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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With participation in the statewide Dockwalker program, Lake County has earned a spot in the 2012 Dockwalker Hall of Fame with the induction of local dockwalker Bob Sullivan of the Kono Tayee Property Owners Association.
Sullivan wears two volunteer hats for Clear Lake, both as an invasive mussel inspector and as a dockwalker.
In his dockwalker capacity, Sullivan talked with 40 Clear Lake boaters at the Kono Tayee barbecue this year about the importance of clean and green boating.
The Dockwalker Program is led by the California Coastal Commission and the California Department of Boating and Waterways’ “Boating Clean and Green Program,” which is a statewide boater education and technical assistance program created to promote environmentally sound boating practices.
What is a dockwalker?
Locally, a dockwalker is a person who practices and promotes clean boating practices and distributes “Clean and Green” boating kits to boaters on Clear Lake.
Dockwalkers are passionate about keeping Clear Lake free from human trash, oily discharge, fuel spills, sewage, and other pollutants. They do this by educating the boating public and providing tools to make environmentally sound boating and recreation easy.
Each year, the most active volunteer dockwalkers from across the state are thanked and honored for their hard work and support throughout the boating season by being inducted into the annual Dockwalker Hall of Fame.
To become a dockwalker on Clear Lake or for information about the program, call 415-904-6905, or visit www.coastal.ca.gov/ccbn/dockwalkers.html or www.coast4u.org .
For more information about this program and other ways to help keep Clear Lake clean, contact the Lake County Department of Water Resources at 707-263-2344.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
NORTH COAST,Calif. – On Thursday a federal judge in San Francisco denied a request from a group of five environmental and farming groups to delay the beginning of construction for the Willits Bypass project on Route 101 in Mendocino County.
Caltrans said the project will relieve congestion, improve air quality, reduce delays, and improve safety for traffic and pedestrians along U.S. Route 101 through Willits in Mendocino County.
This $210 million highway improvement project is funded by $136 million in Proposition 1B funds, the 2006 voter-approved transportation bond.
“We are pleased with today’s ruling denying the requested injunction,” said Caltrans District 1 Director Charlie Fielder. “Our extensive mitigation plans not only preserve native species and improve the quality of the watershed in the Little Lake Valley, they will also greatly increase the overall quality of fisheries in these headwaters of the Eel River.”
The mitigation plans include removing culverts on Haehl and Upp Creeks to open up the headwater sections of these creeks to spawning fish.
Installation of natural bottom culverts on Ryan Creek will allow summering juvenile Southern Oregon-Northern California Coasts Coho salmon, a species designated as threatened, to seek summer rearing habitat and greatly increase the species long-term survival outlook.
Along all creeks within the mitigation properties, invasive non-native plants will be removed and replaced with native plants.
Fencing also will be installed along all of the creeks within the mitigation properties keeping cattle out of the creeks and riparian zones, increasing water quality and fisheries habitat.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Lakeport man has been arrested on several charges arising from allegations that he assaulted and threatened his girlfriend who is a dependent adult.
David Glenn Akins, 52, a boat builder, was arrested by Lakeport Police Sgt. Dale Stoebe last Wednesday, Oct. 24, according to Lake County Jail records.
Stoebe told Lake County News that Akins’ alleged victim is his on-again, off-again girlfriend, for whom he is a caregiver.
Akins is alleged to have assaulted the woman two days prior to his arrest, Stoebe said.
The girlfriend lives in an apartment complex on Bevins Court that houses adults individuals who are county behavioral health clients. Stoebe said she reported the assault late with the help of a neighbor.
The case involves both mental health and caregiver-related issues, said Stoebe. “It’s complicated.”
Police felt that it was possible for Akins to be charged as a caregiver and not just a domestic partner because of the case circumstances. Stoebe said he is not sure how the District Attorney’s Office ultimately will charge the case.
The alleged victim in the case had been abused by a caregiver before, said Stoebe.
In that case, Lakeport Police had a successful prosecution for financial abuse, with that caregiver – who also was sexually involved with the woman – receiving a prison sentence, he said.
Stoebe said police have had repeated contacts with Akins over the years.
Akins was booked on felony charges of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, false imprisonment of an elder or dependent adult, and preventing or dissuading a witness, and a misdemeanor charge of causing harm to an elder or dependent adult.
He remained in custody on Wednesday with bail set at $30,000, according to jail records.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
NORTH COAST, Calif. – The American Red Cross has a huge relief response under way in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, providing people across a number of states with a safe place to stay, food to eat and comfort during this difficult time.
Thousands of people have spent the night in hundreds of Red Cross shelters since the storm began its onslaught on the country.
The Red Cross has already served more than 100,800 meals and snacks and mobilized more than 2,300 disaster workers and almost 200 emergency vehicles so far and more are being deployed.
“This response to Sandy is just getting started. The storm has left devastation in its wake and we will be helping people for weeks to come,” said Tim Miller, chief executive officer of the Red Cross of Sonoma, Mendocino & Lake Counties chapter. “This will be very costly and the Red Cross needs help now. We ask everyone to support us as we help people recover from this massive storm.”
North Coast businesses making significant financial donations to the Red Cross disaster response include Friedman’s Home Improvement (Sonoma and Mendocino counties), Community First Credit Union (Sonoma County) and G&G Supermarket (Sonoma County). Wells Fargo ATMs are accepting donations locally and nationally.
The number of local volunteers serving on the East Coast remains at six people, with three more soon to be flying east. The volunteers come from Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lake and Humboldt counties.
The local Red Cross is seeking more volunteers who want to become involved in future relief efforts.
Those who wish to volunteer are invited to two free classes at the Red Cross in Santa Rosa, 5297 Aero Drive.
The first class, “Disaster Services Overview,” is on Thursday, Nov. 1, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and the second class, “Volunteer Orientation,” is on Wednesday, Nov. 7, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. To register, call 707-577-7603.
How to help
The response to Sandy is very large and very costly and the Red Cross needs the public’s help now.
People can make a financial donation by visiting www.redcross.org , call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
Contributions also may be sent to someone’s local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.
If someone needs to find a shelter, they can download the Red Cross Hurricane app, visit the Red Cross Web site, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or check local media outlets.
People can let their loved ones know how they are by using the “I’m Safe” button on the Red Cross Hurricane App which can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for American Red Cross.
People also can register on the Red Cross Safe and Well website to let loved ones know they are OK. To register, visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
