LAKEPORT, Calif. – The city of Lakeport reported Tuesday that the section of Lakeshore Boulevard between Giselman Street and Lange Street has been reopened.

That portion of the street has been under an extended closure due to the ongoing flood event.

Lane controls are in place near the intersection of Lakeshore Boulevard and Jones Street due to roadway safety concerns near the shoreline, the city said.

Motorists are reminded that they must use caution and reduce speed while driving in this area as lanes sizes may be as narrow as 9 feet.

The Lakeport Police Department will be monitoring this are closely and issuing tickets to motorists not exhibiting safe driving practices.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is reminding hunters that nonlead ammunition is now required statewide when hunting wild turkeys with a shotgun.

The upcoming 2017 spring wild turkey season will be the first hunting season with significant participation for which nonlead shot will be required statewide.

These regulations apply both to public and private lands (except for licensed game bird clubs), including all national forests, Bureau of Land Management properties and CDFW lands.

Private landowners or anyone authorized to hunt on private land must also comply with these regulations.

California’s 2017 general spring wild turkey season opens statewide on March 25 and extends through April 30.

The archery-only season will follow immediately afterward, running from May 1 to 14. Hunters who have a current junior hunting license may also hunt the weekend before the opener (March 18 and 19), and the two weeks following the general season (May 1-14), using shotguns or any other legal method of take.

Hunters are encouraged to practice shooting with nonlead shot in order to ensure their shotguns are patterned appropriately before heading into the field.

For more information on nonlead ammunition regulations and the implementation process, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/nonlead-ammunition .

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Road work this week will close New Long Valley Road for a few hours.

On Thursday, March 9, New Long Valley Road will be closed to all traffic at the Bailey bridge from 1 to 3 p.m. in order to pave the bridge approaches, according to the Lake County Public Works Department.

All vehicles must stay off the asphalt until it cures.

Public Works apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause the residents of Spring Valley.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Friends of the Lake County Museum is inviting the community to join them for a hotsy-totsy time at a 1920s-themed murder mystery dinner on Saturday, April 8.

This shindig will be happening at the Historic Courthouse Museum in downtown Lakeport.

Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show at 6:30 p.m.

Produced by Murder Us Productions, the mystery portion of the evening is set in 1920s Lake County and guests are encouraged to dress in their swankiest, spiffiest dress to fit the theme.

A three-course catered dinner, refreshments and a watering hole will round out the evening. It will be the pig’s wings, the eel's hips and the bee’s knees.

Tickets are $65 per person and $60 for Friends of the Lake County Museum.

To buy tickets, stop by the Historic Courthouse Museum in Lakeport, open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., at 255 N. Main St. in Lakeport, or call the museum at 707-263-4555.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Redbud Audubon Saturday bird walk will be held on Saturday, March 18.

The field trip will be at the Clear Lake State Park, 5300 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville.

This is always a great walk with the likelihood of seeing numerous songbirds and wildfowl as well as raptors, Great Blue Herons and egrets.

Although the park is officially closed, the group is permitted to walk in the park. Carpooling is encouraged, as they must park on Soda Bay Road.

Group members will meet in the parking lot area near the visitor’s center and begin the walk at 9 a.m.

This is an easy walk. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch for after the walk.

As with all Audubon events, the public is cordially invited to join the club.

Should the park officially reopen, please pay the park entrance fee and park in the lot. In the event of rain and the need to cancel, visit the Redbud Audubon Facebook page or its Web site, www.redbudaudubon.org .

Bonnie Thompson is a member of the Redbud Audubon Chapter.

Online shopping can be a great way to beat the winter blues. It’s been a few months since the holidays, but there’s something about a package delivered to your front door that brings back the festive spirit.

One thing that’ll dampen your mood, however, is if something goes wrong with delivery.
 
Getting something delivered has associated risks; from phishing emails and delivery scams to package theft.

Follow these tips from your BBB to ensure your packages are delivered safely and your personal and financial information isn’t compromised.
 
Be a savvy online shopper

· It’s easy for scammers to create fake Web sites that take your money but never send goods. In 2016, BBB Scam Tracker received more than 2,700 reports of online shopping scams, and 74% involved a monetary loss!

· Before shopping on a Web site, look it up on bbb.org to make sure it’s trustworthy. There, you can see its rating, complaint history and reviews from past customers.

· Make sure the site is secure – look for the “https” where the “s” stands for “secure” – and read its privacy policy. Check for a physical address along with both a phone number and email for customer service, and read the refund and exchange policies carefully.

Protect your packages from theft

· First off, don’t schedule deliveries unless you’ll know you’ll be home and not on vacation. If you can’t avoid having a package delivered when you’re not home, have it delivered to the post office or other carrier facility where you can pick it up, consider having it delivered to your work or ask a friend or trusted neighbor to pick it up from your home for you.

· It’s always a good idea to request a tracking number for your package and track it as it’s shipped – paying attention to estimated delivery dates. Save this number, along with order confirmations and other delivery information.

· You can sometimes choose to require a signature for delivery – this ensures that a package won’t just be left on a doorstep. You can also request that a package be delivered to a more secure back or side door.

Watch out for phishy delivery emails

· In 2016, consumers nationwide reported more than 1,200 phishing scams to BBB Scam Tracker, and the median loss was $400 – watch out!

· How it works: fraudsters, pretending to be from an identifiable shipping service, send “missed delivery” or “shipping confirmation” notices to unsuspecting email users. Recipients are instructed to click on a link or open an attachment to complete the delivery process. Unfortunately, the links and attachments will likely unleash a virus or other malware that can track your logins and passwords as you travel the internet or corrupt your computer files.

· Don’t open any emails you aren’t expecting or click on links or attachments within them. Even if you did order a package, legitimate delivery companies will leave a tag on your door if they’re unable to deliver, not send an email.

Don’t let a delivery scam steal your info

· The scam begins like this: a delivery person shows up at your door out of the blue with a gift basket. You don’t know who sent it, and neither does the delivery person. However, they inform you that you need to pay a nominal “verification fee” with your credit or debit card. The card scanner, however, is actually a skimmer and will collect your credit/debit card number and security code. Then, you may be subject to identity theft or fraudulent charges.

· Protect yourself by being wary of any packages delivered by an unrecognized delivery service or source – you should recognize the company. If you don’t, look it up on www.bbb.org . Unless you ordered the package and expected to have to pay, you should never be required to pay a fee to receive a package or gift. If you’re receiving alcohol, you may have to show ID, but never supply your card information!

Rebecca Harpster works for the Better Business Bureau serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.

Here's a poem by John Stanizzi, who lives in Connecticut, in which we get a good look inside middle-school culture in the 'sixties. But is it really any different today? This poet's most recent book is Hallelujah Time! (Big Table Publishing, 2015).

Cry To Me

We walked through some heartache in '62.
Gary liked Teresa but Teresa
asked Elizabeth to tell Peter that
she really wanted to go out with him
but Peter had been making out with Jane
in the theater, celebrating their
one month anniversary, so that was
out, and even though Jane broke up with Pete,
Peter kept asking Gail to talk with Jane
which Gail wouldn't do because she'd told
Brenda that she thought that Peter was cute
but Brenda wasn't listening to a word,
wrapped up in lonely teardrops shed for Greg.
The waters of 8th grade were never still.

American Life in Poetry does not accept unsolicited submissions. It is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2016 by John Stanizzi, “Cry To Me,” (2016). Poem reprinted by permission of John Stanizzi. Introduction copyright © 2017 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – For patients recovering from the aftermath of a stroke, support is vital.
 
That’s why every patient who is treated for a stroke at Sutter Lakeside Hospital receives a followup call after discharge.

The calls aim to ensure patients are connected to the resources necessary for an optimum recovery.
 
Veteran nurse Yvette Neil follows a checklist of questions, but conversations sometimes go off-script.
 
“I ask patients about their experience with the hospital, their satisfaction, and if they know the signs of a stroke,” said Neil. “I also speak with family members to get a more complete picture of the experience. The calls last anywhere from thirty to sixty minutes, because patients and loved ones appreciate having someone to talk to.”
 
During followup conversations, Neil reiterates teaching about the symptoms of a stroke, because patients who have had a stroke are at a higher risk for another one.

During the call, Neil assembles a packet of information that will help patients care for themselves, and connect with community resources such as meal services, or equipment like wheelchairs.
 
For patients who easily identify stroke symptoms, Neil sends “BE FAST” cards, which serve as an education tool.

The cards help the patient educate friends and family members on how to identify a stroke using an acronym.

“BE FAST” stands for balance, eyes, face, arms, speech, and time; which refers to loss of balance, blurry vision, facial paralyzation on one side, the ability to only raise one arm, slurred speech, and the time symptoms began. The card comes with a tear-off key fob as an easy reminder.
 
“I send information depending upon the patients’ needs,” said Neil. “Some patients or caregivers struggle with depression or grief, so I tell them about the free support group that meets monthly at the hospital. Others are surprised to learn that they can advocate for more physical therapy sessions if the patient is showing progress.”
 
For Neil, the desire to help others comes from personal experience.
 
“My husband has had four strokes over the past two years. I know how frustrating and hopeless it can feel,” said Neil. “It’s important to be realistic, but also ask providers to list the positives of stroke recovery. The brain heals.”

Between emotional support groups and rehabilitation services ranging from physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, recovery can be possible.
 
“There are resources available in Lake County,” said Neil. “We help patients find them.”