LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Child Care Planning Council held its annual Early Childhood Educator of the Year Award Dinner Friday, May 9, at Pine Crest Farms Event Center on Cobb Mountain.

The event offered recognition and award packages to 13 exceptional early childhood educators and team members.  

Approximately 95 nominations were received for Lake County providers in recognition of commitment to excellence by their peers, community members and the families they serve.  

Winners were selected based on a detailed interview and evaluation process that took into consideration education, commitment to their profession, answers to specific interview questions, and effectiveness in their role as educators.

Early childhood educators contribute significantly to our communities.  Quality early childhood education dramatically impacts high school graduation rates, keeps our communities working, and helps Lake County develop productive, effective, happy citizens of the future.  

“Many of these educators have dedicated decades to their profession, in the face of dramatic budget cuts and statewide funding priorities that work in opposition to consistent, quality care,” said Shelly Mascari, director of the Lake County Child Care Planning Council. “Their education, in many cases, equals that of the K-12 educator, and this program provides a forum to recognize that commitment and the important work they do.”

Winners include:

• Leading the Field Award: Angel Whitson, Early Connection Preschool, Lower Lake.
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Bonnie Bonnett, Easter Seals.
• Special Needs Inclusion Award: Micah Hale, Upper Lake Head Start.
• Advocate of the Year Award: Maria Montanez, Early Connection Preschool, Middletown.
• Provider of the Year-Preschool: Lisa Gilmore, Pearl Head Start.
• Provider of the Year-Infant/Toddler: Maria Diaz, Early Head Start.       
• Provider of the Year-Family Child Care: Melanie Sneathen.
• Volunteer of the Year: Lori Blackburn, AmeriCorps.
• Support for the Field: Carolina Pimenta, Easter Seals.
• Pioneer Award Recipients: John Goulart, Bundle of Joy Child Care; Kiley Owens, Early Connection Preschool, Kelseyville; Donna Commins, Meadowbrook Head Start; Mary Prather, Easter Seals.
• Student Scholarship:Blanca Mejia.

More than 200 people attended and many Lake County organizations, businesses and individuals offered significant support to make this event possible.  

Lake County Department of Social Services;  North Coast Opportunities, Rural Communities Child Care; Lake County Office of Education, Child Development Division; Mendo Lake Credit Union; First 5 Lake, Yuba College and Lakeshore Learning were significant supporters, along with The Beat Zumba Studio. The Kelseyville Rotary Club provided bar services as well.  

“It is encouraging to see our community’s organizations and leaders unite in recognition of the valuable contribution early childhood educators make throughout Lake County,” said Mascari.

NICE, Calif. – Based on an anonymous tip, narcotics detectives located an illegal marijuana grow this week at a property in Nice.

Approximately 108 plants were eradicated, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Shortly after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday narcotics detectives responded to an address located in the 7000 block of Marin Street in Nice, Brooks said.

Brooks said the detectives had received information from the sheriff's anonymous tip line concerning a marijuana cultivation site at the address.

He said the property was red-tagged last year due to the cultivation of marijuana and other county code violations.

Upon their arrival, Brooks said the detectives could see a large hoop-style greenhouse on the property and could smell the strong odor of marijuana from the street.

Detectives entered the property and located 108 marijuana plants inside the greenhouse. All of the plants were in the flowering stage and considered mature, Brooks said. Detectives noticed a black tarp at the base of the greenhouse, indicating the “light deprivation” method was being used.

Brooks said detectives located a singlewide mobile home on the property and noticed that the front door was left standing open. They conducted a protective sweep of the residence and did not locate anyone inside.

Detectives said the mobile home had been converted into an indoor marijuana growing operation. Brooks said the windows were covered and wires were strung from wall to wall to assist in drying and processing the marijuana.

Lake County Code Enforcement arrived at the residence and tagged the property a second time for being uninhabitable, and detectives seized and eradicated the marijuana plants, according to Brooks.

He 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 reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

As the public prepares for Memorial Day weekend, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is reminding motorists to buckle up, drive the speed limit, and designate a non-drinking driver.

These friendly reminders are part of the upcoming CHP Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) that begins Friday, May 23, at 6:01 p.m. and continues through Monday, May 26, at 11:59 p.m.

“We encourage the public to put measures in place ahead of time to help make their road trip safe and enjoyable,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Leave early and allow for additional traffic delays, eliminate distractions behind the wheel, buckle up, and always designate a sober driver.”

Last year, the 40 people killed in collisions in California during Memorial Day weekend represented a 60 percent increase from the same period in 2012.

Among those who died within CHP jurisdiction, 40 percent were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision.

The MEP coincides with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s ongoing “Click It or Ticket” campaign, which continues through June 1, 2014.

“Seat belts and child safety seats increase a person’s chance of surviving a collision,” added Commissioner Farrow. “Protect yourself and those that you love every trip, every time, and insist they buckle up.”

Keeping the roadways free from impaired drivers is another key component to increasing travel safety this holiday weekend. During the 2013 Memorial Day MEP, the CHP made more than 1,200 arrests for driving under the influence.

The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of safety, service, and security to the people of California.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A stretch of Highway 20 along Lake County's Northshore will be the focus of millions of dollars in repair work beginning in 2015 thanks to a state commission's most recent highway repair allocation.

On Thursday, Caltrans reported that the California Transportation Commission has allocated $22 million for the Lake County pavement rehabilitation project, the goal of which is to prevent further deterioration of the highway surface, minimize costly repairs and extend pavement service life.

Statewide, the commission allocated $541 million in this latest round of funding to implement California’s “fix it first” strategy for preserving and maintaining the state's 50,000 lane miles of highways.

“This investment will help preserve California’s existing transportation infrastructure and implement our fix-it-first approach to the highway system,” said California State Transportation Agency Secretary Brian Kelly. “While there is always pressure to expand the state highway system, expansion must remain a second priority to investing in the management, preservation and efficient operation of our existing infrastructure.”

Caltrans District 1 spokesman Phil Frisbie said the road repair money Lake County received is a mix of state and federal funding applied for by Caltrans, and acknowledged that the funding awarded was a sizable amount for Lake County.

For perspective, Lake County received $6.15 million in 2011 for the three-mile repaving project on Highway 53 that extended to the intersection with Highway 29.

The bid process on this latest rehabilitation project will begin this summer and is expected to be awarded this fall. Frisbie said work is anticipated to start in spring 2015.

The project will include 21 “lane miles” – or a little over 10 miles of both lanes of the highway – of sections of Highway 20 from Nice to just east of Clearlake Oaks, Frisbie said.

Frisbie said the rehabilitation project will be a mix of grinding and road base repairs, plus new paving.

One of the areas where work will take place is a stretch of highway near Nice that was ground out a few years ago. “This is finally going to be the permanent repair,” he said.

Some areas of the highway in that area had the top layer ground out and repaved, but that doesn't last very long and more substantial work is needed, Frisbie said.

In many places the road base needs to be repaired and hasn't been in some time. While Frisbie said it's difficult to know when much of that area of Highway 20 last had road base repairs, he said it's conceivable that it has been decades.

Of the overall $541 million allocation announced Thursday, $10 million comes from the remaining Proposition 1B funds, the bond act that voters approved in 2006.

Proposition 1B authorized $4.5 billion to improve performance on the state highway system and California leveraged another $4.6 billion in federal, state and local funds while recapturing cost savings during construction, according to Caltrans' report.

What started as a program of 54 projects programmed at $9.1 billion grew to a program of 99 projects at $11.7 billion, supporting more than 190,000 jobs and providing critical improvements to the state’s transportation system, Caltrans said.

“This administration has made sure every dollar counts when it comes to building California’s transportation infrastructure,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “We are repairing aging freeways, making highways and bridges safer, and promoting bicycling and walking – and, those projects support and create jobs.”

As a result of these investments and a focus on maintenance and rehabilitation, Caltrans announced in March that the condition of the pavement on California’s highways is at its healthiest level in more than a decade.

However, with California’s highways carrying nearly 35 million vehicles annually, and maintenance needs far outpacing dependable funding, Caltrans said it is using high-tech strategies, recycling, and innovative treatments to make pavement last longer, to stretch every dollar and to preserve the environment.

With the one-time funds from the 2006 transportation bond and 2009 Recovery Act running out, the California State Transportation Agency is working with stakeholders to develop funding priorities and long-term funding options to address California's infrastructure needs.

Those priorities are highlighted in “California Transportation Infrastructure Priorities: Vision and Interim Recommendations,” a report that offers a vision for California's transportation future.

The report can be found at http://www.calsta.ca.gov/res/docs/pdfs/2013/CTIP%20Vision%20and%20Interim%20Recommendations.pdf .

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. – On Tuesday a Lucerne man charged in an environmental crimes case arising from a marijuana growing operation received a sentence that, among other things, prevents him from possessing fertilizer or pesticide, greenhouses or lighting systems.

Aleksander Robin Tomaszewski, 33, was sentenced for violating California Fish and Game Code sections relating to unlawful stream diversion and unlawfully dumping trash and rubbish within 150 feet of a streambed, according to the Lake County District Attorney's Office.

In this case, it's the first time that such unique terms probation – including a prohibition against possessing fertilizer or lighting systems – have been implemented, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife Lt. Loren Freeman, who investigated the case against Tomaszewski.

“It's really setting a precedent,” Freeman said.

The case against Tomaszewski resulted from a joint Department of Fish and Wildlife and Lake County Sheriff Department investigation into a marijuana grow in Clearlake Oaks in December of 2012.

At that time, Tomaszewski was arrested after the Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force and the Sheriff’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team found 170 pounds of processed marijuana in his Lucerne home during the service of a search warrant.

During that investigation California Fish and Wildlife Officers discovered illegal grading and dumping activities in watercourses near the grow site at 22042 Moccasin Lane, located in the Double Eagle Ranch subdivision near Clearlake Oaks, the District Attorney's Office reported.

Freeman said Tomaszewski had dammed up a seasonal stream that ran through the Double Eagle property, driven over it and left trash everywhere.

At one point, the area became like a small lake due to a large amount of seasonal water. Freeman said that dam broke and washed sediment 100 yards downstream.

After the issues initially were discovered, Freeman went back to the property – which has no permanent residence – to see if it had been cleaned up and found that Tomaszewski had started growing marijuana again, and doing more damage to the creek and natural features.

Under the terms of the sentence, Tomaszewski can't have any water storage conveyance, application or equipment within 150 feet of any water body or watercourse; can't possess or maintain any greenhouse, hoop-house, or other similar environmental modification structure; can't possess any commercial fertilizer, soil amendments, pesticides, fungicides or herbicides; and can can only have an organic compost container or system not to exceed one cubic yard.

He's also prohibited from possessing any device or system designed for the delivery or application of carbon dioxide, or from having or maintaining any electrical system, portion of system, or device which is not in compliance with applicable county building codes and regulations; may not possess or maintain any lights, lighting systems, or lighting equipment designed for use in growing indoor vegetation; and shall not have in his possession any electrical generator rated for or designed to produce in excess of 4000 watts.

He's also ordered that within 30 days of the date of his probation order, he must completely clean up, remove and legally dispose of all outdoor vegetation growing related material, equipment and trash located at 22042 Moccasin.

The terms of his probation require that he maintain and provide upon demand receipts and documentation as to the location and method of disposal of the above equipment and materials.

The probation conditions were developed in coordination with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Lake County Probation Department, Lake County Community Development and the District Attorney’s Office in an effort to address issues in this case, and in future cases which deal with illegal water diversions and other environmental damage.

Freeman credited the District Attorney's Office with doing “a phenomenal job” in prosecuting environmental crimes, trying to get stiffer penalties and using probation terms to prevent repeat offenses.

District Attorney Don Anderson said his office is increasing its push on environmental crimes thanks, in part, to recent training with a state circuit prosecutor that gave his staff the needed knowledge to pursue such cases.

He said his office is taking a tough stance on environmental crimes, especially as they relate to marijuana and the proliferation of illegal grow sites.

They're seeing more of such cases, Anderson said. “It's a problem throughout Northern California.”

Freeman agrees, adding, “It's getting worse.”

He said marijuana growers tend to start out small. If they don't get caught in the first year, they tend to build onto what they've already done as the years go by. “And it just gets bigger and bigger.”

Two-inch pipes in streams and small dams then give way to building ponds and bringing in water tanks, such as in a recent Upper Lake investigation in which he participated.

In that case, the growers had started with a pipe in a stream, then built a pond, then constructed on a hilltop a large concrete block water container that could hold 36000 gallons – or enough to fill nine water trucks, he said.

Freeman said it was the largest such manmade catchment pond that he's seen, and it was filled by pumping the nearby creek dry.

“The water is key. You can't grow marijuana without water,” he said.

Freeman said he investigates calls about such cases as they arise.

What's happening in Lake County, he said, isn't unique.

“We're seeing this statewide,” Freeman said. “Every place that marijuana's being grown, we're seeing these marijuana crimes that go along with it.”

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.

Three pieces of legislation authored by U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5) on Tuesday passed the House as part of the Conference Report on H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 (WRRDA).

The WRRDA legislation originally passed the House on Oct. 23, 2013, while the Senate passed separate WRRDA legislation, S.601, on May 15, 2013.

Leaders from both the House and Senate have been in negotiations since the legislation passed both chambers.

The negotiations produced an agreement on legislation, or Conference Report, which passed the House today and is expected to pass the Senate as early as next week.

The president is expected to sign the legislation into law.  

The legislation authored by Thompson that passed the House and will soon be signed into law includes:

The requirement of a study on the impacts of invasive species;
A provision allowing the Contra Costa Flood Control and Water Conservation Districts to directly perform flood control and habitat restoration on the Walnut Creek Project;
Legislative language to speed up Russian River Habitat Restoration and prevent the construction of an unnecessary $300 million pipeline in Sonoma County.

“These important provisions will help counties in our district save money, restore habitats, decrease localized flooding, and prevent the spread of invasive species,” said Thompson. “I am proud to have worked to pass this legislation and look forward to seeing it passed by the Senate and signed into law soon.”

Invasive species provision

The first provision authored by Thompson and passed as part of the Conference Report requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on the impacts of aquatic invasive species on federal assets and current federal spending on aquatic invasive species prevention.

Aquatic invasive species pose a costly challenge to water infrastructure, fisheries, and the environment in local communities across the United States.

However, this problem often only receives attention after an invasive species has become established in a new area and has begun clogging water pipes, infecting plants and animals with dangerous diseases, and outcompeting native species.

These impacts can damage fisheries, pose health hazards, irreparably damage natural environments, and take a severe toll on local, state, and federal budgets. For example, aquatic mussels such as quagga and zebra mussels have cost U.S. communities more than $5 billion since their introduction in the 1980's.

In the Fifth Congressional District, Clear Lake, Lake Sonoma and Lake Berryessa are all rated at the highest possible risk level for quagga invasion.

Currently none of these lakes have been invaded by quagga mussels.

However, if quaggas invade one of these lakes, control and treatment would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per year and negatively impact the water supply for residents of Sonoma, Lake, and Solano counties.

If quagga mussels invade the state water infrastructure it could cost millions every year to keep the pipes clear.

Walnut Creek project provision

The second provision authored by Thompson and passed as part of the Conference Report de-authorizes a four-mile segment of the existing Walnut Creek Project, taking it out of Army Corps control.

Deauthorizing this four-mile segment eliminates unnecessary U.S. Army Corps bureaucracy and allows the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to directly perform flood control and habitat restoration on the remaining 18 miles of the Walnut Creek Project.

The Walnut Creek Project is a 22-mile flood control project that was previously authorized by Congress in 1960.

During a recent evaluation of the project, the U.S. Army Corps determined that the entire 22-mile project does not meet their standards because four miles of the project, near the mouth of the creek, were of concern.

To bring the entire 22-mile project up to standard, work would need to be done on the four miles identified by the Corps' evaluation. However, this work would likely be significantly delayed due to numerous Corps requirements to consult with various federal agencies.

Because of these bureaucratic barriers in place due to Army Corps regulations, local partners cannot complete the necessary work to prevent localized flooding, restore habitats, and maintain channel depth.

By removing the four-mile portion that is of concern to the Corps, Thompson's provision will allow local partners at the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to complete their necessary work in a timely manner.

Russian River restoration provision

The third provision authored by Thompson and passed as part of the Conference Report allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue working with the Sonoma County Water Agency to enhance six miles of endangered coho salmon habitat along Dry Creek, located between Warm Springs Dam and the Russian River near Healdsburg.

This restoration work is required under the Russian River Biological Opinion issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service in 2008 to protect coho salmon, Chinook salmon and steelhead trout; all listed as endangered or threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act.

Without this provision, it is unclear if the Army Corps would carry out their responsibilities as required by the Russian River Biological Opinion, leaving the Sonoma County Water Agency solely responsible for fulfilling this work by 2016.

However, the amount of work required under the biological opinion can only be achieved with the cooperation of the Army Corps.

If the requirements made under the biological opinion are not met, Sonoma County would be required to build a $300 million pipeline to mitigate habit impacts.

The Conference Report passed the House by a vote of 412-4.

Congressman Mike Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The 51st quilt block, “Star and Crown,” has been installed on the Lake County Quilt Trail.

It is located at the Positive Living Center in Hidden Valley Plaza on Highway 29, 17568 Spruce Road Extension, Hidden Valley Lake. The owner of the property is Carson Underwood of Hidden Valley Realty.

The Positive Living Center has established a Labyrinth Peace Garden which is becoming a place where travelers can stop and rest. The Labyrinth Peace Garden has a picnic table and benches available for enjoying a meal.

The three-year-old Positive Living Center offers a community center for whole life learning, counseling and healing. Visit www.positivelivingcenter.org .

The Lake County Quilt Trail is an agricultural and tourism project designed to promote community pride.

The 8-foot by 8-foot quilt block was drawn and painted by the Lake County Quilt Trail team, a group of dedicated quilters, graphic artists, painters, writers, carpenters and a videographer.

For more information about the Lake County Quilt Trail visit www.lakecountyquilttrail.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-Quilt-Trail/187014251326163 .

COBB, Calif. – Two local men have been arrested on multiple felony charges in connection to a Tuesday morning fight that injured a third man.

Sheriff's Lt. Steve Brooks said deputies arrested Seth Henry Lawrence, 36, of Cobb and 33-year-old Casey Ellis Snow in the case.

Brooks said patrol deputies responded to the report of a fight involving several subjects at an address in the 16000 block of Golf Road in Cobb shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday.

All of the involved subjects had left the residence prior to the deputies arriving, said Brooks.

When they arrived on scene the deputies learned that the victim, a 20-year-old male, had suffered significant injuries and was been taken to the hospital by a family member. Brooks said the deputies also were also told that one of the two suspects was named “Seth,” and was reported to live at the Pine Grove Resort.

Deputies responded to the Pine Grove Resort in an attempt to contact Seth, who was later identified as Seth Lawrence. Brooks said they were unable to locate Lawrence, but noticed the door to his residence had been forced open with visible damage to the door frame and lock.

Brooks said a deputy was able to contact the victim, who was receiving medical treatment at St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake.

The victim said Lawrence and another suspect, later identified as Snow, arrived at his residence in a vehicle. As both suspects stepped out of the vehicle, the victim noticed Snow was holding a handgun. He said Snow rushed towards him while pointing the handgun at him and Lawrence followed behind, Brooks reported.

The victim said both Lawrence and Snow proceeded to punch and kick the victim repeatedly, according to Brooks. Lawrence accused him of breaking into his residence and stealing a laptop computer, $300 and some smoking paraphernalia.

The victim said Snow struck him on the head several times with the butt of the handgun, which knocked him unconscious. Brooks reported that the victim also said that Snow grabbed him by the throat and dragged him into his own house, demanding to look for the stolen property.

The victim told them they could look for the items, fearing he would be shot. Snow then shoved the barrel of the handgun into the victim’s mouth, chipping his front tooth, Brooks said.

The victim said he fought back and tried to remove the handgun from his mouth, but could not. Snow said this was not over with and they would be back. Snow and Lawrence were unable to locate any of the property and left, according to Brooks.

Brooks said the victim was treated for multiple contusions and lacerations to his face, head, hands and back. He also required several staples in his head for one of the lacerations.

The deputy responded back to the Pine Grove Resort in an attempt to contact Lawrence again. As the deputy pulled into the resort, he saw Lawrence driving towards him in a white pickup. He said Lawrence turned onto a dirt road and then drove onto Bottle Rock Road, heading westbound in an attempt to get away, Brooks reported.

The deputy said he temporarily lost site of Lawrence, due to him driving at a high rate of speed. As the deputy was going around a corner he noticed Lawrence had parked his vehicle behind a large pile of dirt, attempting to hide, Brooks said.

The deputy detained Lawrence without further incident. Brooks said Lawrence told the deputy that his home was broken into and he knew the victim had done it, although he did not report it to law enforcement. Lawrence said he received information that the victim was responsible for several recent burglaries in the area and went to confront him at his residence.

Lawrence admitted to punching the victim several times in the face, but denied possessing a firearm at any point during the incident. He told the deputy that he was unable to locate any of his stolen property inside the residence, Brooks said.

Lawrence was arrested for burglary, battery with serious bodily injury, assault with a firearm on a person, exhibiting a firearm and being an accessory. Brooks said Lawrence was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.

On Wednesday at approximately 12:08 a.m., deputies contacted Snow at his residence, which is located in the 9000 block of Hoopa Drive in Kelseyville, Brooks said.

Snow was arrested for burglary, battery with serious bodily injury, assault with a firearm, brandishing a firearm and for being an accessory. Brooks said Snow was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.

Bail for both was set at $50,000, with jail records indicating Lawrence and Snow had posted the required percentage of bail and were released.

State Controller John Chiang on Tuesday announced his office's auditing efforts have now identified more than $8 billion in wasteful, unlawful spending and cost savings throughout the state and local government.

“Audits protect Californians by highlighting problems and restoring accountability,” said Chiang. “The audits have served as a catalyst for greater transparency and improved management of taxpayer dollars, allowing us to transform an accounting office into an accountability office.”

The state controller's audit authority is independent of both the governor and the Legislature.

The $8 billion in total audit findings identified by Controller Chiang is three times as much as any other State Controller (the closest is Kathleen Connell, who identified $2.5 billion between the years of 1995 and 2002).

Some of Controller Chiang's more notable audits have included:

– A top-down audit of the city of Bell, which found rampant mismanagement, unlawful use of state and federal dollars, and illegal property taxes. The controller also investigated Bell's privately-contracted audit firm, finding that the firm had essentially rubber-stamped the city's poor accounting practices for years.

As a result of these audits, the state was able to return approximately $3 million in property taxes to Bell residents.

The controller then successfully sponsored legislation (AB 1248) to create a set of financial internal control guidelines, which could prevent future Bell-like scandals at the local level.

The controller performed similar city-wide audits in Montebello, Stockton, Hercules and Cudahy. He also launched a new website, www.publicpay.ca.gov , to help local taxpayers better track salaries and compensation in their hometowns.

– Finding more than $339 million in overpayments to a Medi-Cal senior care provider in Southern California, which billed at rates that generated an amazing 80 percent profit margin.

The results included a complete renegotiation of the state's contracts that slashed rates with that company and saved the State $352 million, along with the largest settlement in Medi-Cal history.

– Exposing life insurance companies that routinely failed to pay beneficiaries and eventually canceled policies.

Companies would often draw down the cash value of the life insurance policy to continue paying premiums, even when they knew or should have known that the policy holder had died and the beneficiaries should be paid.

After identifying the industry-wide practice, Controller Chiang led a multi-state effort to reach broad settlements with 18 different life insurers.

The settlements promise to return $265 million to surviving families in California and end the practice of draining the value and canceling policies after the insured individual has passed away.

– A comprehensive review of the California State Teachers' Retirement System's (CalSTRS) ability to detect and prevent pension spiking.

That review found several cases of potential spiking that went undetected, and that without improvements, it would take 48 years to audit all agencies in the pension fund.

In response, CalSTRS promised to increase its audit staff by 66 percent, to identify and audit high-risk agencies, and regularly report on their progress to end pension spiking within the retirement system.

This week the Assembly Appropriations Committee will hear AB 2676 (Rendon), a bill sponsored by Chiang that will extend the controller's authority to more quickly identify fiscal mismanagement, help local governments conduct their own audits and independent reviews, and create meaningful consequences for local agencies that fail to provide proper fiscal stewardship.

At any given time, the Controller's Office is conducting in excess of 100 audits. Many of the current audits focus on redevelopment dissolution, ensuring redevelopment assets and liabilities are appropriately transferred to a “successor agency” and placed under the direction of an oversight board to dispose of the assets, pay off obligations, and redistribute excess cash to fund schools, public safety, and other public services.

More on the Controller's audit program can be found on his Web site, www.sco.ca.gov .

California agencies fighting the spread of invasive quagga and zebra mussels urge boaters to remain vigilant over the three-day Memorial Day weekend.

People who launch vessels at any body of water are subject to watercraft inspections and are encouraged to clean, drain and dry their motorized and non-motorized boats, including personal watercraft, and any equipment that comes into contact with the water before and after recreating at a waterway.

“I hope everyone gets outdoors this season to enjoy the diverse recreational opportunities this great state has to offer,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham. “By incorporating just a few simple precautions into your trip, you can avoid moving quagga mussels, as well as other invasive species.”  

Quagga and zebra mussels, non-native freshwater mussels native to Eurasia, multiply quickly and encrust watercraft and infrastructure, and compete for food with native and sport fish species.

These mussels can be spread from one body of water to another attached to nearly anything that has been in an infested waterbody, or via standing water from an infested waterbody entrapped in boat engines, bilges, live-wells and buckets.

To ensure that watercraft are clean, drained and dry, many local agencies are conducting boat inspections. CDFW has posted a list of these inspections on its Web site ( www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/quaggamussel ) along with additional information about the invasive mussels and what people can do to help prevent their spread in California. Boaters should call ahead to check for restrictions prior to visiting their destination.

To prevent spreading invasive mussels and to breeze through an inspection, boaters can take a few simple steps before arriving at a water body.

These include inspecting all exposed surfaces, removing all plants and organisms, draining all water, including water contained in lower outboard units, live-wells and bait buckets, and allowing the watercraft to thoroughly dry.

Between launches watercraft should be kept dry for at least five days in warm weather and up to 30 days in cool weather. These measures are essential to safeguard California waterways.

A detailed guide to cleaning vessels of invasive mussels is available on the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) Web site at http://dbw.parks.ca.gov/BoaterInfo/QuaggaLoc.aspx .

Travelers are also advised to be prepared for inspections at California Department of Food and Agriculture Border Protection Stations. Inspections, which can also be conducted by CDFW and the Department of Parks and Recreation, include a check of boats and personal watercraft, as well as trailers and all onboard items. Contaminated vessels and equipment are subject to quarantine or impoundment.

Quagga mussels were first detected in the Colorado River system in January 2007 and were later found in San Diego and Riverside counties.

They are now known to be in 27 waters in California, all in Southern California. Zebra mussels were discovered in San Justo Reservoir in San Benito County in January 2008.

Both species can attach to and damage virtually any submerged surface. They can:

• Ruin a boat engine by blocking the cooling system and causing it to overheat;
• Jam a boat’s steering equipment, putting occupants and others at risk;
• Require frequent scraping and repainting of boat hulls;
• Colonize all underwater substrates such as boat ramps, docks, lines and other underwater surfaces, causing them to require constant cleaning;
• Cost the owners of these items a lot of money.

A multi-agency effort that includes CDFW, DBW, Department of Water Resources, and Department of Food and Agriculture has been leading an outreach campaign to alert the public to the quagga and zebra mussel threats.

A toll-free hotline at 1-866-440-9530 is available for those seeking information on quagga or zebra mussels.

Memorial Day weekend is often considered to be the kick-off for summer vacations and outdoor activities, but Cal Fire officials are asking the public to use caution as fire danger remains higher than normal.

As the weekend approaches, temperatures are forecast to increase leading to a higher fire threat in California.

“We are asking the public to be extra vigilant and take steps to prevent sparking a wildfire,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, Cal Fire director. “All it takes is a single spark to start a fire and with the dry conditions caused by drought, we are seeing fires burn with unseasonable intensity.”

Since the beginning of the year, wildfires have already caused major destruction.  Most recently Southern California endured wildfires fanned by Santa Ana winds, burning nearly 27,000 acres and destroying dozens of homes.

California is in the midst of a severe drought, creating conditions that are ripe for devastating and extremely dangerous wildfires.  

Everyone is encouraged to be vigilant and remember that one less spark is one less wildfire.

Camping:

• Obtain a campfire permit ( www.PreventWildfireCA.org );
• Check for local rire restrictions;
• Clear away grass, leaves and other debris within a 10-foot perimeter of any campfire;
• Have a responsible person in attendance at all times;
• Ensure all campfires are completely extinguished before leaving;
• When barbecuing, never leave the grill unattended.

Fire is not the only danger that can occur in the outdoors, as water drownings also increase dramatically during the holiday weekend.

Warm temperatures make the cool waters of California’s beautiful rivers and lakes very enticing, yet very dangerous.

In recent weeks, Cal Fire crews have responded to water rescues across the state, many of which have tragically led to fatalities.

In the water:

• Always wear a life jacket!
• Children should always be supervised by a responsible adult.
• Never swim alone.
• Drinking and swimming is just as dangerous and drinking and driving.

For more ways to be safe this holiday, visit www.ReadyforWildfire.org or www.fire.ca.gov .

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Bill Waite, president of the Hidden Valley Lake Association Board of Directors, denies that his board intends to ignore the rights of HVL residents  to vote on a  multimillion dollar construction and restoration project.

“To the best of my knowledge, no director is trying to take away any members right  to vote. . . . Those rights are set out in the governing documents (for HVL) ,” said in an email to Lake County News.

“Should an event occur that triggers a vote of the members, I assure you that all steps will be taken to make sure that we comply with the governing documents of this association,” Waite added.

Waite’s comments were in response to a short series of questions Lake County News emailed to him after member-residents last month went public with their concerns that the board intended to circumvent an HVL regulation limiting how much a board of directors can allocate for improvements without membership approval.

Section 11:05 of the HVLA Property Owner and Tenant Information Manual states that association debts of more than 5 percent of regular member assessments cannot be entered into without the prior vote or written consent of two-thirds of members who have voting rights.

Originally, the cost of the HVL construction project – a new clubhouse and a new community center – was estimated to run as high as $8 million by some. But Waite said that price tag was just a rumor.

“Since we do not even have the conceptual design in place, I don’t know how that figure was derived,” he said. “What I do know is that at the last forum . . . (the cost) was stated slightly above $5 million.”

Copies of the plans that recently had been circulated in the community included an initial $7.3 million figure, with the most recent revision reducing the cost to $5.3 million, as Lake County News has reported.

The disparity in cost estimates will only be cleared up when final determination is made regarding what the construction project will include.

Among the considerations, will a new community center be built or the present one refurbished?

Waite was also asked how seriously he regarded a petition making the rounds for his recall.

“I do not believe that I can answer this question other than to say that I believe that the members are acting within the rights set forth in the governing documents,” he said.

Among associated issues that have developed between residents and the HVL board is a possible censure of director Steve Greenberg, who has raised concerns about the project. Greenberg has denied any wrongdoing in the matter.

Said Waite: “The Board of Directors (is) in the process of doing its due diligence by trying to have a meeting with Mr. Greenberg to discuss the issues in question. Therefore, at this time, there is not a censorship meeting scheduled nor has there been one. If, in fact one should happen to occur, it will be done to the utmost letter of the law and by a vote of the entire BOD.”

Waite and other board members are optimistic that the hiring of highly credentialed Cindy Spears as general manager is a move that will lead to a better understanding between the HVL board and its critics.

“I have the highest regards for the Board’s unanimous choice (of) Cindy Spears as the General Manager,” Waite said. “She has a great deal of experience in working with associations similar to ours and with others that have issues similar to the growing pains we are experiencing.”

Waite is not a member of the HVL Men’s Golf Club which some residents charge is dictating to the general membership regarding a construction project. But he did say that three of the seven directors on the board are Men’s Golf Club members.

He added that the documents governing HVL require that the board of directors “is required to maintain all of its amenities, (so) doing nothing is not an option.”

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