LAKEPORT, Calif. – Community leaders and residents, college faculty and staff, and Mendocino College students gathered on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the official opening of the college’s new Lake Center campus.

Located on Parallel Drive, with a clear view of Mt. Konocti, the $15 million campus features new and spacious amenities – about 15,000 square feet in classrooms, offices, labs and other facilities – for the nearly 700 students who began classes there in January.

Arturo Reyes, Mendocino College’s superintendent/president and the event’s master of ceremonies, said the new campus was a “vivid” step in the college’s effort to provide high quality education to students.

The college’s grand opening comes at a time when new educational doors are opening around the county.

Yuba College’s Clear Lake Campus has completed major new building projects, and both it and Mendocino College are working with Marymount California University, which is opening its third campus at the Lucerne Hotel.

Marymount will be the county’s first four-year university, and is aiming to partner in the endeavor of creating a seamless route from elementary to four-year and graduate degrees for the county’s students.

Dr. Kevin Grant from Marymount was on hand for the Lake Center dedication, as was Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook, another partner in the effort to expand local offerings for students.

Initiatives like creating a new campus don’t happen in a vacuum, said Reyes, who thanked students, staff and faculty for their support.

He also gave special acknowledgement – including calling for a standing ovation – to Kelseyville resident Mike Adams, the college’s facilities planning director, whose vision and leadership were instrumental in making the new campus a reality.

Board of Trustees President Joel Clark recalled the 2006 campaign for Measure W, the bond that voters in Lake and Mendocino counties approved to fund a list of college projects, the Lake Center among them.

Despite some concern that there might be opposition to the bond, Clark said the communities joined together and passed it, and he thanked voters for taking that action.

Some of those original college project plans had relied heavily on state grant funding, but in 2008 the state grants dried up, Clark said.

That didn’t stop the college from moving forward. He said college officials like Adams and Vice President for Administrative Services Larry Perryman came up with creative solutions to save money but still complete all of the projects on the list.

When the new campus opened in January, there immediately were hundreds of students attending, and Clark said during the first week they had to increase the size of the parking lot.

Congressman Mike Thompson said the new college campus was a huge milestone for the community, and explained the importance of community colleges, and how they benefit a wide spectrum of students and community members.

He said in California 70 percent of nurses and 80 percent of police officers and firefighters receive their education at community colleges.

In addition, a “huge number” of students who receive degrees from California State Universities and the University of California start out at community colleges, he said.

Many veterans also rely on community colleges for their education, with more than 50 percent of those who go back to school after returning from service attending community colleges, he said.

Thompson, a Vietnam veteran, said he enrolled in a community college after returning from the war, eventually moving on to a California State University.

He also thanked Adams, who is his neighbor in Kelseyville. “It never would have happened without him.”

He presented a flag that had flown over the US Capital to the college to fly over the campus.

Mark Rawitsch, dean of instruction at Lake and Mendocino county’s campuses, said the Lake Center was designed for its beautiful setting.

Thanks to voters approving the 2006 bond measure, the local project received local funding, he said.

Aaron Bielenberg, the student member of the board of trustees, grew up in Lake County, and said the college was offering vital opportunities for students, including allowing them to take lab classes without having to drive hours to do so.

“I see great things in my future,” he said, noting he owes a lot to the campus. He will transfer to the University of California, Davis, to study mathematics next semester.

The event wrapped up with city, county and college officials joining with members of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce to cut the opening ribbon in front of the main building.

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. – A Wednesday afternoon fire burned a pasture and destroyed an outbuilding near Lakeport.

The fire in the 2500 block of Dessie Drive was first dispatched just after 1:30 p.m., according to radio reports.

Lakeport Fire, Kelseyville Fire and Cal Fire responded to the incident, according to Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells.

Wells said the fire burned about an acre of grass as well as a pump house, but was stopped well before reaching a nearby home.

Radio reports had indicated the fire was contained just after 2 p.m.

Wells said they were not sure exactly where the fire started. “Cal Fire was looking into 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.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A wildland fire burned a small amount of acreage near Lower Lake on Tuesday morning, with firefighters quickly knocking it down before it could spread further.

The fire off of Morgan Valley Road was reported just before 10:30 a.m., according to radio traffic.

Lake County Fire Protection, South Lake County Fire and Cal Fire resources responded to the scene, which they accessed off of Chimney Rock Road several miles out of Lower Lake, reports from the scene indicated.

Hand crews, engines and Cal Fire’s Copter 104 were among the resources sent to the scene, based on radio traffic.

Shortly before noon the fire was reported contained. Size estimates given over the radio put the fire at about five to six acres.

Just after 12:15 p.m. it was reported that three Cal Fire crews, two engines and a dozer were to remain on scene for between three to five hours to watch hot spots and mop up.

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. – Daytime highs will tick upward today as a high-pressure system strengthens over the West Coast and the winds that kicked up yesterday weaken, allowing temperatures to increase into the early weekend.

As high pressure builds and holds firm over Lake County and all of California today and into Friday, forecasters with Western Weather Group Lake County expect daytime temperatures to inch upwards into the 90s Friday and Saturday with plenty of sunshine and more moisture in the air.

However, a change in the weather is forecast to move into Lake County Saturday evening into Sunday, bringing back clouds and more seasonal temperatures with a slight possibility of isolated showers (10 percent) into early next week according to Western Weather Group.

Daytime highs on Sunday will drop back to the upper 70s and low 80s, although overnight lows will remain fairly consistent according to forecasters.

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

LUCERNE, Calif. – A male subject was transported to an out-of-county trauma center following an assault Wednesday afternoon.

Firefighters and deputies were dispatched to the incident at the Lucerne on the Lake mobile home park, located at 5877 Lake Street in Lucerne, at about 1:15 p.m.

Initially, firefighters were directed to stage as a fight involving several people was still taking place, with one male subject down, according to radio reports.

Other subjects allegedly involved in the right fled the scene on foot, with one reported to be heading eastbound along Highway 20, based on scanner traffic.

Once cleared, firefighters arriving at the scene called for an air ambulance. REACH 6 responded to Lucerne Harbor Park to pick up the assault victim.

Shortly after 2 p.m. REACH 6 lifted off, en route to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, according to radio reports.

The extent of the man’s injuries were not immediately reported.

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. – An increase in sexually transmitted diseases is raising concern for public health officials nationwide, with local officials also pointing to new and dangerous trends for infection.

Increased focus has been placed on STDs in April, which is STD Awareness Month.

A recent analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that half of all new infections occur among young people aged 15-24, with the diseases costing American health care system nearly $16 billion in direct medical costs.

Federal health officials estimate there are 20 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases annually, based on an analysis of eight common diseases – chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B virus (HBV), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis and trichomoniasis.

Total infections nationwide are estimated at 110 million, according to the CDC.

The greatest number of cases is of HPV, both in terms of new and total infections, based on the CDC analysis.

“We have seen a real increase in several sexually transmitted disease and it’s really quite alarming to me,” said Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait.

In a recently released state health report, it found that Lake County’s reported chlamydia infections were up by 52 percent.

Tait said Lake County has had a gonorrhea problem since late 2009, and now syphilis is on the rise, which she said is a particular concern. She called it “a real wake-up call about the risks of unsafe sex.”

She added, “It’s part of a bigger trend, it’s not just in Lake County.”

It was in 2009 that the county’s number of gonorrhea infections jumped sharply to 37 cases, compared to an average of 13 cases annually during 2004-2008, said Tait.

Of particular concern for Tait is a resurgence in syphilis. “This is the first time in my career that I have come across syphilis infections in the teenage age group. We need to do everything we can to stop this trend.”

She explained that syphilis is a disease that can appear to resolve yet, if untreated, silently results in long-term harmful effects, including neurologic and cardiovascular disease. Syphilis during pregnancy can result in serious harm to a developing fetus.

Tait said Lake County Public Health – assisted by the California Department of Public Health – conducted intensive contact tracing and worked to assure adequate treatment of those STD cases.

She said those efforts seemed to yield some short-term improvements, but cases have nonetheless have continued to increase.

Looking at state and local trends

Provisional data for Lake County shows peaks in gonorrheal infections during both the third and fourth quarters of 2012 that exceed the highest quarterly case count in 2009, Tait said.

By the end of 2012, 58 reported cases of gonorrhea were in the system, ranging in age from 13 years to 38 years, according to Tait. At the same time, chlamydia cases in 2012 totaled 196.

Tait said the highest rates of both chlamydia and gonorrhea are in the age 18-19 year age group, with the exception of gonorrhea in males occurring at a higher frequency in the 20-24 year age group.

There also was a recent case of chlamydia reported in the over-65 age group, which Tait said illustrates the fact that no age group is immune.

“It’s really distressing to see this trend, and it’s really hard to stop,” she said.

State officials also are seeing an uptick in cases of STDs, according to Heidi Bauer, MD, chief of the California Department of Public Health’s STD control branch.

In the state’s most receive STD surveillance report, which covers the year 2011, it reported 27,455 gonorrhea cases, 164,591 chlamydia cases and 2,448 instances of primary and secondary stage syphilis.

Bauer said the 2012 report on STD surveillance is in draft form. There always are some delays in the data, with both Bauer and Tait acknowledging that local information often is more up-to-date than the state’s.

However, based on her assessment of the 2012 data, “My impression is most things are increasing,” said Bauer.

Bauer said the ongoing increases in chlamydia that they’re tracking have many factors. “We actually have other data we look at to help us understand the trends.”

Testing is one of those factors, with Bauer explaining that in the mid 1990s more sensitive methods for testing became widely available for the disease. Because chlamydia is asymptomatic, many people didn’t know they had it until they took one of those new tests, Bauer said.

At the same as better testing became available in the 1990s, chlamydia screening became a national quality care measure, Bauer said. Routine screening is now recommended for females up to age 25.

Testing, she said, contributes to an “artificial trend” which doesn’t necessarily indicate greater chlamydia transmission. However, “We’re still seeing an increase,” Bauer said.

Increased screening for gonorrhea – which also can be detected in chlamydia testing – don’t account for the rise in cases for that disease, said Bauer.

“I don’t think we have any easy explanations,” she said.

Bauer said gonorrhea cases in gay men have increased disproportionately when compared with other groups. Gonorrhea in males is very symptomatic so they tend to seek care immediately.

As for syphilis, Tait said it has been “a real rarity” in Lake County. However, recent surveillance shows one teenage case and four cases in the 20s and up to age 30, with those stats not yet showing up in the state’s most recent reports.

“We're getting both male and female cases, which is also a little different from relatively high rates among men who have sex with men,” Tait said.

Bauer said that primary and secondary stage syphilis cases also are on the rise statewide, with the majority of cases involving men who have sex with men. “That’s where we’re seeing the predominant transmission in syphilis.”

State health officials also are seeing more cases in women, an occurrence which Bauer calls “a little more perplexing,” as they don’t have the same explanations as they do for the increase in males.

Tait offers several theories for local increases in STDs, including new opportunities for casual sexual encounters due to social media; “old-fashioned partying” that includes drug and alcohol use, which lowers inhibitions and can lead to dangerous behaviors; and a more casual attitude about the significance of STDs.

Working on solutions

Tracing and handling STD cases is complicated and resource intensive work for a small county health department like Tait’s.

She said the Lake County Public Health Division has one communicable disease nurse who receives and processes reportable disease information – including STDs.

That nurse, Tait explained, confidentially interviews those who are recently diagnosed to identify contacts who need to be warned and tested.

That process is one that often is thwarted by fear, unwillingness, stigma or just lack of information. She said that even though the infected person’s identity is not revealed, there still remains a reluctance to identify sexual contacts. In other cases, contacts’ names aren’t known or they are too numerous to count.

Tait said the agency has to prioritize how it uses its limited resources, so the greatest effort goes toward controlling syphilis, HIV and gonorrhea. In the case of Chlamydia infections, sexual contacts are only rarely tracked down and notified.

She said it’s essential that people who are at risk for acquiring a sexually transmitted disease seek regular screening through a health provider.

“People think there is a treatment for everything,” she said. “They are very much wrong.”

Tait said that in the case of gonorrhea, treatment options are fewer and fewer because of the development of drug resistance. “New antibiotics are not coming along fast enough. We face the scary prospect that we may some day not be able to effectively treat gonorrhea.”

She said pharmaceutical production problems have resulted in recent antibiotic shortages of common but important medications, such as doxycycline – an important alternative treatment for chlamydia and syphilis.

With so many challenges for tracking and cure, public health officials like Tait are urging prevention.

Hepatitis B and human papillomavirus have vaccines to help prevent infection, but those vaccines must be given before there is even one opportunity for sexual exposure. For that reason, she said infants routinely receive Hepatitis B vaccination and HPV vaccination is recommended as early as age 9 years.

However, Tait said vaccines are not available for most STDs, making avoiding exposure critical, since exposure to one STD often means exposure to others. That means education that leads to informed decisions is critical.

Tait said abstinence from all sexual contact is the only fail-safe protection against STD infections.

While she acknowledges that while talking about these subjects with teens is difficult for most parents, it’s also crucial. She said schools have an important role in educating children, but can’t take the place of families.

Condoms remain important in protecting against STDs, but Tait said they do not offer 100 percent protection, so every decision to have a sexual encounter needs to consider the risk.

Tait said minors 12 years and older are allowed, by law, to seek diagnosis treatment and now prevention (through vaccination) of STDs without parental consent. As family circumstances allow, she said teens are encouraged to talk to their parents.

For more information, call the Lake County Public Health Division at 707-263-1090 or toll-free (800) 794-9291 for an appointment; visit http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/std/Pages/default.aspx ; or to locate STD testing and treatment services anywhere, go to http://findstdtest.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.

California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris on Wednesday applauded Gov. Jerry Brown for signing a bill that provides $24 million for a Department of Justice program that takes firearms out of the hands of individuals who are prohibited by law from owning them.

“California is leading the nation in a common-sense effort to protect public safety by taking guns away from dangerous, violent individuals who are prohibited by law from owning them,” said Attorney General Harris. “These funds will allow the Department of Justice to increase the number of agents conducting these smart and effective operations. I commend Gov. Brown for signing this critical public safety investment into law.”

Senate Bill 140, which takes effect immediately, will allow the attorney general to hire 36 additional agents for the Armed and Prohibited Persons program (APPS). It will enable the Department of Justice to increase enforcement operations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno and Riverside.

California is the only state with a program like APPS, which identifies people who previously purchased one or more guns, but are later prohibited from owning them.

A person becomes prohibited if he or she is convicted of a felony or a violent misdemeanor, is placed under a domestic violence restraining order or is determined to be mentally unstable.

Senate Bill 140, by Sen. Mark Leno, appropriates $24 million to the Department of Justice from a fund created by fees paid by gun owners at the time of purchase to hire additional agents and support staff.

“I applaud Gov. Brown for signing into law this important legislation that addresses California’s growing backlog of illegally possessed firearms,” said Leno, D- San Francisco. “While our state is the only one in the nation that has a system to track and identify persons who at one time made legal purchases of firearms but are now barred from possessing them, until now we have lacked sufficient resources to take back those weapons. We know for the safety of our communities that these people should not possess guns, and our reinvestment in this tracking program gives us the opportunity to confiscate them.”

Upon taking office in 2011, Attorney General Harris added 10 agents to the program, making a total of 33, in order to increase the number of guns confiscated from prohibited persons.

Over the last two years, DOJ agents have investigated nearly 4,000 people and seized nearly 4,000 weapons, including nearly 2,000 handguns and more than 300 assault weapons. In the first three months of 2013, agents have collected 461 firearms and 23,080 rounds of ammunition.

The APPS database cross-references five databases to identify those who legally purchased handguns and registered assault weapons since 1996 with people who are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.

The database was completed in November 2006, and the first statewide sweep was conducted in 2007.

When Attorney General Harris took office, she directed Department of Justice agents to conduct daily enforcement activities with the support of local law enforcement.

In January, Attorney General Harris sent a letter to Vice President Biden urging the APPS program to be considered as a national model.

In February, she announced her support for U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson’s legislation to create a national grant program that will allow other states to start their own APPS programs.

COBB, Calif. – The inaugural Cobb Mountain Angel Project, in memory of Bethany Vogel, will be held at the Little Red School House in Cobb this Saturday, May 4.

The event will take place from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and is a benefit for the Lake Family Resource Center’s Freedom House domestic violence shelter and the Bethany Vogel Early Childhood Education Scholarship at Yuba College.

Bethany Vogel, 33, was found dead in her Cobb home on May 4, 2012. Authorities believed she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend.

Her family and friends say her death resulted from domestic violence, and they are holding this benefit in her memory.

Saturday’s event will include a spaghetti dinner, no host bar, dancing, entertainment and a silent auction.

The cost is $10 per person ages 7 and up, with tickets costing $5 for children age 6 and under.

For those who can’t attend the Saturday event, it’s requested that they consider making a gift to The Bethany Angel Vogel Memorial Fund at Westamerica Bank.  

The Little Red School House is located at 15780 Bottle Rock Road in Cobb.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The boards of Fort Bragg Community Federal Credit Union and Mendo Lake Credit Union met jointly on April 25 in Fort Bragg and approved a resolution initiating the regulatory process to merge the two credit unions.  

The signed resolution is now subject to state and federal regulatory approval. Upon approval, FBCFCU members will be given an opportunity to vote on the merger agreement, with a full disclosure of merger details provided to members prior to the vote.

“This is a result of a lot of hard work and decision making by staff and board members from both credit unions,” said Cameron Reeves, chair of the MLCU Board, at the April 25 meeting. “It’s exciting to join forces with FBCFCU – a credit union that has similar values to MLCU. Now that we have accomplished this first key step, we will continue to be diligent and ensure that the merger is a success for all parties involved.”   

Chuck Tell, board chair of FBCFCU, noted, “The proposed merger will provide FBCFCU members a range of new and expanded services, maintain our local office as well as our many long term employees. It’s a win – win for both credit unions and their members.”  

Since both organizations are cooperatives, this process is not like the merger of two shareholder controlled institutions where there is a profit motive for either or both parties.  

Instead, a merger of cooperatives is designed to assure the best in ongoing service to the continuing membership.  

As the costs of providing the myriad of financial services that members want and need grows – a larger but still moderately sized local institution will be better positioned to provide a higher level of ongoing service.  

FBCFCU has been serving member financial needs since 1952, MLCU since 1959.

Assuming that regulatory and member approval are obtained, the combined organization would be over $170 million in total assets and serve more than 24,000 members.  

Out of that total, the proposed combined Fort Bragg branch of MLCU will have over $50 million in deposits, more than $26 million in loans and serve over 7,000 members.  

MLCU will assume all of FBCFCU’s assets and liabilities, and the continuing credit union will maintain the MLCU name and brand.  

In addition, the merger agreement includes a provision for two of the volunteer board members of FBCFCU to join the volunteer MLCU board of directors.

Member deposits will continue to be insured to $250,000 by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund – a U.S. Government Agency.  

Due to larger office size, the continuing Fort Bragg location will be housed at the FBCFCU office on Franklin Street.  

The Fort Bragg location will offer all current employees of both credit unions opportunities to stay and grow – with both branch service and back office positions being maintained in Fort Bragg.  

Richard Cooper will be the chief executive officer of the continuing credit union; Pam Merritt, CEO of FBCFCU, will retire at the conclusion of the merger.  

Jill Lydick, the assistant manager of FBCFCU, will stay on with Mendo Lake in a senior management position as will current MLCU Fort Bragg branch manager Tracy McDaniel.  

Credit union officials said this partnership will ensure continued stability and vitality and position the continuing credit union for sustained future growth. The greater capital resources of the combined organization will continue to provide a high level of local service while maintaining the reserves needed for growth and stability in the years to come.  

For more information, visit www.fbcredit.com or www.mlcu.org .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Wednesday evening fire destroyed a home in the Clear Lake Riviera, but firefighters were able to prevent the fire from damaging other homes in the area or getting into nearby brush.

The home, located on Wheeler Drive and backing onto Terrace Way, was first dispatched shortly before 8 p.m.

A large contingent of local fire agencies converged on the blaze, with Kelseyville Fire, Lakeport Fire, Lake County Fire and Cal Fire all responding, according to Kelseyville Fire Chief Mike Stone.

Stone said no one was home when the fire broke out.

He said the fire was contained within 20 minutes. “The house itself is a total loss,” he said.

Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to other homes nearby. “No other house or structure was damaged,” he said.

A small fire broke out in the home’s backyard, but Stone said that was quickly extinguished. Firefighters also were able to keep the fire from heading into the nearby wildland that surrounds the neighborhood.

Stone said firefighters were going to remain on scene late into the night for mop up and to keep an eye on the burned home.

He said an investigation into the cause would start on Thursday.

“Tomorrow morning at first light we’ll have a crew out here taking a look to see what caused it,” he said.

Just after 1:30 a.m. Thursday firefighters were dispatched back to the house after a neighbor reported seeing flames at the back of the home, according to radio traffic.

Firefighters arriving at the scene found that the fire had rekindled, but were able to quickly get it under control within 20 minutes, followed by additional mop up, radio traffic indicated.

Special thanks to Brittany Hazelton for the video.

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. – May is Older Americans Month, a perfect opportunity to show our appreciation for older adults.

Since 1963, people across the nation have come together to celebrate Older Americans Month – a proud tradition that shows our country's commitment to recognizing the achievements and contributions of seniors in our communities.

This year the theme for Older Americans Month is “Unleash the Power of Age,” and it couldn’t be more fitting.

Older Americans are active, productive, influential members of society, sharing wisdom, essential talents, and life experience with their families, neighbors and friends.

The Area Agency on Aging pays tribute to seniors each year – especially during the month of May – and affirms the accomplishments and skills of older adults living in Lake and Mendocino counties.

As the baby boomers reach retirement age, our communities have increased their efforts to provide meaningful opportunities for older adults – many of whom remain socially and physically active through their 80s and beyond.

Current trends show that people over age 60 account for an ever-growing percentage of volunteers in community service positions, faith-based organizations, online social networking as well as arts and recreational groups.

Lifelong participation in creative, social and physical activities has proven health benefits including retaining mobility, muscle mass and cognitive abilities.

But older adults are not the only ones who benefit from their engagement in community life. Studies show their interactions with friends, family and neighbors across generations enrich the lives of everyone involved.

Young people who have significant relationships with a grandparent or elders report that these relationships helped shape their values, life choices and goals, and instilled in them a sense of identity and roots.

According to the Administration on Aging, approximately 40 million senior adults – people 65 years or older – live in the U.S., comprising 13 percent of the total population.

One of every eight Americans is a senior citizen, and this number is expected to reach over 72 million older persons by the year 2030.

As part of Older Americans Month and in keeping with the theme of “Unleash the Power of Age,” we encourage everyone to get involved with at least one senior and enjoy more playful social interactions such as games, sports, contests and other forms of intergenerational engagement.

Possible fun activities include board games, bowling, cooking, swimming, baking, going to movies, taking nature walks, volunteering with a community service group and reading to young children.

The Area Agency on Aging is participating in the following events and activities during Older Americans Month:

Partnering with local fitness experts and clubs in May offering free and discounted gym passes and fitness classes to folks age 60 and over.
Elder Abuse First Responder Training at Blue Lakes Lodge May 14. The counties of Lake and Mendocino will be officially proclaiming the month of May as Older Americans Month.

Everyone is invited to join in celebrating seniors during May.

For more information contact the Area Agency on Aging at 707-262-4517.

Todd Metcalf is the Adult Services Program Manager at Lake County Department of Social Services, based in Lower Lake, Calif.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The annual burn ban starts on Wednesday, May 1, and is meant to address concerns over both fire hazard and air quality.

The burn restriction applies to all areas in Lake County. All burn permits expire on April 30.

An annual burn ban was first implemented in 1986 in response to weather conditions that often create extreme fire danger and poor air quality.

For many years a managed approach which incorporates fire and air agency concerns has been implemented and improved upon.

The ban as implemented allows a quick fire agency response to all fires observed from May 1 on, as they are all assumed to be uncontrolled fires unless specifically authorized by an exemption for time and place.

This successful program is one of the primary reasons Lake County has superior and healthful air quality.

The ban also helps prevent smoke impacts to the general public and large planned outdoor events by unrestricted vegetative waste burns.

The burn ban includes all open waste burning, though exceptions are possible for agricultural operations, essential control burns for fire safety projects, public safety burns and others.

To obtain an exemption for a necessary burn after May 1, first contact the Lake County Air Quality Management District to determine need, then your local fire protection agency so that your burn site can be inspected and evaluated for fire safety.

Only after the fire agency has inspected the burn site and notified the Lake County Air Quality Management District that the proposed burn is fire safe, can you obtain a written exemption permit.

Anyone responsible for open burning without a valid written exemption permit may be subject to a citation, fines, and the cost of the fire agency response to extinguish the fire.

Burn restrictions will remain in effect until Cal Fire declares an end to fire season.

Community residents are asked to help reduce the danger and losses caused by uncontrolled fires, and protect Lake County’s designation as the only air basin in the state to meet all ambient air quality standards.

Public cooperation is greatly appreciated and results in a safer and more healthful environment for everyone.

For more information call the Lake County Air Quality Management District at 707-263-7000.