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HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Bill Nichols of Hidden Valley Lake passed peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016, at the age of 91.
Born in Ellenboro, West Virginia, Bill lived in Lake County for 30 years.
Bill is survived by his daughter Linda Tunnicliffe, six step-children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Maria Nichols; brothers, Parley, Everett and Wilber; his mother, Orpha; and father, Wilber Norman Nichols.
A US Coast Guard veteran, Bill started his military career in 1943 aboard the USS Bayfield APA33, being awarded four Bronze Stars for service in World War II.
He served in Normandy at Utah Beach, Southern France, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He was also a Peoples of France Appreciation Medal recipient.
He manned the Trinidad lighthouse for a time. After his military service, he decommissioned military buses for use in the public sector.
An entrepreneur, Bill ran his own businesses, and worked for glass manufacturing plants, the logging industry, Clover Creamery and Kaiser Sand & Gravel.
He retired in 1988 and moved to Hidden Valley Lake where he enjoyed the Fire Sirens and the Car Club, as well as fishing, tending to his awesome garden and spending time with his family.
Graveside services will be held at the Middletown Cemetery on Friday, Feb. 3, beginning at 11 a.m. Military honors will be rendered by the United States Coast Guard and the Lake County Funeral Honors Team.
He will be remembered as a man who loved his family, garden and his country.
Arrangements under the care of Jones & Lewis Clearlake Memorial Chapel. Please share your loving memories of Bill Nichols by signing his online guestbook at www.jonesandlewis.com and www.legacy.com .
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Thursday Morning Breakfast Group that meets weekly in Clearlake has announced its lineup of invited guest speakers for February.
The group meets at 7 a.m. at Main Street Café, 14084 Lakeshore Drive.
The lineup is as follows:
• Feb. 2: Lake County Fire Protection District Chief Willie Sapeta, Measure D.
• Feb. 9: Anne Rubin, Planned Parenthood.
• Feb. 16: Denise Loustalot, Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce.
• Feb. 23: To be announced.
SACRAMENTO –State Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) recently introduced new legislation to support public libraries by giving local communities more flexibility to approve library bonds.
“Our public libraries provide critical services to our state, educating future generations, promoting lifelong learning and providing cultural enrichment,” said Dodd. “That’s why we need to empower local communities to better maintain and expand the accessibility and capacity at their public libraries.”
Currently, local library bond measures require a two-thirds vote. Dodd’s measure would allow voters to approve library bonds with a 55 percent vote, which is the same threshold currently in place for school and community college bonds. Library bonds can be used to construct, expand or rehabilitate public libraries.
“We are simply not keeping pace with the construction needs of our libraries at the state level, and consequently we must give local voters the tools to decide if they want to support these special and vital community centers,” said Helen McAlary, president of the California Library Association. “That is why the California Library Association strongly supports, and is sponsoring, SCA 3 by Senator Bill Dodd.”
California’s 1,114 public libraries are used by nearly 22 million registered borrowers. According to the California State Library, there are nearly 160 million library visits each year.
The California Library Association conducted a needs assessment in 2016 to determine the construction and renovation requirements for public libraries throughout the state.
The assessment found a staggering $4.1 billion in needs. Projects range from seismic retrofits, to ADA compliance, to the addition of more space to meet growing demand.
Dodd’s library measure follows his introduction of Senate Bill 135 in January to add media literacy education to our state’s school curriculum.
Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Yolo, Sacramento, and Contra Costa counties. He previously served in the California Assembly and represented Lake County. Visit his Web site at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd .
Youth hunters have a special opportunity coming up the weekend of Feb. 4 and 5.
Youth Waterfowl Days will provide young licensed hunters an extra weekend to hunt after the regular season ends.
Each year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) opens many of their wildlife areas for these special hunt days, as allowed under federal regulations.
Last year an estimated 2,000 youth hunters took to the field to try their luck waterfowl hunting on state, federal and private lands.
Federal regulations require that hunters must be 17 years of age or younger and accompanied by a non-hunting adult 18 years of age or older. All hunters must have a valid license and stamps as required by state and federal law.
The daily bag and possession limits apply along with all other waterfowl regulations for the 2016-17 waterfowl season. The regulations can be found online at www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/waterfowl .
This year, some state and federal areas normally open for the Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days may be closed due to flooding.
The main portion of Grizzly Island Wildlife Area is closed, though the Island Slough and Gold Hills units remain open. Some refuges may limit the number of young hunters being admitted for each day of hunting. Many private clubs normally hosting youths on this hunt also face water problems.
For updated information on state and federal land closures, please see www.wildlife.ca.gov/hunting/area-alerts .
“This is a great opportunity for young hunters to have the fields and marshes to themselves, learn skills and techniques from their mentors and share a wonderful experience,” said Melanie Weaver, CDFW Waterfowl Program biologist.
This is only one of the special Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days and Junior Waterfowl Hunts held during the 2016-17 season.
The Northeastern Zone Federal Youth Waterfowl Hunt days were held Sept. 24-25, and Sacramento and Delevan National Wildlife Refuges have held special junior hunts where all blinds were reserved for junior hunters.
Private organizations like the California Waterfowl Association, chapters of Ducks Unlimited and private clubs provide special youth hunting opportunities throughout the season.
“Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days are something California Waterfowl really looks forward to as a chance to pass on the tradition of waterfowl hunting to another generation,” said the California Waterfowl Association’s Vice President of Conservation Jake Messerli.
In the Central Valley, Delevan, Colusa and Sacramento National Wildlife Refuges are scheduled to be open for the youth hunt days while Sutter National Wildlife Refuge will remain closed. Gray Lodge Wildlife Area will be completely open. Little Dry Creek will have a limited quota if no new flooding occurs.
Each of these hunt areas are part of the CDFW reservation system and may fill for the opening Saturday. Gray Lodge Wildlife Area is not expected to fill by reservation and will offer walk-on opportunities. Last year at Gray Lodge, 55 young hunters averaged four ducks each.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The community of Watershed Books and LakeWorks at 305 N. Main St. in Lakeport invites everyone to celebrate the liftoff of local musician Dennis Purcell's latest album "Foggy Dew."
The launch will take place during the “First Friday” event on Feb. 1.
This month sing along and tap your foot to Purcell's guitar and voice, enjoy refreshments and good conversation.
Watershed Books and LakeWorks along with the Main Street Gallery are open late, from 5 to 7 p.m., on the first Friday of every month to celebrate local artists, authors, crafters and community.
For more information call Cheri at 707-263-5787.
LUCERNE, Calif. – One person was seriously injured as the result of a structure fire on Monday night in Lucerne.
The fire at 5890 Grove St. was first reported at 10:15 p.m., according to radio reports.
The initial report from a neighbor was that there was an explosion with flames seen at the home, with one person possibly trapped inside. The caller told Central Dispatch that they couldn't access the front door, because it was blocked.
The crew of the first Northshore Fire Protection District engine on scene reported that flames were coming out of a window, according to Deputy Chief Mike Ciancio.
Firefighters were able to rescue one person from the home, who Ciancio said had burns and was transported by Northshore Fire Protection District ambulance to Sutter Lakeside Hospital.
There, the CalStar 4 air ambulance was expected to meet them for transport. However, at the scene Ciancio could not yet confirm if the patient would in fact be transported out of county.
The fire at the stick-built home was said to be out within about 15 minutes of the dispatch, with Ciancio reporting that firefighters were looking for the source of the smoke.
Units remained on scene into the early morning hours on Tuesday for mop up operations, according to radio reports.
Along with Northshore Fire, Lakeport Fire responded on mutual aid, Pacific Gas and Electric sent a truck and two Lake County Sheriff's units also were on scene.
Ciancio told Lake County News that the cause of the fire remained under investigation.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
