LAKEPORT, Calif. – The new fiscal year budget, action to abate weeds and a new generator purchase are on the Lakeport City Council’s agenda this week.

The council will meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, to discuss negotiations for property at 916 N. Forbes St. before the public portion of the meeting opens at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

On Tuesday, Finance Director Nick Walker will present to the council the recommended 2019-20 budget, totaling $16,325,994. The budget message starts on page 43 of the agenda packet posted below.

The council also will consider approving the appropriations – or Gann – limit of $12,842,004 in Fiscal Year 2019-20.

In other business, Utilities Superintendent Paul Harris will present the Lakeport Dam Emergency Action Plan to the council, with council members expected to direct staff to incorporate comments and concerns received at the meeting into the plan before it is completed and submitted to the state for final approval.

The council also will consider purchasing an 80 kilowatt generator for the Lakeport Boulevard lift station at a cost of $40,000.

Also on Tuesday, the the council will consider a resolution rescinding Resolution No. 2431 (2011) and designating the locations of two-hour limited parking zones in the city, and also will discuss a proposed resolution declaring that dry weeds, brush and similar vegetation create a fire hazard on vacant and large lots throughout the city and direct staff to utilize the administrative citation procedures to abate the weeds.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on June 4; the June 12 warrant register; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the Mendocino Complex fire; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the February 2019 storms; approval of a resolution rescinding Resolution 2681 (2019) and revising the master pay schedule in conformance with California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Section 570.5; authorize the cancellation of the regular meeting of July 2, 2019.

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

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department is urging the community to be aware of phone scams that recently have been circulating locally and targeting residents.

The agency said it has become aware of two scams in particular.

In one of them, an individual telephones the intended victim, claiming to be a police officer but not identifying their agency or providing a police badge number.

The phony police officer tells the intended victim that they have a family member in need of urgent medical care. The scammer tries to get the intended victim to provide personal information about this family member.

Fortunately, when a community member recently was targeted, they recognized the call to be a scam and hung up with the scammer before providing any personal information. The caller identification showed the caller was using an international phone number.

In a second scam, the caller telephones the victim claiming to be a kidnapper.

The phony kidnapper says they are holding one of the intended victim's family members hostage and not to get law enforcement involved. The scammer then demands money to be sent via wire transfer for the safe return of the hostage.

The police department said that there was no actual kidnapping and the family member was located by police safe and unharmed. This call also originated from an international phone number.

Police said these scams are just two of the many types of similar phone scams criminals use to try to get personal information or money from people.

With your personal information, criminals can obtain credit or services in your name, access financial account information or just steal your identity for a variety of nefarious activities.

Criminals can use local numbers and have ways of spoofing local numbers so their calls appear local. They may also target potential victims via text messages or emails.

The Clearlake Police Department warns community members not to give their personal identifying information or any financial information to unknown persons over the telephone or email.

If in doubt about a suspicious call, text message or email you received, please contact your local law enforcement agency.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has three kittens waiting for new homes and many more that will be available in the days to come.

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

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.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Lake County deputy sheriff who died in the line of duty nearly 82 years ago after sustaining a mortal wound while stopping a man who had gone on a shooting rampage in Lower Lake is receiving long overdue recognition for his sacrifice.

The death of Henry Valentine Snowbelt, killed in October 1937 at the age of 57, had been overlooked for decades when it came to honoring fallen local law enforcement officers.

However, after a year’s worth of effort by officials with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Snowbelt’s name was added last month to the state fallen officers’ memorial, to the Lake County memorial and to the national memorial.

“It is so amazing,” said his granddaughter, Janet Van Wert.

Van Wert, her son Jim, and her cousin, Shirley Carpenter, and Carpenter’s boyfriend Bob Pickle were guests at the state ceremony on May 6.

“It was beautiful. It was wonderful. We enjoyed it,” said Carpenter.

On May 10, Snowbelt’s name was added to the Lake County Safety Officers Memorial in Museum Park in downtown Lakeport. Undersheriff Chris Macedo unveiled a plaque with Snowbelt’s name; he is now listed among five law enforcement officers and two firefighters who have died serving the county.

Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, who took the lead on getting Snowbelt’s name added to the memorials, said Snowbelt’s name was added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. His name was read at a candlelight vigil on May 13 attended by thousands on the Capitol Mall, which Paulich attended.

Paulich said the national memorial includes a new museum opened this year, which has a “Hall of Remembrance,” with etched glass markers with the names and pictures of those who are honored.

Early history

Snowbelt was born in Austria on Valentine’s Day, 1880, to Eda Schnaubelt. He came to the United States with his mother in 1883, when he was a small child.

Carpenter said her great-grandmother was reported to have been a lady in waiting in the Viennese royal court who was banished after having her son out of wedlock.

He took his mother’s maiden name and later Americanized it. Van Wert said that was a result of the anti-Germanic sentiment in the country in the early years of the 20th century.

Veterans Administration records state that Snowbelt was a veteran of the Spanish-American War in 1898, having served in the US Navy.

In 1902, Snowbelt married Danish-born Amelia Petersen at her family’s home in Elmhurst. Together they had three children – Anita, Thelma and Peter.

Two years after his marriage, at age 24, he signed a declaration of intention in Alameda County to become a United States citizen.

The 1910 Census shows the Snowbelts – with their children, Anita, age 6, and Peter, age 5, – living in Alameda County. Henry Snowbelt’s trade at that time was listed as “saloonkeeper.”

Amelia died at age 39 in 1918. She is buried at San Lorenzo Pioneer Memorial Park. Carpenter said her grandmother died of botulism after eating at a restaurant. Her children also became sick but survived.

Henry Snowbelt continued to live in the Bay Area for some time to come. The 1930 Census shows him at age 50 living alone as a widower in San Francisco. At that time he was working as a chauffeur.

Lake County News was not able to determine at what point after that he moved to Lake County; Van Wert said she didn’t recall when he came to the area.

Van Wert, whose mother was Snowbelt’s daughter Anita Reed, was a young girl when her grandfather died. She said she remembered him visiting her family at their San Francisco home.

During one visit he was cleaning his gun, which he thought was empty, and it went off. “My mother, in very salty language, told him he could never come again if he brought the rifle with him,” Van Wert said.

Anita and her husband, Lloyd Reed, often brought their children to Lake County for visits. Reeds brothers lived in Santa Rosa.

Van Wert recalls her grandfather playing with her and her siblings – including a brother and twin sisters – and chasing them into Clear Lake.

“I can remember him saying he was going to get us, and we said you can’t because you have your shoes on,” she said, noting she later realized he was wearing wading boots.

The shootout

The story of the shootout in downtown Lower Lake on Saturday, Oct. 2, 1937, that claimed Snowbelt’s life reads like an embellished tale of the rough and ready Old West.

“Citizens awed by Lower Lake fatal gun duel Saturday,” said the headline in the Lake County Bee of Thursday, Oct. 7, 1937.

The circumstances that led to the fatal shooting between Snowbelt and 32-year-old John Bert Thompson, an ex-convict who spent four years in San Quentin State Prison for a robbery in Calpella four years before Snowbelt’s shooting, developed over the course of that October day.

According to accounts of the incident given at the coroner’s inquest, Snowbelt – who also was a caretaker at Camp Lakeview – had gone on a drive that afternoon with Thompson and a friend, Walter Walker, to a place at Point Lakeview where Snowbelt repaired a radio. Thompson had with him a .22-caliber rifle which investigators said was the weapon he later used to kill Snowbelt.

That evening, they returned to Lower Lake, where Snowbelt had planned to cash his veteran’s check. Thompson and Walker went to Bill Millsap’s hamburger restaurant for a sandwich and Snowbelt went to the Wheeler Cafe.

Longtime Lower Lake resident Phil Adamson told Lake County News that the Wheeler Cafe was located on the north side of Main Street and east of the old jail. He did not recall the location of Millsap’s place. Based on newspaper accounts, Millsap’s appear to have been across the street from the Wheeler Cafe.

While at Millsap’s, Walker had reportedly used profanity and been asked by Millsap to stop, as he said ladies were present. Walker apologized, Thompson grew angry and told him not to, then he began to swear. Millsap told Thompson to either stop or to leave, and Thompson refused both demands, “and said there was nobody there that could put him out,” according to the newspaper report.

Millsap grabbed Thompson in an effort to remove him and did so with the help of Harvey Knauer, 23, of Lower Lake who was eating at the restaurant.

“After reaching the sidewalk, Thompson threatened to get them both for throwing him out,” the newspaper account explained.

Not long afterward, at about 9:40 p.m., Knauer was playing pool in the Big Oak pool room with friends, with Roy Adams standing at the front bar.

Journalist and longtime county resident Roberta Lyons said the Big Oak was located where county offices are now located on Main Street in the 16100 block of Main Street, also on the north side. Adamson added that it was directly oppose the former Bank of America building.

When Thompson came in the Big Oak with his rifle, throwing a shell into the barrel, Adams asked what he was going to do with the gun, and Thompson reportedly replied, “Nothing.”

He then walked into the area where Knauer was playing pool, told him, “I’ve got you now,” and when Knauer – who was about to make a shot in a pool game – looked up, Thompson shot him between the eyes, with the bullet shattering the bridge of Knauer’s nose.

As Knauer collapsed, another young man in the pool room – Clearlake Highlands resident James Cassidy, a cook in the cafe – tried to leave out the back door when Thompson pointed the gun at him and called him back. Cassidy would escape a short time later.

Others escaped from the cafe while Thompson ordered Adams and Knauer – who had managed to get to his feet despite being shot in the face – to march. “I sure did march,” Adams said later of the experience.

Adams would escape into the night while Thompson forced Knauer to walk across the street and sit on the curb in front of Millsap’s place.

“I am going to stay and watch you die, and if you don’t die, I’ll put another bullet in you,” Thompson is reported to have told Knauer.

Knauer is reported to have replied, “There is nothing I can do about it, go ahead and kill me.”

Thompson’s attention would be diverted as Roy Garner and Alta Crawford started to drive away from the front of the Big Oak Cafe in Garner’s car to get the constable.

As the car started, Thompson was reported to have shot five times at the vehicle, hitting it twice – once on the fender and once in the back of the car. Crawford ducked in her seat as the shooting started.

Thompson believed he had hit her, saying, “I got the woman, anyway.”

While Thompson was busy shooting at the car, Knauer escaped to seek help. Cassidy found him and took him to a doctor.

After Knauer fled, Thompson went to the Wheeler Cafe. Snowbelt was in the rear of the cafe and as Thompson came in, his friend, Walker, tried to convince him to put down the gun. “You shot one man tonight and that’s enough. Give me that gun.”

Thompson replied that he wouldn’t give the gun to anyone but Lake County Sheriff Taylor Day. “I will not give up the gun to you or anybody else. I will surrender to him.”

Snowbelt left from the rear of the building and went to borrow a gun from Millsap, who initially said he didn’t own one. But Snowbelt saw a deer gun, a .30-.30 rifle, in Millsap’s home, showed his badge and demanded it.

With the loaded rifle, Snowbelt returned to the cafe, entering through a side door and telling Thompson to throw up his hands. At that point, Thompson’s rifle was on a piano next to where he stood. He went to reach for it and Snowbelt told him to lay the gun down.

Thompson got the gun and fired one shot at point blank range at Snowbelt, striking him in the lower chest. At the same time, Snowbelt fired twice at Thompson, according to the account of the shooting.

“With the first shot from the heavy deer gun, Thompson was sent into the air off the floor for several feet. As he was falling the officer shot him again in the neck. Either bullet would have been fatal, it was later disclosed,” according to the newspaper account.

Walker, who was seated in a chair between Thompson and Snowbelt, fell to the floor when the shooting started.

Snowbelt was still on his feet after being shot. Walker asked him if he was hurt.

‘“I think I am shot,” exclaimed Snowbelt as he weakened and swayed and then slumped to the floor. Blood started streaming from his mouth. He died within a moment from a bullet through his lungs, when Walker ran outside the place to seek assistance and a physician,” the newspaper account stated.

Coroner H. M. Jones called the inquest into the shooting. The jury’s ultimate finding was that Snowbelt’s death was a homicide, and that he died of a fatal gunshot to the heart.

Thompson’s death, a gunshot to the heart fired by Snowbelt, was ruled a justifiable homicide, as it occurred as Snowbelt was performing his duties as a sheriff.

Following a local funeral, Snowbelt would be buried in the San Francisco National Cemetery.

Over the course of the following year, his family suffered more tragedy.

In May 1938, seven months after her father was killed, Anita Reed died after giving birth to twins, one of whom died.

Three months later, her husband, Lloyd Reed, died while working on a brother’s house in Santa Rosa. Van Wert said the cause of her father's death was ruled “inconclusive.”

The couple left behind five children. “We all went to live with different aunts and uncles,” said Van Wert, who lived with her aunt, Thelma, the mother of Carpenter.

Knauer survived his wound and lived to be 80 years old. Adamson said he knew Knauer, who went on to become a crane operator in the Bay Area.

Lyons said the building that housed the Big Oak Saloon burned down in the Lower Lake Main Street Fire of 1987. By that time, it had gone through a number of different names, including Lucy’s, Carol’s Disco, the VIP Lounge and Five Brothers, according to former Lake County resident, Fran Ransley.

Giving belated honors

In February 2018 Lake County News Editor and Publisher Elizabeth Larson presented Sheriff Brian Martin with information about Snowbelt.

Her publication had featured a story several years ago about the shootout as part of a series on Lake County history. A reader, Tom Quinn, later pointed out to her that Snowbelt wasn’t on the local safety officers’ memorial.

The information she presented to Martin included scans of newspaper microfilm about the shootout as well as a photo of the deputy in his younger days.

Martin turned the information over to Lt. Paulich, who also went to the library to look through the materials for himself. He then found where Snowbelt was buried and began going through public records to identify next of kin.

“That was the big thing, to let the family know,” that Snowbelt’s name will be honored forever, aulich said.

Carpenter said she had a message on her answering machine from Paulich – who only left his name and asked her to call him – and was apprehensive, wondering why the Lake County Sheriff’s Office would be calling her.

“Two days later I got up my nerve and called him,” she said.

She said it was hard to believe. Ultimately, however, having honors bestowed now on her grandfather – who she didn’t remember, as he died the year after her birth – is “marvelous.”

Van Wert laughed when recalling getting contacted by Paulich.

“We all thought he was nuts,” she said, explaining that her family hadn’t thought about Henry Snowbelt in many years.

“It is so amazing,” she said.

For Van Wert, the honors for her grandfather had opened up memories that she hadn’t thought about in years, noting that she had shut down many of her recollections from that period following the loss of both of her parents.

Paulich said it took about a year to complete the process to have Snowbelt’s name added to the state and federal memorials. He had just gone through the process the year before to have Deputy Rob Rumfelt’s name added.

The applications for the state and national memorials were submitted at the same time, and had to be completed by the end of 2018. Paulich submitted a package with newspaper articles and Snowbelt’s death certificate, showing that the shooting occurred and Snowbelt was acting in his capacity as a deputy sheriff.

The materials subsequently were reviewed by committees and Snowbelt was approved for addition to the memorials, Paulich said.

Carpenter and Van Wert, joined by Paulich and Undersheriff Chris Macedo, attended the state memorial last month.

Paulich said one of Snowbelt’s great-great-grandsons – who couldn’t make it to the event due to college finals – is considering a law enforcement career.

“We were so impressed,” Van Wert said of the ceremony.

At the state event, there was another officer who, like Snowbelt, was being honored after decades.

Deputy City Marshal Maurice William Halloran of the Vernon Police Department, who died in November 1913 at age 35, also was added to the memorial.

Van Wert said she chatted with members of Halloran’s family who, like her, were amazed that after so much time, their relative was being honored for his sacrifice.

“I felt quite honored,” Van Wert said.

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.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Five people escaped serious injury after a two-vehicle crash near Middletown on Saturday night.

The crash on Highway 29 between Grange Road and the Bar X Ranch was first dispatched just after 10 p.m. Saturday, according to radio reports.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Wink said that a full-sized pickup and a midsized four-door sedan were involved in the wreck.

He said the vehicles were traveling at the posted speed limit when the “t-bone” crash occurred, leaving both vehicles with major damage.

The crash left the highway completely blocked from around 10 p.m. to just after 11 p.m., according to Wink.

The good news is that the five people riding in the two vehicles came away without injuries requiring transport to the hospital, Wink said.

He said all five were wearing their seat belts and that, along with the airbags, protected them.

Wink said first responders want to remind community members to wear their seat belts to protect them from injury in the case of a crash.

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, Calif. – Since wilderness is our middle name here in Lake County, we are always privy to wildlife viewings such as elk, bear, bobcat, fox and more, as well as unforgettable bird watching opportunities at every turn.

At the city of Clearlake's Redbud Park the morning's magnificent stillness presents mirror images of hills and trees – quite a different show than that of most afternoons on the lake, when winds kick up and create whitecaps across its surface.

Redbud Park is a perfect spot for a picnic or to launch your boat. Fishing at Redbud may net you some catfish, bluegill or crappie. There are restrooms available, water and plenty of parking.

By visiting one of our county's 29 parks you are practically guaranteed an outstanding bird-watching experience.

There are more than 300 bird species which can be viewed on Clear Lake, which is located on the Pacific Flyway, a migratory passage which spans from South America to Alaska. White egrets, green herons, great blue herons, cormorants, Western and Clark's grebes may be seen upon the lake diving for fish and nesting material.

You may spot the brilliant pigments contained in a wood duck's feathers, or happen upon the prehistoric-looking American white pelicans as they patrol the lake. Our “lake eternal” shimmers with vitality, and each day is alive with something new to the eye.

Redbud Park's namesake, the redbud tree was a key plant for use in basket-making in Lake County's native cultures for centuries.

Many other American Indian groups also used this unique plant for their baskets, as well. Then, they harvested the branches in spring or summer. The branches were split, then cleaned and put to use in both the warp and weft of the coiled or twined baskets.

Make it a point to visit one of our county parks, such as Redbud Park. Then, you can boast that you toured the oldest lake in North America at half a million years, and if those bragging rights were not sufficient, our lake is the largest natural freshwater lake located entirely in the state, with close to 70 square miles of surface area.

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, freelance writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.”

 

If you had to choose, which would you rather have: a healthy father or a good father?

Studies suggest men often choose being a good father over being healthy.

Becoming a father is a major milestone in the life of a man, often shifting the way he thinks from being “me focused” to “we focused.” But fatherhood can also shift how men perceive their health. Our research has found that fathers can view health not in terms of going to the doctor or eating vegetables but how they hold a job, provide for their family, protect and teach their children, and belong to a community or social network.

As founder and director of the Center for Research on Men’s Health at Vanderbilt University and as a postdoctoral fellow from Meharry Medical College, we study why men live shorter lives than women, male attitudes about fatherhood, how to help men engage in healthier behavior – as well as what can be done to reduce men’s risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Work, sex and health

Working with men to try to get them to be more physically active, eat healthier and maintain a healthy weight, we found that for many, their own physical and mental health is not high on their list of priorities. Men, we found, treat their bodies as tools to do a job. Health is not always important or something they pay much attention to until poor health gets in the way of their ability to go to work, have sex or do something else important to them. These roles and responsibilities are often the ways they define themselves as men and how others in their lives define their worth.

While many aspects of gender roles have changed, we have found that many men still recognize they are often defined as good or successful if they have paid employment that is enough to take care of their children and other responsibilities. Fathers generally aspire to be able to look after their children, spouse, partner or other loved ones. That may mean less sleep, longer hours at work and less free time for hobbies and exercise.

Wanting to be a great dad can motivate men to push themselves to work longer and harder than they may have thought possible, but these choices can come at a cost, particularly if they also are not making time to take care of themselves.

We have seen evidence of despair, such as depressive symptoms, having thoughts of suicide, heavy drinking and marijuana use, among adults in their 20s and 30s. These behaviors tend to be higher in men during the time when they tend to become fathers for the first time. Consistent with this pattern, unintentional injuries and suicide are leading causes of death for men across racial and ethnic groups in their 20s and 30s. This is not the case for women.

By age 45, heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death for all groups of men. These chronic diseases can be prevented, to some degree, by not smoking, eating healthier foods and drinking less alcohol. Also, improving sleep, sitting less and moving more are important behaviors for good health.

Rather than trying to restart these behaviors after taking a break from them for a number of years, studies have found that it is important to help men keep healthy behaviors a part of their lives as they age.

As men age, they may not make deliberate choices to engage in less healthy behavior, but they may just do so because their lives and environments make unhealthy choices easier than healthy ones. Policymakers have to think about how to make it easier to make healthy choices in men’s daily lives and to incorporate health into the time fathers spend with children and family or at work. Men don’t have equal access to healthy foods or the same opportunities to go to the doctor, be physically active or earn a living wage, and yet, if asked, they all want to be healthy and have a positive influence on their children and families.

Where does making time for their own mental and physical health fit into dads’ busy, stressful lives? We have found that it will be different for every father, but loved ones have to help them find a way. Based on our research, we believe that families, particularly women in men’s lives, can play an important role in encouraging fathers to eat healthier and take better care of their health.

Wives in particular often provide emotional support, offer advice, facilitate men going to the doctor and promote healthy behavior. Wives, daughters and other women in fathers’ lives are important sources of information about men’s health, and they often play a key role in helping fathers and other men better understand and cope with stress.

As we celebrate fathers, it is important to recognize that fathers, generally speaking, may not place health at the top of their priorities. Many fathers gladly sacrifice to see their children happy, safe and successful. The problem is that if fathers think only about these goals, their own health can often suffer.

[ Thanks for reading! We can send you The Conversation’s stories every day in an informative email. Sign up today. ]

Derek M. Griffith, Professor of Medicine, Health & Society and Founder and Director of the Center for Research on Men's Health, Vanderbilt University and Elizabeth C. Stewart, Postdoctoral Fellow, Vanderbilt University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has numerous dogs looking for new (human) dads and families.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of boxer, Chihuahua, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, pit bull and shepherd.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

Male Chihuahua

This male Chihuahua has a short tricolor coat.

He’s in kennel No. 2, ID No. 12393.

Male and female Doberman Pinschers

These Doberman Pinschers, one male named Capulin and a female, have short black and brown coats.

They are in kennel No. 4. Capulin is ID No. 12384; the female is ID No. 12385.

Female shepherd

This female shepherd has a short black and brown coat.

Shelter staff said she smiles.

She’s in kennel No. 6, ID No. 12343.

‘Houdini’

“Houdini” is a male pit bull with a short black coat.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 8, ID No. 12386.

‘Beau’

“Beau” is a male shepherd with a medium-length black coat.

He has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 14, ID No. 6745.

Doberman Pinscher

This young male Doberman Pinscher has a short black and brown coat.

He’s in kennel No. 16, ID No. 12374.

Male Chihuahua

This male Chihuahua has a short tan coat.

He’s in kennel No. 18, ID No. 12396.

Female boxer

This female boxer has a short brown and white coat.

She already has been spayed.

She is in kennel No. 19, ID No. 12326.

‘Nikkie’

“Nikkie” is a female pit bull terrier with a short black coat.

She already has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 20, ID No. 12369.

‘Jack’

“Jack” is a male German Shepherd with a medium-length black and brown coat.

He’s in kennel No. 24, ID No. 12376.

Male pit bull

This male pit bull has a short brown coat.

He is in kennel No. 28, ID No. 12355.

Male German Shepherd

This male German Shepherd has a short black and tan coat.

He’s in kennel No. 30, ID No. 12314.

Female pit bull

This female pit bull has a short brown coat.

She already has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 32, ID No. 12383.

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.

BERKELEY, Calif. – As planets form in the swirling gas and dust around young stars, there seems to be a sweet spot where most of the large, Jupiter-like gas giants congregate, centered around the orbit where Jupiter sits today in our own solar system.

The location of this sweet spot is between 3 and 10 times the distance Earth sits from our sun (3-10 astronomical units, or AU). Jupiter is 5.2 AU from our sun.

That’s just one of the conclusions of an unprecedented analysis of 300 stars captured by the Gemini Planet Imager, or GPI, a sensitive infrared detector mounted on the 8-meter Gemini South telescope in Chile.

The GPI Exoplanet Survey, or GPIES, is one of two large projects that search for exoplanets directly, by blocking stars’ light and photographing the planets themselves, instead of looking for telltale wobbles in the star — the radial velocity method — or for planets crossing in front of the star — the transit technique.

The GPI camera is sensitive to the heat given off by recently-formed planets and brown dwarfs, which are more massive than gas giant planets, but still too small to ignite fusion and become stars.

The analysis of the first 300 of more than 500 stars surveyed by GPIES, published June 12 in the The Astronomical Journal, “is a milestone,” said Eugene Chiang, a UC Berkeley professor of astronomy and member of the collaboration’s theory group. “We now have excellent statistics for how frequently planets occur, their mass distribution and how far they are from their stars. It is the most comprehensive analysis I have seen in this field.”

The study complements earlier exoplanet surveys by counting planets between 10 and 100 AU, a range in which the Kepler Space Telescope transit survey and radial velocity observations are unlikely to detect planets.

It was led by Eric Nielsen, a research scientist at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University, and involved more than 100 researchers at 40 institutions worldwide, including the University of California, Berkeley.

One new planet, one new brown dwarf

Since the GPIES survey began five years ago, the team has imaged six planets and three brown dwarfs orbiting these 300 stars. The team estimates that about 9 percent of massive stars have gas giants between 5 and 13 Jupiter masses beyond a distance of 10 AU, and fewer than 1 percent have brown dwarfs between 10 and 100 AU.

The new data set provides important insight into how and where massive objects form within planetary systems.

“As you go out from the central star, giant planets become more frequent. Around 3 to 10 AU, the occurrence rate peaks,” Chiang said. “We know it peaks because the Kepler and radial velocity surveys find a rise in the rate, going from hot Jupiters very near the star to Jupiters at a few AU from the star. GPI has filled in the other end, going from 10 to 100 AU, and finding that the occurrence rate drops; the giant planets are more frequently found at 10 than 100. If you combine everything, there is a sweet spot for giant planet occurrence around 3 to 10 AU.”

“With future observatories, particularly the Thirty-Meter Telescope and ambitious space-based missions, we will start imaging the planets residing in the sweet spot for sun-like stars,” said team member Paul Kalas, a UC Berkeley adjunct professor of astronomy.

The exoplanet survey discovered only one previously unknown planet — 51 Eridani b, nearly three times the mass of Jupiter – and one previously unknown brown dwarf – HR 2562 B, weighing in at about 26 Jupiter masses. None of the giant planets imaged were around sun-like stars. Instead, giant gas planets were discovered only around more massive stars, at least 50 percent larger than our sun, or 1.5 solar masses.

“Given what we and other surveys have seen so far, our solar system doesn't look like other solar systems,” said Bruce Macintosh, the principal investigator for GPI and a professor of physics at Stanford. “We don't have as many planets packed in as close to the sun as they do to their stars and we now have tentative evidence that another way in which we might be rare is having these kind of Jupiter-and-up planets.”

“The fact that giant planets are more common around stars more massive than sun-like stars is an interesting puzzle,” Chiang said.

Because many stars visible in the night sky are massive young stars called A stars, this means that “the stars you can see in the night sky with your eye are more likely to have Jupiter-mass planets around them than the fainter stars that you need a telescope to see,” Kalas said. “That is kinda cool.”

The analysis also shows that gas giant planets and brown dwarfs, while seemingly on a continuum of increasing mass, may be two distinct populations that formed in different ways.

The gas giants, up to about 13 times the mass of Jupiter, appear to have formed by accretion of gas and dust onto smaller objects – from the bottom up.

Brown dwarfs, between 13 and 80 Jupiter masses, formed like stars, by gravitational collapse – from the top down – within the same cloud of gas and dust that gave rise to the stars.

“I think this is the clearest evidence we have that these two groups of objects, planets and brown dwarfs, form differently,” Chiang said. “They really are apples and oranges.”

Direct imaging is the future

The Gemini Planet Imager can sharply image planets around distant stars, thanks to extreme adaptive optics, which rapidly detects turbulence in the atmosphere and reduces blurring by adjusting the shape of a flexible mirror. The instrument detects the heat of bodies still glowing from their own internal energy, such as exoplanets that are large, between 2 and 13 times the mass of Jupiter, and young, less than 100 million years old, compared to our sun’s age of 4.6 billion years. Even though it blocks most of the light from the central star, the glare still limits GPI to seeing only planets and brown dwarfs far from the stars they orbit, between about 10 and 100 AU.

The team plans to analyze data on the remaining stars in the survey, hoping for greater insight into the most common types and sizes of planets and brown dwarfs.

Chiang noted that the success of GPIES shows that direct imaging will become increasingly important in the study of exoplanets, especially for understanding their formation.

“Direct imaging is the best way at getting at young planets,” he said. “When young planets are forming, their young stars are too active, too jittery, for radial velocity or transit methods to work easily. But with direct imaging, seeing is believing.”

Other UC Berkeley team members are postdoctoral fellows Ian Czekala, Gaspard Duchêne, Thomas Esposito, Megan Ansdell and Rebecca Jensen-Clem, professor of astronomy James Graham and undergraduates Jonathan Lin, Meiji Nguyen and Yilun Ma. Other team members include Nielsen, a former Berkeley undergraduate, Franck Marchis, a former assistant researcher, and Marshall Perrin, Mike Fitzgerald, Jason Wang, Eve Lee and Lea Hirsch, former graduate students.

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation (AST-1518332), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NNX15AC89G) and the Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS), a research coordination network sponsored by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (NNX15AD95G).

Robert Sanders writes for the UC Berkeley News Center.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – In June the second of two wildfire seasons start in California.

The first fire season is between October and April when the Santa Ana winds are most prevalent, and the second season typically runs from June through September when heat and lots of dried ground cover provide breeding grounds for the flames.

This is a good time, then, to reiterate some of our tips for hikers who are going out during the hotter summer months when wildfires can be a factor.

Taking reasonable precautions during fire season before going out on a hike is the first best defense against getting trapped in a remote area with a wildfire on the way.

Before heading out, check with the local fire services for notices about possible burns or risk concerns in the area. Take the time to not only plot the course of your hike, but also to plot escape routes.

Remember: Getting away from the burn is more important than getting back to your car or the trailhead.

Tell friends and family where you’re going and when you expected to be back, so they’ll know where to direct emergency personnel to start looking if you don’t come home on time.

Bring something shiny with you, like a mirror, to signal with if your trapped by the fire. Wear bright clothing, so you’re easy to spot at a distance or from above. Don’t wear synthetic clothing, as synthetics can melt directly onto your skin if the fire overtakes you.

Watching for signs of fire is another good defense against getting trapped by a wildfire. The acrid scent of smoke or seeing smoke are obvious indicators that a fire is nearby. If you see ash or sparks in the air, it means the fire is probably less than a mile away from you and you should take immediate measures to safely leave the area. Even small fires can loom large in just a short amount of time, so don’t underestimate the danger of tiny floating sparks.

When trying to escape a fire, face the wind and move downhill whenever possible. Remember, heat rises, so fire will run up the side of a hill or embankment much quicker than it will move down it.

Moving down into shadier areas also moves you down into spots where streams and groundwater may help to keep the plant-cover more moist. Be careful of canyons and deep ravines, however. These landscape features can actually act like giant chimneys and draw the fire and smoke up into them.

Also be aware of the plant life around you. Some plants are highly flammable: manzanita, for example. Its roots are shallow and vulnerable to heat, and the bark is thin and peels off with age, so it offers the shrubs little protection from wildfires.

Whenever possible, move along areas that won’t provide the fire with any additional tinder, such as wide dirt trails or fire breaks, paved roads, or rocky and gravelly areas.

Some believe that going back over areas that have already been burned may provide some protection because the fuel there has already been consumed.

Be aware, however, that such areas may still be extremely hot to walk on, and extra heat on an already hot day is not your friend. Also, some fire-remnants can often smolder deep in the root cavities of the burned shrubs and trees and can reignite without warning.

Never try to outrun an oncoming wildfire; it can move as quickly as 14 miles per hour.

If you do find yourself trapped by the fire, and you can’t get out into a large water source (such as a deep stream or lake) do NOT douse your clothes with water. If the fire reaches you, it can cause the water on your clothes to super-heat and turn to scalding steam.

If the fire is going to overtake you, find a relatively clear space on the ground, pull up any weeds or brush you can, and create a shallow depression to lie in. The bigger the space you can clear for yourself, the better. Take off your backpack but keep it nearby in case you need to use it as a heat shield. Then lay face-down in the depression with your feet in the direction of the fire.

As horrifying as being trapped by a wildfire may seem, keep in mind that if one does overtake you, it may pass over you in less than a minute or so. The heat will make it difficult to breathe but try to keep yourself low to the ground and as calm as you can.

To avoid situations like this, however, it’s always best to arm yourself with as much information as you can before going out on the trail.

Stay alert and stay safe.

Mary K. Hanson is a Certified California Naturalist, author, nature photographer and blogger ( https://chubbywomanwalkabout.com/ ) who is living with terminal cancer. She also teaches naturalist classes through Tuleyome, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, Calif. For more information, visit www.tuleyome.org .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council on Thursday held the swearing-in for a new member and approved its new fiscal year budget.

The council met at 4 p.m. to hold a budget workshop ahead of its regular evening meeting.

At the start of the workshop, City Clerk Melissa Swanson administered the oath of office to Russell Perdock, who the council voted last week to appoint to succeed former Mayor Nick Bennett, who resigned in May due to health reasons, ahead of a move to South Dakota.

Perdock previously had served on the council but resigned in February 2018 to pursue the city’s police chief job, which ultimately went to Andrew White. Perdock also ran unsuccessfully for the council in November.

He said at Thursday’s meeting that it was Bennett who had called and encouraged him to apply for the vacancy. The term has 18 months remaining.

Following the swearing-in, Mayor Russ Cremer shook Perdock’s hand. “Welcome back,” Cremer said.

One of the main items of business on Thursday was budgeting work, both during the workshop and later during the meeting.

This year’s budget has $17.6 million in appropriations – with transfers, appropriations total $23.6 million across all funds – with $6.6 million in the general fund, according to City Manager Alan Flora.

During the budget workshop, ahead of the final approval that took place during the regular meeting, Flora went over some of the city’s key economic indicators that impact the budget.

Inflation is the lowest in four years at 1.8 percent, which he said is primarily due to falling fuel prices and used vehicle sales. Wages are flat.

Flora said interest rates are expected to decline, and despite national trends California continues to add jobs, with construction and manufacturing leading the way.

He said the city’s residential property values have been doing pretty well, and are showing a 13 percent increase, which is better than Lakeport and county as a whole. “We’re making up a little bit of ground.”

Key city revenue sources are property and sales tax. He told the council during the budget workshop that sales tax projections have been up and down.

Flora’s written report explained that city revenues remain stable, “but the same growth seen over the past few years is not anticipated to continue.”

Sales tax – which he said supports community services – have shown meager growth over the past year, a trend which Flora’s written report said isn’t unique to Clearlake or Lake County but is being seen across Northern California. He said the opening of Big 5 and Tractor Supply last year helped smooth the overall decline in retail sales.

“While there is not a current reason for concern, fiscal restraint must be used in General Fund expenditures as well as Measure P (police sales tax) and Measure V (road sales tax),” he wrote in his budget message.

Flora’s budget focuses on two key categories of investment for the new fiscal year – infrastructure and investment.

In infrastructure, the Measure V road tax is projected to generate $2 million for road work in the coming year.

The design plans for both Austin and Highlands Parks are expected to be completed within the next month, and Flora reported that the priority focus for the year is starting the Austin Park project. It’s expected to cost between $1.5 to $2 million to complete both phases, and the budget includes $1.8 million to complete.

The city also is working to maintain existing staffing levels, as well as fund an additional police dispatcher, and planned upgrades to city facilities and technology.

Flora also wants to address the city’s image, which he proposes to tackle through investments such as $120,000 for vehicle and property abatements and $75,000 to hire a public relations or strategy firm to help the city “share its message of success and change with a focus on attracting investment,” according to the budget narrative. There also is $65,000 set aside for economic development and marketing collaborative efforts.

After doing the bulk of the budget review during the workshop, the council accepted it as proposed during the meeting.

The council also unanimously approved its appropriations, or Gann, limit for the new fiscal year as well as the city fee schedule.

In other business, the council held a public hearing and approved the first reading of an ordinance requiring registration of vacant, abandoned or foreclosed commercial buildings. A second reading and final adoption of the ordinance is anticipated to take place on June 27.

The ordinance requires that any commercial building vacant for 30 consecutive days must register for an initial cost of $100 plus a pro-rated cost of $12.50 per month. The penalty for failing to register after notice by an enforcement official is set at $500 for the first violation and $1,000 for every 30 days the property remains unregistered.

Buildings subject to registration must have posted on them a sign providing the name and phone number of the owner or agent responsible for inspections and, for foreclosures, the contact information for the lender; liability insurance for the property in the amount of $1 million except as approved by the city manager; be secured from trespassers; and monthly inspections by the owner or their agency with submission of an inspection report to the police department.

The council also began discussing traffic calming measures, voting to have staff identify trial locations for speed reduction efforts; updated the mayor’s appointments for the year by having Perdock step into committee positions Bennett had held; approved an agreement between the county of Lake and city of Clearlake regarding a road maintenance program for 40th Avenue, Davis Avenue and Moss Avenue for Fiscal Year 2018-19 through FY 2023-24; presented a proclamation declaring June as LGBT Pride Month; and tabled discussion of a two-year agreement between the county of Lake, city of Lakeport and city of Clearlake for support of Lake County PEG TV station.

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, Calif. – The Lakeshore Lions Club of Clearlake is sponsoring its 62nd annual Redbud Parade and Festival.

The parade will start at Redbud Park at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 6, and will proceed down Lakeshore Drive to Austin Park.

The theme of this year's parade is “Lake County Roots.”

This year the parade will feature local marchers, decorated floats, vintage cars, parade and show horses, fire and police vehicles, and much more.

The Lakeshore Lions Club will also sponsor the firework display at dark.

Come on down to Austin Park and enjoy an assortment of food, cold drinks and beer.

There also will be the 20th annual Show and Shine Car Show, arts and craft vendors, games and entertainment for all.

The Clearlake Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the 51st annual International Worm Races.

The Midway of Fun Carnival will run from July 3 to 7. Advance tickets are available at Tatonka Land and Clearlake Automotive.

This is the largest fundraiser for the Lakeshore Lions Club, so show your community spirit and support by helping raise money for all the many causes Lakeshore Lions Club aids in the community.

The club supports the eyeglasses and vision care for the needy, high school sports, scholarships and many other school activities, South Shore Little League, our Fire and Police Departments, the senior center, community, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, and many more very worthy causes.

Anyone who wishes to enter the parade or car show can pick up an entry form at the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce office, Bob's Vacuum, Clearlake Automotive, Kevin Ness Jewelers and Tatonka Land.

Any and all Arts and Craft venders interested in booths, please call Bob Kiel at 707-994-9752.

For more information about the parade, please call 707-994-3070 and for the car show call Kevin Ness at 707-994-2307.