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The Lake County Registrar of Voters Office advises voters that a consolidated general district election is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
At this election, voters who reside within the city of Lakeport will have the opportunity to vote for or against Measure C (use and sale of fireworks within the city).
In addition, voters who reside within the boundaries of the Mendocino-Lake Community College District, Upper Lake High School District, Upper Lake Elementary School District and Lucerne Elementary School District will have the opportunity to elect governing board members for each of the school districts.
Please be aware that 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 you need to reregister in order to be eligible to vote in the upcoming consolidated general district election.
Don't delay – the last day to register to vote for the Nov. 3 consolidated general district election is Monday, Oct. 19.
The completed voter registration form must be either personally delivered to the Registrar of Voters Office on or before Oct. 19 or, postmarked on or before Oct. 19 and received by mail by the Registrar of Voters Office.
Please be aware that 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 707-263-2372 for information.
Registration forms are also available at most local post offices, libraries, senior centers, city offices and chamber of commerce offices.
While a person is alive, the person’s estate planning attorney is strictly prohibited from disclosing any information to anyone else without the client’s express consent (authorization). An attorney is not supposed to even disclose that the client came to him for estate planning.
So, as long as the client does not invite other persons to sit-in on the estate planning meeting, or subsequently allow others to read their estate plan documents, then the contents of that person’s will or trust will remain confidential.
That said, if the client later on becomes incapacitated and the named successor trustee steps in during the period of disability, then that other person will naturally read the trust (estate planning document). The trust document can advise the successor trustee, however, to keep the document confidential from other inquiring persons.
At death, the estate plan will have to be disclosed, to one degree or another. If a will is used, it is filed with the county superior court of residence; at which time anyone in the public is allowed to see the entire document. If a trust is used, however, it is not required to be filed with the county court, and so does not become a public record (unless trust litigation ensues). This makes the trust a more confidential document than a will.
Clearly, however, neither a will nor a trust is a “secret” document. That is, after death, one’s beneficiaries and heirs (i.e., those familial persons otherwise entitled to inherit under California Law) are each entitled, upon request, to a copy of the trust and/or will, as relevant. One cannot exclude disinherited heirs (e.g., a disinherited child) from receiving a copy of the estate planning document.
A major distinction between a will and a trust is that you can to a keep matters more confidential with a trust, as it does not become a publicly available document. If a trust is used, then it is best to remove any minor gifts to persons who otherwise are not entitled to receive a copy of the trust; instead, have their gifts pass by way of a will, in order that such minor beneficiaries do not become entitled to receive a copy of the trust. For example, a gift of an antique grandfather clock to a neighbor should not be included in the trust if one does not want the “neighbor” to know the contents of the trust.
Lastly, and importantly, after one dies, all beneficiaries are entitled to receive information about the estate’s assets, liabilities, receipts and disbursements to the extent that such information is pertinent to their inheritance. This usually comes in the form of an inventory and accounting by the trustee or executor to the beneficiaries.
In summary, until one passes on, the estate planning documents can be kept confidential. After death, copies of the estate planning documents are allowed to the heirs and beneficiaries.
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 55 1st St., Lakeport, California. Dennis can be reached by e-mail at
The National Weather Service in Sacramento stated that this storm has the potential to produce a significant amount of rain across interior Northern California, including Lake County, beginning on Monday through Wednesday, accompanied by strong winds.
Typhoon Melor, which blew across central Japan on Thursday with winds of up to 123 miles per hour, caused transportation disruptions and landslides on Japan's southern, according to Reuters.
Rain is expected to arrive in Lake County Monday afternoon and spread over interior Northern California by Monday evening, the National Weather Service predicted. Periods of heavy precipitation are possible overnight into Tuesday, with some areas receiving between 2 and 7 inches of rain.
High winds also will accompany this storm, with sustained winds expected around 40 miles per hour, and gusts up to 60 miles per hour or more at higher elevations in the mountains and foothills, based on the National Weather Service forecast.
Winds at these speeds can down tree branches and cause property damage, officials cautioned.
Because this is predicted to be the first significant storm of the season and water levels are low, significant impact on most rivers and streams is not expected. However, the National Weather Service said that excessive runoff from heavy rainfall could cause flooding issues on smaller streams, creeks and tributaries that have accumulated plant growth through the summer.
Additionally, areas that have experienced fire events and have burn scars could experience debris flow, the agency warned.
Temperatures Friday through Sunday should reach daytime highs near 80 degrees, with overnight temperatures in the low 40s, but as the storm approaches, highs through Wednesday will only reach the mid 60s with precipitation continuing, the National Weather Service forecasted.
Next Thursday, skies will be partly cloudy and daytime temps rise back in to the 70s, with the National Weather Service predicting sunny skies for the remainder of next week.
Residents are advised to make preparations in advance of the approaching storm and monitor weather reports for updated information.
E-mail Terre Logsdon at
FEDCO Construction will start the project – located on Lakeshore Drive adjacent to Nelson's Island and between San Joaquin Avenue and San Joaquin Avenue Extension, on Monday, Oct. 12, and continue through Nov. 6, the city reported this week.
Work hours will be from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Tree removal began Thursday and is expected to continue Friday, the city reported.
The project will widen and reconstruct Lakeshore Drive just northwest of the gooseneck. Work will include excavation and grinding out of the existing embankment, and placing new pavement. A portion of the existing roadway embankment also will be stabilized.
Lakeshore Drive through the construction area will be reduced to one through lane and controlled by a flagman. Officials said motorists should expect delays.
Electronic message boards will be in place prior to the start of the project, advising motorists of the work schedule and any changing conditions. Lakeshore Drive will be open to two-way traffic during the nights and weekends. Motorists are advised to drive safely through the construction zone.
The project is weather-dependent, and cooler-than-normal or rainy weather could delay the work schedule.
Anyone with questions should call Clearlake City Hall at 707-994-8201.
LAKE COUNTY – The inaugural “People's Choice Wine Awards” has crowned its first winners.
On Oct. 3, the Lake County Winery Association hosted the final portion of the People’s Choice Wine Awards for consumers at Six Sigma Ranch and Winery in Lower Lake.
The event brought 300 people to the Lake County wine region for a day of wine tasting and voting.
The day's public tasting was the culmination of a few months of concentrated efforts.
Earlier this summer, wineries in and outside Lake County were invited to submit their wines to the first ever, “Lake County” wine competition. The only criterion for taking part in the competition was that wines had to be produced using Lake County grapes.
In August, a panel of 10 prestigious wine judges gathered at Langtry Estate and Vineyards to narrow down the number of competing wines from the 168 submitted. A total of 38 wines in 164 categories were nominated to be part of the People's Choice competition.
The day's tasting concluded with the revealing of awards. Ribbons were given to winners and runners-up in each of the categories including: varietal, American viticultural areas (AVAs), "Best Red Wine of Lake County" and "Best White Wine of Lake County."
A special award was given to the "Winery of the Year" which was determined by the winery with the most votes for all its nominated wines.
The People’s Choice tasting was organized as a "double-blind" tasting. All bottles were uncorked in the tasting room by a few trusted volunteers and brought out one at a time, disguised in foil or black paper bags. A plain label revealed the wine varietal but named the brand only as "x", "y", or "z".
A few of the winning wineries included: Best Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Hess Collection; Best Chardonnay, 2008 Shannon Ridge; Best Cabernet: 2006 Shed Horn Cellars; Best Zinfandel, 2007 Writer’s Block from Steele Wines. A full list of winning wineries is available at www.lakecountywineries.org .
“The People’s Choice Wine Awards event was created to educate and expose the public to the excellence of Lake County Wines,” says Kaj Ahlmann, Chairman, Lake County Winery Association and owner, Six Sigma Ranch. “To that end, we feel we met our goals. People had fun and were very enthusiastic – about the event and the wines. This was a perfect first occasion, and we look forward to doing the same next year...and beyond.”
The Lake County Winery Association’s People’s Choice Wine Awards event was sponsored by the following businesses and organizations: Lake County Winegrape Commission, Tallman Hotel, Blue Wing Saloon & Café, Kädär Hungary Cooperage, Synergy Glass and Packaging, Twin Pine Casino and Hotel, Bella Vista Farming Company, Clearlake Chamber of Commerce, Elk Mountain Vineyards, Foods Etc., Hardesters Market, Jonas Oil, SaverGlass, Inc., M.A. Silva Corks, U.S.A., Rosenthal Vineyards and World Cooperage.
Carlos Alberto Lopez, 38, of Lakeport was arrested Tuesday by officials with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, according to a report from Lt. Rusty Noe.
Lopez works as a correctional deputy with Mendocino County, Noe said.
On Oct. 1 the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office received a report from a female subject who stated that she had been the victim of an assault during her release from the Mendocino County Jail, Noe reported.
Noe said that, due to the nature of the criminal complaint, the case was referred to the sheriff's office's detectives.
Working with the sheriff's internal affairs division and the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office, detectives started a criminal investigation and were able to develop evidence that confirmed the victim's allegations, Noe said.
Noe said that on Tuesday, Lopez was called into the sheriff's office for an interview, after which he was arrested and booked into the county jail on charges of a sexual assault under the color of authority.
Lopez was placed on paid administrative leave pending the completion of the internal affairs investigation, Noe reported.
Noe said Lopez posted $15,000 bail and has been released.
Because all officers in the state have protection under the Peace Officers Bill of Rights, by government code it is unlawful to release an officer's photo, Noe said.
