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LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Faced with a critical shortage of classroom space, this week the Konocti Unified School District Board of Trustees will hold a workshop to consider options for maximizing school facilities, including moving eighth graders to the Lower Lake High School campus beginning next year.
The board will hold the special facilities planning workshop beginning at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, in the Carol McClung Conference Center, 9430-B Lake St. in Lower Lake.
The Wednesday workshop is for discussion only, with no action to take place. Any financing and program changes the board wants to pursue would be placed on a future agenda, according to district documents.
Superintendent Donna Becnel's report to the board for the facility needs workshop explains that the board adopted the district's Facilities Master Plan Update at its June 18 meeting.
“Some of the individual projects could be completed within our current financial infrastructure, but the combination of facilities projects have large financial implication. These are large scale projects and are beyond the scope of maintenance,” Becnel said.
She said most of of the projects will require additional financing.
At the June meeting, the board and staff discussed projected facilities costs but didn't discuss funding mechanisms for the projects. “Since that time, staff reviewed our current enrollment and available facilities; discussed financing with borrowing/bonding agents; and reviewed initial concepts with management and teachers,” Becnel wrote.
Becnel said the most critical area regarding facilities is the classroom space available at the district's transitional kindergarten through eighth grade schools, noting that Burns Valley, Pomo and Lower Lake Elementary are at capacity for room utilization.
The district has in this fiscal year added 10 additional classrooms to accommodate more classes, which was done through a combination of utilizing existing space and adding another portable to Burns Valley, Becnel said.
Becnel said the former Lewis School building across from Lower Lake Elementary is being remodeled to accommodate two transitional kindergarten classes.
As a result, the district has nearly eliminated classroom space that will be needed for expanding programs such as music, art and foreign language, said Becnel.
Placing additional portable classrooms at school sites isn't an option due to a lack of available land, Becnel said. At the same time, the district's growth is anticipated to continue over the next few years.
Becnel said that the most viable option to maximize the district's space is to move the eighth grade to Lower Lake High School.
With 100 Lower Lake High students to attend the health occupations magnet high school at the Konocti Education Center, and with the current seventh graders – next year's eighth graders – numbering 220, the net increase for the Lower Lake High campus would be 120 students, according to Becnel's report.
The Wednesday workshop will include a discussion on current enrollment and facilities use; pros and cons – as well as logistics – of moving eighth graders to Lower Lake High; solar updates; other master facilities plan projects; and financing, Becnel said.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Appreciation for notable city projects completed over the last several years, a lot line adjustment and a variance for a fence are on the Lakeport Planning Commission's agenda when it meets next week.
The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The commission will present a number of notable commercial construction and remodeling programs completed since 2011 with certificates of appreciation.
In other business, the commission will consider a lot line adjustment application from Kelli Brown and Mark Mitchell.
Brown and Mitchell are seeking the adjustment to reconfigure the common property line separating two contiguous parcels at 215 Armstrong St.
Also on the Wednesday agenda, the commission will discuss Richard Rath's application for a variation for a residential fence that will exceed height limits at 520 Hillcrest Drive.
Rath is seeking to install 84 feet of 6-foot by 8-foot-long redwood fence panels to enclose the rear of the property and 348 feet of 4-foot-high black vinyl chain link fencing around the remaining perimeter.
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KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Since 1998, Domestic Violence Awareness Month has been observed across the United States during the month of October.
This year, Lake Family Resource Center will participate in Domestic Violence Awareness Month by joining the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence’s #InterceptDV Campaign and hosting advocacy walks to end domestic violence.
The first event taking place – inspired by “Because We Have Daughters” – will be a “No Tolerance Football Walk” to end domestic violence on Friday, Oct. 10, at the Kelseyville High School football field.
During the varsity halftime event, females and especially males are encouraged to join the walk around the football field in high heels. This is way for male figures to make a statement that domestic violence will not be tolerated in our schools and community.
Be sure to arrive at the game early so that you do not miss this entertaining event and to receive a free purple wrist band.
The #InterceptDV effort is meant to urge all Californians to act and join the growing movement to end domestic violence.
Football players and other athletes in the state are encouraged to participate in the campaign, as they have a unique opportunity to show their fans that they value healthy relationships.
The second event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 9 a.m. – rain or shine – at Lake Family Resource Center, 5350 Main St. in Kelseyville. Parking is available at the lower parking lot of Kelseyville High School.
The town of Kelseyville will be decorated in purple as the inaugural Purple Power Walk to End Domestic Violence will take place.
Participants are encouraged to raise awareness of the issue by embracing the color purple – the symbolic hue for domestic violence awareness.
The walk is a nontimed and free event, however, donations are gratefully accepted.
There also will be chances to win raffle prizes after the walk. Once the walk is completed, refreshments will be offered by Big Valley Rancheria, an event co-sponsor.
A tour of Freedom House, Lake County’s only domestic violence shelter, will follow the Purple Power Walk.
Freedom House has been providing services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Lake County for more than 13 years.
Services include emergency shelter, case management, counseling, legal advocacy, accompaniment, youth services, safety planning and assistance with crime victims compensation claims.
Staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All services are free and confidential.
The #InterceptDV campaign title not only refers to the need for the state to intercept the crisis of domestic violence, it also highlights role of individuals to commit to this concept in their own lives.
When people take the #InterceptDV Challenge, they promise to:
– Pledge intercept and intervene in abusive relationships, contact their local domestic violence organizations to donate and/or volunteer;
– Record their best interception, and post it to their social networks with the hashtag #InterceptDV;
– Tag three friends and ask them to take the #InterceptDV Challenge.
It takes a coordinated effort by all corners of the community – law enforcement, advocates, community groups, and schools – to combat the scourge of domestic violence and declare that it will not be tolerated in the community.
Lake Family Resource Center works to focus awareness on the tragedy of domestic violence in the hope of ending it in Lake County.
The agency provides a multitude of services to build family stability and strength, and supports Lake County residents in achieving stable, self-sufficient, and healthy families and communities.
Call Lake Family Resource Center at 707-279-0563 for more information on the events or its services.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – A 3.4-magnitude earthquake was reported near Covelo Monday night.
The quake occurred at 9:03 p.m., according to the US Geological Survey.
It was centered 24 miles north of Covelo, 50 miles west of Red Bluff and 52 miles southwest of Redding, at a depth of 22.9 miles, the survey said.
On Monday night, shake reports were submitted to the survey by residents of Samoa in Humboldt County.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The search for an elderly Belmont man who took a road trip to Siskiyou County early last month is believed to have come to an end with the discovery over the weekend of human remains near Burney.
Paul Merrill, 87, was reported missing and overdue by his family after he failed to return from a road trip to McCloud, as Lake County News has reported.
On Saturday, days after Merrill's classic Mercedes was found in a remote area near Burney, Shasta County Search & Rescue located human remains near where the car had been discovered off a dirt road.
The agency said the remains were turned over to the Shasta County Coroner’s Office for further investigation and identification.
“They're fairly confident that it's Mr. Merrill,” Capt. Patrick Halleran of the Belmont Police Department – which has been the lead agency on the Merrill investigation – told Lake County News Monday.
In a brief Facebook post on Sunday, Merrill's family said that they were awaiting final confirmation but also believed the remains were his.
The family also offered thanks for the “outpouring of help” to the thousands of people who had shared posts, prayers and good wishes for his return.
Merrill's family said he had left on Sept. 3 in his silver 1956 Mercedes 190SL, taking the trip in an effort to recreate “romantic memories” that he had shared with his wife, who died last year.
A family member reported Merrill missing to the Belmont Police Department on Sept. 4 after he had not been heard from after checking out of a hotel in McCloud, in Siskiyou County. He had been seen at a McCloud gas station that day.
The California Highway Patrol issued a Silver Alert across Northern California for him on the morning of Sept. 5, and law enforcement also issued be on the lookout messages for Merrill and his Mercedes. In addition, his family offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to his discovery.
After an extensive search effort that lasted over several days by Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office, the investigation shifted to the Redding area in Shasta County on Sept. 16, following reported sightings in that area.
The “Find Paul Merrill” Facebook page went viral as thousands of people around Northern California joined in the effort to locate him. Some unconfirmed reports indicated that people believed they saw him in Clearlake and other parts of the North Coast.
However, based on where Merrill's car ultimately was discovered, it appears unlikely that he had come farther south than Shasta County.
Last Thursday, the Mercedes was discovered in a remote near Burney and north of Big Bend, according to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office.
Halleran said a rancher clearing brush on his 500-acre property in the area found the Mercedes off a dirt road. Merrill's wallet, car keys and other personal items were in the vehicle.
While Halleran had no estimate of how long the car had been there, he said it was filled with leaves and water, leading investigators to believe it had been in that spot since the last rain, about two weeks ago.
“We're dealing with a pretty large window of time,” Halleran said.
On Friday the Shasta County Sheriff's Office launched a search of the rugged, heavily wooded area with the assistance of CHP Air Operations, Halleran said.
On Saturday, the searchers located the human remains approximately 100 yards from Merrill's car, in heavily wooded and steep terrain. Halleran said that all indications are that the remains are Merrill's.
“We don't believe that there's any foul play,” Halleran said, adding there also appears to be no indication of suicide.
As to what ultimately happened to Merrill, Halleran said at this point investigators can only speculate.
Based on the information so far, it appears that Merrill had driven off the road and into some bushes. He may have become stranded, or had some kind of medical issue like a heart attack or suffered a fall. Deputies who had first arrived in the area also spotted bears, according to Halleran.
“We don't know what the cause of death is. We'll probably never know,” Halleran said.
The Belmont Police Department thanked the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office, Shasta County Sheriff's Office, Redding Police Department and the California Highway Patrol for their support and assistance during the search for Merrill, as well as the media outlets who covered the story and the public who provided tips during the investigation.
The agency also offered its condolences to the Merrill family.
“It's a tragic ending to the story but at least the family has some closure,” Halleran said. “They're not just wondering what happened.”
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Firefighters on Monday quickly contained two wildland fires, keeping the acreage small on both incidents thanks to fast responses.
Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Wink said the fires occurred in the Kelseyville and Lower Lake areas.
The first fire, which burned about a quarter of an acre, was located in the area of Highway 175 and Wildcat Road near Kelseyville, Wink said.
Radio reports indicated that the fire was dispatched at around 10 a.m., with Kelseyville Fire and Cal Fire responding.
Wink said firefighters had to contend with downed power lines while responding to the fire, which was contained in about 45 minutes.
The second fire, reported at approximately 1:06 p.m., was located in the area of Noble Ranch Road and Rocky Trail near Lower Lake, Wink said.
Lake County Fire Protection District and Cal Fire responded, holding the fire to an acre and a half and containing it by 1:50 p.m., according to Wink.
Wink said the response included a chief officer, one water tender, one ambulance, two engines and a chief officer from Lake County Fire, and five engines, two bulldozers, two hand crews, three air tankers, one air attack and one helicopter from Cal Fire.
Investigators are looking into the causes of both fires, Wink said.
Weather conditions remain hotter than normal for the season, with Wink noting that on Monday it was 94 degrees with 20-percent humidity.
He said the burn ban has not been lifted yet, and urged community members to continue to use extreme caution due to the very dry conditions.
Wink said it remains important to maintain defensible space from structures, and he advised that anyone seeing a fire should immediately call 911.
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