LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – State and local firefighters were able to stop a wildland fire burning near the Cache Creek Dam on Monday afternoon.

The fire was first reported around 1 p.m. when the Mount Konocti Lookout reported seeing a quickly building column of gray smoke in the direction of the city of Clearlake.

Firefighters initially were unable to locate the source of the smoke. However, they soon tracked it down Dam Road and found it on private property near the Cache Creek Dam, according to Lake County Fire Chief Willie Sapeta.

When firefighters first arrived on scene, it was estimated to be about three acres, with a slow to moderate rate of spread in heavy fuel, based on radio reports.

A total of seven engines from Lake County Fire and Cal Fire responded, along with two water tenders, a dozer, air attack and three company officers, Sapeta said. Copter 104 from Boggs Mountain Helitack also worked the fire.

Radio reports stated there were some high voltage power lines on fire, but no dropped lines. The lines later were deenergized.

The fire burned in the scars of the 2015 Rocky and 2016 Clayton fires and an afternoon west wind was pushing it, according to reports from the scene.

At the scene, Sapeta asked that Yolo County Flood Control & Water Conservation District, which owns and operates the dam, be contacted and respond.

Forward progress was reported stopped at 2:25 p.m. At that point it was 5-percent contained.

Sapeta said the burn size was about 5 acres at the time he left. A later radio report at around 7 p.m. gave a size estimate of nine acres.

Sapeta said there was no harm to structures or firefighters, and the cause and origin remain under investigation.

Also on Monday, at about 3 p.m., firefighters responded to a structure fire in the 1400 block of Big Valley Road, where firefighters found smoke coming from the garage.

Radio reports stated that propane tanks were involved and high voltage lines were down briefly. Law enforcement was requested to come and close the road briefly while firefighters were at work.

The fire was knocked down quickly, with incident command reported to be clearing the scene shortly after 5 p.m.

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.

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, July 9, to provide information and to seek input on the proposed Walker Ridge Wind Energy Project in Lake and Colusa counties.

The open house meeting will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Moose Lodge, 15900 State Highway 20, Clearlake Oaks.

The 30-day public comment period for Walker Ridge wind energy project will end July 24.

The BLM will accept written public comments during the open-house meeting. Public input will help the BLM determine the size and scope of analysis needed, additional issues to study and a range of alternatives.

Colusa Wind LLC is requesting a right-of-way grant to build a Type III wind energy project and erect up to 42 wind turbines on approximately 2,270 acres of BLM-managed public land along Walker Ridge, within the Indian Valley Management Area.

The proponent is also requesting to widen Walker Ridge Road, construct a substation and overhead transmission line, and bury a collection line and tie-in to the existing Pacific Gas and Electric transmission line.

The BLM intends to prepare an environmental impact statement and a potential amendment to the 2006 Ukiah Resource Management Plan.

The 2006 Ukiah Resource Management Plan identified the Indian Valley Management Area as suitable for wind development.

Please submit written comments by the July 24 deadline. Written comments may be submitted at the public meeting, through the project Website at https://go.usa.gov/xmtGu , via hand-delivery, or by mail to the Ukiah Field Office, Attn: Walker Ridge Wind Energy Project, 2550 N. State Street, Suite 2, Ukiah, CA 95482.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate throughout the nation. Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $96 billion in sales of goods and services throughout the American economy in fiscal year 2017. These activities supported more than 468,000 jobs.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council has unanimously approved the new fiscal year budget, which carries with it a small deficit and seeks to finish major capital projects.

Finance Director Nick Walker presented the final recommended budget to the council last Tuesday night.

The budget presentation begins at the 19-minute mark in the video above. The budget report begins on page 43 of the agenda packet below.

The document places strong focus on public safety, roads, human capital, project execution, cost control and economic development.

The new fiscal year budget has $12.7 million in revenue and $16.3 million in expenditures.

Walker said the differences in those two numbers are reconciled by looking at items including $2.5 million in storm repair projects, for which the city already has received advance funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and insurance in prior years. Larger projects will be in line for reimbursement, such as the Library Park seawall.

The $16.3 million in expenditures breaks down as $5.6 million for personnel, $4.1 million for operations (materials, supplies, professional services), $1.6 million in debt service and $5 million in capital improvement projects, Walker said.

Going into the new fiscal year, Walker said there is a net change of half a full-time position, which is for the proposed assistant city manager’s job, which will only last half the year. City Manager Margaret Silveira said that position will be brought back in the year for approval.

Walker said the general fund is structurally balanced, with a $131,000 estimated deficit.

There are several projects to be carried over, including a public safety camera system, an SB1 project to upgrade Second Street, cement grinding for processing recycled asphalt and top-dressing Westside Community Park.

He said there are $1 million worth of one-time expenditures on capital projects in the general fund.

For the 2018-19 fiscal year, he said the city has an estimated $115,000 budget surplus, primarily from open positions, operational savings and unfinished projects. Overall, he said costs are up for personnel, pensions and health care.

He said the city’s water enterprise fund remains moderately stable, thanks to prior rate restructuring, with a small operating deficit of $26,000 that he said was partially due to pension costs.

The sewer enterprise fund is in a stable position, which Walker also attributed to rate increases.

Walker said the city receives $668,000 of the property taxes collected in the city, or about 14 percent of the entire assessment. The city gets a much larger piece of sales tax, $3.3 million, or 28.5 percent of the $11.8 million collected.

He said the only change made to the budget since the presentation he made to the council at its first meeting in June was that the Measure Z sales tax will cover costs for upgrading benches, trash receptacles and bike racks in Library Park and downtown.

Councilman George Spurr asked if there are plans for placing money back in reserve accounts that are being used to cover the deficit.

Silveira said they have to look at their reserves to make sure they are not too high, noting the city had put money into reserves last year.

Walker said the state says a 25 percent reserve is healthy; the city is at 60 percent.

Parlet moved to adopt the budget, which the council approved 4-0. Councilwoman Mireya Turner was absent for the meeting.

The council went on to unanimously approve the city’s $12,842,004 appropriations – or Gann – limit for Fiscal Year 2019-20.

The council also received a report on the Lakeport Dam Emergency Action Plan; approved the purchase of a $40,000 80-kilowatt generator for the Lakeport Boulevard lift station; approved a resolution rescinding Resolution No. 2431 (2011) and designating the locations of two-hour limited parking zones in the city; and approved a list of properties with nuisance weeds and vegetation and directed staff to utilize the administrative citation procedures to abate the vegetation.

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.

061819 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – A Hidden Valley Lake man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after he crashed his motorcycle into a car this weekend.

Josiah Fleenor, 22, suffered major injuries in the wreck, which occurred at 8:30 p.m. Saturday in Hidden Valley Lake, according to the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office.

The CHP said Fleenor was driving a 2019 Kawasaki motorcycle northbound on Mountain Meadow just north of Gold Flat Court.

Due to Fleenor's level of intoxication, he allowed the Kawasaki to drift off the right side of the roadway and subsequently crashed into a parked vehicle, the CHP said.

The CHP said Fleenor – who was not using his safety equipment – was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial via air ambulance for treatment of his injuries.

Alcohol was determined to be a factor in this collision, and the CHP said he was arrested for DUI.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it has updated the language it will use in notifying the community about evacuations and sheltering in case of wildland fires and other disasters.

Over the last few years, Lake County and many other jurisdictions have issued evacuation notices and warning to communities as a result of various emergencies.

The terminology used during these situations varied between agencies and jurisdictions, which resulted in confusion on occasion, according to Lt. Corey Paulich.

On March 4, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services convened a working group which has recommended a set of standardized terms for use in evacuation or shelter in place situations, Paulich said.

As the state enters what is anticipated to be another busy fire season, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Emergency Services will use the following standardized recommended terminology in our messaging.

The terminology is as follows:

Evacuation order: This terminology will be used when there is an immediate threat to life. This order is given pursuant to Penal Code Section 409.5, and is lawfully enforceable. When this terminology is used, you are legally required to leave the affected area and your life is in danger.

Evacuation warning: This terminology is used when there is a potential threat to life and/or property. Upon receipt of this notification, those with a need for additional time to evacuate are encouraged to do so. This is also the time for making last minute preparations to evacuate the area in the event an evacuation order is given.

Shelter in place: This terminology will be used in situations where evacuation is not needed. A shelter in place message may include direction for people to go indoors, shut and lock their doors and windows, and to prepare to self-sustain until further notice and/or contacted by emergency personnel for additional direction.

Paulich said use of this standardized terminology will result in understanding between various responding agencies and jurisdictions during mutual aid calls, and will result in consistent messaging for our communities.

As the community proceeds into what has all the appearances of being another busy fire season, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Emergency Services encourage all residents to evaluate their readiness. Being prepared in advance will help us help you during a disaster.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Mendocino National Forest officials reported that fire activity has slowed on the East fire as it continues to spread south toward the Middle Eel River in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness.

The fire is 405 acres and 20-percent contained, the forest reported on Monday.

To the southeast, lies the Haynes fire, which is 23 acres, 100-percent contained and in monitor status.

The fires are 23 miles northeast of Covelo in Trinity County.

Officials said every wildland fire receives a management response and decision on how to deal with it.

The East and the Haynes fires – while only one mile apart – are being managed under two different strategies.

The fires were first reported by the Anthony Peak Lookout June 17. The forest fire staff flew over the fires on June 18 and evaluated the likely growth over time, firefighter safety and potential areas of concern.

They discovered the East fire situated between Buck Ridge and Wrights Ridge on the top of East Ridge.

Officials felt the location and the ridges provided an opportunity where firefighters could confine the fire and allow it to burn as naturally as possible in the wilderness.

On the other hand, the Haynes fire was located deeper downslope on Wrights Ridge, exposure and risk would have increased for firefighters and it would have taken a considerable amount of time and resources to manage it under a confinement strategy.

Due to these factors – firefighter safety, location, access and potential fire growth – officials decided that the best course of action was to suppress the Haynes fire as small as possible and confine the East fire within a designated 1,200-acre area to remove hazardous fuels and improve forest health.

There is a cooling trend expected early this week which will continue to slow fire activity. The forecast for Monday shows temperatures from 67 to 71 degrees and light northwest winds 5 to 8 miles per hour.

There are approximately 100 personnel working on the fires. Some of these resources will be released from the incident Monday and Tuesday due to the reduced fire activity.

Wilderness hikers are asked to avoid travel near Buck Ridge and Wrights Ridge.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – County staff will take to the Board of Supervisors a proposal to update county regulations regarding the placement of communications equipment such as cell towers.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 25, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

In an untimed discussion continued from June 4, the board will consider amendments to Article 71 of the Lake County Zoning Ordinance regarding regulations for the placement of communications towers and antennae.

“Staff is making a series of recommendations for your Board’s consideration regarding communications tower placement in the County of Lake,” County Counsel Anita Grant wrote in the staff report for the meeting. “The purpose of these recommendations is to establish guidelines for the siting of all wireless, cellular, and other telecommunications towers and antennae and to distinguish, where appropriate, between macro communications towers and small wireless facilities.”

Grant said the goal of the amendments includes encouraging the location of towers in non-residential areas; joint use of new and existing tower sites among service providers; location of macro communications towers and antennae in non-viewshed areas; design and construction of towers, antennae and wireless facilities to minimize visual impacts; and enhancing the abilities of telecommunications service providers to deliver services to the public effectively and efficiently.

In other untimed items, the board will consider a memorandum of understanding between the county of Lake and Lake Transit Authority for the establishment of a limited bus route on Mount Konocti.

Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, the supervisors also will consider the proposed agreement for construction of Anderson Springs Sewer Project between Lake County Sanitation District and Mercer-Fraser Co. of Eureka.

In an item timed for 9:15 a.m., the board will discuss county action in response to Pacific Gas and Electric’s decision to withdraw its license application for the Potter Valley Project, a hydroelectric project on Lake Pillsbury.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

5.1: Approve leave of absence request for substance abuse counselor III, Leroy Fields, from June 14, 2019 through Sept. 15, 2019, and authorize the chair to sign.

5.2: Adopt resolution correcting Resolution 2019-80 establishing new classifications and amending the position allocation table for Fiscal Year 2019-20 to conform to the recommended budget.

5.3: Adopt a resolution approving Cooperative Agreement No. 19-0098-000-SA with the California Department of Food and Agriculture State Organic Program for the county of Lake.

5.4: Adopt a resolution approving Agreement No. 19-0205-000-SA with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to provide reimbursement for weighmaster program inspections for fiscal year July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020.

5.5: Adopt a resolution adopting Agreement No. 18-0619-009 SF with the California Department of Food and Agriculture for compliance with the European Grapevine Moth Detection Program and authorization thereof.

5.6: Adopt resolution establishing 2019-2020 appropriations limit for the county of Lake and Special Districts governed by the Board of Supervisors.

5.7: Approve request to close Behavioral Health Services offices on Friday, June 28, from noon to 5 p.m. for summer all staff training meeting.

5.8: Approve Amendment No. 2 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. Tule House for substance use disorder perinatal residential services for Fiscal Year 2018-19 for a new contract maximum of $270,000 and authorize the chair to sign the amendment.

5.9: Approve request to appoint Jack Smalley as interim chief building official at step one, retroactive to June 12, 2019.

5.10: Approve first amendment to the agreement for medical services in the Lake County Detention Facility, and authorize board chair to sign said amendment.

5.11: a) Adopt resolution authorizing the application for funding under the Proposition 68 Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program for Hammond Park in Nice and authorize the Public Services director to sign the application, grant agreement and other necessary documents; b) adopt resolution authorizing the application for funding under the Proposition 68 Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program for Kelseyville Community Park and authorize the Public Services director to sign the application, grant agreement and other necessary documents; c) adopt resolution authorizing the application for funding under the Proposition 68 Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program for Hammond Park in Nice and authorize the Public Services director to sign the application, grant agreement and other necessary documents.

5.12: Approve Amendment No. 2 to agreement between the county of Lake and Helix Environmental Inc. (formerly Foothill Associates) for Proposition 68 Statewide Park Development and community revitalization program support services in the amount of $57,125 and authorize the chair to sign.

5.13: Adopt resolution delegating to the county Public Works director the authority to negotiate and acquire a portion of certain parcels as required for Clayton Creek Road at Clayton Creek Bridge Replacement Project.

5.14: a) Waive the formal bidding process for the new excavators, per Ordinance #2406, Purchasing Code No. 38.4 Cooperative Purchases, with the determination Sourcewell meets the requirements of said purchasing code; and b) authorize the Public Works director/assistant purchasing agent to issue a purchase order not to exceed $187,023.44 for the John Deere 135G excavator and a purchase order not to exceed $89,664.38 for the John Deere 60G excavator to Pape Machinery Inc.

5.15: Approve memorandum of understanding between the county of Lake and the Mendocino - Lake Community College District for inmate programs and authorize the chair to sign.

5.16: Approve contract between the county of Lake and The Regents of the University of California for training services in the amount of $136,000 from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, and authorize the chair to sign.

5.17: Approve the third amendment to the lease between the county of Lake Department of Social Services and Lillian Allen for the premises known as 1216, 1222 and 1228 South Main Street, Lakeport, for an annual amount of $18,950.40 from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, and authorize the chair to sign.

5.18: Approve contract between the county of Lake and Lake Family Resource Center for Cal-Learn Teen Parenting Services in the amount of $38,899, from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, and authorize the chair to sign.

5.19: Approve contract between the county of Lake and JUMP Technology Services LLC for software in the amount of $9,504 per fiscal year, for a total of $28,512 from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2022, and authorize the chair to sign.

5.20: Approve budget transfer of $200,000 from BU 5011 - Social Services Admin to BU 5121 General Welfare for foster care payments for the month of June 2019 and authorize the chair to sign.

TIMED ITEMS

6.2, 9:15 a.m.: Discussion and consideration of county action in response to PG&E's Decision to withdraw its license application for the Potter Valley Project.

UNTIMED ITEMS

7.2: Continued from June 18, consideration of an agreement between the city of Clearlake, city of Lakeport and the county of Lake Relative to Operation of a local public, educational, governmental, or PEG, cable television channel.

7.3: Continued from June 4, discussion and consideration of amendments to Article 71 of the Lake County Zoning Ordinance, regulations for the placement of communications towers and antennae.

7.4: Consideration of changes to the Water Resources director recruitment.

7.5: Sitting as Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, consideration of proposed agreement for construction of Anderson Springs Sewer Project (Private Property Improvements) between Lake County Sanitation District (LACOSAN) and Mercer-Fraser Co. of Eureka.

7.6: Consideration of a memorandum of understanding between the county of Lake and Lake Transit Authority for the establishment of a limited bus route on Mount Konocti.

7.7: Consideration of contract between the county of Lake and Chabot-Las Positas Community College District for Title IV-E Training in the amount of $1,000,000 from July 2019 to June 2020 and authorize the chair to sign.

7.8: Consideration of the distribution of excess proceeds in the amount of $889,619.04 from tax defaulted land sale No. 155 held on June 9, 2017 (per R&T Code Section 4675).

CLOSED SESSION

8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(4): One potential case.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Association of Realtors reported that sales of single-family residences continue to hold steady with little gain or decline in the median price.

The median sales price for May was $265,000, up 1.94 percent from April’s median of $259,950 and down 1.12 percent from the May, 2018 median of $268,000.

In May there were 79 reported sales, a gain of 36 percent over April’s 58 sales. On a year-to-year basis May sales were 9.2 percent less than the 87 sales in May of 2018.

“The current market factors should help buyers,” said Mary Benson, 2019 Lake County Association of Realtors president. “A combination of interest rates being at their lowest level in nearly a year and a half, little or no pricing gains and more homes on the market are making homes more affordable in Lake County.”

For the month cash financing was used in 25.3 percent of the transactions, conventional loans accounted for 35.4 percent of the deals and FHA loans were used in 22.8 percent of the sales.

On a statewide basis the California Association of Realtors reported that the median sales price in California for May was $611,190, up 1.4 percent from April and up 1.7 percent from May of 2018.

Existing, single-family home sales total 406,960 in May on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, up 2.6 percent from April and down 0.6 percent from May, 2018.

The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 4.07 percent in May, down from 4.59 percent in May 2018, according to Freddie Mac.

The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate increased in May to an average of 3.65 percent from 3.79 in May 2018.

NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

May 2019
Median price: $265,000
Units sold: 79
Median days to sell: 48

April 2019
Median price: $259,950
Units sold: 58
Median days to sell: 56

May 2018
Median price: $268,000
Units sold: 87
Median days to sell: 41

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Grillers, get ready to sizzle in the 10th annual “Grillin’ on the Green” cook-off.

The Westside Community Park Committee is seeking interested grillers to compete this year when the barbecue cook-off and family fun event returns to Westside Community Park, 1401 Westside Park Road.

Sponsors of the event also are sought and will be recognized at the event.

Scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 3, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., the annual fundraiser features food, drink and entertainment for all ages.

Taste competitors’ barbecue fare, dance to live music by the LC Diamonds, and enjoy a car show featuring vintage vehicles from local car clubs. Children may participate in water activities, as well.

Local organizations, individuals and professionals battle for bragging rights each year by preparing their best barbecue recipes for attendees who then cast Peoples’ Choice votes for the favorites.

Additionally, “celebrity” judges will select their favorite grillers in various categories.

This year’s celebrity judges are Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin; Dana Stubblefield, retired San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders defensive tackle; and Luis Castelero, a retired San Francisco restaurant manager who now offers cooking classes from the Finca Castelero venue just outside of Kelseyville.

Interested grilling chefs and team representatives are urged to sign up as soon as possible. Call Cindy Ustrud at 707-263-7091. Entries are due by Friday, July 12.

Event organizers are seeking sponsors of the event and sponsors for grillers this year. Levels of sponsor recognition are $100, $300, $500, $1,000, $3,000, and $5,000.

Opportunities to sponsor a Grillin’ participant are available at the rate of $500. Major sponsors for this year’s event include Lake County News, KNTI, Lakeport Cinema 5, Keeling-Barnes Family Foundation and the Ustrud-Rollins Family.

Information about the event can be found on the park’s Web site, www.westsidecommunitypark.org, or on Westside Community Park’s Facebook page. Additionally, people may call Dennis Rollins, 707-349-0969, for information.

Westside Community Park is a city of Lakeport recreational facility that has been in development for 20 years.

The nonprofit Park Committee is developing the park in conjunction with the city of Lakeport, volunteers, and numerous contributions by individuals and businesses dedicated to constructing a recreational facility for the youth and adults of Lake County.

Westside Community Park is home to the Konocti Youth Soccer League, Westshore Little League's softball league, the Lakeport team of the Ukiah Men's Soccer League and the Early Lake Lions Horseshoe League.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department will hold its next “Coffee with a Cop” event on Saturday, June 29.

It will take place from 8 to 10 am. At Marcel's French Bakery & Cafe, 105 N. Main St.

Come have coffee and interact with Lakeport Police staff.

There is no agenda and your regular coffee will be covered. Just show up and tell the staff at Marcel's or officers you are there for the event.

The chief and other staff hope to see community members and answer their questions or concerns.

Coffee with a Cop is an event where police and community members come together in an informal, neutral space to discuss community issues, build relationships and drink coffee.

It is a national initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, and has been implemented by many cities and towns across the country.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has numerous young kittens – plus some adult cats – now ready to go to their new families.

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.

Domestic short hair

This female domestic short hair cat has a tortoiseshell coat and green eyes.

She is in cat room kennel No. 3, ID No. 12415.

Domestic medium hair cat

This domestic medium hair cat has a gray tabby coat and gold eyes.

She’s in cat room kennel No. 26, ID No. 12378.

Domestic short hair kitten

This male domestic short hair kitten has an all-black coat and gold eyes.

He has been neutered.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 39, ID No. 12390.

Domestic short hair kitten

This male domestic short hair kitten has an all-black coat and gold eyes.

He has been neutered.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 39, ID No. 12387.

Brown tabby kitten

This brown tabby kitten has a short coat and green eyes.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 43a, ID No. 12332.

Brown tabby kitten

This male tabby kitten has a short brown and black coat and gold eyes.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 43b, ID No. 12333.

Gray tabby kitten

This male gray tabby kitten has a short coat and gold eyes.

He’s in kennel No. 43c, ID No. 12338.

Domestic medium hair kitten

This male domestic medium hair kitten has an all-black coat and gold eyes.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 79, ID No. 12379.

Domestic medium hair kitten

This female domestic medium hair kitten has an all-black coat and gold eyes.

She is in cat room kennel No. 79, ID No. 12380.

Domestic medium hair kitten

This male domestic medium hair kitten has an all-black coat and gold eyes.

He’s in cat room kennel No. 79, ID No. 12381.

Domestic medium hair kitten

This female domestic medium hair kitten has an all-black coat and gold eyes.

She is in cat room kennel No. 79, ID No. 12382.

Domestic long hair kitten

The female domestic long hair kitten has an all-black coat and gold eyes.

She’s in cat room kennel No. 88, ID No. 12402.

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm.

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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.

Rising above the water along the mid-Atlantic ridge are the Azores, nine pristine volcanic islands scattered like jewels in the world’s second largest ocean.

Gleaming with natural beauty, they sit some 900 miles from the western coast of Portugal.

The nine islands are clustered in three groups: Sao Miguel and Santa Maria are easternmost; Terceira, Sao Jorge, Pico, Faial and Graciosa sit in the middle of the archipelago; and Flores and tiny Corvo make up the western flank.

The Azores are a full third of the way to North America, so it’s no wonder they remained unnoticed until the 14th century when they appear on the Catalan Atlas, the most important map of the Medieval period.

Despite this recognition, they were void of human settlement for at least another hundred years until a sea captain sailing for Prince Henry the Navigator landed in the early 15th century and claimed the islands for Portugal.

It is posited that explorer Goncalo Velho Cabral was the trailblazer in question; however, the historical record provides no certainty of this, though it is confirmed that he gathered settlers and resources to establish colonies on the easternmost islands, Santa Maria and Sao Miguel.

Until recent decades, the people who lived in the Azores were almost entirely self-sufficient, eating what they grew, raised, milked, or gleaned from the sea. Their distance from the European mainland made imported products expensive, as well as difficult to obtain.

In addition, each island was self-sustainable, as there tended to be very little travel between them.

Even today, when air travel between islands is possible, most Azoreans will travel to mainland Portugal, the U.S., or other parts of Europe and the world before going to another island in the archipelago.

Azorean cuisine is rich and hearty, its rustic, peasant quality differentiating it from the food of mainland Portugal.

One-pot soups and stews based on locally harvested vegetables, seafood, or meat, often with bread added for heartiness, are a staple.

Dried beans, particularly fava, tomatoes, and robust vegetables such as potatoes and cabbage figure prominently in Azorean cooking.

With the Azores home to the biggest sea zone in Europe, seafood is abundant, and many a meal revolves around what was gathered from the sea that day, whether, for example, mackerel, lamprey eels or octopus.

Caldeirade de peixe, a fish and potato stew, is popular throughout the islands, as are grilled limpets and fresh lobster.

Tuna, one of the Azores’ most popular fish, are pulled large from the sea.

Azoreans are known for their cheesemaking, and It would be an understatement to say that rich dairy foods are beloved throughout the islands.

Fifty percent of the cheese in Portugal is from the Azores, where dairy cows are ubiquitous. (At last count, there were roughly 20,000 of them that graze on the island’s lush green hills.)

Sao Jorge, a semi-hard, aged cheese with a mild but full and buttery flavor, is particularly popular and made on the island for which it’s named.

Cheese served with bread (sometimes with jam or condiments) is a favorite breakfast, snack or appetizer and is enjoyed any time of day.

Cozido (meaning “cooked”) is a quintessentially Azorean dish and can only be had in the geothermally active Sao Miguel town of Furnas, where stew is cooked for hours in the hot volcanic soil.

Massa di pimiento, a spicy, salty, sweet red pepper paste is a popular seasoning, as is flor de acafroa, also known as safflower, a colorful spice similar to Spanish saffron.

Azoreans love their desserts, and pastries and puddings of all types abound. A sweet that’s prevalent throughout the islands is queijada, a tiny tartlet made with flour, egg, butter, and sugar.

The Azores is home to the only two tea plantations in Europe, both on the island of Sao Miguel.

Camellia sinensis, the shrub that produces tea leaves, was found growing wild in the Azores in the late 1800s, and now verdant rows of these evergreen plants are cultivated, rising beautifully above the bright blue Atlantic.

Each plantation has a factory on site to process the tea, with one using the original equipment from the 19th century.

Coffee is also grown in the Azores; Sao Jorge in particular has a microclimate in which coffee bushes thrive.

Though some islands might experience light dustings of snow, temperatures remain relatively mild in the Azores year-round, unusual for such a northerly location, due mainly to its distance from continents and its proximity to the Gulf Stream.

For this reason, the Azores are rife with fruits such as bananas, passion fruit and a variety of citrus, which thrive in the islands’ rich microclimates.

Resourceful Azoreans make liqueurs from such exotic fruits, and wine is commonly made from grapes grown in home vineyards.

The island of Pico, whose volcano is the tallest mountain in Portugal, is renowned for wines made from grapes grown in lava-rich soils which were favored by Russian Czars in the 19th century.

Its vineyards surrounded by centuries-old stone walls are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Pineapples, typically smaller than those here, are extremely popular and are grown in greenhouses (or “estufas” in Portuguese) throughout the islands.

In a method discovered during an accidental greenhouse fire, smoke is infused into the estufas when the pineapples are ten or eleven months into their 18-month growing cycle. This forces all the plantings to flower simultaneously, which makes for an easier harvest.

The Azores, and particularly the island of Faial, are known for the explosion of blue hydrangeas prolific there in the summer months thanks to the acidity of its volcanic soil.

Introduced to the Azores in the 17th century, hydrangeas now grow abundantly in the wild and are a popular point of interest for flora-appreciating tourists.

And speaking of Faial, I spent one recent afternoon with Azorean friend Noele DaRosa, who generously shared her memories of growing up on that beautiful island.

Typical of the Azores, her family was self-sustaining, and I enjoyed hearing memories of, among many other things, her mother’s homemade cheese, her father’s winemaking, and their gathering limpets from the sea for a favorite childhood dish.

DaRosa hired me some years ago to prepare a Portuguese birthday luncheon. Creating Bacalhau con Nata (Salt Cod with Cream) and Caldo Verde (Green Broth Soup) for her celebratory meal was my first introduction to food from that part of the world.

The recipe that follows for Caldo Verde is thusly inspired, and I owe a debt of gratitude to DaRosa for that and for the magnanimous sharing of her time and recollections.

Caldo Verde

The original recipe includes a quarter pound of sliced Portuguese sausage, which can be added if a meaty version is preferred.

6 cups vegetable broth
5 medium starchy potatoes, like Yukon Gold, peeled and quartered, about 5 cups
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped, about ½ cup
1 tablespoon coarse salt, or to taste
1 bunch, about 1-1/2 pounds before trimming, Swiss chard, cut into thin chiffonade (flat-leaf kale or collard greens may also be used)
5 tablespoons olive oil

In a 4-quart stockpot, combine the broth, potatoes and onion. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, season with salt, then simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Trim the chard leaves off the central stem; wash and drain leaves. Cut into thin chiffonade, with the strands no longer than a couple of inches in length. Continue cutting until you have about 6 cups. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cooked, puree the contents of the soup pot to a smooth consistency. Return to a boil.

Add the reserved greens and the olive oil. Simmer until the greens are bright green and tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes.

Though variations in the ratio of broth to potatoes varies from cook to cook, the soup’s consistency should be like light cream. If too thick, it can be thinned with water, beginning with about ½ cup. (Note that Portuguese soups typically thicken as they cool due to the starch they contain.)

Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa, Calif. She lives in Middletown, Calif.