KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol is working to identify an individual who fled the scene of a Friday night solo-vehicle hit-and-run crash that injured one person.

The crash occurred at 11:35 p.m. on Fairway Drive east of Tenino way in the Clear Lake Rivieras, according to the CHP’s Clear Lake Area office.

Injured in the crash was the vehicle’s passenger, Charles Wade Rose Jr., 53, of Kelseyville, the CHP reported.

The CHP said the driver who fled was behind the wheel of a 2003 Ford F-350 pickup traveling westbound on Fairview Drive.

The driver failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway, which allowed the pickup to go off the road and travel down a steep embankment, according to the report.

As the pickup was going down the embankment, the front of it hit a large rock, causing it to overturn, the CHP said.

The CHP said the pickup came to rest approximately 100 feet south of Fairway Drive where it caught fire.

After the crash, the driver fled on foot and was not located, the CHP said.

Rose, who was seated in the right front seat and wearing a seat belt, sustained moderate injuries in the wreck and was flown by REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, according to the CHP.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the CHP.

Any witnesses not contacted by the CHP on scene are encouraged to call the CHP’s Clear Lake Area Office at 707-279-0103.

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.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Thursday evening four-vehicle wreck near Kelseyville left one driver injured.

The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said the crash occurred just before 6 p.m. Thursday on Highway 29 at Bottle Rock Road.

The CHP said Angela Salazar, 58, of Lakeport was driving a 1997 Nissan Quest northbound on Highway 29 approaching the intersection with Bottle Rock Road.

At the same time, Flora Hutchison, 73, of Cobb, driving a 2012 Nissan Pathfinder, was stopped in Highway 29’s northbound lane waiting to make a left turn onto Bottle Rock Road with her left turn signal on, the CHP said.

Crystal Johnson, 36, of Kelseyville was driving a 2007 Chevy pickup southbound approaching Bottle Rock, while the CHP said 16-year-old Bryson Trask of Clearlake was driving a 1994 Toyota pickup behind Salazar in the northbound lane.

The CHP said Salazar failed to notice that Hutchison was stopped and hit the rear of the Hutchison’s Nissan.

Salazar’s vehicle then bounced into the southbound lane, directly in Johnson’s path, hitting the left front of Johnson’s pickup, the CHP said.

Trask applied the brakes to his pickup but was unable to stop and hit the rear of Salazar’s Nissan, according to the report.

The wreck left the cars driven by Salazar, Johnson and Trask disabled and blocking both lanes of the highway and the Bottle Rock Road intersection, the CHP said.

The CHP said the roadway was closed for an extended period of time to extricate Salazar and remove the additional disabled vehicles.

Salazar was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital with moderate injuries, which the CHP said included complaint of pain to her arm. The other drivers were uninjured.

All of the drivers were wearing their seat belts at the time of the wreck, and the CHP said neither drugs nor alcohol were determined to be factors in the crash.

The crash is still under investigation and the CHP asks that any witnesses contact its Kelseyville office at 707-279-0103.

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.

LUCERNE, Calif. – The county of Lake has released a request for proposals from organizations and individuals interested in leasing or purchasing the historic Lucerne Hotel.

The 55,000-square-foot building sits on seven acres at 3700 Country Club Drive.

The county’s redevelopment agency purchased the building in 2010 and conducted extensive renovations.

For several years the building housed Southern California-based Marymount California University, which abruptly left in June. The university later paid the county $65,000 for breaking the lease.

The building, around which the town of Lucerne was built, turns 90 this year.

The Hotel Lucerne Corp. began construction on the building in 1927, with that work completed in 1928.

John Rinker Kibbey was the Lucerne Hotel’s architect. Kibbey is noted for having designed numerous historic buildings across Southern California and in Arizona.

Another great building designed by Kibbey was the Brophy Chapel at Brophy College Preparatory. It was built in 1928, the same year the Lucerne Hotel was completed.

His firm, Lescher & Kibbey, also designed the Mohave County Courthouse, which is on the National Historic Register. He was reported to have later designed Hollywood movie sets.

The Lucerne Hotel RFP, issued on Wednesday, has a deadline of 5 p.m. April 25.

“The county invites Proposers to envision utilizing this extraordinary building for a use which would be an economic generator for the community,” the RFP document states. “Each proposal should reflect the County’s desire to have a Proposer who provides a high level of return to the community when purchasing or operating and maintaining the Property and related activities in a fiscally responsible manner.”

The document suggests that the building’s educational, vocational and commercial uses might include, but not be limited to, lodging, professional office space, education, a culinary academy, event and conference center, hospitality training, research facility, a tech campus, a viticultural and enology center, “and others as proposed which will be evaluated based upon the potential for a beneficial outcome.”

The RFP continues, “We invite significant and creative proposals for potential uses of the Property. The County’s primary goal for this RFP is to secure the best and highest use for the Northshore/Lucerne/and the county as a whole. The proposed use should provide collaborative, complementary, and beneficial services to the community.”

The full document can be seen below.

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.

Lucerne Hotel Property Request for Proposals by LakeCoNews on Scribd

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – At its Thursday meeting the Clearlake City Council agreed to give the Southshore Little League an extension of its current lease, a request the league made in order to carry out more upgrades on the fields and facilities.

City Manager Greg Folsom told the council on Thursday night that the league had approached him about its interest in installing new “capital intensive” upgrades, including lighting and a new t-ball field at Haverty Field and the Redbud Park ball fields

At the same time, the league wants to have a longer-term lease, Folsom said. The league’s current lease has five years remaining on it.

Helen Mitcham, secretary-treasurer of Southshore Little League, told the council that the league was seeking modifications to its existing use agreement.

She said the league originally was chartered in 1959, when it was known as Konocti Little League. “We have played on the Redbud fields for 60 years next season,” she said.

Many local leaders have played on the fields as children, as did Ray Silva, who went on to play in the big leagues, Mitcham said.

Mitcham said that last season there were 34 teams and 443 players ranging in age from 4 to 15.

The league’s use agreement is dated to March of 2010. Mitcham said they came back in 2012 to request a change, and that’s when it was modified to a 10-year use agreement.

In 2013 the league made a number of upgrades, including installing power lines to accommodate pitching machines and a new circuit to the snack shack, plus a new flagpole, with all the buildings painted and the dugouts reroofed, she said.

She said that in 2015 the league replaced and upgraded the main electric panel, replaced an electric scoreboard, reinstalled a swamp cooler on the snack shack, purchased a storage container, and replaced and upgraded the old alarm system.

The following year, they rebuilt the pitchers’ mounds, reworked both fields, purchased a new ice machine for the snack shack, renamed the field for donors Dale and Karen Valentine and put in a sign with the Valentine Field name, she said.

She said that in 2017, they painted all the dugouts, installed locked gates on them as well as on the announcer’s booth, and made some other upgrades as well.

Mitcham said the league was seeking to extend its existing use agreement with the city up to 25 or 30 years, as they have potential donors who want to see a longer-term commitment to allow the league’s use of the facilities.

Key goals are building a t-ball field, installing lights on the ball field and batting cages as the league seeks to bring tournament play to Clearlake, Mitcham said.

The league also sought the council’s agreement in concept to those larger projects. “We know they require permits and firm plans, and we're ready to get the ball rolling,” said Mitcham.

Mitcham said league volunteers are anxious to work with the city to make Redbud park a showcase for baseball and softball “Together we can make this a home run,” she said with a chuckle.

Councilwoman Joyce Overton said the location is a “prime piece of property” that it’s hoped will be developed at some point. She asked if the league had looked at a large piece of property by the Redbud Library. Mitcham said they hadn’t, as when the Clearlake Youth Center opened near Redbud Park, the idea was that it would be the hub of youth activities.

Mitcham also was concerned about what would happen to the fields if the league left. “We have significant investment in what's already there.”

“I think that what we have here is a little league that is completely underutilized,” said Councilman Phil Harris.

He said the league’s efforts to bring tournament play to the city would be beneficial, and having it downtown is exactly what the city desires.

“The cost of moving the fields would be substantial,” said Harris, pointing out the infrastructure already there.

Councilman Nick Bennett said, “There are obstacles to overcome,” one of them being parking in the area. However, he said he was very happy with the league’s plans, noting his daughter played ball with them.

Harris supported adding another 15 years to the five years remaining on the agreement, which would take them to 2038.

He wanted to add a caveat that if an investor was interested in the property there were would be the potential for the development of a new field in a new location, which would have to be completed before game play on the existing fields was terminated.

Mayor Bruno Sabatier said he loves what the league does for the city, noting all of the work is being done by volunteers. “Since 1959 this has been a service to our community.”

He said the league’s location is prime for attracting people to the downtown, and he agreed with Harris’ extension proposal. Sabatier added that preserving open space and childrens' play spaces is a top priority.

A league volunteer told the council that field lightning could be close to $100,000. Once they have the agreement extension, they can move forward with pursuing the necessary grant, which they could have within a year. The goal is to have the lights up and ready by the 2020 season, although it’s possible they could be in place by the 2019 season.

Harris thanked Southshore Little League for its work before the council agreed to give direction to Folsom to work with the league on the updated agreement.

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. – Clearlake Animal Control has a big group of dogs waiting for new homes this week.

The available dogs are Buttercup, Hutch, Jessie, Magnolia, Niko, Oliver, Robbie and Taco.

To meet the animals, call Clearlake Animal Control at 707-994-8201 and speak to Marcia at Extension 103 or call Extension 118, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, or leave a message at any other time.

Below are this week's available pets.

‘Buttercup’

“Buttercup” is a female Chihuahua-terrier mix who is estimated to be between 6 and 8 months old.

Shelter staff said she weighs about 20 pounds, is good with other dogs and with children.

She is shy but warms up quickly, and has young pup manners.

‘Hutch’

Hutch is a calm shepherd mix estimated to be between 1 and 2 years old, with a short brown coat and weighing 55 pounds.

Shelter staff said he appears to be good with other dogs, and is attentive.

He walks great on leash but also likes to just chill on his bed.

‘Jessie’

“Jessie” is a small female shepherd mix, weighing about 20 pounds and estimated to be 4 months old.

She has a short tan coat with black and white markings.

Shelter staff said she is good with other dogs and with children.

Jessie is very spunky and on the go, and loves to play chase and zoom around. Staff said she is quickly learning to walk nicely on leash.

.‘Magnolia’

“Magnolia” has a short brown and white coat.

Shelter staff said she loves walks and commands you rub her belly. She wiggles over then flops over for the rubs.

She came in as a stray and is already spayed. Staff estimated she is around 2 years old and weighs about 60 pounds.

Magnolia is very social and friendly. She is fine with other dogs, and walks well on leash.

‘Niko’

“Niko” is a handsome 2-year-old male German Shepherd.

He weighs 70 pounds and has a black and tan coat.

Shelter staff said he is calm and attentive, eager to learn and easy to walk. He likes to play and minds his own business when around other dogs. He has a couple old wounds that have been treated and are healing nicely.

Niko has great kennel manners, so staff said he could possibly be house trained. He needs a big fenced yard to play and get lots of exercise, staff said.

He is vaccinated and will be neutered prior to adoption.

‘Oliver’

Oliver is a very handsome 9-month-old male mixed breed who weighs about 90 pounds and has a short black and white coat.

Shelter staff said he is good with children, treat motivated and eager to please. He’s also a quick learner.

‘Robbie’

“Robbie” is a young and happy-go-lucky mix – possibly Labrador Retriever and Rottweiler.

Shelter staff said is he around a year and a half old and weighs 50 pounds.

He walks well on a leash, makes friends with other dogs, and is playful but not super active.

Robbie is vaccinated and will be neutered prior to adoption.

‘Taco’

“Taco” is a 1-year-old male Chihuahua.

He weighs 4 pounds and already has been neutered.

Shelter staff said Taco is super entertaining and comical.

He gets along with other dogs and with children; it’s unknown how he interacts with cats. He is not timid or fearful.

Taco has a sweet personality and loves to be in your lap, but also loves a quick walk.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will consider midyear budget adjustments and look at a proposal for a new employees unit.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13, 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 item, the board will hold its midyear budget review.

As part of that process, supervisors will consider a resolution to adjust reserves, fund balance carry over, revenues and appropriations for the current fiscal year and also consider a resolution establishing new classifications and amending a previous resolution to amend the position allocations to conform to the mid-year budget adjustments.

In another untimed item, the board will discuss and consider establishing the Lake County Sheriff’s Management Unit.

In a memo to the board, Sheriff Brian Martin said sworn peace officer management staff at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office is requesting to be recognized as a separate bargaining unit from the Management Unit.

According to county documents, the staff who would be represented by the new unit include the undersheriff, two captains and five lieutenants.

In other business, in items timed between 9:15 a.m. and 9:18 a.m., the board will consider continuing proclamations of local emergencies due to the Rocky, Jerusalem, Valley, Clayton and Sulphur fires, and the atmospheric river storm.

The full agenda follows.

CONTRACT CHANGE ORDERS

6.1: Consideration of Contract Change Order No. 1 for the CSA-2 Spring Valley Distribution System Improvement Project, Bid No. SD16-10.

6.2: Consideration of Contract Change Order No. 2 for the CSA-2 Spring Valley Distribution System Improvement Project, Bid No. SD16-10.

CONSENT AGENDA

7.1: Adopt the resolution of support for protection of our ocean and coast from offshore drilling and fracking.

7.2: Approve minutes of the Board of Supervisors meetings held Nov. 14, 2017, and Nov. 28, 2017.

7.3: Appoint the County Administrative Officer as the designated representative for unrepresented labor groups regarding salaries, salary schedules or compensation paid in the form of fringe benefits.

7.4: Approve addendum to the commercial lease agreement between the county of Lake and Tri-Star Properties, L.P. for the lease of property located at 845 and 849 Bevins Street, Lakeport, CA 95453 in the amount of $1,845.26 per month and authorize the chair to sign.

7.5: Approve Amendment 3 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Ford Street Project for substance use disorder residential and detoxification services FY 2017-18, an increase of $30,000 and contract maximum of $80,000 and authorize the chair to sign.

7.6: Approve Amendment 3 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Center Point DAAC for SUDS Detoxification and Residential Treatment Services FY 2017-18, a decrease of $20,000 and a contract maximum of $10,000 and authorize the chair to sign.

7.7: Approve plans and specifications for the Mockingbird Lane at Robinson Creek Bridge Replacement Project; Bid No. 18-01, Federal Aid Project No: BRLO-5914(105).

7.8: Adopt resolution approving right-of-way certification for East Lake Elementary Safe Routes to School and CDBG Project - Federal Aid No. SR2SL-5914 (064), SRTSL-5914 (057) and SRTSL-5914 (097).

TIMED ITEMS

8.2, 9:15 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the Sulphur fire incident; and (b) update and discussion on the Sulphur fire recovery

8.3, 9:16 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to wildfire conditions, pertaining to the Rocky, Jerusalem and Valley fires; and (b) update on Valley Fire Debris Insurance Collection Project.

8.4, 9:17 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to Clayton fire.

8.5, 9:18 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local emergency due to the atmospheric river storm; and (b) update and discussion of the atmospheric river storm recovery.

UNTIMED ITEMS

9.2: Consideration of the Following Appointment: Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health.

9.3: a) Consideration of Resolution Amending Resolution No. 2017-124 to Amend the FY 2017-18 adopted budget by adjusting reserves, fund balance carry over, revenues, and appropriations; and b) consideration of resolution establishing new classifications and amending Resolution 2017-125 to amend the position allocations for FY 2017-18 to conform to the mid-year budget adjustments.

9.4: Sitting as the Lake County Air Quality Management District Board of Directors consideration of reappointment of Roger Bakke, Nancy Perrin and Cameron Reeves to the LCAQMD Hearing Board for three year terms, pursuant to Health and Safety Code.

9.5: Discussion and consideration for the establishment of the Lake County Sheriff’s Management Unit.

CLOSED SESSION

10.1: Conference with Labor Negotiator pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54957.6: a. agency negotiator: Carol J. Huchingson, CAO b. Unrepresented confidential and management employees.

10.2: Public employee evaluations title: Human Resources director.

10.3: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to Initiate Litigation Pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(4): Two potential cases.

10.4: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation Pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(4): County of Lake v. PG&E.

10.5: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9(d)(1): LCCOA v. County of Lake, et al.

10.6: Conference with real property negotiators pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.8: Property owner: Paul and Barbara Breunig/Edward and Tina Brown. County reps: Scott De Leon and Jeff Rein Properties: 2575 and 2585 South Main Street APNs: 005-053-18 and 005-053-19.

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 Clearlake City Council on Thursday held a first reading of a commercial cannabis ordinance amendment to clarify language regarding where the activities can take place, with council members indicating they wanted to protect the Lakeshore Drive corridor.

City Manager Greg Folsom and City Attorney Ryan Jones brought the amendment to the council in order to address issues with an ordinance the council approved in October which, because of a missing semicolon, appeared to allow for growing on both sides of Highway 53.

In December, the council implemented an urgency ordinance to prevent commercial cannabis on the west side of Highway 53, where they had indicated at that time that they didn’t want the activities, as Lake County News has reported.

One of the key issues that emerged for the four council members during the discussion on Thursday was that they didn’t want growing activities along Lakeshore Drive.

That was the biggest concern for Councilwoman Joyce Overton, with Councilman Nick Bennett agreeing about protecting Lakeshore but adding that he also is concerned about Olympic Drive, the city’s other key thoroughfare.

Bennett said he wasn’t against commercial grows, as they’re now a reality. “We need to look into the future – five, 10, 20 years from now. What is the cutoff point, where are we going to limit it to?”

He said he believed it had been the Clearlake Planning Commission’s intent to keep the activities on the east side of the highway.

Overton said there appeared to be one spot on Olympic Drive in commercial zoning that would be acceptable.

Councilman Phil Harris said he believed the council should move forward with allowing commercial cannabis on all sides, excluding Lakeshore Drive.

During public comment, Jeremy Mayfield said permits can easily be revoked if necessary, and the real issue is seeing and smelling the plants. He suggested they decided on operations on a case-by-case basis.

Henry Bornstein suggested more precise language, noting that the amended ordinance would be clearer if it said grows could take place if they’re located to the east of the highway and if they comply with city rules.

Cannabis business owner Chris Jennings said he felt the ordinance was missing some important items, and should have added to it every license type, including microbusiness.

Jennings said people in his industry already are having to jump through hoops forward, backward and sideways. He suggested that instead the city should be encouraging people, noting the trend for people to want to come the area, work and make a living.

He said he already has nine full-time employees with more to come, and said he believed Bennett has the idea of the future wrong when it comes to cannabis, the potential for which he suggested could easily surpass all of the county’s agriculture production.

Jennings said any cannabis businesses and facilities proposed for Lakeshore or Olympic drives will be new or renovated buildings with a lot of investment.

“There’s a lot of good that comes from the cannabis industry, and it touches a lot of different areas,” he said.

In response, Bennett clarified that, in speaking about the future limits, he believed cannabis needed to be controlled so it doesn’t take over the city or negatively impact the community.

Mayor Bruno Sabatier said he didn’t disagree about not having cultivation on Lakeshore Drive, where he wants to see restaurants and retail. He said he also wasn’t against cannabis activities on Olympic Drive in C4 zoning, defined as heavy service commercial and light industrial.

Harris moved to approve commercial cannabis activities on both sides of Highway 53 when it’s entirely inside a building, and also allow it on the east side in hybrid greenhouses except in properties adjacent to Lakeshore and Olympic, with allowances for C4 zoning areas on Olympic.

A second reading will go before the council at an upcoming meeting.

In other business on Thursday, the council directed staff to work on a 15-year extension to the remaining five years on Southshore Little League’s contract for Haverty Field and the Redbud Park ball fields in order for the league to move forward on a number of proposed improvements.

The council presented a proclamation declaring February as Black History Month to Rick Mayo of the Lake County NAACP chapter, awarded a contract for design services for the Highlands Park Improvement Project to Melton Design Group for an amount not to exceed $94,420, and held a public hearing and approved a resolution approving committing Community Development Block Grant Program income funds for code enforcement and an updated program income reuse agreement.

The council also held a special meeting before the regular meeting for the purposes of the midyear budget review, and approved $395,000 in recommended budget adjustments.

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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – It’s hard to ignore them when they’re shouting their loud, rasping “shreeep!” calls at one another.

The California Scrub Jays are also colorful and pretty much ubiquitous in our region. You can find them almost anywhere from deep oak woodlands to urban settings.

Although they are jays and they are blue, they’re not “Blue Jays”. The Blue Jay is actually an entirely different species not found at all in California.

That loud distinctive “shreep!” call is usually one used to indicate aggression, and often accompanies the bird flying from one part of its territory to another, ducking for cover from predators, or displaying to a rival.

But “shreeping” isn’t the extent of their language. The jays are believed to enunciate a least 20 different kinds of calls, including a deep throated “rattling” call and a soft “coo” (usually used between courting or mating pairs), bill-clapping “pops”, and loud “shrieking.”

Like crows, they may also have distinctive dialects, so the birds know who is from their area and who is from somewhere else.

According to a study done by Teresa Iglesias at UC Davis, the cacophonous shrieking behavior – usually started by one bird and then picked up by others in the vicinity – is used in part to alert other jays in the area to close-by predators (like owls) and also use to mourn their dead.

According to Iglesias’ study, “On encountering a dead jay, prostrate on the ground, jays flew into a tree and began a series of loud, screeching calls that attracted other jays. The summoned birds perched on trees and fences around the body and joined in the calling …”

This is somewhat similar to the calling behavior ravens use to summon their troops and communicate information to one another.

In such aggregates, territorial boundaries are often briefly ignored so all of the birds can come together and communicate in relative safety in one place.

With a brain-to-body ratio likened to that of whales, dolphins and chimpanzees, scrub jays, like other corvids (including crows and ravens) are considered to be exceedingly intelligent animals.

Studies indicate that they recognize other individuals in their groups, they can tell a decoy jay from a live bird, they plan for the future by caching seeds and other foodstuffs, and they can apparently remember the specific site of hundreds of caches AND what’s in them.

Some studies also seem to indicate that the jays are aware of the rate at which their cached food decays, and eat from the more perishable ones first. It’s this seed caching behavior, in part, which makes the jays one of the keystone species in their environment: by planting and moving seeds around, they reforest the areas within their territories.

Stealing is also part of the scrub jays’ repertoire of skills. They regularly observe other birds -- and squirrels -- note where those animals hide their caches, and then willfully pilfer from them. In some instances, the jays will even chase other jays and steal the food directly from them in flight – with a lot of raucous calling punctuating the thefts.

During the spring and summer the scrub jay’s diet is comprised mainly of insects, berries, vegetables and small frogs and lizards, but they’ll also eat eggs and the hatchlings of other birds – and, of course, human garbage is also sometimes on the menu. In the winter, their favorites are cached seeds and acorns.

It’s not unusual to see breeding pairs feeding food to one another as part of their courtship display and to maintain their pair bond. Although they are monogamous when breeding, and sometimes choose the same partners year after year, they don’t necessarily mate for life.

Here in our area, we can see the scrub jays almost daily as they are regular residents that do not migrate and can live up to fifteen years in the wild. So get out there and try some observations of your own.

The jays’ propensity for rambunctious noise, their blatant assertiveness, and their inquisitive nature makes them really fun to watch.

Mary K. Hanson is a Certified California Naturalist, author and nature photographer. She will be co-teaching a naturalist course for the public through Tuleyome in early 2018. Tuleyome is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, Calif. For more information visit www.tuleyome.org.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has a number of terriers plus mixes of Labrador and retriever available for adoption this week.

The dogs offered adoption this week include mixes of Chihuahua, golden retriever, Labrador Retriever, Maltese, pit bull, Rottweiler and terrier.

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”).

Female terrier

This female terrier has a short tricolor coat.

She’s in quarantine kennel No. 1, ID No. 9381.

Male terrier

This male terrier has a short tricolor coat.

Shelter staff said he already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 2a, ID No. 9396.

‘Rootbeer’

“Rootbeer” is a female Chihuahua mix.

She has a short black and gray coat.

She’s in kennel No. 2a, ID No. 9418.

‘Muffie’

“Muffie” is a terrier with a short black and tan coat.

She already has been spayed.

She’s in kennel No. 2b, ID No. 9419.

Male terrier

This male terrier has a short tricolor coat.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 2c, ID No. 9393.

Female Maltese-terrier mix

This female Maltese-terrier mix has a short brown and black coat.

She is in quarantine kennel No. 2d, ID No. 9394.

Male golden retriever

This male golden retriever has a medium-length gold coat.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in quarantine kennel No. 5, ID No. 9302.

Female terrier

This female terrier has a short tricolor coat.

She’s in quarantine kennel No. 8, ID No. 9395.

‘Bella’

“Bella” is a female Labrador Retriever-Rottweiler mix with a short black and brown coat.

She is in kennel No. 17, ID No. 9375.

Male Labrador Retriever

This male Labrador Retriever has a short black coat with white markings.

He already has been neutered.

He’s in kennel No. 23, ID No. 9410.

Male terrier

This male terrier has a short tricolor coat.

He is in kennel No. 27, ID No. 9398.

Female terrier

This female terrier has a short tricolor coat.

She’s in kennel No. 28a, ID No. 9399.

Female terrier

This female terrier has a short tricolor coat.

She’s in kennel No. 28b, ID No. 9400.

Male pit bull

This male pit bull has a short buff-colored coat.

Shelter staff said he is a lovely boy who will sit on command and give you a handshake.

He’s in kennel No. 32, ID No. 9369.

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.

A new study has found that the seven planets orbiting the nearby ultra-cool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 are all made mostly of rock, and some could potentially hold more water than Earth.

The planets' densities, now known much more precisely than before, suggest that some of them could have up to 5 percent of their mass in the form of water – about 250 times more than Earth's oceans.

The hotter planets closest to their parent star are likely to have dense steamy atmospheres and the more distant ones probably have icy surfaces.

In terms of size, density and the amount of radiation it receives from its star, the fourth planet out is the most similar to Earth. It seems to be the rockiest planet of the seven, and has the potential to host liquid water.

Planets around the faint red star TRAPPIST-1, just 40 light-years from Earth, were first detected by the TRAPPIST-South telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in 2016.

In the following year further observations from ground-based telescopes, including ESO’s Very Large Telescope and NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, revealed that there were no fewer than seven planets in the system, each roughly the same size as the Earth.

They are named TRAPPIST-1b,c,d,e,f,g and h, with increasing distance from the central star.

Further observations have now been made, both from telescopes on the ground, including the nearly-complete SPECULOOS facility at ESO’s Paranal Observatory, and from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and the Kepler Space Telescope.

A team of scientists led by Simon Grimm at the University of Bern in Switzerland have now applied very complex computer modelling methods to all the available data and have determined the planets’ densities with much better precision than was possible before.

Simon Grimm explains how the masses are found: "The TRAPPIST-1 planets are so close together that they interfere with each other gravitationally, so the times when they pass in front of the star shift slightly.

These shifts depend on the planets' masses, their distances and other orbital parameters. With a computer model, we simulate the planets' orbits until the calculated transits agree with the observed values, and hence derive the planetary masses."

Team member Eric Agol comments on the significance: "A goal of exoplanet studies for some time has been to probe the composition of planets that are Earth-like in size and temperature.

The discovery of TRAPPIST-1 and the capabilities of ESO’s facilities in Chile and the NASA Spitzer Space Telescope in orbit have made this possible – giving us our first glimpse of what Earth-sized exoplanets are made of!"

The measurements of the densities, when combined with models of the planets’ compositions, strongly suggest that the seven TRAPPIST-1 planets are not barren rocky worlds.

They seem to contain significant amounts of volatile material, probably water [3], amounting to up to 5 percent the planet's mass in some cases — a huge amount; by comparison the Earth has only about 0.02 percent water by mass!

"Densities, while important clues to the planets' compositions, do not say anything about habitability. However, our study is an important step forward as we continue to explore whether these planets could support life," said Brice-Olivier Demory, co-author at the University of Bern.

TRAPPIST-1b and c, the innermost planets, are likely to have rocky cores and be surrounded by atmospheres much thicker than Earth's. TRAPPIST-1d, meanwhile, is the lightest of the planets at about 30 percent the mass of Earth. Scientists are uncertain whether it has a large atmosphere, an ocean or an ice layer.

Scientists were surprised that TRAPPIST-1e is the only planet in the system slightly denser than Earth, suggesting that it may have a denser iron core and that it does not necessarily have a thick atmosphere, ocean or ice layer.

It is mysterious that TRAPPIST-1e appears to be so much rockier in its composition than the rest of the planets. In terms of size, density and the amount of radiation it receives from its star, this is the planet that is most similar to Earth.

TRAPPIST-1f, g and h are far enough from the host star that water could be frozen into ice across their surfaces. If they have thin atmospheres, they would be unlikely to contain the heavy molecules that we find on Earth, such as carbon dioxide.

"It is interesting that the densest planets are not the ones that are the closest to the star, and that the colder planets cannot harbour thick atmospheres," notes Caroline Dorn, study co-author based at the University of Zurich, Switzerland.

The TRAPPIST-1 system will continue to be a focus for intense scrutiny in the future with many facilities on the ground and in space, including ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.

Astronomers are also working hard to search for further planets around faint red stars like TRAPPIST-1. As team member Michaël Gillon explains [4]: "This result highlights the huge interest of exploring nearby ultracool dwarf stars – like TRAPPIST-1 – for transiting terrestrial planets. This is exactly the goal of SPECULOOS, our new exoplanet search that is about to start operations at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile.”

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County’s newest Superior Court judge took his seat on the bench in a Friday ceremony.

Judge J. David Markham was welcomed to the bench by his fellow Super Court judges, along with several retired judges – including the man he is succeeding, Judge Richard Martin, who retired in May – and a standing-room-only gallery of friends, family and local officials.

Markham took his oath in the very same courtroom where, in January 2001, he came to work on his first case as an attorney.

Gov. Jerry Brown announced his appointment of Markham to the vacancy created by Martin’s retirement just days before Christmas, as Lake County News has reported.

Presiding Judge Andrew Blum, joined by judges Martin, Michael Lunas and Stephen Hedstrom, and Commissioner Douglas Thiele, welcomed Markham in remarks given from the bench.

Blum said Markham has the experience, intelligence and patience to do the job well, and said he had no doubt Markham would be an excellent addition to the bench.

“But Dave, remember the old phrase, ‘Be careful what you ask for,’” Blum said with a smile, as Markham sat at the defense table.

Blum and his colleagues would emphasize the demanding nature of the job, which is around the clock and every day of the week, and the countless – and challenging – decisions ahead that Markham will make that will impact people’s lives from birth to death.

“As one of four judges on the bench, you will have a major impact on the lives of the citizens of this county,” Blum said.

Resources are stretched thin and the caseloads are large, with Blum noting that two cases are already waiting for Markham’s attention.

However, Blum added, “It’s gratifying to do a challenging job and to do it well.”

Judge Lunas passed along to Markham a framed quote by Judge Learned Hand that is part of a tradition started by the late Judge John Golden. Written in calligraphy by Golden’s wife, Gail, the quote discusses the challenges and rewards of being a judge. It’s always given to the newest judge at their swearing in.

Lunas, who has held onto it for five years, said he’s reread the quote often, and told Markham he believed that Judge Hand overestimated how hard the job is and underestimated how good it is.

The retired judges in attendance also offered their congratulations and a word or two of advice.

Richard Freeborn urged Markham to emphasize order in his courtroom, and said the way to do that is to respect everyone, which he said will result in respect from others.

David Herrick had two key words for Markham – the first, patience, and the second, perseverance.

Robert Crone, who was sworn in as judge 34 years ago this week, wasn’t in attendance, but his remarks and good wishes were communicated to Markham. Crone had also administered Markham’s attorney’s oath to him when he began practicing law.

Hedstrom humorously recalled Markham’s pen-spilling skills – which he compared to a pistol-spinning scene in the movie “Tombstone” – before paying tribute to Markham’s skills as an attorney and his ethics.

He said he’s known Markham’s father, Jeff – a retired sheriff’s chief deputy who was in the courtroom for the event – for decades, and recalled how proud Jeff Markham has been of his son’s ethics and work, which Hedstrom also lauded in welcoming the newest judge.

Martin said he was very happy to have had Markham in his courtroom in the past, noting he is a good attorney with a good work ethic, who worked hard on every case.

Best of all, Martin said, Markham possesses the “judicial demeanor” necessary to demonstrate fairness in the work of a judge.

Martin said he believes Markham joins a good bench the members of which work well together.

He also pointed out that the fast-changing nature of society and technology – including computers, genetics and artificial intelligence – likely will bring Markham cases that have issues no one has ever heard before.

“You’ll have challenges that probably none of us have imagined,” Martin said.

Lunas guaranteed he would have days where, after up to 180 cases, Markham would go home and be too tired to eat. At the same time, however, Lunas told him he would still think such days were great, and would look forward to the next, with every day different.

He promised Markham that his door would always be open to him to offer help and counsel.

Judge Blum then came down from the bench to administer the oath of office to Markham. Afterward, Jeff Markham stepped forward and helped his son into his new judicial robe before giving him a hug.

David Markham then joined the rest of the judges on the bench while Martin joined the retired judges near the jury box.

Markham recalled making his first appearance in the same courtroom in January 2001.

“I’m humbled and honored to receive this appointment, and although I worked hard for it, I certainly didn’t do this on my own,” he said, thanking those who had supported him and giving credit to his parents for their support, love and encouragement.

He said Lake County has been a great place to live and work, and a place that has given him a great deal.

Markham said he has big shoes to fill in succeeding Martin, who is himself a great example of the judicial temperament, defined as exhibiting compassion, decisiveness, open-mindedness, sensitivity, courtesy, patience, freedom from bias and commitment to equal justice.

He called Martin a role model. “I only hope that I can fill the role of judge half as well as he has during his career.”

Markham promised to work hard, adding, “This will be how I give back to Lake County, a county that has given me so much.”

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 wind advisory has been issued for Lake County and other parts of Northern California in response to a forecast of gusty winds on Saturday.

The National Weather Service said the wind advisory will be in effect from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.

The agency said a wind advisory means that sustained winds of 25 miles per hour or higher or
gusts to 40 miles per hour or higher are expected.

The advisory said a weak weather system was anticipated to drop through the Pacific Northwest and into the Great Basin Friday night and Saturday morning, with breezy north winds developing behind the system.

The specific Lake County forecast calls for winds of up to 15 miles per hour during the day, up to more than 20 miles per hour at night, with gusts of up to 30 miles per hour Saturday night.

Winds will taper off to the single digits on Sunday, according to the forecast.

Conditions this weekend and into early next week are forecast to be clear and sunny, with daytime highs in the low 60s and nighttime lows in the high 30s.

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.