The group received $3,950.83 for six Garmin Rino two-way radios and a rescue mule litter wheel with handles.

The funds were awarded by the Modesto-based Carole Sund/Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation's Laci and Conner Search and Rescue Fund in an effort to help Lake County Search and Rescue be better prepared and “therefore be more successful in their efforts to safely return missing persons to their loved ones.”

“I am deeply appreciative for all of the volunteers who provide their time and expertise for Search and Rescue operations,” Sheriff Rod Mitchell said. “I would like to thank the Laci and Conner Search and Rescue Fund for awarding us this new equipment. This equipment will enhance our volunteers’ abilities to return loved ones to their families in a safe and timely manner.”

Sharon Rocha founded the Laci and Conner Search and Rescue Fund in memory of her daughter, Laci Peterson, and grandson Conner.

“Many people spent countless hours helping in the search for my daughter, Laci,” Rocha said. “I believe that every missing person deserves to be found and returned to their loved ones. We hope to aid in that effort by providing funds to assist in search and rescue operations.”

The fund's purpose is to provide financial assistance to law enforcement agencies and nonprofit organizations involved in search and rescue operations. These organizations are able to apply for financial assistance for search and rescue training and the necessary equipment in order to improve their search and rescue capabilities.

Since its inception in December 2005, the Laci and Conner Search and Rescue Fund has funded more than $271,000 in grants to 62 organizations in 19 states.

For more information about the foundation visit www.carolesundfoundation.com.

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Northshore Fire Protection District firefighters and California Highway Patrol were among the agencies on the scene of a crash on Saturday, October 16, 2010, near Glenhaven, Calif. Photo by Gary McAuley.

The California reported that the single-vehicle incident occurred just west of Glenhaven shortly before 1:30 p.m.

A man, whose name was not available from officials on Saturday, was traveling westbound on Highway 20 with his dog in his late model Honda Ridgeline SUV when the vehicle rolled over. It was not immediately clear why the vehicle rolled.

The vehicle, which was heading westbound, ended up back on its wheels and the driver and his dog were able to get out, officials reported. Man and canine were said to be uninjured.

A tow truck pulled the Honda Ridgeline westward to clear the roadway, but a wrecker had to be called, as the front axle of the Honda was broken and couldn't be towed. Photo by Gary McAuley.

Cal Fire responded with two engines and arrived on scene first, remaining on scene to direct traffic and assisting with removing debris from the roadway.

Two CHP units were on scene along with Northshore Fire, which sent one medic unit each from Lucerne and Clearlake Oaks and one battalion chief. Other units were canceled while en route due to the collision being noninjury.

Gary McAuley contributed to this report.

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Traffic along Highway 20 in Lake County, Calif., was backed up on the afternoon of Saturday, October 16, 2010, as officials dealt with a crash scene near Glenhaven. Photo by Gary McAuley.

The “Get-Out-The-Vote Rally” will take place on Sunday, Oct. 17, at Napa's Uptown Theatre, 1350 Third St.

Residents of the First Congressional District are invited to come to the event and stand up for the future of the district and the nation.

Doors open at 1 p.m. with the rally set to begin at 2 p.m.

Seating is offered on a first-come, first-served basis at the theater, which has 860 seats, according to its Web site, www.uptowntheatrenapa.com.

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A vehicle that hit a power pole knocked out power to a nearby block on Saturday, October 16, 2010. Photo by Gary McAuley.

NICE, Calif. – A driver fled the scene Saturday night after driving their vehicle into a power pole in Nice.

The crash occurred at around 11 p.m. Saturday on Floyd Way, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A Dodge Neon went into the power pole and sheared it in half before the driver got out and left the scene, according to initial reports. No injuries were reported by the CHP.

Reports from the scene indicated a sheriff's deputy who first arrived on the scene didn't see the downed power lines and got her patrol car's light bar snagged on them. The deputy was not harmed and the car later was untangled from the lines, which weren't powered.

The CHP said the entire block was out of power because of the crash.

Northshore Fire and the sheriff's office arrived to help stabilize the scene by blocking off Floyd Way to keep the public out of the area, the CHP said.

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The driver of this vehicle reportedly fled the scene after the crash on the night of Saturday, October 16, 2010. Photo by Gary McAuley.

Zino Mezoui taking part in the olive pit spitting contest at the Kelseyville Olive Festival in Kelseyville, Calif., on Saturday, March 21, 2010. Photo by Lexie Firth.

On Sept. 24, 2010, a tragic crash took the life of one of Lake County’s most beloved citizens.

Zino Mezoui was a restaurateur, an avid supporter of local agriculture, and one of the warmest people on the planet. He also made a mean eggplant parmigiana.

Mezoui (pronounced mez-WEE) was known as Zino to virtually everyone. He preferred hugs to handshakes, treated new acquaintances like old friends, and dispensed his trademark smile generously, without reservation.

Nearly 500 people attended his recent memorial service on Oct. 9, a testament to the number of hearts he touched throughout his life.

It was hard to encounter Zino without being affected by his warmth and charm.

Congressman Mike Thompson, who’s known Mezoui since the late 1980s, said that Mezoui made him feel as though he’d known him all his life at their first meeting.

“Since that time, whenever I’ve seen him, Zino made me feel like the most special person in the world,” Thompson said. “I’ve enjoyed many meals in his restaurant.”

Alison Mannweiler, also a regular customer at Mezoui’s restaurant, recalls his kindness to her after her husband passed away, assuring her she would find love again. Another fond memory is his patience in speaking French slowly and animatedly with her daughter, a novice speaker.

One evening Mannweiler took her parents to Zino’s Ristorante for a special occasion and was stymied about a wine selection.

She recalled, “He recommended the perfect wine and did it in a way that made me look smart. I will miss him and his hospitality for the rest of my life.”

As will we all.

Born in Algiers of French parents, Mezoui inherited a rich culinary tradition from his father and grandfather, both restaurateurs and chefs.

He learned cooking skills at a very young age in the family restaurant kitchen from both his parents and continued to hone those skills throughout his life, both as a chef and restaurant owner.

Zino Mezoui and his mother during a visit she made from France. Photo by JoAnn Saccato.

Though his first learned cuisine was French, he taught himself to cook Italian food later in his career.

Prior to moving to Lake County, Mezoui owned Zino’s, a restaurant on the plaza in Sonoma, which he ran for 22 years. As he is here, he was known in Sonoma for his warmth and charm. The city rewarded him in 2002 with a “Zino Mezoui Day” and gave him the designation of Sonoma’s friendliest restaurant owner.

Mezoui and wife, Jan, purchased Zino’s Ristorante and Inn on the shores of Clear Lake in 2007 after having been out of the restaurant business for about six years. They had looked at other Lake County sites, but none seemed right until they found the current locale on Soda Bay Road.

Jan recalls the exact moment. “We entered the room and when we saw the view, we put our arms around each other and said, ‘This is it!’”

What ensued was a complete overhaul of the kitchen and a marathon redecorating project, resulting in a dining room with spectacular views of Clear Lake and old world European charm.

Among other things, Mezoui will be remembered for his support of local agriculture.

He was committed to serving locally grown produce in his restaurant and Leonardis Organics of Kelseyville was his purveyor of choice.

Owner Jim Leonardis recalled Mezoui’s desire to have him bring “whatever you’ve got” and his willingness to fashion his menu around what was in season on the farm.

Leonardis, who described Mezoui as “enormously warm,” developed an almost immediate bond with him and characterized their relationship as a deep friendship, rather than a business arrangement.

“Zino was one of the most wonderful people I’ve had the joy to be with,” said Leonardis.

Mezoui’s widow, Jan, will continue the tradition of utilizing local produce in the kitchen.

I enjoyed a tomato bisque soup made with locally grown basil and heirloom tomatoes while my husband and I dined there on a recent evening. Our table was near a window, a perfect place to enjoy a peaceful view of glassy Clear Lake and the changing light on the hills at the lake’s far edge.

In view was a dock extending into the water for those who arrive at the restaurant by boat.

Jan is a warm and gracious host and will continue the Mezoui family tradition of greeting customers with hugs as she carries on Zino’s dream as a restaurateur.

Zino’s Ristorante is open five evenings a week for dinner, from Thursday through Monday.

Their chef, Daniel, trained by Zino, has been with them since the beginning and will continue to make such specialties as bruschetta with Brie, roasted garlic and heirloom tomatoes; all manner of pasta; fresh fish in season; peppercorn steak with mushrooms and Zinfandel; and, of course, eggplant parmigiana.

Esther Oertel, the "Veggie Girl," is a personal chef and culinary coach and is passionate about local produce. Oertel owns The SageCoach Personal Chef Service and teaches culinary classes at Chic Le Chef in Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., and The Kitchen Gallery in Lakeport, Calif. She welcomes your questions and comments; e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The view of Soda Bay from Zino's Ristorante in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Esther Oertel.

Generally speaking, unless the trust allows for unproductive assets to be held the trustee must sell or distribute unproductive assets and reinvest in productive ones.

Let us examine how this rule plays out in a trust administration.

First, if the trust is being settled after the death of the settlor – in which case the trustee pays the deceased settlor’s debts and taxes, pays trust administration expenses, and distributes the remaining assets to the death beneficiaries – then any assets that are specifically gifted are kept for distribution to the beneficiary even if economically unproductive.

But, if these unproductive assets are costly to maintain then they should be distributed sooner to reduce expenses.

Vehicles, especially, should be sold or distributed expeditiously to avoid unnecessary expenses and potential liabilities.

Existing stocks and bonds, moreover, should be periodically evaluated by a certified financial planner, knowledgeable in the portfolio theory of investments and trust administration, and either kept or sold as appropriate.

The portfolio theory of investments says that the performance of the portfolio as a whole, and not any single stock’s or bond’s performance alone, determines whether the trustee has invested prudently.

Lastly, cash not needed to pay debts, taxes and administration expenses should be prudently invested, in consultation with a competent financial advisor.

Second, if the trust is not being settled, but is being administered long term for a beneficiary – such as when a successor trustee replaces an incapacitated settlor as trustee – then the personal residence may be kept (even though it doesn’t produce rents) to provide a home for the beneficiary.

Otherwise, the trustee should periodically review the trust’s assets to determine which should be kept and which should be sold and reinvested.

Lastly, if the trustee fails to keep the trust productive, or takes unnecessary risks (such as making speculative investments), then the beneficiary can petition the court for instructions to the trustee.

The beneficiary can also ask the court to impose financial penalties on the trustee and/or to reduce or to eliminate the trustee’s fees

Clearly, then a trustee must be proactive and diligent in meeting his or her duty to keep the trust productive. Competent financial advisors should be consulted to help the trustee make appropriate investment decisions.

Dennis A. Fordham, attorney (LL.M. tax studies), is a State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law. His office is at 55 First St., Lakeport, California. Dennis can be reached by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 707-263-3235.

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Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley said her office will begin processing vote by mail ballots for the Nov. 2 General Election, on Monday, Oct. 18, at 8 a.m.

The processing of the vote by mail voter ballots will continue through Election Day as well as during the official canvass, she said.

The counting of the official ballots will commence on Tuesday, Nov. 2, in the Registrar of Voters Office, Room 209 in the Lake County Courthouse at 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport. However, Fridley said results will not be announced until after the close of the polls at 8 p.m.

The official canvass will commence on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 9 a.m. and will continue daily – excluding weekends and holidays – until completed, Fridley reported.

Observers are invited to view the processing and counting of the ballots, but Fridley said they shall not interfere with the election process.

The test of the tabulation computer and software equipment to be used in the Nov. 2 general election will take place at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, Fridley said.

Fridley said the logic and accuracy test is required by regulations set forth by the California State Commission on Voting Machines and Vote Tabulating Devices.

Fridley said all interested persons are invited to observe the test.

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Mark Calegari, 44, suffered a broken neck and back – along with severe facial lacerations and broken bones – in the crash, which happened at around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, according to his mother, Cobb resident and businesswoman Barbara Flynn.

The California Highway Patrol reported that Calegari was riding as a passenger in a 1983 Toyota pickup truck driven by 25-year-old Nate Fletcher. Flynn said the two men are friends.

Fletcher was heading westbound on Highway 175 west of Estates Drive when, as he was going into a lefthand curve, he allowed his vehicle to veer to the right and began to drive up a dirt embankment, according to the CHP report.

The front of Fletcher's Toyota struck a large rock which caused the truck to roll over to the left. The CHP said the pickup came to rest upside down blocking the westbound lane of traffic.

Flynn said her son had to be cut out of the vehicle. The CHP said Calegari was transported by REACH air ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center.

Fletcher sustained minor injuries, according to the CHP.

He was arrested about 40 minutes after the crash by CHP Officer Ryan Erickson, who the agency reported is the crash's investigating officer.

Fletcher was booked into the Lake County Jail on a felony charge of driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury, with bail set at $10,000. Jail records indicated he is set to make a court appearance on Dec. 3.

Flynn said her son is now home from the hospital and on the mend.

She said he will have to wear a neck brace for his broken neck for at least three months.

The breaks in his lower back don't affect his spinal cord, so she said they should heal without surgery. However, those injuries appear to be giving Calegari the most pain.

However, as a mom, she's seeing signs of improvement.

“He is starting to look like himself and is getting ornery so he is definitely better,” she said.

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Jack O'Hara's second quarter 27-yard touchdown run gave Lower Lake a short-lived 12-7 lead on Friday, October 15, 2010. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – In a tightly fought battle, the Fort Bragg Timberwolves narrowly defeated the Lower Lake Trojans football team 49-42 in Lower Lake Friday night.

It was a seesaw offensive battle Fort Bragg head coach Jack Moyer called a “tit-for-tat back and forth game.”

After the Timberwolves lost the ball on downs on their opening possession, the Trojans drove 66 yards in 10 plays to score first, capped by a two-yard dash into the Fort Bragg end zone by quarterback Devante Scott.

Fort Bragg’s Cody Ryden ran the ensuing Trojan kickoff 53 yards downfield to Lower Lake’s 37-yard line, and nine plays later caught a Brandon Freitas pass from the three-yard line for their first score of the night. The extra point by Eric Herrejon put the Timberwolves ahead 7-6.

Three Timberwolves close in on a fumble by Lower Lakes' Roy Percoats. The recovery by Brandon Freitas (No. 21) set up a touchdown for a 21-12 Fort Bragg lead. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

Lower Lake answered with a nine-play, 74-yard drive of their own, scoring their second touchdown of the night when runningback Jack O’Hara carried the ball 9 yards into the Timberwolves’ endzone to reclaim the lead for the Trojans 12-7.

But the Wolves need just one play – a 70-yard pass from Freitas to Ryden – to take back the lead 14-12.

“They were able to score at will on us,” Lower Lake Head Coach Stan Weiper said after the game.

When the Trojans fumbled the ball deep in their own territory and Fort Bragg recovered, the Timberwolves took advantage of the turnover, scoring on a nine-yard Freitas pass to Michael Mehtlan for their third touchdown of the night, bringing the score to 21-12.

Lower Lake answered with a touchdown of their own, and when Alphonza Daniels made the two-point conversion, the Trojans trailed by only one, 21-20.

“They came right after us,” Timberwolves head coach Moyer said after the game. “They scared me is what they did.”

But Fort Bragg scored once more in the first half on a 16-yard Freitas pass to wide receiver Alfredo Huerta, and when Eric Herrejon made his fourth extra point of the night, the Wolves went ahead 28-20.

Lower Lake tried to score again, but with just 4 seconds left in the second quarter and down to their last play, quarterback Devante Scott was stopped on a four-yard run just inches from the goal line.

“That was a critical play,” Weiper said. “I had the wrong personnel in the game, and we just didn’t get a good play call.”

When the Trojans fumbled on their opening possession of the second half, the Timberwolves recovered and scored on another Freitas-to-Ryden pass, this one for 20 yards, increasing Fort Bragg’s lead to 35-20.

But running back Roy Percoats had a 51-yard touchdown carry for Lower Lake on their next possession, and that narrowed the score to 35-26.

Fort Bragg's Alfredo Huerta outfights Lower Lake's Alphonza Daniels for a pass reception and scores for a 28-20 Timberwolf lead. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

The Wolves answered with their own 50-plus yard touchdown run by Caleb Cunha, and Fort Bragg increased their lead 42-26.

“I’ll be rolling in my sleep tonight on a couple of those plays,” Weiper said after the game, noting his team made “a couple of key mistakes.”

When Lower Lake’s Roy Percoats took the ensuing Timberwolve kickoff 70 yards downfield, the Trojans benefited from a facemask penalty against Fort Bragg, and O’Hara scored his second touchdown of the night on a 3-yard run. After O’Hara made the 2-point conversion, the score stood at 42-34.

“We knew they were good, and they had a lot of speed,” Timberwolves coach Moyer said. “They’ve got so many guys that have good team speed, it’s really hard to cover them.”

Lower Lake forced the Timberwolves to punt on their next possession, but fumbled the ball deep in their territory, and Freitas threw his fourth touchdown pass of the night, bringing the score to 49-34.

The Trojans fought back with their longest drive of the night, using 11 plays to charge 62 yards downfield for another touchdown. After a successful 2-point conversion, Lower Lake was in striking distance, down by 49-42.

Fort Bragg threatened to score once more, but Freitas relinquished his only interception of the game when Lower Lake defensive back Alphonza Daniels made a spectacular, acrobatic catch on the Trojans’ one-yard line.

“He’ll catch impossible catches,” Weiper said of his defensive back.

With less than four minutes left in the game, Lower Lake tried to drive downfield again, but Ryden intercepted a Hail Mary pass by the Trojans, and Fort Bragg ran out the clock.

“We played real well on offense, and not so well on defense,” Moyer said after the game. “It’s hard getting these road wins.”

Fort Bragg runningback Caleb Cunha carried the ball 18 times for 142 yards, and quarterback Brandon Freitas completed 13 out of 18 passes for a total of 257 yards.

“The kids played hard,” Weiper noted about the Trojans (now 4-2 overall, 0-1 in league play) adding, “We just ran out of time.”

Lower Lake’s JV team also fought a close match Friday night, but they prevailed over the JV Timberwolves by a score of 8-0.

Lower Lake travels to Kelseyville (5-1 overall, 1-0 in league play) next Friday night to take on the Knights, while the Timberwolves (6-0 overall, 1-0 in league play) host Middletown (5-1 overall, 0-0 in league play) in Fort Bragg.

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Caleb Cunha was the leading groundgainer for Fort Bragg on Friday, October 15, 2010. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

The 32-year-old woman, whose name was not released by the California Highway Patrol, sustained major injuries in the accident, which occurred at 10:20 a.m. in the 7600 block of Bridge Arbor Road in the north Lakeport area.

According to the CHP, the woman's 37-year-old husband was loading a 1997 Land Rover onto an automobile tow-dolly which was attached to a Chevy Suburban.

The woman was standing at the back of the Suburban – and may have been straddling the hitch – signaling for the man to drive forward, the report said.

The CHP said the man didn't bring the vehicle to a stop on the tow-dolly and the woman was trapped between the two vehicles.

The woman was flown by air ambulance to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, according to the report.

CHP Officer Nick Powell is the incident's investigator.

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Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the action on Wednesday.

“While California continues its own vigorous efforts to ensure that homeowners facing foreclosure are treated fairly and lawfully, we are now working together with other attorneys general and regulators to seek solutions that reach across state lines to protect all borrowers at risk of losing their homes in this foreclosure crisis,” said Brown.

On Oct. 8, Brown called on all lenders in California to halt foreclosing on California homes until they can demonstrate that they are complying with state law.

Earlier, Brown sent letters to Ally Financial and J.P. Morgan Chase directing them either to prove they are in compliance with state law or else halt foreclosures.

His office also has been in discussions with other lenders, including Wells Fargo, One West and Bank of America. Brown's office will continue its independent efforts to protect homeowners facing foreclosure.

Bank of America announced last Friday that it was temporarily halting foreclosures nationwide.

The multi-state group will review how lenders verify foreclosure documents nationally. The group was formed after several lenders and loan services admitted that officials, dubbed “robo-signers,” had vouched for the accuracy and completeness of foreclosure documents without reviewing them. Such sham verifications may constitute a deceptive and unfair practice or otherwise violate state laws.

Regulators in the states involved, including California, have already started examining whether mortgage servicers have submitted improper affidavits or other foreclosure documents.

Although each state has its own foreclosure laws, all attorneys general and financial regulators have a common goal of making certain that every lender and servicer conduct a good faith review of foreclosure documents, only foreclose on homeowners after confirming all requirements have been met, and obey all state laws.

California law prohibits lenders from recording notices of default on mortgages made between Jan. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2007, unless – with certain exceptions – the lender contacts or tries diligently to contact the borrower to determine eligibility for loan modification. A notice of default must include a declaration of compliance with California law.

California homeowners who experience problems with foreclosures, or other consumer issues, can file a complaint online with the Attorney General's office at: www.ag.ca.gov/consumers/general.php.

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