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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The community is invited to attend special holiday ceremonies honoring the sacrifices of local veterans to be held this weekend.
The “Wreaths Across America” ceremonies will take place beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Hartley, Kelseyville and Lower Lake cemeteries.
Youth organizations and veteran organizations have volunteered to conduct the Wreaths Across America ceremony this year.
Seven ceremonial wreaths will be placed to remember all soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who served, honor their sacrifices and teach younger generations about the high cost of our freedoms.
The day before the ceremony 894 wreaths will be placed on gravesites at each of the cemeteries.
Take an hour amid the hustle and bustle of this holiday season to attend one of these very special ceremonies that will be performed by members from Boy Scout Troops, Cub Scouts, Girl Scout Troops, Sea Scouts, Highway Patrol Explorers, 4-H, Royal Rangers, K-Corp, FFA, Clear Lake High School seniors, Clearlake Legion Jr. Auxiliary and Path Finders.
The groups post the colors, lay the wreaths and perform the volleys in addition to the Military Funeral Honors Team and Patriotic Guard Riders.
Bianca Torres, Joy Bennett and Joanna Parker will sing the national anthem and “Amazing Grace.”
Chaplain Woody Hughes and Pastors Gary Zeek, Gary Dromi, and T.C. will officiate at the ceremonies.
Wreaths Across America’s mission is to “Remember, Honor, and Teach” – remember the fallen, honor those who serve including their families who sacrifice, and teach our children the cost of the freedoms we enjoy each day.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Tuesday, Dec. 11, is a special day for those who love mountains.
That’s because Dec. 11 has been designated International Mountain Day.
The day was created by the United Nations in 2003 to promote awareness about the importance of the world’s mountains and highlands.
Mountains are crucial to life, provide most of the world's fresh water, harbor a rich variety of plants and animals, and are home to one in ten people.
Luckily you don’t have to go far to appreciate breathtaking mountains.
Dominating the Lake County skyline and rising to an elevation of 4,300 feet is Mt. Konocti.
The mountain is sacred to the native Pomo, and continues to be admired and treasured by those who today call the county home.
It is so important that the county of Lake purchased 1,520 acres atop the mountain in 2009 in order to create a park.
In neighboring Yolo County there is Berryessa Peak, the highest point of Blue Ridge, a small mountain ridge east of Lake Berryessa.
In September 2008, private landowners established a trail easement that opened up 9,100 acres of public lands and gave public access to the remarkable views and summit of Berryessa Peak.
Then there is Snow Mountain, located in the 37,000 acre Snow Mountain Wilderness in the Mendocino National Forest.
The tallest peak, known as Snow Mountain East, is just over 7,000 feet in elevation and is renowned for being the highest point in both Colusa and Lake counties.
The hike to the top of East Peak is a moderate climb, providing stunning views of the Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east, Clear Lake to the southwest and the Mendocino National Forest to the North.
During the winter, the summits of Snow Mountain accumulate a snowpack that can last until June. These snowpacks are an important water source that feed into nearby streams and rivers as they melt.
For more information about the Berryessa Snow Mountain region, visit www.berryessasnowmountain.org .
To learn more about Mt. Konocti and its recreational opportunities, visit http://www.lakecounty.com/AboutLC/Explore/Konocti.htm or http://www.konoctitrails.com/trails-information/mt-konocti-regional-park .
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
A new report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation documents more than 6,200 hate crimes reported across the United States in 2011.
Hate Crime Statistics, 2011, published by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, provides data about the offenses, victims, offenders and locations of the bias-motivated incidents reported by law enforcement agencies throughout the nation.
Based on the report, 6,222 criminal incidents involving 7,254 offenses were reported in 2011 as a result of bias toward a particular race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity/national origin, or physical or mental disability.
The report said there were 6,216 single-bias incidents, of which 46.9 percent were motivated by a racial bias, 20.8 percent were motivated by a sexual orientation bias, 19.8 percent were motivated by a religious bias and 11.6 percent were motivated by an ethnicity/national origin bias. Bias against a disability accounted for 0.9 percent of single-bias incidents.
Of the 4,623 hate crime offenses classified as crimes against persons in 2011, intimidation accounted for 45.6 percent, simple assaults for 34.5 percent, and aggravated assaults for 19.4 percent. Four murders and seven forcible rapes were reported as hate crimes.
There were 2,611 hate crime offenses classified as crimes against property. The majority of these (81.4 percent) were acts of destruction/damage/vandalism. Robbery, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, and other offenses accounted for the remaining 18.6 percent of crimes against property.
Fifty-nine percent of the 5,731 known offenders were white; 20.9 percent were black. The race was unknown for 10.8 percent, and other races accounted for the remaining known offenders.
Most hate crime incidents – 32 percent – occurred in or near homes. Eighteen percent took place on highways, roads, alleys or streets; 9.3 percent happened at schools or colleges; 5.9 percent in parking lots or garages; and 4.4 percent in churches, synagogues, or temples. The location was considered other (undesignated) or unknown for 11.3 percent of hate crime incidents. The remaining 19.1 percent of hate crime incidents took place at other specified or multiple locations.
The FBI said that, beginning in 2013, law enforcement agencies reporting hates crimes will be able to get even more specific when reporting bias motivation.
The new bias categories of gender and gender identity were added to the FBI’s hate crime data collection as a result of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Other bias types were modified to comply with the race and ethnicity designations specified by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
Hate crimes continue to be the highest priority of the bureau’s civil rights program because of their heinous nature and their impact on victims and communities.
The FBI said it investigates hate crimes that fall under federal jurisdiction, assist state and local authorities during their own investigations, and in some cases – with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division – monitor developing situations to determine if federal action is appropriate.
In addition to responding to hate crimes, the FBI also is taking a proactive approach to hate crimes overall, integrating a cadre of analysts with its experienced investigators to not only establish a national threat picture but to identify risk factors that can be used by FBI field offices to assess the potential for hate crimes at the local level.
The agency reported that it is working to increase awareness of these crimes by establishing liaisons with civic and religious leaders and credible community organizations. It also is offering training to help law enforcement recognize hate crimes and assist partners in developing their own hate crimes training programs.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LUCERNE, Calif. – Lucerne residents will have the chance this week to get updates from county officials on the latest projects in the town.
The community town hall meeting will take place beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, located at the corner of 10th Avenue and Country Club Drive.
District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing will host the meeting.
Topics will include the Lucerne water issue, particularly a proposed 77-percent rate increase proposed by California Water Service Co.
There also will be an update on the Lucerne Hotel, which is to be the home of the third campus for Southern California-based Marymount College.
This fall the county and Marymount signed a 15-year lease agreement for the historic, 1920s-era building.
There also will be a county projects update and an open forum.
Free tables will be set up for local groups, businesses or organizations wishing to distribute literature.
For more information, contact Rushing at 707-263-2368 or
Email Elizabeth Larson at