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Fifth grader Morgan Becker of Wheatland, Calif., won the Imagination Award in the statewide Arbor Week poster contest. Courtesy image.

California’s commemoration of Arbor Week got under way on Wednesday.

California Arbor Week runs March 7 to 14 each year.

Over the course of the week cities, nature groups, schools, and youth organizations will host events to plant trees and provide educational opportunities to learn about the benefits of forests, both rural and urban.

California is one of two states that celebrates Arbor Week for an entire week each year with the goal of emphasizing the important impact that trees have on residents and their communities.

“There are millions of acres of public forest in California that people use every day for recreation, but California also has urban forests that provide benefits every day for millions of people,” said Chief Robert Little, Cal Fire’s state urban forester. “Healthy urban forests store carbon, cool our cities, clean the air, beautify the streets and offers shade relief. This is why Cal Fire is dedicated to improving urban forests across the state through grants and education.”

As part of that education outreach, Cal Fire and California ReLeaf, an organization that works diligently to preserve, protect, and enhance California’s urban forests, host a statewide poster and video contest each year.

On Wednesday, officials from both organizations gathered in West Sacramento to announce the winners of the statewide Arbor Week poster contest.

Students from across California in third, fourth and fifth grades were asked to create original artwork based on the theme “Healthy Trees, Healthy Me.”

This year’s poster contest winners are third grader Abigal Osborne of Anderson; fourth grader Marianna Hinojosa of Stockton; fifth grader Sarah Osborne of Anderson; and winner of the Imagination Award was fifth grader Morgan Becker of Wheatland.

This year’s video award goes to 11th grader Iris Bookholtz of Wheatland.

“Arbor Week gives communities in California an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the vital role that trees play in our cities and in our forests,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, Cal Fire director and California’s state forester. “The outpouring of participation from the school children reflects their growing understanding of trees in their backyard, but also the forests across the state and the effect that healthy forests can have in our everyday life.”

As part of the department’s mission, Cal Fire is charged with protecting California’s forests by maintaining the sustainability of the state’s natural resources including both urban and wildland forests.

Cal Fire is encouraging everyone to be a part of California Arbor Week by planting a tree.

It’s important that you carefully plan before you plant a tree to help ensure that your tree is drought tolerant and properly placed to avoid growing into power lines, buildings or other infrastructure.

Get more tree care tips on the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov.

Fifth grader Sarah Osborne of Anderson, Calif., was among the winners of the statewide Arbor Week poster contest. Courtesy image.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that a mountain lion was spotted in the Lakeport area.

Authorities said the animal was seen on Tuesday in the 2500 block of Hartley Street, outside of the Lakeport city limits.

The mountain lion, which appeared to be stalking a deer, ran from the area after seeing a human, the sheriff’s office said.

Tuesday’s occurrence is the latest in a series of sightings of mountain lions in and around Lakeport.

Last year there were four reports of mountain lions being spotted within the city between June and December, at locations near the Lake County Fairgrounds and in the forested area between Page Drive and 19th Street, and two incidents near the Lakeport Unified School District campus, as Lake County News has reported.

Although this latest sighting didn’t occur within the city limits, Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen updated the Lakeport City Council about it on Tuesday night.

He said he was notified of it by a Fish and Wildlife investigator because it was not far from the school, where mountain lions were seen twice last year.

Noting last year’s four sightings in the city, Rasmussen explained, “It’s really not uncommon. We live in a rural area and there are a lot of mountain lions around. And where there’s deer, there’s mountain lions. That’s their primary food source.”

He urged people to stay vigilant and said he also had advised the school superintendent of the sighting.

Below is a list offered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for living in and staying safe in mountain lion country, which includes Lake County:

- Don’t feed deer; it is illegal in California and it will attract mountain lions.
- Deer-proof your landscaping by avoiding plants that deer like to eat. For tips, request “A Gardener’s Guide to Preventing Deer Damage” from the agency’s offices.
- Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.
- Don’t leave small children or pets outside unattended.
- Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
- Provide sturdy, covered shelters for sheep, goats and other vulnerable animals.
- Don’t allow pets outside when mountain lions are most active – dawn, dusk and at night.
- Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opossums and other potential mountain lion prey.
- Do not hike, bike or jog alone.
- Avoid hiking or jogging when mountain lions are most active – dawn, dusk and at night.
- Keep a close watch on small children.
- Do not approach a mountain lion.
- If you encounter a mountain lion, do not run; instead, face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms; throw rocks or other objects.
- Pick up small children.
- If attacked, fight back.
- If a mountain lion attacks a person, immediately call 911.

For more information visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Lion.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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Authorities are attempting to identify the individuals captured in a surveillance video on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center in Lucerne, Calif. Image courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

LUCERNE, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the community’s help in tracking down who was responsible for burglarizing the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center last month.

Lt. Corey Paulich said images of two people were captured on surveillance video at the senior center early on the morning of Feb. 21.

He said they took a set of golf clubs from the rear of the senior center.

On this same night a burglary occurred to the senior center, Paulich said.

The suspect or suspects entered the Meals on Wheels prep area where they took thermal delivery bags, 40 pounds of ground beef, two pork roasts and hams, according to Paulich.

If you have any information regarding these thefts or if you can help identify these two people in the surveillance video please contact Deputy Sarah Hardisty at 707-262-4200 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Authorities are attempting to identify the individuals captured in a surveillance video on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center in Lucerne, Calif. Image courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. – Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating a male subject responsible for a carjacking in Hopland on Tuesday.

The California Highway Patrol’s Ukiah Area office said the incident occurred at 1:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Retech Systems.

An unknown male subject took a Ford F-250 pickup. The CHP said the vehicle’s owner jumped on the running board to stop the thief. The owner was thrown from the truck but was not injured.

The CHP said its officers located the pickup traveling through Hopland. It fled south to Cloverdale, where pursuing units lost sight of it.

Mendocino County Sheriff’s units later located the truck near Hopland. The CHP said the vehicle again fled south on Highway 101. The pickup was driven into wooded terrain and the male subject fled on foot.

Despite an area search by the CHP, Mendocino County Sheriff’s personnel and CHP aircraft, authorities were unable to locate the male subject, the CHP reported.

A second vehicle, a gray Chevy Camaro driven by Margarita Sobalvarro, 26, of Richmond, was located in Hopland. The CHP identifed her as an accomplice in the case.

Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputies located Sobalvarro in Hopland and the CHP reported that it arrested her at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Sobalvarro later was booked into the Mendocino County on multiple felonies, the CHP said.

The CHP said that inside the Camaro Sobalvarro had been driving officers located two loaded handguns, one of which had been reported stolen.

The stolen pickup was returned to the carjacking victim, the CHP said.

Anyone with knowledge of the identity and/or whereabouts of the man who committed the carjacking is asked to call the Ukiah CHP at 707-467-4420.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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Riviera Elementary students redeem SOAR Bucks. Courtesy photo.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Four years ago, Riviera Elementary School in Kelseyville implemented a new program entitled Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports, or PBIS.

Today they are reaping the benefits of the program with a more positive school climate.

The US Department of Education, through the Lake County Office of Education, funds the PBIS program.

The underlying theme of PBIS is to teach behavioral expectations in the same manner as any core curriculum subject.

Put in simpler terms, PBIS is a program that works to change the discipline culture in schools by focusing on rewarding positive student behavior, instead of just focusing on negative consequences for poor student behavior.

“It’s a twofold process,” explained Riviera Elementary School Principal Tavis Perkins. “First, we communicate to our students how we expect them to behave. At Riviera Elementary, our students are taught to follow the SOAR rules: Safe inside out, on time & on task, accept responsibility, and respect.”

Once the students understand what type of behavior is expected of them, they are rewarded for following it. “When a student is ‘caught’ following a rule, they are awarded a SOAR Buck,” said Perkins.

There is a SOAR store at Riviera Elementary where students can use their bucks to purchase prizes and privileges.

Perkins said that some of the most popular prizes have been snap bracelets and emoji keychains, while the most popular privileges include eating lunch on the stage with a friend and moving ahead in the lunch line. Students can even save up their SOAR bucks to pie the principal.

After the successful rollout of Tier 1 of the program, the data has shown a tremendous decrease in major office referrals compared to the previous year.

The Riviera Elementary PBIS team continues to meet monthly to analyze data, make new goals, reward students who meet expectations and support those students who may be struggling.

“It has been an exciting and rewarding process seeing Riviera students soaring high,” said Tavis.
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Congressman Mike Thompson. Courtesy photo.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson has filed for reelection in the Fifth Congressional District.

The district includes all of Napa County and parts of Lake, Sonoma, Solano and Contra Costa counties.

“Today I am announcing that I have filed my reelection papers to again represent our Congressional District in Congress,” Thompson said in a Monday announcement. “It has been my honor to represent the place where I was born, grew up, raised my children, and still live today. The support of so many from across our diverse district is humbling, from supervisors, to mayors, to sheriffs, to business leaders, and to community advocates. Building strong working relationships with these community members has given me invaluable insight into the needs of the people I serve,” he said.

“Throughout my career in Congress, my number one priority has been to serve the people of our district. Together with so many partners in our community, we have been able to accomplish great things, including securing billions in federal disaster relief to aid recovery from the devastating fires of last fall. We have fought for policies that support our businesses, expand the use of renewable energy, and strengthen Medicare for our seniors. Through casework that helps constituents navigate the federal government, we have secured millions in benefits and payments owed to constituents,” Thompson continued.

“My work is not finished, which is why I am honored for the chance to again run to represent our district. This includes leading the fight in ensuring criminals and dangerous individuals can’t easily access guns, while protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding individuals to own firearms. This also means working to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare so that we provide a secure retirement for our nation’s seniors. And as a Vietnam combat veteran, I will never stop working to support our veterans and their families,” he said.

“Working together, we will continue to develop and implement real solutions to the challenges we face as a district and a nation and ensure our district continues to be one of the best places in our nation to live, start a family, open a business, enjoy a secure retirement, and achieve the American dream,” Thompson concluded.

A list of those signing Rep. Thompson’s nomination papers follows.

Chris Kelley, Hercules mayor
Dan Romero, Hercules Vice mayor
Rob Schroder, Martinez mayor
Richard Zampa, retired president, District Council of Iron Workers of the State of California
Tim Farley, former Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board member
Carol Hatch, retired district director, Congressman George Miller
Ridge Greene, chairman, Port Costa Conservation Society
Roy and Rose Swearingen, Pinole City Council member
Brian Martin, Lake County sheriff
Brad Rasmussen, city of Lakeport Police chief
Madelene Lyon, board member, Lake County Office of Education
Peter Windrem, attorney at law, Kelseyville
Margaret Silveria, city manager, city of Lakeport
Kelly Cox, former Lake County administrative officer
David Weiss, vineyard management firm owner, Kelseyville
Moke Simon, Lake County supervisor
Rob Brown, Lake County supervisor
Becky Curry, community leader, Kelseyville
Janet Thompson, nurse
John Robertson, Napa County sheriff
Jon Thompson, sergeant, Napa County Sheriff’s Department
Jill Techel, mayor of Napa
Belia Ramos, Napa County supervisor
Mel Varrelman, CPA and retired Napa County supervisor
Diane Dillon, Napa County supervisor
Robert Torres, owner, Trinchero Family Estates
Amelia Ceja, winery owner and business woman
Maria Cisneros, former president, Napa County Hispanic Network
Hope Logo, community advocate and leader
Paul Bradford Onorato, community leader
Mary Jane Bowker, community leader
Erin Hannigan, Solano County supervisor
Bob Sampayan, mayor of Vallejo
Elizabeth Patterson, mayor of Benicia
Osby Davis, former Vallejo mayor
Anthony Intintoli Jr., former Vallejo mayor
Rosemary Thurston, trustee for Solano Community College
Jimmie Jackson, president Vallejo Branch NAACP
LaGuan Lea, real estate broker
Jon Riley, executive director, Napa Solano Central Labor Council
Buck Kamphausen, Vallejo business owner
Maureen Cottingham, Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance executive director
Steve Page, Sonoma Raceway president and general manager, Sonoma
Tim Smith, former Sonoma County supervisor
William “Willie” Tamayo, business owner, Santa Rosa
Francis Meinenger, retired business owner
Michael Mulas, dairy farmer and grapegrower, Sonoma
Raymond Mulas, dairy farmer and grapegrower, Sonoma
Vicky Mulas, dairy farmer and grape grower
Margaret Fishman, Santa Rosa Junior College Board Trustee
Mark Landman, mayor of Cotati
Cheryl Ann Diehm, community activist
Chris Coursey, mayor of Santa Rosa
William Fishman, attorney at law
Timothy Smith, former Sonoma County supervisor
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday honored those who volunteer on the city’s boards and commissions, accepted a grant for a new police vehicle and approved street closures for a May school event.

The council and city staff held a half-hour reception for the city’s commission and committee members immediately before the Tuesday night meeting.

After the meeting convened, Mayor Mireya Turner read a proclamation honoring those who serve on the committees and commissions, with Mayor Pro Tem Tim Barnes helping congratulate them and distribute service pins.

Those honored included the members of the Lakeport Planning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee, the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee and the Measure Z Oversight Committee.

They also honored outgoing committee and commission members, including Christine Hutt. George Linn, Taira St. John and Harold Taylor.

Before the council approved the consent calendar, Turner announced that last fall Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation requiring the city council to orally report a summary of any council action on salaries, salary schedules or fringe benefit for any executive managers.

She said items on the consent agenda included a recommendation to approve the salaries and benefits package for the Lakeport Unrepresented Management Employees, which consist of at-will management employees and mid-management employees.

The benefit package included a 4-percent salary increase per year and a $750 annual technology allowance for mid-management and $1,500 for at-will management over the term of the contract, Turner said.

Turner said on the consent agenda was an amendment to City Manager Margaret Silveira’s contract that included a 15-percent salary increase – which the accompanying staff report said brings her annual salary to $132,250 – and a 40-percent reduction in her annual technology allowance, bringing it down to $750 a year.

The council also approved Police Chief Brad Rasmussen and Public Works Director Doug Grider closing a portion of N. High Street, Lakeshore Boulevard, Giselman Street, Sayre Street and Lange Street, and to control intersections along the route from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 9, for Lakeport Unified School District’s International Bike/Walk to School Day event.

Officials expect 1,000 students and more than 50 staff members will be participating in the event.

Rasmussen told the council that the council that the event will be similar to the one that took place in October, only this time it will be expanded for bicycles.

The walk staging area will be at the High Street shopping center, with bike staging areas at the old Natural High School on N. Main Street and the Shoreline Shopping Center where Grocery Outlet is located, he said.

He said two police vehicles will escort the bicycling students so street closures won’t be needed.

He said press releases, social media posts and “a swarm of information” will be released to notify the public ahead of the event.

Suzanne Lyons, a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, explained that the city received a community transformation grant from Sutter Lakeside Hospital to encourage exercise, which was used for a walking path marked by medallions set in the sidewalks.

She said the seniors in the city challenged the council, staff, seniors at the high school and others to walk the path toward the school as part of the walking event on May 9.

The council liked the idea, with Turner adding that Lyons “kinda upped the game there.”

In other business, the council unanimously approved a resolution supporting the city’s application to the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Communities Facilities Loan and Grant Program for a new police vehicle.

The resolution was added to the agenda as an urgency item due to a short turnaround time to accept the funds, according to staff.

Silveira told the council that the city was notified on Tuesday that it had received the grant – not to exceed $45,000 – for the purchase of a 2018 Chevy Tahoe.

“We were very excited about that,” said Silveira, who explained that the city only has 10 days to send in the necessary acceptance documents – including the council’s resolution.

Rasmussen said the new Chevy Tahoe will be used as an incident command vehicle.

He said the grant will cover two-thirds of the cost of the vehicle, estimated to cost about $65,000.

The Tahoe will be assigned to the senior sergeant as a patrol vehicle but also will have special incident command equipment and a higher clearance for getting through water, Rasmussen said.

“We’re excited about it,” he said.

Rasmussen said his department already has gotten the necessary bids from vendors and they’re just waiting for the final approvals to purchase the vehicle.

Councilwoman Stacey Mattina voted to approve the resolution, with Councilman Kenny Parlet seconding and the council voting 5-0.

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.

030618 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

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Gar Abbas. Courtesy photo.


MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Gar Abbas will serve as the Mendocino National Forest supervisor in Willows starting Monday, March 19.

Abbas comes to the Mendocino from the Cowlitz Valley district of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington where he is the district ranger.

“I’m looking forward to contributing to the work being done by Mendocino National Forest employees and neighboring communities to improve forest health and enhance stewardship opportunities,” Abbas said.

He will hold the forest supervisor position until Ann Carlson returns from a temporary assignment on the Sequoia National Forest.

Abbas began his Forest Service career as a volunteer in 1994 and has since gained experience as a district ranger on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and deputy forest supervisor/ area manager for the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.

He has experience as a fish and wildlife biologist as well as minerals and special uses administrator.

Abbas earned bachelor and master of science degrees in Oregon focused on fish and wildlife ecology.

He previously worked on the San Bernardino and Klamath national forests and says he is excited to be returning to California.

The Abbas family enjoys the outdoors, especially alpine skiing in the winter, a wide variety of water sports in the summer and hiking and backcountry camping trips.
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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall this week will meet candidates for its board and will get updates on a number of projects.

MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 8, at the Middletown Community Center, 21256 Washington St.

Meetings are open to the community, and offer the opportunity for additional public input on items not included on the agenda.

The group is set to hear a number of items that were on last month’s agenda. However, that meeting lacked a board quorum.

Under discussion items, the group will hear from District Attorney Don Anderson about the Valley fire and from Supervisor Moke Simon about the Middletown Area Town Hall itself.

Other items to be discussed are a Caltrans safety project on Highway 175, a resort and residential project on the Guenoc property, the county planning department’s backlog, road repair in Anderson Springs, adding a second alternate position to the MATH board and Texas-based Cross Development’s use permit modification to reduce the size of the planned Dollar General store at 20900 Highway 29 from 9,100 square feet to 7,225 square feet.

In other business, MATH Board candidates Joe Sullivan, Courtney VanLeuven, Margaret Greenly and Fairlight Ahlgren will introduce themselves.

The MATH Board includes Chair Claude Brown, Vice Chair Marlene Elder, and members Lisa Kaplan and Mike Tabacchi.

MATH – established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 – is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.

Meetings are subject to videotaping.

For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will consider approving the award of a design project for Austin Park and discuss the purchase of equipment to help it continue to move forward on its road improvement projects.

The council will convene in closed session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8, to hold a performance evaluation of City Manager Greg Folsom before the regular meeting convenes at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

The meeting will feature presentations by Mayor Bruno Sabatier to former Councilman Russ Perdock, a proclamation declaring March as March for Meals Month and the Highlands Senior Center annual report.

On the agenda is the consideration of awarding a contract for design services to the firm Design Workshop for the Austin Park Improvement Project. The contract is not to exceed $224,000.

The council also will discuss purchasing equipment for road improvements with up to $530,000 in Measure V sales tax funds.

The pieces of equipment that the city is proposing to purchase are as follows: new roller, $70,000; new five yard gas dump truck, $80,000; new backhoe, $100,000; new trailer-vactor, $80,000; new/used boom truck, $60,000; and a newer used grader/loader, $140,000.

In other business, the council will consider sponsorship of the Meals on Wheels program.

Also planned for Thursday is a public hearing to confirm assessments totaling $35,000 for failure to abate nuisances on a number of properties.

Items on the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the Jan. 4, 11 and 25, and Feb. 1; consideration of continuation of a declaration of local emergency issued on Oct. 9 and ratified by the council on Oct. 12 in response to the Sulphur fire; and consideration of a request for approval of a purchase order for a 2017 Ford F250 and animal transport box.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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Healthier menu options are now available at a number of eating establishments in Lake County, Calif. Photo credit: Ree Slocum.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – North Coast Opportunities Inc. recently wrapped up a three-year project in Lake County.

Partnerships to Improve Community Health started in 2014 thanks to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant totaling $1.4 million.

These grants were intended to support public health efforts to reduce chronic diseases, promote healthier lifestyles, reduce health disparities and control health care spending.

One of the most resounding successes was the “Menus of Change” initiative.

To combat the conflict restaurants face between serving crowd-pleasing versus healthy food, the Culinary Institute of America, or CIA, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health developed Menus of Change: The Business of Healthy, Sustainable and Delicious Food Choices.

Partnerships to Improve Community Health contracted with CIA’s lead trainer, Chef Brad Barnes, to deliver the Menus of Change training in Lake County.

More than 26 chefs representing 15 restaurants and food service locations participated as a part of the "Eat Well Lake County" initiative.

These restaurants committed to reducing sodium and increasing plant-based options on their menus.

The training was extremely well received, with 88 percent of participants saying it exceeded their expectations.

One of the best examples of Menus of Change being put to work comes from the Woodland Community College Culinary Program.

Chef Instructor Robert Cabreros incorporated the Menus of Change philosophy into the menu for Aromas Café, the on-campus restaurant run by culinary students.

We are very surprised by how well it has gone with our customers,” said Cabreros. “We have sold more salads and healthy rice bowls than ever before. Maybe three to four times as many salads!”

The 2017 Woodland Community College Culinary students in 2017 in Clearlake, Calif. Photo credit: Ree Slocum.

Cabreros took it a step further by including elements of the training in the college’s culinary curriculum, and many of the first graduates are already working in Lake County restaurants.

“The sustainability potential is huge,” said NCO Administrative Manager Robyn Bera. “The inspiration to create healthy menus is likely to ripple through our restaurant environment as more and more new chefs graduate from this program.”

Learn more about the Culinary Program or Woodland Community College by calling 707-995-7900. You may also the Lake County Campus page at www.yccd.edu.

Another success comes from Judy’s Junction, a small restaurant in Upper Lake.

Owner Joanne Breton was adamant that she couldn’t make changes without losing her loyal “greasy spoon” loving customers. She was also convinced her long-time staff wouldn’t be able or willing to change.

Chef Barnes provided a one-on-one coaching session and made simple suggestions like replacing high-sodium canned goods with low- or no-sodium options. He also helped her add salad options to a few lunch and breakfast items.

The changes have all been positively received, and Breton is happy to be encouraging her customers to eat healthier.

“The best way to continue the positive trend in healthy menu items is to eat at participating restaurants,” said Bera.

Look for the Eat Well sticker in the following establishments: Wholly Bowl, Angelina’s Café, Running Creek Casino, Judy’s Junction, Blue Wing Saloon, Fresh & Bangin, Adventist Health Cafeteria, Aromas Café and Saw Shop Gallery Bistro.

Aromas Café’s Chinese steamed pork buns. Photo credit: Ree Slocum.
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Keith Cialino, Ph.D., a science fellow with the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee, left, and Dylan Chapple, Ph.D., a science fellow the the Assembly Natural Resources Committee assist Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program, with the third snow survey of the 2018 snow season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on Monday, March 5, 2018. The survey site is approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo by Kelly M. Grow/California Department of Water Resources.


NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Monday’s snow survey at Phillips Station tells a more positive story than it did before the recent storm, but totals are still well below average, officials reported.

Despite the recent late-winter storm that brought much-needed snow to the Sierra Nevada, the snow water equivalent is 9.4 inches, which is 39 percent of normal for early March.

“California has unquestionably experienced a dry winter this year, with a near-record dry February,” said Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth. “While we’re happy to kick off March with this healthy storm, the variability of this winter’s weather patterns underscores the importance of continued conservation and the ongoing need to strengthen California’s water supply reliability for our people, our economy, and our environment.”

The snow survey conducted today by Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program, was the second measurement at Phillips Station for this snow survey period.

On Feb. 28, Gehrke conducted the official snow survey of record, which found a snow water equivalent of 1.7 inches, or just 7 percent of average for that time of year as recorded since 1964.

Given the forecasted storm, Gehrke conducted a second measurement on March 5 to record its impact, which yielded a 32 percentage-point increase in snow water equivalent over the previous week.

Snow water equivalent is the amount of water contained within the snowpack. The snowpack – often called California’s “frozen reservoir “– normally provides about a third of the water for California’s farms and communities as it melts in the spring and summer and fills reservoirs and rivers.

“As indicated by the increase in snow depth and water content from last week to today, this recent storm provided a much-needed boost to our snowpack,” said Gehrke. “Today’s measurements are greater than what we found last week, but not enough to bring the state up to an average year.”

In addition to the manual surveys conducted at Phillips, DWR also logs electronic readings from 103 stations scattered throughout the Sierra.

A path was created within the deep snow from the media and surveyors who attended the third snow survey of the 2018 snow season at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on Monday, March 5, 2018. The survey site is approximately 90 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. Photo by Kelly M. Grow/California Department of Water Resources.

Electronic measurements indicate the snow water equivalent of the northern Sierra snowpack is 7.4 inches, 30 percent of the multi-decade average for today’s date.

The central and southern Sierra readings are 11.5 inches (43 percent of average) and 8.7 inches (37 percent of average) respectively.

Statewide, the snowpack’s snow water equivalent is 9.5 inches, or 37 percent of the March 5 average.

Electronic snowpack readings are available on the Internet at http://bit.ly/2rVa84a.

The Phillips snow course, near the intersection of Highway 50 and Sierra-at-Tahoe Road, is one of 260 that are surveyed manually throughout the winter.

Manual measurements augment the electronic readings from the snow pillows in the Sierra Nevada that provide a current snapshot of the water content in the snowpack.

California’s exceptionally high precipitation last winter and spring has resulted in above-average storage in 154 reservoirs tracked by the Department.

DWR estimates total storage in those reservoirs at the end of February was 24.6 million acre feet, or about 100 percent of the 24.7 million acre feet average for the end of February.

In related news, snow measurements in the Mendocino National Forest showed a 21-percent snow water equivalent for Anthony Peak in January and 18 percent in February, while no measurements have been done for the Plaskett Meadows area so far this year, based on state data.

A team of science fellows Dylan Chapple, Ph.D., from the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, left, Keith Cialino, Ph.D., with the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee and Amy Gilson, Ph.D., from the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee assist Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program, with the third snow survey of the 2018 snow season at Phillips Station in El Dorado County, Calif., on Monday, March 5, 2018. Photo by Kelly M. Grow/California Department of Water Resources.

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