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- Written by: Lake County News reports
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.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
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
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
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.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
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
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
Email Elizabeth Larson at