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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Kelseyville Unified School District Board of Trustees will hold a discussion this week on a proposal to move the historic one-room Kelsey Creek School from the property where it's been located for 134 years to the Ely Stage Stop.
The meeting will take place beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the district office, 4410 Konocti Road.
The Kelsey Creek Schoolhouse – also known as the Hells Bend Schoolhouse – was built in 1871. It is located on a one-acre parcel in the 3500 block of Finley Road East in Finley.
It is the only one of the county's old original schoolhouses that remains as it did when its district – in this case, the Kelsey Creek School District – lapsed and the school closed, according to “Lake County Schoolhouses,” published earlier this year by Tony Pierucci, the curator of the Lake County Museum system.
The Kelseyville Unified board has two agenda items related to the historic school on its Tuesday agenda.
The first is whether to accept a letter from a group calling itself Friends of the Kelsey Creek Schoolhouse, which is reporting that it intends to abandon a plan to relocate and rehabilitate the building.
The second item is a discussion on donating the school to the Lake County Historical Society, which has submitted a letter requesting the building.
Superintendent Dave McQueen told Lake County News that the second item is discussion only – no action will be taken on Tuesday night.
The letter from the Friends of the Kelsey Creek Schoolhouse explained that it had submitted a proposal in June 2014 to look at moving and renovating the building. However, it has concluded that its plans are prohibitively expensive, estimating that purchasing a new property, and moving and renovating the building could range between $250,000 and $380,000.
The group began talking with the Lake County Historical Society, which is now offering to take the building to the Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum on Soda Bay Road, where in 2007 the stage stop building itself was moved from across Highway 29.
Signing the letter to the board from Friends of the Kelsey Creek Schoolhouse were Marilyn Holdenried, Kelly Cox, Jerry Hook, Syd Stokes, Wally Holbrook, Peter Windrem and Gary Olson, who also sits on the school board and who asked that that discussion be placed on the agenda at last month's board of trustees meeting, McQueen said.
Voris Brumfield, president of the Lake County Historical Society, sent a letter dated Nov. 3 stating that the group had a “keen interest” in receiving the building.
She said the organization “has begun outreach to the community, local, state, and federal governments for assistance to move the building to the Ely Museum site and return the building to its original appearance. A mover has been contacted and permits as needed will be obtained. We are confident there will be no costs incurred by the Kelseyville Unified School District in this endeavor.”
What so far hasn't been addressed in the correspondence are issues related to removing a historical building from the location where it has been for more than 130 years. The possibility of leaving it at the Finley Road East location and renovating it there also has not been raised, but those matters could be brought up on Tuesday.
McQueen has been researching the property and its history, finding in the school's rolls some of his own family members.
He said the district's attorney also has been looking at what can and can't be done with the building, which sits on property donated for the school by the Rickabaugh family in 1882.
If the schoolhouse were to be moved, McQueen said he doesn't know if the district would sell the property. “The district could do more with the property if the building wasn't here.”
In November 2011, the county of Lake paid to have the building reroofed, as Lake County News has reported.
McQueen said the county also covered some other repairs inside of the building. However, since then, no one has been taking care of the building or visiting it, he said.
Ray Mostin, a farmer and former county supervisor who is a neighbor to the schoolhouse, disagrees.
He said he is one of a number of community members who have worked to preserve it over the years. Mostin said thousands of dollars' worth of repairs have been made to keep the building from deteriorating, and he continues to keep the grass mowed around it.
People frequently stop by to see the building, he said, adding that a couple held their wedding there not long ago.
He's been part of a group, the Hells Bend Restoration and Community Center Committee, that had worked to preserve and renovate the building. A document dated 1995 attributed to the group said that, at that point, between $15,000 and $20,000 had been raised for its upkeep.
A sign that is still in front of the building recounts the committee's efforts, and also notes that the building was an Eagle Scout project.
A history of the building Mostin shared with Lake County News explains that the original Kelsey Creek School was built in 1860 one mile north of Kelseyville on property that later was used for a pear orchard.
In 1871, that building was torn down and some of the materials were used to build the present school building on a site on the Quercus Ranch. There, the school site was located within a big bend of Kelsey Creek, which would earn the school one of its names, “Hells Bend School.”
A history of the school posted online by the Lake County Office of Education said the Hells Bend name was given to the area where the school was located because “several of the men living within that location went to town and got liquored up, there would be hell to pay between the neighbors when they returned home.”
In 1882, the school was relocated to its current site on Finley Road East, on land donated by the Rickabaugh family. There, it remained in use until July 1, 1920, after the district's smaller one-room schools were consolidated.
The Kelseyville School district and the Kelsey Creek Community Club signed a 25-year lease agreement for the building to be used as a community center in February 1947. Mostin said community members used to get together there for various activities, including playing cards.
There have been previous attempts to move the building since its closure in the 1920s that have failed.
Pierucci wrote in his book on Lake County's schools, “In the 1940s, an attempt was made to move the schoolhouse, but a group of citizens who wanted the building to stay where it was banded together and had the attempt stopped before it got off the ground.”
The Hells Bend Restoration group's history also recounted that in 1958 there was another effort to move the schoolhouse to the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport.
In 2011, the school board also had considered selling the building as part of a plan to address its financial problems, but ultimately decided against it.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has a wide selection of cats to choose from for those looking for a new feline friend.
The available cats include tabbies and a tuxedo, plus a gray adult cat and a white female kitten.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
For those looking for a barn cat to keep the rodents at bay, be sure to ask about the barn cat adoption program. Feral barn cats are adopted out for $1 each, which includes altering, ear notching and vaccines.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Shelter_Animal_Search.htm .
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Gray tabby
This female gray tabby cat has a short coat and green eyes.
She has not yet been spayed.
She's in cat room kennel No. 4, ID No. 6240.
Domestic short hair kitten
This domestic short hair kitten has an all-white coat and blue eyes.
She's in cat room kennel No. 15, ID No. 6473.
Adult tuxedo cat
This tuxedo cat of undetermined gender has a medium-length coat and gold eyes.
The cat is in cat room kennel No. 60a, ID No. 6440.
Domestic long hair mix
This female domestic long hair mix has an all-gray coat, and yellow eyes.
She already has been spayed.
She's in cat room kennel No. 124a, ID No. 6342.
Domestic long hair mix
This male domestic long hair mix has a gray tabby and white coat, and yellow eyes.
Shelter staff said he already has been neutered.
He's in cat room kennel No. 124b, ID No. 6343.
Clayton fire cat
This male domestic medium hair cat was injured during the Clayton fire. He was taken into care on Aug. 18 in Lower Lake.
He has a medium-length gray and white coat and gold eyes, and is recovering from injuries suffered during the Clayton fire. He has been neutered.
He's in the Animal Care and Control clinic, ID No. 5856.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
On Tuesday, Nov. 15, commercial Dungeness crab season will open from Point Reyes in Marin County south, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced.
But at the recommendation of state health agencies, the CDFW Director is moving to close the commercial Dungeness crab fishery between Point Reyes and the Sonoma/Mendocino County line and to close the commercial rock crab fishery north of Pigeon Point in San Mateo County.
This has the effect of closing approximately 60 miles of coastline to commercial Dungeness crab fishing that otherwise would have opened on Nov. 15. The fishery north of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line is not scheduled to open until Dec. 1.
The commercial Dungeness crab fishery had been scheduled to open all the way up to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line (about 60 miles north of Point Reyes) on Nov. 15 and the rock crab fishery is otherwise open year round, but some crabs collected and tested showed elevated levels of domoic acid. The naturally occurring toxin can sicken people who consume crab.
At the recommendation of the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham submitted to the Office of Administrative Law an emergency rulemaking to keep the commercial Dungeness crab fishery closed north of Point Reyes (38°00' N. lat.) and to close the commercial rock crab fishery north of Pigeon Point (37°11' N. lat.).
Last fall and winter, domoic acid along the West Coast interrupted Dungeness and rock crab fisheries from Santa Barbara to the Oregon state line.
"Given the very difficult season endured by commercial crabbers and their families last year, we were hopeful to open all areas on time this year," said Director Bonham. "Fortunately, domoic acid levels are much lower than this time last year and, despite this action, we are optimistic we will still be able to have a good season."
The recreational season for Dungeness crab opened on Nov. 5 with a warning from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to recreational anglers not to consume the viscera of Dungeness crab caught north of Point Reyes. State and federal laws prohibit the commercial distribution of seafood products that contain domoic acid levels above the federal action level of 30 parts per million in the viscera.
Because of this, OEHHA in consultation with CDPH recommended to CDFW to close or delay the start of the commercial Dungeness crab season north of Point Reyes and close the commercial rock crab fishery north of Pigeon Point.
Closure of the above-referenced commercial fisheries shall remain in effect until the Director of OEHHA, in consultation with the Director of CDPH, determines that domoic acid levels no longer pose a significant risk to public health and recommends the fisheries be open, and the Director of CDFW provides notification to the commercial fisheries.
Recreational fisheries will remain open under a warning to anglers not to eat the viscera of crab caught in the affected areas.
CDFW will continue to coordinate with CDPH and OEHHA to test domoic acid levels in crab along the coast to determine when the fisheries can safely be opened.
CDPH, in conjunction with CDFW, has been actively testing crabs since early September and results from the most recent tests showed that select crabs from the closed areas had elevated levels of domoic acid in their viscera.
Domoic acid is a potent neurotoxin that can accumulate in shellfish, other invertebrates and sometimes fish. It causes illness and sometimes death in a variety of birds and marine mammals that consume affected organisms. At low levels, domoic acid exposure can cause nausea, diarrhea and dizziness in humans. At higher levels, it can cause persistent short-term memory loss, seizures and can in some cases be fatal.
Dana Gioia is the Poet Laureate of California. For six years he served the nation as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
His new book, “99 Poems: New & Selected, has just been published by Graywolf Press.
This beautiful poem remembers his first son, Michael Jasper, whom Gioia and his wife Mary lost in infancy.
Prayer
Echo of the clocktower, footstep
in the alleyway, sweep
of the wind sifting the leaves.
Jeweller of the spiderweb, connoisseur
of autumn's opulence, blade of lightning
harvesting the sky.
Keeper of the small gate, choreographer
of entrances and exits, midnight
whisper traveling the wires.
Seducer, healer, deity or thief,
I will see you soon enough—
in the shadow of the rainfall,
in the brief violet darkening a sunset—
but until then I pray watch over him
as a mountain guards its covert ore
and the harsh falcon its flightless young.
American Life in Poetry does not accept unsolicited submissions. It is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Introduction copyright © 2016 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Caltrans reports that the following road projects will be taking place around Lake County and the North Coast during the coming week.
Included are Mendocino County projects that may impact Lake County commuters.
LAKE COUNTY
Highway 20
– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Long Valley Road to New Long Valley Road on Tuesday, Nov. 15. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
Highway 29
– Pavement marker replacement from .3 miles north of the Siegler Canyon Bridge to just north of Cruikshank Road will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect overnight from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., or from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance 1.5 miles south of Konocti Forestry Camp beginning Wednesday, Nov. 16. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.
Highway 53
– Rocky fire cleanup near 40th Avenue will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
MENDOCINO COUNTY
Highway 1
– AT&T has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility repairs near Westward Ho Road beginning Tuesday, Nov. 15. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
– Caltrans will perform routine maintenance from Old Stageroad Drive to Lighthouse Road beginning Tuesday, Nov. 15. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.
– Bridge deck repairs at the Brush Creek will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
Highway 20
– Pavement repairs from the North Calpella Overcrossing to Cold Creek Bridge No. 3 will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect overnight from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 20-minute delays.
Highway 101
– Routine maintenance near Frog Woman Rock will continue. A northbound lane restriction will be in place. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.
– PG&E has been granted a Caltrans Encroachment Permit for utility repairs from Feliz Creek to Rosetti Creek beginning Monday, Nov. 14. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
– Bridge rail upgrades at the South Willits Overhead will continue. Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate minor traffic slowdowns.
– Rumble strip installation at various locations from Willits to Confusion Hill will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays.
– Emergency culvert repairs just north of the north Willits railroad crossing will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.
– Emergency slide repairs just south of Standish-Hickey State Park will continue. One-way traffic control with a temporary signal will be in effect 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Motorists should anticipate five-minute delays.
Highway 253
– Highway repairs east of Cattle Pass will continue. One-way traffic control will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Motorists should anticipate 10-minute delays.
The Caltrans Traffic Operations Office has reviewed each project and determined that individual project delays are expected to be less than the statewide policy maximum of 30 minutes, unless noted otherwise above.
For information pertaining to emergency roadwork or for updates to scheduled roadwork, please contact the California Highway Information Network (CHIN) at 1-800-GAS-ROAD (1-800-427-7623).
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – With tremendous gratitude, Habitat for Humanity Lake County held its annual fundraising dinner on Nov. 7 at the Saw Shop Bistro in Kelseyville.
Graciously hosted again by Marie Beery and her staff for the 15th year, the appreciative guests were treated to the warm atmosphere of community and friendship, a spectacular meal, and welcoming music donated once more by local Habitat friend David Neft.
With food and wine donated by the Saw Shop, this year the benefit raised $19,000, all of which will go directly to the Fire Rebuild fund to provide homes for the victims of the Lake County fires of 2015 and 2016.
If you would like to contribute to the Fire Rebuild Fund or if you are interested in volunteering for the rebuild effort, please call Habitat for Humanity Lake County at 707-994-1100 or come by the new office at 15312 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake to discuss how you might be able to help.
Donations may be made via PayPal by visiting www.lakehabitat.org or by mail to PO Box 1830, Lower Lake CA. 95457.