LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As Northshore residents and businesses continue to clean up and make repairs in the wake of last week's damaging windstorm, a local group is stepping up to coordinate volunteers and collect donations.

The Northshore Business Association announced on Wednesday that it would be assuming the coordination role to help the community.

“We're going to try to be like a clearinghouse,” said association member and Webmaster Tony Barthel.

Widespread damage to homes and public utilities was reported in Clearlake and along the Northshore – particularly in Nice – as a result of the windstorm, which began last Thursday evening and continued into the following morning.

Throughout the storm firefighters and other emergency personnel responded to hundreds of calls. Power was knocked out to thousands of area residents; countless trees were knocked across roadways, power lines and into homes; and downed power lines resulted in several fires, according to officials.

“There are people who can help and people who need help,” and the association is going to work to put them together, Barthel said.

Barthel, who owns Featherbed Railroad Bed and Breakfast in Nice, also sustained damage at his business, with fallen trees, one of which fell across one of the cabooses that serve as guestrooms.

However, he said he's been on the receiving end of incredible generosity.

“It's a disaster, but it's amazing, we've had so many people come and help,” from people loaning him a generator to assisting with cleanup, he said.

Those needing assistance or wanting to volunteer can call the Northshore Business Association's hotline at 707-739-6661 and leave a message about their situation and contact information, and members will respond as quickly as possible.

A volunteer form also has been added to the group's Web site, http://www.northshorebusinessassociation.com/disaster-volunteer-form.html .

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. – The Lake County Arts Council is among 51 arts groups across California that have been awarded 2013-14 State-Local Partnership Program grants.

The State-Local Partnership Program fosters arts and cultural development at the local level through a partnership between the California Arts Council and each participating county's designated local arts agency, the California Arts Council reported.

Grants range from $9,750 to $13,000, with a total program award of $591,422 approved at the California Arts Council's September meeting.

California Arts Council spokesperson Caitlin Fitzwater told Lake County News that the Lake County Arts Council received a $10,465 grant.

Lake County Arts Council Executive Director Shelby Posada said the funds will be used primarily for operational and fundraising events.

In addition, some of the money will cover production costs for fundraising events at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre, including the Winter Music Fest and Spring Dance Festival, Posada said.

“The State-Local Partnership Program is integral to the California Arts Council's mission of advancing the entire state through the arts and creativity,” said Craig Watson, director of the California Arts Council. “Our local arts agency partners are leaders in local economic development, arts advocacy, and community engagement. We are pleased to once again support their important work.”

The program funds operational support, community collaborations, technical assistance, information exchange and leadership development, with goals including increasing public participation and support, serving the diverse needs of the state's local communities, encouraging and promoting arts in education, and fostering local and regional partnership and collaboration, the state reported.

Among the 50 other grantees are groups in nearby counties, including the Colusa County Arts Council, the Arts Council for Mendocino County, Arts Council Napa Valley, Arts Council of Sonoma County, Tehama County Arts Council and Yolo Arts.

The Lake County Arts Council and its Main Street Gallery are headquartered at 325 N. Main St. in Lakeport.

The self-funded, nonprofit volunteer organization promotes the work of local artists and offers opportunities for community members to experience locally created artwork.

One of its main projects is the Soper-Reese Community Theatre, located at 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport, http://www.soperreesetheatre.com/ .

The restored theater, built in the 1940s, is a professional venue that hosts performing arts and community events.

The council hosts monthly “First Friday Flings” at the gallery, introducing the work of local artists and musicians, as well as the annual music and dance shows at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre.

For more information, call the council at 707-263-6658 or visit http://www.lakecountyartscouncil.com/ .

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.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The main parking lot at the Middletown High School campus is a construction site as the Middletown Unified School District is increasing its energy efficiency efforts with the installation of solar photovoltaic systems.

District officials said the project entails installing solar photovoltaic systems serving the three schools on the Middletown campus and Coyote Valley Elementary School.

The installations include a ground mount at Coyote Valley and parking lot solar installations at the Middletown campus.

The total installed solar capacity at the Middletown Unified school sites will be 350 kilowatts, according to the district.

The systems are expected to reduce the district's annual energy consumption by 40 percent, and along with lighting upgrades will help the district reduce its utility bill by 50 percent.

In total, the project is expected to generate over $2.1 million in savings over 25 years, the district reported.

Through net energy metering, the energy produced by the solar photovoltaic systems will be used to offset site usage and any excess energy will be exported to the grid, the district said.

Since solar photovoltaic systems produce energy in the middle of the day when it is worth the most, the savings realized for the district are greater than 60 percent.

Middletown Unified School District said it will be compensated by Pacific Gas & Electric for the time-of-use value of the energy.

There are no up-front costs for the district, and the district also will not be providing any general fund dollars for the solar installations or lighting upgrades. Instead, the project will be funded by $2.1 million in 1 percent interest Qualified Zone Academy Bond monies.

After several months of investigation, Middletown Unified staff selected IEC Power LLC and Indoor Environmental Services as the team best suited to provide design and construction of the project.

IEC will be providing the design and installation of the renewable energy systems which include solar photovoltaic systems and IES completed the interior and exterior lighting upgrades.

The district said IEC also will provide an operations and maintenance agreement that will guarantee system output at 95 percent of expected performance.

IEC has experience in all facets of power generation – solar, wind, biomass, fuel cells, large scale power plants – and provides services not only to K-12 entities but also to utilities including SMUD, MID, LADWP, SDGE and TID.

The company has implemented energy conservation measures for more than 70 California K-12 school districts and has extensive experience in maximizing funding options such as Qualified Zone Academy Bond and K-12 specific utility rebate programs. As a team, they have led efforts within the state to tackle conservation first prior to installing renewable generation.

LUCERNE, Calif. – The Lucerne Alpine Senior Center is welcoming a new board chair.

The center did not have to search far to find a new chairman of the board after the sudden and unexpected resignation of Dr. John Zebelean.

A current member of the board, Dave Templeton, is the new chairman.

Before being unanimously voted to head the board, he was – and remains – in charge as a volunteer of operations at the center.

Templeton has a very interesting biography.

He spent five years as a Navy fighter pilot, leaving the Navy as a lieutenant commander.

After his stint in the Navy, he attended the University of California at Berkeley on the G.I. Bill. He earned a degree in molecular biology and minored in both anatomy and physiology.

After graduation, Templeton worked at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Tiring of science, he worked as a supervisor for The Pacific Regency, and eventually began his own trucking business.

The Lucerne Alpine Senior Center Board is extremely pleased to have a chairman with such a wide variety of professional and educational experiences, according to center executive director, Rae Eby-Carl.

Additionally, Templeton also is an accomplished musician. Those who attend the center's open mic sessions may know him as the drummer for the band FOGG. He loves music and feels it provides an outlet for his creativity.

Lucerne Alpine Senior Center also is recruiting for two additional board members. Templeton would be delighted to talk to those interested in serving.

For more information or an application call Lucerne Alpine Senior Center at 707-274-8779.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – County officials reported that they are continuing to assess damages from last week's power windstorm.

The storm, which began last Thursday night and continued into Friday morning, ripped through Lake County – particularly the Northshore and the Clearlake areas – causing extensive property damage.

The county of Lake and the city of Clearlake have both proclaimed a local emergency in an effort to expedite the cleanup process, and begin the process of determining the possibility of state and federal aid for disaster relief within their jurisdictions.

The damage assessments initially were hampered by the extensive power outages and downed power lines. Pacific Gas & Electric crews were working around the clock to restore electricity.

Power was restored to most Lake County customers by 6 p.m. Sunday, with a few remaining customers restored by early Tuesday morning, according to PG&E.

Some of the most extensive damage to public property occurred at the county-owned Holiday Harbor Marina in Nice. Approximately half of the docks were destroyed, covered boat awnings were crushed, fences were blown down and a utility pole was snapped.

Other public properties affected by the storm include Keeling Park in Nice, with a fallen tree on the public restrooms, and roof damage to the Upper Lake Library.

Numerous county parks also require extensive clean-up from green waste debris and the county road crews are performing widespread clean up of roadside debris.

While several public properties were damaged, it was the residential structures that were the hardest hit, particularly in the community of Nice, population 2,870.

“The most common type of damage is roof shingles blown off, carports blown down and fences knocked over,” said Community Development Director Richard Coel. “Roughly 25 percent of the homes surveyed in Nice thus far have some form of roof damage ranging from missing shingles to structural damage from trees.”

Lake County building inspectors are currently performing door-to-door surveys in Nice to assess the safety of each home for occupancy, as well as prepare a damage assessment for each structure.

When the building inspectors complete their assessments of Nice they will continue their surveys in Upper Lake and Lucerne.

The Community Development Department estimates they will be done with their damage assessments by Tuesday, Dec. 3.

As of noon on Monday, county building inspectors were able to survey a small sample of homes in Nice.

The county said that currently, the damage includes: 60 residential buildings suffering structural roof damage; nine homes with trees causing damage; five awning/carports destroyed; four dock roofs blown off; and three homes with utility service issues.

Coel expects these numbers to increase significantly as the damage assessment continues, and hopes to have updated numbers for the Nice community on Wednesday.

In an effort to help in the cleanup effort and prevent illegal dumping, the county of Lake has provided waste disposal dumpsters at three sites.

The public should note that no household waste, hazardous materials or green waste should be placed in the dumpsters.

The Lake County Public Services Department asks that green waste be placed next to the dumpsters and not in the dumpsters.

The locations of the disposal sites are:

• Upper Lake County Park, 575 E. Highway 20;
• Lucerne Harbor Park, 6225 E. Highway 20;
• Northshore Fire Department, 3708 Manzanita Dr., Nice.

An additional disposal site for green waste only has been set up near Keeling Park at 1000 Lakeshore Blvd.

For more information on help with the recovery process, citizens may go to www.caloes.ca.gov and click on the “Recovery” tab at the top.

A copy of the “Assistance and Services for Disaster Recovery” can also be found on the CalOES site, and has numerous phone numbers of different agencies that may be able to provide assistance.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Sutter Health reported that donations were given to two local charities to help feed those in need in Lake County this holiday season.

The Kelseyville Food Pantry and the Lake County Hunger Task Force each received a $5,000 check from Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Sutter Health.

“Over the past year, many of our patients and our neighbors have struggled to afford groceries. Being able to prepare healthy meals is the first building block in creating a healthy lifestyle,” said Siri Nelson, chief administrative officer of Sutter Lakeside Hospital. “We value our relationships with our community partners like the Kelseyville Food Pantry and the Lake County Hunger Task Force. Sutter Lakeside believes that it is vital to work together to address issues that affect the health of our patients and our community.”

This $10,000 gift to local food banks is a portion of a quarter-million-dollar donation by the Sutter Health network to food banks throughout Northern California.

These donations are an extension of Sutter’s not-for-profit mission to go above and beyond typical rural community hospital services by offering support to local charities, organizations, schools and causes.

The gifts are made on behalf of Sutter Lakeside Hospital’s and Sutter Health’s dedicated physicians, staff and volunteers.

Officials are predicting that California can expect a dry winter.

As part of ongoing work to develop seasonal water supply forecasting ability, the Department of Water Resources annually convenes researchers to develop an experimental winter outlook forecast, and to review other factors that may assist in improving forecasting skill at lead times ranging from several weeks to a year.

The forecast for water year 2014 (Oct. 1-Sept. 30) is of particular interest since water years 2012 and 2013 were both dry, and 2014 brings the possibility of a third dry year.

The experimental forecast prepared for DWR by Dr. Klaus Wolter of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado makes the following predictions based on statistical models that consider global influences on California climate:

Mostly dry conditions for most of California, with dry conditions being especially likely in Southern California.
Near-normal to drier than normal for the Colorado River Basin, an important source of water supply for Southern California, although not as dry as in water year 2013.
A small chance of a spring shift to El Niño conditions that could bring wetter weather for Southern California late in the season.

A primary source of skill in making seasonal climate outlooks for the Western U.S. is the status and expected behavior of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle.

ENSO neutral conditions are now present in the tropical Pacific Ocean, and are expected to persist throughout the winter months.

The El Niño and La Niña phases of ENSO provide some guidance as to the potential for dry or wet conditions, particularly in Southern California, but ENSO neutral conditions do not yield a predictive signal.

Other considerations such as the status of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, or recent Alaskan temperatures can be evaluated through statistical models to make a forecast in the absence of an ENSO-related signal.

“Atmospheric river (AR) storms are a wildcard in this forecast,” said Wolter. “My forecast last year for dry conditions in water year 2013 seemed destined for failure at first, since California experienced record wet conditions in late November/early December of last year courtesy of AR storms. However, the remainder of the season was record dry, producing an overall result of dry for the water year.”

California’s annual water supply is determined by a relatively small number of storms – only two or three storms or their absence can shift the balance between a wet year and a dry year.

On average, about half of California’s statewide precipitation occurs December through February, with three-quarters occurring November through March.

Averages can mask great variability within the wet season, however. Water years 2012 and 2013 were both dry, but their precipitation patterns were complete opposites.

Water year 2012 began with record dry conditions, setting a record for the latest closing date for the Tioga Pass highway due to the absence of significant snow until January.

Water year 2013 began record wet in Northern California, but then turned record dry from January on.

Forecasting swings like these in weather patterns at sub-seasonal timescales is also important for making water management decisions.

At DWR’s winter outlook workshop, preliminary research discussed by representatives from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and by the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography is offering potential opportunities for making forecasts of opportunity.

“New work is showing possible relationships between precipitation and phase of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), and between phase of the MJO and conditions favoring AR storms,” said Jeanine Jones of DWR. “DWR plans to collaborate with the research community to see how this information could continue to be developed to improve forecasting at timescales useful for water management.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With the Thanksgiving holiday just a day away, Cal Fire is reminding Californians about the dangers that home fires pose during the holiday season.

Holidays are a time of food, fun and festivities; but they are also a time to be extra cautious as thousands of home fires across the nation are caused from holiday cooking.

Most home fires begin in the kitchen as a result of cooking. During the holidays with friends and family visiting, it’s important to not get distracted and to be aware of your cooking activities.

“Thanksgiving Day is often one of our busier days responding to home cooking fires,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, Cal Fire director. “Practicing a little extra fire safety can prevent a cooking fire and leave your Thanksgiving to enjoy with your family and friends.”

“The leading cause of home fires is cooking fires. That is why it is important to “keep an eye on what you are fry” and not leave cooking food unattended,” said Chief Tonya Hoover, state fire marshal. “You can reduce the chances of a home fire.”

To help reduce the chance of fire and injuries associated with holiday cooking fires, Cal Fire offers the following tips:

• Don’t leave cooking unattended and keep an eye on what you fry. If you leave the kitchen, turn the burner off.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove. Someone walking by is less likely to bump them or pull them over.
• Food preparation and cooking should always be supervised by an adult.
• When using a turkey fryer, be sure to follow instructions closely. Don’t exceed the recommended oil level and only use the device outdoors!
• Make sure a fire extinguisher is handy at all times. Never use water to put out a grease fire.
• Ensure you have working smoke alarms installed throughout your home.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – An Elk Grove man was identified as the victim of a fatal crash that took place over the weekend at a race track near Willows.

Kenneth Ray Henry, 50, died following the crash on Sunday afternoon at Thunderhill Raceway Park, according to a report from Glenn County Sheriff Larry Jones.

Jones said that shortly after 2:30 p.m. Sunday the Glenn County Sheriff's Office was contacted by Glenn Medical Center, which informed the agency that a motorcycle rider who had been transported from Thunderhill Raceway via ground ambulance had passed died.

Deputy Jon Owens arrived at the hospital and learned that Henry had been pronounced deceased by the emergency room physician, according to Jones.

Jones said that Henry had arrived in Willows last Friday, Nov. 22, along with two friends, to race at Thunderhill.

One of Henry's friends told Owens he was racing behind Henry, who was on his Yamaha motorcycle traveling at approximately 80 to 100 miles per hour, when he observed Henry abruptly let go of the handle bars, Jones said.

The witness stated Henry then came off the motorcycle backwards, landing on the track’s surface directly on his back. Jones said Henry’s bike continued upright for some distance down the track.

Raceway medics responded. Enloe Hospital ambulance medics were dispatched to the race track at 1:29 p.m. and arrived on scene at 1:37 p.m. to find CPR was in progress, according to Jones' report.

Henry was then transported to Glenn Medical Center where lifesaving efforts were continued; however, Henry did not respond and he was pronounced dead at 2:27 p.m., Jones said.

Jones said the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office has ordered an autopsy in order to determine the exact cause of death.

In 2007, astronomers were amazed when a solar storm hit Comet Encke.

NASA STEREO spacecraft watched as a coronal mass ejection – or CME – struck the comet head on and ripped off its tail.

The same thing could be in store for Comet ISON – only worse.

On Nov. 28, Comet ISON will pass through the sun's atmosphere, flying little more than a million kilometers above the sun's surface.

It will be ~30 times closer to the sun than Encke was in 2007 and more likely to encounter a ferocious solar storm.

“For one thing,” said Angelos Vourlidas of the Naval Research Lab and a participant in NASA's Comet ISON Observing Campaign (CIOC), “the year 2007 was near solar minimum. Solar activity was low. Now, however, we are near the peak of the solar cycle and eruptions are more frequent.”

“I would absolutely love to see Comet ISON get hit by a big CME,” said Karl Battams, an astronomer at the Naval Research Lab who also works with the CIOC. “It won't hurt the comet, but it would give us a chance to study extreme interactions with the comet's tail.”

CMEs are magnetized clouds of plasma hurled into space by the explosions of sunspots. The gas inside a CME is not very dense, so its impact would not shatter a comet's core.

The fragile tail is another matter. Comet tails are as gossamer as the CMEs themselves, so the interactions can be intense and unpredictable.

“The CME that ran over Comet Encke back in 2007 was slow, barely creating a pressure pulse by compressing the solar wind ahead of it,” noted Vourlidas. “It was this compression which caused the Encke's tail to fly off.”

He believes that Comet ISON would experience something more dramatic. “Any CME that hits Comet ISON close to the sun would very likely be faster, driving a shock wave with a much stronger magnetic field. Frankly, we can't predict what would happen.”

Comet ISON entered the field of view of STEREO-A's Heliospheric Imager on Nov. 2st.

Coincidentally, Comet Encke is there, too. Presently, the two comets are being gently buffeted by solar wind and their tails are wagging back and forth accordingly.

The Heliospheric Imager on NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft is tracking Comet ISON as it plunges toward the sun. In this movie, which spans a two day period from Nov. 20 to Nov. 22, 2013, the sun is off-screen to the right. Coincidentally, Comet Encke is present too. Movie, Commentary

If the sun erupts, both comets could be engulfed by the same CME. This would turn the two comets into solar probes. Like wind socks, they would sample the storm from two widely separated locations, giving researchers a rare 3D view of a CME's inner structure.

Comet ISON will be passing over the sun's equator on Nov. 28 on the same side of the sun where a group of active sunspots was recently clustered.

In other words, said Battams, “we're going to be in the 'hot zone' for CMEs.”

NASA's entire fleet of solar observatories will be watching when ISON takes the plunge.

This includes STEREO-A and STEREO-B, the Solar Dynamics Observatory, and the Solar and Heliophysics Observatory (SOHO), which NASA operates along with the European Space Agency.

If a CME strikes the comet, all of the spacecraft are likely to see what happens.

“It would be pretty new territory for us,” said Battams.

“ ... And a nice preview of what NASA's Solar Probe+ spacecraft might experience when it plunges into the sun in the 2020s,” added Vourlidas.

Stay tuned!

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

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Mendocino National Forest reported that firefighters are approaching full containment on a wildland fire burning since Saturday on the Upper Lake Ranger District.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the High Glade Fire had burned 305 acres and was 70 percent contained, according to forest spokesperson Tamara Schmidt.

The fire previously had been estimated to have burned 350 acres. Schmidt said the reduction in acres is due to more complete and accurate mapping of the fire perimeter.

Full containment is expected by the end of the week, she said. Smoke will still be visible as interior fuels continue to burn.

Visitors are asked to avoid the area due to increased fire traffic. Several roads are closed in the area; visit www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino to view Closure Order 08-13-09 for more detailed information.

The High Glade Fire was spotted early Saturday morning. The cause of the fire is under investigation, Schmidt said.

She said the Tuesday afternoon update on the fire was expected to be the final one from the forest headquarters unless significant activity occurs.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The local group that sponsors an annual Wreaths Across America event for Lake County reported that it is adding two more cemeteries to this year's commemorations.

The annual event lays wreaths on the graves of veterans interred locally.

Local veterans performed the first Wreaths Across America ceremony ever held at Hartley Cemetery in Lakeport seven years to remember and honor veterans for the sacrifices they and their families made for the nation, according to event coordinator, Toni Funderburg.

The second year that the ceremony took place, then-coordinator Slick Hultquist wanted to get the youth involved to teach them more about the veterans' sacrifices and instill in them respect for veterans.

Hultquist later asked Funderburg to take on being the local coordinator for Wreaths Across America as he was very busy volunteering for other veterans functions. The vision was to expand the Wreaths Across America throughout Lake County. That vision has become a reality.

This year Upper Lake Cemetery was added as the fourth cemetery to have a Wreaths Across America ceremony, joining Hartley, Kelseyville and Lower Lake cemeteries, according to Funderburg.

The Knights of Columbus No. 7611 called on Nov. 19; because of the group's generosity and willingness to participate, there will be a fifth ceremony at the St. Mary’s Cemetery on Highway 175 outside of Lakeport, Funderburg reported.

With the support of veterans, youth groups and local volunteers, Funderburg said there will be five Wreaths Across America ceremonies that will take place simultaneously at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14.

There are four youth groups that are selling sponsorships for remembrance wreaths for the veterans' graves: Boy Scout Troop 42 for Hartley Cemetery, Boy Scout Troop 45 for Kelseyville Cemetery, the Lake County 4-H Group for Lower Lake and the FFA for Upper Lake.

Individual sponsorships cost $15 for one wreath and the family option costs $60 for four wreaths, small businesses can fund 10 wreaths for $150 and corporations can sponsor 100 or more wreaths for $1,500.

The goal for each cemetery is to place wreaths on as many of the veterans' graves as possible.

Funderburg said that individuals, businesses and organizations have sponsored wreaths but more are needed.

Sponsorship forms can be picked up at Lakeport Tire & Auto Service, 1901 S. Main St. in Lakeport, or you can call 707-263-5422 and they will fax or email you a sponsorship form.

If you use Facebook, go to Wreaths Across America – Lake County, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wreaths-Across-America-Lake-County/103251736433906 , and you can download a sponsorship form after liking the Wreaths Across America page. You will be able to choose a cemetery and a sponsoring group. Checks must be made to Wreaths Across America.

Or go www.wreathsacrossamerica.org and sponsor a wreath and payment can be made with a credit card.

The deadline for submission of the sponsorships is Saturday, Nov. 30.