Parents with dependent adult children with disabilities or mental illnesses are naturally concerned about who will care for their children when they can no longer do so themselves.

Dependent children, after all, often live at their parents’ home, receive substantial personal care and financial assistance from their parents and rely on their parents to manage their income and expenses.

Often a dependent adult child receives money from the Department of Social Security, like Social Security Disability or SSI that the parent manages as the child’s representative payee.

Hopefully, the parent, where possible, is also the child’s agent for financial, legal and property management, under a power of attorney, and also for health care decisions, under an advance health care directive.

These documents provide the parent with much broader authority. Otherwise, in the case of an incompetent and/or uncooperative adult child, the parent may become the child’s conservator.

Who will assist the child when the parent is incapacitated or eventually dies? If the adult child is competent and has a power of attorney and advance health care directive then alternatives agents, such as a trusted family member or friend, can be nominated.

But what if the child is not competent, is uncooperative, or there is no available friend or family to act as an alternative agent?

If the child is competent but there is no alternative family or friends who are qualified and willing to assist then a possible solution may be a relevant not for profit organization that assists such persons or a professional private fiduciary.

If the child is incompetent or uncooperative, however, then perhaps establishing a conservatorship while the parent is alive may provide a solution. A successor conservator can be appointed with less trouble once a conservatorship is already in place.

How will the parent’s own resources remain available to assist a dependent adult child when the parent is incapacitated or after the parent dies?

In case of the parent’s own incapacity, the parent’s own power of attorney and living trust, if relevant, should expressly provide that the parent’s resources are to be used to assist the adult child.

For example, the parent may wish to allow the child may continue to reside at home, even if the parent is in hospital or a nursing home, and that the child’s food and utilities are to be paid.

Further elaboration as to particulars can be provided in a letter of instructions by the parent to the alternative agent.

What happens when the parents eventually die and the estate is divided? Simply giving assets directly to the dependent child is a bad approach. Instead such assets should be held in a discretionary trust, and typically a special needs trust.

Why? Simply giving the child the assets outright will not only disqualify the child from any needs based government assistance but may likely result in the assets being squandered and the necessary care not being provided.

The right pooled special needs trust can receive and use the inheritance to hire a personal care advisor to visit the dependent adult, see that the child is taking care of him or herself, has food, transportation, and ensure proper living conditions.

One such pooled trust that specializes in caring for persons with mental illnesses and other brain disorders and operates here in California is proxy parent.

A pooled trust alone may not be the entire solution because pooled special needs trusts will not want to own and manage real estate.

Real property may need to be held in a separate special needs trust for the dependent child’s benefit managed by a relative, friend or private fiduciary acting as trustee. That way, the child can continue to reside in the residence.

Dennis A. Fordham, attorney (LL.M. tax studies), is a State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, California. Fordham can be reached by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 707-263-3235. Visit his Web site at www.dennisfordhamlaw.com .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Rodeo Association has announced the winners of the 2014 queen and princess competition.  

Karissa Huggins of Kelseyville was named the 2014 Lake County rodeo queen and Kia Kohler of Kelseyville is the 2014 Lake County rodeo princess.  

The competition is open to all young women and girls in High School Rodeo District 2, which includes Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties.

Complete information on the 2015 competition will be available at www.lakecountyrodeo.com by Dec. 1.

Chair of the competition is Rodeo Director Greg Scott, who can be reached at 707-263-5350.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – County officials reported Wednesday that a Lake County resident has tested positive for West Nile virus.

In addition, 18 mosquito samples and five dead birds have been found infected with WNV this year in Lake County.

“West Nile virus activity is higher than it was a year ago at this time. With the hot days and nighttime lows in the upper 60s, conditions are perfect for the virus to continue multiplying,” said Jamesina Scott, Ph.D., district manager and research director of the Lake County Vector Control District.

“Mosquitoes develop faster in the heat, so it’s important for residents to drain any standing water in their yards where the mosquitoes can develop,” Scott said.

Five human cases of West Nile virus infection have been detected in Lake County since 2004; the last human case was in 2012.

Statewide, 35 California counties have detected WNV this year, mainly in mosquitoes and dead birds. Nineteen other human cases have been reported in California this year.

While less than 1 percent of individuals – about 1 in 150 people – infected with West Nile virus will develop severe illness from West Nile virus infection, the disease can cause symptoms that can last for several weeks, and neurologic effects can be permanent.

In some individuals, the infection can be fatal. People over age 50 and diabetics are at risk for the more severe forms of the disease.

“Our goal in Lake County is to keep West Nile Virus illness in humans as close to zero as possible,” said Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait. “Prevention of mosquito bites is how this illness is avoided. People need to consistently take precautions.  We are fortunate to have a strong partnership between Public Health and Lake County Vector Control District, which helps us identify and intervene in areas of increased West Nile Virus activity.”

“We are continuing to test mosquitoes and dead birds throughout the county,” said Dr. Scott. “We are looking for standing water where the mosquitoes develop and working with property owners to drain the water when possible, or using mosquito-eating fish or biorational larvicides to prevent new mosquitoes from emerging.”

To reduce your risk of mosquito bites and West Nile virus:

• Drain any standing water that may produce mosquitoes.
• Defend yourself and your home by using an effective insect repellent, dressing protectively when outside, and making sure screens on doors and windows are in good condition.
• Contact the District for any additional help controlling mosquitoes around your home.

Common mosquito sources in Lake County include out-of-service swimming pools and spas, animal watering troughs, ornamental ponds, and other sources of standing water.

The district has free mosquito-eating fish to control mosquitoes in these sources.

Residents are encouraged to contact the district to report neglected pools, request service for mosquito problems, or to get mosquito fish at 707-263-4770 or to fill out a service request online at www.lcvcd.org .

For more information about West Nile virus, visit http://www.westnile.ca.gov/ .

Information about mosquito repellents can be found on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/faq/repellent.html .

Every year, sky watchers and summertime campers circle on their calendars a few key August nights – 11, 12 and 13.

These are the dates of the annual Perseid meteor shower, which rarely fails to please those who see it.

This year they're adding a note: “supermoon.”

During the second week of August, the biggest and brightest full moon of the year will face off against everyone's favorite meteor shower – and the outcome could be beautiful.

The source of the Perseid meteor shower is Comet Swift Tuttle. Every 133 years the huge comet swings through the inner solar system and leaves behind a trail of dust and grit.

When Earth passes through the debris zone, specks of comet-stuff hit the atmosphere at 140,000 miles per hour and disintegrate in flashes of light.

These meteors are called Perseids because they fly out of the constellation Perseus.

In a normal year, dark-sky observers typically count more than 100 Perseids per hour. But this is no normal year.

On Aug. 10, just as the Perseids are set to peak, the moon will become full. Moreover, it will become full just as it reaches the place in its orbit (perigee) that is closest to Earth.

The perigee full moon of Aug. 10 – also known as a supermoon – will be as much as 14 percent closer and 30 percent brighter than other full moons of the year.

“This is bad news for the Perseids,” said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. “Lunar glare wipes out the black-velvety backdrop required to see faint meteors, and sharply reduces counts.”

But there's good news, too.

The debris stream of Comet Swift-Tuttle is broad, and it is possible to see Perseids as early as late July, well before the Moon becomes full.

Also, noted Cooke, “The Perseids are rich in fireballs as bright as Jupiter or Venus. These will be visible in spite of the glare.”

Using a network of meteor cameras distributed across the USA, Cooke's team has been tracking fireball activity since 2008, and they have built up a database of hundreds of events to analyze.

Their data show the Perseids are the undisputed 'fireball champion' of annual meteor showers. “We see more fireballs from Swift-Tuttle than any other parent comet,” he said.

A warm summer night, a moonlit landscape, and an occasional fireball cutting past a supermoon: that's an ensemble with a special beauty all its own. Enjoy the show.

For the ScienceCast, visit http://youtu.be/JkKzMAzT5fs .

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

NORTH COAST, Calif. – A complex of fires sparked by lightning early Wednesday near Laytonville grew by hundreds of acres on Thursday.

The three-fire Lodge Lightning Complex is located in the Wilderness Lodge area on Bell Springs Road, two miles west of Highway 101.

Cal Fire reported that the complex was 83 acres early Thursday, but by nighttime the fires had ballooned to 550 acres.

The fires are burning in heavy timber with steep, rugged terrain and difficult access, with firefighters being challenged by dry fuel conditions, above-normal temperatures and low daytime relative humidity, according to Cal Fire.

As a result, Cal Fire said firefighters were deploying aggressive air and ground strategies.

No structures are threatened and no injuries have occurred, Cal Fire said.

On Thursday 10 fire engines, 19 fire crews, four bulldozers, three air tankers, five helicopters, three water tenders and 452 personnel were assigned to the Lodge Complex, according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire said still more resources are expected to be on scene on Friday.

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.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05) will host a community discussion on concussion identification and prevention on Wednesday, Aug. 6.

The event will take place from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Kelseyville High School Student Center, 5480 Main St.

More than 3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions occur in the U.S. each year. Concussions and head injuries are happening with greater frequency across all sports.

At this meeting, athletes, parents and coaches will have the opportunity to speak with experts about how to recognize a possible concussion, how to prevent serious head injuries and how to respond to head injuries when they occur.

Speaking at the event will be former San Francisco 49ers football player; Dr. Robert Nied, a sports medicine specialist with Kaiser Permanente; and Nauto Horiquchi, head athletic trainer at the Mendocino College campuses in Lakeport and Ukiah.

Thompson represents California’s 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Konocti Unified School District announced that its new mobile app is available for use at the county's largest school district.

Parents will have instant access to their child’s academic information from the palm of their hand.

Any time, anywhere, KUSD parents can stay updated on their students’ progress. Community members can download the app to stay informed of school district events and activities.

KUSD's app is uniquely customized to meet the needs of each parent. Not only can parents view their student’s grades, assignments, attendance history, and account balances, they can set triggers to receive an instant notification when their student’s grade drops below a certain level, or a student receives an assignment score below a predefined threshold.

“Now, more than ever, our parents will have the ability to monitor their student’s performance as it happens,” said KUSD Superintendent Donna Becnel. “Gone are the days of surprise after receiving a report card at the end of a semester. This application gives our parents the opportunity to react at the right time, giving our students additional support and the opportunity to succeed.”

The application comes at a critical point when transitional changes are taking place in information consumption.

According to the most recent Pew Research Report on smartphone usage, more than 70 percent of American’s now own a smartphone, with over 35 percent identifying their smartphone as their sole source of Internet connectivity.

“We recognize and are adapting to these new trends in information exchange,” said Becnel. “Our smartphone application for parents provides that necessary source of information to the many parents who rely on their cell phone for Internet usage. We know that when parents are involved with their children's education, students do better in school. We are committed to finding innovative ways to support KUSD families."

The Konocti Unified School District app is available immediately and is free to download from both the iPhone App Store and Google Play.

The inaugural California Invasive Species Action Week is scheduled Aug. 2 through Aug. 10.

The goal of Action Week is to promote public awareness of invasive species issues and to encourage public participation in the fight against California’s invasive species and their impacts on our natural resources.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is partnering with other departments, agencies, organizations and volunteer programs across California to host more than 40 educational and “action” events including invasive species removals, habitat restoration projects, quagga mussel surveys, field outings, public presentations, youth activities and a film festival.

All events are open to the public, although some require registration. To locate an event near you, please view the complete schedule of events on the Action Week Web page at www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/actionweek/ .

The Action Week webpage provides information for individuals wishing to participate independently. For example, people can locate recipes for preparing invasive plants or animals, find out where they can purchase certified “weed-free” project materials or livestock forage, find desirable, native alternatives to certain invasive ornamental plants or learn how to monitor plants and trees for symptoms of infestations or diseases.

People can also volunteer to “inspect” a local waterbody for quagga and zebra mussels and submit their findings to CDFW on its Web site.

Action Week will also include the announcement of the winners of the “Race to Protect Your Favorite Place” youth poster contest, in which youths, grades second through 12th, submitted original posters depicting invasive species which threaten their favorite places and how they can take action to help protect that habitat.

Drought conditions have increased the possibility of disease outbreaks in waterfowl, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and property owners are being asked to help track the impacts.

Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes avian botulism in waterfowl, is common in wetlands throughout California.

Toxins from this bacterium affect the central nervous system of waterfowl, ultimately resulting in death.

Outbreaks of avian botulism typically occur when wetland temperatures are very warm and there is rotting vegetation that bacteria can feed upon, decreasing the oxygen level in the water.

Outbreaks can cause substantial localized mortality to waterfowl.

Previous outbreaks of avian botulism in California have been responsible for as many as 46,000 waterfowl deaths in a single event.

Symptoms of avian botulism include involuntary muscle contractions/convulsions; limp wings; limp neck; paralysis; and birds propelling themselves through water with their wings.

During an outbreak there may also be numerous carcasses of waterfowl in the area.

Prompt removal of carcasses often helps to minimize mortality and reduce the spread of disease.

CDFW is asking private landowners to monitor their properties for waterfowl mortality and to report any possible outbreaks to the CDFW Wildlife Investigations Lab at 916-358-2790 or online using the Mortality Reporting Form, www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Laboratories/WildlifeInvestigations/Monitoring/MortalityReport.aspx .

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – A Thursday night fire left a Hidden Valley Lake home badly damaged.

Fire crews were dispatched to the fire in the single family residence on Ravenhill Road at approximately 8:16 p.m., according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Wink.

Wink said no one was at home at the time the fire first broke out, with the neighbors calling to report it. No injuries were reported.

He said South Lake County Fire and Cal Fire sent a total of three engines, one rescue unit, one ambulance, two battalion chiefs, a water tender and two utility vehicles.

Power lines were down and arcing when firefighters arrived, so Pacific Gas and Electric also responded, Wink said.

In addition, Hidden Valley Lake security personnel, the California Highway Patrol and the Lake County Sheriff's Office were on hand to help keep people away from the fire, close the road and control traffic, according to Wink.

Wink said the fire was contained in approximately 30 minutes, with no damage to neighboring homes.

He said the home sustained significant fire and water damage – in particular, the roof burned off – and it isn't inhabitable. The residents indicated they would stay with friends and family in the area.

Wink estimated the property loss and damage totaled about $220,000.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, he said.

Fire crews were expecting to be on scene until about midnight, and will return on Friday morning to check the fire area, Wink said.

PG&E crews also remained on scene late as damaged service lines needed to be replaced. Wink said some area residents were out of power as a result.

The PG&E online outage center reported early Friday that power was expected to be restored to one remaining customer by 7 a.m.

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.

The state of California has announced the release of the Final Safeguarding California Plan for Reducing Climate Risk.  

The report can be found at http://resources.ca.gov/docs/climate/Final_Safeguarding_CA_Plan_July_31_2014.pdf .

California is a leader in the global effort to fight climate change. While these efforts will reduce the magnitude of climate change, they will not prevent it from occurring.

California's and the world’s climate are changing, posing dire threats to human health, the economy, and natural resources.  

Extreme weather, rising sea levels, changing precipitation and other climate impacts will touch every part of peoples’ lives in the decades to come.  

In the near term, Californians must take practical, affordable steps to maintain our water, power and transportation infrastructure, and plan for longer term actions as well.

The Safeguarding California Plan provides policy guidance for state decision makers, and is part of continuing efforts to reduce climate impacts and prepare for climate risks.  

State officials said implementation of the Safeguarding California Plan will help foster a vibrant and sustainable future for California.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Wednesday morning lightning strikes sparked several wildland fires in the Laytonville area.

The Lodge Lightning Complex – composed of a total of three fires – is located in Mendocino County's Wilderness Lodge area on Bell Springs Road, two miles west of Highway 101, according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire said the fires were first reported just before 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.

By the end of the day they had burned about 36 acres in a mix of heavy timber with steep, rugged terrain and difficult access, and oak woodlands, Cal Fire reported.

There was no containment on the two smaller fires, totaling just over 20 acres, on Wednesday, while the largest fire, at 15 acres, is 75-percent contained, according to Cal Fire.

No injuries were reported Wednesday, and Cal Fire said no structures were threatened.

Five engines, eight fire crews, three bulldozers, five air tankers, five helicopters and 180 personnel were assigned to the complex on Wednesday, with Cal Fire reporting that there will be significant augmentation of fire line personnel on Thursday.

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.