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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
THIS QUAKE WAS DOWNGRADED FROM 3.5 TO 3.2 IN MAGNITUDE.
THE GEYSERS – A 3.2-magnitude earthquake was reported near The Geysers geothermal steamfield during the early morning hours on Sunday.
The US Geological Survey reported that the quake occurred at 12:49 a.m. two miles north of The Geysers, five miles west of Cobb and seven miles west northwest of Anderson Springs, at a depth of 2.4 miles.
The survey received two shake reports – one from Berkeley and one from Sea Ranch.
Last Thursday two quakes – measuring 4.0 and 3.8 – were reported near The Geysers, as Lake County News has reported.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
PARADISE VALLEY – A three-vehicle collision on Highway 20 Sunday afternoon claimed one woman's life and sparked a grass fire, with the roadway closed several hours as firefighters worked at the scene.
The incident, dispatched at around 1:30 p.m., occurred on the highway above the Paradise Cove subdivision.
California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Crutcher, the crash's investigating officer, said a motorhome traveling westbound veered into the eastbound lane and broadsided a Chevrolet Equinox SUV on the driver's side, killing the female driver.
The motorhome then traveled a short way further, colliding head-on with a full-size pickup that Crutcher said had been traveling eastbound behind the Equinox.
Following that second collision, the motorhome went over the embankment and the pickup was left pointing toward the steep embankment above the subdivision. The motorhome burned to the ground, with the pickup also destroyed by fire. Firefighters continued to spray down both vehicles and the charred ground.
The collision sparked a small wildland fire which burned both sides of the roadway, jumping over to the hillside from the ignition point at the crash area, according to Miguel Lanigan, a Lake County News contributing photographer who was on the scene.
The fire made a run up the hill into oak trees and high grass, where Northshore Fire Battalion Chief Pat Brown said five acres were burned.
Brown said several good Samaritans – a number of young men who came up to the scene from Paradise Cove – pulled the motorhome driver out of the vehicle, then took him to a home and assisted Northshore Fire Paramedic Chrissy Pittman with caring for the man.
The young men placed wet towels on the man's burns “and were a very great help to Chrissy as other firefighters were stopping the fire and helping other victims,” Brown said.
The CHP said the motorhome's driver was that vehicle's only occupant.
Crutcher said the pickup's three occupants escaped with only minor injuries, while REACH air ambulance transported the male Equinox passenger to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital via REACH and the elderly male motorhome driver to UC Davis Medical Center with burns and other injuries.
A large multiagency response was on scene for the incident, with Cal Fire and Northshore Fire running a joint incident command, Brown said.
Brown said Northshore Fire Protection District sent three medics, four engines, a water tender, two battalion chiefs – he and Steve Hart – and Chief Jim Robbins, who directed the landing of the air ambulances at Cal Fire's Clearlake Oaks station.
Cal Fire reported that it sent seven engines, two crews, two dozers, an air attack plane, two air tankers and two helicopters.
The helicopters carried water and the fixed-wing plane used retardant on the fire, according to witnesses.\
Sharri Moore estimated that the helicopter made 20 or more passes after scooping up water from Clear Lake.
The hand crews worked on the hillside, cutting down trees and fighting the fire there, with mop up continuing for several hours. A dozer worked along the base of the hill, cutting through the charred earth.
Other agencies assisting included Lakeport Fire Protection District and Lake County Fire Protection, which provided a medic unit and a water tender, respectively, under a mutual aid agreement, and the US Forest Service, Brown said.
Lake County Sheriff's deputies also were on hand to assist with scene control and with the removal of the fatality.
Several CHP officers were on scene to assist Crutcher with the investigation, conducting measurements and photographing the scene.
Traffic was backed up for miles on either side of the crash, with some of the motorists who were caught closer to the crash scene pulling out lawn chairs to sit in the shade as they waited. Dozens of other drivers turned around.
Caltrans had road closures in place at Lucerne and Clearlake Oaks.
After 5 p.m. the remainder of the units on the scene were being released, according to radio reports.
CHP officials said a full report with more specifics on the crash and the extent of injuries will be released later Sunday.
Brown said Northshore Fire wanted to find the young men who helped rescue the motorhome driver so the district could thank them. Anyone with information about the identities of the young people can call Northshore Fire Protection's headquarters in Lucerne, 707-274-3100.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Canine Companions for Independence was founded in 1975 and is based in Santa Rosa. Since then, the organization has expanded to become the largest assistance dog organization in the world.
They train four types of dogs: service dogs, facility dogs, hearing aid dogs and skilled companions. These dogs serve groups of people in education, health care and courtroom settings, and are provided free of charge.
Service dogs assist people with physical disabilities and challenges, while facility dogs serve many people in a business setting and are also therapeutic visitors.
Hearing aid dogs are trained to alert people to certain sounds and other things the hearing impaired may need. Skilled companions aid those who have a developmental disorder – mostly children.
Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and crosses of the two are the breeds of dogs that Canine Companions for Independence trains.
“Temperament, intelligence, a willingness to serve and health factors make these dogs the ideal dogs for our program,” said Bonnie McMellon, Northwest Development Associate for CCI.
All of the puppy raising, training and placing is funded by volunteer from the communities that CCI serves. The United States is broken up into five regions with training facilities throughout.
Northern California is in the northwest region along with Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and northern Nevada. Then there’s north central, northeast, southeast and southwest regions making up the rest of America.
“Two hundred and 76 puppies are being raised right now in the northwest region,” McMellon said. “There are 1,106 puppies being raised right now, nationwide. There are currently five active graduates with their dogs and four puppies being raised by volunteer puppy raisers living in Lake County.”
Puppies are transferred from the breeders to the puppy raisers at eight weeks of age, where they learn basic obedience skills, said McMellon. When the dog is approximately one and a half years old, it is turned into a regional training center for advanced training by professional training staff, she said.
Volunteers play a crucial role in sustaining the extensive service CCI offers to the public in need of such companionship. The organization is supported through corporate and private donations.
Hundreds aof corporations and caring folks are thanked for their contributions; for the complete list, visit http://www.cci.org/site/c.cdKGIRNqEmG/b.3978475/k.BED8/Home.htm.
Canine Companions is celebrating its 35th anniversary – and 245 dog years – in style with the 2010 Bone Appétit – A Celebration of Great Pairings on Sept. 12. The event is a major fundraiser for the Santa Rosa Northwest Regional Center. This year is set to be straight from the 1970s, with period attire expected.
They hope to raise $200,000 in donations at their event, which will take place at the 12-acre Jean and Charles Schulz Campus on Dutton Avenue in Santa Rosa. Six hundred guests will be treated to cuisine from over 40 restaurants and wineries, live music and a silent auction. But, one of the main attractions is sure to be the puppies-in-training, who will be there for the attention.
“Nationwide, we have 98 volunteer breeder-caretakers and 950 volunteer puppy raisers who donate their time and money towards raising puppies for our organization. We would not be able to place as many dogs as we currently do, without their dedication and financial assistance,” said McMellon.
Live dog-training demonstrations will showcase the dogs’ abilities and professional training that will enhance the lives of those who need their help.
Once someone in the northwest regions is matched with a dog, they attend the training center in Santa Rosa for a two-week-long intensive training for both the person and the dog. Most people stay at the center’s hotel.
During that two week period, the person gets to know their service dog and learns how to use the 40 commands the dogs have been learning since their training began as puppies.
But, the services do not end once the dogs are placed with their graduates. They also have followup services to ensure the process goes smoothly.
Emma and Kenneth
Emma Kucer is 9 years old. She lives with her mother Tracey, her siblings and her dog Kenneth, in Hidden Valley Lake. Kenneth is Emma’s skilled companion and assists her with difficulties relating to her disability, Down Syndrome.
Tracey Kucer was open to anything that would help her daughter be more independent. So, after a friend told her to look into getting s service dog, she contacted CCI. She and Emma were matched with Kenneth in the spring of 2008 – nine months after they applied.
“The length of time it takes to get a dog depends on the type of service dog requested,” said McMellon. “The average wait time to receive a dog once someone is placed on our candidates lists it six months to two years.”
Once she got word that they were to receive a service dog, the mom and daughter packed their bags and headed to Santa Rosa.
“The stay was so nice. They provide meals and it is all free,” Kucer said. “It is also a great experience being with a group of people who have children with other unique needs and stories to share.”
Kenneth also acts as a social bridge between Emma and other children who can sometimes be frightened of her disability, said Kucer. Whenever Kenneth is with Emma, other kids come running.
Emma's speech is not always intelligible, so Kucer has been acting as her translator on top of mother. But, she reports that Kenneth understands any and every command Emma gives him.
“Their bond is so strong,” said Kucer. “Kenneth is the best dog we could have ever hoped for – he came fully trained.”
Kucer plans to look into applying for other dogs for Emma in the future, but also hopes that time doesn’t come too soon.
