The California Highway Patrol and 265 local law enforcement agencies issued over 57,000 tickets in April to drivers who were using a hand-held cell phone or texting, according to a report from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

The agency said another 3,800 citations were handed out for other distracted driving violations in April.  This number is up from the 52,000 tickets issued in April of 2011.

The CHP and OTS praised the cooperation of hundreds of state and local agencies and the reaction of the public to the second annual “It’s Not Worth It!”enforcement and awareness campaign as part of the national Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing that the problem of cell phone use for talking and texting while driving is not going away anytime soon,” said OTS Director Christopher J. Murphy.  “There are those who understand the dangers and have curtailed their use, while others think the hazards apply to everyone else but them.  We can’t stop until we convince everyone that they are putting their own life and others around them at risk with this perilous behavior.”

Use of cells phones and texting while driving is a problem in Lake County, too.

“We do see it here and the officers do take appropriate action when they see it,” said Sgt. Dave Stark of the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Office.

Stark said local CHP officers in April wrote 38 citations for violations of Vehicle Code 23123(a), which states, “A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless that telephone is specifically designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking, and is used in that manner while driving.”

Stark said local officers wrote another two citations for violations of Vehicle Code 23123.5(a), which states, “A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication.”

In addition to the enforcement efforts, the OTS continued the “It’s Not Worth It!” public awareness campaign with TV and radio commercials, the Caltrans changeable message signs over highways, DMV messaging in field offices, plus Internet, social media and other outreach.  

The “Don’t Be a Distracted Driving Zombie” theme this year emphasized how up to 37 percent of brain functioning needed for driving gets switched to cell phone talking, making the driver severely lacking in ability to safely drive.

Recently OTS released the results of their second statewide cell phone observational survey that showed more than 10 percent of drivers were talking or texting while driving, representing hundreds of thousands of drivers at any given time.  

Especially troubling are the cell phone use figures showing drivers 16-25 years of age talking or texting at a rate of 18 percent, up from 9 percent in 2011.

The “It’s Not Worth It!” campaign will continue with both enforcement and public awareness efforts.  The State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan is developing tactics to combat distracted driving, such as formulating plans to increase the data and research available to more accurately understand and combat the problem.  

With the lives of hundreds of Californians at stake, the message will continue to be that any phone call or text message can wait until you reach a safe place to stop.

Following a few uncomplicated steps would go a long way in keeping you safe from distracted driving:

• Put your cell phone out of reach when you get in the car so you won’t be tempted to use it.
• Mention on your outgoing voice mail message that you can’t answer because you might be driving.
• Don’t call or text anyone when there is a good chance that they may be driving.
• If you must call or text, pull into a parking space.
• The ability to safely multi-task while driving is myth.
• Never eat, groom, program a GPS, check Facebook, run an app, read or otherwise allow your full attention to leave the task of safely driving.

Something strange is about to happen to the shadows beneath your feet.

On Sunday, May 20, the Moon will pass in front of the sun, transforming sunbeams across the Pacific side of Earth into fat crescents and thin rings of light.

It's an annular solar eclipse, in which the Moon will cover as much as 94 percent of the sun.

Hundreds of millions of people will be able to witness the event. The eclipse zone stretches from southeast Asia across the Pacific Ocean to western parts of North America.

In the United States, the eclipse begins around 5:30 pm Pacific Daylight Time. For the next two hours, a Moon-shaped portion of the sun will go into hiding. Greatest coverage occurs around 6:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

Because some of the sun is always exposed during the eclipse, ambient daylight won't seem much different than usual. Instead, the event will reveal itself in the shadows. Look on the ground beneath leafy trees  for crescent-shaped sunbeams and rings of light.

Near the center-line of the eclipse, observers will experience something special: the "ring of fire." As the Moon crosses the sun dead-center, a circular strip or annulus of sunlight will completely surround the dark lunar disk. Visually, the sun has a big black hole in the middle.

The "path of annularity" where this occurs is only about 200 miles wide, but it stretches almost halfway around the world passing many population centers en route: Tokyo, Japan; Medford, Oregon; Chico, Calif.; Reno, Nevada; Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Lubbock, Texas. In those locations the ring of fire phenomenon will be visible for as much as four and a half minutes.

"The ring of sunlight during annularity is blindingly bright," cautioned NASA's leading eclipse expert Fred Espenak of the Goddard Space Flight Center. "Even though most of the Sun's disk will be covered, you still need to use a solar filter or some type of projection technique. A #14 welder's glass is a good choice. There are also many commercially-available solar filters."

Many astronomy clubs will have solar-filtered telescopes set up for public viewing.

Through the eyepiece of such an instrument, you can see the mountainous lunar limb gliding by dark sunspots and fiery prominences. It's a beautiful sight.

Be absolutely sure, however, that any telescope you look through is properly filtered. Magnified sunlight can cause serious eye damage even during an eclipse.

A safe and fun way to observe the eclipse is to use your own body as a solar projector. For example, try criss-crossing your fingers waffle-style. Rays of light beaming through the gaps will have the same shape as the eclipsed sun.

Or just stand under that tree. The sight of a thousand ring-shaped sunbeams swaying back and forth on a grassy lawn or sidewalk is unforgettable.

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

LAKEPORT, Calif. – As the trial for two Clearlake Oaks men facing charges for a fatal 2011 shooting moved into a new week, the jury heard from six witnesses and the court set a new potential ending date for next month.

Paul William Braden, 22, and 24-year-old Orlando Joseph Lopez are on trial for the shooting on June 18, 2011, at the Lakeshore Drive home of Desiree Kirby and Ross Sparks that claimed the life of Kirby’s 4-year-old son Skyler Rapp, injured Kirby and Sparks, as well as three other family members and friends.

Visiting Yolo County Judge Doris Shockley, who is presiding over the trial, told jurors on Wednesday that, after consulting with the prosecution and defense, she was estimating testimony to be concluded by June 8.

That’s nearly a month after the original end date that Shockley had given jurors. The trial has seen numerous delays resulting from logistical issues with witnesses – some of whom did not show up on the right date – as well as motion hearings, including two mistrial motions so far.

On Wednesday, District Attorney Don Anderson called six witnesses, the most so far in a day of testimony.

They included Robert Bradley, who had visited the scene of the shooting shortly before it occurred; Leighann Painchaud, who was the girlfriend of Kevin Stone – a former codefendant in the case – at the time of the shooting; her cousin, Crystal Painchaud, in whose vehicle Stone allegedly drove Braden and Lopez to the scene; Clearlake Police Officer Andrew Jones, who responded to the shooting; Tyreshia Celestin-Willis, who had driven Crystal Painchaud to look for her car after Stone didn’t return it; and Clearlake Police Evidence Technician Victoria Estrella.

Bradley, who currently is in jail, came to court in handcuffs and a jail jumpsuit, and was accompanied by attorney Barry Melton.

Bradley goes by the nickname “Boxer,” and his brother, James Jordan, is known as “Goofy.” Both had been seen at Sparks’ and Kirby’s home that night, as well as at neighbor Curtis Eeds’ home.

According to his testimony, Bradley has an immunity agreement with the District Attorney’s Office.

He said he did not know Braden but had known Lopez for a few years, having dated Lopez’s cousin.

On the evening of the shooting Bradley said he stopped at Eeds’ home, visiting with his brother and with Eeds, before going next door to say hello to Crystal Pearls, a relative of Sparks. He said she was in the backyard, talking to someone on the phone.

“She handed me the phone and told me to talk to somebody,” he said.

When he took the phone, he recognized Lopez’s voice. He said Pearls had told him there was a problem. Bradley said he told Lopez not to bring those problems, Lopez agreed and Bradley handed the phone back to Pearls.

“That’s the whole conversation,” Bradley said, testifying that he was not there when the shooting occurred later that night.

Under cross-examination by Lopez’s attorney, Stephen Carter, Bradley admitted to being a gang member, a “Northerner.” He also said he knew Stone, who was not a member of his gang, and was acquainted with the “Avenue Boyz,” who also were not Northerners.

Leighann Painchaud, who started dating Stone in May 2011, testified that she and Stone were together on the day of the shooting.

After her children left to visit a relative, she estimated she and Stone smoked three to four bowls of methamphetamine, a drug she said she had been using heavily in the weeks before the incident.

She also admitted that her story has changed since her original interviews with police, during which she was high. “I wasn’t in a right state of mind,” she said, adding, “The whole situation was a shock to me, and scary.”

Painchaud, who now is sober, testified that at around 9:30 p.m. last June 18 she and Stone borrowed her cousin’s minivan to go to McDonald’s, Walmart and to do several drug deals around town in which Stone was the seller.

After running their errands, Stone directed her to an area along Boyles, where they stopped and picked up Lopez – who Painchaud had known for several years – and Braden, who she did not know. Both men were wearing hooded sweatshirts and dark clothing.

She drove back to her apartment, where Stone retrieved what Painchaud believed was a .22 rifle that he had kept there. She said she saw what she believed was the barrel sticking up under his sweatshirt.

Following the shooting, Stone told her what happened. “I was telling him he needed to turn himself in.”

The two later went to Santa Rosa in a vehicle that Painchaud borrowed from a neighbor but didn’t return. They were arrested in Santa Rosa, and Painchaud would be prosecuted for vehicle theft, getting out of jail last November.

Crystal Painchaud testified to her cousin borrowing the vehicle, and then texting to ask if Stone could keep the vehicle later that night for an errand.

Later, when Stone didn’t return the vehicle and after she had heard of the shooting, Crystal Painchaud called 911 to report her car missing.

She and Celestin-Willis then went looking for her vehicle, finding it blocks from the crime scene with a shotgun shell on the passenger seat. She encountered a man who said he saw three subjects get out of the vehicle and run up the street.

Under cross-examination she also admitted that she and Celestin-Willis used meth that night after they went to look for the car.

Jones testified to arriving at the shooting scene, where several people were flagging him down. About 15 to 20 people were at the scene, yelling and screaming.

“The whole scene was just very chaotic,” he said.

Jones said he saw Rapp lying in the driveway. He checked for a pulse and found none.

After going into the apartment and finding Kirby – as well as other shooting victims Joey Armijo and Ian Griffin – Jones went back outside to find that the crowd had doubled in size.

Later that night, Jones went to Crystal Painchaud’s home to interview her about her vehicle, which had become a key piece of evidence in the case.

Celestin-Willis told the court that Crystal Painchaud had asked her to help go find her vehicle.

When they did find it, she said Painchaud picked up the shotgun shell from the passenger's seat and showed it to her. Celestin-Willis told her to put the shell back and get back in her truck with her.

Estrella detailed collecting evidence from the shooting, including the little boy’s clothing.

She said she went to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake with an officer and collected the dark-colored sweat pants and a green, long-sleeved shirt, which were packaged and transported back to the police department.

Anderson showed pictures on a television screen of the clothing, as well as the child’s body on a stretcher.

Estrella also attended the child’s autopsy in Sacramento along with Officer Tim Alvarado.

During the autopsy, she collected six metal pellets taken from the boy’s body – including one that had been lodged in a rib and another from near an elbow – and also took into evidence blood, hair and organ samples collected by the pathologist.

Testimony will continue at 9 a.m. Thursday.

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Saturday, after a long illness, a friend of mine and many other fishermen on Clear Lake passed away.

He was known simply as Catfish Ed by most but his name was Ed Nassarre.

I had the honor of meeting Ed shortly after I moved here in 1997. I pulled up to the mouth of Holiday Harbor in Nice in my car. A man I thought to be 60 or 70 was standing at the mouth of it casting a rattle trap diagonally across the opening. I yelled out, “Are they biting?”

Ed's head snapped around and he reeled in the line and walked over to my car. He said, “Oh, I see the wheelchair there. I wondered why you didn't get out. Yeah they're biting. I'm catching one about every other cast. They're all cookie-cutter bass about 3 pounds. Here, I'll show you,” and he walked back to the water's edge.

Ed made one cast and the rod doubled over. He fought the fish for little while, grabbed his line, and walked the bass over to the car.

He said, “I'm guessing this one to be about 3.2 pounds.” Then he whipped a scale out of his pocket and stuck it in the fish's mouth and showed me the scale. It weighed 3.3 pounds.

He said, “Hey, I'm getting pretty good at this. Hey, I even caught a shopping cart a little while ago.”

We talked a while and I told him about coming from Minnesota and how I'd lived in Sonoma for 14 years before moving up here to buy a home.

Ed was a very friendly and helpful guy and told me that while he liked fish for bass once in a while he really considered it a waste of time as there were big carp and catfish in Clear Lake that fought much harder than the bass.

After I bought a pontoon boat, I had the honor of fishing with Ed one Saturday.

As we were fishing at the mouth of Rodman Slough with shrimp for bait, a local fisherman and now friend of mine Cameron Cole pulled up about 100 feet away in a bass boat and started casting to the shore. Ed yelled, “You fishing a tournament?"

Cameron yelled, “Yes we are," and told the name of the tournament.

Ed yelled, “I don't know why you bass fisherman waste your time with that stuff. You spend all that gas money tearing across the lake at 70 miles an hour from here to there looking for fish that hardly put up a fight when you could be relaxing in a boat fishing for fish twice as big that fight twice as hard at 1/10 the cost.”

I got kind of nervous thinking that Ed might be offending them. But Cameron looked at his partner, threw his head back and laughed and yelled, “You know what? You just may be onto something there.”

After a little friendly banter back and forth Cameron buzzed off for the next promising spot. Ed was always good for a laugh.

I ran into Ed at breakfast a lot and we became good friends. Ed used to make a fishing report and distribute it to local tackle shops and restaurants every Friday before he became familiar with the Internet.

He started asking me about computers and soon told me that he had taken the plunge and got a PC and was learning HTML to make a Web site. He had reserved the name www.catfished.com .

Knowing I built Web sites, Ed was full of questions for a couple of weeks and not long after I started asking him questions as he was a quick learner.

Ed's Web site grew like crazy as people from around the country heard about the huge catfish in Clear Lake.

Ed started promoting the Catfish Derby at the south end of the lake on his Web site and soon all the cat fisherman started looking up his Web site for advice.

Ed was outspoken and you had no trouble hearing him across the room. He acknowledged that it got him into trouble sometimes but I told him that he was in very good company.

For a while I kept my pontoon boat in the harbor and most times when I left or when I returned Ed would be standing on his lawn leaning over the bordering fence with a line in the water.

He would be yelling at everyone around him, "They are biting over here,” and they were biting on whatever bait that Ed was catching them on.

As a joke when I went by him I would put my my finger to my pursed lips and make the “Shhhh.” He would laugh at me and yell, “We don't own the lake. It belongs to everybody.” Ed was not one for keeping secrets about fishing.

Ed was helpful to everyone and had many people coming up to his little piece of heaven which was the trailer at the mouth of Holiday Harbor to fish for mainly carp.

I never did figure out which species Ed liked to fish for most, be it carp, catfish or crappie. He was an expert at all of them although that's something he would never admit to.

Ed loved Lake County like no one else could love Lake County. He called it his paradise. He was a former postal employee who moved up here after visiting on weekends.

Ed would probably scold me if I forgot to remind everybody about the Catfish Derby taking place this weekend.

Ed's Web site will continue on so if you ever needed any advice on catching catfish, bass, carp or crappie visit www.catfished.com , sign up and there will be plenty of helpful fishermen to guide you on your way.

Everyone knew you Ed. We’ll miss you. You will become legendary.

If you'd like to read stories from fisherman about Ed, go to his Web site.

Ed is survived by his wife Mary.

Greg Cornish lives in Nice, Calif.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven Business Association will hold its 29th annual Catfish Derby this weekend.

The event runs from noon Friday, May 18, through noon Sunday, May 20.

Known by many as “the biggest catfish tournament west of the Mississippi,” the event features an Adult Derby and a Kids Derby for those under 16 years old.

The grand prize winner of the Adult Derby will receive a cash prize of $4,000 (based on minimum of 350 adult entries) and the winner of the Kids Derby will receive a Nintendo Wii System. In addition, each child entrant will receive a commemorative t-shirt.

Derby headquarters will be located at the Clearlake Oaks Fire Station, 12655 East Highway 20, and will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Derby headquarters also will be open for preregistration from noon to 11 p.m. on Thursday, May 17.

No registrations will be accepted after 11 p.m. Friday.

Registration for the Adult Derby is $45 ($40 for those who preregister by Thursday). Registration for the Kids Derby is $10.

Proceeds from the event benefit community projects.

For applications, call 888-CL-DERBY, 707-998-1006; for information, 707-998-3795, www.clearlakeoaks.org .

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Calling the most recent Bay Delta Conservation Plan delay the “last, best opportunity to stand up to … unreasonable demands,” Reps. Mike Thompson (CA-1), Jerry McNerney (CA-11), George Miller (CA-7), Doris Matsui (CA-5) and John Garamendi (CA-10) called for specific steps to be taken for the plan to move forward in a fair and transparent manner.

The five members from the California congressional delegation have been vocal in calling for changes to the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and have demanded that any plan has significant input from the Bay-Delta region.

In letters sent Wednesday to Gov. Jerry Brown and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, the lawmakers said, “We recognize that some are now calling for an immediate decision, but we believe that it is critical to get this right; a rushed and inadequate Bay-Delta planning effort will lead to increased litigation, uncertainty, and expense.”

“So far in this process we’ve seen too many back-door deals that put the interests of South-of-Delta water contractors before our farmers, fishermen and local communities. Many of our families and small businesses that depend on the Delta would have their livelihood stripped away and the Delta’s diverse wildlife would be destroyed if these politically driven deals were put in place. Federal and state officials need to use this delay to come up with fair and transparent plan that is based on sound science so that our communities, businesses, fish, wildlife and environment in the Delta and north of the Delta are not harmed,” said Rep. Thompson.

“I will not accept any plan for the Delta that is harmful to the farmers, families, and small business owners in the Delta region. To date, the planning process for Delta water has been unduly influenced by wealthy water contractors from south of the Delta who would steal our water, costing us millions of dollars and countless jobs. This delay provides an opportunity for the state and federal governments to stand up to the water contractors and ensure that the BDCP includes the input of our region. I will continue to fight against any measures that would destroy the Delta and our way of life,” said Rep. McNerney.

“More than five years into this process, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan still hasn’t met basic legal or scientific requirements,” said Rep. Miller. “This is the last chance to fix it, and that’s why this delay is so important: it gives the scientists time to get it right. The Bay-Delta’s health is key to California’s future – we can either work out a good plan that reduces reliance on the Delta, or we can end up with increased litigation, uncertainty, and expense.”

“A 50-year permit needs to be done not only right, but with due diligence and equitable treatment to all those affected. I want to see the federal and state agencies take this opportunity to put forward a process and a plan for the Delta region that recognizes the input they’ve received not just from south of Delta interests, but north of Delta interests as well. Our state can’t afford to get this wrong,” said Rep. Matsui.

 “As the lynchpin of California’s water system, the economic and environmental sustainability of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta must be made front and center in this discussion. It’s the law,” said Rep. John Garamendi. “In addition, using the best available science, we must focus on conservation, storage, and recycling to preserve our state’s ecosystems and to meet the water needs of nearly 40 million Californians.”

The full text of the letter is below and attached.

May 16, 2012

The Honorable Ken Salazar
Secretary
Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240

Dear Secretary Salazar:

We write in response to the recently-announced delay in the timeline for releasing additional details of the proposed Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP). We believe that acknowledging the need for changes and additional scientific review is an important first step towards transforming the BDCP into a plan that meets state and federal legal requirements and into a process that is fair, transparent, and inclusive of communities in the Delta region and Northern California. We recognize that some are now calling for an immediate decision, but we believe that it is critical to get this right; a rushed and inadequate Bay-Delta planning effort will lead to increased litigation, uncertainty, and expense.

As you know, we have raised many objections during the skewed process that has led to this point. We have reached out to state and federal officials repeatedly, as a group and as individuals, to express our view that the BDCP is failing to adequately address the needs of our constituents and the health of the Bay-Delta ecosystem. Our concerns have been largely reinforced by numerous independent analyses and the release of draft environmental documents which show that the leading BDCP proposal will not meet biological goals and may even lead to the extinction of several species, including some of California’s iconic salmon runs. The recent “red flag” comments from state and federal agencies are just the latest indication that the BDCP must be overhauled if it is to be successful.

We also understand that, despite the many flaws with the BDCP, state and federal agencies still hope to make a significant announcement on the plan this summer. We would like to reemphasize our conviction that, before making a determination of a preferred project, state and federal agencies have an obligation to ensure that the BDCP will:

• Vigorously and meaningfully engage local officials from the Bay-Delta region and Northern California in the BDCP process.
• Reflect the best available scientific understanding of the Bay-Delta ecosystem’s needs as required by state law, including the reduction of water diversions from the Bay-Delta.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the economic issues identified by the Delta Protection Commission’s Economic Sustainability Plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
• Fully analyze a complete range of alternatives, including non-diversion alternatives, the State Water Resource Control Board’s alternative, and proposals put forth by experts from the Delta and Northern California. A cost-benefit analysis of each alternative should also be conducted.
• Define and meet biological goals and ensure that the preferred BDCP proposal is fully consistent with the best available science and relevant federal and state environmental laws.
• Protect water quality and reliability for farmers and communities in the Delta and Northern California.
• Rebuild the Bay-Delta’s fisheries and the thousands of jobs they sustain.
• Preserve flood protection for communities in the Delta and Northern California and include a focus on levee improvements.
• Commit to choosing, clearly and with intent, the “least environmentally damaging practicable alternative” as federal law requires.
• Meet the requirements of state law by including alternative water supplies as a way to increase water supply reliability and reduce dependence on the Delta.

Our constituents have repeatedly demonstrated that they are ready, willing, and able to participate in a BDCP process that is truly collaborative and transparent. Despite the good intentions of our constituents, the BDCP has been dominated by south-of-Delta contractors with a long history of opposing balanced solutions to the challenges facing California’s water system.

The recently-announced delay in the BDCP may represent the last, best opportunity to stand up to the unreasonable demands of south-of-Delta water contractors and change the BDCP into a plan that can enjoy support throughout the entire state of California.

Thank you for your attention to this letter. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Jerry McNerney
George Miller
Mike Thompson
Doris Matsui
John Garamendi

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Department of Fish and Game (DFG) biologists are trying a new tactic to help California’s ocean-bound juvenile salmon, in hopes of increasing survival rates.

On May 3, for the first time in state history, DFG staff used a boat to move approximately 100,000 young Chinook (called smolts) down the Sacramento River to San Francisco Bay.

Upon arrival, the smolts were released in the Bay, where they will grow to adulthood before returning upriver to spawn.

“We’ve been using trucks to transport smolts to points downstream for years, but we’ve never moved them by barge, and we’ve never moved them this far,” said DFG Environmental Scientist Colin Purdy, who supervised the boat transport to the Bay Area.

“Truck releases are typically much further upstream, and though they do shorten the fish’s journey to the ocean, they still face all kinds of hazards in the river,” Purdy said. “It’s possible we could better the chances of survival for this species just by making a few thoughtful changes in our operating practices. The data we collect over the next few years will tell the story, but we’re hopeful that we’ll see positive results.”

Salmon return to their spawning grounds using their sense of smell.

The process, called imprinting, begins before birth as waters flow over the eggs and continues as they grow and make their way to the ocean.

Each segment of water on their journey has distinctive chemical cues which they can re-trace to their spawning grounds.

Water is circulated through pumps from the Sacramento River into the boat’s holding tank, where the fish are kept.

The hope is that this may improve their ability to find their way back as an adult and predators are unable to access the fish in the holding tank during the journey downstream.

This is the beginning of a multiyear study program aimed at increasing return rates of salmon from the sea to their native rivers.

Over the next few years, scientists will use the data collected from the fish to test and evaluate the idea that overall survival rates and increased adult returns can be better achieved by barging the young salmon downstream.

To form a basis of comparison for this study, two other control groups of 100,000 smolts each were released by trucks in other locations at the same time as the barge release – one at a different location in the Bay, and one into the Sacramento River near Sacramento.

All 300,000 fish in this study were implanted with coded wire tags smaller than a tiny piece of pencil lead, which will ultimately enable scientists to tell which of the three groups the returning fish came from – the barge release, or one of the two truck releases.

The study is being conducted by DFG fisheries biologists with the support of the Commercial Salmon Trollers Advisory Committee, which donated the use of the boat, fuel and crew time to help ensure a successful start to the study. They have committed to helping DFG for the next three years of data collection.

“This has been a major cooperative effort and we really appreciate DFG’s willingness to work with everybody and look at new ways of doing things,” said Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen. “DFG is committed to decreasing straying rates among the salmon migrating up the Sacramento River. Barging may be one way to achieve this goal.”

Scientists hope to confirm that – unlike the usual method of transporting the fish by truck – the boat transport will both eliminate in-river hazards such as getting lost or being eaten by predators, and give the smolts a chance to imprint on their native stream on their way to the ocean, improving their chances of successful return.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Konocti Unified School District has a new superintendent.

At its regular meeting on Wednesday evening, the Konocti Unified School District Board of Trustees announced that Donna Becnel has been selected to serve as district superintendent effective July 1.

Becnel will succeed Superintendent Dr. William MacDougall, who will retire on June 30.

Board President Anita Gordon said the board was unanimous in the decision to hire Becnel. 

Gordon commented that the district is fortunate to have found such an experienced and skilled school administrator to provide leadership to the students and staff of the Konocti Unified School District.

Becnel currently serves as the assistant superintendent for human resources in the Hayward Unified School District. 

Before coming to Hayward, she worked in personnel services in the Antioch, San Lorenzo and Castro Valley Unified School districts. 

Her first administrative position was in the  Mt. Pleasant School District where she served as director of special education and pupil services. Mt. Pleasant is a district about the same size as Konocti located in the San Jose area. 

Although her main area of expertise has been in human resources, she has likewise had experience in business services including budget preparation and management as well as experience in curriculum and instructional services. 

In the Hayward District, she designed and implemented a program called “Aspiring Administrators” to provide coaching and mentoring support to new certificated and classified management staff. 

She has been involved in the communities where she has worked volunteering for community service through Rotary, Chamber of Commerce and the Police Activities League.

She currently serves on the board of directors for a nonprofit that provides counseling services to the local schools and community.

Konocti Unified conducted a nationwide search for the superintendent position and received more than 30 applications.

The applications were screened by a team of educators and the board selected eight candidates to be interviewed. 

Each candidate not only had an hour long interview with the school board but also met with a community committee composed of 17 local citizens including parents, community business leaders, teachers, classified staff, parents and school administrators. 

After listening to the input from the community committee, the board selected three candidates for a second interview. 

Once they identified the top candidate, two board members visited the current district of employment to interview teachers, staff and co-workers, the district reported.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Local educators and members of the legal community are partnering to bring a new educational experience to the community's young people.

The Mock Trial Program is set to make its debut in the 2012-13 school year.

The program, which began in Southern California, gives young people the chance to study court cases and argue them before real judges in real courtrooms as part of mock bench trials competitions.

The Lake County Superior Court and Lake County Office of Education partnered late last year to bring the program to Lake County.

Close to 20 people – including Superior Court Judge Andrew Blum, Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook and Upper Lake High School Superintendent Patrick Iaccino – met in the Lake County Superior Court Department 2 courtroom on Tuesday afternoon to talk about the next steps necessary to make the competition a reality.

Holbrook said presentations have been made at local high schools, four of which expressed their interest in forming teams for the competition.

He said the plan is to be ready at the start of the coming school year.

Court staffer Suzanne Blavet said a number of local attorneys – Stephen and Angela Carter, Anna Gregorian and Bill Conwell, David Markham, Jon Hopkins and Jacqueline Snyder – already are committed to working with teams forming at the various schools.

Still other local attorneys may be joining as well, Blavet said.

Stephanie Wayment of the Lake County Office of Education said every county that has a mock trial competition has the opportunity to send one team to the state competition, which this coming year will be held in Anaheim.

Holbrook said Lake County's Mock Trial Program will have its actual kick off at the end of September or start of October.

Community members interested in participating at various levels should contact the Lake County Office of Education, 707-262-4100.

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

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Sanitation District (LACOSAN) will be initiating this season’s round of wastewater collection system inspections in the coming weeks.

This year will include smoke testing inspections starting with approximately 50,000 lineal feet of the sewer collection system in Upper Lake.

Smoke testing involves use of non-toxic liquid smoke that leaves no residual and pinpoints potential leaks in sewer lines.

Leak detection and subsequent repairs have a significant impact on minimizing spills throughout the year.

Miksis Services Inc., specializing in leak detection, and LACOSAN crews will be introducing smoke under pressure into the system through the manholes.

“Smoke is introduced approximately every 400 to 800 feet,” said Special Districts Administrator Mark Dellinger. “If there is a leak in the sewer system, the smoke will find its way to the ground surface, showing our crews where problems exist. Smoke is also visible where there are leaks such as private cleanouts that are not capped properly. We’ve seen many cleanouts that are not capped off.”

Additional common problems detected are rain gutters and roof vents that are illegally connected to the cleanout to avoid flooding yards. All of these contribute to excess rain water entering the collection system. Additionally, if a building’s drain system is faulty, smoke may appear in the building.

“It’s difficult to quantify the exact savings resulting from smoke testing but we do know that all preventive measures taken now will reduce inflow and the amount of storm water treated at the wastewater treatment plant,” said Dellinger. “This method of regular inspection ensures continued proper operation of the collection system.”

In addition, homeowners are encouraged to do their part by doing the following:

• Inspect the rain gutters on your house to see if the downspout connects to a sewer line. Such connections are illegal. If the gutter downspouts are connected to the sewer line, have them disconnected – the large amount of water from the roof can cause a sewage spill. The rainwater needs to be directed onto your lawn and/or to the storm drain system.
• Look for and visually inspect your sewer cleanout. The cleanout is usually a small pipe, about 4 inches in diameter, outside your house that is used to access the sewer lateral for cleaning. You will normally find it near the house (where the sewer lateral comes out) and/or near the property line (where the sewer lateral connects to the main sewer line). Make sure the cap to the cleanout pipe is not missing and has not been damaged (such as by a lawn mower). Replace missing caps so that rainwater cannot get into the sewer line.
• Check to see that outdoor patio, deck or yard drains are not connected to the sewer. Also, be sure that pool or pond overflow drains are not connected to the sewer. These connections are prohibited by the Lake County Sewer Use Ordinance.   

LACOSAN is appreciative of the cooperation shown by the community during collection system inspection and testing.

Residents are encouraged to take an active interest while observing the procedure, asking questions and taking time to explore potential corrective actions on their property.

Special Districts provides water and wastewater services in many areas of Lake County.

Any individuals with questions about smoke testing or any work that we do are encouraged to contact the LACOSAN Administrative Office at 707-263-0119.

MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – A Mendocino County jury last week found two San Francisco men guilty of abalone poaching following an incident off the Mendocino Headlands.

Jurors found Hou N. Huang, 47, guilty of excessive taking of abalone, and Hong Mei, 39, guilty of unlawful possession of abalone.

The trial lasted three days, but jurors deliberated for only 2 1/2 hours, according to the Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office.

The prosecution’s trial evidence came through single-witness testimony of state Fish and Game Warden Don Powers.

Powers testified that he was patrolling the Mendocino Headlands, when he stopped and watched Huang dive and come up with an abalone on 14 separate occasions. Huang put nine abalone in his dive tube.

The warden testified Huang then swam over to Mei, and Mei took five abalone from Huang. The men then went out of view behind a rock. When the two came back into view, they were now accompanied by a woman. When these three people were subsequently contacted on shore, they had three abs each.

Warden Powers explained to the jury that it is common, but illegal, for people to "high-grade" abalone, meaning a diver illegally takes more than his or her allotted three per day, and then compares and discards all but the largest three. Since abalone blood does not clot, the abalone left behind often die.

In summary, the jury rejected the defendants’ claims of misidentification. It was argued that Warden Powers could not have positively identified and distinguished the two defendants from the other divers in the same area.

The court-appointed defense lawyers aggressively questioned the warden’s observations because, it was argued, he was using binoculars at a distance of 130 yards.

Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Clayton Brennan sentenced Huang to 24 months court probation, 15 days in jail, court fees, a fine of $2,545, plus forfeiture of his dive gear and the seized abalone.

Judge Brennan sentenced Mei to 24 months court probation, court fees, a fine of $1,499, five days in jail, and other terms similar to Huang. The men are now prohibited while on probation from recreational or commercial fishing.

"I would like to thank the jury," said prosecutor Tim Stoen, “for their service and for reaching a just verdict." DDA Stoen also commended Warden Powers for a good investigation. District Attorney David Eyster said his office will continue “to work with the Fish and Game wardens to target poachers in order to protect the abalone resource that belongs to all of us.”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can find a lone hero.

If you’re even luckier, you can find a team of them.

That was the case last Dec. 20, when a fire was reported at a home on North Shore Drive in Hidden Valley Lake.
                                    
The fire critically injured 18-year-old Kevin Hart and 20-year-old Jordan Armstrong, but the two young men would find help from a team of men who were converging at the scene.

According to Facebook pages dedicated to the young men, both have continued to endure lengthy and sometimes excruciating treatments – including multiple surgeries – for their very serious injuries.

Both are now home, but still face lengthy recoveries due to their burns, the extent of which make them highly susceptible to secondary health issues.

Hidden Valley Lake Security Officer Byran Atkins, Security Operations Manager Steve Atkinson, off-duty firefighter/paramedic Gabe Lopez, Lake County Fire firefighter/EMT Eric Vineyard and California Highway Patrol Officer Josh Dye would all play a key part in coming to the aid of Hart and Armstrong.

Just what started the fire still hasn’t been determined.

South Lake County Fire Battalion Chief Scott Upton said insurance investigators continue to work to settle on the cause.

“They haven’t released anything yet,” he told Lake County News on Monday.

All five men were honored last month at the Red Cross’ ninth annual Real Heroes Breakfast and Fundraiser and Lopez was nominated for the Stars of Lake County’s Local Hero of the Year Award.

The bravery of all of the men was praised again on Monday when CHP Northern Division Assistant Chief Ruben Leal presented Dye with certificate of commendation from the CHP Commissioner’s Office and a CHP Meritorious Award.

Dye received the award at a potluck CHP held at its Kelseyville office.

The Red Cross awards narrative of the event explained that Lopez and his family were driving home to Hidden Valley when they saw the house fire. Lopez parked and ran to the fire, where Vineyard and a neighbor were caring for Armstrong.

A short time later, Lopez found Hart stumbling down an embankment, on fire, the narrative explained. Lopez then worked to put out the fire on Hart and in the grass around him.

During the afternoon ceremony Sgt. Rick Okazaki said that Dye heard the fire call and responded to the area, finding the house fully engulfed when he arrived.

Dye told Lake County News at the Monday event that he has responded to fires before, but this one was different.

When he initially got the call, he said there was a report of someone still trapped in the house, which later was found not to be the case.

When Dye got there, Hidden Valley Lake Security directed him to the fire, where he found Lopez with Hart. Dye, Atkins, Atkinson, Lopez, Vineyard and Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Lyle Thomas attended to Hart, Okazaki said.

Between the men and the home was a 250-gallon propane tank that caught fire and sent flames 20 to 30 feet in the air, and there was smoke everywhere, Okazaki said.

When firefighters arrived minutes later Dye and the group secured Hart for transport and helped get him to an air ambulance, which flew him out of county, according to Okazaki.

“They did everything they needed to without caring for their own safety,” Okazaki said of the heroic group.

Five other CHP officers – Erica Coddington, Kory Reynolds, Mark Crutcher, Randy Forslund and Brian Engle – later would arrive to offer assistance at the scene, Okazaki said.

Dye would suffer smoke inhalation and be treated for it at the hospital, Okazaki said. While he was being treated, his fellow officers dealt with biohazard issues on Dye’s equipment.

In presenting the award plaque to Dye, Leal – who traveled from Redding for the ceremony – said, “This is the fun part of my job.”

He added, “We have so many officers that go above and beyond, and take the extra step, with no regard for their own safety, to help others.”

Lt. Greg Baarts, commander of the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office, hand-delivered the nomination package to Leal, who said he knew right away that Dye’s actions deserved recognition.

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