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LAKEPORT – Downtown Lakeport got a little spooky Friday afternoon as local students participated in an annual Halloween parade along Main Street.
The Lakeport Elementary Halloween Parade included hundreds of children from several grades and classrooms, as well as members of the Clear Lake High School Band. Some children not yet in school also came along for the fun.
Costumes included everything from witches and monsters to soldiers and super heroes.
The students marched from the north end of town down Main Street from Natural High School and turned around at First Street. There was cool weather but no rain to foil the fun.
E-mail Harold LaBonte at
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Lake County's contributions to congressional and presidential races this year total $99,150, up slightly from the $94,340 donated in 2004 and more than double the $41,182 in contributions to federal races in 2000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org, as Lake County News has reported.
In the presidential race alone, Lake County residents have so far contributed approximately $28,200, based on fundraising records.
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has received the most local contributions, totaling $7,750, compared to Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) $3,450.
Other presidential candidates receiving local contributions included Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), $6,400; former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC); $3,550; former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass), $3,300; Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), $1,900; Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO), $1,000; Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), $600; and former Congressman Bob Barr (Libertarian-Georgia), $250.
Perhaps the most interesting federal election story is the strength of Congressman Mike Thompson's fundraising efforts.
Thompson, who the Center for Responsive Politics lists among the top 10 best members of the House of Representatives when it comes to reporting his finances – he has a 100-percent rating – has raised $1,782,280 in the 2008 election cycle so far, up about $40,000 over his 2006 earnings. That places him fifth among the 53 members of California's congressional delegation in terms of fundraising since the start of 2007.
In Lake County alone he has raised $19,959, almost twice the amount McCain and Obama have raised, combined.
So far Thompson has spent $1,192,729 in his bid for reelection, the center reported.
His opponents this year include Green Party candidate and Mendocino County resident Carol Wolman, who ran against Thompson in 2006 as an independent write-in candidate. Wolman has reported $5,490 in contributions and $5,317 in expenditures.
Thompson also has a third opponent, Zane Starkewolf of Davis, who calls himself a “Green Republican.”
As of the last reporting deadline, Oct. 15, Starkewolf has submitted no financial reports, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
However, Starkewolf must have some funding coming in, because he has been using robocalls to get out his message.
The calls, which went out this past weekend, were believed by some First District residents to be obscene phone calls at first, with a woman using a suggestive tone of voice to tell voters, “Mike Thompson has been a bad boy ...”
Starkewolf has taken responsibility for the calls which may have violated campaign law by now having a live person introduce them. However, that didn't stop him from sending out another round of the same calls the day after the first. The calls also have garnered Starkewolf national attention.
Laurel Brown, Thompson's spokeswoman, said the calls were a “sophomoric and tasteless prank.”
“As our nation deals with a financial crisis and two ongoing wars, it's incredible that someone would waste voters' time with this drivel,” she said in a written statement.
Local Republican groups show fundraising power
When it comes to groups that have fundraising muscle, the Republican Party has proved to be particularly effective locally, with various party-affiliated groups reporting contributions totaling approximately $25,348.
The Lake County Central Committee has raised $16,258 since the beginning of 2007, with the Lake Elephants raising another $6,500.
The Republican National Committee brought in $830; the New Republican Majority Fund, Sen. Trent Lott's (R-MS) political action committee, reported contributions of $700; the Republican Party of Yolo County received $560; and the National Republican Congressional Committee reported $500.
The largest donor from a local individual was an August 2007 donation in the amount of $3,000 from Supervisor Rob Brown to the Lake County Republican Central Committee.
While candidates associated with the Democratic Party did well overall, groups and political action committees fell far short of the funds raised by their Republican counterparts.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee reported $2,750 and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee received $500.
The Solidarity PAC for Bay Area Congressman George Miller, a Democrat, raised $5,000 in Lake County. That amount, incidentally, came from one donor, the Scotts Valley Band of Pomos, who had the largest single group contribution for the election cycle, given this past May. The tribe has a proposal to build a casino in Richmond, which is in Miller's Seventh Congressional District.
In the state Assembly race, former state Sen. Wes Chesbro is seeking to succeed Patty Berg in the Assembly. Berg is being termed out at the end of this year.
Chesbro has raised $243,530.95 since the start of January, and spent $369,249.40, according to the California Secretary of State's Office. He had more than $165,000 that he carried over from previous fundraising.
The Secretary of State's Office did not have contribution records for Chesbro's opponent, Republican James J. Pell of Eureka.
Below is a breakdown, by community, of presidential and federal election contributions for the 2008 election cycle, with total amounts raised for election years 2000, 2004 and 2008 listed by the community name.
Clearlake (2008, $7,895; 2004, $6,914; 2000, $1,240)
Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), $2,220
Sen. Hillary Clinton, $1,500
Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO), $1,000
New Republican Majority Fund, $700
Congressman Mike Thompson, $500
American College of Surgeons Professional Association, $500
Dr. Deborah Travis Honeycutt (R-GA), candidate for US Congress, $500
Congressman Dennis Kucinich, $350
Sen. Barack Obama, $250
Bob Barr Leadership Fund, $250
Clearlake Oaks (2008, $10,200; 2004, $3,175; 2000, $1,300)
Sen. Hillary Clinton, $3,500
Lake County Republican Central Committee, $3,500
Lake Elephants, $2,000
Congressman Mike Thompson, $700
Republican National Committee, $500
Clearlake Park (2008, $0; 2004, $1,500; 2000, $1,000)
No contributions reported.
Cobb (2008, $650; 2004, $722; 2000, $625)
Sen. Barack Obama, $450
Sen. John McCain, $200
Finley (2008, $750; 2004, $450; 2000, $0)
Congressman Mike Thompson, $750
Glenhaven (2008, $950; 2004, $500; 2000, $0)
Sen. Barack Obama, $750
Sen. Barbara Boxer, $200
Kelseyville (2008, $24,249; 2004, $20,114; 2000, $16,393)
Congressman Mike Thompson, $8,444
Lake County Republican Central Committee, $5,625
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, $2,500
Lake Elephants, $2,000
Congressman Ron Paul, $1,200
Sen. Barack Obama, $1,050
Safari Club International (protects hunting freedoms, advocates wildlife conservation worldwide), $1,000
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, $500
Sen. John McCain, $450
Republican National Committee, $330
Lakeport (2008, $33,268; 2004, $30,020; 2000, $11,750)
Lake County Republican Central Committee, $6,633
Solidarity PAC (PAC for Bay Area Congressman George Miller), $5,000
Congressman Mike Thompson, $3,987
Gov. Mitt Romney, $3,300
Lake Elephants, $2,000
National Community Pharmacists Association, $2,000
Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR), $1,400
Sen. Hillary Clinton, $1,150
California Association of Realtors, $1,052
Loch Lomond/Middletown (2008, $4,880; 2004, $7,509; 2000, $3,524)
Congressman Mike Thompson, $3,070
Sen. Barack Obama, $1,000
Republican Party of Yolo County, $560
Congressman Dennis Kucinich, $250
Lower Lake (2008, $8,600; 2004, $5,990; 2000, $750)
Sen. Barack Obama, $3,300
Sen. John Edwards, $2,550
Congressman Mike Thompson, $1,250
Congressman Ron Paul, $500
National Republican Congressional Committee, $500
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, $250
Sen. Hillary Clinton, $250
Lucerne (2008, $5,335; 2004, $1,750; 2000, $4,400)
Sen. John McCain, $2,300
Sen. John Edwards, $1,000
Congressman Mike Thompson, $535
American Nursery and Landscape Association, $500
Lake Elephants, $500
Lake County Republican Central Committee, $500
Nice (2008, $1,773; 2004, $11,951; 2000, $0)
Sen. Barack Obama, $750
Congressman Mike Thompson, $523
Sen. John McCain, $500
Upper Lake (2008, $600; 2004, $3,745; 2000, $1,200)
Sen. Barack Obama, $200
Congressman Ron Paul, $200
Congressman Mike Thompson, $200
For more on campaign finance, as well as breakdowns of local contributors and statistics, visit www.opensecrets.org and click on the “Get Local” tab on the lefthand menu, which offers zip code details.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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LAKEPORT – After four years in hiding to arrest prosecution, a former Lakeport resident has been arrested on charges that he allegedly sexually assaulted two girls.
Dustin Graham Powell, 26, was arrested Thursday in Lane County, Ore., in connection with the 2004 case, according to Lt. Brad Rasmussen of the Lakeport Police Department.
Rasmussen reported that in 2004 police first investigated the case of two female juveniles who had been sexually assaulted, allegedly by Powell, with whom police had other previous contacts, though not for this type of offense.
The girls, ages 13 and 15 at the time of the assault, are cousins, said Rasmussen. Powell was an acquaintance of the girls' families, which is how he was able to get close to them.
Following a complete investigation of the incident, the Lake County District Attorney's Office filed felony sexual assault charges against Powell and an arrest warrant was issued in the amount of $20,000, said Rasmussen.
The charges filed against Powell included one count of unlawful or lewd acts with a minor child under the age of 14, two counts of rape by intoxication or a controlled substance, and one count of penetration when the victim is under 16 years of age and the perpetrator is over the age of 21.
Based on the facts of the case, Rasmussen said Lakeport Police considers it particularly egregious.
“This is a case where he specifically took advantage and preyed on the two girls,” Rasmussen said.
Before investigators could arrest Powell, he is believed to have fled Lake County to Oregon, where he's been hiding out to avoid prosecution ever since, according to Rasmussen.
Rasmussen said Lakeport Police investigators have worked with law enforcement agencies in Oregon in an effort to locate Powell.
The Oregon State Police arrested Powell without incident on Thursday after receiving information on his whereabouts.
Because of his previous effort to escape prosecution, Lakeport Police investigators believed the original bail of $20,000 was not sufficient to secure his appearance, said Rasmussen.
As a result, on Friday Rasmussen said Det. Norm Taylor presented a Lake County Superior Court Judge with an application for increased bail and Powell’s bail was ordered increased to $250,000.
Powell is being held in the Lane County Oregon Correctional Facility pending extradition
to Lake County. Rasmussen said Lakeport Police is waiting to hear about when he will be brought back to Lake County, and hope to have more information on Monday.
Rasmussen said that, before Powell is brought back, he must make a court appearance in Oregon and be informed of his rights relating to extradition to California.
“If he makes an effort to fight extradition it could hold it up for a while,” Rasmussen said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November, when clocks are turned back one hour. That extra hour will give people a little more daylight as the days continue to shorten into the winter months.
On the second Sunday in March at 2 a.m. Daylight Saving Time will begin, with clocks moving forward once more.
Beginning in 2007, Daylight Saving Time was extended by one month as a result of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, according to the California Energy Commission.
States and US territories including Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and most of Arizona – except the Navajo Indian Reservation – don't observe Daylight Saving Time, the California Energy Commission reported.
California's Legislature sent a joint resolution to the White House and Congress in May of 2001 to ask that Daylight Saving Time be extended year-round due to the state's energy crisis, the commission reported. However, the events of Sept. 11, 2001, led to no action being taken on the request, which has not been renewed by state leaders.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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