HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Before the board of directors for the Hidden Valley Lake Association and residents in the south county gated community arrive at some common ground on a number of issues they are certain to have a few earthquakes.

A case in point occurred last week when a group of about 15 members of the Laborers International Union of North America Local 324 and their associates rallied in the Hidden Valley Hardester’s Market Plaza parking lot.

HVLA management labeled it an “informational blitzkrieg of orange-shirted union supporters.”

The gathering supported the need for a new collective bargaining agreement between HVLA and 15 union greenskeepers and about 10 union maintenance workers.

This was not the first instance of name-calling.

The union is opposing what Local 324 Vice President George Griffin described as a 30-percent pay cut, from $14 to $9 an hour.

The association, he said, “wants them to pay 30 percent on medical and retirement and take a reduction in their wages. Some of our people won’t be able to make it and wind up on welfare. That comes out of everybody’s pocket.”

Both sides accuse the other of derailing the negotiations.

“They (the HVLA directors) stalled negotiations,” Griffin charged. “They would not agree to talk to us. We gave them what was a fair proposal. They came to the table. They had penciled in some notes but it was not bargaining.”

Allegedly, when the HVLA management legal counsel, surprised by Griffin’s abrupt departure from a bargaining session, asked “You’re leaving?” the union official asserted “Yeah, you’re a ---- bird,” then added “You’re all ----birds.”

Griffin acknowledged that he did say the area where Hidden Valley Lake employees lived and worked is a “God-forsaken place.”

The most critical remarks of the picketers were aimed new HVLA General Manager Cindy Spears, who came on the board earlier this year during a pivotal time when a group of residents was circulating a petition to recall president Bill Waite and another group was campaigning to recall director Steve Greenberg.

Waite survived the recall effort; Greenberg didn’t.

The newest feud between the management and HVLA residents comes at a time when some residents support replacement of Hidden Valley Lake’s bar, restaurant and pro shop building and a new country club, while others do not.

Griffin said that labor charges have been filed against Spears and complained that “she’s done everything possible not to negotiate – or even listen.”

Griffin further chided Spears for reportedly seeking a confidentiality agreement, essentially a gag order that would go so far as to make it unlawful for members of the HVLA staff to talk to each other.

Spears did not talk about these charges.

Instead, she issued a two-paragraph statement to Lake County News that read, in part, that HVLA “is attempting to bring balance to the golf course’s expenses while continuing to respect all our dedicated employees. We have suggested a way to do that without wage deductions. However, the union is still refusing to negotiate. HVLA continues to be ready and willing to negotiate with the union. We request everyone respect the process in attempting to negotiate with the union.”

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

A preliminary report released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board said that an airtanker fighting a fire last week near Yosemite National Park may have hit a tree before crashing into a hillside, killing the pilot.

San Jose resident Geoffrey “Craig” Hunt, 62, of San Jose died in the crash, which occurred on the afternoon of Oct. 7 while he was working on the Dog Rock Fire and flying Tanker 81, a Grumman S-2T tanker.

The National Transportation Safety Board sent investigators to the California crash site on Oct. 9 to lead the investigation, officials said.

On Wednesday, the agency released a preliminary report, which it noted is subject to change as the investigation continues.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board narrative, Hunt's plane arrived on scene and made one drop on the fire before going to the Columbia Airport to be reloaded with fire retardant.

In addition to Hunt's airtanker, two other aircraft were involved in the firefighting effort that day – an orbiting aerial controller that coordinated aerial operations with ground units and a “lead plane” that tracked ahead of the tanker to define the route and the drop initiation point, according to the report.

After Hunt returned to the fire scene, he coordinated his next drop with the orbiting aerial coordinator, and was following the lead airplane, the preliminary report said.

“The crew of the lead airplane did not see the accident,” the narrative explained. “The crew of the controller airplane reported that the accident airplane may have struck a tree with its wing, which separated from the airplane. Both aircrews reported that there was smoke in the area, but visibility was good.”

The report stated that the crash occurred at around 4:30 p.m. that day, with the tanker “destroyed by impact with terrain and a postcrash fire.”

In response to the preliminary report's release, Chief Ken Pimlott, director of Cal Fire, issued a statement in which he pointed out, “Aerial firefighting is not simply flying from one airport to another.”

Pimlott continued, “The wildland firefighting environment is a challenging one, both on the ground and in the air.”

He said Cal Fire looks forward to the final National Transportation Safety Board report to see if they can use the findings to help mitigate the inherent dangers of the job.

“We owe that to Craig, who traded his life in an effort to protect the lives of others,” Pimlott said.

Hunt had worked for 13 years for DynCorp International, which is under contract with Cal Fire. He had been working out of Cal Fire's Hollister Air Attack Base.

The crash led Cal Fire to calling for a short-term safety stand down of its remaining 22 Grumman S-2T airtankers, which was lifted a few days later.

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 has been awarded federal funds for the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program.

Lake County has been chosen to receive $40,297 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county. 

The funds were made available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The selection was made by a national board that is chaired by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of representatives from American Red Cross; Catholic Charities, USA; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; The Salvation Army; United Jewish Communities; and the United Way of America.

A local board made up of representatives of the above-mentioned organizations and local service agencies will determine how the funds awarded to Lake County are to be distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service agencies in the area.

Under the terms of the grant from the national board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must: 1) be private voluntary nonprofits or units of government; 2) be eligible to receive federal funds; 3) have an accounting system; 4) practice nondiscrimination; 5) have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs; and 6) if they are a private voluntary organization, they must have a voluntary board.

Qualifying agencies are urged to apply to North Coast Opportunities.

The deadline for applications to be received at North Coast Opportunities is noon on Friday, Oct. 31.

Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for emergency food and shelter program funds must contact Traci Boyl, executive assistant, North Coast Opportunities, 707-467-3201 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive an application. 

Only electronic copies of applications will be accepted.

All funded agencies must complete a two hour training provided by the local board to be held at North Coast Opportunities. The training date yet to be determined.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Several Lake County tribes have received funds through the US Environmental Protection Agency for environmental programs, water infrastructure development, community education and capacity building.

The US Environmental Protection Agency announced at the 22nd annual Regional Tribal Conference in Sacramento that a total of $5.4 million in funding has been made available to invest in Northern California tribal projects, with $18.8 million awarded to tribes statewide.

“The federal government is committed to protecting human health and the environment in Indian Country,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “This funding will help conserve precious water resources, create jobs, and improve the quality of life on tribal lands.”

US EPA spokeswoman Suzanne Skadowski told Lake County News that five Lake County tribes received funding awards totaling $945,429.

They include:

– Robinson Rancheria: $352,005.
– Big Valley Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians: $243,676.
– Middletown Rancheria: $153,548.
– Habematolel Pomo: $122,000.
– Elem Indian Colony: $74,200.

This year Northern California tribes will use about $2.8 million to continue tribal environmental programs, cleanup open dumps, conduct small construction projects, targeted community outreach, drought mitigation and community education – the cornerstone of tribal environmental programs, according to the US EPA.

The tribes will use the additional $2.6 million for a wide variety of water quality projects including watershed protection and restoration, water and energy efficiency, wastewater reclamation and treatment systems, officials said.

The agency said the funds also support drinking water infrastructure, plant operator training and technical assistance.

For example, this year, the Hoopa Valley Tribe, in partnership with the California Indian Health Service, will install a graywater system to serve two homes as part of a wastewater project that also connects the homes to the sewer collection system. 

The Hoopa Valley Tribe and 15 other Northern California tribes also are engaged in planning to mitigate the effects of severe drought, as part of a collaborative effort with EPA, the Indian Health Service and other agencies.

These funds are critical in building the capacity of tribes to carry out environmental work, the US EPA said.

Because most tribes in the Pacific Southwest have small governments, one goal of the funding is to assist tribes in developing their ability to establish environmental protection programs and make informed decisions about issues that impact the health of their people and the quality of their environment. 

The funds are used to develop environmental and public health ordinances, and coordinate with adjacent jurisdictions.

The EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region is home to 148 tribal nations with half of Indian Country nationwide concentrated in three states; Indian Country in California, Arizona and Nevada is about equal to the area of the six New England states combined.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mendocino County Office of Emergency Services said it's going to begin weekly tests of the coastal tsunami sirens starting next month.

The agency said that, beginning on Wednesday, Nov. 5, and continuing on the Wednesday of each month thereafter, it will test the tsunami sirens that have been placed in the Fort Bragg and Point Arena areas.

Officials said those who live in or near the city of Fort Bragg or the city of Point Arena may hear the siren emitting a full “wail” for five seconds. It will then wind down for about 20 seconds until it comes to a stop.

In the event of a real tsunami event the siren will wail, ramping up for five seconds, then down for five seconds, with the pattern continue for three minutes.

The Mendocino County Office of Emergency Services will conduct the monthly testing of the tsunami sirens system to help ensure the sirens functionality and reliability.

When the sirens are not used for long periods of time they can corrode, increasing the possibility of malfunction. Monthly testing lessens the likelihood that corrosion will take place, the agency said.

If there is a real earthquake in the Pacific Ocean that has the potential to generate a tsunami for the coastline, officials said the test will be canceled.

For more information on how to survive an earthquake or prepare for a tsunami visit http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/ .

For questions contact the Mendocino County Office of Emergency Services at 707-463-5667 or e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Four urban sections of the San Andreas Fault system in Northern California have stored enough energy to produce major earthquakes, according to a new study that measures fault creep.

Three fault sections – Hayward, Rodgers Creek and Green Valley – are nearing or past their average recurrence interval, according to the study published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

The earthquake cycle reflects the accumulation of strain on a fault, its release as slip, and its reaccumulation and rerelease.

Fault creep is the slip and slow release of strain in the uppermost part of the Earth's crust that occurs on some faults between large earthquakes, when much greater stress is released in only seconds.

Where no fault creep occurs, a fault is considered locked and stress will build until it is released by an earthquake.

This study estimates how much creep occurs on each section of the San Andreas Fault system in Northern California. Enough creep on a fault can diminish the potential size of its next earthquake rupture.

“The extent of fault creep, and therefore locking, controls the size and timing of large earthquakes on the Northern San Andreas Fault system,” said James Lienkaemper, a co-author of the study and research geophysicist at U.S. Geological Survey. “The extent of creep on some fault sections is not yet well determined, making our first priority to study the urban sections of the San Andreas, which is directly beneath millions of Bay Area residents.”

Understanding the amount and extent of fault creep directly impacts seismic hazard assessments for the region.

The San Andreas Fault system in Northern California consists of five major branches that combine for a total length of approximately 1250 miles.

Sixty percent of the fault system releases energy through fault creep, ranging from 0.1 to 25.1 mm (.004 to 1 inch) per year, and about 28 percent remains locked at depth, according to the authors.

Monitoring of creep on Bay Area faults has expanded in recent years. The alignment array measurements made by the San Francisco State University Creep Project and recently expanded GPS station networks provide the primary data on surface creep, which the authors used to estimate the average depth of creep for each fault segment.

Where available, details of past ruptures of individual faults, unearthed in previous paleoseismic studies, allowed the authors to calculate recurrence rates and the probable timing and size of future earthquakes.

According to the study, four faults have accumulated sufficient strain to produce a major earthquake.

Three creeping faults have large locked areas (less than 1 mm or .04 inches of creep per year) that have not ruptured in a major earthquake of at least magnitude 6.7 since the reporting of earthquakes by local inhabitants: Rodgers Creek, northern Calaveras and southern Green Valley.

The southern Hayward fault, which produced a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in 1868, is now approaching its mean recurrence time based on paleoseismic studies.

The authors also estimate three faults appear to be nearing or have exceeded their mean recurrence time and have accumulated sufficient strain to produce large earthquakes: the Hayward (M 6.8), Rodgers Creek (M 7.1) and Green Valley (M 7.1).

“The San Andreas Fault and its two other large branches, the Hayward and Northern Calaveras, have been quiet for decades. This study offers a good reminder to prepare today for the next major earthquake,” said Lienkaemper.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Thanks to a generous donation by the Sunrise Rotary Club of Kelseyville, the California Highway Patrol will distribute free bicycle safety helmets at the Heroes of Health & Safety Fair on Saturday, Oct. 18.

The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St. in Lakeport. Admission is free.

CHP's senior volunteers will facilitate a youth bicycle rodeo as well as a bicycle equipment safety inspection.

The CHP Explorer Post will have a booth and will be able to answer any questions for young people from 15 to 21 years old that are interested in a future in law enforcement.

Additionally the CHP will be assisting in the car seat safety inspections – unsafe seats will be replaced free of charge as long as the supply of new seats lasts – and also will have a motorcycle safety booth staffed by a CHP motorcycle officer out of the Santa Rosa Area office.

“This event will be amazing,” said CHP Sgt. Mike Humble. “In all my years in law enforcement, never have I seen so many organizations come together at one time to improve the overall health and safety in the community which they serve. To top it all off, it's free. There won't be any to charge to park or get into the event. The only thing that will cost you anything is for the food If you get hungry.”

There will fundraisers for the 4H club, offering barbecue with all the fixings, and the CHP Explorers will be selling homemade tamales, rice and beans.

“We are very excited about participating in the inaugural Heroes of Health & Safety Fair, and hope that everyone from our community can attend,” Humble said.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – A two-vehicle crash on Tuesday morning resulted in a local woman being flown out to a regional trauma center.

The California Highway Patrol said the crash, involving a 1998 GMC pickup and a 2010 Peterbilt semi, occurred at 9:50 a.m. Tuesday on Highway 20 at Hillside Drive near Clearlake Oaks.

The CHP said George Wilds, 47, of Lakeport, was driving his pickup eastbound on Highway 20 at an unknown speed, with his sister, Leanne Wilds, 50, also of Lakeport, and his 18-year-old son, Tyler, traveling with him.

Also traveling eastbound was 41-year-old Ronald Crone Jr., 41, of Anderson. The CHP said Crone, who was ahead of George Wilds, was driving the Peterbilt tractor at approximately 30 miles per hour and towing a 2011 Great Dane trailer.

The CHP said George Wilds attempted to pass Crone over double yellow lines in a curve.

As Wilds attempted to return into the eastbound lane, the right rear of his pickup hit the left front of Crones' semi. The CHP said the impact caused the pickup to overturn and exit the south edge of the highway, where it hit two docks.

Leanne Wilds suffered moderate injuries, including pain to her neck and back, and abrasions to her face and arms, the CHP said. She was transported by REACH air ambulance to Kaiser in Vacaville.

George Wilds and his son both had minor injuries. The CHP said George Wilds had cuts to his arm and Tyler Wilds had cuts to his right foot and left elbow, and a bump on the head.

Father and son were treated at the scene by Northshore Fire paramedics and released, the CHP said. Crone was uninjured in the crash.

Both drivers and both passengers were wearing their seat belts, according to the CHP.

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. – Forecasters are predicting small amounts of rain in Lake County over the next few days.

The National Weather Service reported that a storm system is expected to move into the Coastal Range on Tuesday afternoon before spreading inland Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

In addition to light rainfall, the storm is anticipated to bring light winds and cooler temperatures to Lake County.

The National Weather Service said daytime temperatures around Lake County are expected to hover in the high 60s and low 70s, with nighttime temperatures in the high 40s, ranging up to the mid-50s.

Rainfall totals around Lake County are not expected to exceed a 10th of an inch, according to the forecast.

On Thursday, conditions are expected to clear, with chances of rain returning Friday and Saturday, according to the forecast.

While Sunday is expected to be mostly clear, clouds are forecast to settle over Lake County Sunday night, with a slight chance of showers forecast again on Monday, the National Weather Service 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.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Mendocino National Forest Supervisor Sherry Tune has announced she will be leaving for a new job on the East Coast.

Tune has accepted the position as forest supervisor of the Allegheny National Forest in Warren, Penn.

Tune has served as the Mendocino National Forest supervisor for nearly three years, arriving in February 2012.

She has the distinction of being the first woman to serve as forest supervisor for the Mendocino National Forest.

“I have truly enjoyed my time on the Mendocino National Forest, working with the exceptional employees here and meeting so many of the partners, local officials and neighbors with an interest in their National Forest,” Tune said. “I will miss California and the unique experiences that made every day here rewarding.”

During her tenure on the Mendocino National Forest, Tune initiated FireScape Mendocino, a collaborative endeavor in partnership with The Nature Conservancy.

The project is intended to guide ecological restoration, including hazardous fuels reduction, at a landscape scale and across boundaries.

Recently FireScape Mendocino completed their fourth public workshop and the fifth is anticipated to be held in January.

Tune will be moving to Pennsylvania with her husband and cats, reporting to her new assignment Monday, Nov. 17.

“I am looking forward to joining the Allegheny National Forest and engaging in great dialogue and connecting with the employees, communities and partners who enjoy the many benefits from this remarkable forest,” Tune said. “While my background is in western forests – from Saguaros to redwoods and coastal mixed conifer, I am excited for this new challenge and experiencing a different environment, ecosystem and climate.”

Prior to arriving on the Mendocino, Tune served as district ranger on the Monterey District of the Los Padres National Forest, following service as a deputy district ranger for the Coronado National Forest in Arizona.

Her career started as a clerk-typist in 1978 before transitioning to fire where she has extensive experience, including working on hotshot crews, leading a handcrew, serving as assistant forest fire management officer, an emergency center manager, fire planner, fuels program manager and fire ecologist.

Tune’s Forest Service experience also includes work as a certified timber cruiser, law enforcement officer, national training coordinator and union steward.

Her educational background includes studying landscape ecology at the University of Arizona.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office said that new sample ballot booklets and supplemental booklets are being sent to voters after printing errors were discovered.

Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley said that on Tuesday her staff discovered several printing errors in the booklets after receiving the county's sample ballot shipment.

The errors were made by the printing vendor her office contracts with for the booklets, Fridley said.

Fridley said voters residing in the following precincts will receive a new complete replacement sample ballot booklet titled “Reprint-2nd Issue”:

– 122 – Lower Lake;
– 124 – Bell Park, Clearlake;
– All of the voting precincts within the city limits of Lakeport: 411– LP Lange, 412 – LP Willow Tree, – 413 – LP Government, 414 – LP Fairgrounds;
– 421D – Cow Mountain;
– 422 – Scotts Valley;
– 441 – Big Valley;
– 442 – Lands End;
– 452 – Lakeside Pk;
– 461 – Donovan Valley.

Fridley said voters can check to see if they will be receiving a replacement sample ballot booklet by looking at the back cover of the sample ballot booklet under the nonprofit box-ballot type of 2, 8, 10 and 11. 

Voters receiving a replacement sample ballot booklet should destroy their first sample ballot booklet because it contains incorrect information, Fridley said.

Fridley said all other voters not residing within the voting precincts listed above will be receiving a “supplemental” sample ballot booklet with the text of the proposed local measures within their jurisdictions.

She said voters who receive those supplemental booklets should not throw away their sample ballot booklet because the candidates printed on the sample ballot pages as well as their printed candidate statements are correct.

The only incorrect part of those booklets, Fridley said, is the first page of the marijuana cultivation ordinance Measure O.

Fridley said Measure L from the 2014 June Primary is printed instead of the first page of Measure O, however, all the other pages of Measure O are correct.

Fridley said the replacement booklets and the supplemental booklets will be printed at the printing vendor’s expense and not at the expense of Lake County taxpayers.

Voters are advised to phone the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office at 707-263-2372 if they have any questions. 

Last week's hotter-than-normal conditions contributed to more than 100 new fires across California, state fire officials said Monday.

However, Cal Fire's latest Fire Situation Report said that despite hot and dry conditions, firefighters have continued to make progress on the big blazes.

Two major incidents continue to burn this week, including the Applegate Fire in Placer County and the Happy Camp Complex in Siskiyou County.

Fire officials expect hot and dry conditions, along with winds, to continue, although there is the possibility of some rain ahead this week across Northern California.

This week, Cal Fire's Situation Report also paid tribute to Geoffrey “Craig” Hunt, 62, of San Jose, the pilot killed while fighting the Dog Rock Fire near Yosemite National Park on Oct. 7.

For the full update, see the video above. 

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.