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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — This week, Konocti Unified School District announced its classified employees of the year for each school site and for the district as a whole.

While the public has rightly been focused on the burden shouldered by teachers during the pandemic, the unsung heroes of many school districts were the employees outside the classroom, the ones who transported and fed students, the ones who cleaned school facilities to keep them as safe as possible, and the ones who made sure teachers had the information and resources they needed to keep going.

“These people are the glue that keep us together. Without them, we would be lost,” said District Superintendent Becky Salato.

Konocti Unified School District – Juan Hernandez

At a ceremony on May 19, Salato announced Lower Lake High School’s campus supervisor, Juan Hernandez, as the school district’s classified employee of the year.

Colleagues said Hernandez is universally well respected and loved by students, staff, and community members because of the “wonderful, positive demeanor he displays daily.”

Those who nominated Hernandez noted his professionalism and his contribution to school culture, explaining that he “understands his role perfectly and is aware of the importance of building trusting relationships with all those he comes into contact with, including our students. Without a doubt, Juan is a great choice.”

Alternative Education – Daniel Britto

The Alternative Education classified employee of the year is custodian Daniel Britto.

Colleagues who nominated Britto said, “He has done extensive research about the Covid-19 virus and the safety and cleaning procedures required to combat the spread. He has responded swiftly to any health and safety concerns and worked hard to maintain a clean and orderly learning and working environment for students and staff alike.”

Co-workers describe Britto as cheerful, dependable, and compassionate, someone who genuinely cares about the staff and students.

Burns Valley School – Brittany Rohrbacker

Burns Valley School, or BVS, chose Brittany Rohrbacker, media integration specialist and para educator, as their classified employee of the year because of her extraordinary support of BVS students and staff.

Colleagues said, “She has literally done every job and task sent her way. She is always willing to take on new things and learn new skills. Brittany has been an asset during this unprecedented year!”

East Lake Elementary – Christa Vandagriff

At East Lake School, Christa Vandagriff, media integration specialist and para educator, was named classified employee of the year by colleagues who described her as someone who worked very hard this year, often going beyond the call of duty to help students access the resources they needed to be successful.

Konocti Education Center, or KEC – Elizabeth Medina

The KEC classified employee of the year is site secretary Elizabeth Medina.

Medina’s colleagues said, “Elizabeth has a work ethic that is positively inspiring; she never shirks a duty, and she is efficient, thorough, and conscientious about the quality of her work. Elizabeth knows KEC’s families and KEC’s systems, and her attendance is impeccable; indeed, her knowledge is surpassed only by her reliability.”

Lower Lake Elementary – Jennifer Schultz

Lower Lake Elementary announced para educator (classroom aide) Jennifer Schultz as classified employee of the year.

During a year when flexibility was key, Schultz “handled herself professionally and did an amazing job covering for others. Jennifer has been very flexible and willing to do any job we ask of her. She also offers to step in when she sees that help is needed.”

Colleagues noted Schultz’s positivity and warmth as a welcome respite to the challenges they faced throughout the year, saying she is friendly with fellow employees and “always has a smile on her face.”

She commonly greets students by their name and makes a point to engage them in conversation, even if it is just a quick hello.

One colleague said, “She treats children the way that I would want someone to treat my own child. Plus, she is funnier than heck.”

Pomo Elementary – Marisa Ornelas-Gudino

Pomo Elementary named bilingual liaison Marisa Ornelas-Gudino as classified employee of the year. Ornelas-Gudino started at Pomo Elementary in the spring of 2015 and quickly built a reputation as someone who could be depended on in times of need.

If people need translation services, she is there: during parent conferences and meetings, for parent correspondence, during home visits to get students engaged, in the district office Nursing Department, and more.

According to colleagues, Ornelas-Gudino has also “been amazing at assisting all students with any tech issues that arose throughout the school year.”

Child Nutrition Office – Herminia Navarro

Even during a pandemic, people need to eat. Thanks in part to cook Herminia Navarro, Konocti Unified students received the food they needed.

Her supervisor said Navarro was chosen as her department’s classified employee of the year because of her dedication and teamwork.

Her supervisor said, “When we have issues on the fly, she is always willing to help out. When we have work that comes up on a day off or weekend, she never hesitates to help and pick up the extra hours. Her dedication is much appreciated!”

Maintenance and Operations – Dionicio Santana

Groundskeeper Dionicio Santana earned the classified employee of the year for the Maintenance and Operations Department.

His colleagues said he is always willing to help when needed, and that even when asked to help in other areas, he gets his core work done.

They said, “He is a valuable asset and we are very lucky to have him on our team.”

Transportation – Joleen Nichols

The Transportation Department chose bus driver Joleen Nichols as their classified employee of the year. Nichols does more than get students to and from school on time.

Her colleagues said, “not only is she a safe and professional driver, she is patient with kids no matter the circumstance.”

Nichols exemplifies the idea that the school bus is an extension of the classroom. She has a positive attitude, and she makes sure every student is happy and safe.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council voted unanimously on Thursday night to approve an exclusive negotiating agreement with an Arcata developer who has plans for a $50 million housing development in the city.

Danco Communities is proposing to build an 84-unit mixed income multifamily housing project on a five-acre parcel at 14795 Burns Valley Road, which was part of a 31-acre property the city closed escrow on in December.

The discussion begins at the 2:42:45 mark in the video above.

City Manager Alan Flora said the city has been working on plans for the larger property that include a sports complex and a new city Public Works corporation yard.

He said the northeastern portion of the property near an existing development and the community center was identified as a site for some type of housing development. In order to do that, the city needed to declare that portion of the property as surplus.

“Danco has expressed interest in doing a project there,” said Flora. “We believe they're a well-qualified developer.”

The project will apply in July for disaster tax credits, which Flora’s written report said will be the primary funding source.

Chris Dart, Danco Communities president, said the company has projects all over the state, 190 employees and six diverse companies mostly related to housing.

Dart said Danco is the development company and has two construction companies. They have brought 800 affordable housing units to the market so far and have roughly that number in the works now all over California.

The company is vertically integrated, Dart said, meaning they develop and construct projects, then hold and manage them for the long haul.

“We don’t build these projects and sell them or flip them,” he said.

Dart said they are primarily focused on multifamily developments for members of the workforce, and they also develop exclusive communities for seniors and supportive housing for veterans.

He highlighted some of the projects they’ve completed, including the 35-unit Church Hill townhomes multifamily development in Eureka, the 40-townhome Aster Place, the 18-unit Creamery Row in Arcata and the Phyllis Rex Samoa townhomes, which is a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units with a view of Pacific, the bay and Eureka, of which 20 percent are set aside for families experiencing homelessness in Humboldt County.

Dart said the proposed Clearlake project is being designed by DG Architects, the same firm that designed the Phyllis Rex Samoa townhomes.

He said they just rolled out the site plan for the Clearlake project and that they’re in the very early phases. Dart showed a basic sketch of the development, which would include 84 units, of which 24 would be one-bedroom and 36 would have two bedrooms, along with 18 three-bedroom and six four-bedroom units.

Project plans so far include a 3,000-square-foot community room, an exercise room, lounge area, computer room, management offices, a large community kitchen that would open up to an outdoor patio, a community garden, tot lot, basketball courts and barbecue pits, “and many more amenities” to be offered on site, Dart said.

Dart said they help the city cover some off site improvements related to the adjacent park area.

Flora said the company has experience and he thinks the company has a great product. “They’re willing to move really fast,” he said, which is why he asked for the council to authorize the agreement and allow them to pursue the disaster tax credits, which come up once a year, as they don’t want to miss out on that opportunity.

He said the city should also be able to leverage some of the infrastructure development for the sports complex as part of the funding package for Community Development Block Grants, or CDBG.

Councilwoman Joyce Overton asked about how much of the CDBG funds would be used for the project.

Flora said they don’t have an exact number but expect it to be between $3 million and $4 million of the CDBG 2018 Disaster Recovery funds which were allocated to the county and which the Board of Supervisors agreed last month to relinquish to the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport.

Overton asked how much will be invested in the project. Flora said the initial estimate is $50 million.

Mayor Dirk Slooten said the entire city of Clearlake is an opportunity zone, which may benefit the project.

Councilman Russ Cremer moved to approve the city’s exclusive negotiating agreement with Danco Communities agreement, with Councilman Russ Perdock offering the second and the council voting 5-0.

In other development-related action, the council voted 5-0 to declare a 29-acre property at 2890 Old Highway 53 as surplus so it can reoffer the property to developers.

The council, which also acts as the Clearlake Redevelopment Successor Agency, approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with Summitt Development in December following a presentation in which the company had proposed eventually purchasing the property for a housing project.

However, Flora said Summitt notified the city on May 9 that it isn’t moving forward on the plan, so the city needs to start again with putting the property out for development. Like the Burns Valley property being offered for development, the council needed to first declare the Old Highway 53 property as surplus.

While Flora said there are a lot of hoops to jump through, the city already has had discussions with potential developers, and has a meeting set up with an interested developer next week.

He said he’s optimistic that the city will be able to land a developer for the property.

In other business, the council presented a proclamation declaring May 22 to 28 as Safe Boating Week. Flotilla 88 representative Dorothy De Lope thanked the council and said the group will be back out patrolling on Clear Lake this weekend.

The council also proclaimed May as California Tourism Month, heard the Lake County Tourism Improvement District’s annual report and received an update from Pacific Gas and Electric on its public safety power shut-offs and wildfire safety work.

Council members and staff held a budget workshop before the regular meeting as they work to finalize a budget document for the upcoming 2021-22 fiscal year.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — With Lake County in the midst of drought conditions, the city of Lakeport is asking its residents to conserve water this year.

On May 11, the Lake County Board of Supervisors approved a drought emergency proclamation due to the worsening drought conditions in the region, as Lake County News has reported.

The city of Lakeport relies on groundwater wells in the Scotts Valley area along with treated water from Clear Lake for its potable water needs. Both sources are vulnerable due to the current and forecast drought conditions.

The city is reminding its water customers that it is always prudent to practice conservation, whether it is water or any other resource.

Everyone can do their part in conserving this important resource by voluntarily reducing their water consumption.

The city is asking every customer to voluntarily save 15 to 20 gallons of water per day.

Here are some simple water-saving ideas you can use at home:

— Install water-saving shower heads and take shorter showers – five minutes or less.
— Turn water off when brushing teeth.
— Let lawns go dormant in the summer.
— Water plants deeply and less often.
— Flush the toilet less.
— Check toilets, faucets and pipes for leaks and promptly repair if necessary.

For more water conservation tips and resources, visit the city’s website.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has a new dog joining the ranks of the canines available for adoption this week.

The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.

‘Cleo’

“Cleo” is a female Doberman pinscher mix with a short gray coat who is new to the shelter.

She has been spayed.

She is dog No. 4865.

‘Bear’

“Bear” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short brown coat.

He has been neutered.

He is dog No. 3476.

‘Dorito’

“Dorito” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short white and gray coat.

He has been neutered and is house trained.

He is dog No. 4576.

‘Dusty’

“Dusty” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier with a tan and white coat.

He is dog No. 4750.

‘Inky’

“Inky” is a male corgi and collie mix with a long black coat.

He has been neutered and is house-trained.

He is dog No. 4324.

‘Sassy’

“Sassy” is a female Labrador retriever and pit bull mix with a short black with white markings.

She is house-trained.

She is dog No. 4602.

‘Toby’

“Toby” is a friendly senior male boxer mix.

He has a short tan and white coat.

Toby is house trained and neutered.

He is dog No. 4389.

Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.

Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The California Citizens Redistricting Commission will begin redrawing congressional, State Senate, State Assembly and State Board of Equalization districts this summer and is inviting Lake County residents to be a part of that crucial process.

Every 10 years, the commission redraws those state and federal district boundaries based on the latest census data.

The resulting district boundaries will determine how funding and other resources are allocated to communities.

The commission’s work is separate from a process now getting underway to redraw the Lake County Board of Supervisors’ district boundaries. At its May 11 meeting, the board approved a contract with the firm Prentice Long that’s not to exceed $35,000 to provide consulting on the county process.

Seated in August, the state commission has 14 members, including five‌ ‌Republicans, ‌ ‌five‌ ‌Democrats‌ ‌and‌ ‌four‌ ‌members with no party affiliation.

Derric Taylor is one of the Republican commissioners. He’s an investigator with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and is an active volunteer in the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley areas.

Although he’s a Southern California resident, Taylor is working on outreach to counties on California’s North Coast, including Lake.

A married father of three, Taylor said he became interested in joining the commission because it’s a way of modeling how to be a good citizen for his children.

It’s also great to be a witness to the democratic process, he said.

“We’re working for everybody,” he said of the commissioners, noting he doesn’t make decisions solely for his outreach zones and that it’s his duty to consider the people of the entire state. “I’m standing up for all Californians.”

The commissioners are 14 very diverse individuals who are working hard for California, Taylor said.

As part of their work, they are meant to educate the public and also to take as much public input as possible so Californians know their voice is heard in the process and that their opinions impact the final outcome.

Taylor is keen for people to know about the commission, its process and how to participate. He said the commission wants community input to help determine what the boundaries ultimately will look like. “This is a collaborative process in order to make the best possible district lines for reaching community members.”

He added, “To the best of our abilities, given a COVID environment, we want to reach out to all areas of California.”

The outreach team is taking into account the challenges to the rural environment, like broadband, and are trying to address those concerns, he said.

The commission has a nonpartisan purpose. “The goal is fair representation, and I don’t believe that has any affiliation. That’s the ultimate goal,” Taylor said.

They’re already receiving input not just from the public at large but from government bodies like the Lake County Board of Supervisors.

At its April 6 meeting, the board adopted a resolution to send to the commission urging it to keep Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties within the same congressional district due to sharing many interests that “provide strong ties and long-term relationships among our three counties, making common representation and advocacy in a shared Congressional District truly critical.”

The resolution also said that the board found that the three counties’ residents will be best served by remaining in the same congressional district.

The commission has met so far but hasn’t yet gotten down to the work of district boundary work. So far it has focused on organization, hiring staff, holding subcommittee meetings, meeting with state leaders and setting up its community of interest — or COI — tool, which can be found on its website.

The COI tool allows anyone to draw a map, give an explanation of their community and why it should be kept in one district. That tool is available in 12 languages.

Maps that are drawn on paper also can be submitted.

The boundary drawing can’t begin until the commission receives the census data it needs.

While the U.S. Census Bureau released apportionment data during the last week of April, Commission Chair Alicia Fernandez said that data is not what will be used for the redistricting work.

The U.S. Census Bureau said states are expected to receive redistricting data by Aug. 16 and the full redistricting data with tool kits for ease of use will be delivered by Sept. 30.

From there, the commission reported that it will need to format the data in order to use it.

Taylor said the census data — delayed due to the pandemic — is putting the commission in a time crunch, giving them about four months, half a month less than normal.

Just when the commission’s work will be completed “is the million dollar question,” said Taylor. He said the Supreme Court has given the commission until Dec. 15 to put out the maps.

The commission reported that it’s aiming to have one or two draft maps out for public comment before the final maps are completed.

One of the tasks the commission will have to undertake is adjusting lines to account for California’s loss of one congressional district seat because of the shifting population, which the new census data revealed.

California will now have 52 congressional districts, and the commission must redraw the lines to make sure those districts will have near equal populations while following a number of rules that include:

— ensuring minorities have an equal opportunity to elect representatives of their choice;
drawing districts contiguously;
— minimizing the division of cities, counties, neighborhoods and communities;
— creating geographically compact boundaries;
— and when practicable creating Senate districts composed of two complete and adjacent Assembly districts, and Board of Equalization districts composed of 10 complete and adjacent State Senate districts.

One new aspect of the process is that the commission will reallocate inmate numbers from their prison locations to their last known addresses, as state legislators have asked them to do.

It’s meant to more accurately reflect California’s population, although it’s not anticipated to have much of a change on the final lines.

Visit the commission’s website at https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/ to learn more about meetings and the community of interest tool, or for a community group to schedule a presentation with a commissioner.

The commission also can be reached by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone, 916-323-0323.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

Resolution Urging the California Citizens Redistricting Commission to Ke. by LakeCoNews on Scribd

LAKEPORT, Calif. — Hospice Services of Lake County is presenting the sixth annual Hike for Hospice, a fundraising and friend-raising event, on Saturday, June 12, at Highlands Springs Park near Lakeport.

It’s time to lace up those shoes and enjoy a leisurely walk in a beautiful country setting; or for the more serious hiker, a rigorous trek and longer trail is an option.

Participating is free, easy and fun for the whole family or a group of friends while supporting a great cause.

Individuals who want to participate may preregister online at www.lakecountyhospice.org, pick up a registration form at one of the Hospice thrift stores located in Middletown, Clearlake or Lakeport, or contact Hospice to have a registration form mailed.

Hikers are encouraged to donate to Hospice as part of their hiking experience and many participants ask for sponsorships from friends and family to help raise funds. Participants with a minimum donation of $25 will receive an event T-shirt.

On the day of the hike, registration and check-in is from 8 to 9 a.m. at the picnic area near the reservoir.

Hikers taking the 4.5-mile route will start at 8:15 a.m., with 3-milers starting at 8:30 a.m., and the 1- and 2-mile hikers hit the trail at 9:15 a.m.

In the tradition of past Hike for Hospice events, hikers are encouraged to form or join teams. Creative apparel is highly encouraged. Solo hikers are welcome.

When hikers return, the fun continues with refreshments, music, and awards. Prizes will be presented for individual hikers and teams for most money raised and most creative attire.

Highland Springs Park is located at 3600 E. Highland Springs Road in Lakeport, off of Highway 29 past the Lampson Field Airport.

Donations from this event help provide care to residents of Lake County in their last months of life and the organization’s Wings of Hope grief counseling services for children and families who have experienced the death of a loved one.

For more information, to register to hike or to sponsor a hiker, go to www.lakecountyhospice.org, call 707-263-6270, Extension 112, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..