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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Friday morning greeted residents in many parts of the county with a layer of snow, prompting school closures and plowing of area roadways.
While the now melted off quickly on parts of the Northshore and in Lakeport, parts of Kelseyville had a thicker blanket that lasted longer into the day, and the snow stuck around in higher elevations like Cobb.
County Road Superintendent Steve Stangland his crews reported 2 to 3 inches of snow in the Soda Bay and Clear Lake Riviera areas, and up to 8 inches in the Cobb area.
Schools districts that reported closures for the day included Konocti, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Upper Lake Elementary, Upper Lake Middle, Upper Lake High School, Aspire and Clearlake Community School.
Lucerne Elementary was reported to be closed due to snow for the first time in 21 years.
Lake County International Charter School in Middletown also reported that it closed for the day.
The Lake County Office of Education closed its doors Friday after officials there reported being impacted by a power outage that occurred in Lakeport during part of the morning.
Middletown and Hidden Valley residents reported no snow, a contrast to last week's storm that saw them with a thick blanket of it following the storms.
Middletown Unified's school's were open, following a two-hour delayed start, with the exception of Cobb Elementary, which Superintendent Korby Olson reported early Friday morning was closed.
Lake County Public Works' Road Division had its crews at work around the county Friday.
Stangland said his crews worked to open up arterial and major collector streets early Friday before continuing onto the local roads. Top priorities were opening routes to both Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport and St. Helena Hospital Clearlake.
By late Friday afternoon, Stangland said Bottle Rock Road at Sulphur Creek Drive and Highway 175 was open, but crews were going to close part of the road on Monday to resume clean up operations due to snow and damage from the recent storms.
He said Schwartz Road at High Road in the Cobb area was closed due to a downed tree, but both roads were accessible from the other ends.
Elk Mountain Road from the Middle Creek Campground to Lake Pillsbury required chains or four-wheel-drive. Stangland said crews are going to attempt to open it Friday on the return trip from Lake Pillsbury. Elk Mountain Road from Potter Valley to Lake Pillsbury was open.
Bartlett Springs Road required four-wheel-drive and chains. Stangland said road crews will plow the road on Monday.
After a day of plowing, Stangland said the concern was shifting to the hard freeze forecast to take place overnight on Saturday – with temperatures down in the low 20s.
He said crews will be out sanding area roads, as needed, this weekend.
Late Friday the California Highway Patrol had warned of icy road conditions from Scotts Valley Road's junction with Highway 20 to the Mendocino County line.
The National Weather Service warned of the potential for record or near-record cold temperatures over the weekend in Lake and neighboring counties.
Temperatures are expected to drop well below freezing in the early morning hours of both Saturday and Sunday, with a hard freeze possible. The agency said that the shelter is required for people, pets and livestock, and crops and plants due to the potentially dangerous conditions.
The Lake County Office of Emergency Services has offered several important contact numbers to help area residents in case of emergency during the winter weather.
They include: PG&E, 800-743-5000; ATT, 611 or 866-346-1168; American Red Cross, emergency, 800-696-3873; local office, 707-263-8451; sheriff’s dispatch non-emergency, 707-263-2690.
In addition, for animal-related issues Lake County Animal Care and Control can be contacted at 707-263-0278 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The after hours emergency number is 707-263-2690; the department also can be visited online at www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
UKIAH, Calif. – With the start of the new year, the Mendocino College Foundation board of directors welcomed six new members, elected by unanimous vote during the board’s December meeting.
Tom Allman, Brian Carter, Katharine “Kit” Elliott, John Goldsmith and Donald McMullen, all of Ukiah, and Chris Dewey of Redwood Valley were recommended by sitting members of the foundation board prior to the meeting in December and confirmed to start their stints at the beginning of the year.
They join Foundation President Channing Cornell, who was re-elected to the post by vote of the directors at the same December meeting, newly-elected Vice President Gary Smith, Mendocino College Superintendent/President Kathy Lehner who serves as the foundation’s secretary/treasurer, and board members Kristi Barrington, Donna Berry, Harry Bistrin, John Bogner, Richard Cooper, Peggy Campbell-DeBolt, Paul Conrado, Jerilyn Harris, Tom Herman, Tod Kong, Neelam Salmen, Joan Schlienger, Christy Scollin and Tommy Thornhill.
In announcing the new directors’ confirmation, President Cornell welcomed the individuals to the board and thanked them for their willingness to be involved with the foundation.
“You just joined one of the most important organizations in the area because we support education,” he said to the six new members. “Education will help this country move forward.”
He cited statistics that support a correlation between education and employment before telling the group, “We appreciate you coming on to this board.”
The foundation provides student scholarships, funds improvements to educational programs and staff development at the College district’s campuses in Mendocino and Lake counties, and works to cultivate additional support for the College.
Each of the new board members expressed a willingness to assist the Foundation in achieving its goals.
“I am a firm believer in Mendocino College’s commitment to the pursuit of educational excellence and feel that, along with other like-minded board members, I can help the college achieve its mission objectives,” said John Goldsmith, a financial advisor who serves on the executive board of the Economic Development and Financing Corporation for Mendocino County, is a member of Rotary, and is on the Steering Committee of Leadership Mendocino.
Having relocated from San Diego in 2008, Goldsmith added, “I feel fortunate to live in this community, and I have a strong personal commitment to making it an even better place to live. I believe that a key fundamental piece of the success of any community is the strength of its education infrastructure. I welcome the opportunity and challenge to help the foundation continue to be an integral part to the college's success as a great institution of higher learning.”
New board member Chris Dewey, city of Ukiah’s director of Public Safety, said he is happy to be “giving back” to Mendocino College. An alumnus who also taught law enforcement courses, Dewey has other ties to the College. His son is a Mendocino College student and athlete.
“I hope that my past experiences as a member of the Leadership Mendocino Steering Committee, Mendocino County Public Health Advisory Board, South Ukiah Little League Board of Directors, and Ukiah Rotary will assist me in this new role,” said Dewey. “Over the years I have looked forward to my participation on nonprofit boards and working with very dedicated and committed members. I found the work of these boards and its members to be an extremely rewarding experience, one where I felt we were helping to improve the quality of life of everyone who lives within our community.”
Law enforcement is further represented on the Foundation board by Mendocino County Sheriff-Coroner Thomas Allman, also a graduate of Mendocino College. “I have seen the results of the good work which the Foundation does on many occasions,” said Allman. “I look forward to working with other community leaders toward this very valuable endeavor.” Allman is a former director of the Little Lake Fire Protection District and is currently a member of Rotary International, the Masonic Lodge, and the Willits Lions Club.
Calling the college one of the greatest assets to the community and county, Brian Carter wrote in his letter of interest that he would “like to offer whatever modest assistance I can to the foundation’s efforts to support the college’s continued excellence and improvement.”
The attorney noted that Ukiah is his family’s home, that he graduated from Ukiah High School and that he has practiced real estate and business law in the area. “My three young children are likely to attend the College in the future,” he added.
Two other attorneys are among the newly-elected members of the foundation.
Katharine “Kit” Elliott, with experience as a member of the Mendocino County Youth Project and a commissioner of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee, currently serves as a board member for the Mendo-Lake Alternative Services and the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice.
“I have been a criminal defense attorney for more than 22 years and know how important it is for young adults to develop skills and self-esteem. This is why I became interested in serving on your board,” Elliott stated in her letter to the foundation directors.
Donald McMullen, born and raised in Ukiah, joins the foundation board with the intent to contribute to the Foundation’s purpose and objectives. “The campus environment is positive, and it serves as a catalyst for even higher education. These are functions with which I maintain a strong affinity,” he said.
In nominating McMullen for membership, Foundation Secretary/Treasurer Kathryn G. Lehner, called him “energetic and enthusiastic” and added that he, along with Elliott and Carter, will bring “much needed legal expertise” to the board.
The new board members will be invited to work on various committees of the foundation. They have indicated their interests in serving on the finance, land, scholarship, and special events/marketing committees. The latter is meeting regularly to plan its annual major fundraiser, Gala on the Green. The committee has selected a date, June 18, and place, Campovida in Hopland, for this year’s event. Information about committee meetings, board meetings, and special events may be found on the foundation’s Web site, http://foundation.mendocino.edu.
For additional information about the Mendocino College Foundation and the efforts of the board of directors, call the Foundation Office at 707-467-1018 or send an email to Katie Wojcieszak, executive director for the foundation, at
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Vector Control District reported Friday that it has set a date for its aerial larvicide treatment between Clear Lake State Park and south Lakeport.
District Manager Dr. Jamie Scott said the treatment will take place beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 28, weather permitting.
She said the application is being made because district surveillance has detected large numbers of mosquito larvae in the standing water in this area.
Scott said the goal is to reduce the need to treat for the adult mosquitoes in this area later this year.
A cropduster flying at low altitude over the marshy areas will apply the treatment of Aquabac 200G, a biological larvicide used to control mosquito larvae in aquatic habitats, the district said.
Aquabac is based on the naturally occurring soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti). It is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for the control of larval mosquitoes in nearly all aquatic habitats.
For additional information contact the Lake County Vector Control District at 707-263-4770 or visit the district's Web site at www.lcvcd.org .
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NORTH COAST, Calif. – State officials reported that a San Francisco man was recently caught poaching abalone during the closed season – for the third time in three weeks.
Qiong Wang, 31, was arrested last week for felony conspiracy and take of abalone for commercial purposes, among other charges, according to the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG).
Despite aggressive enforcement and prosecution, wardens have noticed an increase in abalone poaching over the last few years, on the Sonoma and Mendocino coasts in particular.
“For many abalone poachers, the profit from the illegal sale of abalone clearly outweighs the risks of getting caught,” said DFG Assistant Chief Tony Warrington.
Wang's last arrest by DFG wardens came on Feb. 19. At the same time wardens arrested Wang’s companion, David Trevors, 28, of San Francisco, on similar charges, the agency said.
On Feb. 2, an officer from the Petaluma Police Department contacted Wang and Trevors in Petaluma during an investigation of another crime. He found them in possession of five abalone.
The officer was aware that abalone season was closed, and DFG said he cited and released Wang for four poaching misdemeanors – unlawful take, take of abalone out of season, possession of an overlimit and failure to tag.
On Feb. 12, a Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputy stopped Wang for speeding on Highway 28 near Boonville. The deputy found two wet duffel bags containing fresh abalone in the back seat and contacted his dispatch to request assistance from a DFG warden.
Warden Don Powers responded and discovered 36 red abalone, five of which were undersize. Powers also found five SCUBA tanks and associated SCUBA diving gear in the trunk of Wang’s car.
Wang was booked into Mendocino County Jail for possession of abalone for commercial sale. His Toyota sedan and all dive gear were seized as evidence.
On Feb. 19, five days after being released from jail for the last poaching incident, Wang and Trevors were spotted using SCUBA gear to poach abalone from a rented kayak in Van Damme State Park.
For approximately two hours, wardens watched as the partners kayaked into the ocean and collected 55 abalone. The men returned to shore, stashed the abalone near the beach and drove to the Sub-Surface Progression dive shop in Fort Bragg to return the rented kayak.
Wardens contacted the pair at the dive shop. Both men were arrested and booked into Mendocino County Jail. Wardens recovered the hidden abalone and Trevors’ vehicle and all related dive gear were seized.
Abalone season closed Dec. 1, and does not reopen until April 1.
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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – After riding a six-game league win streak into a North Coast Section Division 4 tournament berth as the #12 seed, the Middletown Mustangs boys basketball team was ousted by the fifth-seeded Tigers of Arcata in Middletown Wednesday night.
Middletown scored on a breakaway basket by Bo Sheffer off the opening tip, but managed only one more basket in the opening quarter, falling behind 13-4.
After trailing 36-23 late in the third quarter, Middletown energized themselves and the crowd with a 10-0 run to close to within 36-33 with five and a half minutes left in the game, but never got closer than three points and ultimately lost 50-44.
Middletown finished their league season strong, with wins in their last five regularly scheduled league games to tie Fort Bragg at 6-2, and then a win in a tiebreaker game to claim the NCL North league title in GJ Rockwell's first season as head coach.
After the game, victorious Arcata Coach Eric Vollmers praised Middletown, saying, “They played real well, real hard, and we're just glad we're advancing.”
Arcata's big advantage was their tall front line players, including 6 foot, 11 inch Max Schmidt, who Vollmers was not even sure would play due to his having the flu.
“He played more than I thought he would, and for a while it seemed like he was getting every rebound out there,” Vollmers said.
Middletown scorers were seniors Chris Oatman and John Wesley Davis with 11 each, senior Bo Sheffer with 9, junior Nick Delia 8 and junior DJ Brookshire, 5.
Arcata scoring was led by Tom Witzel with 24 points and Will Taylor with 11.
Middletown ends their season with an 18 win, 10 loss record.
Arcata, now 22-7, advances to play St Patrick-St Vincent High School in Vallejo Saturday night.
Lake County's other participant in North Coast Section playoffs was the Lower Lake girls team, which lost to Branson High Wednesday night 64-27, finishing their season at 17-9.
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LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Thursday was a sad day for local rock lovers.
Sandy's Rock Shop officially closed its doors after close to 13 years in business, according to owner Connie Burton.
“It's very sad,” Burton said.
Burton, who retired from the medical field, said she bought the shop – located in a little building at 9800 Highway 53 in Lower Lake – from business founder Sandy Thuet three years ago.
Along with her husband, Greg, and their family, Burton – a member of the Lake County Rockhounds – enjoyed running the business, and traveling to collect items.
“It was fun, we like rocks,” she said.
Sandy's Rock Shop was a favorite stop for tourists and locals alike. A visitor could find all manner of interesting rocks and gemstones, jewelry, fossils and shark teeth. Classes in jewelry making also were offered.
The shop specialized in Lake County diamonds, semi-precious stones of volcanic origin found nowhere else in the world, according to www.lakecounty.com.
Burton said she lent the Lake County Museum in Lakeport a 94-carat Lake County diamond that is on display there.
However Burton said the economic downturn made running the shop no longer feasible, and led to the tough decision to close the storefront.
“We've been toying with the idea for about a year,” she said.
She said they didn't make a big public announcement, just telling rockhound club members and friends.
“Everybody's shocked,” she said.
However, Burton said she and her family plan to stay active with the rock business.
“We kept pretty much all of our inventory,” she said.
Burton said she will continue to sell items online on eBay, at www.sandysrockshop.com (see the “Shop” tab) and at local shows and events such as the Heron Festival in the spring. Her visitor packs of Lake County diamonds will remain available at the Lake County Visitors Center in Lucerne.
Rock lovers and collectors will still be able to reach her at the business phone number, 707-350-2248.
Burton is philosophical about the shop's closing.
“One door closes and another door opens,” she said. “Who knows where we'll go from here.”
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at