CDF chopper prepares to collect lake water to dump on fire Wednesday. Photo by Harold LaBonte

The fire above Bartlett Springs was reported at 3:24 p.m., according to Cal Fire – formerly known as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The fire was originally believed to have been located at Pinnacle Rock, but later officials located it on state-managed lands at Hogsback Ridge.

Between 10 and 15 acres of timber burned, but by nighttime the fire was contained by firefighters from the Northshore Fire Authority and four Cal Fire hand crews.

Three Cal Fire engines – two from Lake County, one from Ukiah – responded, along with a Forest Service engine, Cal Fire reported.

Two Cal Fire helicopters, one from the Tehama-Glenn station and the second from Boggs Mountain, made repeated trips up the mountain to drop water on the fire. The helicopters staged in a field across from Ceago del Lago along Highway 20. Cal Fire Engineer Phil Mateer of Lakeport said one of the copters made about 30 trips.

Fire crews, a few engines and a dozen were still on the scene after 8 p.m. mopping up, according to Cal Fire's incident command.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, Cal Fire reported.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Harold LaBonte contributed to this article.

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For Lake County schools, the report shows growth in scores among a majority of schools.

Last week, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell released the 2006 Base Academic Performance Index (API) report for 9,400 California schools that were given targets for improvement.

The API was established in 1999 to track schools' academic performance and progress on statewide assessments. The Department of Education also reports that API results are used for federal Adequate Yearly Progress requirements.

The annual report once again reflects the consistent rise in median API scores since the API, a numeric index from 200 to 1000, began in 1999.

"I am proud of our students, parents, and educators in California whose continued work toward academic excellence is reflected in the steady academic progress in our schools’ API scores," O’Connell said. "The API is a powerful, comprehensive tool that holds our schools publicly accountable for progress made by all of our students. It supports California’s rigorous standards and ambitious definition of what constitutes ‘proficiency.’"

The 2006 median Base API for elementary schools is 758, up 8 points from 2005. Middle school and high school median scores show similar gains of 10 points and 7 points respectively.

Also, the percentage of elementary schools at or above 800, the statewide performance target adopted by the State Board of Education, is 34.6 percent, up from 31.8 percent in 2005; middle schools is 23.9 percent, up from 20.6 percent; and high schools is 13.6 percent, up from 11.9 percent.

In Lake County, several schools have API targets near 800, including Kelseyville Elementary, Riviera Elementary, Lakeport Elementary, Lakeport Alternative and Coyote Valley Elementary.

Of the 38 local schools assigned 2006 base scores, 20 showed improvements during last year's testing.

Local schools that have recorded schoolwide and comparable improvement – the latter meaning that all numerically significant subgroups at the school met their API subgroup targets -- are Kelseyville Elementary, Mountain Vista Middle School, Burns Elementary School, Lower Lake Elementary, Cobb Mountain Elementary, Coyote Valley Elementary, Middletown Middle and Upper Lake High.

The featured chart for Lake County's schools includes 2007 API targets, 2006 statewide ranks, 2006 growth and base scores, 2005-06 growth and base, along with met growth targets. The chart also includes explanations of the rankings.

While the 2006 API results reflect solid academic gains over the last eight years, they also highlight what O’Connell considers the overriding issue facing California education today – the achievement gap that exists between traditionally higher- and lower-scoring subgroups of students.

Student subgroups are defined by ethnicity, socio-economic, and disability status as well as whether or not a student is an English learner.

Since the API system originated in 1999, schools have been expected not only to meet schoolwide academic growth targets but also student subgroup targets. However, this year the API will focus schools more intensely on narrowing achievement gaps.

The recent reports also reflect the addition of results from new 2006 science assessments, O'Connell reported.

For more reports and data on school districts, visit www.cde.ca.gov.

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LAKEPORT – Officials have confirmed that two women arrested this week in connection with the death of a Nice man have been released from custody.

Sheriff Rod Mitchell said Jamie Martin, 20, of Lucerne and Terri Kenney, 48, of Nice were released from the Lake County Jail Thursday, a day after the two women were arrested for the murder of Michael Eugene Fausnaugh, 38.

Still remaining in jail is Shamus Maroney, 27, who was arrested March 23 for a felony probation violation before being booked for murder along with Martin and Kenney on Wednesday.

All three had originally been scheduled for a court appearance Thursday.

Fausnaugh's body was found dumped along the west side of Highway 29 near north Lakeport on March 22.

The day before, witnesses told Lake County Sheriff's investigators that they had seen Fausnaugh – who was suffering from a “significant” head injury – along with Martin, Kenney and Maroney at Upper Lake's Middle Creek Campground.

“The case is definitely not completed,” said Mitchell, adding that his investigators are still actively working the case, which has not been submitted to the District Attorney's Office.

On Friday, Maroney's booking sheet still listed the murder charge. However, Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said Friday that no suspects have actually been formally charged in the case.

Hinchcliff said he's been in close contact with LCSO investigators but they have not yet submitted a report to his office.

“It was mutually agreed upon that the investigation should continue before anything is sent over to us to make a charging decision,” Hinchcliff added.

Mitchell wouldn't elaborate on the reasons the two women were released, nor would he speculate on other possible arrests in the case.

LCSO Lt. Cecil Brown said of the case, “We've been putting a lot of investigative hours into it.”

Those with information on the case, particularly those who were at the Middle Creek Campground March 21, are urged to contact Det. Brian Kenner at the LCSO Detective Bureau, 262-4200.

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NSFA Firefighters Todd Pittman, Glynne Morgan and Wendy Drew refill Engine 1 after fighting a blaze in Clearlake Oaks.

CLEARLAKE OAKS – A structure fire on hilly Widgeon way in Clearlake Oaks Tuesday afternoon sent four people to the hospital with fire-related injuries.

Black smoke billowing into the sky above Clearlake Oaks was first spotted by a conservation crew traveling past in a bus, said Northshore Fire Chief Jim Robbins.

Between 15 and 18 Northshore firefighters were dispatched, and were soon joined by firefighters from nearly every department around the lake and Cal Fire, as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is now known, Robbins reported.

The fire destroyed the first structure – a three-level hillside residence – caught another home on fire and set the grassy hillside ablaze, Robbins said.

Nearly three acres of wildland were charred before Northshore firefighters and mutual aid departments were able to extinguish it, said Robbins.

The steep hillside made fighting the fire more difficult, Robbins said. “You could only fight it from two sides."

Robbins commented that it was odd that the fire consumed a hillside full of green grass. "You would never have believed it," he said. "Grass doesn't usually burn when it's green."

Three firefighters and the occupant of the first structure to catch fire were sent to the hospital, Robbins reported.

The firefighters were transported to Sutter Lakeside in Lakeport with smoke inhalation injuries, said Robbins, while the occupant was transported to Redbud Hospital in Clearlake.

E-mail John Jensen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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This is the second installment in Lake County News' ongoing series, Feeding Awareness: Food Insecurity in Lake County.

LAKE COUNTY – "Do you live in Lake County?" and "Are you hungry?" If the answer to both questions is yes, Rural Food Project is here to help.

"We don't put people through a lot of hoops to get food," says Hedy Montoya, who heads the program in Lake County.

Part of the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Rural Food Project is a program that distributes food to the hungry throughout Lake and Sonoma counties. There are currently two sites in Lake County where food is distributed once a month.

The Rural Food Project distributes every third Wednesday of the month at St. Joseph's Church in Middletown and every fourth Monday at St. Peter's Church at Kelseyville. Both distributions are held from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and people typically begin lining up at 4 p.m.

During the distribution, volunteers hand out boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables and nonperishable foods. Each box of food lasts approximately ten days for a family of four.

The program began in Middletown in July 2002, and in September 2006, it opened in Kelseyville.

The Rural Food Project purchases food for 18 cents per pound at the Redwood Empire Bank in Santa Rosa. The approximate cost per month to feed people is $1,800, and this is slowly increasing.

According to Montoya, the food primarily goes to the working poor. She finds that around the end of the month, these people are choosing to use what's left of their money to pay bills rather than eat. The other major recipients are seniors who end up prioritizing utility bills and prescriptions over food.

The registration process is minimal and doesn't include much more than a few questions.

Since July 2006, 1,075 individuals have received donated food at least once – approximately 150 families. In Middletown in March, 89 boxes of food were given to 247 people. In Kelseyville, 55 boxes of food were given out to 239 people.

Montoya is the only paid staff member of the Rural Food Project. Everyone else who contributes is a volunteer. Montoya says there are around 20 people she knows she can always ask to volunteer. Among the many generous volunteers, a few especially stand out in her mind as they have been there to help on an ongoing basis since the program's beginning five years ago. This includes Judy Knight, Julie Sears, Bettye McKinstry, Merna Scott, Carolyn and Bill Tobin Jr., and Bill Tobin Sr., who is 99 years old this year.

In 2006, Montoya won the Stars Marla Ruzicka Humanitarian Award for her efforts in feeding the hungry. She credits the volunteers of the program: "The volunteers have made it all possible. I stand on their shoulders. They do such incredible work," she says.

Montoya doesn't want anybody getting burned out, however, so she is always looking for new volunteers to organize, pack food, distribute, and drive loads of food to and from St. Joseph's pantry.

St. Joseph's Church in Middletown is the only Rural Food Project site with a pantry, so emergency food is available. People may call (707) 987-8139 to arrange pick-up or delivery.

The biggest issue, though, explains Montoya, is trying to figure out ways to create money to feed the poor. United Way and FEMA used to provide grants to the Rural Food Project, but these are no longer a guarantee. "We're looking at any other feasible way of doing it," she says.

"Government funding is down immensely. Grants are no longer as available as they were, so we're looking to the private sector and business to help. We used to get a lot of help from the government in terms of providing food, but everything is being slashed.

"Most people don't know that we're here and we're doing this work," she adds.

The Rural Food Project is currently looking for assistance to buy a covered trailer that can haul food from Middletown to Kelseyville. Over the past couple months, it has rained on Kelseyville's distribution night and much of the food got wet in the open beds of the trucks that are currently being used.

The next Rural Food Project distribution in Middletown will be held Wednesday, April 18. The next distribution in Kelseyville will be held Monday, April 23. In May, due to Memorial Day weekend, Middletown's Kelseyville's distribution will be held on the third Monday, May 21, rather than the fourth.

Monetary donations may be mailed to the following address. All donations to this address will go toward Lake County's program:

Catholic Charities

18713 Spyglass Road

Hidden Valley Lake 95467

Memo: RFP Lake

St. Joseph's Church is located on the corners of Bush and Highway 175 in Middletown. St. Peter's Church is located on Main Street in Kelseyville. To learn more about the Rural Food Project, including information on donating or becoming a volunteer, call (707) 987-8139.

E-mail Penny Dahl at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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LAKEPORT – A woman accused of what Animal Care & Control officials say is one of the worst dog neglect cases they've even seen has been sentenced to six months in jail and ordered to pay thousands of dollars in reimbursement for the animal's care.

Donna Mae Heath of Lakeport was sentenced Thursday on a charge of felony animal abuse in the case of her family's German shepherd, George, who later received the nickname “Hero.”

Heath pleaded no contest to the charge Feb. 2.

On Thursday Judge Richard Martin sentenced Heath to three years of formal probation, the terms of which include 180 days in county jail and 100 hours of community service, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.

In addition, Martin ordered Heath to pay $1,399.84 to Lake County Animal Care & Control, and $2,653 to Wasson Memorial Veterinary Clinic. Martin ruled if Animal Care & Control and Wasson had already been reimbursed by donations, that the money would go to a fund set up at Animal Care & Control for the care of other abused animals.

As part of Heath's sentence, she will not be allowed to possess any animal for three years, Hinchcliff reported.

Hinchcliff said Animal Control Officer Nehemiah White and DA Investigator Von Morshed investigated the case.

White, who responded to the home to conduct a welfare check on June 21, 2006, said Hero's case was reported by a concerned neighbor.

When he asked Heath about the dog, he said she told him she had just run out of dog food, that it was her son's dog and she hadn't seen the dog for days.

Heath called to the dog, said White, which came limping up from the backyard on bleeding feet filled with foxtails. The dog was extremely thin, with his ribs and hip bones protruding, and his spine clearly visible. White said the dog also was missing patches of hair.

Heath's defense attorney, Stephen Carter, said when Heath saw the dog at that point, she was shocked, because she hadn't seen him for some time.

Carter said Heath was responsible for a household including her son and granddaughter, and that she also was suffering from a number of medical conditions, including carpal tunnel, which prevents her from lifting bags of dog food.

He said Heath had told her son that she couldn't take care of the dog any more because of her health and other responsibilities. “She was basically taking care of the whole house,” Carter said.

Carter added, “It was a very sad case all around.”

White said he immediately took the frightened dog from the home and transported him to Wasson Memorial Veterinary Clinic.

When Morshed later went back to Heath's home, she was unable to find any dog food or feeding bowls for food or water, Hinchcliff reported. Heath then told Morshed that she was planning on putting George down because he had stopped eating.

When Hero arrived at Wasson, he weighed 61 pounds, said White. Over the next month, through care and compassion, the dog gained weight and underwent several surgeries to remove the foxtails, White reported.

Dr. Chris Holmes of Wasson told investigators that Hero's case was one of the worst – if not the worst – cases of neglect and abuse he had ever seen. Holmes said Hero's condition could have been prevented with food and water, and basic preventative care.

Deputy District Attorney Rachel Abelson handled the case's sentencing phase for the DA's Office.

Carter argued against prison time, and said Martin followed the Probation report, which suggested 180 days in jail, rather than prison. Carter said Heath will actually serve four months in jail.

He said he was pleased with the sentence because Heath won't go to prison, although he would have preferred no jail time because of Heath's medical and other concerns.

Carter said he believes Heath's son was more culpable for the dog's neglect, but that Heath was charged because she was home when Animal Control arrived.

“As I argued to the judge, we were never contending that the dog had not been neglected miserably,” Carter said.

Hero, said White, “was a very good dog,” who was adopted out in early fall to a Bay Area family who had heard about his case.

The family, who has other dogs and children, have since reported that Hero is doing well, said White. The family reportedly took Hero, who now has a new name, to a dog dermatologist, who helped him grow back his hair.

Carter said Hero's recovery is the happy part of an otherwise very sad story.

White said he often sees neglect cases, but they're not usually this bad.

Animal Care & Control Director Denise Johnson agreed. “This is definitely one of the worst abuse cases we've seen in my career here as far as dog neglect,” she said.

“We've had some livestock cases that have come close,” she added, some of which are still pending in the courts.

Hinchcliff was pleased with Judge Richard Martin's ruling in the case.

The DA's Office, said Hinchcliff, is “gung ho” on animal abuse and neglect prosecutions, although they don't often get the stringent sentences they seek.

This case was different, said Hinchcliff. “It turned out real good as far as we're concerned,” he said.

Things have also apparently turned out well for the dog formerly known as Hero, with his new family and a new life.

“He's happy and healthy and very much loved,” said Johnson.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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LAKEPORT – The effort to build a new county animal shelter came one step closer to reality Monday, with officials gathering to break ground on the long-awaited project.

More than 20 people showed up for the Monday morning ceremony, held at the new shelter location on Hill Road.

County Supervisors Denise Rushing, Ed Robey, Anthony Farrington and Jeff Smith, along with Animal Care & Control Director Denise Johnson and County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox, took up shovels to turn the ground in anticipation of the project's first phase.

Behind the group a piece of heavy equipment waited quietly to begin preparing the ground for the site of the new 6,800-square-foot shelter.

During the ceremony, County Public Works Director Gerald Shaul described the genesis of the project. {enclose Groundbreaking_Animal_control.mp3}

The shelter effort is about about saving lives, said Johnson. "Our only goal is to save lives and promote adoption.”

The current shelter was built in the 1940s, and is both outdated and too small. The new $2 million shelter will ultimately have twice the current capacity for dogs with a total of 72 kennels, and have 30 to 40 more cages for cats, Johnson said.

The new facility will have the space to quarantine sick animals and protect healthy animals from disease, Johnson said.

"In our facility we didn't have any way to separate them," she said, "so a lot of lives were lost.

"Here we won't be so overcrowded, especially in the cat area,” she added. “We've had some serious overcrowding in the cat room. The building is just not big enough. This new building will have a lot of space."

The two-phase project will include preparing the ground for the facility by removing several trees, flattening out a hill and installing sewer, water and power lines. Phase one is estimated to be completed in 30 days.

The shelter's phase two will include the construction of a 3,400-square-foot building that will house Animal Care & Control's office and indoor kennels, Shaul said, as well as a detached, 3,400-square-foot kennel building.

After the ceremony concluded with a dog digging up a bone on the site of the groundbreaking, Johnson stressed that much credit was due to the assistance of Shaul.

"It's been really nice to have his support and his guidance," she said.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the shelter fund, donations may be mailed either to Lake County Animal Care & Control, 887 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport CA 95453 (write "shelter donation" on your check), or Lake County Animal Services Shelter Fund, P.O. Box 662, Lakeport, CA 95453.

For more information about helping animals locally, including adopting pets or education, visit the following Web sites: Lake County Animal Care & Control, www.co.lake.ca.us/countygovernment/animalcontrol/animalcontrol.asp; or Lake County Animal Services, www.lakecountyanimalservices.org.

E-mail John Jensen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Skeet Reese shows off two of his big bass Saturday. Reese currently is in third place in the Golden State Shootout Pro bass tournament. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

LAKEPORT – The ESPN Bassmasters Golden State Shootout Pro entered its third day Saturday.

The tournament, which began on Thursday with 108 anglers, was down to 50 by day three.

After the weigh-in, it was Greg Gutierrez of Red Bluff who led the field, with more 91 pounds, 14 ounces, catching bass totaling 25 pounds on Saturday, according to the ESPN Bassmasters standings.

In second place was Steve Kennedy of Auburn, Ala., with 90 pounds, 4 ounces. On Saturday alone he caught more than 40 pounds of Clear Lake bass, standings reported.

Skeet Reese of Auburn, one of six participants from California, had a good third day, bringing in 35 pounds of bass for a three-day total of 89 pounds, 12 ounces.

Another Californian, Jared Linter from Arroyo Grande, came in at fourth place, with 28 pounds of bass caught Saturday and a three-day total of 79 pounds, 13 ounces.

The action will conclude later today.

For the full standings, visit sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/tournaments/elite/news/story?page=bt_clearlake_launch_day_three-weighin.

Fifty fishermen competed in day three of the tournament on Saturday. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

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LAKE COUNTY – Authorities were searching the area of Lake Pillsbury and Hull Mountain on Thursday on the report of a man who had died near there.

California Highway Patrol incident logs from Wednesday evening reported a possible fatality near Lake Pillsbury.

A Spanish-speaking male told authorities his son had died in the area that morning and he had been walking all day in order to reach help.

Chief Deputy Russ Perdock of the Lake County Sheriff's Office said Thursday that agency was investigating the case.

“We a report there could be a person who passed away in the Hull Mountain area,”
Perdock said.

“We have been up there all day and so far have been unable to locate a person,” Perdock added.”

Perdock said LCSO was using a helicopter to search the area, which would require the search to be suspended after dark.

The investigation is scheduled to continue, he said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Steve Kennedy signs autographs after winning his first bass tournament Sunday. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

LAKEPORT – About 900 spectators in Library Park watched as bass fishing history was made Sunday on the final day of the ESPN Bassmaster Golden State Shootout.

Clear Lake became home to a new tournament record, surpassing the old record set last year by nearly 7 pounds and raising bass fishing to a new level.

Steve Kennedy of Auburn, Ala., won the four-day tournament, bringing in a tournament record of 122 pounds, 14 ounces of bass, a feat which sends him home with a $110,000 check.

The previous tournament record – 115 pounds, 15 ounces – was set last year on Santee Cooper Reservoir in South Carolina by Preston Clark, ESPN reported.

This is Kennedy's first-place win, according to ESPN's Bassmaster statistics. In 2006, Kennedy was BASS Rookie of the Year, ESPN reported. The Golden State Shootout is his 27^th tournament, and brings his career winnings to $420,107.

In second place was Skeet Reese of Auburn, who came in with 117 pounds, 6 ounces for his four-day total, which also surpassed Clark's tournament record from last year. Reese earned $30,000.

Red Bluff's Greg Gutierrez placed third and won $27,500 for bagging 108 pounds, 1 ounce of bass on Clear Lake.

The lake was clearly a favorite of the fishermen who competed this past week, as well as the sponsors, such as Triton Boats.

Melissa Fulton of the Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce said she was pleased with the event, and she reported event officials were as well.

The event wouldn't have been complete without bass fishing fans, who were out in force to ask their favorite fishermen for autographs.

The weigh-in was shown live on ESPN2.com on Sunday, and will air next Saturday at 6 a.m. on ESPN2.

For full tournament coverage, visit sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/index. 

For more photos of the tournament, click on the "Gallery" button at the top of the page, and go to the ESPN Bassmasters Tournament album.

Elizabeth Larson contributed to this report.

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UPPER LAKE – Upper Lake’s community members got the chance Thursday to let county officials know the issues that matter the most to them, and also to hear the status of several town projects.

Supervisor Denise Rushing hosted the third in a series of town hall meetings in her district on Thursday at the Upper Lake High School cafeteria. Previous meetings took place in Clearlake Oaks in January and Lucerne in February.

Between 50 and 60 people attended the hour-and-a-half-long meeting, which included updates from county officials and an open forum where community members asked questions and, in many cases, got answers.

Deputy Redevelopment Eric Seely gave those gathered a report on the $2 million Main Street Gateway Project. Based on private investment made in Upper Lake’s downtown, the county decided to invest in the project, Seely explained, which is the “single largest project the Redevelopment Agency has taken on,” he said.

The plan will include an archway in downtown, extending and upgrading sidewalks, improving drainage, and installing light poles, trees and bulbouts. Bulbouts help narrow the street at intersections and slow traffic, said Seely.

Before the project can begin, said Seely, utilities lines must be placed underground. Pacific Gas & Electric has told the county that they will start that process in late fall, so the downtown project is scheduled to begin next spring.

County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox, who followed Seely at the microphone, said the county believes strongly enough in Upper Lake and preserving its unique character that it dedicated $2 million in county funds – not grant monies – to the downtown project.

Cox said there are many other redevelopment projects under way around the county, but that the county is dedicated to doing this major project first, all at once.

In other county projects, Cox reported that the Old Justice Court building recently got a face lift from county workers, and the building is being used by Senior Support Services. The old county road yard, he said, is now occupied by the County Parks Division, which is renovating it to look similar to the historic downtown livery stable. The county plans to have the Upper Lake Library building re-stuccoed, he said, and a new sign installed.

The county is pursuing a downtown revitalization grant, Cox said, and has hired a consultant who will identify the town’s critical historical components, recommend initial improvements to improve and preserve the town’s look, and create preliminary designs and cost estimates.

Cox said the county is looking into installing a town clock, similar to one that is reported to have once existed near the town’s bank.

He commended Rushing for having the town halls, which Cox said have helped the county gather a lot of good community feedback. He said he’s enjoying working with her. “She’s definitely representing your interests,” he added.

A major point of concern for citizens at the meeting is flooding. It was a topic of numerous questions during the open forum, and Pam Francis, deputy director of the county's Water Resources Division, attended the meeting to discuss those concerns and and some of the county’s efforts to reduce flooding.

Upper Lake, said Francis, sits in a hydrological bowl. “Flooding has been a historical problem here,” she said.

In 1959, the state, county and the Army Corps of Engineers built the area’s 14.4 miles of levees to keep flooding at bay, Francis said.

So, why did Upper Lake flood on Dec. 31, 2005? “We had an extraordinary flood event,” Francis explained.

County officials estimate that the December 2005 flood was a “250-year event,” Francis said, which means that each year there is a 2.5 percent chance of such a flood occurring.

Did the levees work? Francis believes they did, because the last flood in the town before 2005 was in 1958.

Francis said there is no way to completely control flooding. However, the county is continuing its efforts to keep flooding at a minimum, including cleaning out the creeks and levees.

In that process, she said, the community has been very helpful, with the county getting 100-percent compliance from every property owner when it came to getting access for cleanups.

A county project is under way that includes removing gravel and brush from the creeks, she said. Another phase of that project will continue this summer.

“I think we’re doing everything we can to mitigate flooding. We’ll never be able to prevent it,” she said.

The county is working on a new long-term permit through the Department of Fish and Game, which Francis said will allow them to conduct levee and creek maintenance more quickly.

During the open question and answer session, Francis also gave a brief update on the Middle Creek Restoration Project, saying it's moving forward and that the county is pursuing funding. They county doesn't have the engineering data to back it up, but Francis believes that project will help reduce flooding as well.

Other issues residents wanted the county to look at included the speed limit along certain roads in and around town and suggestions that the town needs a swimming pool.

Asked about the casino proposed by the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, Cox said the county is working with the tribe on dealing with the casino's potential impacts, and they've formed a memorandum of understanding.

“I feel very positive about this agreement,” said Cox, saying the tribe has been very up-front with the county.

Sherry Bridges, a tribal official who attended the meeting, said the tribe plans to hold similar town hall meetings to discuss their plans and progress.

A town hall is planned for the Blue Lakes community in the future, Rushing said.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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