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MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – State and federal firefighters are working on a wildland fire in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness in the Mendocino National Forest.

The Henthorne fire was estimated at 291 acres and 5-percent containment on Friday evening.

Officials said the Henthorne fire was first reported at 8 a.m. Thursday, and is located approximately 15 miles northeast of Covelo in Trinity County.

Cal Fire, along with units from the United States Forest Service, responded. Due to the remote location of the fire, there was an extended response time.

With the assistance of aircraft, hand crews, and local government strike teams from Mendocino and Sonoma counties, progress was made overnight and into Friday, officials said.

The cause is so far undetermined.

The fire is being managed under unified command by the Mendocino National Forest and Cal Fire.

There are 329 resources on the incident including 11 crews, 24 engines, four helicopters, five dozers and eight water tenders.

Crews are working in remote, steep, rugged terrain with limited access into the fire area.

At this time, there is no threat to structures or civilians.

Observed fire behavior includes torching and spotting through heavy dead and down timber and brush. The fire is spreading westerly toward state land.

The forecast shows a cooling trend over the weekend with the potential for breezy southerly winds.

The fire is expected to be fully contained on Sept. 14, officials said.
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This year’s featured artist at Falling Leaves Quilt Show is Lisa McKissick, an award winning quilter. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild presents Lisa McKissick as the featured artist at the guild’s 18th annual Falling Leaves Quilt Show.

The show will be held in two buildings, Fritch Hall and Little Theatre, at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St., Lakeport.

Show hours are Saturday, Oct. 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Lisa McKissick is an award-winning quilter, carrying on a 125-year family tradition of quilting.

McKissick learned the art of quilting from her mom and sister. She is an expert in machine piecing, machine applique and paper piecing.

McKissick is an extraordinary quilt teacher having taught several hundred quilting classes and well over 2,500 students. She is an exciting and humorous lecturer and a talented pattern designer and developer.

Lisa McKissick will share “Piano” at the Falling Leaves Quilt Show on Saturday, October 5, and Sunday, October 6, 2019. Courtesy photo.

She lives in Petaluma, is married, has three children and they all quilt. Her mission is to teach as many people as possible to quilt!

You will find McKissick working part-time at a quilt shop in Sonoma, where she teaches and is a buyer of fabric, notions and quilting supplies. She regularly attends Quilt Market to find the latest and greatest quilting notions and tools.

One of her lectures is “Tool Time,” featuring her favorite tools and corresponding quilts. She will have her favorite arsenal of rulers, cutters, marking devices and a number of exceptional gems for sale at her booth.

McKissick will be present Saturday and Sunday to talk with guests and present demonstrations at the quilt show.

More information on McKissick and her quilts can be found at http://cosmoquilts.com.

Presale tickets are available for $8 cash at the Clearlake and Lakeport Chamber of Commerces and at Village Sewing in Ukiah. For more information, contact Barbara Haddon at 415-209-3044.

More information can be found at http://www.LLQG.org/quilt-show.html.

Suzanne Lee is publicity chair for the Falling Leaves Quilt Show.
Lisa McKissick will demonstrate using the Quick Curved Ruler to piece “Metro Twist” during the day at her booth. Courtesy photo.
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Clearlake Police Records/Communications Supervisor Sherri Vannest, at left, is trained on new equipment that is helping convert the agency to a primary public safety answering point. Photo courtesy of the Clearlake Police Department.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Wednesday, the Clearlake Police Department took a key step in its plans to improve services to the community by beginning its function as a primary public safety answering point.

Before Wednesday, when individuals dialed 911 in the city of Clearlake, their calls were routed to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Central Dispatch for police matters and then transferred to the Clearlake Police Department.

The circuitous process included delays and prevented dispatchers from accessing automated caller location information, including from cellular callers, with dispatchers having to then ask more questions to know whether the call was for police or fire, the latter being relayed to Cal Fire’s St. Helena dispatch.

At around noon on Wednesday, the department eliminated that delayed routing process by switching to state-of-the-art 911 call handling equipment.

Now, 911 landline callers within the city will be directly routed to a Clearlake Police dispatcher, who will handle their calls.

The department said that, in the coming weeks, the system will be further enhanced to provide direct routing of most cellular calls.

The changes are the result of the department receiving the state’s designation as a primary public safety answering point, which the Clearlake City Council approved pursuing last September at Chief Andrew White’s request, as Lake County News has reported.

In October, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Public Safety Communications, California 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Branch notified the Clearlake Police Department that its application to become a public safety answering point had been approved.

As part of the state’s approval, it provided the Clearlake Police Department with $226,000, to be spread across five years, for the necessary equipment upgrades.

Clearlake Police Department staff and trainers prepare for the agency to become a primary public safety answering point. Photo courtesy of the Clearlake Police Department.

The department said callers in the city will benefit from the new system’s full 911 capabilities, including automated location and number information, rapid transfers to the fire/medical dispatch with accompanying location/number information, and TDD for communication with the deaf.

There are still more upgrades to come, with the department reporting that new text-to-911 functionality will be implemented in the near future along with even more robust technology for locating wireless callers.

Last week, Clearlake Police dispatchers received extensive training on the fully computerized new system, which the department reported is fully integrated with the computer-aided dispatch system and the computers in the patrol vehicles.

Another benefit of the new system is that it is hardened against situations such as downed lines or equipment failures with redundant links to the public safety answering points at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

In emergency situations, such as an evacuation of a public safety answering point, calls can be seamlessly re-routed to another public safety answering point, the agency said.

“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the California 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Branch, Lake County Sheriff's Office, Motorola Solutions, RIMS by Sun Ridge Systems and AT&T staff who all made this possible. We would also like to recognize our employees who put in extra time and effort to remodel our dispatch center and prepare it for the new system,” the department said in a Wednesday statement.

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.
An example of information available in the Clearlake Police Department’s new state-of-the-art dispatch system. Photo courtesy of the Clearlake Police Department.
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The California Legislature on Friday approved a wildfire-inspired proposal from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would help low-income people who rely on life-support equipment to receive backup power during electric transmission line de-energization.

“Clearly, we must protect vulnerable people who rely on critical-care equipment as climate change drives up our fire risk,” said Sen. Dodd, who previously represented Lake County in the Assembly. “My bill says that before utilities can shut off the power to prevent an inferno, they must develop plans to ensure the health and safety of those who are most defenseless.”

Senate Bill 167 comes in response to plans to prevent wind-driven wildfires by power line de-energization.

More than 150,000 critical care customers are served by the state’s three largest utilities. Many live in households with incomes 200 percent below the federal poverty level.

SB 167 would require utilities to submit plans to the California Public Utilities Commission for supporting these low-income customers during temporary power shutoffs.

The bill cleared the Senate and Assembly with unanimous, bipartisan support and heads next to Gov. Gavin Newsom for a signature. It is backed by the California Fire Chiefs Association and Marin Clean Energy, among others.

“SB 167 is needed to ensure emergency back-up power is available to operate life-support systems for those citizens requiring such equipment during power outages,” said Russell Noack, who represents both the California Fire Chiefs Association and the Fire Districts Association of California.

It is one of seven wildfire-related bills introduced by Sen. Dodd this year. His legislation would protect elders from abandonment during emergencies, ensure fairness for those dealing with insurance agents, establish a statewide wildfire warning center, protect the state budget from unexpected emergency response costs and ensure the clearing of vegetation near utility lines and homes.

Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Highlands Senior Center is inviting community members to come "kick up your heels for senior meals" as they hold their annual benefit dinner/dance on Saturday, Sept. 14.

The event will take place at the Clearlake Community Center, 3245 Bowers Ave.

Doors open at 5 p.m., with a no-host bar provided by the Lakeshore Lions Club.

Dinner, catered by Chatterbox Catering will be served starting at 6 p.m.

Advance tickets for this event are $35. Tickets are available at the Highlands Senior Center. You can also call ahead and reserve your tickets for will call and purchase by credit card.

Businesses and fraternal organizations can also become sponsors by purchasing a table for the event.

All proceeds from the dinner/dance go toward the Highlands Senior Center's Meals on Wheels program, as well as other programs and activities at the senior center.

For more information on the benefit dinner/dance, or on other programs and activities that the the Highlands Senior Center offers, please call 707-994-3051 or drop by the office at 3245 Bowers Ave.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Coastal Cleanup Day is coming to Clear Lake on Saturday, Sept. 21.

This is the perfect opportunity for Lake County citizen volunteers to help clean shorelines, streams and creeks, and prevent trash from entering the lake and degrading the aquatic environment.

Coastal Cleanup Day involves more than marine beaches, as shorelines exist along any lake or waterbody, such as Clear Lake.

Started in 1985 by the California Coastal Commission, Coastal Cleanup Day is one of the largest volunteer events in the United States, involving more than 60,000 volunteers each year.

Since its inception, Coastal Cleanup Day has resulted in the removal of 23 million pounds of trash from California’s public beaches, lakes and waterways.

Last year’s Lake County Coastal Cleanup Day resulted in the removal of more than 500 pounds of trash collected by 41 dedicated volunteers. The county invites volunteers to beat those numbers this year.

Volunteers are encouraged to participate at any of the seven shoreline locations within the county and city of Clearlake. Materials such as gloves and trash bags will be provided.

Kayakers, boaters and waders are also strongly encouraged to participate, as trash can be found on land and in the water.

Want to go green? Bring your own bucket or reusable bags to help collect trash and save the landfill from more plastic.

If you or someone you know would like to participate in Coastal Cleanup Day, report to any of the following locations on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 9 a.m. to noon:

Upper Arm

– Keeling County Park, 3000 Carson St., Upper Lake.
– Rodman Slough County Park, 1635 Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road, Lakeport.
– Nice-Lucerne Cutoff (Latitude, 39.119210, Longitude, -122.89622).
– Highland Springs, 3500 E. Highland Springs Road, Lakeport.

Lower Arm

– Clear Lake Campground, 7805 Cache Creek Way, Clearlake.
– Austin Park, 14295 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake, starting at 8:30 a.m.
– Borax Lake (Sulfur Bank Road, latitude, 38.978898, longitude, -122.67017) – meet at 7:30 a.m. at the park in front of Clearlake City Hall if you want direction to the cleanup site (if possible RSVP to site captain Edgar at 707-350-5152).

This event has been made possible by a partnership between Lake County Water Resources, City of Clearlake, Citizens Caring for Clear Lake, and the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center as well as local event sponsors C&S Waste Solutions, Caltrans and Lake County Public Services.

If you have questions or need more information please feel free to contact Lake County Water Resources at 707-263-2344, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or message the agency on Facebook, @lakecountywater.
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This artist’s concept depicts the early Martian environment (right) – believed to contain liquid water and a thicker atmosphere – versus the cold, dry environment seen at Mars today (left). Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

A key tracer used to estimate how much atmosphere Mars lost can change depending on the time of day and the surface temperature on the Red Planet, according to new observations by NASA-funded scientists.

Previous measurements of this tracer – isotopes of oxygen – have disagreed significantly. An accurate measurement of this tracer is important to estimate how much atmosphere Mars once had before it was lost, which reveals whether Mars could have been habitable and what the conditions might have been like.

Mars is a cold, inhospitable desert today, but features like dry riverbeds and minerals that only form with liquid water indicate that long ago it had a thick atmosphere that retained enough heat for liquid water – a necessary ingredient for life – to flow on the surface.

It appears that Mars lost much of its atmosphere over billions of years, transforming its climate from one that might have supported life into the desiccated and frozen environment of today, according to results from NASA missions such as MAVEN and Curiosity and going back to the Viking missions of 1976.

However, many mysteries about the Red Planet’s ancient atmosphere remain. “We know Mars had more atmosphere. We know it had flowing water. We do not have a good estimate for the conditions apart from that – how Earthlike was the Mars environment? For how long?” said Timothy Livengood of the University of Maryland, College Park and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Livengood is lead author of a paper on this research published online in Icarus Aug. 1.

One way to estimate how thick the original atmosphere of Mars was is to look at isotopes of oxygen. Isotopes are versions of an element with different mass due to the number of neutrons in the atomic nucleus. Lighter isotopes escape to space faster than heavier isotopes, so the atmosphere that remains on the planet gets gradually enriched in the heavier isotope.

In this case, Mars is enriched compared to Earth in the heavier isotope of oxygen, 18O, versus the lighter and much more common 16O. The measured relative amount of each isotope can be used to estimate how much more atmosphere there was on ancient Mars, in combination with an estimate for how much faster the lighter 16O escapes, and assuming that the relative amount of each isotope on Earth and Mars was once similar.

The problem is that measurements of the amount of 18O compared to 16O on Mars, the 18O/16O ratio, have not been consistent. Different missions measured different ratios, which results in different understandings of the ancient Martian atmosphere.

The new result provides a possible way to resolve this discrepancy by showing that the ratio can change during the Martian day.

“Previous measurements on Mars or from Earth have obtained a variety of different values for the isotope ratio,” said Livengood. “Ours are the first measurements to use a single method in a way that shows the ratio actually varying within a single day, rather than comparisons between independent devices. In our measurements, the isotope ratio varies from being about 9 percent depleted in heavy isotopes at noon on Mars to being about 8 percent enriched in heavy isotopes by about 1:30 p.m. compared to the isotope ratios that are normal for Earth oxygen.”

This range of isotope ratios is consistent with the other reported measurements. “Our measurements suggest that the previous work all may have been done correctly but disagreed because this aspect of the atmosphere is more complex than we had realized,” said Livengood. “Depending where on Mars the measurement was made, and what time of day on Mars, it is possible to get different values.”

The team thinks the change in ratios during the day is a routine occurrence due to ground temperature, in which the isotopically heavier molecules would stick to cold surface grains at night more than the lighter isotopes, then are freed (thermally desorb) as the surface warms up during the day.

Since the Martian atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide (CO2), what the team actually observed were oxygen isotopes attached to carbon atoms in the CO2 molecule. They made their observations of the Martian atmosphere with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, using the Heterodyne Instrument for Planetary Winds and Composition developed at NASA Goddard.

“While trying to understand the broad spread in estimated isotope ratios that we retrieved from the observations, we noticed that they were correlated with the surface temperature that we also obtained,” said Livengood. “That was the insight that set us on this path.”

The new work will help researchers refine their estimates of the ancient Martian atmosphere. Because the measurements can now be understood to be consistent with the results of such processes in other planets’ atmospheres, it means they are on the right track for understanding how the Martian climate changed.

“It shows that the atmospheric loss was by processes that we more or less understand,” said Livengood. “Critical details remain to be worked out, but it means that we don’t need to invoke exotic processes that could have resulted in removing CO2 without changing the isotope ratios, or changing just some ratios in other elements.”

The research was funded by the former NASA Planetary Astronomy Program, now the NASA Solar System Observations Program. NASA is exploring our Solar System and beyond, uncovering worlds, stars, and cosmic mysteries near and far with our powerful fleet of space and ground-based missions.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has added more dogs to its list of adoptable pets this week.

The kennels also have many dogs that need to be reunited with their owners. To find the lost/found pet section, click here.

The following dogs are ready for adoption.

“Bernard.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Bernard’

“Bernard” is a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix with a short brindle and white coat.

He already has been neutered.

He is No. 280.

“Buddy.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Buddy’

“Buddy” is a male dachshund with a short brindle coat.

He is No. 1740.

“Cadbury.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Cadbury’

“Cadbury” is a female Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix with a smooth medium-length beige coat.

She is No. 1215.

“Chase.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Chase’

“Chase” is a male shepherd mix with a medium-length brindle coat.

He is dog No. 2618.

“Dexter.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Dexter’

“Dexter” is a male pit bull terrier mix with a short red coat.

He already has been neutered.

He is No. 2592.

“Frank.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Frank’

“Frank” is a male American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a short black and white coat.

He is No. 2345.

“Goldie.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Goldie’

“Goldie” is a senior female pit bull terrier mix with a blonde and white coat.

She is No. 2173.

“Hamilton.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Hamilton’

“Hamilton” is a male German Shepherd with a medium-length brown and black coat.

He is No. 2177.

“Lana.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Lana’

“Lana” is a female shepherd mix puppy with a smooth black and brown coat and one blue and one brown eye.

She has been spayed.

She is No. 2659.

“Melonie.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Melonie’

“Melonie” is a female American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a short red and white coat.

She is No. 2428.

“Samantha.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Samantha’

“Samantha” is a female dachshund mix with a short black and white coat.

She is No. 2546.

“Sturgill.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Sturgill’

“Sturgill” is a male Labrador Retriever mix with a medium-length yellow coat.

He is No. 2460.

“Tyson.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Tyson’

“Tyson” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a medium-length gray and white coat.

He is No. 1863.

“Wiley.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control.

‘Wiley’

“Wiley” is a male German Shepherd mix with a medium-length black and brindle coat.

He is dog No. 2451.

Clearlake Animal Control’s shelter is located at 6820 Old Highway 53, off Airport Road.

Hours of operation area noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shelter is closed Sundays, Mondays and major holidays; the shelter offers appointments on the days it’s closed to accommodate people.

Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or at the city’s Web site.

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.
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On Wednesday, Lake County’s two members of the House of Representatives along with 42 other members of the California Congressional delegation wrote President Donald Trump to condemn the transfer of $155 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund to pay for Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention beds.

The Disaster Relief Fund is one of the nation’s go-to reserves for responding to natural disasters.

Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05), who represents the southern half of Lake County, and Rep. John Garamendi (CA-03), who represents the county’s northern section, were among the signatories of the letter.

The letter raises concerns about “devastating, record breaking natural disasters,” adding that “to undercut FEMA's funding and its ability to respond at the height of fire season in California is unacceptable. Year after year California has been subject to devastating natural disasters, each larger and more deadly than the year before.”

It also noted the state’s deadly 2017 and 2018 fire seasons, explaining that, “ Through both of these terrible years FEMA disaster relief funding was imperative to disaster response effort in our state.”

The delegation said its members’ concerns go beyond California and wildfires, noting the importance of having FEMA funds available to respond to Hurricane Dorian and other disasters which are expected.

“This is why we vehemently oppose this reprogramming of funds and urge you ensure that no FEMA disaster relief funding is transferred,” the letter states.

Other letter signatures include representatives Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Adam B. Schiff (CA-28), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32), Katie Hill (CA-25), John Garamendi (CA-03), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Scott Peters (CA-52), Josh Harder (CA-10), Katie Porter (CA-45), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Ted W. Lieu (CA-33), Doris O. Matsui (CA- 06), TJ Cox (CA-21), Gilbert R. Cisneros (CA-39), Jr., Raul Ruiz (CA-36), Mike Levin (CA-49), Harley Rouda (CA-48), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18), Jackie Speier (CA-14), Karen Bass (CA-37), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Ami Bera (CA-07), Brad Sherman (CA-30), Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Susan A. Davis (CA-53), Jim Costa (CA-16), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Pete Aguilar (CA-31), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Judy Chu (CA-27) and Mark Takano (CA-41)

The full text of the letter is below.

The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

As members of the California Congressional delegation, we write to condemn the recent action of your Administration to transfer $155 million dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster relief fund to pay for ICE detention beds and judicial hearing facilities. As you know, in the past few years we have seen devastating, record breaking natural disasters and to undercut FEMA's funding and its ability to respond at the height of fire season in California is unacceptable. Year after year California has been subject to devastating natural disasters, each larger and more deadly than the year before.

In 2017, California experienced what were, at the time, the most devastating fires in its history. Exasperated by longtime and widespread drought, the entire state felt the devastation and impact of the 2017 fire season. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, these wildfires burned nearly 1,381,405 acres in California, destroyed 9,470 structures, causing billions of dollars in damage, and, most tragically, took the lives of 47 people.

In 2018 California experienced wildfires and natural disasters that shattered the record set by 2017. 2018 became the deadliest and most destructive wildfire season ever recorded in California, with a total of 8,527 fires burning an area of 1,893,913 acres, the largest area of burned acreage recorded in a fire season, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Through both of these terrible years FEMA disaster relief funding was imperative to disaster response effort in our state.

However, our concern goes beyond California and wildfires. As Hurricane Dorian threatens the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the mainland United States it is imperative that FEMA has all the funds available to respond to dangerous and deadly disasters.

2019 will be no different than 2017 or 2018, California and the Country will experience more deadly natural disasters and wildfires in the coming month. FEMA must have all available funds in anticipation for forthcoming disasters. This is why we vehemently oppose this reprogramming of funds and urge you ensure that no FEMA disaster relief funding is transferred.
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Ray Arceneaux arrived on Thursday, September 5, 2019, in Lakeport, Calif., for the Seaplane Splash In. He is flying the Cessna 180 for Foothill Aviation and will be joined by Terry Hall with a second plane from Foothill Aviation. Hall will be providing seaplane rides (for a fee) on Saturday, September 7, 2019, from the Skylark Resort in Lakeport, Calif. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Thursday, participants in this weekend’s Clear Lake Seaplane Splash In began arriving in Lakeport, with this year’s event to feature activities and seminars for young people designed to draw attention to career opportunities in aviation.

The 40th annual Splash In takes place Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Natural High School, 810 N. Main St. in Lakeport.

On Thursday afternoon, planes piloted by Ray Arceneaux and Steve Hamilton were among the first to arrive in Lakeport for the event.

They will be joined by another two dozen planes from in and around California.

The Clear Lake Modelers will have many of their sea and land airplane models on display as well as a simulator where visitors may try their hand at flying a model. The club members will answer questions and demonstrate how to build models.

A sound system covering the entire field will be in place so everyone on the field can hear what’s going on including the pilot briefing at 9:30 a.m., what planes are there and descriptions of aerial demonstrations over the lake later in the day. Seaplane rides over Clear Lake with two commercially licensed pilots will be available for purchase.

This year’s field marshall this year is Ray Shipway of Shipway Aviation, assisted by Lee Cook, a long time Splash In volunteer.

Shipway will oversee the Scouts of Sea Scout Ship unit 711 as they direct planes entering and leaving the field. The Sea Scouts camp on site from Friday through Sunday; they and their leaders do 24-hour security for the field.

Unlike many fields where jobs are disappearing, career prospects in aviation are bright. Boeing’s CEO, Dennis Muilinberg, noted at the Paris Air Show last month that there will be a need for 800,000 new pilots in the next 20 years, and that there will be a severe pilot shortage.

The Splash In features seminars that could be useful to high school students and their parents in learning about career opportunities in aviation.

A seminar entitled “You Can Be a Pilot” takes place at the Natural High School in Lakeport at 11 a.m. Saturday, and a seminar entitled “Career Opportunities in Aviation” takes place at 2 p.m.

In addition, Steve Bateman, director of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Flying Clubs Initiative, will present “Maximum Fun, Minimum Cost: How to Start and Run a Flying Club” at 10 a.m.

“You Can Be a Pilot” is a fast paced, inspirational session designed to increase awareness that obtaining a pilot certificate is a realistic and achievable objective.

“The Career Opportunities in Aviation” seminar examines the exciting prospects for young people in aviation. In addition to outlining the specific careers available in aviation, the career opportunities seminar presents details about the high school curriculum for aviation education that the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association makes available at no cost to high schools.

Professional pilots, mechanics, avionics technicians and flight instructors will be on hand to answer questions that students and parents may have.

“It’s important that students in the Lake County school system become aware of the career opportunities in aviation, including jobs as aviation mechanics, avionics technicians, corporate, airline and military pilots and aerial photographers. The career opportunities seminar enables them to learn about those opportunities,” said Melissa Fulton, chief executive officer of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, which is presenting the event.

Lake County high schools used to have aviation classes, and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association high school curriculum is being taught in a number of California high schools.

Kevin Soto, a Boeing 747 pilot for the United Parcel Service, said, “The aviation program at Lower Lake high school back in the 1970s made me aware of the opportunities in aviation. Those classes were invaluable to my path to becoming a Boeing 747 pilot for UPS.”

“I saw firsthand the beneficial impact that teaching aviation had on some of the students in my classes,” said retired high school teacher, Miles Turner, who is a pilot and used to teach the aviation classes at Kelseyville High School.

Dan Dye, who is a retired chemist, pilot, former aircraft owner and substitute high school teacher in Lake County, said, “I have no doubt that an aviation curriculum at one or more of Lake County’s high schools would open doors to career opportunities many students are simply not aware of now.”

“A Lake County-based flying club can complement a high school aviation curriculum by reducing the cost of flying for students, giving them opportunities to fly with other club members and to become involved in aircraft building projects sponsored by the club,” said Herb Lingl, the education director of the Clear Lake Flying Club.

In addition to accommodating seaplanes by providing a ramp for access to the Lakeport waterfront, the Splash In provides a chance for the public to see seaplanes first hand and interact with seaplane pilots.

The Splash In attracts a wide variety of different types of seaplanes. More details about this year’s Splash In are available at www.clearlakesplashin.com.

Steve Hamilton from Reno, Nevada, arrived on Thursday, September 5, 2019, in Lakeport, Calif., for the Seaplane Splash In. Courtesy photo.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A wildland fire incident made up of several roadside fires between Lower Lake and Kelseyville that began on Wednesday afternoon is fully contained.

Cal Fire said Thursday evening that the Glass fire is 100-percent contained at 28 acres.

The series of seven fires along Highway 29 near Diener Drive and DNA Ridge Rock Quarry was first reported shortly before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, as Lake County News has reported.

The incident had initially required a closure of a portion of Highway 29 as heavy ground and air resources hit the fires as quickly as possible.

There were no injuries or threats to structures.

Cal Fire said the cause remains under investigation.

In its Thursday evening report, Cal Fire credited “teamwork, training and exceptional communication skills” among the agencies as aiding in bringing the incident to full containment.

The report said heavy equipment combined with fire personnel reinforced the containment lines to completion. The effort was helped by Thursday’s favorable weather.

Cal Fire said community members can expect to see fire personnel in the area checking these
fires for the next several days.

Resources that remained assigned on Thursday night include 55 firefighters, four engines, two water tenders and one dozer, Cal Fire reported.

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Payments from the Wildfire Assistance Program funded by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. have begun to be delivered to people displaced by the 2017 Northern California wildfires and 2018 Camp fire.

The $105 million fund, approved by the judge in PG&E’s Chapter 11 cases, is intended to help those who are either uninsured or need assistance with alternative living expenses or other urgent needs.

An independent third-party administrator, Cathy Yanni, is overseeing disbursement of funds to eligible participants.

“Payments to eligible individuals and households started last Friday. We worked quickly to establish and file the eligibility criteria with the court so we could begin reviewing applications as soon as possible. We urge people displaced by the fires with unmet needs to apply, particularly those currently without adequate shelter,” Yanni said.

“We are committed to helping the victims and communities impacted by these wildfires recover and rebuild. Supporting them in their time of need is the right thing to do. We appreciate the work of the program administrator to ensure the funds get into the hands of those who need it most as quickly as possible,” said PG&E Corporation Chief Executive Officer and President Bill Johnson.

About 5,000 claims have been filed and about 20 percent are from Northern California, David Agretelis, Yanni’s assistant, told Lake County News.

He said he did not have drill-down data on how many Sulphur fire victims may have have applied as applicants aren’t being asked to identify the specific fires that impacted them.

The deadline to file a claim is Nov. 15.

More information including the claim form is available at https://www.norcalwildfireassistanceprogram.com/.

Final payments are expected to be made by the end of the first quarter of 2020.

The administrator is actively reviewing claims and began sending payments on Friday, Aug. 30.

Applicants can request support for “Basic Unmet Needs,” which will provide each qualifying household with $5,000 for needs such as water, food, prescriptions, medical supplies and equipment, infant formula and diapers, personal hygiene items, and transportation fuels beyond what the Federal Emergency Management Agency covered in the days immediately following the declared disasters.

Those who receive basic payments may also qualify for a “Supplemental Unmet Needs” payment. These funds will be available, however, only after all basic payments have been issued. The administrator has been empowered to approve supplemental payments for households which currently face extreme or extraordinary circumstances.

To qualify for the payments, applicants’ primary residence must have been within the boundary of either the 2017 Northern California wildfires and 2018 Camp fire at the time of those events.

Applicants also must establish proof of identity and certify that they are not requesting payments for an expense already paid for by FEMA.

PG&E is providing $105 million for this fund from the company’s cash reserves and will not seek cost recovery from its customers.

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