LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – New canine friends are waiting to meet you this week at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter.

This week's dogs feature mixes of Australian Shepherd, border collie, boxer, cattle dog, Chihuahua, Labrador Retriever, pit bull and shepherd.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

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

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

Border collie mix

This female border collie mix has a tricolor coat.

Shelter staff said she has a very sweet disposition.

She's in kennel No. 3, ID No. 2398.

'Mimi'

“Mimi” is a Chihuahua mix.

She has a short white and tan coat.

Mimi is in kennel No. 4a, ID No. 2055.

Male Chihuahua mix

This male Chihuahua mix has a short white coat.

He's in kennel No. 4b, ID No. 2321.

Labrador Retriever-cattle dog mix

This male Labrador Retriever-cattle dog mix has a short tan and white coat.

Shelter staff said he is very good around other dogs, and showed many calming signals, like sniffing the ground, looking away and turning his body sideways. He was perfectly calm on a leash.

He's in kennel No. 5, ID No. 2227.

Female pit bull mix

This female pit bull terrier mix has a short brown brindle and white coat.

Shelter staff said she has no food aggression and would be fine with children ages 7 and older. She is not good with cats, but she would be great with other dogs, male or female.

They said that, overall, she is a wonderful and loving girl.

She's in kennel No. 7, ID No. 2241.

'Pepper'

“Pepper” is a female Labrador Retriever mix.

Shelter staff said Pepper is a great dog, and would be great with an active family.

She would be fine with cats, and other dogs – male or female – and she shows no food aggression either.

The shelter is offering a low adoption fee on Pepper.

Find Pepper in kennel No. 8, ID No. 1473.

Male shepherd

This male shepherd mix has a short black and tan coat.

Shelter staff said he does great with other dogs, both male and female. He has shown some food aggression, but shelter staff said that can be addressed through training and management.

He's in kennel No. 11, ID No. 2367.

'Diesel'

“Diesel” is a boxer mix with a short black and white coat.

Shelter staff said Diesel needs a home with no livestock or farm animals, but seems fine with cats.

He's in kennel No. 16, ID No. 2270.

'Dozer'

“Dozer” is a male pit bull terrier mix with a short white and buff-colored coat.

Shelter staff said he is a great dog who would be suited to a home with a submissive female and no cats. He is fine with children ages 10 and above.

Find Dozer in kennel No. 27, ID No. 2377.

'Tippy'

“Tippy” is a female Australian Shepherd.

Shelter staff said they do not know her background, but she needs a home with women only, as she is very afraid of men.

Tippy is good with other dogs and has been fine with mellow children.

She is being fostered; ID No. 2142.

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

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

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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

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

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Cal Fire is planning live fire training exercises in Lake County on Saturday.

The training will take place from 7:30 a.m. to noon at Highway 53 and Old Highway 53 by Pond Road in Clearlake.

Along with Cal Fire, Kelseyville Fire Protection, Northshore Fire Protection District, South Lake Fire Protection District, Lake County Fire Protection District and Lakeport Fire District also will be participating.

The United States Forest Service is committed to active wildland fires in Northern California and will not be participating.

This training will include burning approximately two acres on the dam face, which will allow Lake County Special Districts to conduct its annual inspection of the dam.

The exercise also will provide realistic wildland fire conditions to train firefighters in various tactical operations, which will include firing operations, helicopter safety, hoselays and communications.

Due to the current drought conditions, the training will provide firefighters additional training using water conservation measures.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Planning Commission on Thursday gave its approval to an above-ground pipeline project proposed by Geysers Power Co. after the company and Middletown Rancheria representatives reached an agreement on protecting cultural resources at the site.

Assistant county planner Mark Roberts told the commission that Geysers Power Co. – also referred to as Calpine during the meeting – is proposing to construct the new 2,626-foot steam pipeline between its West Ford Flat and Calistoga steamfields.

The 30-inch diameter insulated steel steam pipe will follow an existing trail and require about 24 acres of minor grading – just scraping to remove grass and shrubs.

There will be some excavation for the placement of 100 pipeline footings, which will be drilled in about 10 feet deep like utility poles, according to staff and company comments at the meeting.

Bruce Carlsen of Calpine said the pipeline is meant to increase the efficiency of operations at The Geysers.

“The Geysers was essentially overbuilt,” he said, explaining that the facility peaked out at 2,000 megawatts and has since been reduced to 800 megawatts. The Bear Canyon plant recently was placed on standby.

Carlsen said they have been cross-tying pipelines to maximize the resources. Three facilities don't yet have cross-ties, including the West Ford Flat and Calistoga plants. The pipeline will allow steam to go back and forth between the plants in the event one of them goes offline for maintenance. He said that would minimize the time for well bleeds in the steamfield.

Construction on the project – which Carlsen estimated to be between $2 million and $3 million – should take three to four months. He said they were aiming to begin in July but haven't yet awarded the construction contract.

Carlsen said the project will reduce hydrogen sulfide emissions in the air, its noise will cause no significant impact and a review of cultural resources that was completed identified a possible nearby mining camp which was roped off, with the company's archaeologist not suggesting additional monitoring.

He said biological and water studies have shown that the project will have no significant impact.

Disagreements over a condition

Katherine Philippakis, an attorney representing the applicant, raised concerns about a county-imposed condition that Geysers Power enter into an agreement for cultural resource monitoring with Middletown Rancheria, noting that a survey found no areas of concern at the project location.

Commissioner Gladys Rosehill asked Philippakis how the company has worked with tribes in the past.  Philippakis said they've been invited to a discussion and to visit sites. She said they have never had the tribe act as the archaeological resources consultant on a project.

Phillipakis emphasized there was going to be very minimal grading, and that tribal members could be there to observe the digging of the holes for the footings.

However, she said the company didn't want to be required to hire someone and then not have the project move forward. “That kind of holds us hostage to an agreement that isn't yet in place.”

During public comment, Pamela Reyes Gutierrez of the Middletown Rancheria said the tribe recently formalized its tribal historic preservation department to protect the area both on the 108-acre rancheria and within ancestral lands, which is the area encompassed by the Lake Miwok dialect.

She said they were not trying to stop projects but rather to mitigate tribal concerns.

Gutierrez requested that Geysers Power engage in an agreement with the tribe to address concerns about resources and remains revealed by ground disturbance activities. “We have requested a cultural survey and a site visit.”

On Wednesday, the tribe received Philippakis' letter opposing the monitoring agreement requirement. “Our perception of receiving a legal counsel document a day prior to a hearing, to us, is not good business,” said Gutierrez, who asked for the hearing to be continued.

Carlos Negrete, a representative of the Middletown Rancheria Tribal Council, told the commission, “We wouldn't hold anyone hostage to any part of the agreement,” adding that they wanted more time to respond to the letter.

Commission Chair Joe Sullivan asked what the tribe was seeking. Gutierrez said they want a monitor there whenever there is ground disturbance taking place.

She said the tribal monitors – who work alongside archaeologists – have specialty knowledge about the materials that are culturally sensitive.

Gutierrez said the tribe is working with Caltrans on a project on Highway 29, where monitors are on scene any time there is ground disturbance. If remains were to be found, the project would immediately stop.

“Ultimately, we're not looking to stop any type of work, we're just looking to preserve any type of tribal artifacts that may come about,” she said.

Joan Clay of Anderson Springs said that community supports the project. She also urged the commission to take the tribe's concerns very seriously, which she said her community also would support.

Changing practices

Philippakis said she appreciated that the tribe had come to the meeting to make its position clear. She said Calpine valued its relationship with the rancheria. “There was no intent on our part to be bad neighbors.”

She said Calpine has no objection to the tribe sending a monitor at its cost during construction. What was really at issue is that the proposed agreement with the tribe would require reimbursement to the tribe of between $75 and $100 per hour during the construction.

Philippakis said they felt it was unusual for the county government to require the applicant to hire another specific agency. “Our project would be held up if we were not able to agree to the terms,” she said.

Stephanie Reyes, Middletown Rancheria's tribal historic preservation officer, told the commission that they are working collaboratively with archaeologists about what is important to the tribe and what is culturally sensitive so they can preserve those items for their people.

The monitors are full-time employees elsewhere, and when they are asked to come to a site they have to take time off from their jobs. That's why they're compensated, said Reyes. Monitoring also provides revenue for her department.

Reyes said this is going to be a practice that's pushed further when changes go into effect in the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA.

“Obviously we understand it's a change,” she said, noting that it's something people are not used to dealing with in this community.

“But now with the way things are moving forward, it's a change that will be coming and we'd like to be proactive in that change. We're not here to stop the projects, we're here to preserve what we have left of our history that can be found,” said Reyes.

She said they know there are historic sites near that location, and in 1979 a site in that area was placed on the National Register. But she said they don't know if those sites have been considered. After the letter from Philippakis came through on Wednesday night, they began researching it, with the tribal elders instructing them to look closely at the situation.

Rosehill asked about options the tribe has if a project manager wouldn't work with them. Reyes said under CEQA the tribe could argue that additional studies need to be made.

The area where the project is located is a point the Lake Miwok crossed when they traveled, said Reyes. A hunting campsite also is in the area.

Reyes said that without having the tribe on site, “That's how we're losing parts of our history.”

Coel told the commission that there was a legal question about whether the county had the legal authority to require the company to enter the agreement with the tribe. He said it was a “very difficult and concerning issue for all of us.”

Deputy County Counsel Shanda Harry said there were no state or federal requirements for such agreements.

Such provisions have been included in past permits because they had been agreed to by the applicant beforehand, which is different than requiring them when the applicant isn't willing to follow the provision, said Harry.

In offering middle ground, Coel suggested an “accidental discovery agreement” in order to respond in the case that something is unearthed during the project. In such cases, the tribe could be notified and a monitor could come to the site to work alongside with the archaeologist.

Such an agreement also would deal with how to deal with archaeological items if they're found – whether they are put back in the ground or collected.

Carlsen said they would be interested in such an agreement, and told the commission that the condition for the monitoring agreement had caught them off guard.

Coel said the provision had been included by staff based on comments the county had received from the tribe. “It wasn't intended to be an ambush.”

“That explains quite a bit,” said Commissioner Bob Malley.

Malley said he wanted assurance that there would be more discussion between Calpine and the tribe. He was concerned that Calpine was worried about spending between $10,000 and $20,000 on monitoring on a project valued between $2 million and $3 million.

“I share the same concerns,” said Sullivan, who also encouraged discussions take place immediately.

The commission took a brief break while Coel met with representatives of the tribe and the company to work out language about the accidental discovery plan, with the language stating that the applicant is “strongly encouraged” to negotiate and execute a cultural resources agreement with the Middletown Rancheria prior to construction.

The commission then approved the project's proposed mitigated negative declaration, granted minor modifications to mitigation measures, and approved the mitigation and monitoring plan 4-0, with Commissioner Don Deuchar absent.

Also on Tuesday, the commission approved a mitigated negative declaration for a parcel map requested by Wayne Ahlstrom in order to subdivide a 4.3-acre lot at 1235 Mountview Drive, Lakeport, that has been used for modular home sales, and heard a staff presentation on the county's zoning ordinance.

The planned discussion and consideration of the final environmental impact report for the Valley Oaks development near Hidden Valley Lake was continued at the request of Coel, who said putting together information for the commission had taken longer than anticipated. The matter was rescheduled for 9:05 a.m. Thursday, June 25.

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.

Researchers from Brown University have used satellite data to detect deposits of glass within impact craters on Mars.

Though formed in the searing heat of a violent impact, the glasses just might provide a delicate window into the possibility of past life on the Red Planet.

Over the last few years, several research groups have shown that, here on Earth, ancient biosignatures can be preserved in impact glass.

One of those studies, led by Brown geologist Peter Schultz and published last year, found organic molecules and even plant matter entombed in glass formed by an impact that occurred millions of years ago in Argentina.

Schultz suggested that similar processes might preserve signs of life on Mars, if indeed they were present at the time of an impact.

“The work done by Pete and others showed us that glasses are potentially important for preserving biosignatures. Knowing that, we wanted to go look for them on Mars and that's what we did here,” said Kevin Cannon, a Ph.D. student at Brown and the lead author of the new research. “Before this paper no one had been able to definitively detect them on the surface.”

Cannon and co-author Jack Mustard, professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Brown, showed that large glass deposits are present in several ancient yet well-preserved craters scattered across the Martian surface.

The study suggests that glass deposits are relatively common impact features on Mars and could be targets for future exploration.

The research is published online in the journal Geology.

Picking out the glassy deposits was no easy task. To identify minerals and rock types remotely, scientists measure the spectra of light reflected off the planet's surface. But impact glass doesn't have a particularly strong spectral signal.

“Glasses tend to be spectrally bland or weakly expressive, so signatures from the glass tend to be overwhelmed by the chunks of rock mixed in with it,” Mustard said. “But Kevin found a way to tease that signal out.”

In the lab, Cannon mixed together powders with a similar composition of Martian rocks and fired them in an oven to form glass. He then measured the spectral signal from that glass.

Once he had the signal from the lab glass, he used an algorithm designed to pick out similar signals in data from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM), which flies aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Mustard is the deputy principal investigator for the instrument.

The technique was able to pinpoint deposits around several crater central peaks, the craggy mounds that often form in the center of a crater during a large impact. The fact that the deposits were found on central peaks is a good indicator that they have an impact origin.

Knowing that impact glass can preserve ancient signs of life -- and now knowing that such deposits exist on the Martian surface today – opens a potential new strategy in the search for ancient Martian life, the researchers say.

“We think these could be interesting targets for future exploration,” Mustard said. In fact, Mustard and Cannon have a particular spot in mind.

One of the craters found to contain glass is called Hargraves, and it's located near the Nili Fossae trough, a 400-mile-long depression that stretches across the Martian surface.

The region is one of the leading landing site contenders for the Mars 2020 rover, a mission that aims to cache soil and rock samples for possible future return to Earth.

Nili Fossae trough is already of scientific interest because the crust in the region is thought to date from when Mars was a much wetter place.

The region is also rife with what appear to be ancient hydrothermal fractures, warm vents that could have provided energy for life to thrive just beneath the surface.

“If you had an impact that dug in and sampled that subsurface environment, it's possible that some of it might be preserved in a glassy component,” Mustard said. “That makes this a pretty compelling place to go look around, and possibly return a sample.”

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – With drought conditions continuing into the summer months, the State Water Resources Control Board on Friday announce that there is insufficient water available for senior water right holders with a priority date of 1903 or later in the San Joaquin and Sacramento watersheds and the Delta.

The need for further curtailment of more senior rights and curtailments in other watersheds is being assessed weekly.

Notices are being sent to water right holders that direct recipients to stop diversions of water to protect more senior water rights and releases of previously stored water, as required by state law.

Diversion of water when water is not available under the right holder’s date of priority is unauthorized and unlawful. Violations are subject to fines up to $1,000 per day and $2,500 per acre-foot of water unlawfully diverted, cease and desist orders, or prosecution in court.

Senior water right holders with priority dates earlier than 1903 in the affected watersheds can continue to divert water in accordance with their water right. In addition, those who have previously stored water under a valid right may continue to hold that water or release it for beneficial use.

While this is the first time during the current drought that senior water right holders have been given notice that water is not available to serve their water right priority, it is not unprecedented. Some senior water right holders were curtailed during the drought of the late 1970s.

The water-curtailment actions taken Friday by the State Water Resources Control Board emphasize the importance of the California water-rights system, and the pressing need to improve supplies, according to California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger.

“The water-rights system was created to deal with unreliable, and often scarce, supplies, and we have scarcity that California hasn’t seen in many, many years, if ever,” Wenger said. “As the water-rights system responds to shortage in this extraordinary year, we must pursue long-term efforts to reduce the underlying scarcity that plagues us.”

Wenger noted that the additional cuts in water for food and farm production will deepen the impact of the four-year drought on rural parts of California.

The solution for California water shortages must come ultimately from aggressive efforts to improve supplies, Wenger said.

Water rights affected by this notice

Friday's curtailment notices affect 276 pre-1914 appropriative water rights held by 114 right holders. The notices do not affect any riparian right holders.

The water rights affected include:

– On the Sacramento River, 127 water rights with a priority date of 1903 or later are curtailed, affecting water rights held by 86 right holders.
– On the San Joaquin River, 24 water rights with a priority date of 1903 or later are curtailed, affecting water rights held by 14 right holders.
– In the Delta, 125 water rights with a priority date of 1903 or later are curtailed, affecting water rights held by 14 right holders.

The following uses are listed for the pre-1914 water rights affected by Friday’s notices:

– 135 water rights held by 53 right holders for irrigation, stockwatering, and/or livestock as the sole water use; and
– 208 water rights held by 80 right holders for irrigation, stockwatering, or livestock as at least one of the claimed water uses.

Among the districts impacted is the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, which is curtailed in what it can take from Cache Creek in Lake County. The district also holds the main water rights for Clear Lake and for Indian Valley Reservoir.

Friday's action is based on reported diversion demands, estimates of natural flows and actual stream flows. Conditions in these and other watersheds continue to be monitored, and curtailment notices for other watersheds and for more senior water right holders in these watersheds may be imminent.

Some water right holders may have other, more senior rights to fall back on, or have water stored in reservoirs that they can still access. If that’s not available they will have to find other sources of water, such as groundwater or purchased water, if available. Water right holders are cautioned that groundwater resources are significantly depleted in some areas.

An explanation of state water rights

California water rights law is based on seniority. In dry years, when there isn’t enough water in the system to serve all water right holders, those with more junior rights are required to stop diverting water from rivers and streams before restrictions are imposed on more senior right holders.

The Water Commission Act of 1913, which took effect in 1914, created California’s system of water rights and the distinction between junior and senior appropriative water rights.

Senior water right holders are those claiming appropriative water rights established prior to the Water Commission Act and riparian water rights. Riparian water rights are rights granted to owners of land abutting a stream or river.

In most instances, riparian rights share equal priority to the available natural flow and have seniority over appropriative water rights (both pre-1914 and post-1914). For appropriative rights, the priority system is based on the concept of “first in time, first in right.”

The State Water Board administers California’s system of water rights and is authorized to prevent illegal diversions of water. Illegal diversions include taking water at times when there is insufficient water available under the priority of right held by the diverter.

The State Water Board issued two letters earlier this year warning all water-right holders that their rights may be curtailed due to drought conditions.

Last year, the State Water Board issued curtailment notices to more than 5,000 diverters on five watersheds statewide. Among them was the Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District, as Lake County News has reported.

In April and early May of this year, the State Water Board issued curtailment notices for all post-1914 water rights in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds and the Delta. Curtailment notices were issued in the Scott River and Deer Creek watersheds as well.

In May, the Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District was hit with another curtailment notice – after having received one last year – which General Manager Roland Sanford said they are disputing.

In addition, the State Water Board approved a proposal from riparian water right holders in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta on May 22 to voluntarily cut back water use in exchange for assurances that they would not face enforcement actions in the event that their riparian water rights are curtailed more severely later during the June-September growing season. Riparian water right holders had until June 1 to elect to participate in the voluntary program.

The senior water rights affected by Friday's notice add to the growing number of water rights restricted by the state’s ongoing drought as demand far outstrips supply in key Northern California watersheds.

As of the Friday notice, a total of 8,721 junior water rights and 276 senior water rights in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River watersheds and Delta have been notified that there is insufficient water in the system to serve their rights.

To determine the need for curtailments, the State Water Board uses monthly diversion data and sorts that data by watershed, water right type and priority date. Water flow used for power generation that is diverted and returned back to the water course is removed from the analysis.

The demands for water use by type of right are summed and plotted graphically to display junior and senior water right needs.

To assess supply, monthly and daily natural flow data from the Department of Water Resources (DWR) are plotted with DWR estimates of return flows and additional minor tributary flows. The resulting Supply vs. Demand Curve indicates curtailment is needed when demand outstrips supply.

For this curtailment, several scenarios of delta and tributary demand were analyzed to produce conservative curtailment priority dates. As supplies continue to decline through the summer, it is expected that more senior rights will be subject to curtailment. As supply increases in the fall or winter, the State Water Board will lift the curtailment as soon as appropriate using the same procedure.

The State Water Board maintains a Web page to assist water right holders in several key watersheds to plan for possible limits on water supply availability. The Web page, titled “Watershed Analysis” ( http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/drought/analysis/ ), details projected water supply, demand and availability for the watersheds most likely to face restrictions during the drought as demand outstrips available water supply.

Information on the drought is available at the State Water Board’s drought Web site, http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/drought/index.shtml .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The third annual Spring Fair is set to open for a busy weekend of fun.

The fair will be here Friday, June 12, through Sunday, June 14.

Gates open at 2 p.m. all three days.

Admission is $5 per person for ages 6 and older. Children under 6 enter for free.

Carnival unlimited ride wristbands will be $25 each at the fair. Parking is $5 per car.

One of the highlights of this year's spring fairs is the Homeownership Expo, put on by the Lake County Association of Realtors, or LCAOR.

The expo will be held at Fritch Hall from 2 to 8 p.m. all three days of the fair.

“Anyone who is planning to buy a home, or who currently owns a home, or who is getting ready to sell a home, will find great information at the expo,” said Scott Knickmeyer, executive director of LCAOR.

Knickmeyer said there will be panel discussions on buying land, preparing your home to sell and inspections that are important when you are in escrow.

For more information and the detailed schedule of speakers, go to www.homeownershipexpo.com .
   
This year's fair also will present a variety of local musical performers and group, including the Mark Weston Band, The Fargo Brothers, David Neft, Travis Rinker and DeezGuize.

At the main grandstands there will be shows for the auto enthusiasts including the open mud bogs on Friday, flat track and motorcycle racing on Saturday, and invitation auto races on Sunday. On Saturday there also will be a classic car show.

Visit the fair online at www.lakecountyfair.com .

The full schedule follows.


LAKE COUNTY SPRING FAIR SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JUNE 12

Special attractions

– Buildings open from 2 to 10 p.m.
– Homeownership Expo in Fritch Hail
– Commercial displays in Lewis Hall
– Fill up the Clown is on the grounds
– Music on two stages
– Carnival open from 2 to 11 p.m.

Daily schedule

2 p.m.: Mark Weston Band, Mediacom Gazebo Stage

2:30 p.m.: The Fargo Brothers, Lake County News Stage

3 p.m.: Leslie Appleton-Young, Homeownership Expo speaker, “Why Homeownership Makes Sense, Opportunities in Lake County,” Fritch Hall

4 p.m.: Mark Weston Band, Mediacom Gazebo Stage

4:30 p.m.: The Fargo Brothers, Lake County News Stage

6 p.m.: Mark Weston Band, Mediacom Gazebo Stage

6:30 p.m.: The Fargo Brothers, Lake County News Stage

7:30 p.m.: Open mud bogs, main grandstands

8 p.m.: Mark Weston Band, Mediacom Gazebo Stage

8:30 p.m.: The Fargo Brothers, Lake County News Stage

10 p.m.: Buildings close

11 p.m.: Fair closes


SATURDAY, JUNE 13

Special attractions

– Buildings open from 2 to 10 p.m.
–  Classic Car Show, 2 to 6 p.m.
– Homeownership Expo in Fritch Hail
– Commercial displays in Lewis Hall
– Fill up the Clown is on the grounds
– Music on two stages
– Carnival open from 2 to 11 p.m.

Daily schedule

2:30 p.m.: Hip Replacements, Lake County News Stage

2:30-3 p.m.: Fourth District Assemblyman Bill Dodd, Homeownership Expo, Fritch Hall

4 p.m.: David Neft, Mediacom Gazebo Stage

4:30 p.m.: Hip Replacements, Lake County News Stage

6 p.m.: David Neft, Mediacom Gazebo Stage

6 p.m.: Car show awards, Lake County News Stage

6:30 p.m.: Beatz Werkin', Lake County News Stage

7:30 p.m.: Flat Track/Motorcycle/TT racing, main grandstands

8 p.m.: InVoice, Mediacom Gazebo Stage

8:30 p.m.: Beatz Werkin', Lake County News Stage

10 p.m.: Buildings close

11 p.m.: Fair closes


SUNDAY, JUNE 14

Special attractions

– Buildings open from 2 to 10 p.m.
–  Auto races
– Homeownership Expo in Fritch Hail
– Commercial displays in Lewis Hall
– Fill up the Clown is on the grounds
– Carnival open from 2 to 11 p.m.

Daily schedule

2:15-2:45 p.m.: District 4 Lake County Supervisor Anthony Farrington, Homeownership Expo speaker, Fritch Hall

2:30 p.m.: DeezGuize, Lake County News Stage

3-3:40 p.m.: Congressman Mike Thompson, Home Ownership Expo speaker, Fritch Hall

4:30 p.m.: Groovy Judy, Lake County News Stage

6 p.m.: Travis Rinker, Mediacom Gazebo Stage

6:30 p.m.: Groovy Judy, Lake County News Stage

7:30 p.m.: Invitational Auto Races, main grandstands

8 p.m.: Travis Rinker, Mediacom Gazebo Stage

8:30 p.m.: K-Town, Lake County News Stage

10 p.m.: Buildings close

11 p.m.: Fair closes

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Firefighters have contained a wildland fire that burned several acres near Clearlake Oaks on Saturday evening.

The Sulphur Fire, contained just before 8 p.m., burned four acres, according to Cal Fire Capt. Will Schunk.

The incident was first reported shortly before 5:15 p.m. on Sulphur Bank Road near the Elem Colony, Cal Fire reported.

Firefighters arriving on scene found the fire making a run up the hillside, burning in brush and oak woodland, scanner reports indicated.

Cal Fire, Northshore Fire, Kelseyville Fire and Lake County Fire responded, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Greg Bertelli said.

The California Highway Patrol also was on scene to keep traffic away from the fire area, which was up a steep hillside along Sulphur Bank Drive.

Cal Fire sent aircraft including air attacks, two helicopters and three air tankers from Mendocino and Sonoma counties to work the blaze, based on reports from the scene.

The agency said 126 personnel were working the incident, along with eight engine/truck companies, one water tender, four fire crews, four overhead or command personnel, and two bulldozers.

There were no structures threatened, Cal Fire said.

Bertelli said Sulphur Bank Road was to remain closed temporarily due to the presence of fire equipment.

The fire's cause remains under investigation, Bertelli said.

Bertelli said firefighters have roped off what they have concluded is the area of the fire's origin.

“We're going to keep chain of custody through the night,” he said.

He added, “We've done a preliminary fire investigation,” with a Cal Fire prevention officer to arrive on Sunday to continue the investigative work.

Two engines will remain at the scene through the night, and will be relieved by two new engines and a hand crew on Sunday morning, Bertelli said, with those relief crews expected to be committed about half a day.

The fire came hours after Cal Fire and several local fire agencies conducted a fire exercise in the Clearlake area, as Lake County News has reported.

Bertelli said the fire exercise had gone well, and had been kept relatively short in case an actual incident arose.

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.

If you love stargazing, there's a date you need to mark on your calendar. It's June.

That's right, the whole month!

Throughout the month of June 2015, the two brightest planets in the night sky, Venus and Jupiter, are going to converge for a jaw-dropping close encounter. You don’t want to miss any of the action.

When the sun goes down, step outside and look west. You don't have to wait until the sky fades to black.

Venus and Jupiter are so bright, you can see then shining through the twilight. In fact, some people say the planets are especially beautiful when they are surrounded by the cobalt hue of the early evening sky – so don't wait.

During the first two weeks of June, Venus and Jupiter converge until they are only about 10 degrees apart.

For reference, this means they would just fit together inside the bowl of the Big Dipper. You could hide them both, simultaneously, behind the palm of your outstretched hand.

This is pretty close, but by the end of the month this distance will shrink by a factor of 30.

In fact, every night in June, the separation between Venus and Jupiter will visibly shrink.

On June 18, Venus and Jupiter will be only 6 degrees apart. Now you can hide the two behind just two or three of your fingers with your arm outstretched.

On June 19, something exciting happens: the crescent Moon joins the show. On that evening, the Moon, Venus and Jupiter will form a bright isosceles triangle in the sunset sky.

Isosceles means that two sides of the triangle are the same length. This is how most sky watchers in North America will see it.

One night later, on June 20, the vertices rearrange themselves, forming yet another isosceles triangle. Never has a geometry lesson been so beautiful.

The nights of June 19 and 20, by the way, are good nights to look through a telescope. Even a small telescope will show you the fat crescent phase of Venus, the cloudtops and largest moons of Jupiter, and the rugged terrain of Earth's own Moon. Swing your optics around the triangle for a fast-paced heavenly show.

The main event occurs on June 30. On that night, Venus and Jupiter will be a jaw-dropping one-third of a degree apart. That's less than the diameter of a full Moon. You'll be able to hide the pair not just behind the palm of your outstretched hand, but behind your little pinky finger.

Wow. Here's hoping you spend a lot of time under the stars and planets in June.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A North Coast woman killed in a Tuesday wreck on Highway 20 in Nice has been identified.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office said Maria Socorro Medina, 65, of Redwood Valley, was the victim of the fatal wreck.

Socorro Medina was driving a 2010 Toyota Corolla westbound on Highway 20 east of Floyd Way at about 6:15 a.m. Tuesday when she attempted to pass a white pickup truck by using the center two-way turn lane, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP said the pickup sped up as Socorro Medina attempted to pass, and she lost control of her vehicle, going across the highway, hitting an embankment, overturning and then crashing into a tree. She died at the scene.

The CHP is continuing to investigate the wreck, and in particular is seeking anyone who saw the crash and can help identify the white pickup and its driver.

CHP Officer Kory Reynolds said Thursday that, so far, they have received no leads regarding the pickup, which he called a “vehicle of interest” in the incident.

He said the CHP is going to conduct an inspection of Socorro Medina's Toyota.

“We'll be able to tell by damage if anything contacted it,” he said.

If anyone has any information on the wreck they are asked to contact the CHP's Clear Lake Area office at 707-279-0103.

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. – Pacific Gas and Electric offered community members an update this week about a cleanup project at a former geothermal waste collection site near Middletown.

The Middletown Area Town Hall, or MATH, hosted the presentation at its meeting Thursday evening at the Middletown Senior Center.

The presentation and a question-and-answer session takes place from the 17:14 minute mark to the 55:40 minute mark in the video above.

Geothermal Inc. operated the facility from 1976 to 1986 on 40 acres of a 460-acre property on Butts Canyon Road.

Rob Saur, PG&E's project manager for the site, explained that the dump facility consisted of evaporation ponds and solid waste disposal trenches which received waste from the exploration, development and operations at The Geysers energy field and power plant.

He said the waste materials – consisting primarily of drilling muds, drill cuttings, sump and plant process water – have been tested and are not hazardous.

After Geothermal Inc. went bankrupt, the 17 companies and agencies that had sent waste there – including PG&E – became responsible for the landfill closure, Saur said. PG&E took over the responsibility of the facility's closure and maintenance after purchasing the property in 2003.

Saur said the site closure took place between 2003 and 2006 under a plan approved by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.

The closure entailed consolidating the waste materials into a single, closed, six-acre landfill that has a cap over it. As part of that process, he said they had to solar evaporate 21 million gallons out of the ponds in order to remove the muds and waste material, which was moved to the closed landfill.

Once the wastes were in the landfill, Saur said the wastes were capped with a high-density plastic layer, covered with a coarse drainage layer, over which was placed a clean soil cover and native grasses. He said the cap is meant to eliminate future infiltration of stormwater and rainwater through the waste material that's in the landfill.

As part of the closure, PG&E was required to create a separation between the bottom of the landfill and the groundwater, Saur said.

To do that, they lowered the spillway of nearby Freeman Lake and planted 32 acres of eucalyptus trees around the landfill. He said the trees' deep root systems tap into the water and act as pumps, pulling up the water and lowering the water level around the landfill. He said PG&E also created four acres of new wetlands and restored additional habitat.

Since the closure was completed, PG&E has been performing ongoing maintenance activities at the site which include inspection and maintenance of the closed landfill and tree plantings, mowing grass on the property and utilizing goats to create a fire break around the landfill, and trimming the trees, Saur said.

The work also includes groundwater and surface water monitoring. “Groundwater samples have been collected from this site for over 20 years, and we continue to do that today, and we'll be doing it far into the future as well,” Saur said.

PG&E collects samples from groundwater and surface water, and sends those samples to a laboratory for analysis, with the results reported to the State Water Board on a semiannual basis, he said.

Saur said the results of the testing before the closure and currently has shown that there are elevated concentrations of total dissolved solids – chloride, boron and sulfate – in the groundwater in the landfill's immediate vicinity.

Between 2011 and 2014, PG&E performed extensive studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented closure. Saur said that work included drilling, installing equipment to measure water levels, field studies, testing of different alternatives and used a tool to help them predict future groundwater conditions.

Regarding the current closure status, Saur said the closure requirements have been met – except they have not been able to achieve the required year-round 5-foot separation between the groundwater and the waste. He said the groundwater impacts are stable and limited to the landfill's immediate vicinity.

Saur said PG&E is committed to achieving the separation requirement. Late last year, they began studies which led in April to the submission of a feasibility study and corrective action plan to the State Water Board for review.

PG&E looked at more than a dozen technologies and options to achieve the separation requirement, including underground barrier walls, groundwater extraction trenches, planting more trees around the landfill and removing some of the waste from the areas where they can't get the separation, Saur said.

Saur said PG&E proposed to the State Water Board to make drainage improvements to move stormwater from the landfill, which has been infiltrated by stormwater, and to build an underground barrier wall made of concrete slurry 20 feet into the ground to divert groundwater away from the landfill.

He said PG&E anticipates the State Water Board will approve the plan this year. Once that's done, they plan perform field work – possibly as early as this summer – to collect data to finalize design and engineering for the drainage work and the wall.

The drainage improvements are expected to take place in late summer or early fall, with the underground barrier likely to take place in the summer or fall of next year, Saur said.

Saur said that after the work is completed, PG&E will continue to monitor the site to ensure that the measure are successful.

Prior to the field work, PG&E will distribute work notices, place phone calls and emails to neighbors, and will provide updates to MATH as requested, Saur said. PG&E also is available by phone at all times for concerned community members.

PG&E received certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council for habitat created during the closure activities, Saur said.

Middletown High School students have been coming out to the site for the last few years to help monitor the wildlife habitat and to learn about closure and restoration activities. Saur said the company is looking forward to continuing working with the school in the next school year.

Following his presentation, Saur, along with Tracy Craig of PG&E Community Relations and Brian Bottari of the company's governmental affairs department, answered questions about life expectancy of the project, the materials used for capping, monitoring well locations and testing samples.

Asked about the plastic cap, which is underground, Saur said it's permanent, and is expected to last at least 50 years. It's inspected and will be replaced if there are problems.

MATH Board member Charlotte Kubiak asked why the waste materials had to be kept away from the groundwater if the materials aren't hazardous.

Saur said the materials were neither toxic nor hazardous, but the property was a disposal site that took waste – at the level between where household garbage would have been taken and a hazardous waste dump site – and so PG&E had to follow the state's closure requirements.

Kubiak asked about how to find out how the site was impacting groundwater and therefore the drinking water.

“We do not think that it's affecting the drinking water here,” said Saur, noting that PG&E has been monitoring the site for more than 20 years. They know where the groundwater impacts associated with the landfill are – they're in the landfill vicinity – and they have a robust monitoring network that will continue to help them monitor impacts.

Linda Diehl-Darms said it was important to let people know that the original dump site's linings were not good – which Saur acknowledged – and they leaked materials into the groundwater.

“Is there still a plume that goes towards Middletown in the groundwater?” she asked.

Saur said they think a lot of the groundwater impacts were the result of when the unlined ponds were in operation, before the facility was closed. He said the muds went into the ponds and water that came into contact with the wastes leached into the groundwater.

“These impacts have been there for many years and, yes, there is a groundwater plume there, still, but it is stable and in an isolated area,” Saur said.

Monica Rosenthal asked about the location of the site's monitoring wells. Saur said there are dozens of wells, the majority of them on the waste site, with some off site.

To test them, PG&E checks the water levels, pumps up the water, takes samples and sends those off for laboratory analysis, Saur said. The wells – in all directions around the landfill – are monitored on a quarterly or semiannual basis.

Dave Rosenthal asked the distance of the wells from the dump site. Saur said the furthest one away is located a quarter of a mile from the site.

Tom Darms raised questions about whether or not the groundwater would go around the underground barrier, and why a lining wasn't put into the bottom of the landfill.

Saur said they've looked at conditions in wet and dry years by using a groundwater model. He said they believe the underground barrier will work even in wet years.

As for a lining, he said the drilling muds in the landfill are basically the same materials as would have been used to line the landfill, so they didn't feel there was value in removing all the waste and then putting it back.

“It's important to note that we're not going at this alone. There is a very stringent regulatory agency over our shoulder on all of this. You don't have to take our word for it,” said Bottari.

The final question came from Kubiak, who asked the PG&E representatives if they would drink water from the tap if they lived in Middletown.

They said yes.

Community members who have questions or concerns can contact PG&E's environmental remediation hotline, 866-247-0581 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; Saur at 925-415-6371, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; or Craig, PG&E Community Relations, 510-334-4866, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view 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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County's two representatives in the state Legislature are moving closer to their goal of getting much-needed funds to go toward restoring Clear Lake, but the funds must now survive final budget votes.

Assemblyman Bill Dodd (D-Napa) and Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) announced Thursday that the state legislature’s Budget Conference Committee included $1 million for Clear Lake in the approved state budget for 2015-16.

Dodd and McGuire have been collaborating since early this year to secure greater investment in environmental protection and restoration of Clear Lake.

In a joint Thursday statement, they said that the funding's approval by the Budget Conference Committee – a joint Assembly and Senate committee – showed that the legislature recognizes the importance of investing in the protection and restoration of Clear Lake.

They said they are now calling on Gov. Jerry Brown to join the Legislature in supporting Clear Lake, which they called “an amazing state resource.”

Dodd, speaking to the Middletown Area Town Hall in April, told community members that he is trying to build “a sense of responsibility for this lake” that extends beyond Lake County's borders, since the issues the lake has need more resources than the county can provide on its own.

Clear Lake as a recreational destination is key to the county's economy. In addition to boating and fishing – it's one of the top bass fishing destinations in the nation – it's also a magnet for birders, kayakers and tourists drawn by its ecological diversity.

If approved by the governor, the $1 million will be used to provide wetland restoration, water quality improvement and to manage invasive species, and also could be leveraged with partners to secure additional state and federal grants in order to address the environmental problems that have arisen in the lake over time.

“Clear Lake is truly the jewel of Lake County and both Assemblymember Dodd and I are committed to securing the resources needed to ensure the Lake, and our local economy, thrives in the years to come. We’re thrilled by the agreement to invest $1 million in Clear Lake, however we realize it’s only the first step. We’ll be working overtime at the state level to ensure the funding is approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor,” McGuire said.

“Clear Lake is a unique state treasure and a cornerstone of Lake County’s economy,” said Dodd. “The environmental quality of the lake has been overlooked for too long. I am glad we’ve elevated this issue and started the long process to provide the support needed to ensure a vibrant lake for generations to come.”

Despite the forward momentum, Dodd's spokesman, Ezrah Chaaban, cautioned that right now the funding is “in a precarious place.”

That's because negotiations between the governor and legislative leaders are still under way, he said.

The 2015-16 state budget is set to move forward to the Senate and Assembly for final approval before the June 15 deadline. Chaaban said the vote could come on Monday.

Even after the vote, Chaaban said there will be more trailer bills that result from negotiations.

If approved, the final budget would head to the governor’s desk for his signature before the final budget is approved by June 30.

Chaaban said that, right down to the wire, there is the possibility of challenges.

He said a representative of the state Department of Finance spoke to the Budget Conference Committee and questioned the funds being allocated for Lake County.

That could play into the governor's final actions. In California, Chaaban explained, the governor can line-item veto – or “blue pencil” – items right up to the point of signing the final budget.

Due to the importance of the funds to the county, officials are encouraging community members who would like to ask the governor to support the funding to call his office at 916-445-2841 or send a message through his Web site, https://govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php .

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. – A week after the Upper Lake Union Elementary School District Board voted unanimously to unify with the Upper Lake Union High School District, the high school's board also gave its support to the plan.

The decision came during the board's Wednesday night meeting before an audience of about 10 community members, parents and elementary school board members Joanne Breton and Ron Raetz, elementary Principal/Superintendent Valerie Gardner and Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.

The two boards held a joint meeting last summer to explore unifying, which led to several joint meetings that ran from January through May to consider criteria that the state requires be explored in such circumstances.

While the process has seemed to move quickly over the past year, board members and school officials said that it had actually been years – decades, really – in the making, but had finally come to fruition with two boards and two superintendents aligned in the desire to join their resources for the benefit of students.

The unification discussion ahead of the vote begins at the 1:00:52 mark in the video above.

Among the parents who came to the Wednesday night meeting, support for unifying the districts also was unanimous.

Parent Sara Sanchez – who has made it a point to attend the joint board meetings, as well as the elementary board meeting last week – was on hand to urge the high school board to approve the unification resolution.

“We just all feel really strongly that this is what our schools need right now,” she said. “There's so much that can come out of it.”

She suggested it would strengthen programs and allow greater collaboration. “We just need to do what's best for our schools, for our kids, for our community.”

Board member Claudine Pedroncelli said in response to Sanchez's comments that the process of going through the steps to unify has brought forth parental involvement, which she said is very necessary.

Pedroncelli said she saw both newer parents and older parents coming forward to express frustrations, concerns and opinions. “This is something that really needs to happen on a regular basis.”

Another parent, Melanie Sneathen, said she believed unifying the districts would bring parents together, too.

“Even if we don't know what the what ifs are, we need to try it,” she said. “It couldn't be worse.”

Through the rest of this year, the Lake County Office of Education will be involved in the process, as it hosts public hearings and prepares information to present to the State Board of Education.

In addition, Falkenberg will be in charge of appointing by December a new board to represent the newly unified district. That board will then work with the existing elementary and high school boards until the unification officially takes place on July 1, 2016.

In going over the unification resolution, Upper Lake High Principal/Superintendent Pat Iaccino explained that county Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley had suggested that the third board should be in service for 18 months – not six – after its appointment, which will keep the district in its current odd-year election cycle.

Iaccino said that means that in 2017, there will be a board election with five open seats. The top three vote getters will have four-year terms, with the fourth- and fifth-ranked candidates winning two-year terms, which will institute the stagger to prevent all seats being up for election at once going forward.

Board member Valerie Duncan – also a teacher in the elementary district – said that she pushed for unification when she ran for the board.

“I'm glad we're here,” she said, adding that she was sorry it took so long.

“It's been a long road. It's been a very long road,” said Pedroncelli. “We never know how change will come about, but I think this is really long overdue.”

Now, she said they needed to get back to the issue at hand – educating young people.

“We've been trying to do this forever,” said Raetz from the audience, adding that the real miracle is that they had two superintendents who wanted to do it, with the boards willing to work with those administrators.

Board President Keith Austin talked about having the patience to let things happen at the right time. “I see perfect timing,” both in the boards and the superintendents, he said.

Gardner, explaining her board's unanimous vote to unify, told the high school board, “Their focus really is on the students.”

She agreed with Austin about the issue of timing, and said that everyone is focused on the children.

The board then took the unanimous vote to approve the unification resolution, getting a round of applause afterward.

Later in the meeting, during further remarks on the unification issue, Austin asked Iaccino, “What's next?”

Iaccino said that before they left after the meeting he would get all of the board members' signatures on the resolution, which will be forwarded to Falkenberg, who already had the elementary school board's approved resolution.

The Lucerne Elementary School District Board, which also met on Wednesday, was set to accept its own resolution opting out of being included in the unification, which will be sent to Falkenberg, Iaccino said.

The Lake County Board of Education is scheduled to hold hearings on June 24, after which the resolutions along with waivers to bypass the voter election process must be sent to the state, he said.

The goal, said Iaccino, was that the unification would go before the State Board of Education at its November meeting, at which time it would be on the board's consent agenda.

“Once that happens, we've got a lot of work to do,” said Iaccino.

He and Gardner already have started meeting to begin that work – including looking at combining both districts' approaches to facilities, budgeting, transportation, curriculum and instruction, and staff development, as well as negotiations with unions.

Noting that because of her employee status that she no longer will be able to serve on the unified board, Duncan encouraged her colleagues to apply for the new board.

Board member Wanda Quitiquit said she was sensing change in the air.

Duncan said she was excited about the next steps in the unification process, and thanked parents for their involvement.

Board member Rich Swaney recalled having pledged to pursue unification when he was elected.

“Now is where the work starts,” said Austin.

Falkenberg gave the board an overview of the tentative timeline for the Lake County Board of Education – sitting as the Lake County Committee on School District Organization – and its process ahead.

With the two districts having approved their unification resolutions, on June 12 a notice of public hearing will be published, with Falkenberg to review the districts' unification documents from June 11 to 16.

Those documents will then be provided to the county committee on June 17, with written notice to be provided to the Lake Local Area Formation Commission on June 18.

The Committee on School District Organization will then hold two public hearings on June 24 – one at 5 p.m. at Lucerne Elementary School and another at 7 p.m. at Upper Lake High. The county school board will consider approval on Aug. 19 ahead of submitting it to the State Board of Education by Aug. 26.

Pending approval of the waivers by the State Board of Education, on Sept. 15 Falkenberg will announce the posting for the new board applications, with the timeline anticipating the unification to go before the state Nov. 4 and 5.

Falkenberg has tentatively planned for new board member interviews on Nov. 10 and new board appointments on Nov. 18.

Following the adjournment of the meeting, Falkenberg told Lake County News that he anticipates the process for his office to be fairly “minimalistic” because of all the work the Upper Lake school districts have done to this point.

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.