LUCERNE, Calif. – The Northshore woman who died in a single-vehicle wreck in Lucerne last week has been identified. 

Lisa Kay Hamblock, 51, of Lucerne, was the victim in the wreck, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Kory Reynolds.

The crash occurred on the afternoon of June 18 on Highway 20 at Grove Street, when Hamblock – traveling westbound in her 2007 Buick – went off the roadway at the Sandy Beach Trailer Lodge trailer park.

After going off the highway, Hamblock's vehicle hit trees, was propelled up and over a 6-foot-high wooden outbuilding, and then hit a singlewide mobile home and a travel trailer before coming to a stop. 

Hamblock died at the scene. The residents of the trailers were home but uninjured, the CHP said.

Reynolds said the crash remains under investigation.

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. – Summer Solstice Day – the first day of summer – has come and gone, but a familiar aspect of the season did not appear.  

The Lake County Home Wine and Beer Maker’s Festival, which has played a major role in Solstice celebrations ever since its inception more than a dozen years ago, will be a week late in arriving.  

Due to a scheduling conflict the Winefest, as it’s called, will take place on Saturday, June 27, at Lakeport’s Library Park between one and five pm.

The discrepancy caused some confusion among people who’d set their calendars to the June 21 date.  

Ed Bublitz, co-president of the Lake County Symphony Association, which sponsors the event as its major fundraiser, said he’s fielded a number of calls from both participants and attendees checking on the correct date. 

“Even the banner hanging across Main Street in Lakeport added to the confusion. Apparently the ‘seven’ on the sign looked like a ‘one’ to a lot of folks,” he said.

Amateurs wanting to enter their wines, beers and ales for public tastings and/or professional judging can contact Bublitz at 707-277-8172 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

There are no fees but entrants are expected to provide a canopy and sufficient folding tables and chairs to furnish their location. 

Wines entered for judging are levied a fee of $7 per 750 milliliter bottle. These should be delivered to the judge’s stand by 9 a.m. It is located in the Lake County Yacht Club, to the right of the boat ramp when entering Library Park.

Home brewers should contact Michael Shoemaker at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Vendors may call Ed Bublitz at the number above.

Since all proceeds go to support the Lake County Symphony and Youth Orchestras, and other music education programs, music will be a key part of the festival, with the duo of David Neft and Steve Dubois and acoustic guitarist Travis Rinker leading the way. There also will be appearances by local favorites the Konocti Fiddle Club.

In another first, Lakeport Mayor Martin Scheel has agreed to take on the job of master of ceremonies, introducing the events as they happen, including winners in the numerous homemade wine and beer categories as well as those of the raffles and auctions, which are a key part of the event.

Many of Lake County’s leading commercial wineries also will be on hand, pouring tastes for attendees.  

Due in part to  the large number of arts, crafts and other vendors, the Winefest has become a family affair, with kids and leashed pets welcome, though of course only adults  21 or older with appropriate wristbands are eligible for tasting the adult beverages.  

The $20 entry fee includes a commemorative wine glass and ballots for the popular Peoples’ Choice awards voting. 

Tickets are available at most Lake County winery tasting rooms, as well as the Lake County Chamber of Commerce in Lakeport and Watershed Books, 305 N. Main St., also in Lakeport. 

Tickets at the gate are $25 per person.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Longtime Lake County residents Jim and Carol Bolander and Harry and Rilla Krall reigned over the 54th annual Middletown Days celebration this past weekend.

The Bolanders were named grand marshals of the annual parade that is a highlight of Middletown Days.

The Kralls were awarded the Pioneer Award for their years of work in the community, which included restoring order during a period when they owned and operated Noble’s Bar on Main Street. 

According to a biography of the couple prepared for Middletown Days, the disorder at the bar included an incident when a rowdy jumped behind the bar to bite half an ear off a bartender, one customer hitting another in a pique of temper with a hatchet and cowboys riding into the bar astride horses.

The Kralls can’t say they weren’t warned about what they were getting into. One customer brandished a pistol and shot it at Noble’s tavern just before they took over ownership.

Married for 55 years after falling in love after just one date, the Bolanders’ lives were significantly more sedate. Jim worked 23 years as a machinist. He is also at home with the reins of a team of as many as eight horses.

Another significant award was given to Selena Weatherwax who won the annual Dolly Parton look-alike contest.

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

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Principal/Superintendent Valerie Gardner made implementing a full-day kindergarten one of her first priorities when she started her tenure at Upper Lake Union Elementary two years ago.

Most counties within the state of California were already administering all-day kindergartens when Gardner arrived. It was her 24th year working in education.

“I was really surprised when I first came down here that it wasn’t all-day because all-day kindergarten has been around the state for years,” said Gardner.

At Upper Lake Union Elementary, kindergartners used to attend class from about 8 until 11:30 a.m., just before lunch. Now they leave around 2 p.m. with the rest of the students.

While some worry that younger students can’t handle as long of a school day as their older peers, a report provided by the National Education Association says the opposite is true and that these students “do better in a setting that allows them to learn and do activities in depth.”

Gardner agrees. “When we implemented it we saw tremendous growth. I mean kids … had the time to just explore and still be kindergarten students,” she said.

Before that, Upper Lake educators worried that they were introducing too much without allowing them enough time to access the material developmentally.

And, Gardner said, it has nothing to do with improving enrollment and keeping kids in school.

Kindergarten is not required before entry into the first grade. Some argue that the longer school day encourages parents to keep their kids enrolled because picking them up from school in the middle of the day can be challenging. 

According to Gardner this isn’t the case at all at Upper Lake. 

“I’ve heard that but I haven’t seen it,” she smiled. “I love kindergarten parents because that’s their first year where they’re looking at, ‘What’s the rest of my child’s schooling going to be like?’ They can have really strong opinions.”

However, Gardner added that enrollment has grown since the start of the new day-long program.

At Upper Lake Union Elementary the students have been assessed through observation during what teachers call “Target Time,” where students are grouped together according to reading ability to work together.

Through this assessment Gardner said that she has seen more and more students enter the first grade reading at the level they should be reading.

“They meet their grade level standards,” she said. “It’s absolutely a success.”

Every July, Upper Lake educators evaluate the kindergartners to discover their needs and build a program based on those needs instead of forcing students to conform to a prescribed curriculum.

According to the National Education Association, all-day kindergarten gives teachers more time to identify student needs, gives students a well-structured bridge to first grade, and offers students benefits that are not only intellectual but social and emotional as well.

The National Education Association stated that, “Children in full day kindergarten classes show greater reading and mathematics gains than those in half-day classes.”

Now that more schools with all day kindergartens are showing a marked improvement in the development of their youngest students, Lakeport will soon be following suit.

“We’ve been contemplating it for a few years,” said Lakeport Elementary Principal Anita Swanson. “After seeing how successful they [other schools] were we thought it was time to implement our own.”

Swanson said that there will be some adjustments after using a system that the kindergärtners teachers have grown accustomed to. 

Teachers used to assist each other in the mornings and afternoons with their students. Now that all will be teaching from morning until the end of the school day, they will be working with paraeducators instead, she said.

“There was a desire from the parents” for the full-day kindergarten, she said, adding that the additional time students and teachers will have together will be mutually beneficial in the long run.

Come fall all the Lake County schools offering kindergartens will be able to count Lakeport Elementary School among them. 

Middletown Unified is currently the only school district not offering an all day program to its students, according to the Lake County Office of Education. However trends suggest that Middletown won't be far behind the others.

“I was really happy to hear that Lakeport’s going to go all day next year too,” said Gardner.

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

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – A fire that began last Friday within the Mendocino National Forest has been fully contained, according to a Tuesday report.

The Sanhedrin fire burned a total of 25 acres, according to forest spokeswoman Tamara Schmidt.

Schmidt said the fire – reported Friday at around 7:30 p.m. – was located on private land within the Mendocino National Forest south of Little Signal Peak and east of the Sanhedrin Wilderness on the Upper Lake Ranger District. 

On Tuesday afternoon firefighters continued mop-up activities, Schmidt said.

She said smoke from the fire may still be visible for the next few days along Highway 101 and to communities on the west side of the forest.

Schmidt said the fire's cause remains under investigation.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Companies that originally had faced up to $2.4 million in fines for alleged air quality violations during a 2010 south county paving project will pay $30,000 in a settlement negotiated by the Lake County Air Quality Management District and the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.

County officials, International Surfacing Systems of West Sacramento – a provider of rubberized chip seal and other seal coat product installations – and its parent company Basic Resources Inc., agreed to the settlement, the final version of which was filed with the Lake County Superior Court on May 19.

The companies' attorney, Ryan Wood of the law firm Stoel Rives, called the case “meritless,” and said the settlement did not include an admission of fault and required only a small amount of money be paid.

Under the settlement, International Surfacing Systems, or ISS, is permanently enjoined and restrained from constructing and operating any plants or equipment used in the production of asphalt rubber paving materials that emit any air contaminants in Lake County – except for driving a licensed motor vehicle – unless it has permits or authorization from the Lake County Air Quality Management District.

The complaint alleged that ISS failed to apply for a minor use permit for the operation of a rubberized chip seal production plant for the Highway 29 and Highway 175 chip seal project from Aug. 9 through Aug. 19, 2010.

Lake County Air Quality Management originally cited ISS for 33 violations for the chip seal production plant, located across the highway from the Hidden Valley Food Mart. The violations were for operation without a valid permit and proper emissions control equipment, and for failing to take corrective action once notified of the violations.

Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said he notified the company on the first day of the plant operation that it did not have the proper permits, issuing the notice of violation the next day.

“They had state permits for their generators but none of the other equipment had permits” at either the state or local levels, he said.

The District Attorney's Office alleged that ISS operated for 10 days knowingly in violation of district rules and regulations.

Wood said Caltrans’ project specifications called for the use of a common asphalt product commonly known as “asphalt rubber,” so named because it blends recycled tire rubber with asphalt. He said it is also a “green” product in that it makes use of used tires, and keeps them out of landfills.

As a part of this project, Wood said ISS mobilized an asphalt rubber blending unit, transported by truck, to a staging area within Lake County. The blending trucks, as well as the pavement spreader trucks, he said, were all properly permitted through the California Air Resources Board’s Portable Equipment Registration Program.

Wood said local air districts such as Lake County Air Quality Management District may not regulate the equipment in any way based on state Health and Safety Code.

Gearhart said ISS violated Lake County Air Quality Management District rules and regulations, the operation resulted in significant impacts to a nearby residence and constituted an unfair business advantage. It did not, however, have a serious impact on a large community.

Based on the initial citations, ISS had faced potential fines of between $825,000 for negligence or up to $2,475,000 for knowingly and willfully violating the law, Gearhart said.

“That's what was filed for, up to the maximum,” Gearhart said.

Under California Health and Safety Code, Gearhart said fines are up to $25,000 for each negligent violation and up to $75,000 for each knowing and willful violation.

Gearhart said that not only was the company in violation of local permitting requirements, “They were in violation of their Caltrans project as well, but Caltrans was not enforcing that.”

“We require the contractor to obtain all permits that are required. But we do not audit the permits,” said Phil Frisbie Jr., Caltrans' public information officer for Lake and Mendocino counties.

He said ISS had a statewide permit and didn't realize it needed to apply for specific permits in Lake County. “They had not done work in Lake County before,” Frisbie said. “They thought they were covered.”

Ultimately, community members were upset with the quality of that south county chip sealing project. Caltrans accelerated a paving project in the area and found additional funds to address the quality issues, Frisbie said.

Frisbie said the chip seal project was within Caltrans' specifications, and was meant to offer better traction in winter weather. “We were experimenting. It wasn’t any fault of the contractor.”

Wood said ISS disputed the county's notice of violation and provided proof of its state permits. He said Lake County Air Quality Management District took no further action until two days before the three-year statute of limits, when it filed a lawsuit against ISS and Basic Resources Inc.

He said nothing in the complaint alleged that ISS did not have the proper permits, which he asserted was because officials were aware that the law didn't support the county's attempt to regulate the state-permitted equipment. Instead, it alleged that ISS had unlawfully admitted air contaminates into the air.

Robert Nichols, a California District Attorneys Association circuit prosecutor specializing in multijurisdictional cases, handled the case on behalf of the Lake County District Attorney's Office.

Nichols said the nature of the law in this case was complex, with the court needing to take into account a number of factors, including the extent of the deviation, company size, the period of time during which the inappropriate conduct was taking place and danger to the public.

He said getting experts proved difficult, but the biggest challenge was that a citizen witness in the case had moved out of state.

The issue of the statewide permit “certainly was a central issue in the case,” which Nichols said ultimately was resolved without litigation.

Wood argued that the case didn't make it to trial because of its “complete lack of merit,” which he said was revealed in depositions in pretrial discovery.

Based on depositions of Lake County Air Quality Management staff, Wood said they didn't have the necessary evidence to meet the burden of proof. He said ISS was prepared to defend the case through trial, and present the court with expert testimony that ISS’ equipment does not contaminate the air.

“There’s always things we can do better,” said Gearhart, adding, “This is the first major case that we’ve had in a long time.”

Nichols said he wouldn't have moved forward with the case if he thought it didn't have merit.

He added that as a prosecutor in a wide variety of cases – from misdemeanor petty thefts all the way up to homicides – for 33 years, he's never had a case where he wouldn't have liked to have some additional evidence. But just how much evidence you'll have and how strong it will be often aren't known definitely until time for trial.

Nichols said the case Gearhart and his staff put forward was presented in a comprehensive fashion. “It was a good investigation.”

The real issue from the prosecution's perspective, said Nichols, was how to gain compliance to stop such problems from arising in the future.

Wood said that, as a result of settlement conferences, ISS agreed to pay a small sum of $30,000, rather than incur potentially more cost in attorney’s fees to defend the case through trial.

ISS also agreed – by way of the injunction – to work with Lake County Air Quality Management District to get permits in the event it ever returns to do work in Lake County, Wood said.

Wood said ISS made no admission of fault in the settlement with the county air quality district, “and was innocent of any wrongdoing at all times.”

Nichols said ISS' willingness to concede that they will have to check and obtain permits in the future in order to be in compliance with local rules – either in Lake County or elsewhere – was “a significant thing.”

“In some counties they could have done exactly what they did and it wouldn’t have been a violation of law,” Nichols said.

Gearhart said he's had no indication that ISS plans to do any other projects locally.

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. – Two of the biggest fires of Lake County's early fire season were contained on Tuesday, as firefighters elsewhere around the state continued to work on big incidents.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Thomas fire broke out in a field across Highway 29 from Rainbow Ag, as Lake county News has reported.

Lakeport Fire Chief Doug Hutchison said firefighters from around Lake County, as well as ground and air resources from Cal Fire, worked on the blaze, which had a small spot that jumped Highway 29.

The last acreage estimate available on the fire was between 30 to 35 acres, but Hutchison said Tuesday evening that, at that point, it hadn't been definitively mapped.

Hutchison said the fire was contained, with fire hose placed around it. Crews were expected to be on scene on Wednesday morning.

He said firefighters had initial reports of a downed power line that may have caused the incident, but no such line was found.

As such, the fire's cause remains under investigation, said Hutchison.

Also on Tuesday, the Mendocino National Forest reported that a fire that began on Friday on private land on the Upper Lake Ranger District had been contained.

The Sanhedrin fire burned a total of 25 acres south of Little Signal Peak and east of the Sanhedrin Wilderness, according to forest spokeswoman Tamara Schmidt.

Schmidt said mop-up work on the incident was continuing on Tuesday.

Elsewhere around California, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said Tuesday that more than 4,000 firefighters continued to make good progress battling eight major wildfires. 

Berlant said the forecast calls for seasonably warm and dry weather this week, although for some areas it will seem cooler from the recent warm spell. 

However, high pressure builds in Wednesday through Friday and is expected to bring very hot and dry conditions, he said.

“With the hot, dry conditions wildfire activity continues to increase, which leads to an important reminder for residents to take steps to prevent sparking a wildfire,” Berlant said.

A rundown of major incidents around the state follows, with size estimates through late Tuesday.

Cal Fire incidents

– Corrine fire: Began June 18 in Madera County; 920 acres, 90-percent contained. Three structures destroyed, evacuations lifted. Cause is under investigation.

– Park Hill fire: Began June 20, San Luis Obispo County; 1,800 acres, 90-percent contained. Sixteen structures and nine vehicles (including two RVs used as residences) destroyed, evacuations lifted. Cause was carbon buildup from an unknown vehicle exhaust system.

– Red fire: Began June 21 in Madera County; 135 acres, 100-percent contained. 

Unified command fires

– Lake fire: Began June 17 in San Bernardino County; 17,525 acres, 33-percent contained. Evacuations remain in effect; 500 structures threatened. Cause is under investigation.

Federal incidents

– Saddle fire: Began June 10 in Trinity County; 1,542 acres, 95-percent contained. Caused by lightning.

– Sky Fire: Began June 18 in Madera County; 500 acres, 95-percent contained. Caused by a vehicle.

– Washington Fire: Began June 19 in Alpine County; 16,544 acres. Caused by lightning. 

Other incidents

– River fire: Began June 22 in Ventura County; 164 acres, 50-percent contained. All evacuations and closures lifted.

To learn about wildland fire preparedness, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org .

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. – Firefighters from agencies around Lake County are working on a large brush fire outside of Lakeport.

The fire was first dispatched at about 3 p.m. Tuesday, in a field across from Rainbow Ag, according to radio reports.

Lakeport Fire Chief Doug Hutchison told Lake County News that the fire is located at the end of Thomas Road.

He said the fire has burned toward Highway 29, with one small spot jumping the highway.

Lakeport Fire, Kelseyville Fire, Northshore Fire and Cal Fire were on scene, with Lake County Fire also sending resources, Hutchison said.

Cal Fire was bringing in air resources, with a copter on scene and air tankers also assigned, Hutchison said.

Hutchison said dozers and crews from Cal Fire also are on scene.

He said no structures were threatened.

Just before 5 p.m., Hutchison reported over the radio that forward progress on the fire had stopped, but firefighters were still in attack mode.

At that point, he estimated total size was between 30 and 35 acres.

Additional information will be posted as it becomes 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.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Firefighters on Monday kept a fire that began late last week in the Mendocino National Forest from growing further.

The Sanhedrin fire remained at 25 acres and 80-percent containment on Monday, according to forest spokeswoman Tamara Schmidt.

The fire began at around 7:30 p.m. Friday. Schmidt said it is burning on private land within the Mendocino National Forest, south of Little Signal Peak and east of the Sanhedrin Wilderness on the Upper Lake Ranger District.  

Firefighting resources started to be released Monday as the fire moved towards full containment and mop-up activity, Schmidt said.

Although the fire is nearing full containment, Schmidt said smoke from the fire may still be visible for the next few days along Highway 101 and to communities on the west side of the forest.

Schmidt said the cause remains under investigation.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Saturday, June 27, affords the next opportunity for the public to enjoy Lake County history as the Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum continues the series of Living History events from noon to 2 p.m. 

This particular event will welcome historian Bob Prather, whose specialties include Adams Springs and the Loch Lomond area. 

Prather will be available to the public in the Ely main house starting at noon to visit with guests and answer questions. 

Conversations with Prather may highlight aspects of the book, “It’s Lonely at the Top,” written by David J. Morgan. 

The book deals with narrow gauge logging in Lake County. Prather’s uncle, W.W. Prather, and his lumber company are featured in the book.

Guests can find copies of the book for purchase at the stage stop main house along with other books on Lake County History.

Home to the Lake County Historical Society, the stage stop is located at 9921 State Highway 281 (Soda Bay Road) in Kelseyville, near Clear Lake Riviera, just north of Highway 29-Kit's Corner. 

Current hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday. 

Living history events are held on the fourth Saturday of each month. Fiddlers’ Jams occur the first Sunday of every month, again, from noon until 2 p.m. 

Visit www.elystagestop.com or www.lakecountyhistory.org , check out the stage stop on Facebook at www.facebook.com/elystagestop or call the museum at 707-533-9990.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – This week, the Lake County Office of Education will host two community meetings on the plans to unify Upper Lake's two school districts.

The Lake County Board of Education, sitting jointly in its capacity as the Lake County Committee on School District Organization, will host the meetings on Wednesday, June 24.

A meeting will be held at 5 p.m. at Lucerne Elementary School, 3351 Country Club Drive, and at 7 p.m. at Upper Lake High School, 675 Clover Valley Road.

“We would encourage the public to come and express their thoughts regarding unification of the Upper Lake school districts,” Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg told Lake County News.

At both meetings, the unification process will be explained, with a summary of findings based on state-mandated criteria to be presented.

One hour of public input is being allotted at each of the meetings, based on the agendas.

Earlier this month, in separate meetings, the boards of the Upper Lake Union Elementary School District and the Upper Lake Union High School District voted unanimously to move forward with unifying, as Lake County News has reported.

Those votes followed months of joint board meetings to consider state-mandated criteria covering subjects like financial stability, building costs and services for students.

The unification would take effect in the 2016-17 school year, officials said.

The Lake County Office of Education is now carrying out its part of the process, including hosting the joint meetings, with the Lake County Board of Education to discuss the matter at a meeting on Aug. 19 before submitting the proposed unification to the State Board of Education on Aug. 26.

Other tasks for Falkenberg will include beginning the recruitment in September for a new school board for the unified district. 

That board would be appointed in November and work with the existing two school boards until next July, with the unification goes into effect.

Falkenberg anticipates the State Board of Education considering the unification at its November meeting.

John Jensen contributed to this report.

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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – As summer gets started, thousands of firefighters are working major fires around California, with state officials reporting that the number of wildland fires this year is well above the annual average.

Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant reported Monday that more than 4,000 firefighters were making  good progress battling six major wildfires in California. 

Berlant said that, since Jan. 1, Cal Fire has responded to nearly 2,500 wildfires, a 50-percent increase compared to an average year. 

“With dry drought conditions, there were over 270 new wildfires last week alone,” said Berlant. “The recent spike in wildfire activity is an important reminder for residents to take steps to prevent sparking a wildfire.”

A rundown of major incidents around the state follows, with size estimates through late Monday.

Cal Fire incidents

– Corrine Fire: Began June 18 in Madera County; 920 acres, three structures destroyed, 85-percent contained. Cause is under investigation.

– Park Hill Fire: Began June 20, San Luis Obispo County; 1,800 acres, 16 structures and nine vehicles (including two RVs used as residences) destroyed, 80-percent contained. Cause was carbon buildup from an unknown vehicle exhaust system.

Unified command fires

– Lake Fire: Began June 17 in San Bernardino County; 17,405 acres, 24-percent contained. Cause is under investigation.

Federal incidents

– Washington Fire: Began June 19 in Alpine County; 13,562 acres, 10-percent contained. Caused by lightning.

– Sky Fire: Began June 18 in Madera County; 500 acres, 60-percent contained. Caused by a vehicle.

– Saddle Fire: Began June 10 in Trinity County; 1,542 acres, 95-percent contained. Caused by lightning.

To learn about wildland fire preparedness, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org .

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.