How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
MIDDLETOWN – The half-century-old Middletown Days celebration was in full swing on Saturday, with a parade and plenty to do around town.
The event began Friday evening with steer roping. On Saturday there was the parade at 10 a.m., vendors, activities for kids and more, ending with a dance in the evening.
Middletown Days will wrap up on Sunday, when a gymkhana begins at 9 a.m. at Middletown's Central Park on Central Park Road.
The celebration recalls Middletown's beginnings; the town was established in 1870, midway between Lower Lake and Calistoga.
Main Street's city center area will be roped off to accommodate the dozens of booths set up by both amateur and professional wine makers, artists and craftspeople, and food vendors.
The annual festival is sponsored by the Kelseyville Business Association and Clear Lake Performing Arts (CLPA). All proceeds go to support CLPA's fine music activities, including in-school music programs for elementary students, scholarships, concerts and sole underwriting of the outstanding Lake County Symphony.
A large panel of professionals will judge the wide variety of wines submitted by skilled home winemakers.
They include well-known wine broker and author Craig Renaud; Stephen Dilley of Tulip Hill Winery; Rodney Duncan, Steele Wines; Charlie Hassom, Snows Lake Vineyard and Winery; Valerie Ramirez, Wildhurst; Eric Stine, Langtry Estates; Stephanie Cruz-Green of Focus on Wine; Jack Vos of Twin Pine Casino; and Jeanette Bartley, a local wine industry representative.
Along with the many Lake County home winemakers, amateurs are coming from most of the nearby counties including Mendocino, Napa, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Alameda, Sonoma and Marin. Many of them are award winners from past festivals.
They will be joined by a dozen of Lake County's premium commercial wineries, pouring samples of their wines, with many offering winery discounts for attendees.
For the first time, home brewers, too, will sample their beers and ales and submit them for judging by a panel of experts consisting of Stephen Brennan, owner of Lakeport's Molly Brennan's Restaurant and Brewpub, and Joel Johnson, master brewer for St. Helena Brewing Co.
Kelseyville's restaurants and other food purveyors will offer food, and music will be provided by the popular David Neft Duo.
A major silent auction featuring dozens of valuable prizes supplied by Lake County businesses and individuals – including use of a Maui condo and numerous gifts of fine wine, among them samples from the vineyards of Congressman Mike Thompson – also will be offered, along with raffle drawings.
The festival will be open to the public from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., but participants – including not only home wine and beer makers, but also arts and crafts people and commercial wineries – should have their booth setups completed by 11 am. Space assignments are made by event coordinator Jim Perry and will be available at the main CLPA booth by 9 a.m.
Along with the judge's ribbons, home wine and beer makers also will be eligible for the "Peoples Choice" awards, determined by ballots submitted by attendees. Awards are also given for best decorated booths and best wine labels.
Tickets are $20 at the gate, or $15 for advance purchase from Catfish Books in Lakeport; Wild About Books in Clearlake; Shannon Ridge Winery's and High Valley Winery's tasting rooms on Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks; Steele Wines, on Highway 29 in Finley; Wildhurst Winery in Kelseyville; and Moontide Health Foods on Calistoga Road in Middletown.
Amateurs submitting wines for judging can make arrangements by calling Ed Bublitz at 707-277-8172. A 750-milliliter bottle of each varietal to be judged must be delivered to the kiosk in front of the Saw Shop Gallery Bistro in downtown Kelseyville before 10 a.m. the day of the event.
Well, I've got a girl and Ruby is her name (Ruby, Ruby, Ruby baby)
She don't love me but I love her just the same (Ruby, Ruby, Ruby baby)
From “Ruby Baby”
Words & Music Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller, Circa 1956
Saturday night on 88.1 FM the DJ (that would be me, your CyberSoulMan) played the above referenced song. It was first recorded by legendary vocal group, The Drifters, in 1956. I missed that version until much later in life. I don’t think I started rockin’ until 1957. Therein lay my first memories of Bandstand.
I didn’t get hip to it until Dion recorded it in 1963. By then I’d somehow evolved into the mohair sweater, Jade East and Italian shoes mode of junior high school. It was in English class that this song became particularly meaningful in my young life.
The teacher's name was Mrs. Salmon. She was a seemingly moneyed dame who dressed sharply but wore too much makeup for my fresh eyes. She also had too many wrinkles for the amount she wore. Add to that her penchant for gruffness and no sense of humor and English class became a total bore, even for those of us who enjoyed wordplay. The way she diagrammed sentences and conjugated verbs made learning miserable. Did I mention that her first name was Ruby?
My fellows and I sang that song with much comic relief. It was if the song made up for the misery she inflicted on us. This is a 50-year-old memory so bear with me.
The times were way different. The elusive Civil Rights Movement was blowin’ in the wind. The Kennedys were the poster family of this new age. The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday night. Ruby Salmon on Monday morning. Couldn’t trust that day.
She gave us what seemed like a sweet assignment. Place yourself in Sherwood Forest and write about it in the first person. I peeled it off and turned it in on time. Mrs. Salmon corrected the papers and read a couple in front of the class.
It shouldn’t have made a difference that I may have been the only African-American student in the class. But I think it did. When Mrs. Salmon read the worst example of the assignment, she chose mine as the template. I was, like uh, so hurt. I remember thinking as she read, she’s doing this on purpose! Indeed, the way she read my paper was full of expressive subtle nuances that made my writing sound like that of a dunce. She was the ventriloquist and I was the dummy. To this day I can’t prove it, but it sure felt like a set up.
In my girl Ruby’s defense, I suspect she did me a favor. Kind of let me in on the secret obstacles in life that I might face. Perhaps she was testing my mettle to see if I had what it took to succeed in the blackface of adversity. Then again, maybe she really thought my writing that day was terrible. The tenor of the times only alluded to the fact that there were more Richard Wrights and Langston Hugheses on the horizon. She didn’t have to believe in the dream.
And I guess, CyberSoulChildren, that is the gist of it, the belief in self with a little help from on high. And a little music to get us through the rough spots.
Keep prayin’, keep thinkin’ those kind thoughts
*****
Upcoming cool events:
Twice As Good featuring Paul and Rich Steward, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. June 22, Blue Wing Saloon & Café, 9520 Main St., Upper Lake. Telephone, 707-275-2233, or online, www.bluewingsaloon.com .
Open mike night, 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 25. Blue Wing Saloon & Café, 9520 Main St., Upper Lake. Telephone, 707-275-2233, or online, www.bluewingsaloon.com .
Bill Noteman & The Rockets play the Lakeport Summer Concerts at Library Park, 200 Park St., 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 26.
The Neville Brothers, Jeffrey Osborne, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Eric Bibb, Elvin Bishop, Denise Lasalle and more at the Monterey Bay Blues Festival from Friday, June 26, through Sunday, June 28, at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairgrounds Road, Montere. Telephone, 831-394-2652 or online www.montereyblues.com .
Smokey Robinson in concert, 7:15 p.m. Saturday, July 31. Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa, 8727 Soda Bay Road, Kelseyville. Telephone, 800-660-LAKE, or online at www.konoctiharbor.com .
The Four Tops in Concert, 9 p.m. Saturday, July 31. Cache Creek Casino Resort, 14455 Highway 16, Brooks. Telephone, 888-77-CACHE, or online at www.cachecreek.com .
T. Watts is a writer, radio host and music critic. Visit his Web site at www.teewatts.biz .
The state Employment Development Department's (EDD) latest report put California's May unemployment at 11.5 percent, up from 11.1 percent in April. The state's May 2008 unemployment rate was 6.8 percent.
“When the world loses one-third of its wealth in 18 months, it is to be expected that historic levels of job losses will follow,” Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in response to the numbers. “Not surprisingly, we and our fellow states have seen unemployment numbers rise sharply during this difficult time.”
He said a full recovery will not happen overnight “There is no greater priority right now than to stimulate the economy, create jobs and get California back on the road to prosperity.”
In Lake County, unemployment was reported to be 15.5 percent in May, down from 16.1 percent the previous month.
Neighboring counties posted the following May unemployment numbers: Napa, 8.3 percent; Sonoma, 9.5 percent; Mendocino, 10.2 percent; Yolo, 10.5 percent; Glenn, 14.6 percent; Colusa, 17.8 percent.
Nationwide, unemployment increased in May, rising to 9.4 percent from 8.9 percent in April, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The US unemployment rate for May 2008 was 5.5 percent.
EDD reported that nonfarm payroll jobs declined by 68,900 during May, totaling 14,343,400 jobs. The year-over-year change – from May 2008 to May 2009 – shows a decrease of 739,500 jobs, a 4.9-percent decline.
Unemployment statistics are gathered through two surveys – one of 42,000 California businesses and a smaller federal survey that looks at 5,500 California households, the department reported.
The federal household survey estimated that the number of Californians holding jobs in May was 16,387,000, a decrease of 177,000 from April, and down 710,000 from the employment total in May of last year, EDD reported.
In addition, the number of people unemployed in California was 2,138,000 – up by 73,000 over the month, and up by 885,000 compared with May of last year.
In job categories, educational and health services added jobs over the month, gaining 2,100 jobs.
Ten job categories posted declines, amounting to 71,000 jobs, in May – natural resources and mining; construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; other services; and government) reported job declines this month.
The largest decline was in government, which lost 14,200 jobs in May.
Educational and health services posted job gains over the year, adding 23,300 jobs, a 1.4-percent increase, EDD reported.
Categories losing job declines over the year – for a total of 762,800 lost jobs – included natural resources and mining; construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; information; financial activities; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; other services; and government.
Of those categories, trade, transportation and utilities declined the most on a numerical basis. EDD said the category dropped 191,100 jobs, declining 6.6 percent.
On a percentage basis, the largest decline was in construction, which dropped 149,200 jobs for a total of 18.6 percent.
The EDD reported that 839,960 people received regular unemployment insurance benefits during the May survey week, down from 853,607 in April but up from the 467,563 recorded in May 2008.
At the same time, EDD said new claims for unemployment insurance were 67,579 in May 2009, compared with 72,718 in April and 47,003 in May of last year.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
The Board of Parole Hearings denied parole to convicted murderer Jeffery Scott Sargent at a Thursday hearing, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff, who attended the hearing to argue against Sargent's release.
Sargent, 59, was convicted of the first-degree murder of 88-year-old Gedney Robinson and sentenced to seven years to life on May 15, 1978, by Superior Court Judge John Golden. Then-District Attorney Robert L. Crone Jr. prosecuted the case.
Hinchcliff said this week's lifer hearing, held at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, was Sargent's 12th since he was convicted. Sargent's minimum eligible parole date was October 28, 1984.
On Sept. 22, 1977, Fresno Police received a report that a 1974 Ford belonging to Mr. Robinson was going to be used in a robbery, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office investigative reports.
When deputies responded to the victim’s small cabin on Second Avenue in Lucerne, they found the front door broken and Robinson dead inside. He had just returned home the same day from a rock collecting trip to Nevada.
The reports noted that Robinson was stabbed seven times – five times in the heart and two times in the back.
Sargent took a ring off the victim’s finger, $40 from his wallet, and his vehicle, according to the investigation.
He denied any involvement in the crime when he was arrested, but the investigation revealed that Sargent was a career criminal who had just been paroled from prison and had gone to Lake County two days before the murder to see his wife, who was living near Robinson. Sargent also had used heroin at the time of the murder.
Investigators found in Sargent's possession some of the property stolen from Robinson's home, and the investigation revealed that he had lied about his involvement.
Following a mistrial, Sargent pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in exchange for a special circumstance allegation being dropped.
At the three-hour hearing Thursday, Hinchcliff asked the Board of Prison Hearings to deny Sargent’s parole on the ground that he still presented an unreasonable risk of danger to the public if released, and failed to exhibit any remorse or accept responsibility for his conduct.
Robinson’s niece, his only still living relative, also attended the hearing to ask the parole commissioners to deny parole.
The Board of Prison Hearings denied parole. Sargent’s next parole hearing will be in five years, Hinchcliff said.
As a precaution, health officials recommend that individuals of all ages and pets avoid swimming in or ingesting lake water in these affected areas. Avoid contact with areas in and around algae mats. Families should exercise caution in keeping children and pets away from the water in these areas.
In response to public complaints of foul odors and floating scum on the lake surface, Environmental Health reported that it has performed bacteriological water testing in the affected areas and has determined the observations are not related to a sewage discharge.
A sampling and analysis done by Lake County Vector Control District indicates the presence of lyngbya, a relatively uncommon form of blue-green algae bloom in Clear Lake, according to Environmental Health.
Some types of blue-green algae can release toxins and allergens in the water. Lyngbya, the identified species, is known to cause skin irritation resulting in dermatitis.
County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait advised the public to keep away from areas with visible algae mats and to avoid direct contact with affected water, including drinking the water and recreational activities such as swimming, wading and water skiing.
According to the Lake County Water Resources Division of Public Works, this type of algae forms mats on the lake bottom that, during photosynthesis, release sulfur-containing gases. These gases release strong odors similar in smell to sewer gases and also create buoyancy that causes the mats to rise to the surface.
Once at the surface, winds then move the algal mats to the shoreline, thickening the mats and creating nuisance odors. The mats form blue-green, black, and/or gray clumps that rise to the surface, and as the mats decay, they bleach to a grayish-white color.
Although not one of the commonly occurring algal bloom species on Clear Lake, lyngbya previously was identified on Clear Lake most recently in 2001, in 1997, and also during the mid-1980s.
Clear Lake is a nutrient-rich lake with four predominant types of blue-green algae identified to cause blooms.
The lyngbya species is yellow-brown filamentous algae with a self-protective mucus, which makes it resistant to control methods.
In an effort to mitigate the nuisance caused by these blooms, the California Department of Food and Agriculture is using air boats to help reduce the presence of algae mats in the affected areas. Local fire districts, staff from the City of Clearlake, and local volunteers also are working together to help break up the mats.
Shoreline property owners within the affected areas are encouraged to use portable re-circulating pumps to spray lake water to break up unsightly slicks and reduce nuisance odors.
Environmental Health has posted health advisory signs, which will remain in effect, on public beaches and access points near the affected areas, which will remain in effect. Environmental Health and Vector Control will continue to test and monitor the affected areas.
For more information, contact Lake County Environmental Health at 707-263-1164 during regular business hours.
