremely tiny grains of dust, no more than a few microns wide, pushed toward Earth by the gentle radiation pressure of the sun. They will be hitting at a speed of 125,000 miles per hour.

Because the particles are so small, Earth’s upper atmosphere will rapidly slow them to a stop.

“Instead of burning up in a flash of light, they will drift gently down to the Earth below,” he said.

Don’t expect to notice. The invisible rain of comet dust, if it occurs, would be very slow. It can take months or even years for fine dust to settle out of the high atmosphere.

While the dust is “up there,” it could produce noctilucent clouds (NLCs).

NLCs are icy clouds that glow electric-blue as they float more than 80 km above Earth’s poles. Recent data from NASA’s AIM spacecraft suggests that NLCs are seeded by space dust.

Tiny meteoroids act as nucleating points where water molecules gather; the resulting ice crystals assemble into clouds at the edge of space itself.

This is still speculative, but Comet ISON could provide the seeds for a noctilucent display. Electric-blue ripples over Earth’s polar regions might be the only visible sign that a shower is underway.

Wiegert noted another curiosity: “The shower is going to hit our planet from two directions at once.”

When Earth passes through the debris stream, we will encounter two populations of comet dust. One swarm of dust will be following the Comet ISON into the sun.

Another swarm will be moving in the opposite direction, pushed away from the sun by solar radiation pressure. The streams will pepper opposite sides of Earth simultaneously.

“In my experience, this kind of double whammy is unprecedented,” said Wiegert.

Bill Cooke, lead scientist at NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office, said there’s little danger to Earth-orbiting spacecraft.

“These particles are just too small to penetrate the walls of our satellites, and they don’t stand a chance against the heavy shielding of the ISS,” Cooke explained.

However, he added, mission operators will be alert around Jan. 12 for possible anomalies.

Sky watchers should probably be alert, too. The odds of seeing anything are low, but Comet ISON could prove full of surprises.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – If you’re looking to bring home a new feline friend, it’s a good week to do it thanks to Lake County Animal Care and Control’s latest adoption event.

Through this Friday, April 26, county adoption fees will be waived, so that cat adoptions will cost $86 for females and $76 for males.

Those costs will cover spay or neutering, vaccinations and microchipping.

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”).

Black male cat

This black male cat is 2 years old.

He weighs 8 pounds, has a short coat and gold eyes, and has been altered.

Find him in cat room kennel No. 49, ID No. 35862.

Gray male tabby

This gray male tabby is 2 years old.

He weighs 8 pounds, has a short coat and gold eyes, and has been neutered.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 20, ID No. 35866.

Domestic short hair calico

This female domestic short hair mix is 2 years old.

She has a short calico coat and gold eyes, and has been spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 2, ID No. 36033.

Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 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.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As a strong ridge of high pressure continues to build over Lake County and Northern California, clear skies and hot days are forecast today and into next week.

According to forecasters, the county can expect daytime highs in the mid- to upper 80s today and tomorrow, with highs near or above 90 in the warmest locations on Tuesday, according to Western Weather Group Lake County.

Once again, winds will be breezy in the afternoon, although not as strong as they have been the last few days.

Overnight lows in the 40s and 50s are expected throughout mid-week as daytime highs begin to cool beginning on Wednesday.

Temperatures are forecast to return closer to normal by Friday, with daytime highs back in the 70s.

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

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Model A Club on Wednesday gave Lower Lake High School a gift for the ages.

The gift, 83 years old, was a Model A truck, which, like a graying matinee idol, showed its age.

But Bill Gabe’s automotive class at the school will soon change that.

“We want younger people in our club so we’ve donated this pickup and they’re going to restore it,” said Jerry Eddy, president of the Lake County club. “We’ll be in contact with them throughout the restoration. We’ll help them with all the parts.”

Ultimately, the truck will take on the appearance of the numerous classic Model As that many of the 63-member Lake County club members drove on to the Lower Lake High School campus and could have just come off Henry Ford’s assembly line.

They came in a variety of body colors and upholstery. All were well polished and doubtlessly better looking than they did in 1930. Most were valued in excess of $20,000. No one doubted that the old black pickup truck given to Lower Lake High will command such a price.

It was a unique gift for a unique high school program.

“This is the only high school in the state that we know of that has a program in which the American Society of Engineers certifies kids when they get out of school,” said Eddy. “So when the kids graduate they can go to work.”

Model A Ford Club of America President Alex Janke, who came from Concord for the ceremony at the school, praised the Lake County club.

“This kind of thing we do for local communities all over the country,” Janke said. “It is not the first Model A we’ve given away, but for a club the size of the Lake County Club this is a huge gift. They do a lot of things for the local community in a big way. This is a very generous club.”

Earlier, the Lake County Model A club donated $500 to Lower Lake to offset tool costs.

“They (Lower Lake High School) also have a Model T that was donated to them by Jonas Oil. And it is the original truck that old man Jonas used to deliver fuel oil,” said Eddy.

“This is the kind of car that is restored by common guys,” Janke said. “And yet they are just as much fun – in fact more fun to drive – as high-end cars like Rolls Royce, Pierce Arrow and Packard.”

In his seven years at Lower Lake High, Gabe has established a model program for aspiring automotive mechanics.

“The (Konocti Unified School) superintendent and the board said ‘make us a program,’” Gabe recalled. I told them we needed all new equipment and a building that’s worth a darn.”

The district, he added, wrote a grant – approved for $3.4 million – for the new building.

“We do paint, body, everything,” Gabe said. “We have all the modern equipment. The kids will have a customer come in, fill out a work order and do whatever’s needed for $20 an hour.”

The Model A will be the property of Lower Lake High School and will function as a vehicle to carry the homecoming queen and king and the like.

Gabe’s eyes swept over the restored Model As lined up outside his building.

“It will look like one of these,” he said.

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

More than 400,000 unemployed Californians will feel the impact of the federal government’s sequestration spending cuts when their federal unemployment benefits are reduced nearly 18 percent beginning April 28, according to the California Employment Development Department.

Currently, federal extensions of Unemployment Insurance benefits run through the end of December.

Under the new cuts, the number of weeks the unemployed may be eligible for remains the same – 26 weeks of state-provided regular benefits and up to 47 additional weeks of federal extension benefits in four different tiers – but the dollar amount they are eligible to receive under the federal extensions will be reduced by 17.69 percent, Employment Development Department officials reported.

Such cuts do not affect the up to 26 weeks of regular state-provided unemployment benefits.

“At the California Employment Development Department, we’re on the front lines in helping our fellow Californians during difficult economic times,” said agency Director Pam Harris said. “Every day we work with people who have lost their jobs. We understand that Unemployment Insurance benefits are often their only shield against economic disaster and that cuts in those benefits can be very challenging. But we want to get word out so that those relying on these federal benefits can at
least prepare for the reductions.”

While there are currently an estimated 400,000 Californians certifying for federal extension benefits, hundreds of thousands more could be impacted by reduced benefit amounts before the end of the year as they become eligible for federal extension benefits, according to the Employment Development Department.

The cuts will not be implemented for unemployed individuals collecting benefits in the middle of the federal extension tier. The cuts will only be taken at that point when the individual first starts a federal extension claim or starts a new extension tier that begins on or after April 28.

The Employment Development Department will mail claimants a notice at that time, providing the effective date of the benefit reduction, the reduced weekly benefit amount and the maximum benefit amount of their extension.

Last week the Employment Development Department began mailing claimants informational notices describing the reductions and directing them to the department’s Web site, www.edd.ca.gov , for more details, including an online sequestration reduction calculator to help estimate the reduction in each individual’s benefits. Frequently asked questions also are posted to provide claimants helpful information.

Benefit payments will not be cut for several groups of recipients:

• Recently unemployed workers who are receiving regular state-funded unemployment benefits.
• Recipients of training extension benefits under the California Training Benefit program.
• Recipients of Trade Readjustment Assistance extended benefits.

The sequestration fund cuts also will hit California in other ways that will reduce EDD’s ability to help both workers receiving unemployment benefits and job seekers.

The state may lose more than $30 million in federal funding for the administration of the Unemployment Insurance program over the next 15 months.

The reduction comes on top of previous significant underfunding by the federal government and combined will greatly reduce the availability of Unemployment Insurance representatives to assist claimants.

The Employment Development Department strongly encourages Unemployment Insurance customers to use self-help tools whenever possible.

That includes AskEDD, an online option for submitting claim questions to EDD; eApply4UI, which is an online application; EDD Web-cert, which allows claimants to more quickly submit their ongoing continued claim forms online instead of sending a paper form through the mail; and EDD Tele-cert, allowing for self-assisted continued claim certification and claim information by phone.

The EDD reported that it also will lose $3.3 million in federal funding that supports job search assistance for job seekers at local One-Stop career centers throughout the state.

In addition, sequestration requires at least a $15 million funding cut to local Workforce Investment Boards that provide services throughout the state, including job training in local areas. Such reductions in these resources will have a direct impact on job seekers, employers and local economies, the  Employment Development Department reported.

The EDD paid $17.1 billion in federal and state unemployment benefits in 2011 and $13.7 billion in 2012, which equates to about $264 million a week and about half of that in federally paid extension benefits.

As of April 8, there have been more than one million workers in California who have run out of all available Unemployment Insurance benefits. The EDD provides information on its Web site on assistance for unemployed California residents, http://www.edd.ca.gov/pdf/Assistance_for_Unemployed_Californians.pdf ,  that outlines other available services, such as health care, counseling, food and mortgage assistance.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is holding an adoption event this week, featuring a number of dogs ready for new homes.

You can take home a dog with the county adoption fee waived through this Friday, April 26.

Females dogs cost $131 to $146, depending on size, which affects spaying costs; with total fees for males totaling $121.

Those costs include spaying and neutering, microchipping, vaccinations and a county license. 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 hoping you'll choose them.

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

Female pit bull mix

This female pit bull mix is 6 months old.

She has a short brown and white coat, gold eyes, weighs nearly 26 pounds and has been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 7, ID No. 35880.

Male Chihuahua mix

This male Chihuahua mix is 2 and a half years old.

He has floppy ears, a short tan coat and weighs nearly 7 pounds.

He’s in kennel No. 9, ID No. 35885.

Shepherd mix

This male shepherd mix is 4 years old.

He has a short white coat and has not yet been altered.

He’s in kennel No. 11, ID No. 36078.

Shepherd-beagle mix

This female shepherd-beagle mix is 2 years old.

She has a short black and tan coat, weighs 35 pounds and has been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 15, ID No. 36065.

Male retriever mix

This male retriever mix is 4 years old.

He has a short yellow coat and brown eyes, weighs 46 pounds and has been neutered.

Shelter staff reported that he’s a very mellow, gentle and well-mannered dog. He gets along great with older, mellow dogs.

Find him in kennel No. 16, ID No. 35734.

Pit bull terrier mix

This female pit bull terrier mix is 6 months old.

She has gold eyes, weighs nearly 30 pounds and has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 18, ID No. 36064.

Female terrier mix

This female terrier mix is 1 year old.

She has a short black and white coat, a docked tail, weighs 20 pounds and has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 19, ID No. 35882.

‘Sparkles’

“Sparkles” is a 2 year old border collie mix.

She has a short black and white spotted coat, floppy ears and has been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 20, ID No. 35947.

‘Bella’

“Bella” is a 3 year old pit bull terrier mix.

She has a short brown coat, weighs 48 pounds and has been spayed.

Find her in kennel No. 26, ID No. 36074.

Pit bull terrier mix

This female pit bull terrier mix is 2 years old.

She weighs nearly 42 pounds, has a short white and brown brindle coat, and has been spayed.

Shelter staff said she’s a very sweet dog and is great with other dogs. She doesn't appear to have been given much attention but she loves a lap to crawl into, and has a low energy level.

She’s in kennel No. 27, ID No. 35823.

‘Hunter’

“Hunter” is a 2 year old male wirehaired terrier mix.

He has a short black and white coat, weighs nearly 58 pounds and has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 31, ID No. 36079.

Please note: Dogs listed at the county shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 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.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – A woman who allegedly was involved in the hate crime assault of two black men last summer has reached a plea agreement.

Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said defendant Vanessa Michaels, 25, of Novato, pleaded to a felony count of preventing a witness from reporting a crime and admitted an allegation that her act benefited the criminal conduct of Barbarian Brotherhood street gang members.

“This plea agreement is just, in that it takes into account the degree of this defendant’s involvement in this terrible crime,” Ravitch said. “It sends a clear message that if a person assists in a crime, even if they are not the actual perpetrator, and even if it is after the fact, they will be held accountable under the law and punished appropriately.”

The charges resulted from an assault that took place near the McDonald’s on Santa Rosa Avenue in South Santa Rosa.

On Aug. 26, 2012, at approximately 2 a.m. it is alleged that Aaron Welch of Clearlake and co-defendant Salvatore Bordessa of Windsor both wielded knives and assaulted two male victims, Ravitch said.

Welch stabbed one of the victims in the arm and leg requiring stitches to close each wound. During the assault Welch yelled racial slurs and “BBH”, the common initials of a white supremacist criminal street gang, the “Barbarian Brotherhood,”, of which Welch is a member, according to the case.

The evidence at preliminary hearing showed that Michaels took a witness’ phone, preventing the police from being called during the assault.

Michaels’ sentencing is set for May 14. It is agreed to that she will be placed on probation for three years.

Welch was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison on April 11, as Lake County News has reported.

Bordessa will be back in court on April 25 to set trial dates, Ravitch’s office said. Michaels faces up to three years in prison if she violates her probation terms.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Jason Riehl. Sgt. John Cregan and Detective Kyle Philp of the Santa Rosa Police Department headed the investigation.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – While there was no jackpot winner for California in Saturday night’s multistate Powerball lottery draw, someone who purchased a ticket for the contest in Lakeport still came up with a great prize.

The California State Lottery reported that there were two tickets sold that matched five of the winning numbers, with each of those tickets earning its holder $501,893, the largest prizes to come from the Saturday night draw.

One of the tickets was sold at the Rotten Robbie at 2725 S. Main St. in Lakeport; the second ticket was sold at an Arco gas station in Los Angeles.

The Powerball winning numbers were 6, 8, 30, 39 and 48, with 20 being the Powerball number. The jackpot was for $95.6 million.

Eli Hendrick, assistant manager at the Lakeport Rotten Robbie, said on Sunday afternoon that the store hadn’t yet received any official word from the California State Lottery about the win, and they also hadn’t yet heard from the person holding the winning ticket.

However, they’ve had plenty of customer buzz, he said.

“We have actually noticed a spike in sales today,” Hendrick said.

Hendrick said the gas station’s store sells an average of about 300 lottery tickets per day, with a base of consistent, loyal customers who come in daily to play specific games.

“It definitely gets them in here,” he said.

The Powerball ticket carries with it the largest win of any the store has sold, said Hendrick, noting that in the past they’ve sold some winning scratchers that totaled about $500.

The last year has proved a lucky one for local residents playing the lottery.

Last September, Tony Velasquez of Clearlake Oaks won $14 million in the SuperLotto Plus with a ticket he purchased at the Red and White Store in Clearlake Oaks, as Lake County news has reported.

That was followed in late November by Paul Reed of Cobb winning $179,745 playing the Fantasy 5 game on a ticket he purchased at the Cobb Texaco.

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. – Grebe photographs, handouts and notecards of Clear Lake’s famous Western and Clark’s grebes will be shown at the 19th annual Heron Days event Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5.

Sponsored by the Redbud Audubon Society, Heron Days offers both birding boat tours and an Audubon nature education exhibit area.

The grebe display shows the courtship synchronized “dancing” of grebe pairs across the lake surface, colonies of floating nests, and baby grebes riding on a parent’s back.

Grebe notecards are available for sale at the Redbud Audubon exhibit, as are birding field guides and other nature books.

Tickets are still available for the unique 90-minute Audubon-guided pontoon boat birding tours that will be held on both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday’s trips will leave from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. from the boat launch docks at Lakeside County Park in Kelseyville. The boat tours will go north along the shoreline of Clear Lake to the heron rookery near Corinthian Bay.

On May 5, boats will leave during the same hours from the boat launch docks at Redbud Park in the City of Clearlake. The boat tours will visit Anderson Marsh where a variety of birdlife can be seen, including some nesting herons.

Each boat will have experienced Audubon guides to explain the birds viewed on the tours.

Boat tour tickets cost $20 per person and are available for online purchase at www.redbudaudubon.org or by calling 707-263-8030.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The unemployment situation across Lake County and California showing continued gradual improvement based on a new report.

The California Employment Development Department’s Friday report on March unemployment showed that the state’s overall rate dropped to 9.4 percent, down from 9.6 percent in February and 10.7 percent in March 2012, with nonfarm jobs increasing by 25,500 during the month for a total of 14,592,100.

Lake County’s unemployment rate in March was 14 percent, giving it a statewide rank of No. 42. The county’s rate was down from 14.5 percent in February and 16.7 percent in March 2012, according to Dennis Mullins, of the Employment Development Department’s North Coast Region Labor Market Information Division.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the nation’s March unemployment rate was 7.6 percent, the lowest national rate since December 2008. It had declined from 7.7 percent in February and 8.2 percent from March 2012.

California’s rate for March also is the lowest since December 2008, when it was 9.2 percent, the Employment Development Department reported.

Mullins said Lake County’s wage and salary employment declined 80 jobs between February and March, however Lake is up 230 jobs over the year, with eight industry sectors gaining jobs or remaining unchanged, and three declining for the period.

There were 3,470 residents of Lake County unemployed in March, as compared to 3,660 the previous month and 4,220 in March 2012, according to the data.

Mullins said year-over job growth occurred in farm (+340), information (+10) and government (+50), with declines reported in manufacturing (-10), trade, transportation and utilities (-10), and leisure and hospitality (-130). No change occurred in mining, logging and construction; financial activities; professional and business services; private educational and health services; and other services.

Statewide, construction; information; financial activities; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and government added 41,100 jobs over the month. Mining and logging; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; and other services reported job declines totaling 16,600 over the month, the state reported.

Lake’s neighboring counties had the following unemployment rates in March: Colusa, 23.9 percent;
Glenn, 13.7 percent; Mendocino, 9 percent; Napa, 6.7 percent; Sonoma, 7.3 percent; Yolo, 11.1 percent, the state reported.

Colusa’s unemployment rate was the highest in the state, with Marin’s 5.2 percent the lowest, according to the report.

The Employment Development Department reported that there were 532,831 people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits during the March survey week, compared with 487,497 last month and 570,089 last year.

At the same time, new claims for unemployment insurance were 58,842 in March 2013, compared with 41,698 in February and 55,393 in March of last year, the state 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.