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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Community leaders and residents, college faculty and staff, and Mendocino College students gathered on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the official opening of the college’s new Lake Center campus.
Located on Parallel Drive, with a clear view of Mt. Konocti, the $15 million campus features new and spacious amenities – about 15,000 square feet in classrooms, offices, labs and other facilities – for the nearly 700 students who began classes there in January.
Arturo Reyes, Mendocino College’s superintendent/president and the event’s master of ceremonies, said the new campus was a “vivid” step in the college’s effort to provide high quality education to students.
The college’s grand opening comes at a time when new educational doors are opening around the county.
Yuba College’s Clear Lake Campus has completed major new building projects, and both it and Mendocino College are working with Marymount California University, which is opening its third campus at the Lucerne Hotel.
Marymount will be the county’s first four-year university, and is aiming to partner in the endeavor of creating a seamless route from elementary to four-year and graduate degrees for the county’s students.
Dr. Kevin Grant from Marymount was on hand for the Lake Center dedication, as was Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook, another partner in the effort to expand local offerings for students.
Initiatives like creating a new campus don’t happen in a vacuum, said Reyes, who thanked students, staff and faculty for their support.
He also gave special acknowledgement – including calling for a standing ovation – to Kelseyville resident Mike Adams, the college’s facilities planning director, whose vision and leadership were instrumental in making the new campus a reality.
Board of Trustees President Joel Clark recalled the 2006 campaign for Measure W, the bond that voters in Lake and Mendocino counties approved to fund a list of college projects, the Lake Center among them.
Despite some concern that there might be opposition to the bond, Clark said the communities joined together and passed it, and he thanked voters for taking that action.
Some of those original college project plans had relied heavily on state grant funding, but in 2008 the state grants dried up, Clark said.
That didn’t stop the college from moving forward. He said college officials like Adams and Vice President for Administrative Services Larry Perryman came up with creative solutions to save money but still complete all of the projects on the list.
When the new campus opened in January, there immediately were hundreds of students attending, and Clark said during the first week they had to increase the size of the parking lot.
Congressman Mike Thompson said the new college campus was a huge milestone for the community, and explained the importance of community colleges, and how they benefit a wide spectrum of students and community members.
He said in California 70 percent of nurses and 80 percent of police officers and firefighters receive their education at community colleges.
In addition, a “huge number” of students who receive degrees from California State Universities and the University of California start out at community colleges, he said.
Many veterans also rely on community colleges for their education, with more than 50 percent of those who go back to school after returning from service attending community colleges, he said.
Thompson, a Vietnam veteran, said he enrolled in a community college after returning from the war, eventually moving on to a California State University.
He also thanked Adams, who is his neighbor in Kelseyville. “It never would have happened without him.”
He presented a flag that had flown over the US Capital to the college to fly over the campus.
Mark Rawitsch, dean of instruction at Lake and Mendocino county’s campuses, said the Lake Center was designed for its beautiful setting.
Thanks to voters approving the 2006 bond measure, the local project received local funding, he said.
Aaron Bielenberg, the student member of the board of trustees, grew up in Lake County, and said the college was offering vital opportunities for students, including allowing them to take lab classes without having to drive hours to do so.
“I see great things in my future,” he said, noting he owes a lot to the campus. He will transfer to the University of California, Davis, to study mathematics next semester.
The event wrapped up with city, county and college officials joining with members of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce to cut the opening ribbon in front of the main building.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Daytime highs will tick upward today as a high-pressure system strengthens over the West Coast and the winds that kicked up yesterday weaken, allowing temperatures to increase into the early weekend.
As high pressure builds and holds firm over Lake County and all of California today and into Friday, forecasters with Western Weather Group Lake County expect daytime temperatures to inch upwards into the 90s Friday and Saturday with plenty of sunshine and more moisture in the air.
However, a change in the weather is forecast to move into Lake County Saturday evening into Sunday, bringing back clouds and more seasonal temperatures with a slight possibility of isolated showers (10 percent) into early next week according to Western Weather Group.
Daytime highs on Sunday will drop back to the upper 70s and low 80s, although overnight lows will remain fairly consistent according to forecasters.
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California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris on Wednesday applauded Gov. Jerry Brown for signing a bill that provides $24 million for a Department of Justice program that takes firearms out of the hands of individuals who are prohibited by law from owning them.
“California is leading the nation in a common-sense effort to protect public safety by taking guns away from dangerous, violent individuals who are prohibited by law from owning them,” said Attorney General Harris. “These funds will allow the Department of Justice to increase the number of agents conducting these smart and effective operations. I commend Gov. Brown for signing this critical public safety investment into law.”
Senate Bill 140, which takes effect immediately, will allow the attorney general to hire 36 additional agents for the Armed and Prohibited Persons program (APPS). It will enable the Department of Justice to increase enforcement operations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno and Riverside.
California is the only state with a program like APPS, which identifies people who previously purchased one or more guns, but are later prohibited from owning them.
A person becomes prohibited if he or she is convicted of a felony or a violent misdemeanor, is placed under a domestic violence restraining order or is determined to be mentally unstable.
Senate Bill 140, by Sen. Mark Leno, appropriates $24 million to the Department of Justice from a fund created by fees paid by gun owners at the time of purchase to hire additional agents and support staff.
“I applaud Gov. Brown for signing into law this important legislation that addresses California’s growing backlog of illegally possessed firearms,” said Leno, D- San Francisco. “While our state is the only one in the nation that has a system to track and identify persons who at one time made legal purchases of firearms but are now barred from possessing them, until now we have lacked sufficient resources to take back those weapons. We know for the safety of our communities that these people should not possess guns, and our reinvestment in this tracking program gives us the opportunity to confiscate them.”
Upon taking office in 2011, Attorney General Harris added 10 agents to the program, making a total of 33, in order to increase the number of guns confiscated from prohibited persons.
Over the last two years, DOJ agents have investigated nearly 4,000 people and seized nearly 4,000 weapons, including nearly 2,000 handguns and more than 300 assault weapons. In the first three months of 2013, agents have collected 461 firearms and 23,080 rounds of ammunition.
The APPS database cross-references five databases to identify those who legally purchased handguns and registered assault weapons since 1996 with people who are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.
The database was completed in November 2006, and the first statewide sweep was conducted in 2007.
When Attorney General Harris took office, she directed Department of Justice agents to conduct daily enforcement activities with the support of local law enforcement.
In January, Attorney General Harris sent a letter to Vice President Biden urging the APPS program to be considered as a national model.
In February, she announced her support for U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson’s legislation to create a national grant program that will allow other states to start their own APPS programs.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Wednesday evening fire destroyed a home in the Clear Lake Riviera, but firefighters were able to prevent the fire from damaging other homes in the area or getting into nearby brush.
The home, located on Wheeler Drive and backing onto Terrace Way, was first dispatched shortly before 8 p.m.
A large contingent of local fire agencies converged on the blaze, with Kelseyville Fire, Lakeport Fire, Lake County Fire and Cal Fire all responding, according to Kelseyville Fire Chief Mike Stone.
Stone said no one was home when the fire broke out.
He said the fire was contained within 20 minutes. “The house itself is a total loss,” he said.
Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to other homes nearby. “No other house or structure was damaged,” he said.
A small fire broke out in the home’s backyard, but Stone said that was quickly extinguished. Firefighters also were able to keep the fire from heading into the nearby wildland that surrounds the neighborhood.
Stone said firefighters were going to remain on scene late into the night for mop up and to keep an eye on the burned home.
He said an investigation into the cause would start on Thursday.
“Tomorrow morning at first light we’ll have a crew out here taking a look to see what caused it,” he said.
Just after 1:30 a.m. Thursday firefighters were dispatched back to the house after a neighbor reported seeing flames at the back of the home, according to radio traffic.
Firefighters arriving at the scene found that the fire had rekindled, but were able to quickly get it under control within 20 minutes, followed by additional mop up, radio traffic indicated.
Special thanks to Brittany Hazelton for the video.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Wednesday afternoon fire burned a pasture and destroyed an outbuilding near Lakeport.
The fire in the 2500 block of Dessie Drive was first dispatched just after 1:30 p.m., according to radio reports.
Lakeport Fire, Kelseyville Fire and Cal Fire responded to the incident, according to Lakeport Fire Chief Ken Wells.
Wells said the fire burned about an acre of grass as well as a pump house, but was stopped well before reaching a nearby home.
Radio reports had indicated the fire was contained just after 2 p.m.
Wells said they were not sure exactly where the fire started. “Cal Fire was looking into it.”
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LUCERNE, Calif. – A male subject was transported to an out-of-county trauma center following an assault Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters and deputies were dispatched to the incident at the Lucerne on the Lake mobile home park, located at 5877 Lake Street in Lucerne, at about 1:15 p.m.
Initially, firefighters were directed to stage as a fight involving several people was still taking place, with one male subject down, according to radio reports.
Other subjects allegedly involved in the right fled the scene on foot, with one reported to be heading eastbound along Highway 20, based on scanner traffic.
Once cleared, firefighters arriving at the scene called for an air ambulance. REACH 6 responded to Lucerne Harbor Park to pick up the assault victim.
Shortly after 2 p.m. REACH 6 lifted off, en route to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, according to radio reports.
The extent of the man’s injuries were not immediately reported.
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