LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The weather still feels like summer, but the colors are those of fall.
Local photographer Ron Keas captured this unique Lake County landscape with fall colors becoming evident.
Keas captured the shot in Lucerne on Tuesday.
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The Friday morning incident claimed the life of 57-year-old Zino Eddine Mezoui, owner of Zino's Ristorante in Kelseyville, a man known for his passion for food and friends.
“We're still following some leads,” said CHP officer Joe Wind.
Mezoui, who had just taken his green 1995 Honda Gold Wing motorcycle out for a long-awaited ride, was traveling southbound on Highway 29 at approximately 10:17 a.m. when a blue 1993 Chevrolet Suburban entered the highway from Seigler Canyon Road directly in his path, according to the CHP report.
The motorcycle collided with the Suburban's driver side door, the CHP said. Witnesses reported that Mezoui and his motorcycle came to rest in the middle of the roadway after the crash.
The Suburban's male driver then fled the scene, the CHP reported. The driver turned around and was last seen heading westbound back up Seigler Canyon Road.
The CHP reported that its officers located the suspect vehicle on Friday but are continuing to investigate who the Suburban's driver was.
Mezoui was flown by REACH air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where the CHP said he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said an autopsy is planned on Tuesday morning.
CHP Officer Ryan Erickson is leading the incident investigation.
Anyone with information should call the CHP's Clear Lake Office, 707-279-0103.
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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A local restaurateur is being remembered by friends for his warmth, generosity and good food after his death from a motorcycle crash on Friday.
Zino Mezoui, 57, owner of Zino's Ristorante and Inn in Kelseyville, died from injuries sustained in a Friday morning collision with a vehicle at Highway 29 and Siegler Canyon Road.
Friends shared the news which they confirmed with family. Postings were being made on Facebook in memory of Mezoui throughout the weekend.
The California Highway Patrol and the District Attorney's Office were investigating the crash on Friday, with the driver of the vehicle fleeing the scene afterward, as Lake County News has reported. As of Sunday, no arrests in the case had been reported.
CHP Officer Dallas Richey said Friday that the motorcyclist – in this case Mezoui, who Richey didn't identify by name at that time – had been flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
“He was such a charming beautiful person who really contributed to what Lake County is,” said friend Maile Field.
Mezoui's death marks the second loss of a well-known and respected businessman this month. On Sept. 4, local Realtor Byron Whipple was killed in a boating crash on Clear Lake.
Tony Barthel, owner of Featherbed Railroad Bed & Breakfast Resort in Nice, found out early Saturday morning about Mezoui's death after seeing it posted on Facebook.
“He was someone you always looked forward to spending any amount of time with,” Barthel said.
“Plus, he was one hell of a cook,” Barthel added.
Mezoui had a passion for cooking, Barthel said.
That passion was in his blood – Mezoui's Web site noted that he came from three generations of French and Italian chefs and restaurateurs.
Mezoui was born in France and moved to the United States in the 1980s, according to an August 2009 profile written by JoAnn Saccato of the Lake County Community Co-op.
He and wife, Jan, arrived in Lake County in 2006 from Sonoma, where he had operated Zino on the Plaza for 25 years, according to his Web site.
While they had planned to retire, those plans didn't last for long, and they opened up their new restaurant at 6330 Soda Bay Road, overlooking Clear Lake.
In addition to working to create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere, Mezoui crafted food using fresh produce purchased from local farmers, according to Saccato's profile.
Mezoui was a very warm and personable man, said Barthel, “a kind soul in the community” who was always there for people.
As innkeepers, Barthel said he and his wife, Peggy, were always happy to send visitors to Mezoui's restaurant.
The Barthels managed to get away from their own business for an anniversary dinner on Thursday night, with the restaurant being one of their favorite special occasion places.
“You always knew you were getting a hug going in,” Tony Barthel said.
After their dinner Thursday, the Barthels hung out and chatted with Mezoui, who shared with them his excitement about his motorcycle, which he said was finally ready to ride after being in the shop.
The ride on Friday that ended in Mezoui's death apparently was the ride he'd been looking forward to for so long. Barthel said that, having been there to hear Mezoui talk about the motorcycle made the news of his death from the crash all the more difficult.
“That was the end of the night for us” when they got the news at about 4 a.m. Saturday, he said.
Joey Luiz, another friend of Mezoui's, posted the news on Facebook.
Luiz said his roommate had come upon the crash before first responders arrived at the scene, and told Luiz that people were there trying to render first aid.
It was later when Luiz heard from another friend who had gone to the restaurant – which was open for business as scheduled – that Mezoui had died. That's when Luiz said he put it all together.
“I'm still numb about the whole thing,” said Luiz.
He had fond memories of dinners there and visits with Mezoui, who he remembered as generous and full of fun.
They knew each other personally and professionally, with Mezoui calling Luiz in 2007 about purchasing local wines for his restaurant.
Luiz said Mezoui was “probably one of the warmest, kindest people I've ever known.”
At a Clear Lake Chamber dinner last year, which coincided with the end of Luiz' tenure as president, he said Mezoui helped put on a fun event, providing for Luiz a throne, toy crown and robe.
Field, another of Mezoui's many friends, said she'd been e-mailing friends from New York to Hawaii over the weekend, and they all immediately expressed regret and remembrance.
“Zino had a magical ability to make his guests feel at home whether we were celebrating an afternoon on the lake and had come in dripping wet and windblown or if we were wearing our pearls and schmoozing out of town business people,” Field said.
“He somehow remembered that I had minored in French in college and always therefore greeted me in French. He was also fluent in Italian,” she said.
Field, who recently moved from Kelseyville to Washington, DC, said no one on the East Coast will ever achieve that balance of friendly and professional that Mezoui did.
“And did I mention the food? No words describe it,” she said.
Field, who plans to come to Lake County this week for harvest, said the suspect in the hit-and-run had better turn themselves in, because with her coming to town, “jail is the safest place to be” for them.
The loss is a deep one, said Barthel.
“I think that this community is really going to miss Zino,” he said.
According to Barthel, Mezoui's family is planning to continue with his work and keep Zino's open.
Mezoui's life, his friends agreed, was far too short, but one filled with passion.
“What a great life, to do what you love,” Barthel said.
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Rowland James Mosser, 66, who was the center's director from July 2002 to August 2005, was in Judge Andrew Blum's Department 3 courtroom Tuesday for the proceedings.
Mosser is charged with two felony counts of embezzlement and two felony grand theft counts for allegedly taking funds from the center between Jan. 1, 2005, and Aug. 12, 2005.
Deputy District Attorney Gary Luck said in a previous interview that he doesn't have a firm amount for the money allegedly taken from the center during that period of time.
Luck took the case to preliminary hearing early in 2009 but later asked for the charges to be dismissed while a forensic examination of the center's financial records was conducted, as Lake County News has reported. He refiled the case in September 2009.
He estimated the hearing should take two and a half days.
Luck told the court Tuesday that the chief investigator on the case, Ron Larsen, a retired Clearlake Police Department captain who in recent years has worked as a part-time investigator for the District Attorney's Office, is ill and was unable to appear for the hearing. Luck asked to be able to submit a copy of the preliminary hearing transcript from early 2009, which included Larsen's testimony.
Jacob Zamora, Mosser's defense attorney, agreed to allow the transcript in, but only for the preliminary hearing, not for any trial that might result. Blum received the transcript later in the day and planned to start going through it.
During brief opening statements, Luck alleged that Mosser and his wife, Jayne – was was previously charged with a county of felony grand theft that later was dropped – received a financial windfall of about $160,000 in mid-2003.
He said the evidence would show that the Mossers had spent all of the money by 2005, when their bank account was closed with penalty fees.
At the end of 2004 and throughout the rest of Rowland Mosser's tenure at the senior center in 2005, Luck alleged that the tracking of donations coming into the center disappeared.
He alleged that payment of vendors also ceased at the end of 2004, with financial judgments from vendors being lodged against the center at that time. Taxes being withheld from employees' paychecks weren't paid to the state and federal government, Luck said.
Zamora briefly countered, “There was simply no money to steal.”
Over the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, Luck called six witnesses who had worked at the center in various volunteer capacities.
Donna Christopher, who lives just a few doors down from the center, recalled regularly attending events at the center with her family, and making donations of time, money and items, such as durable medical equipment.
Bill Ellis, 92, a longtime board member and the center's former treasurer, recalled how in 2005 the center's checks began bouncing, and how he paid for several energy bills, each totaling more than $2,000.
Jim Swatts of Clearlake Oaks, the center's former board chair, testified to being appointed to the position in July of 2005. Beforehand, he had no affiliation with the center other than attending events and breakfasts there.
After his appointment, he said he found out about the center's financial situation, which wasn't good.
Swatts said Mosser asked him in August 2005 if he could give the senior center board a financial report in closed session. Swatts said he told Mosser no, that he needed to give the report in open session.
“I said it would be given in an open meeting, he said he would not do it,” Swatts said.
Swatts said he then asked the board for a closed session to have a personnel discussion. “I wanted to know when the last time Mr. Mosser was graded on performance,” Swatts said.
Mosser later entered that closed session, went ahead and handed out the financial report against Swatts' direction and also gave the board a piece of paper that said he was resigning in two weeks. After Mosser left the room, the board voted to accept the resignation, Swatts testified.
Immediately afterward, Swatts gave Mosser a letter approved by the board putting him on administrative leave for two weeks. Swatts then collected Mosser's keys and Mosser left.
Swatts recounted having to knock the hinges off a small combination safe in Mosser's office, in which Swatts and several other center board members and volunteers found an envelope marked “bingo” with $500 inside, and other envelope containing less than $98.
Swatts said the Internal Revenue Service informed him that the center owed the government back tax money. During one conversation they told Swatts that they planned to shut the center down within 24 hours if some action wasn't taken.
Swatts and then-Lakeport Senior Center Executive Director Marilyn Johnson worked together to try to get the center on track, he said. J.J. Jackson later was hired as the Lucerne senior center's executive director.
Lillian Sherry, 83, the center's former treasurer and thrift shop volunteer, took over as treasurer for Ellis in April 2005 after Ellis had heart surgery. Like Swatts, she recounted opening the safe in Mosser's former office, with her account matching his regarding what was found in the safe.
Luck also called to the stand Lauralei Smith, who testified about volunteering at the center and taking cash at events, which she turned over to Mosser.
Former senior center board member Eva Mooney, who had been involved in running the center's rose garden and thrift shop, recalled having to reduce her commitments to the center in order to care for her 100-year-old mother in the spring of 2005, with her mother dying that summer.
Mooney said she didn't recall being present at the meeting where Mosser resigned. Her term had ended in July 2005.
“I was just glad it ended,” she said, explaining that she was increasingly getting upset having to deal with the center.
After Mosser left, she said people at the center were cold and rude. “I think they were just not caring.”
Mooney recalled never seeing any money from a duck race event in 2005, and said the family of a woman who died donated a large number of items to the center for the thrift shop, but the items never appeared in the shop. She say Jayne Mosser told her they could get more for the items on eBay
When she handed money from the thrift shop over to Mosser, Mooney recalled that he usually just put it in his pocket, not verifying the amount.
While a board member at the center, Mooney didn't recall Mosser reporting that tax levies or judgments had been placed against the center.
The preliminary hearing is scheduled to continue at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
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Kimberlee Annette Westbay, 52, died in the crash, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
The collision occurred just after 10:30 a.m. Friday on Highway 20 at Scotts Valley Road near Blue Lakes, officials reported.
Anton Timothy Kloiber, 34, of Piercy was driving a black 2008 Chevy Tahoe westbound on Highway 20 when he is alleged to have allowed his vehicle to travel into the oncoming lane in front of Westbay's black 1990 Nissan pickup, according to the CHP report.
The two vehicles collided, with Westbay's Nissan spinning off the roadway, the CHP said.
The CHP said Kloiber's Tahoe continued westbound, hitting the left rear of a red Ford F-150 pickup driven by 48-year-old Dale Box of Upper Lake.
Westbay was pronounced dead at the scene, the CHP said, with Kloiber complaining of minor pain and Box sustaining no injuries, the CHP said.
The CHP arrested Kloiber shortly after 11:30 a.m. on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to the report.
He was booked into the Lake County Jail just after 7:30 p.m. Friday on felony charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs causing bodily injury. Bail was set at $150,000.
Kloiber later posted bail and was released. He had been scheduled to be in court on Monday.
Bauman said an autopsy was performed Monday morning on Westbay, with the cause of the crash pending further investigation by the CHP. Officer Greg Buchholz is the case's investigative officer.
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The blaze, which began just after 12:30 p.m. Saturday, was located in the 18000 block of Highway 1, according to the Sunday report.
The fire burned 98 acres, and destroyed two parked vehicles and one outbuilding. It was fully contained by 8 a.m. Sunday, Cal Fire said.
Officials said the cause is under investigation.
Approximately 200 firefighters were assigned to the incident and were continuing with mop up, which was expected to continue late Sunday and possibly into Monday morning due to the heavy fuels involved, state fire officials reported.
One firefighter injury was reported. Cal Fire said the firefighter in question, from Sonoma County Fire and Emergency Services-Bodega Volunteer Fire Co., sustained significant injuries while working on the Bodega Fire Saturday afternoon.
The volunteer firefighter – also a seasonal firefighter with Cal Fire – was actively working on the fire when he came into contact with an energized downed power line. Officials said he sustained an electrical shock and subsequent burns.
He was transported by helicopter to a burn center for treatment. Cal Fire said that as of Sunday morning the firefighter was reported in stable condition and medical staff is continuing with treatment and evaluation.
The accident is being investigated by a Cal Fire Serious Accident Review Team, which is a standard practice when injuries of this type occur.
Officials said the 911 emergency call system which was out of service in some areas servicing the community of Bodega Bay was expected to be fully restored by telecommunication crews by late Sunday.
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The Department of Defense’s Board of Actuaries in late July overhauled the assumptions used to calculate what the services must budget for annually to cover future retirement obligations to the current force.
It acted on analyses from the DoD Office of the Actuary which, for the first time, weighed the effects on retirement costs of Post-9/11 developments including nine years of sustained operations, a deep economic recession and growth in military entitlements of retirees and survivors.
The result is an $800 million jump in accrual retirement costs the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps have to pay starting 2012 because more service members are staying until retirement.
Some of that cost too is a projected 40 percent increase in disability retirements, the result of a crackdown on the low-balling of disability awards by service through stricter compliance with rating practices of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Another $200 million in added yearly retirement costs is attributed to retirees living longer. Death rates are falling – and sharply.
“The improvement that military retirees are seeing in their own mortality is just phenomenal,” said Peter Rossi, one of DoD actuaries that worked on revising projected retirement costs.
Retiree deaths are “decreasing at such a rapid rate – faster than the American public, faster than anyone else – we are seeing a 2-plus percent a year change for active, reserve. It’s everybody.”
Deaths for non-disabled retirees in 2008-09 were 8 percent lower than found for non-disabled retirees in 2004-2005. For retired reservists, data showed a 4 percent drop.
No cause has been identified, Rossi added. “Maybe military folks are just in better shape.”
The changes in actuarial assumptions reportedly surprised Under Secretary of Defense Robert Hale, the DoD comptroller, who already was under considerable pressure to curb the services’ soaring personnel costs.
“The comptroller was not pleased,” said one official. “He now had to go out and find [$1 billion] when Defense Secretary [Robert] Gates is telling him he needs to save money. That was a contentious issue for a while.”
The retention rate of careerist is so high that in the 2012 budget to be delivered to Congress next February, the services will assume that 19 percent of all new entrants serve for 20 years, long enough to qualify for retirement. That’s a “huge” change from the 17 percent previously assumed, said Rossi.
Specifically, the probability of newly commissioned officers reaching retirement will climb to 49 percent from 47. For new enlistees, the assumed retirement rate will be raised to 17 percent from 15.
It forces the services overall to set aside $20 billion in their 2012 budgets to cover active duty retirement costs, an unplanned for 5 percent jump. Another $2.8 billion will have to be set aside for Guard and Reserve retirement but that’s unchanged. Rossi said the Office of the Actuary has not reconsidered assumptions for Guard and Reserve retirement but it soon will.
Another way to look at the effect of the new assumptions on retirement costs is by individual member costs. For fiscal 2011 the services will set aside $32.70 for future retired pay for every $100 paid in basic pay. That proportion will climb to $34.30 for every $100 in basis pay in fiscal 2012. So if a service member draws $50,000 in basic pay, his or her service will have to pony up $17,150 that year for future retired pay, or $800 more than was needed a year earlier.
For many years, the military ignored future retirement obligations, budgeting only to cover payments due each year to current retirees and survivors. That pay-as-you-go method created a huge unfunded liability. Critics also said the services had no incentive to control retirement costs.
In 1984 Congress ordered DoD to switch to “accrual accounting” for retirement accounts. The Treasury Department was given responsibility for the unfunded liability and established a military retirement trust fund. The services began to pay into that fund whatever amount was needed to cover retirement costs for the current active, Guard and Reserve forces.
So retirement obligations today are paid from two pots. Treasury pays roughly $50 billion a year to cover annuities of current retirees and survivors. The services pay more than $20 billion a year in accrual payments.
Once again, no COLA
The board of actuaries assumed at its July meeting that military retirees, social security recipients, federal civilian retirees, disabled veterans and survivors will have to wait until at least January 2012 before they see their next cost-of-living adjustment or COLA.
That prediction looks even more solid now, to the regret of retirees.
No COLA was paid last year because there was no inflation. The cost of goods and services, in fact, fell by 2.1 percent from the third quarter of 2008 through the third quarter of 2009, the periods used to track CPI.
To trigger a COLA for next January, inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) for July through September this year would have to climb by more than 2.1 percent above the third-quarter base period of 2008. For that to happen, prices would have to surge 2 percent in September alone. There are no signs that is happening.
No COLA last year eased the unfunded liability of the military retirement system by $22.3 billion. But it gave no relief to service budgets because Treasury’s pays COLAs of current retirees. Rossi said that over time retirees can expect COLAs to deliver an annual average boost of 3 percent.
To comment, send e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or write to Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120-1111.
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Moses Reeves, 24, of Nice was arrested for resisting arrest, assault on a peace officer, obstructing a peace officer and public intoxication, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb.
At 11 p.m. Saturday Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies were working the Round Valley area, Smallcomb said. Indian Days was being held over the weekend, with a large group of visitors in the valley for the festivities.
Smallcomb said deputies were dispatched to the area of the Buckhorn Bar where several physical fights had been taking place. These fights included Lake County patrons fighting local Round Valley residents.
When the deputies arrived at the Buckhorn Bar, they observed a physical fight taking place involving Reeves, Smallcomb said.
The deputies observed Reeves was bleeding from the mouth and approached him due to his injuries, Smallcomb said.
Reeves refocused his attention on the deputies and allegedly began assaulting them. Smallcomb said Reeves and the two deputies went onto the ground, at which time numerous other patrons started surrounding all three subjects.
The deputies were able to restrain Reeves and with the assistance of the bar owner and some other patrons were able to remove Reeves from the angry crowd. During this incident Smallcomb said Reeves, who sustained a bloody lip earlier at the bar, spit into the eyes of one of the deputies.
A request for further law enforcement was summoned and several officers including the California Highway Patrol, Willits Police Department,Cal Fire, Round Valley and Cahto tribal officers responded to downtown Covelo, he said.
When the additional officers arrived, they arrested 45-year-old Covelo resident Laurence Britton for resisting arrest, along with approximately six other individuals for miscellaneous charges including public intoxication and outstanding warrants, Smallcomb said.
Other subjects arrested William Short, 37, of Willits, and Wesley Card, 30, of Covelo, both for public intoxication, he said.
Smallcomb said all of the suspects were transported and booked into the Mendocino County Jail.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Mythical, majestic and “just plain wrong!” were some of the exclamations overheard on Saturday in Lakeport as the seemingly-impossible happened time and again: airplanes landing – and taking off – from the surface of the waters of Clear Lake.
It was all part of the action at the 31st annual Clear Lake Splash-In, which continues Sunday.
Seaplane pilots from around the United States made their way to Lakeport for the annual Splash-In, the largest gathering of seaplanes west of the Mississippi.
The annual celebration of seaplanes featured handmade, ultra-light and antique craft.
“Once again, the community support for this event has been great,” said Chuck Kimes, organizer of the event.
Kimes credited Melissa Fulton, chief executive officer of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Doug Grider, Lakeport's Public Works superintendent, the Upper Lake Future Farmers' of America and the Sea Scouts for helping make this years' event another success.
Although primarily a seaplane pilots' event, the Clear Lake Splash-In attracts the young and the young-at-heart alike who want to get a closeup look at these magnificent flying machines.
“I'm amazed at the variety of airplanes here,” said Walter Windus, chair of the Splash-In Board of Directors.
Windus explained that the variety of planes participating in the event is unique – and even unusual for seaplane pilots to experience.
“There are all makes and models here, from planes made in somebody's garage by hand, to planes over 50 years old, restored and worth over $1 million,” he said.
Lake County resident and seaplane pilot Mike Dunlap, who was on ramp patrol duty with his trusty golden retriever to keep the crowds safe, also noted the cooperation and assistance the city of Lakeport gives to this event.
The two-day event, which has taken place in Lakeport for 28 out of the 31 years the event has been held, is a great benefit to the local economy, Dunlap explained.
“Between motel rooms, dining out, buying fuel and more, we've estimated that participants add more than $80,000 to the local economy during the Splash-In,” Dunlap said.
The call came over the radio before 1 p.m. that so many planes had flown in for the event that Lampson Airport was full – there was no more room for “regular” planes to land, park and take a shuttle over to the site of the Splash-In.
“But they'll make room,” Dunlap said, as he was expecting another pilot from Nevada who had already registered.
Because of the more stringent guidelines this year to prevent the introduction of quagga and zebra mussels, coupled with the inspection program, organizers were concerned that it might keep pilots from coming – but that was not the case.
“We worked with the county and we worked with our pilots, and everything worked out fine,” Kimes said.
As spectators admired the seaplanes on the grounds of Natural High and the docks at Skylark Shores, wondering how the planes made the leap from water to sky, Dunlap joked, “What keeps planes in the air? Money. And Seaplanes? More money.”
But for the aficionados of aviation, as well as seaplane pilots and dreamers, seeing the intersection between sky and water was priceless.
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Since its inception in April 2009, the task force has obtained the resignation of 12 attorneys involved in loan modification misconduct.
The efforts of the Task Force have also resulted in six pending loan modification trials, 1,800 active investigations and the processing of more than 4,000 complaints by consumers.
Attorneys who have been disbarred as a result of the task force’s actions have been charged with wide range of misconduct, including the collection of illegal fees; failure to refund fees; nonperformance of work they were hired to perform (loan modifications and foreclosure defense); the formation of partnerships with non-attorneys and assisting non-attorneys in the unauthorized practice of law; filing of frivolous and phony lawsuits to reduce mortgage debt; abandoning clients; failing to return files/documents to clients; making misrepresentations to the court; and, practicing law in states where they are not licensed.
Potential clients are led to believe that all loans can and will be modified by lenders. Consumers should be aware that not all loans can or will be modified by lenders and that many of these operations make no attempt at modifying the loans.
In October 2009 a new law, SB 94, was signed in to law, prohibiting persons from charging advance fees to borrowers in connection with the modification of the terms of the borrower’s loan and requiring those who wish to charge a fee for loan modification services (after performing them) to provide a specific notice to borrowers regarding other options available to the borrower.
Since April 2009 the Loan Modification Task Force has received more than 1,250 complaints and is investigating almost 250 lawyers for questionable practices.
Close to 20,000 attorney files have been removed from the offices of attorneys whose loan modification practices have been shut down or abandoned.
Local law enforcement, the California Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have partnered with the task force to investigate and stop businesses and law firms that prey on individuals in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure.
“Our office has given a very high priority to allegations of attorney misconduct in connection with loan modification service, and I have been very impressed by the successful work of the Loan Modification Task Force – to date, 12 lawyers have surrendered their licenses, and four stipulated disbarments have been approved by the State Bar Court,” said Chief Trial Counsel Jim Towery of the State Bar recently commented. “I intend to maintain the office’s aggressive stance with respect to attorneys that have engaged in loan modification misconduct.”
For more information about reporting attorney misconduct go to www.calbar.ca.gov/Attorneys/LawyerRegulation.aspx.
For local assistance with evaluating the options if you are headed toward a foreclosure, contact the California Human Development Corporation at 3315 Airway Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, telephone 707-372-4588 or 707-521-4789 or, for Lake County seniors only, the Senior Law Project at 707-263-4703. Both CHDC and the Sr. Law Project are HUD-approved agencies for loan modification assistance.
Mary Heare Amodio is president of the Lake County Bar Association and practices in the areas of estate planning, probate, conservatorship, guardianship, consumer bankruptcy, in addition to business and real estate transactions. She can be reached at 707-263-5759 or at
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Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said deputies were assisting the California Highway Patrol in a foot pursuit involving a stolen vehicle which had contained three subjects and a large quantity of marijuana.
Deputies, CHP and Ukiah Police officers ended up at a large industrial building located at 3771 Christy Lane, Paco's Painting in pursuit of the suspects, Smallcomb said.
On arrival law enforcement officers discovered a large industrial marijuana processing operation inside the location. Smallcomb said the building was approximately 30 feet by 60 feet and full of hanging and processed marijuana.
Approximately 700 pounds of processed marijuana was seized inside the location, Smallcomb said.
Arrested at the location for processing marijuana were Jacob James Francisco Corona, 20, of Ukiah; Austreberto Fuentes Cruz, 27, of Ukiah; Roberto Flores, 20, of Santa Rosa; Pablo Hernandez Fuentes, 42, Redwood Valley; Carmen Gonzalez, 39, of Hopland; Jose Busio Martine, 39, of Healdsburg; Arselea Corona, 65, of Ukiah; Francisco Diaz Corona, 50, of Ukiah; Luis Alonso Corona, 35, of Ukiah; Roberto Buenrostro, 34, of Ukiah; transient Juan Becerra Vazquez, 37; Heriberto Martinez, 30, of Ukiah; Castro Cruz, 29, of Healdsburg; Ismael Diaz Corona, 57, of Mesa, Ariz.; Gerado Moreno, 27, of Hopland; Alfaro Manuel Mendoza, 19, of Ukiah; Antonio Paniagua Lemus, 67, of Santa Rosa; transient Ivan Pandagua, 27; and Raul Valle, 27, of Ukiah.
The suspects were transported to the Mendocino County Jail, Smallcomb said.
He said special agents from the Major Crimes Task Force assisted at the location and are continuing to follow up on leads into the complete ownership of the operation.
Homeland Security was contacted and has placed immigration holds on several of the listed suspects, according to Smallcomb.
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LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The previously winless St. Helena Saints stormed into Lower Lake Friday night and dominated the Trojans football team by a score of 37-12, handing Lower Lake their first defeat of the season.
Lower Lake’s win/loss record now stands at 2 and 1.
After the loss, a visibly discouraged head coach Stan Weiper said he was “surprised at how bad we were” and added, “We were out of sync from the start.”
St. Helena got on the board early, needing just five plays – all runs – to score first, capped by a 30-yard sprint from Saints running back Charles Bertoli into the Trojans end zone.
The extra point by kicker David Martinez made it 7-0.
Lower Lake’s Marcus Radovan took the ensuing kickoff return back to St. Helena’s 47 yard line, but EJ Jermany fumbled the ball on the Trojans' opening possession and St. Helena recovered.
The Saints took advantage of the turnover, driving 73 yards in nine plays to score their second touchdown.
Lower Lake got on the board with their next possession – the longest of the game for the Trojans – when Devante Scott carried the ball six yards into St. Helena’s end zone and brought the score to 14-6.
“We’re capable,” Weiper said. “We just need to get back on track.”
But St. Helena answered on their next possession, taking 11 plays to march 65 yards downfield, scoring on a Richard Hoppe quarterback keep from the Trojans’ 6-yard line. The added extra point brought the first quarter to a close with Lower Lake trailing 21-6.
An interception on the Saints' 29 yard line by defensive back Peter Del Bondio led to a 37-yard field goal by David Martinez, and St. Helena broadened their lead to 24-6.
The Trojans were forced to punt on their next possession, and when the Saints scored on a 21-yard run from tight end Alex Quirici, Lower Lake ended the first half trailing 31-6.
The Saints continued to dominate in the second half, when Bertoli ended Lower Lake’s opening third quarter possession by intercepting an errant Trojan pass and returning it 64 yards for another St. Helena touchdown.
The Trojans managed to score only once more in the game, when Roy Percoats ran the ball 85 yards downfield to score Lower Lake’s second touchdown.
After failing to make the twp-point conversion, the Trojans trailed 37-12, the final score of the game.
“We didn’t do anything well,” Weiper said after Lower Lake’s first loss. “We thought we could play competitively, and we just didn’t.”
The Trojans went three for 12 with 48 yards passing (and two interceptions), and carried the ball 38 times for 274 yards rushing.
Defensively, Trojans linebacker Antonio Hines had an impressive nine tackles, one assist and one quarterback sack against the Saints.
In junior varsity action, Lower Lake’s Jessie Meldrum caught a Jason Mallory pass at midfield to score the game’s only touchdown, and the Trojans made the two-point conversion to beat the Saints 8-0, improving their record to 2-1 this season.
Lower Lake plays again next Friday, Oct. 1, at home against Upper Lake, which lost to Ft. Bragg 48-12 on Friday night, bringing their record to 1-2 this season. The Trojans will travel to Cloverdale to take on the Eagles Oct. 8.
For more pictures of the game visit www.sportsphoto.us/20100924/index.html.
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