CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department said that what started as a routine vehicle stop resulted in an arrest, as well as the seizure of a loaded handgun and the discovery of methamphetamine.

John Donald Cooper, 59, of Rodeo was taken into custody following the traffic stop, according to a report from Sgt. Ryan Peterson.

Just after 12:30 a.m. on Friday, Officer Mauricio Barreto was conducting patrol in the area of the 15000 block of Lakeshore Drive when he saw a vehicle driving with inoperable license plate lamps on Lakeshore Drive and conducted a traffic stop, Peterson said.

Peterson said Officer Barreto contacted the driver, Cooper, and a passenger. During the contact, Cooper displayed symptoms of being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Barreto asked Cooper to step out of the vehicle to further investigate the matter and Cooper refused after being given several commands, Peterson said.

Peterson said Cooper eventually exited the vehicle and was placed under arrest for obstructing an officer.

During a search, Barreto found an unregistered, loaded .38-caliber revolver n Cooper’s rear pants pocket. Peterson said Barreto also found on Cooper approximately 13.8 grams of methamphetamine.

A records check showed Cooper to be a convicted felon. Peterson said Cooper was arrested for charges which included carrying a concealed firearm, armed in the commission of a felony, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, possession of a controlled substance while armed and possession for sales of a controlled substance.

Cooper was booked into the Lake County Jail where his bail was set at $50,000. He remained in custody on Wednesday. He’s scheduled to be arraigned in Lake County Superior Court on Sept. 16.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday took a step to raise awareness of childhood cancer.

Mayor Tim Barnes read a proclamation at the Tuesday evening council meeting designating September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

The proclamation explained that cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children, with one in 285 children in the United States expected to be diagnosed with cancer by their 20th birthday.

The average age of cancer diagnosis for children is 6 years old, compared to 66 years for adults cancer diagnoses.

While mortality rates in childhood cancer have declined over the past four decades, there are still an estimated 1,800 children who die of cancer each year in the United States.

For two-thirds of childhood cancer patients, there are other challenges including chronic health conditions as a result of their treatment toxicity. Of those, one quarter have conditions that are severe to life threatening.

The proclamation recognized the organizations, advocates and hospitals across the United States working “to increase awareness of the signs of childhood cancer, advocate for active cancer screening tests and treatments, and support the families affected by childhood cancer.”

The council’s proclamation also stated that, only by increasing awareness will it be possible to control and ultimately defeat childhood cancer, and that it’s vital that those impacted by the disease “have access to quality and affordable care and the research for all forms of childhood cancer be supported.”

It also noted, “the determination and bravery of which these children fight these battles should be recognized and commended by all of us.”

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. – After having a presence in Lakeport for decades, the Kmart store is slated for closure at the end of this year.

The closure announcement comes amidst news that dozens of other stores across the nation are being shuttered, weeks after another closure list had been released.

“After careful review, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to close the Kmart store in Lakeport, Calif. The liquidation sale is expected to begin in mid-September and the store is planned to close by mid-December. We encourage customers to continue shopping on Kmart.com for all their product needs,” said a statement released to Lake County News by Larry Costello, public relations director for Sears Holdings Corp., Kmart’s parent company.

He confirmed that all employees had been informed of the plan but would not comment on how many employees work at the store, which city of Lakeport officials indicate is close to 100.

Costello would not offer further comment on a range of questions – from the reason for closing what is reputed to be one of the company’s best-performing stores to whether a smaller format “Home & Life” storefront might be placed in the building.

City officials said the 86,000 square foot building was built specifically for Kmart in the early 1990s. Previous to that, the store had been located in the building that now houses Bruno’s Shop Smart on Lakeport Boulevard.

On Aug. 6, Sears Holdings released a statement on its Web site that listed 26 large-format Sears and Kmart stores it planned to close across the nation in late October through mid-November. That list didn’t include Lakeport’s store.

That statement bore the name of “Transform Co.,” the company owned by Eddie Lampert, who formerly was majority owner of Sears Holdings. In February, a Lampert-owned hedge company, ESL Investments, closed the purchase of Sears Holdings, which at that time was reported to have just over 220 Sears stores and about 200 Kmart stores.

That number of Kmart stores is now expected to drop to just over 110; that’s compared to the company’s peak in 1994 of 2,486 stores – 2,323 in the United States, 127 in Canada and 36 in other areas – according to the company’s 1997 report to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Transform Co.’s Aug. 6 store closure announcement states: “Over the past several months, we have worked hard to strengthen our vendor relationships, return our inventory levels to normal, and improve customer satisfaction and operations; however, we have faced a number of challenges returning our stores to sustainable levels of productivity, including differences with Sears Holdings over our purchase agreement and a generally weak retail environment. These challenges have unfortunately affected our performance and limited our strategic choices.

“After careful review of where we are today, we believe the right course for the company is to accelerate the expansion of our smaller store formats which includes opening additional Home & Life stores and adding several hundred Sears Hometown stores after the Sears Hometown and Outlet transaction closes. We have made the difficult but necessary decision to close 26 large-format Sears and Kmart stores in late October through mid-November. The Sears Auto Centers at any of these stores will close in late August. Liquidation sales at these stores are expected to begin around August 15. As we promised, all eligible associates will be offered the same number of weeks of severance as offered to employees of Sears Holdings Corporation prior to that company’s Chapter 11 filing in October 2018,” the statement read.

The company said it would “continue to evaluate our network of Sears and Kmart stores and cannot rule out additional store closures in the near term. Our goal remains to return the company to profitability and preserve as many jobs as possible in the communities we serve.”

Sometime in the weeks since that statement came out, Lakeport’s store – located at 2019 S. Main St. – came into the crosshairs after having survived numerous previous rounds of closures.

Recent hearings and documents in the voluminous bankruptcy filings in federal court also haven’t given a clear idea as to why it was decided to close the store.

Over the holiday weekend, the store appeared relatively busy. On the front glass doors are taped three pieces of paper, two of them informing customers – in English and Spanish – that effective immediately the store no longer offered Western Union, California Lottery tickets or Scratchers, new layaway orders, Coinstar, Bill Pay, purchase orders or 30-day orders.

A third notice stated, “Due to the store closing, this store will not be participating in the TV promotions, circulars, coupons, or mailers. Thank you.”

Inside, however, there are so far no signs that the store will close, with “blue light” specials listed and some back to school sales offered, but no liquidation announcements posted.

There already has been a contraction in what the store offers.

Over the past year, much of the store’s garden section offerings have been diminished, with the garden area on the side of the building now storing kayaks, tents and other recreational gear, with some plants on stands outside.

The amount of stock has been reduced and often there are long lines with few checkers.

The store has had other issues over the years as well.

In October 2017, the Lakeport Kmart pharmacy closed. The company did not report the reasons.

In January 2018, then-California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced a $1 million settlement with Kmart Corp. for alleged insurance fraud in California through prescription overbilling practices at Kmart pharmacies, which was part of a multimillion dollar national settlement alleging public and commercial insurance fraud through prescription over-billing practices.

That was followed in March 2018 by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District reporting that Kmart Corp. had paid $525,000 to settle False Claims Act allegations of improper Medi-cal billings that were not supported by applicable diagnosis.

That federal case was brought in 2015 in a whistleblower lawsuit by a former pharmacist in charge at the Lakeport Kmart pharmacy, Loyd Schmuckley Jr.

A top sales generator

Despite the Lakeport Kmart store’s woes, it has remained a critical sales tax generator for the city of Lakeport.

While sales tax numbers for companies are confidential information, Community Development Director Kevin Ingram said Kmart is in the top 10 sales tax generating businesses in the city.

Ingram said the city received no formal notification from Kmart or its parent company about the plans to close the store.

“We’ve heard these rumors forever,” he said, so it came as a surprise when it was confirmed.

Both Ingram and Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen, whose department has been headquartered next to Kmart since late 2016, have interacted with Kmart management and said they were told that the Lakeport store was among the top 25 performing stores in the country.

Rasmussen said the city has had a good relationship with the store and its manager who had taken over within the last year. He said the manager has done a lot of community outreach, including sponsoring the city’s August National Night Out event, donating prizes and 80 pizzas from the Little Caesar’s restaurant inside the store.

In addition, Rasmussen said the Lakeport Police Department has also had a great relationship with Kmart’s loss prevention staff in dealing with shoplifting issues.

While big box stores have been the source of large amounts of crime in some areas, Rasmussen said that Kmart – which is in the top three businesses in the city for shoplifting calls – hasn’t presented a major crime problem for the city of Lakeport.

His staff ran statistics from Jan. 1, 2014, through Friday, and Rasmussen said the store was the focus of approximately 926 calls – ranging from shoplifting to general services, medical aids, suspicious circumstances, case followup and traffic stops – during that time period.

That breaks down to 248 in 2014, 160 in 2015, 179 in 2016, 139 in 2017, 135 in 2018 and 93 calls year to date. For context, the Lakeport Police Department averages about 9,000 incidents per year.

“It’s disappointing to see it or any business close because it’s going to have an economic impact on the city,” said Rasmussen.

The significant amount of sales tax revenue the store generates goes into the city’s general fund, and Rasmussen said the general fund is the source of 99 percent of the police department budget.

Rasmussen said that it was his understanding that the manager herself had no idea the store was to be closed until a short time ago.

Next steps

“I would like to see something significant go into that location so we don't have it sitting vacant,” Rasmussen said of the Kmart storefront.

That’s the overall goal of the city, said Ingram, noting Kmart already was a priority concern for the city and now it’s a bigger one.

Company officials so far have not made any statements about plans for the Kmart building itself. Ingram said said the company owns the building, which is held by Lany Lakeport LP, a California limited partnership which filed its registration with the California Secretary of State’s Office in June 2004.

Richard Ridloff, who signed the registration paperwork, is owner of The Richardson Co. Ingram said the city’s correspondence with Lany Lakeport LP has been directed to a New York address, in care of the Richardson Co.

County records show that the Board of Supervisors, at Lany Lakeport’s request in late 2012, approved reducing the tax assessment for the building and property from $6,979,976 to $5,890,000 for the 2010 tax year and from $7,032,534 to $5,890,000, for the 2011 tax year.

The city already is poised to address the situation with the store’s closing, having hired The Retail Coach in July to work on recruiting new retailers to the city in an effort to address the retail “leakage” – in which residents travel to other communities or out of county to shop – impacting local revenues, as Lake County News has reported.

“This was one of the reasons we brought Retail Coach on in the first place, we were concerned it was a possibility,” Ingram said of the Kmart closure.

In addition to retail attraction, Ingram said one of the reasons the city went with The Retail Coach was because of its experiencing strengthening existing businesses.

He said Austin Farmer, the project manager with The Retail Coach who is working with the city, already is taking the initiative to look at how to address the loss of Kmart.

Ingram said that, later this month, Farmer is attending the International Council of Shopping Centers’ Western Conference in Los Angeles, a smaller regional version of a national retailers conference, to do outreach for the city.

Ingram said he thinks the city has the pieces in place to quickly bring in new retailers.

However, anticipating the loss of sales tax to the city in the short-term, Ingram added, “It’s going to probably hurt for a little bit.”

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.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Be sure to put Saturday, Sept. 14 on your calendar to attend “Music at the Marsh,” an afternoon of acoustic music and fun planned at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, located on Highway 53 between Lower Lake and Clearlake, with music starting at noon and lasting until 5 p.m.

The event is a benefit for Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, or AMIA, the all-volunteer nonprofit organization that helps support the State Park.

Featured will be local musicians who are all donating their time and talent to support the Park, and all proceeds from the event will benefit AMIA.

Before the music starts, there will also be a Guided Nature Walk beginning at 8:30 a.m., followed by a tour of the historic Anderson Ranch House.

Both the walk and tour are free of charge and will be led by a State Park volunteer. Everyone is encouraged to come and enjoy the guided walk and tour, and then to stay to hear some wonderful music which starts at noon.

Admission to the afternoon of music is $20, and children under 10 are free.

Beer, wine, food and other refreshments will be available for purchase. Seating is very limited, so attendees are asked to please bring their own folding chairs. No dogs or other pets please.

The music and entertainment lineup includes Summit Singers, the Konocti Fiddle Club, Dave Hooper, Angle of Repose, Ely Fiddlers, Sheridan Malone, Clear Lake Clikkers and Uncorked. The popular Burt Hutt will lend his talents as master of ceremonies.

Advance tickets are available online at www.andersonmarsh.org , and are also available at Watershed Books in Lakeport and Catfish Coffeehouse in Clearlake. Tickets will also be available the day of the event at the gate.

For information about the event, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., go to www.andersonmarsh.org and watch for frequent Facebook updates. Come out and support your local State Park and enjoy a fun morning and afternoon at “Music at the Marsh!”

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has two kittens cleared this week for new homes.

The following kittens at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.

Domestic short hair kitten

This male domestic short hair kitten has a buff coat and gold eyes.

He is in cat room kennel No. 39a, ID No. 12669.

Domestic short hair kitten

This male domestic short hair kitten has an orange tabby coat.

He is in cat room kennel No. 39e, ID No. 12680.

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.

 

Although Jeffrey Epstein, who died on Aug. 10, may be the current face of sex trafficking, buying and selling youth and adults for sex is a more common practice for everyday people in the U.S., mostly men.

Experts have a term for what Epstein is accused of doing: sex trafficking.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act, passed in 2000, defined a sex trafficking victim as any adult involved in a commercial sex act that was induced by force, fraud or coercion or in which the person induced has not yet reached the age of 18.

The federal government and advocates refer to human trafficking generally as modern-day slavery.

I have spent the last 25 years studying sex trafficking. Because the idea of “freedom” is deeply rooted in the American dream, I believe that this population deserves more of the public’s attention.

Who purchases sex?

Human trafficking is a business with supply and demand: The supply is the victims, and the demand is the customers.

But who are the customers?

When it comes to youth, it’s a myth that the creepy pervert living under the bridge is buying our youth for sex. “John” is employed and living next door to you.

The most common procurers of sexual services are employed men with enough disposable income to engage in these activities, which typically cost from US$15 to over $1,000.

In 2014, the Urban Institute, a D.C. think tank, studied the underground illegal commercial sex trade across seven cities. They estimated that, in 2007, customers in these cities spent between $39.9 million and $290 million on sexual activities. In those cities, customers handed each trafficker between $12,000 and $32,833 per week.

One review of 21 studies estimated that 15% to 20% of American men had purchased sex at least once. It’s difficult to ascertain the number of victims customers purchased for sex or how many knew they purchased sex trafficking victims.

Comparing men arrested for buying sex with a nationally representative sample of men, one study found that men who purchased sex were more likely to be educated. They were also slightly more likely not to be married.

More specifically, my team conducted a study of 115 women in Ohio that had previously been child sex trafficking victims and 43 who were current adult sex trafficking victims.

We identified their customers as being male drug dealers, members of law enforcement, lawyers, construction workers, truckers, businessmen, social workers, pastors, city employees and more.

Purchasing sex online has also become big business. In a study across 15 metropolitan cities, on average, 1 out of every 20 males over the age of 18 found a sex ad and engaged by texting or calling to arrange an encounter.

Reframing sex traffickers and customers

In movies like the blockbuster “Taken,” family man and retired CIA agent Liam Neeson reluctantly allows his daughter to take a trip out of the country, where she is ultimately trafficked into the sex trade.

The movie perpetuates the idea that the biggest risk for the trafficking of our daughters is in sending them abroad, like Neeson’s character did in the movie.

In reality, because of U.S. purchasing power and demand for sexual services, the risk is right here. Many U.S. victims of sex trafficking are trafficking right here in the U.S.

American youth who are successfully trafficked often come from a history of abuse or have run away from home.

Since the passing of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000, the U.S. has made progress in fighting sex trafficking. Both the federal government and states have passed laws that shift the blame away from vulnerable youth and adults onto traffickers and customers and attach stiff penalties for sex trafficking crimes.

As part of that progress, the language surrounding these crimes has changed. Anti-trafficking advocates no longer call victims “juvenile prostitutes,” but victims of commercial sexual exploitation or sex trafficking victims. Social services organizations treat them like children in need of care, as dictated by safe harbor laws passed across states. Anti-trafficking advocates and law enforcement no longer call the men that sell children “pimps,” but “traffickers.”

But I think that the public view on sex trafficking, particularly of youth, has yet to catch up. Many Americans still call men that purchase sex with youth “johns.” In reality, they are “child molesters” or “sexual predators.”

At the moment, the public has fixated its hatred of sex trafficking onto one man, Epstein, who purchased and used minors for sex.

In my view, focusing on Epstein is a disservice to the countless victims of sex trafficking. There are many more men in U.S. cities and towns whose victims are still waiting for justice.

[ Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter. ]

Celia Williamson, Executive Director of Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute, University of Toledo

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The 2019 Lake County winegrape harvest is under way and growers in the high-elevation winegrowing region are once again pleased with this year’s growing conditions and optimistic about the grape quality.

Many of the region’s growers and vineyard managers are anticipating an earlier-than-normal harvest, which was unexpected given the region’s wet spring and relatively cool early season temperatures. However, by midseason, more normal temperatures prevailed, making for consistent, and in some cases, even early ripening.

“It’s been a really beautiful growing season,” said Debra Sommerfield, president of the Lake County Winegrape Commission. “After a cool start, Lake County has had moderately warm, clear days throughout the summer along with its typical elevation-induced nighttime cooling. Growers couldn’t have been more pleased.”

While a few vineyard owners started picking late week before last, harvest is steadily getting under way this week with the region’s flagship white varietal – Sauvignon Blanc – being picked in many growing areas.

In the region’s Big Valley District AVA in Kelseyville, Dancing Crow Vineyard was one of the first to harvest its Sauvignon Blanc on Monday night.

“The late season rains have produced excellent vine growth with fairly loose clusters that have sized nicely,” said David DeSante, winemaker for Dancing Crow Vineyards. “The whites are coming on fast due to this hot snap. Flavors are superb.”

After having walked vineyards throughout Big Valley and Kelsey Bench with their viticulturist David Weiss, owner of Bella Vista Farming Co., DeSante said, “We are convinced that this may be our best vintage yet.”

DeSante said they measured sugars at 21.5 Brix and pH around 3.25, which is “perfect for the crisp, aromatic style of white wine that we love.”

“Up until recently, it’s been a pretty cool season, which has promoted earlier fruit maturation,” said Clay Shannon, owner of Shannon Ridge Family of Wines. Shannon Ridge started picking Sauvignon Blanc grapes on Sunday in the High Valley AVA and in Long Valley, both located in the northeastern portion of Lake County.

“Bud break was late, and we had late rains,” Shannon said. “We had a good rain season. Our wells are recharged, our springs are running strong.”

He indicated the vines look good, with low pest pressure and no mildew issues.

The late start in the spring had many Lake County growers anticipating a later-than-normal harvest, but the consistent warmer midsummer temperatures have encouraged steady ripening and the fruit is now near average maturity, and in some locations, even a bit early.

“Several growers have noted that it could be a somewhat compressed harvest with different varieties coming on at the same time,” Sommerfield said. “This could present a challenge, but at this point, they seem confident they have the necessary labor.”

In terms of yield, some growers have reported a lower-than-average Sauvignon Blanc crop with a few estimating approximately 55 to 60 percent of normal, according to Sommerfield. Yield estimates for reds range from normal to slightly lower than normal, she said.

Brassfield Estate Winery, also in the High Valley AVA, started picking their rosé varietals – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Pinot Noir – on Tuesday.

“We will get into Sauvignon Blanc at the end of the week,” said Jonathan Walters, Brassfield’s director of farming. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we are into early hillside reds by next week.”

This estimate for kicking off harvest for the region’s bold reds was echoed by other Cabernet Sauvignon producers across the region who are gauging harvest to be anywhere from one to two weeks early.

“Budbreak was two weeks later than historical average, bloom was 10 days later than average, fruit-set was on average, and veraison was one week early in most blocks,” said Clint Nelson, vineyard manager at Beckstoffer Vineyards Red Hills. “This is abnormal to say the least, to have an early harvest after experiencing such a cold and wet winter, which significantly delayed budburst. Now it appears sugars are escalating quickly, potentially driven by a lighter than average crop-load.”

Beckstoffer Vineyards Red Hills was set to begin its first pick of the year on Wednesday night with Sauvignon Blanc at approximately 22.5 Brix.

As for reds, Nelson said the condensed growing season has caused most of their blocks to be pegged at the same rate of maturation, and for a farming operation that has 97 percent of its crop dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon, that can lead to a “hectic harvest.”

Nelson said the turbulent weather seen in parts of the Red Hills at bloom significantly impacted yields, which are estimated to be lower than average, but the mild summer and strong diurnal shifts have created ideal conditions for ultra-premium cabernet.

“This may be one of the greatest ‘quality’ years in recent memory,” Nelson said.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council will consider an updated contract for the City Hall upgrades when it meets this week.

The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

At the start of the meeting, a proclamation will be read declaring September 2019 to be Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in the city of Lakeport.

The main item on the agenda is a proposed amendment to the construction contract with Bridges Construction for the City Hall Remodel Project.

City Manager Margaret Silveira’s report to the council explains that the amended construction contract will include mandatory federal language and a contract change order for $3,900 to cover the additional administrative time relating to the federal requirements.

Silveira said the project is to provide Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant access to the City Hall Administration and Finance Department payment counter, remodeled office space for the planning department and additional storage for the council chambers.

Bridges Construction amended its original bid from $235,610 to $187,860, largely relating to changing the construction work from night work to daytime work, Silveira said.

Silveira said the project is now funded partially by federal Community Development Block Grant, or CDBG, monies, which include additional administrative requirements from the contractor. “The funding came through after the contract was awarded. Therefore, a contract amendment is needed to include the mandatory federal language. A contract change order is warranted to compensate the contractor for additional administrative requirements that come with the CDBG
Funding.”

She said the construction is expected to start this month.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on Aug. 20; the Aug. 23 warrant register; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the Mendocino Complex fire; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the February 2019 storms; approval of event application 2019-025, with staff recommendations, for the 2019 Clear Lake High School Homecoming Parade.

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.

090319 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Authorities in Mendocino County, aided by Lake County Search and Rescue and searchers from around the region, have discovered the remains of an elderly Southern California man whose family reported him missing while he was traveling home in early August.

Lt. Shannon Barney of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said the body of 81-year-old John Baker of Lake Hughes was discovered on Friday morning.

Barney said that just before 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office was contacted regarding a suspicious vehicle located on Lyme Timber Co. lands, approximately 9 air miles east of the town of Fort Bragg. The area is accessed off of Little Valley Road and the reporting party found the vehicle while cutting firewood.

The reporting party indicated the vehicle appeared stuck alongside the road, on a ditch used to turn runoff water off of the logging road. Barney said the vehicle keys were still inside but no one was around. The area was described as a logging road that crossed the Redwood Creek Drainage.

A deputy responded and found the vehicle, a 2017 burgundy Lincoln MKZ, stuck on the edge of the logging road. Barney said the deputy checked the license number in the state wanted vehicle system to learn it was flagged as belonging to Baker, an "at risk" missing adult.

Baker had been reported missing on Aug. 9 after he failed to return on a trip from Southern Oregon. Barney said Baker’s family last had contact with him on Aug. 8 when he indicated he had returned via Highway 101 as he was fond of Redwood trees.

At that time, Baker said he was in Fort Bragg but trying to find a road back to Interstate 5 so he could return to Southern California. Barney said the family described Baker as suffering the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

On Aug. 23, deputies checked the vehicle but were unable to locate Baker and the following day a search and rescue incident was started at Baker’s vehicle, Barney said.

Barney said numerous search and rescue teams and resources responded as mutual aid resources were requested due to the extreme terrain and dense forest conditions.

Assisting agencies and organizations including the Lyme Timber Co., Lake County Search and Rescue, Marin County Search and Rescue, Napa County Search and Rescue, San Mateo County Search and Rescue, Contra Costa County Search and Rescue, Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit, Wilderness Finders Search Dog Teams and California Rescue Dog Association took part in the search, Barney said.

Over the following week a large search was conducted utilizing trained K9 teams, ground teams, and aerial searching.

At around 11:30 a.m. Friday, ground searchers discovered human remains in a small tributary of Redwood Creek. The tributary is very steep and wooded but was approximately 900 feet, by air, from the abandoned vehicle, Barney said.

Search and rescue teams recovered the body and a coroner's investigation was initiated. The remains were positively identified as that of Baker, Barney said.

Barney said Baker’s cause of death is under investigation with a post mortem examination scheduled for Tuesday.

September is Pedestrian Safety Month, and the California Office of Traffic Safety, or OTS, is asking drivers and people walking to look out for one another.

“Despite advances in vehicle technology that act as additional safety measures for drivers and passengers involved in a crash, pedestrians are still just as vulnerable as in years past,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said.

“Whether we are driving or walking, we are all going places so it is important that we avoid bad habits and put safety first.”

According to a report released this year by the Governors Highway Safety Association, a projected 6,227 pedestrian deaths occurred nationwide last year, the highest number since 1990.

In California, 858 pedestrians were killed in 2017, accounting for nearly 25 percent of all traffic deaths.

It is why the OTS is working with our safety partners, state and local agencies on educating the public about safe roadway habits, regardless of how you get around.

“People should not be afraid of a car hitting them as they cross the street,” Rooney said. “Having said that, it is important that pedestrians are aware of their surroundings and think about how they would want a pedestrian to act if they were the one driving.”

The OTS offers the following tips for drivers and pedestrians to help ensure we all get to where we need to go safely.

Pedestrians

– Cross the street at crosswalks, preferably with a stop sign or signal. Do not cross the street midblock (no jaywalking).
– Make eye contact with drivers.
– Look for cars backing up. Avoid darting between parked cars.
– Wear bright color clothing during the day and use a flashlight at night.
– Do not use your cell phone or wear earbuds while walking.

Drivers

– Avoid distractions such as a cell phone.
– Never drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
– Watch for pedestrians when backing up.
– Follow the speed limit.
– Yield to pedestrians at crosswalks. Make sure the path is clear before making a turn at an intersection.

The OTS administers funding for traffic safety programs statewide with the goal of reducing crashes that result in deaths, injuries, and economic losses. The OTS is a department under the California State Transportation Agency.

 

Because I conduct research about reading, parents often ask me the same question: “What can I do to help my child become a better reader?”

I always give them the same advice: “Read with your children. Enjoy books together, and whatever you do, don’t worry about teaching them to read. Leave the teaching to the teachers.”

This reply draws on my research regarding the literacy practices of high-performing teachers, as well as my experiences as a parent, teacher and literacy specialist. Ample evidence indicates that a solid foundation of reading, writing, talking and playing with words fosters a love for books at an early age and leads to later success as a reader.

But what happens when children do not learn to read, or when they struggle with reading? That problem is all too prevalent. Only about a third of all eighth-graders can read at or above grade level.

Successful teachers

I have studied how successful teachers at multiple high-performing urban schools in New York, Ohio, Missouri and Maryland are helping struggling readers dramatically improve their reading fluency. Many are getting children to read passages multiple times.

Teachers and researchers have found that doing this almost always leads to improvements for struggling readers between second grade and the end of high school.

For kids, this strategy is a lot like learning a new song by reading lyrics while singing along with a music video. When children practice reading this way, they listen to and echo a more experienced reader while tracking the print with their eyes and touching the phrases of the book as they read and reread the book together.

By activating the senses of hearing, seeing and touch, this approach makes recognizing familiar words easier and faster, increasing fluency. The strategy works best when it’s repeated regularly – ideally 10-15 minutes per day. Considering the millions of children who don’t read at grade level, it’s very important.

Digging deeper

Psychologist Robert G. Heckelman first identified this method of repeated reading in the 1960s. He encountered an adolescent whose reading level increased by three grades after being tutored using this system. Heckelman repeated the method with 24 middle and high school students who were struggling with reading.

After just 7.5 hours of instruction in what he called Neurological Impress Method, students advanced by an average of two grade levels.

Those findings were later replicated with greater numbers of children, leading to a study published in 2016. In that study, the literacy researchers Chase Young, Timothy Rasinski, and Kathleen Mohr called the method “Read Two Impress.”

This new name reflected a change in the method: Kids had to read each page aloud after their tutors finished reading it to them. In addition to making kids better readers, Read Two Impress also helps them become more confident and spend more time reading.

Empowering families

Yet the Read Two Impress method, until now, has never formally involved a child’s family. Additionally, no studies of this strategy have investigated the impact of using books that reflect student culture and language.

To see if his strategy would be effective as a tool for families to use to improve their children’s reading, I partnered with co-researchers, Joshua Michael and Kris'tina Ackerman. Together, we conducted a study over 10 weeks at a school in a large Northeastern city.

There were some hurdles. For example, the grandmother of a thoughtful and inquisitive child expressed anxiety about her lack of confidence and perceived ability to read. “I’m not much of a reader myself,” she told us during the first training. “I don’t know if I can help my grandchild with reading.”

She, along with 25 second-graders and some of their relatives, participated in five training sessions.

In the final one, the adult participants described how they were teaching this strategy to others. They told us they believed similar opportunities should be broadly available. This in turn prompted us to host an open training for the whole school and a group of teachers-in-training.

This time, the grandmother, once apprehensive, helped facilitate the training. She had gained confidence in her ability to teach this learning strategy to others.

We also found that when families read books that reflected their culture and language, they enjoyed reading together more. In particular, we learned through surveys and focus groups that parents and other guardians took pride in playing a role in helping their kids become better readers.

We will publish the results of the more expansive approach to the strategy, which we call “Read Two Impress Plus,” in an academic journal.

UMBC doctoral students Joshua Michael and Kris'tina Ackerman contributed to the study of Read Two Impress and this article.

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Kindel Turner Nash, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Fair is wrapping up its 2019 run on Sunday with a day full of activities, events and fun.

The fair hours are 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. Sunday.

Sunday is Fiesta Latina Day, with features including the 4-H and FFA Award ceremony, Baldwin Pavilion at 5 p.m. and the boat races at the grandstand at 7 p.m.

There will be a weaving demonstration from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday in the Clothing and Textile Exhibition in the Little Theater Building.

In addition to the textiles in the Little Theater Building, Lewis Hall houses home arts, Fritch Hall features fine arts, and the floral and agriculture displays are in the Garden Building.

Regular admission prices are $12 for adults, $8 for seniors 60 and older, $8 for children ages 6 to 11, and children age 5 and under attend for free.

Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online here.

The full schedule for the last day of the fair is published below.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 1

Carnival Pay-One Price Day; the cost is $35. Purchase tickets in the carnival area.

Buildings close at 10 p.m.; the fair closes at 11 p.m.

Family Oasis in Fiesta Park: A great place for parents to relax with youngsters.

Daily features: Draft horse wagon rides, a climbing wall, Fill-Up the Strolling Balloon Sculptor, Skip Banks the Balloon Man, Magician Ken Garr and Tanna Banana.

Grandstand entertainment

7 p.m.: Boat races, sponsored by Lake County Tribal Health TANF

Special attractions

Fiesta Latina Day, sponsored by Lake County Tribal Health Consortium

Livestock area

5 p.m.: 4-H and FFA Award ceremony, Baldwin Pavilion

Around the grounds

1, 3 and 7 p.m.: Sea Lion Splash, Fiesta Park

Free contests

1 p.m.: Decorate a Splashingly Delicious Cookie, Lewis Hall. No preregistration; just come to Lewis Hall. Participants are provided with all materials. Ribbon awards for first, second and third place winners.

Live music

Noon and 1:15 p.m.: Sara and Cory Cunningham w/Dorian May Trio, jazz trio plus vocals and trombone, Main Stage

12:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.: Majide!, trio – standard jazz classics from the Great American Songbook, Gazebo Stage

3 p.m.: Konocti Klogging Kids, clogging, Gazebo Stage

5, 7 and 9 p.m.: Austin & Owens, The NeoFlamenco Duo, Gazebo Stage

Fair closes at 11 p.m. The 2020 Fair takes place Sept. 3 to 6.

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.