News

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Now when customers shop for groceries, they can add postage and postal products to their shopping list at the La Monarca Market at 16200 Main St., Lower Lake.

On Thursday, May 19, at noon, customers will be treated to a grand opening ceremony by store owner Juan Ramos Jr. and postal officials as this convenience store becomes a Village Post Office, or VPO.

La Monarca Market is a mini grocery store that sells groceries, produce, dry goods and select Mexican food dishes cooked at the store.

The Ramos family has owned the store for the past 11 years. “It will be nice to be able to give back to the community, a little of what they have given to the business,” said Ramos.

The store has convenient hours for postal customers because it is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed only on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Customers are able to purchase Forever stamps, drop off prepaid mail and packages and pick up Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes and envelopes.

The convenience for customers is that many VPOs offer expanded business hours, including Sundays and holidays.

Village Post Offices are normally located in non-Postal Service establishments – such as an existing community business, grocery stores and gas stations – and are run by someone other than an employee of the Postal Service.

The California Fish and Game Commission has hired Valerie Termini to serve as its executive director.

Termini will be the first female executive director in the commission's history. Her first day on the job was Monday.
 
She comes from California Ocean Protection Council staff where she has served as the fisheries policy advisor and as interim Executive Director.
 
“We look forward to Ms. Termini's guidance at the dais,” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham. “We've heard from a number of stakeholders that the executive director should be up to speed with the commission's vast authorities and have specific knowledge of marine policy issues. Ms. Termini's background brings precisely this expertise.”
 
“We're very pleased that Ms. Termini has stepped up to serve this historic commission,” said Commission President Eric Sklar. “She has shown real vision in addressing challenges and has demonstrated expertise in facilitating resolution to complex issues working with diverse groups of stakeholders. We are thrilled that she will be bringing this skill from her previous experience to the Commission's work to the great benefit of the state.”

LUCERNE, Calif. – Friends of Locally Owned Water, or FLOW, will meet Saturday, May 21.

The group will meet for its board meeting at 11 a.m. at the Northshore Community Center – formerly the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center – located at 10th and Country Club.

Public comment is welcome at the close of executive business at 11:25 a.m., followed by the FLOW general meeting.

Our community is very fortunate to have an exceptional candidate running for the open Assembly seat. He is Don Saylor, from Davis.

He won my support when I first met him and heard his promise to protect and build on the rich resources of Lake County, including our special lake and communities.

He is optimistic about the future, with creative and inclusive proposals. He is very clearly a person of great integrity and substance who will lead by example and with heart.

Don Saylor has ably served 40 years in various capacities in local government such as city council and school board.

He is highly qualified, and I am convinced he will support our county and our needs in a manner that is conscientious and effective.

I hope voters in our district will take the time to learn more about Don Saylor.

Kathy Windrem lives in Kelseyville, Calif.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Constance “Connie” Heer died peacefully at home on May 11, 2016.

She was born in Oakland, Calif., to Ray and Pat Roarke and spent a majority of her childhood in Martinez, Calif., with her sister, Meg.

She later settled in Lake County where she had a long career in real estate and escrow.

She is survived by her husband and the love of her life, Merrill of Nice; sister, Meg of Martinez; sister-in-law, Sandra of Ross, Calif.; son and daughter-in-law John and Irene Tweedt of Winters, Calif.; Amy Heer of Riding, Va; stepdaughter and son-in-law Karen and Michael Barrett, and Micaela, Emily and Andrew.

No memorial services are planned.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Redbud branch of the Lake County Library will host a financial literacy seminar for “First-Time Home Buyers” on Saturday, May 21.

The seminar will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the library, 14785 Burns Valley Road in Clearlake.

Randy Keller of HomeStreet Bank will be the speaker for this free program. For more details call 707-263-8817.

Keller is an accomplished loan professional with more than 15 years' of experience in lending, matching clients and lenders for residential, commercial and construction loans.

His expertise covers both purchasing and refinancing single family homes, multi-family residential properties and commercial properties.

April Harris, a Realtor with RE/MAX Full Spectrum Properties, is presenting this ongoing series of financial literacy seminars around Lake County.

The Lake County Library is on the Internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .