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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
As a team, they believe they have a strong set of complementary skills that can help successfully navigate and overcome the challenges faced by Middletown Unified and move it forward in a positive direction, benefitting its students, staff and community.
Chris Ochs is a 14-year resident of Hidden Valley Lake, current MUSD board member, and director of facilities, maintenance, operations, and transportation for Calistoga Joint Unified School District.
Ochs’ expertise has already been an invaluable asset to MUSD as the district begins to aggressively invest in much-needed facility improvement projects using Measure H bond dollars.
Ochs is known in the community as a down-to-earth, accessible and very involved parent. He plans to continue to be available and accessible to all district members as a sounding board and to take parent viewpoints into account when making decisions as a board member.
He also is a long-time MUSD volunteer who has actively been involved in multiple PTO projects including the installation of Coyote Valley Elementary’s playground equipment.
“Students, teachers, and staff need a modern, safe, and clean environment to learn and teach in. I know that I can be a valuable contributor to accomplish this work at MUSD, and I will approach this duty with an open mind and the expertise needed to help MUSD
succeed,” said Ochs.
For years MUSD has been challenged by a lack of stability, and Ochs believes that he and Lee can provide the strong and knowledgeable leadership necessary to help the District get back on course and attract and retain high-quality, compassionate educators.
“Most importantly, Annette and I agree that we must prioritize the educational and social-emotional needs of our children to guarantee they become strong, knowledgeable and confident members of society,” said Ochs.
Annette Lee is a graduate of Middletown High School, whose family has lived in Hidden Valley Lake for 38 years.
After spending a decade in Silicon Valley working in high tech and supply chain management, Lee decided to shift gears and dedicate herself to public education. And what better place to give back than the place where she grew up.
“Shane and I wanted to move back to my hometown to become educators and raise our children,” said Lee.
Since moving back to Hidden Valley Lake in 2006, Lee has worked alongside her parents, Bonnie and Jay Albertson, and her husband Shane Lee in the field of education.
Currently the interim dean of Woodland Community College’s Lake County Campus, or LCC, Lee has also served Lake County schools as a dance and business teacher for Lower Lake High School and as a Professor of Business for Woodland Community College LCC.
She has also served as the executive dean of centers for Woodland Community College.
Lee has successfully co-authored multiple grants for the college and will help MUSD access more funding as well.
She has a doctorate in educational administration, a master’s degree in business administration, a K-12 teaching credential and is certified in K-12 school business management.
Lee has worked with children of all ages and wants to see South Lake County’s children have access to every opportunity for success.
“MUSD was once a destination school district and I think we can be that again. Together I believe Chris and I can help the MUSD community create a healthy, positive learning and working environment to retain and attract the best teachers, staff, and administrators. We will work hard to ensure MUSD provides the very best education and learning environment for our children,” said Lee.
Lee and Ochs have both given many hours of volunteer time and in-kind donations in support of the schools and have been regularly attending board meetings since 2021.
Annette and Shane Lee have two children currently attending MUSD schools. Heather and Chris Ochs are parents of two MUSD students as well.
As board members and as parents themselves, Lee and Ochs said they will streamline access for parents to MUSD board meetings and will work hard to support and promote parent involvement, better academic achievement for the kids, and make MUSD a reason that families move to and stay in Lake County.
For more information, please visit www.ochsleemusd.com.
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- Written by: CALTRANS
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Caltrans is hosting a community open house next week to seek public comments about a proposed wildlife overcrossing on State Highway 20 in Colusa County.
The event will be Thursday, Aug. 18, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Williams City Hall, 810 E St.
Community members can view displays and review maps and other materials, including a draft environmental document. Caltrans staff members will be available to answer questions and receive comments from the public.
Caltrans is proposing construction of a $9 million wildlife overcrossing on Highway 20 about 10.5 miles west of Williams.
The Cortina Ridge Wildlife Overcrossing would restore Tule Elk range and habitat connectivity between Cortina Ridge and Bear Valley.
The Environmental Document, referred to as an initial study and proposed negative declaration, is available for review from Aug. 10, through Sept. 9. The document may be viewed at the following locations:
• Caltrans District 3, 703 B St., Marysville, CA 95901.
• Colusa County Administration Office, 547 Market St., Colusa, CA 95932.
• Williams City Hall, 810 E St., Williams, CA 95987
• The environmental document also will be available to view online.
The public is asked to submit comments or questions about the project via postal mail or email by 5 p.m. Sept. 9.
Submit comments to Caltrans District 3, Environmental Management M2 Branch, 703 B St., Marysville, CA 95901, Attn: Michael Ferrini, email,
- Details
- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The Lakeport Police Department and Lakeport Unified staff are reminding all drivers to use extreme caution when traveling in the area of the schools and on school grounds.
Officials said they expect heavier than normal vehicle and pedestrian traffic near the school grounds in the mornings and afternoons.
Officers will be increasing traffic enforcement in the area.
Motorists are urged to watch for students who may be waiting for buses or walking or riding bicycles to and from school.
Also, remember to stop for school buses when red lights flash.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lakeport Planning Commission is set to consider projects this week that include a new warehouse and a housing project that features both apartments and houses near Westside Park.
The commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
The agenda is available here.
To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here; the meeting ID is 814 1135 4347, pass code is 847985.
To join by phone, dial 1-669-444-9171; for one tap mobile, +16694449171,,81411354347#,,,,*847985#.
Comments can be submitted by email to
Please indicate in the email subject line "for public comment" and list the item number of the agenda item that is the topic of the comment. Comments that are read to the council will be subject to the three minute time limitation (approximately 350 words). Written comments that are only to be provided to the council and not read at the meeting will be distributed to the council before the meeting.
The first of the two main items on the Wednesday agenda is an application from BND Holdings of Warren, New Jersey, for an architectural and design review that would allow a 3,599 square foot commercial metal building for storage/distribution to be located on property owned by Maryann Spinali of Lakeport at 2225 and 2232 Specht Court, a block from S. Main Street and near the former Kmart site.
The staff report explains, “The purpose of the structure is to receive, store, and deliver packaged snack foods.”
Specifically, the report said the interior of the building will be used as a Frito-Lay Product Exchange Center with an adjoining office for the purpose of receiving, storing and delivering packaged snack foods.
The building will consist of a 2,722 square foot warehouse space, and an 877 square foot office space.
There also will be 16 parking spaces, paved with asphalt, and an extension of an Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible parking stall and ramp to the new building.
Tractor trailers will deliver products from the distribution center which will be unloaded via a pallet jack at a dock height door directly into the proposed building. The products would then be received by box trucks and delivered to retail locations such as convenience stores, staff reported.
In peak seasons, the operations proposed would be around the clock, seven days a week, the report said.
The report said the nearest residence is located about 400 feet west of the project property, which is separated by Highway 29, “therefore deliveries/pickups would not have an impact to surrounding residences.”
Staff is recommending the application’s approval.
The second key item for Wednesday is Waterstone Residential’s application for a zone change, tentative subdivision map, environmental review and general plan amendment for 128 apartment units and 48 cluster homes at 1310 Craig Ave.
The 128 apartments would be located in 10 two-story buildings, split evenly between two- and three-bedroom units. There also would be 48 attached single-family homes.
In addition to the 176 dwelling units, the project would consist of community facilities leasing office, related parking and landscaping, and internal access roads.
Peter Schellinger of Santa Rosa is the project applicant and owner. In 2005 the city approved a 96-lot residential subdivision at the site, which includes the Parkside Subdivision next to Westside Community Park, built by his father and uncle.
The original project received a minor exception to allow parcels to be less than the minimum lot size required.
The project’s phase one consisted of 35 lots; of those, 14 were constructed with homes and 20 lots remain vacant but available for development, staff reported.
The city said the project’s phase two and three did not submit for a final map and were never developed, although they continued to be disked annually for weed abatement.
The report said, “There are certain items from the approval of the original Parkside Subdivision that need to be reviewed and potentially addressed, such as the avoidance of disturbing Forbes Creek, the establishment of a Lighting and Landscape Maintenance District, construction and dedication of road and streets development, and appurtenant facilities. It is appropriate to identify and include such items with the processing and final design layout of the Tentative Map.”
Six acres of the property is proposed to be rezoned from R-1, low-density residential, to R-3, high density residential, with the remaining parcel proposed to be rezoned from R-1 to planned development combining district.
Staff also is recommending approval of the Schellinger project.
The commission is next scheduled to meet on Wednesday, Sept. 14.
Email Elizabeth Larson at