Maria Lane officials became postmaster for Upper Lake, Calif., on April 10, 2010. Courtesy photo.

UPPER LAKE – On April 10, 2010 the U.S. Postal Service named Maria Lane as the new postmaster of Upper Lake, Calif.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Lane was a former Postal clerk in Upper Lake. She is returning to Upper Lake after a serving the community of Hopland as its postmaster.

“I love my job at the Post Office,” Lane said. “I’m extremely happy to be back here in the Upper Lake community with all of my customers and co-workers.”

She said the Post Office belongs to the community and is glad to be able to once again serve Upper Lake. Lane said her first priority as postmaster will be service.

“I plan to continue the long tradition of excellent customer service here at the Upper Lake Post Office,” Lane said.

Lane joined the Postal Service as a part-time letter carrier in Lakeport in 1995. After a brief break, she began her career in earnest as a full-time clerk in Clearlake Oaks in 1997.

Her first tour of duty in Upper Lake began in 2000 and continued until 2008 when she became the postmaster of Hopland. She returned to Upper Lake late last year to replace former postmaster Marilyn Bryant, who moved on to the Clearlake Oaks Post Office.

Lane jokingly said work is her hobby. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at various schools for children’s sports activities. She has also been a soccer coach and helped with many team-mom positions including snack shack worker, team videographer, team shuttle driver and “just about every other duty that goes with being involved with your children’s sports activities.” Lane has also been a Brownie leader.

Married to husband Randy, Lane has four children, two girls – Erin 23 and Jessie 19 – and two boys, Terry 17 and Ootie 14. She has been a resident of Lakeport for the past 18 years. She attended the College of San Mateo where she studied aeronautics.

Lane is responsible for 916 deliveries. With four employees she serves two carrier routes and 955 Post Office boxes.

The Upper Lake Post Office was established in 1858 and Lane is the 23rd postmaster to serve the community.

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The team captains' meetings this year had themes such as purple, crazy hats and formal as a preview for contests during the Relay for Life. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT – The American Cancer Society Relay for Life Lake County is a special annual event involving participants from all over the Lake County who have joined in the battle to defeat cancer.

The event takes place this weekend at the Kelseyville High School Football Field, 5480 Main St. This year's theme is Hawaiian, so get out your Hawaiian shirts, dresses and leis and have fun with the group while supporting a great cause.

The relay begins with a Celebration Ceremony and Survivors' Lap at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 15, and continues with entertainment, games and contests all day. Fund raising for all teams will be held at each team site.

The Remembrance Luminaria Ceremony will start at dusk. The relay participants will continue walking all night.

The Fight Back and Closing Ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 16.

This year there are 57 participating teams made up of families, friends, organizations and school mates. Each person has their own reasons for joining in the fight against cancer.

This is Melisa Falgout's first year in the relay. Falgout is a registered nurse from Kelseyville whose employer, Keith M. Long, DDS, made a donation of $500 to Relay for Life which entitled him to sponsor a team.

Falgout convinced the office staff to have their own team, which is the relay's newest team this year, starting on May 6.

She said she will continue to have a team to celebrate cancer survivors and to remember those who lost their fight, adding that her goal is cancer education. She would like to start with the team captains so they could pass the information on to their team members and they, in turn, can pass the information on to family and friends.

This is Lucerne resident Beth Berinti's seventh Relay for Life.

Berinti, who lost her mother to cancer, is a cancer survivor herself since 1991. She started on a team from work her first year; was a team captain and committee chair for four years, event chair for two years and this year is online chair.

“I will be involved in Relay until there is a cure for cancer,” she said.

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Team captains sport wacky hats at a recent meeting. Courtesy photo.

Both Lakeport Police and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce issued warnings about counterfeit $100 bills being circulated in Lakeport.

Lt. Brad Rasmussen of the Lakeport Police Department said a counterfeit $100 bill was passed at a local grocery store on May 6.

“They determined that the watermark showed that it was a $5 bill made to look like a $100,” Rasmussen said.

The investigation determined that the person who passed the bill had gotten it when they cashed a check at a local bank, where the bill may have been deposited in a night drop, he explained.

No one was taken into custody and so far it appears to have been an isolated event, Rasmussen said.

“Occasionally we get these kinds of bills circulating around town,” Rasmussen said, adding that he's not seen a rash of them in light of the economy.

If someone is going to pass counterfeit bills, they'll do it no matter what, he said.

Anyone who is presented with one such a counterfeit bill is urged to call the Lakeport Police Department at 707-263-5491.

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CLEARLAKE OAKS – The Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven Business Association is sponsoring the 27th Annual Catfish Derby, from noon Friday, May 14, through noon Sunday, May 16, 2010.

Known by many as “the largest catfish derby 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 new boat, motor, and trailer plus cash prizes and the winner of the Kids Derby will receive a Nintendo Wii System.

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

Registration for the Adult Derby is $45 ($40 for those who pre-register on Thursday). Registration for the Kids Derby is $10.

Barbecues will be held both Saturday and Sunday, with a Saturday breakfast planned. Sunday will feature live music. A Catfish Derby Cook-Off will be held on Saturday. The entry fee for the cook-off is $20, with prizes awarded.

Proceeds from the event benefit community projects.

For applications, call 888-CL-DERBY, 707-998-1006; for information, 707-998-9563, www.clearlakeoaks.org.

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It takes a special person to sit on a cow hide pulled by a galloping horse, but the traditional hide ride at the Middletown Days gymkhana is always a big hit with the audience. The gymkhana runs all day Sunday following Saturday's parade, barbecue, ranch rodeo, and dance at the 49th annual Middletown Days celebration June 19 and 20, 2010. Courtesy photo.

This year’s theme is “Spirit of the Old West.”

The parade starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 19, with lineup beginning at 7 a.m. at Perry’s Deli on the south end of Middletown.

Entry forms are available by email from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or by calliing Susie Knowles at 707-987-3626.

Pick up forms at Lower Lake Feed and in Middletown at Hardester’s Market, CJS Ranch Supply, and Studio 175.

Get your entry in by June 13 to ensure a good spot in the parade lineup.

Parade entry cost is $5 for kids under 12, for $7 for adults, and $10 for organizations and groups.

Spectators should get to town by 9:30 a.m. to avoid getting caught in the detour traffic. Parking is available on all streets east of Highway 29, including a public parking lot at the corner of Washington and Douglas Streets. Parking will not be permitted on most streets west of the highway.

After the parade the fun moves to Middletown’s Central Park for a delicious country barbecue and the Ranch Rodeo. The rodeo starts at noon (signups at 11 a.m) and includes events such as mutton bustin’, junior hide ride, calf riding, a ribbon race, and a mystery event.

The traditional barbecue begins at noon and features tri-tip and chicken with all the trimmings, and the Cowboy Cafe will be open all day for hot dogs and hamburgers.

Parade awards and the karaoke contest start around 1 p.m. Vendors in the park include jumpy houses for the kids, lots of food, crafts and games.

As the sun goes down, it’s time to put on your dancing shoes for an evening under the stars with the Dave Russell Band. The dance starts at 8:30 p.m., and cost is $25 per couple, $15 for singles, and $10 for teens. Food, beer and other refreshments will be available in the park during the dance.

On Sunday morning, enjoy the annual Father’s Day Breakfast sponsored by the Middletown Lioness Club from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Cost is $7 for adults, $4 for kids 6 and under.

Then it’s on to some fun action in the arena with the gymkhana beginning at 11 a.m. (signups at 10 a.m.). Enter all five events in your age category for $30 for the day. There will be lots of great prizes.

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You never know what might happen in the annual Middletown Days parade, from a 4x4 pileup featuring the Lake County Crawlers to dancing horses and fairy tale characters. The parade takes place on Saturday, June 19, beginning at 10 a.m. along Highway 29 through downtown Middletown. Fun for the whole family follows at Middletown's Central Park on Saturday and Sunday. Courtesy photo.

Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley advised new residents of Lake County, and registered voters who have moved to a new address, changed their mailing address within the county, or changed their name, that they may need to re-register in order to be eligible to vote in the upcoming Statewide Direct Primary Election.

The last day to register to vote for the June 8 Statewide Direct Primary Election is Monday, May 24, Fridley said.

The completed voter registration form must be either personally delivered to the Registrar of Voters Office on or before May 24 or postmarked on or before May 24 and received by mail by the Registrar of Voters Office.

Pursuant to Section 2101 of the California Elections Code: “A person entitled to register to vote shall be a United States citizen, a resident of California, not in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election.”

Residents may register to vote at the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office, Room 209, Courthouse, Lakeport or may phone the Registrar's Office at 263-2372 for information.

Registration forms also are available at most local post offices, libraries, senior centers, city offices, and chamber of commerce offices, Fridley reported.

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John Michael Wayne, 35, of Sonoma, was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 25 years to life, plus eight years, for the 2006 slaying of April Denton, a disabled Santa Rosa woman, according to Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua.

On March 8 a jury found Wayne guilty of first-degree murder and also found true two special circumstances of murder during the commission of robbery and murder during the commission of burglary and that Wayne used a firearm during the crime which caused death, Passalacqua reported.

“This killing exemplifies the tragic consequences of drug use and greed,” Passalacqua said. “I am very pleased that this man will never be free to prey on our community again.”

Denton, 52, lived at a semi-rural property located off of Santa Rosa Avenue, just outside the limits of the City of Santa Rosa, with her two dogs Athena and Britney.

According to the district attorney's report, she sustained a serious and debilitating back injury in an ice-skating accident a number of years before her death.

As a result of the injury she suffered chronic back pain, was unable to work and was prescribed large quantities of pain medications. Denton supplemented her limited disability income by selling, illegally, a small percentage of her pain medications.

On Jan. 22, 2006, firefighters responded to her home which was engulfed in flames. Denton was reportedly found in her bedroom, deceased, and badly burned over most of her body. Her two dogs were found dead inside the enclosed porch area of the residence having died as a result of heat and fire related injuries.

Denton's death originally was thought to be from smoke inhalation caused as a result of an accidental fire, according to the report.

It wasn’t until the autopsy on Jan. 23, 2006, when the cause of death was determined to be the result of a single gunshot wound to the right side of her neck, that law enforcement suspected this was a homicide.

Arson investigators examined the scene and concluded that the fire was arson and was set with the use of gasoline being deposited in several locations within the residence. A quantity of pain pills and cash were also found to be missing from her home, officials reported.

Wayne, who reportedly had a serious and longstanding addiction to pain medications, was a friend of Denton’s son, Benjamin. Wayne had purchased pain killers from April Denton on several occasions and on the evening of Jan. 21, 2006, he is alleged to have desperately wanted more pain medications.

The prosecution alleged that Wayne called a friend, Steven King, to go with him to Denton’s rural Santa Rosa home. At the time, Wayne lived at his parents’ home in the city of Sonoma; and Steven King was living with friends on a property located near Tolay Creek, next to San Pablo Bay.

Wayne drove King and another friend, Johanna Persi, to Santa Rosa, stopping near April Denton’s house. Neither Steven King nor Johanna Persi knew April Denton nor had they ever met her and neither had ever been to her house before.

According to the report, Wayne stopped his Suburban and walked away from the vehicle toward April Denton’s house which was down a dark driveway. King, who got into the driver’s seat and drove away from the area, had arranged with Wayne to return to the area in a few minutes and believed Wayne was going to a residence in the area to obtain drugs.

However, King drove back to his residence near Tolay Creek and shortly after arriving home, King received a phone call from Wayne asking King to come pick him up.

King and Persi drove back to Santa Rosa and picked up Wayne who admitted to killing April Denton. Wayne also was seen in possession of a quantity of prescription pills. Wayne said that they needed to burn down the residence in order to conceal his crime. They allegedly drove to a nearby rural location and Wayne and King syphoned gas into bottles.

It's alleged that Wayne drove back to the area and stopped near April Denton’s house, where he got out and took the gasoline bottles with him. King drove off with an understanding that he was to return in a few minutes to a predesignated spot to pick Wayne up. Wayne then disappeared from view. Wayne made his way to April Denton’s house, entered and set the house on fire for the purpose of concealing his crime.

Wayne, King and Persi then returned to Kings Tolay Creek residence. King allegedly took the gun and a knife from Wayne and threw the items into the San Pablo Bay which was just behind King’s house. Wayne burned his clothes in a burn barrel, before getting into his Suburban and driving away by himself. Both King and Persi testified at Wayne’s trial.

Steven King previously pleaded guilty to felony charges of arson and being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to eight years in state prison.

The District Attorney’s Office and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office worked closely during this investigation and in presenting this case to the jury. Deputy District Attorney Robert Waner was the assigned prosecutor and Dave Pederson the lead sheriff’s investigator.

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A Friday plane crash claimed the life of a California Highway Patrol officer.

The CHP reported that Officer Dan Benavides was killed May 7 when the Cessna 206 patrol aircraft

he was piloting crashed in a remote section of desert southwest of the Salton Sea in Imperial County.

The CHP’s Border Division-based air unit, designated as Air-63, was en route to work a speed-enforcement detail on Interstate 8, when the El Centro Communications Center lost radio contact with its pilot, Officer Benavides around 9:30 a.m.

A military and multi-agency search and rescue operation for the aircraft was immediately initiated. At approximately 4:03 p.m., debris from the aircraft was located in a rugged, mountainous, desert area near SR-78, west of Split Mountain Road by a California State Park Air Unit.

Benavides was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the collision is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

“No one can choose how they die. You can only decide how you live,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “By choosing a life with the California Highway Patrol, Dan chose a life dedicated to the

service of the people of California. Each time he put on that uniform, he became a symbol of courage, honesty and integrity.”

A veteran pilot and 13-year member of the CHP, Benavides is survived by his wife and 9-year-old daughter.

He was assigned to the Border Division Thermal Air Operations Unit as a fixed wing aircraft pilot. He had been assigned to the Thermal Air Operations Unit since July of 2006. His previous assignments included working in the Monterey, San Jose, San Diego and Oceanside CHP Area offices.

Benavides joins 215 other fallen California Highway Patrol officers who, since 1929, have given their lives in the line of duty to protect the community in which they served.

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Miss Lake County 2009 Taylor Paige Butler. Photo by Diane Davis.

LAKE COUNTY – The Miss Lake County Scholarship Program and Pageant, an official preliminary pageant to Miss California and Miss America, is in the process of recruiting contestants to participate in the upcoming pageant.

This year the pageant will be held on Saturday, Aug. 7, in the showroom at Robinson Rancheria Resort and Casino in Nice.

The scholarship program is open to all young women who live, work or attend school in Lake County.

The teen program is open to ages 13 to 16 and the Miss Lake County program is open to ages 17 to 24.

They also have a Princess Program for girls ages 6 to 12, which introduces the girls to the Miss America program. The young contestants participate in community events with the teen and miss contestants and will be introduced and “crowned” on stage at the August pageant.

Miss Lake County Outstanding Teen Katherine Murphy. Photo by Diane Davis.

Two orientation sessions are scheduled this month.

The first will be held on Saturday, May 15, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Konocti Dance Academy, located at 4274 Old Highway 53 in Clearlake.

The second will take place on Sunday, May 23, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Mendo-Lake Credit Union meeting room, 963 11th St. in Lakeport.

Prospective contestants need only attend one session.

Parents are invited to attend the orientation sessions with their daughters. All areas of the competition will be covered, including talent, lifestyle and fitness, evening wear, on-stage question and private interview. Academic achievement and community service also are considered in a contestant’s overall evaluation.

Rehearsals will start in early June and are usually held once a week. In addition to the regular rehearsals, they are offering, for the first time, yoga classes to all participants.

Even if this is their first year competing, young women will have a lot of fun and meet great girls. The volunteer committee members are there to support and mentor contestants throughout the program.

Organizers also are looking for community members who would like to join the program.

For more information, contact Executive Director Sandra Orchid at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone at 707-277-0707.

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At a recent meeting, the Lake County Board of Education voted unanimously to establish a temporary “bridge” fund which would offer county school districts special loans.

County Superintendent of Schools Dave Geck said the loan fund will make available up to $1 million for school districts that temporarily need funds during times when the state has decided to postpone school funding.

“Districts can be assured that when the state creates cash flow emergencies the county office will be there to support them,” said LCOE Board President Patricia Hicks.

Geck said LCOE created the fund by using the reserve in its deferred maintenance fund account. He credited LCOE Business Services Director Michelle Buell with coming up with the idea.

Before approving the bridge fund, the LCOE board received a positive audit report from independent auditors, Robertson and Associates for the 2008-09 school year, Geck said. The audit showed that LCOE complied with the requirements of the state and federal programs it operates.

“There were no findings or questioned costs relative to the financial statement,” the audit stated. “There were no findings or questioned costs relative to federal awards or programs. There were no findings or questioned costs relative to state awards or programs.”

The auditor also commended LCOE and the Lake County Board of Education for its leadership in maintaining a strong budget position in these challenging budget times.

“Once we received the positive audit report it made sense that we could move forward with the loan fund proposal,” Geck said. “Districts are struggling with cash flow and this is a way to temporarily deal with a shortfall.”

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's “May Revise” to his budget is expected within the next week or so, and Geck said, at that point, districts will be making plans for next year, with cash flow likely to be a big issue.

“So we expect if a need surfaces we will be contacted,” he said.

Lakeport Unified School District Superintendent Erin Hagberg said Monday that, at this point in time, her district's business manager doesn't anticipate that they will need to borrow from LCOE's bridge fund.

“However, should cash flow become a problem for our district next year, we do appreciate having that option available for us,” Hagberg said.

Geck said LCOE works with the school districts to identify areas where it can support student learning.

“We operate many exemplary programs that are recognized regionally and statewide for their service to our schools and districts,” he said.

He pointed to programs like Healthy Start and the College Going Initiative, preschool and after school programs, certified nursing program graduation, summer school academies focused on algebra and science, AmeriCorps community service and reading tutorial programs, Community School community service activities, Safe Schools Counseling programs and teacher training programs in algebra and English language arts.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .

On Monday, Sonoma County Sheriff detectives positively identified the diver as 43-year-old Brett Shoji Uchiyama of Santa Cruz.

Uchiyama's body was found in the ocean by another abalone diver on Sunday at about 7 a.m. near Timber Cove Reef Campground, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office reported.

Officials reported that Uchiyama disappeared while abalone diving near the Reef Terrace portion of Fort Ross State Park on April 29.

He was diving with a friend who heard Uchiyama yell for help. The friend began diving in the area where he last saw Uchiyama, but he was unable to find Uchiyama in the rough water that had poor visibility, according to the report.

California State Parks officers, Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies and the sheriff's helicopter began an extensive search for Uchiyama to no avail. The search continued for Uchiyama for the next several days, officials said.

Preliminary results from an autopsy conducted Monday at the Sonoma County Coroner's Office indicated that Uchiyama's cause of death was probable drowning. He had blunt force head injuries consistent with hitting rocks in the rough waters of the ocean.

The final cause and manner of death will be determined once all toxicology and laboratory reports are completed, which could take several weeks, officials said.

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