News

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Library’s collection and programs will be enhanced as a result of the Library winning two competitive grants from the California State Library.

The first grant is $5,000 to purchase new books and media that expand the Lake County Library collection in the following statewide initiative areas: workforce development; veterans and their families; immigration, refugees, and diversity; mental health; and life over 50.

The public is encouraged to check out these new books which will be on the Library shelves by the end of September.

The library will also receive up to $10,000 to purchase materials and equipment to establish library makerspaces.

This second grant is a pilot project from the California State Library in collaboration with the Center for Childhood Creativity at the Bay Area Discovery Museum.

Library spaces encourage Lake County youth to learn by being avid, engaged readers and proficient researchers.

In library makerspaces, pre-school age children will have the opportunity learn through direct experimentation – using materials, tools, and creativity for exploration in specific fields.

In addition to funding an outdoor makerspace at the Lakeport Library focused on earth, air, and water, the grant will also fund three mobile makerspaces that will be transported to the various county libraries. Each mobile makerspace will have a different learning objective.

County Librarian Christopher Veach, is enthusiastic about the opportunities that these two grants will provide.

“The library’s objective is to open the door for people to experience different things. It’s all about learning, creativity, and helping people find out what they are passionate about and what they want to learn, both through books and through other physical materials that they might not be able to access at home,” Veach said.

Both of these grants will further that fundamental Library objective.

Learn more about the Lake County Library and its programs at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary.

Kathy Ferguson is the county deputy administrative officer for projects and grants.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry recently traveled to Clearlake and met with Bill Stone and Alvaro Valencia, co-owners of A&B Collision, before attending the Clearlake Oaks Business Association meeting later that day.

Stone and Valencia had previously met the Aguiar-Curry at a legislative day event earlier this year and wanted to talk about Assembly Bill 1679 which would have handed more control to insurance companies over auto body repair, according to Valencia.

During the meeting, Aguiar-Curry spoke with both business owners about the potential impacts of the legislation over a front bumper approved by insurance but which required retooling to actually fit on a vehicle.

Opposed by auto body shop owners including Stone and Valencia as well as the nonprofit group Consumer Watchdog, the bill failed to clear its appropriations committee by deadline in January of this year, effectively killing the legislation.

If the bill is renewed and defeated, body shops will have more impact on auto body repairs, Valencia told Lake County News.

Should AB 1679 pass in the future, Valencia said "Insurance companies will have more impact on repairs. They don't know all the repairs that have to be done a vehicle."

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

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – More firing operations and cooler weather appear to be helping firefighters continue to slow the growth of the Ranch fire on the Mendocino Complex, which has continued to creep north through thousands of acres of national forest land.

The Mendocino Complex grew by just over 5,000 acres in a 24-hour period, rising to 415,685 acres, Cal Fire said Thursday evening. Containment remained unchanged at 74 percent.

The Ranch fire, the part of the complex that continues to burn, is at 366,765 acres and 67 percent containment, Cal Fire said. The River fire was contained last week at 48,920 acres.

Cal Fire said firefighters continue to build and reinforce containment lines and mop up in the northern portions of the Ranch fire.

Fire mapping shows the Ranch fire has continued to move north through the Mendocino National Forest.

It also has moved farther east into Glenn County, and by Thursday appeared to be about six miles southwest of Elk Creek, where a community meeting was scheduled on Thursday night.

Cal Fire said the Ranch fire has been moving north and northeast for the past several days, and will continue to do so at a lower rate of spread due to more favorable weather conditions.

Crews also are continuing firing operations on the northeastern portion of the fire area as weather conditions permit, Cal Fire said.

The U.S. Forest Service continues to hold unified command with Cal Fire on the incident.

Mendocino National Forest spokeswoman Punky Moore said that on Wednesday firing operations progressed in the area of Bloody Rock and Little Round Mountain. Engine crews and hand crews supported firing operations by patrolling containment lines, watching for spot fires and mopping-up hotspots.

Moore said this was a critical section of containment line necessary to stop the northern spread of the Ranch fire.

She explained that firing operations remove vegetation between the main fire and containment lines and reduce the chance of spot fires caused by floating embers crossing containment lines.

On Thursday, crews continued to patrol and improve containment lines where firing was conducted the previous night, mopping up where necessary, Moore said.

Engine crews also have continued patrolling the Rice Fork Summer Homes and Lake Pillsbury areas, which remain under a mandatory evacuation order, and are prepared to defend homes in Bonnie View/Happy Camp.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After a summer marred by wildland fires and the evacuations of thousands of Lake County residents, the county’s children are now getting back to school.

Konocti Unified and Middletown Unified started classes on Monday and Kelseyville Unified will start on Sept. 4.

On Wednesday, it was back to school for Lakeport Unified, Lucerne Elementary and Upper Lake Unified, which earlier this month reported that they had chosen to delay classes by a week due to the Mendocino Complex.

The River portion of which caused the mandatory evacuation of the entire city of Lakeport and surrounding areas, while the Ranch fire chased thousands of Northshore residents from their homes.

The smoke and ash from the fires has necessitated cleaning and ongoing air monitoring at districts, where the goal is to keep students in the healthiest conditions possible.

State Sen. Mike McGuire has partnered with North Coast Opportunities and Redwood Credit Union to create the Lake County Students Fire Relief Fund.

McGuire and his partners organized a welcome back to school event in cooperation with the districts on Wednesday for students in Lakeport, Lucerne and Upper Lake.

In Lakeport and Upper Lake, donuts, milk and orange juice were served to students on Wednesday morning, with law enforcement and firefighters, along with community volunteers and teachers waiting to greet them.

Lakeport Unified Superintendent April Leiferman said the first day of school was great.

“The students at Lakeport Elementary were welcomed by Rory the Tiger, school board members, first responders, city officials, Rotary members, community members and other volunteers. There were ‘Welcome Back’ signs, high-fives and hugs at the elementary school,” she said.

Leiferman said Clear Lake High School students had their first glimpse of the new central kitchen and all students were treated to delicious donuts provided by Susie Q's donuts, juice and milk.

“The students were all smiles with their new shoes and backpacks. They were happy to be at school, see their friends, and meet their teachers and other staff members. The classrooms were buzzing with enthusiasm through the end of the day,” she said.

Leiferman added that the air quality was not in the unhealthy for sensitive groups zone Wednesday morning, “which was a relief.”

She recognized McGuire, NCO, Redwood Credit Union, volunteers and staff for their contributions to the day.

Smiles all around

Dr. Giovanni Annous, superintendent of Upper Lake Unified School District, said everything went off without a hitch, and the most important thing was seeing the smiles on the children’s faces.

There were people on hand to welcome students to five different school locations on Wednesday morning in Upper Lake, he said. Representatives from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Northshore Fire Protection District, school board members as well as Supervisor Jim Steele and Supervisor-elect E.J. Crandell were on hand at the various campuses.

Annous said donuts were served at the campuses as school got under way, and he thanked McGuire and his staff for making the morning welcome event as successful as it was.

“You could tell the kids were so happy to come back,” he said, noting that parents had told him children were looking forward to classes starting.

He said that shows the resilience of the children.

Annous offered his gratitude to teachers and staff for their efforts to bring things back to normal as quickly as possible for their students as the new school year started.

Ahead of the start of school, all of the district’s school facilities were thoroughly cleaned, said Annous. The Ranch fire did not damage any of the facilities.

Annous said air scrubbers remain at work in school facilities to keep air quality high, as smoky air across the community remains a problem. He said the scrubbers are going to be kept in place until Lake County air quality returns to good or moderate status.

In addition to the cleanup, Annous said the district finished up some modernization projects – which were delayed by the area’s mandatory evacuation – just before school started.

The projects included painting the entire elementary school and remodeling the inside of the elementary school’s multipurpose room. He said painting at the middle school is still under way, with the gym left to paint.

Even with the delays, Annous said everything came together perfectly. He credited his maintenance and facilities personnel for their work. “These guys have been working hard around the clock,” he said. “They pulled it together perfectly. They are amazing.”

He added, “We’re a very resilient community.”

A good first day

Later on Wednesday morning, the welcome effort moved to Lucerne Elementary School.

Principal-Superintendent Mike Brown, walking across the playground to the cafeteria, said it was a good first day.

He said they had more students than anticipated, explaining that, after the evacuations, he hadn’t been sure if some families would return.

In the school’s cafeteria, dozens of youngsters enjoyed a pasta lunch from Park Place in Lakeport, along with salad and fruit, and a big cookie once lunch was over and it was time to head out to recess.

They also got high fives from firefighters from Northshore Fire Protection District. One of the firefighters also helped one young man straighten his tie when it got stuck on his lunch tray.

McGuire’s office said all funds raised will benefit Lake County students – from kindergarten through college – and will include financial assistance for students who lost homes to replace school clothes, supplies, sports and musical equipment. Funds also will be invested in mental health services for Lake County students impacted by the fires.

Contributions to support Lake County students may be made online at www.FireRelief.org or checks can be mailed to Lake County Students Fire Relief Fund
, Memo line: North Coast Opportunities Inc., 413 North State St., Ukiah CA, 95482.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council is set to discuss the use of abandoned houses by squatters and will consider an update to the city manager’s amendment when it meets Thursday night.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

The council has been asked by Sandra and Roberta Copeland to discuss homelessness-related issues in the city, particularly, squatters in abandoned homes, according to a brief staff report from City Clerk Melissa Swanson.

“There is no further staff report as this is a discussion item by the Council with possible direction to staff,” Swanson said in her report.

In other business, the council will consider the third amendment to City Manager Greg Folsom’s contract, which would raise his base salary by 3 percent, retroactive to July 1, at an annual cost to the city of $3,976.20, according to the staff report.

Folsom joined the city in June 2015. The original contract gave him an annual salary of $110,000, plus benefits.

Also on the agenda is consideration of clarifying the city’s council nepotism policy, the second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 209-2018, a development agreement with Gold Country Growers Clearlake for distribution and a delivery only dispensary, and Mayor Bruno Sabatier’s appointment of new members to the animal control and commercial cannabis ad hoc committees.

Items on the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; consideration of a memorandum of understanding with the Konocti Unified School District for one school resource officer; receipt of and response to the 2017-18 grand jury report; consideration of the second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 207-2018, a development agreement with Chris Jennings for commercial cannabis operations; and consideration of the second reading and adoption of ordinance No. 208-2018, a development agreement with Clearlake Hydrogarden for a commercial cannabis nursery.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday was a very eventful and important meeting for Clearlake.

At the beginning of the meeting, Clearlake resident and businessman Robert Coker, was sworn in as the newest planning commissioner.

Earlier this month, Coker was appointed by the Clearlake City Council to replace longtime Planning Commissioner Carl Webb, who retired from the commission after 18 years.

After Commissioner Coker was seated in his new position, Chair Dirk Slooten called for a motion on the next agenda item which was selection of a new chair and vice chair.

Commissioner Richard Bean was nominated for chair and Commissioner Kathy Fitts was nominated for vice chair. The motion carried unanimously.

The final business item on the agenda was a public hearing to consider a conditional use permit for the expansion of the Clearlake Cottages and Marina. The applicants plan to expand the facility by six units.

After discussion of the item, the conditional use permit was unanimously approved.

According to City Manager Greg Folsom, “Clearlake Cottages and Marina is one of the nicest lodging facilities in Lake County and I am very pleased that the owners of Clearlake Cottages are optimistic enough about their business in Clearlake that they want to expand here. This is a very positive sign about the direction Clearlake is heading.”