Nellie, an 8-year-old boxer-Great Dane mix, is feeling better these days, thanks to some food and tender loving care at Lake County Animal Care and Control. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

Note to our readers: This story contains images and descriptions that some people may find upsetting.

LAKEPORT – Nellie is a big, friendly dog. If you judged her by her happy disposition, you'd never guess that she's been through a lot.

But she's desperately thin – even though she's put on nearly 20 pounds after more than a month in the care of Animal Care and Control officials. A gentle pat detects her ribs and backbone sticking out at sharp angles from beneath her brindle skin.

Nellie is one of several severely abused animals that Animal Care and Control recently took into their care.

“This is not normal,” said Animal Care and Control staffer Sara Schramm of the recent spate of abuse cases.

When Officer Terrie Flynn did a welfare check on Nellie on Aug. 11, she found the big boxer mix – a mix that may include some Great Dane – weighing a frail 46.8 pounds. Nellie's is considered the worst case of animal starvation Animal Care and Control has seen to date.

Nellie at the time of her removal from a Lower Lake home in August. Photo courtesy of Officer Terrie Flynn.

Flynn took the dog from her Lower Lake home, where her owner said she didn't have the money to feed the dog.

But that justification isn't a reasonable one, said Flynn. “We have been known to deliver dog food to people who have no money.”

During her first meal at the new animal shelter, Nellie was so hungry that she attempted to eat the metal food bowl, said Flynn. She also tested positive for heartworm.

Today, she continues to enjoy some hearty chowing down, plus plenty of dog biscuits lavished on her by the animal control staff. She sleeps on a big dog bed in the shelter office and wanders amiably around the grounds.

Besides Nellie, there are Sugar, Teiya and Dixie.

Sugar, a shepherd-lab puppy, was injured when the 11-year-old boy who owned her allegedly picked her up and threw her on the ground, breaking her elbow. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

Sugar is an energetic 4- to 5-month-old shepherd/lab mix puppy that had been living in a Clearlake home.

Her 11-year-old owner became frustrated with her one day, picked her up and threw her to the ground. The result was a broken front right elbow.

Sugar has had to have two surgeries, one to place a pin in the broken elbow and a second to replace the pin after it came out.

Officer Eric Wood said the puppy's energy has been working against her; even with the leg in a sling she's frenetic and trying to play with the other dogs, which hasn't been helping the healing process.

Then there's Teiya, a year-and-a-half-old female pit bull that had been staying with her owners, a mother and her adult son, at a Scotts Valley campground.

Teiya is looking for a new forever home after healing up from a broken leg, allegedly caused when her male owner severely beat her. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

Teiya, who appears to have had several litters of puppies in her short life, chewed up a tent, said Flynn.

That mistake cost her a severe beating. Her male owner allegedly beat her so badly that it broke her left hind leg.

Teiya's owners allegedly attempted to turn her in to Animal Care and Control in August, claiming that she didn't belong to them, that they found her after she was hit by a car.

Witnesses at the campground reported they saw the mother and son with the dog previously, Flynn said. Flynn herself became suspicious that the dog belonged to the two subjects.

The case, said Flynn, is still under investigation.

Teiya, meanwhile, had her leg placed in a cast at Wasson Memorial Veterinary Clinic, where she was monitored before returning to the shelter.

On Aug. 25 she underwent surgery to pin the bones in her broken leg, which wasn't healing properly. At the same time, she was spayed.

A month later, healed up and ready for a new home, she made an appearance at the Board of Supervisors' meeting as the pet of the week.

The affectionate pit bull is crate- and house-trained, has an outgoing personality, loves kids, cats and other dogs, and loves to play ball. A short video on the Animal Care and Control Web site, www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/DepartmentDirectory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm shows Teiya rolling around on the grass at the shelter, gently playing with a ball while her leg was still in a cast.

On a recent day at the shelter she was sharing a grassy kennel with another pit bull who fell on hard times, Dixie.

Dixie takes a spin around a grassy run on Friday, Sept. 26, 2008. Her right hindleg was amputated Tuesday because of longterm nerve damage. Photo by Elizabeth Larson.

Formerly called Whiskey by shelter staff, Dixie was taken from her Lucerne home by Officer Wood on June 27 after Animal Care and Control was alerted to her situation.

She had been hit by a semi truck and left to cry in pain in her owners' backyard for two days, suffering from a crushed pelvis and broken leg, as Lake County News reported this summer. She also incurred internal nerve damage and injuries to her bowel and urinary tracts.

The sweet-natured Dixie is about 9 months old and, shelter staff say, loves everyone. She has undergone several surgeries at Wasson Memorial Veterinary Clinic to repair nerve damage in her hindquarters.

Dixie arrived back at the shelter on Wednesday morning, and shelter staff say she already is up and moving around. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control.

On Tuesday, she had to have her right hind leg amputated after her nerves failed to heal. The leg was dragging on the ground and getting sores, which shelter staff said was making her prone to infection.

Dixie returned to the shelter Wednesday morning and is getting around fine, according to shelter staff.

She has a new, loving home – with a big yard and other dogs to play with – waiting for her out of the county once her cruelty case is settled.

Wood said Dixie's case is currently on the desk of a deputy district attorney who handles animal cruelty cases.

Another case due to go to the District Attorney's Office is that of Luke, an elderly German shepherd who Wood rescued from a Clearlake home this summer. Luke was euthanized in July after the veterinarian determined that rehabilitating the dog, who couldn't walk, was impossible due to his age and weight.

Besides the pain and suffering of the animals, abuse cases are cause for concern for authorities because animal abuse has been linked to domestic violence and child abuse, according to the American Humane Association.

The group cited a survey of pet-owning families where child abuse and neglect was present; in 88 percent of homes where children were physically abused there also was evidence of animal abuse.

Is there actually a spike in local abuse cases?

Paula Werner, the shelter's program manager, and Animal Care and Control Director Denise Johnson don't think that's the case.

Johnson agrees with Werner's surmise that the public is getting more involved in reporting the cases because they're seeing results from the work of Animal Care and Control officers. When the public sees the job getting done, Werner said, they're likelier to contact the the department about other issues.

For the abuse survivors, shelter staff hope all of the animals will find new homes where their lives will be filled with love and security, not pain and fear.

Nellie and Sugar need medical clearance first before they can go to new homes. Schramm said she's already had inquiries about Nellie, who gets along with other dogs, is house-trained and always very excited to see people.

The animals can be visited at the new animal shelter, located at 4949 Helbush, next to the Lake County Jail, telephone 263-0278.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

{mos_sb_discuss:2}

The target of the suit is developer Barry Johnson, who owns Will-O-Point Resort.

In April, Johnson filed a lawsuit against the city and Mayor Buzz Bruns, alleging that the city broke a contract with him when it sold the ground under the shopping center to developer Matt Riveras, who also is Bruns' son-in-law, as Lake County News has reported.

Riveras also is involved in a suit against Park National Bank, which is attempting to foreclose on the loan for the shopping center's building lease held by Meridian Investments. Meridian had partnered with Johnson's Superior Acquisitions in an attempt to buy the Vista Point property last year, as Lake County News has reported.

Meanwhile, Riveras is suing Meridian, alleging that the shopping center's condition merits termination of the ground lease which has about 20 years left on it.

Now, adding to the complex web of legal activity is a July cross complaint, filed by the city of Lakeport, which accuses Johnson of negligence in the operation of the Will-O-Point Resort.

The city's suit claims that Johnson's trailer park caused a backup which maxed out the sewer system, resulting in a release of treated wastewater in April of 2006.

That wastewater release ultimately caused the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board to hit the city with a cease and desist order; that order was accompanied by a hookup ban in January of 2007. The city spent millions of dollars in system upgrades to have the order lifted, as Lake County News has reported.

City Attorney Steve Brookes said the cross complaint is “skeletal” and is likely to be amended. But, basically, he said the city believes Johnson failed to cap certain sewer cleanouts which led to the system overflow.

“The allegation is real general in nature, but there were significant flows coming from that area,” he said.

The complaint seeks $300,000 from Johnson for the sewer issue, and also accuses him of breach of contract for failing to arbitrate claims regarding Will-O-Point.

A third cause in the complaint relates to $18,000 that the city says Johnson owes for sewer and water services at Will-O-Point.

A similar suit was filed by the city in 2003; that case, which alleged that Johnson owed $42,000, was dismissed without prejudice on Sept. 8 by Judge David Herrick, according to court documents.

Brian Carter, Johnson's attorney, said an Oct. 24 hearing will be held on a motion he filed Sept. 3 to have the case dismissed.

Regarding the other suits between Park National Bank and Riveras' company Donica, and Superior and the city, Carter said there has been “a fair amount of activity” recently, with all sides ordered to mediation on Oct. 3.

Brookes added that the mediation is meant to see if the numerous interests can reach a full or partial settlement without going through a lengthy court process. A visiting Sonoma County judge ordered the mediation, which is set to take place in Walnut Creek.

He said Park National Bank is pushing the mediation. “They're the ones owed a lot of money.”

The mediation could prove extremely important to the city, which is financially strapped this year.

Brookes said the city's insurance carrier has taken the position that its memorandum of coverage does not cover legal expenses for a lawsuit such as this one against the city and Bruns.

“They're essentially saying this is a contractual dispute,” he said, which is outside of the kinds of garden variety legal issues, such as employee-related accidents, that it usually covers.

That means that unless the suit is resolved in mediation, the city likely will have to hire outside counsel, said Brookes, who himself may be a potential witness in the case. Brookes said he had no idea what outside counsel might cost the city for this case.

He said the city also will cover the costs to defend Bruns, who is being sued in his official capacity as mayor. Although Bruns recused himself from discussions over the property sale, Johnson's suit alleges he used his influence to sell the city-owned property to his son-in-law, a claim Riveras told Lake County News in a previous interview was patently false.

Donica has since been granted leave not to attend the Oct. 3 mediation, said Carter.

From Carter's perspective, seeing Donica terminate the ground lease and become owner of the entire property free and clear of the lease “is alarming,” especially since he and his client believe the property is worth much more than the $1,001,000 Riveras paid for it.

There is a lot of discussion and discovery yet to take place in the case, said Brookes.

Brookes said Superior Acquisitions has not made any overtures to the city regarding a possible settlement.

He said both Superior and Donica appear focused on the shopping center. “They seem to both want what we sold.”

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

{mos_sb_discuss:3}

The Board of Supervisors, sitting as the Redevelopment Agency Board of Directors, made the decision at its Sept. 23 meeting.

County Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Cox, who also acts as the redevelopment agency's executive director, said the fire district requested $100,000 toward the purchase of a new truck, which will total more than $200,000. Cox added that the funds were included in the 2008-09 budget.

The Northshore was the site of the county's most serious summer, the Walker Fire, which burned 14,500 acres in wildlands east of Clearlake Oaks, as Lake County New has reported. Northshore Fire and other local agencies were the first on the scene, battling the fire for days until Cal Fire took over as lead agency on the incident.

The redevelopment agency encourages private investment in the Northshore Project Area, and protecting them is important to avoid future blight and blighting conditions. Cox said the fire district provides such protection.

He recommended that the board make three findings: that Northshore Fire Protection District's purchase of a fire engine will benefit the Northshore Project Area; there is no other reasonable means of financing the purchase of the truck; and that the vehicle will eliminate or assist in eliminating blight or a blighting condition.

County staff researched the use of redevelopment funds for fire equipment and found it's an appropriate use of the money. Cox added that other redevelopment agencies have used funds for that purpose as well.

District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing emphasized the importance of the agreement. “The fire district really needs this vehicle,” she said, explaining that they have an older truck that needs to be retired. The truck also will be used outside of the redevelopment area.

She added that redevelopment needs to help with the basic needs of the project area, and fire protection is one of those.

Cox said the district has lost “a significant amount” of property tax increment – well over $100,000, in his estimation – as a result of the redevelopment agency's formation. The agency now receives that money that previously went to the district.

Supervisor Anthony Farrington said he agreed with providing the funding in concept. However, he questioned the proposed findings, particularly that the fire district lacks another source of funding and that the truck would help address blight.

Cox said he reviewed the district's finances and believes they don't have any alternatives. Farrington asked if they had challenges other district's don't have.

“Their budget is very, very tight,” Cox replied.

Supervisor Rob Brown pointed out that Indian gaming funds, which were being given to agencies for uses such as purchasing fire trucks, have been taken away by the state as a funding source. He added that Northshore Fire has more stations that other districts, and in some instances has much older equipment.

Farrington questioned how the truck would address blight. Cox said it would protect against blighted conditions, such as having burned buildings in the community.

Brown suggested another protection it could offer. “We're concerned around the entire lake about wildfire and the potential for that,” he said. With another piece of equipment, the district could hopefully conduct more controlled burns.

Rushing pointed out that the threat of wildfire along the Northshore area is significant; it also has numerous older structures susceptible to fire. The district's ability to respond to fire is dependent on its equipment.

Farrington asked if the district was looking at purchasing a new truck, and suggested they look for a used one, as Lakeport Fire Protection recently did, in order to make the tax dollars stretch farther.

“I think that they are very frugal in the management of their funds,” said Cox, adding that if they can get a truck that costs less, he trusts they will.

Lakeport resident Patricia Jonas Voulgaris chided the board – especially Farrington – over the discussion.

“You're dealing with peoples' lives, so you need to have the right equipment,” she said, with her remarks getting applause from audience members.

Rushing moved that the board enter into the agreement with Northshore Fire to purchase the truck, which was approved in a 5-0 vote.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

{mos_sb_discuss:3}

During an hour-long discussion Jim Scholz and Robert Riggs proposed the idea to the council.

Riggs gave a detailed presentation on three options – a community redevelopment commission, a project area committee and a nonstatutory advisory committee on redevelopment.

He said the Vision Task Force Steering Committee meets monthly to discuss the city's issues and the vision for improving the city, and members have come to understand that redevelopment is a primary challenge.

Because the city didn't follow redevelopment rules for housing, it was sued by Clearlake Housing Now, Riggs explained. The case was settled in 1999, and is still the source of a dispute over whether the settlement was properly carried out.

A redevelopment commission would give citizens a sense of involvement and could also assist in keeping redevelopment on track, said Riggs. It also could offer continuity when city staff changes; there have been fairly dramatic personnel changes in recent years, he added.

The first option, said Riggs, is a community redevelopment commission, which is authorized under state law and would need to be created by the council. It would have seven members, who could not acquire interest in property within the project area. The downside of such a group would be its requirement of city staff time and commitment of resources.

A project area committee, the second option Riggs presented, also is established by state statute, and would consist of representatives of interest groups – residential owners and occupants, business owners and organizations like the Chamber of Commerce – from within the project area, which is almost the entire city. The group would need to maintain an office and have meetings governed by the Brown Act.

Riggs said a project area committee appears to not be applicable to Clearlake, because it's redevelopment plan doesn't use eminent domain.

The third option is the informal, nonstatutory redevelopment advisory committee, which doesn't need formal members or terms of office, and can easily be disbanded, said Riggs. However, its lack of a defined role may keep members from accomplishing much.

Riggs said the Vision Task Force Steering Committee also had considered proposing the city Planning Commission or the steering committee monitor redevelopment. However, he said the Planning Commission already has a lot to do, and the steering committee is focused on the Vision Task Force.

Some kind of extra attention is in order, said Riggs. "We think that the future of redevelopment is closely tied with the future of the city," and he suggested that getting citizens involved can help.

Council member Judy Thein said she was impressed by Riggs' presentation. "I'm really glad to see citizens get involved."

She asked how the citizens group would develop its knowledge of the topic. Riggs said they would need to educate themselves.

Councilman Roy Simons said such committees as Riggs was proposing are common in cities around the state; those that don't have them falter in their redevelopment purpose, which is what has happened in Clearlake, he said.

Simons said some action has to be taken quickly, because the redevelopment implementation plan only has two years left.

"We need this committee," Simons said.

Mayor Curt Giambruno asked Simons if such a committee had been formed earlier in the life of the redevelopment agency. Simons said he served on such a group for a year, but it eventually disappeared because people were afraid taxes would go up. "We could never quite get through to them."

City Administrator Dale Neiman said there are problems with a citizens redevelopment commission in his view. He said there are actually very few of them in the state, and that they're usually formed when a redevelopment agency has a housing authority.

Riggs said Neiman was confusing the proposal of a community redevelopment commission with a community development commission.

Simons asked Neiman if he agreed that one of the city's problems has been that it hasn't been educated on redevelopment.

Neiman said he believed that former city staff didn't have experience in redevelopment, and hiring qualified people is key to staying out of trouble in such matters.

Giambruno said it would take some time to digest all of the information Riggs presented, and he suggested a decision on whether or not to form a group should wait until the beginning of next year "because you might have a different council." Simons reiterated his belief that time was of the essence due to the two years remaining in the plan.

Vice Mayor Chuck Leonard said he thought such a committee could be of help, but he said it might be challenged by not having access to information about redevelopment issues discussed by the council in closed sessions.

Simons suggested that a committee couldn't do more damage to redevelopment than the city already has done.

The council reached consensus to bring the topic back for discussion after further study.

Council looks at PEG policies, approves rate increases

Neiman took to the council a discussion on policies for PEG TV Channel 8 relating to televising candidates forums.

He asked City Attorney Malathy Subramanian to look at station policies to determine if things are being done appropriately. This past week he exchanged e-mails with county Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Cox, and Neiman found out there already is a policy document adopted by the PEG Committee. However, he couldn't find a record of the City Council ever adopting the document.

Neiman said he wants Subramanian and County Counsel Anita Grant to review the policies to ensure they're adhering to state and federal law.

Subramanian said there "are very limited things" that cannot be shown on the PEG Channel, such as commercials and obscenity. Currently, they're requiring indemnification agreements from individuals submitting programs for broadcast in case there is a lawsuit over content.

Showing candidates forums, as long as they are fair and impartial, is allowed under current law, but Subramanian said the Fair Political Practices Commission may create stricter guidelines for the kinds of information public agencies can provide in such broadcasts.

Community resident Dante DeAmicis said public access is entirely based on public forum law, and said that should have been included in Subramanian's analysis.

He added that no franchisee has ever been successfully sued due to content submitted by a community member. "You're greatly, greatly exaggerating any risk to the city."

A public forum such as PEG belongs to residents and isn't discretionary, DeAmicis said the city can't just decide to get rid of it.

Giambruno asked Subramanian about public forum law. She said it's a complicated issue that is far from settled, and relates mostly to public places that are considered public forums.

"The city can't spend money in support of a political purpose," said Subramanian, suggesting the city may want to have another entity manage the channel in order to alleviate financial and liability concerns.

Council members agreed to err on the side of caution and have Subramanian and Grant review the station's existing policies. Subramanian said they should be able to go through the lengthy document within a week.

In other business, the council approved a 3.1-percent rate adjustment for Clearlake Waste Solutions, which was seeking an increase to deal with higher gas prices. The company initially had asked for a 9.67-percent increase. The company also has agreed to make a donation to sweep the streets in the fall.

They also adopted abatement of public nuisances at 13351 Country Club Drive and 3806 Pearl Ave.

With the state now having adopted a budget, the city will begin holding its own budget workshops. The council tentatively agreed to hold hearings on Oct. 9 and Oct. 10, but will confirm those dates with Simons, who left the meeting early, and Council member Joyce Overton, who was absent to attend a conference.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

{mos_sb_discuss:3}

Even with the those changes, the center isn't out of the woods yet, and could be facing thousands of dollars in fines if the state decides the facility needs a permit to operate.

The center, located on Golf Avenue, is run by the Lake County Community Action Agency. The agency's executive director, Georgina Lehne, said the center was cited on Tuesday by Terri Jensen, a complaint specialist with the state Department of Social Services' Community Care Licensing Division's Child Care Program, based in Rohnert Park.

Shirley Washington, a spokesperson for the state Department of Social Services, told Lake County News on Friday that the center was cited for operating its after school program without a license.

The center has served children ages 7 through 17, said Lehne.

However, Washington said the children at the center weren't free to come and go as they are supposed to be in a “drop in” center, which doesn't require a license. The facility's operation therefore needed to be licensed as a day care facility.

A plan of correction the Department of Social Services issued called for the center to cease operations immediately or be subjected to a $200-per-day penalty, said Washington.

Lehne said the center was effectively shut down on Tuesday after Jensen filed her report.

The licensing became an issue for the Clearlake center in the wake of a complaint made against the

Parents and Community for Kids (PACK) Community Arts Academy in Middletown, said PACK's director and instructor, Jamie Bracisco.

The academy, which has been running a dance and drama program for about two years, has been preparing to open its youth center on Bush Street in October in partnership with the Lake County Community Action Agency, Bracisco explained.

Bracisco said someone filed a complaint against the center, accusing it of running a day care and after school program without a permit.

Jensen showed up to inspect the facility on Sept. 17, said Bracisco. “We weren't fined or penalized because there was no founding for the claim because we weren't open.”

However, that led to Jensen asking questions about the partner center in Clearlake. “I feel bad it started down here,” said Bracisco.

She added that the PACK center's opening is now on hold until the issues for Clearlake are resolved.

On Wednesday, Lehne sent Jensen a response to her report, along with the handbook, policies and procedures used for the youth center.

She followed that up on Thursday with a letter to Jensen, requesting a license exemption for the youth center.

In order to meet the state's criteria, Lehne said the center must now only serve children ages 10 to 16, and rather than being open five days a week from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., it must reduce its hours to no more than 16.5 per week. The center's new hours will be Monday through Thursday, 2:45 p.m. to 6 p.m., and on Friday from 2:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

The center will no longer be able to serve 33 children under the age of 10, Lehne said, but arrangements have been made for them to participate in after school programs through the Konocti Unified School District. She added that efforts have been made to contact all of the parents.

Lehne said she's now waiting to see whether or not the exemption will be granted, and is doing her best to comply with all of the state's rules. “I feel this is very important to the community,” she said. “It's really a safe place for these kids to go.”

A copy of Lehne's exemption request letter also was sent to Clearlake City Council members.

“Unfortunately, in the earnest endeavor to create a youth center to help safeguard our youth, an essential element was overlooked,” Said Council member Judy Thein. I hope that the Lake County Community Action Agency and the state can coordinate a favorable resolution to this situation, as the youth center can make a big difference in young people, giving them options beyond partying, drinking and other risk factors.”

A solution appears to be under consideration.

Washington said the Department of Social Services is considering Lehne's Thursday letter as a formal appeal.

A department supervisor will review the appeal within 30 days, Washington said. If they determine the center isn't exempt from licensing, they'll face a $200-per-day civil penalty, which could amount to $6,000 for the 30-day review period.

If the appeal is denied, Lehne added that the center could face a 60- to 90-day licensing process and a temporary shutdown, which would leave many children without a place to go after school.

Lehne said the center will reopen on Monday and continue to operate as a drop-in center, with the new age and hour requirements in place.

She said all youth will be registered and expected to pay a $10 per month fee, but those who can't afford it won't be turned away.

Children ages 10 through 16 who come to the center will still have someone to help them with their homework, as well as opportunities to do crafts, play sports and enjoy snacks, said Lehne.

Because the center is now on the state's radar screen, she said she expects officials will pay another visit to inspect the facility.

When the issues with the drop-in center are settled, Lehne said she expects to have some more alternatives for older children who no longer can access the center.

Lake County Community Action Agency also is moving forward with its plans to work with PACK and a planned youth drop-in center in Clearlake Oaks, Lehne said.

Lehne said keeping the center available is about what's in the best interests of the community's children.

“The key thing to me is, we will resolve this issue,” she said. “This center is here to stay.”

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

{mos_sb_discuss:2}

Pictured from left to right: Marc Hill, Lake County Fire Protection District instructor candidate in October for the Lake County Child Passenger Safety Program; Tammy Alakszay, Lake County Office of Education instructor for the Lake County Child Passenger Safety Program; Sarah Egger, mother of 6-year-old Audrey who was properly restrained during a fatal collision on Highway 29 just north of Highland Springs (also pictured is Egger's daughter, Rhee, 8); and Tom Jordan of First Five Lake County, the original applicant of the Office of Traffic Safety Grant. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

LAKE COUNTY – Keeping children safe is important year-round, but over the past week local efforts to increase safety for children have taken on special significance as part of National Child Passenger Safety Week.

On Sept. 20 officials recognized Hidden Valley Lake resident Sarah Egger, whose 6-year-old daughter, Audrey, was properly restrained when they were hit head-on by a driver in a May collision on Highway 29 just north of Highland Springs. A passenger in the other car died.

Egger and her daughter were safe thanks to following safety precautions, said Tammy Alakszay, Lake County Office of Education instructor for the Lake County Child Passenger Safety Program.

The award Egger received is the third given to a family to acknowledge their safety efforts, said Alakszay.

Efforts to keep children safe in vehicles also were recognized on Tuesday, when the Board of Supervisors awarded a proclamation to the Lake County Child Passenger Safety Program.

Alakszay said Lake County First Five received a grant three years ago for child passenger safety and bicycle helmets.

The grant, said Alakszay, aims “to make all Lake County children safer.”

At the time the grant was received, the county only had two child passenger safety technicians, one of which was retiring. However, in February 2006, 11 new technicians were certified following the completion of a four-day training.

Since then, 10 of the original 11 have re-certified and continue to educate and properly install car safety restraints for children, Alakszay said.

At the start of 2008, a second technician’s class was held and today Lake County has 22 certified child passenger safety technicians and one instructor, she said. Both Redbud Community Hospital and Sutter Lakeside Hospital also have car seat technicians.

Alakszay said in the past three years more than 16 safety seat checkup events, numerous classes and school presentations have occurred.

The rule of thumb has been that children need to be 6 years old or 60 pounds to start riding without a car seat. But Alakszay stresses that even older children need to be put through a five-point test to discover the safest way for them to ride.

Older children who are smaller – Alakszay uses her own child as an example – may still need to use child safety seats.

Correct use is key. She said that, on average, 98 percent of all restraints have some type of misuse.

Alakszay said the three-year grant is running out the end of September. They recently purchased their last round of replacement safety seats.

First Five Lake County will fund one additional technician’s class in October to certify 10 technicians and two instructors, she said.

Part of the grant's goal was to establish child car seat “fitting stations” in communities around the county, said Alakszay.

With the grant about to end, Alakszay said the goal is to sustain the child safety seat service via staffing these fitting stations, and encouraging parents and caregivers to make sure their children are properly restrained.

Alakszay said the program is always looking for grants, but they were recently turned down for one grant and haven't yet found any to continue the program's full range of services. She said if they could find more funding they want to do more educational programs at local schools.

The fitting stations, which will continue offering services, can be found at the following locations:

• Clearlake: Lake County Fire Protection District Station, Olympic Drive; telephone 994-2170.

• Kelseyville: California Highway Patrol, Highway 29 and Live Oak Drive; telephone 279-0103.

• Middletown: South Lake County Fire Protection District Station, Highway 175; telephone 987-3089, Extension 1.

• Upper Lake: Northshore Fire Protection District Station, Main Street; telephone 275-2446.

More information also is available through the Lake County Child Passenger Safety Information Line: 262-4155.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

{mos_sb_discuss:2}