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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, for a closed session to discuss labor negotiations with the Clearlake Police Officer Association before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom or can attend in person.
The agenda can be found here.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of
staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
On Thursday, the council will make a presentation to Mayor Dirk Slooten at the end of his second term of office. Slooten and Councilman Russ Cremer were both reelected in November, and now the gavel will pass to another council member for the year.
On the agenda is the acceptance of the November 2022 Election Results in the form of Resolution No. 2022-75. The Registrar of Voters Office must wrap up the official canvass that day.
In other business is the authorization of an amendment to the Clearlake Police Officers Association memorandum of understanding to modify the salary amounts.
The council also will consider adoption Resolution 2022-74 to approve and implement the Cannabis Equity Program.
Another resolution the council will consider is Resolution No. 2022-73, Related to providing grant funds to Chelsea Investment Corp. for affordable housing.
Chelsea is the firm that is developing an affordable housing development on a 15.5-acre property at 15837 18th Ave. that the county traded to the state earlier this year in exchange for the Lakeport Armory property, located on seven acres at 1431 Hoyt Ave. in Lakeport next to the Lake County Jail. The armory is due to be the new sheriff’s office headquarters.
The housing project is supposed to include 82 affordable housing units.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Statewide flu activity has reached high levels across California, which has the potential to add to an already concerning number of hospitalizations of children due to the spread of winter viruses including respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, influenza and COVID-19.
State public health leaders are reminding Californians that masking in indoor public places, among other safety measures, is effective at slowing the spread of respiratory viruses that are making children, and the elderly, very sick.
“RSV and flu, and now COVID-19, are on the rise — leading to the hospitalization of our youngest and most vulnerable Californians who need all of us to help protect them. So we’re reminding Californians about the effective mitigation and safety measures they can take to protect themselves and their loved ones, including getting the Flu shot, keeping up to date with their COVID-19 booster, and masking in indoor public places,” said State Public Health Officer and CDPH Director Dr. Tomás Aragón.
Hospitals across the state are working to add pediatric beds as quickly as possible, but the number of children who need hospitalization is currently outpacing their ability to expand.
Hospitals typically have about 35 to 40% open pediatric intensive care unit beds, but that number is down to about 20% statewide.
It’s even lower — below 12% — in some regions of the state.
While California guidance does not require masking except in some specific situations, masking is an effective way to help protect against RSV, the Flu and COVID-19.
Here are the top 5 tips to protect against winter viruses:
Get vaccinated, boosted (and treated): Flu shots and COVID-19 vaccines and boosters continue to be your best defense to limit severe illness and death — and you can get both at the same time.
Stay home if you're sick, and test for COVID: Staying home when you're sick slows the spread of flu, RSV and COVID-19. If you're sick, remember to test for COVID and contact your doctor immediately if you're positive to discuss treatment options. Treatments work best when started right after symptoms begin.
Wear a mask: There is no vaccine for RSV, so wearing a mask can significantly slow the spread and protect babies and young children who do not yet have immunity and are too young to wear a mask themselves. Wearing a mask in indoor public places is a good way to limit the spread of germs.
Wash your hands: Frequent handwashing, with soap and warm water — for at least 20 seconds, is an easy and effective way to prevent getting sick and spreading germs.
Cover your cough or sneeze: Remember to cough or sneeze into your elbow, your arm, or a disposable tissue to help prevent the spread of winter viruses. Just make sure to wash your hands or sanitize and dispose of your tissue after.
Here are four things to consider about masking in indoor public places:
What’s spreading in your community? Winter respiratory viruses like Flu and RSV have been spreading across the state for weeks, and now COVID-19 cases are ticking up.
Why wear a mask? Masks help slow the spread of respiratory viruses. Masks aren’t just for your own health — they can also play a significant role in protecting the health of those around you, especially those at higher risk of getting severely ill from RSV, the Flu or COVID-19. When attending an indoor public event, mask up for your friends, families, infants, young children, older adults, and other loved ones with pre-existing conditions or weakened immune systems.
But which mask do I wear? If you’ve made the decision to wear a mask, great! To get the most out of your mask, pick one with good fit and filtration. The “Good, Better, Best” rule-of-thumb is surgical masks are good, KN95 or KN94 masks are better, and N95 are best.
Consider masking a statement of kindness. Still not sure you want to mask up? Remember you can never be sure if someone around you has a compromised immune system, is going through chemo treatment, or has asthma. Wearing a mask helps slow the spread of germs and shows kindness and concern for the health and well-being of others.
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- Written by: KELSEYVILLE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Editor’s note: Kelseyville Unified has offered clarification on the tournament history, which is included in this updated version of the story.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — On Dec. 15 to 17, Kelseyville High School celebrates a 50-year basketball tradition as it hosts the 2022 Stokes Tournament.
Visiting schools for the boys’ competition include Ukiah, Middletown and Potter Valley. Visiting schools for the girls’ competition include Upper Lake, Lower Lake and Ferndale.
Games begin on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. right after school in the Kelseyville High School gym where students are expected to fill the stands.
Friday games also begin at 3:30 p.m., and Saturday championship games start at 2:30 p.m.
The annual Stokes Tournament began in 1970 when F. Russel Stokes, owner of Stokes Ladders, offered to sponsor the event.
Although it started as a postseason tournament of champions, within a few years it became a postseason invitational tournament that drew teams from all over the state, mostly from Northern California schools.
Not only did the event promote great competition, it provided generations of basketball players with wonderful memories.
Historically, basketball players from out of the area would stay with local families during the tournament. Visiting players would attend school with their Kelseyville hosts and then compete when their teams hit the court.
After the tournament, visiting players and Kelseyville students danced the night away to celebrate the end of another successful competition.
Mountain Vista Middle School Principal Scott Conrad has a long history with the tournament, having been a player, a coach, the Kelseyville High athletic director, and the tournament director.
He acknowledged that if you do the math, this is not exactly the 50th anniversary but said, “We’re celebrating this year because COVID messed everything up.”
Conrad believes the Stokes Tournament is a great example of how people in Kelseyville come together to create wonderful experiences for kids.
The Stokes Tournament was named after F. Russell Stokes after he tragically died in a car accident on December 7, 1977. He was the president of the Kelseyville Unified School District Board at the time and a strong advocate for school sports and vocational programs, now called career and technical education.
As a tribute to him, the district renamed the tournament after him. His wife, Janice, continued to fund the tournament after his passing, then the Hook family purchased the ladder company and continued the tradition of sponsoring the tournament.
In 2012, when the Panella family took over at Stokes Ladders, they too continued the tradition.
Greg Panella is the grandson of Russell and Janice Stokes, and his wife, Allison, is currently the vice president of the Kelseyville Unified School District Board.
With tournament funding in place, others rushed in to manage the logistics. Coaches and school administrators invited teams and coordinated round robin schedules.
Conrad said that retired Kelseyville High Principal Matt Cockerton “kept the tournament going for most of its existence.”
During much of that time, art teacher Debbie Ingalls (now retired) hand-drew the tournament brackets and created such beautiful designs on the pennants that high schools left them hanging in their gyms for decades.
During the mid-to-late 1980s, while Jerry Hook managed Stokes Ladders, his brother, Ken, coached at Clear Lake High, so Clear Lake High and Kelseyville High co-sponsored the tournament. This is when Lake County Record-Bee reporter, Brian Sumpter, started covering the tournament, bringing the action to life for those who missed it (or those who wanted to relive it).
The games were announced by longtime Mountain Vista Middle School principal and Kelseyville High golf team coach, John Berry (now retired), and former Kelseyville High English teacher, track coach, and athletic director, Rico Abordo.
“When I was in the Chico area going to college and doing my student teaching, I ran into guys who had played in tournaments in the early 1970s. Their experience stuck with them. It’s always been a first-class event — great memories, great competition,” Conrad said.
Kelseyville Unified School District Superintendent Dave McQueen thanked the staff, volunteers, and community members who have made — and who continue to make — this tournament possible.
“This is what we do in Kelseyville. It’s all about the kids,” McQueen said.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
First team listed is the home team (and will wear white jerseys.
Thursday, Dec. 15
3:30 p.m.: Upper Lake versus Lower Lake (Girls)
5 p.m.: Ukiah versus Middletown (Boys)
6:30 p.m.: Kelseyville versus Ferndale (Girls)
8 p.m.: Kelseyville versus Pacific Union (Boys)
Friday, Dec. 16
3:30 p.m.: Ukiah versus Potter Valley (Boys)
5 p.m.: Ferndale versus Upper Lake (Girls)
6:30 p.m.: Kelseyville versus Middletown (Boys)
8 p.m.: Kelseyville vs Lower Lake (Girls)
Saturday, Dec. 17
2 p.m.: Lower Lake versus Ferndale (Girls)
3:30 p.m.: Middletown versus Potter Valley (Boys)
5 p.m.: Three-point competition
6 p.m.: Kelseyville versus Upper Lake (Girls)
7:30 p.m.: Kelseyville versus Ukiah (Boys)
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, in the Middletown Community Meeting Room/Library at 21256 Washington St., Middletown. The meeting is open to the public.
To join the meeting via Zoom click on this link; the meeting ID is 659 964 1209. Call in at 669-900-6833.
In a discussion timed for 7:05 a.m., MATH on Thursday will host guest speaker Mireya Turner, director of the Lake County Community Development Department, and Andrew Amelung, Community Development’s Cannabis Program manager.
Turner and Amelung will speak about department changes, cannabis, Middletown area projects, cell tower regulations, new state fire safe regulations and the area plan. There also will be time for questions.
Also on Thursday, at 8 p.m. the group will accept final nominations for the 2023 board and discuss Zoom.
At 8:15 p.m. they will discuss a cell tower.
The MATH Board includes Chair Monica Rosenthal, Vice Chair Ken Gonzalez, Secretary Todd Fiora, Rosemary Córdova and Bill Waite.
MATH — established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 — is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.
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Email Elizabeth Larson at