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LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Saturday memorial service honored the life and contributions of the Lake County Sheriff’s deputy who died in the line of duty last month.

Deputy Rob Rumfelt, 50, was remembered as a fearless Marine, a dedicated member of law enforcement, a devoted family man and a constant friend.

“Rob was much more than a cop,” said his longtime friend, Lt. Norman Taylor of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, one of those who eulogized Rumfelt on Saturday. “He was more things than I can list in my short time here,” a man who lived “a full, adventurous life.”

Rumfelt died on Aug. 22 following a car crash while he was leaving the scene of a domestic violence call in Lakeport.

Kelly Rumfelt hands an urn holding her husband Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Rob Rumfelt’s ashes to a member of a US Marine Corps honor guard at the beginning of his memorial service on Saturday, September 9, 2017, in Lakeport, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.


So far, officials investigating Rumfelt’s death have indicated that a medical emergency – possibly a heart attack – may have precipitated the crash and claimed Rumfelt’s life, and that the crash itself may not have been the direct cause.

He and another deputy had fought with a domestic violence suspect and arrested the man shortly before he left the scene in his patrol vehicle, which hit a tree a short distance away.

Rumfelt’s death in the line of duty was the first for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in 36 years, and the fourth in the agency’s history.

About 1,000 people – including police officers, sheriff’s deputies, California Highway Patrol, State Parks and Fish and Wildlife officers from around the state, firefighters from local agencies and from Cal Fire plus community members – filled the infield at Don Owens Stadium at Clear Lake High School for the Saturday morning service.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra speaks at the memorial service for Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Rob Rumfelt on Saturday, September 9, 2017, in Lakeport, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.


Also in attendance were a number of county leaders and state dignitaries, among them, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who was among the speakers; State Sen. Mike McGuire; and Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry.

Rumfelt’s immediate family members were escorted to the event in a large limousine and a black SUV, and his wife and children arrived in a tan Humvee sporting a Jolly Roger – the flag featuring the skull and crossbones on a black background first used as the pirate’s flag some 300 years ago.,

References to Rumfelt’s fondness for “the pirate life” were made throughout the ceremony. Another Jolly Roger hung below the American flag on the football field’s flagpole; Taylor recounted the “pirate bar” he helped Rumfelt build in his backyard and at one point, as if on cue, a small flock of seagulls flew around the field.

Sheriff Brian Martin recalled Rumfelt as not just a dedicated lawman but also as a friend, a fun-loving man whose loss has hit his brothers and sisters in law enforcement hard.

Sheriff Brian Martin salutes the American flag that he has just handed Kelly Rumfelt, widow of Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Rob Rumfelt, during the deputy’s memorial service on Saturday, September 9, 2017, in Lakeport, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.


“I am grateful for the good times and the bad times I spent with Rob,” Martin said. “I am grateful for the times that we laughed together, I am grateful for the times we worked together.”

Martin also took the opportunity to thank those who support law enforcement, not just families and friends but others in the community, noting the sacrifices inherent in the profession.

Attorney General Becerra also paid homage to Rumfelt, pointing out that the football stadium’s scoreboard continued to show the score from the football game the night before, in which the Clear Lake Cardinals beat Fort Bragg in overtime. Rumfelt had been a football coach for the high school, and looking on from the audience were many of his football players, wearing their jerseys.

California Highway Patrol aircraft perform a flyover in the “missing man” formation during the memorial service for Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Rob Rumfelt on Saturday, September 9, 2017, in Lakeport, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.


Becerra acknowledged the many different people whose lives were touched by Rumfelt, from high school football players to family and his colleagues in law enforcement.

“He strengthened the fabric of our society,” Becerra said, calling Rumfelt a hero.

The ceremony included a gun volley, the playing of “Taps,” the presentation of the American flag to his wife and parents and a flyover by the California Highway Patrol, which had three of its aircraft perform the “missing man” formation, in which a plane banked off and away from the others.

One of the day’s most poignant moments came with the “last roll call” for Rumfelt, when a recording of Lake County Central Dispatch was played in which the dispatcher called Rumfelt’s badge number – No. 453 – twice, each time saying, “no response,” before giving his end of watch as Aug. 22 at 9:15 p.m.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers, deputies and firefighters former a processional way through which Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Rob Rumfelt’s family left his memorial service on Saturday, September 9, 2017, in Lakeport, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.


Later in the service, Sheriff Martin and Undersheriff Chris Macedo presented a folded American flag to Rumfelt’s widow, Kelly, and then Capt. Chris Chwialkowski and Lt. Taylor carried flags in wooden cases to Rumfelt’s parents.

The ceremony ended with hundreds of deputies, police officers and firefighters forming a processional way, with the Rumfelt family being driven between the lines of men and women in uniform as they offered a salute.

The full ceremony is featured in the video at the top of the page.

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.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – In response to a reported sighting of a mountain lion near the Lakeport Unified School District campus this week, the district has asked parents to take special measures to protect children on their way to school.

On Thursday afternoon, Superintendent April Leiferman put the campus in an instruction lockdown just before kindergarten dismissal after a woman driving to the school to pick up her child reported seeing a large mountain lion headed toward campus.

Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said that at 1:40 p.m. Thursday the parent was driving on Lakeshore Boulevard toward Lange Street when she saw what she believed was a mountain lion running from the wooded area near the lake across the road to the field adjacent to Lakeport Elementary School.

Rasmussen said the parent immediately school staff, who in turn notified the school resource officer and school administration.

Leiferman drove through all of the school campuses and said that all of the students were indoors within 60 seconds of the lockdown and Lakeport Police units quickly responded.

Rasmussen said three Lakeport Police units, two units from State Parks plus California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers responded to the scene.

“We wanted to take all precautions,” Rasmussen said.

He said the officers and wardens hiked around looking for the mountain lion. “They didn’t find any sign of it.”

Even so, as a precaution, Fish and Wildlife remained on scene until after school was out and all staff and students had left the campus, said Rasmussen.

Leiferman said she immediately sent out a text message and phone call to parents notifying them of the incident, and greeted parents who were arriving to pick up their children to explain the situation.

She said students were picked up in the classrooms by their parents or walked in a group to the buses.

After meeting with Rasmussen, Leiferman said school administration decided they weren’t comfortable having students walk home.

As a result, students who usually walk home either called for a ride or received a ride home in buses the staff secured to drive them, Leiferman said.

“It frightened me, to say the least,” Leiferman said of the situation.

Leiferman said parents were appreciative of the efforts taken, and while it may not have been convenient, it was safe, adding that she would always err on the side of the students’ safety.

Thursday’s sighting was the second mountain lion within the city limit in less than three months.

On the afternoon of June 19, a city employee reported seeing a young adult mountain lion in the Forbes Creek drainage south of the fairgrounds baseball fields and west of the Lakeport Public Works yard, as Lake County News has reported.

Police said the animal was seen in an area covered by heavy brush and grass, and wasn’t acting aggressive.

Rasmussen said bears also have been spotted in Lakeport over the years.

Leiferman said that due to her concerns about both of this year’s mountain lion sightings, she asked parents in the Thursday message to drive their children to school, have them ride a bus or walk in a large group until further notice.

She said parents are going to use their judgment, but that young children should not be walking alone and all children are safer in groups.

“I’m sure everybody’s going to keep an eye out,” she said.

Protecting people and wildlife

Mountain lions are parts of Lake County’s wildlife population, although they aren’t usually spotted in the county’s cities.

Wildlife officials report that mountain lions are quiet, solitary and elusive, and typically avoid people.

They also rarely attack people, although the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported that conflicts between the animals and humans are increasing as California’s human population expands into mountain lion habitat.

Fish and Wildlife spokesman Lt. Chris Stoots said that the last couple of years have shown a change in wild animals’ behavior patterns, “but there’s no specific reason that anyone is pointing to.”

Stoots said those changes are due to a variety of factors. A key issue is California’s growing population, which is resulting in habitat loss and encroachment as people move into more remote areas.

Also leading to different types of encounters are human practices, such as leaving out food and water for pets overnight and letting pets roam at night, which Stoots said creates food sources and, as a result, a more sustainable place for wildlife to live closer to human.

The last several years of drought also are likely to have played a role in animal behavioral changes, he said.

Stoots said juvenile wildlife are more likely to wander into areas close to humans due to lack of experience and curiosity, leading to greater potential for conflict and interaction.

Stoots said people also are more aware of encounters because of the speed and efficiency of communication, including social media, which he said is a good thing.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife offers the following tips for living in and staying safe in mountain lion country.

- Don’t feed deer; it is illegal in California and it will attract mountain lions.
- Deer-proof your landscaping by avoiding plants that deer like to eat. For tips, request “A Gardener’s Guide to Preventing Deer Damage” from the agency’s offices.
- Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.
- Don’t leave small children or pets outside unattended.
- Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.
- Provide sturdy, covered shelters for sheep, goats and other vulnerable animals.
- Don’t allow pets outside when mountain lions are most active – dawn, dusk and at night.
- Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opossums and other potential mountain lion prey.
- Do not hike, bike, or jog alone.
- Avoid hiking or jogging when mountain lions are most active – dawn, dusk, and at night.
- Keep a close watch on small children.
- Do not approach a mountain lion.
- If you encounter a mountain lion, do not run; instead, face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms; throw rocks or other objects.
- Pick up small children.
- If attacked, fight back.
- If a mountain lion attacks a person, immediately call 911.

For more information visit https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Lion.

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.
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As the Cassini spacecraft nears the end of a long journey rich with scientific and technical accomplishments, it is already having a powerful influence on future exploration.

In revealing that Saturn's moon Enceladus has many of the ingredients needed for life, the mission has inspired a pivot to the exploration of "ocean worlds" that has been sweeping planetary science over the past decade.

"Cassini has transformed our thinking in so many ways, but especially with regard to surprising places in the solar system where life could potentially gain a foothold," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at Headquarters in Washington. "Congratulations to the entire Cassini team!"

Onward to Europa

Jupiter's moon Europa has been a prime target for future exploration since NASA's Galileo mission, in the late 1990s, found strong evidence for a salty global ocean of liquid water beneath its icy crust.

But the more recent revelation that a much smaller moon like Enceladus could also have not only liquid water, but also chemical energy that could potentially power biology, was staggering.

Many lessons learned during Cassini's mission are being applied to planning NASA's Europa Clipper mission, planned for launch in the 2020s.

Europa Clipper will fly by the icy ocean moon dozens of times to investigate its potential habitability, using an orbital tour design derived from the way Cassini has explored Saturn.

The Europa Clipper mission will orbit the giant planet – Jupiter in this case – using gravitational assists from its large moons to maneuver the spacecraft into repeated close encounters with Europa.

This is similar to the way Cassini's tour designers used the gravity of Saturn's moon Titan to continually shape their spacecraft's course.

In addition, many engineers and scientists from Cassini are serving on Europa Clipper and helping to develop its science investigations.

For example, several members of the Cassini Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer and Cosmic Dust Analyzer teams are developing extremely sensitive, next-generation versions of their instruments for flight on Europa Clipper.

What Cassini has learned about flying through the plume of material spraying from Enceladus will help inform planning for Europa Clipper, should plume activity be confirmed on Europa.

Returning to Saturn

Cassini also performed 127 close flybys of Saturn's haze-enshrouded moon Titan, showing it to be a remarkably complex factory for organic chemicals – a natural laboratory for prebiotic chemistry.

The mission investigated the cycling of liquid methane between clouds in its skies and great seas on its surface.

By pulling back the veil on Titan, Cassini has ushered in a new era of extraterrestrial oceanography ­– plumbing the depths of alien seas – and delivered a fascinating example of earthlike processes occurring with chemistry and at temperatures markedly different from our home planet.

In the decades following Cassini, scientists hope to return to the Saturn system to follow up on the mission's many discoveries.

Mission concepts under consideration include spacecraft to drift on the methane seas of Titan and fly through the Enceladus plume to collect and analyze samples for signs of biology.

Giant planet atmospheres

Atmospheric probes to all four of the outer planets have long been a priority for the science community, and the most recent Planetary Science Decadal Survey continues to support interest in sending such a mission to Saturn.

By directly sampling Saturn's upper atmosphere during its last orbits and final plunge, Cassini is laying the groundwork for an eventual Saturn atmosphere probe.

Farther out in the solar system, scientists have long had their eyes set on exploring Uranus and Neptune.

So far, each of these worlds has been visited by only one brief spacecraft flyby (Voyager 2, in 1986 and 1989, respectively).

Collectively, Uranus and Neptune are referred to as "ice giant" planets, because they contain large amounts of materials (like water, ammonia and methane) that form ices in the cold depths of the outer solar system.

This makes them fundamentally different from the gas giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn, which are almost all hydrogen and helium, and the inner, rocky planets like Earth or Mars.

It's not clear exactly how and where the ice giants formed, why their magnetic fields are strangely oriented, and what drives geologic activity on some of their moons.

These mysteries make them scientifically important, and this importance is enhanced by the discovery that many planets around other stars appear to be similar to our own ice giants.

A variety of potential mission concepts are discussed in a recently completed study, delivered to NASA in preparation for the next Decadal Survey – including orbiters, flybys and probes that would dive into Uranus' atmosphere to study its composition. Future missions to the ice giants might explore those worlds using an approach similar to Cassini's mission.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Italian Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed, developed and assembled the Cassini orbiter.

More information about Cassini visit https://www.nasa.gov/cassini and https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov.
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"Nature tells every secret once." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – For the sheer variety and beauty of avian species, you can't beat Lake County for bird watching.

As an example, the astonishingly eye-catching beauty of a wood duck is unforgettable.

The male of the species sports gleaming green, tan and brown color blocks reminiscent of a Piet Mondrian color composition.

I spotted a pair of wood ducks on Cache Creek one morning while hiking at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park. The quiet elegance of the pair floating on the soft water was breathtaking.

Wood ducks, medium in size at approximately 21 inches in length, are known for using their specially adapted sharp claws to perch in trees, and nest in tree cavities, or specially constructed nesting boxes near marshes and water.

The female wood duck, like most female birds, is subdued in her coloring. She may lay over a dozen eggs if the conditions are right. If wood ducks nest too close together they tend to lay fewer eggs.

After the eggs incubate for about 30 days the tiny ducks are equipped to hop right into the water – up to 50 feet down, without the aid of the parents, and begin fending for themselves.

Other than the call of the mother duck, the hatchlings take to their life in the open, well, like a duck to water!

Omnivores, their food consists of bugs, berries and seeds, for the most part. Luckily, the wood duck count is on the rise once again, but during the 19th century the waterfowl were threatened in areas around the globe due, in part to hunting and loss of habitat.

Thankfully, with the advent of the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, their numbers have slowly risen.

To become involved in bird conservation, you may want to think about building a birdhouse for wood ducks.

The plans can be found at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Web site, listed below, where you may also listen to the distinctive sound of a wood duck: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Duck/id.

For information about the California Wood Duck Program visit its Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/California-Wood-Duck-Program-78713057314/.

Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also formerly wrote for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.
A wood duck on Cache Creek in Lake County, Calif. Photo by Kathleen Scavone.
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LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Adventist Health Clear Lake executives and Project Restoration community partners gathered on Friday to celebrate the opening of Restoration House.

The five-bedroom house in Lower Lake will provide transitional housing to vulnerable members of the community.

Restoration House was funded by a $300,000 grant from Adventist Health, Adventist Health Clear Lake’s parent corporation.

“We are so proud to see this example of our commitment to community wellness open its doors,” said David Santos, Adventist Health Clear Lake president and chief executive officer. “It is a tangible response to a community need and is aligned with our mission to inspire health, wholeness and hope.”

Restoration House will house clients enrolled in the Project Restoration collaboration, which involves Clearlake city government, local law enforcement, fire district/EMS leaders and public and private community agencies in a united effort to serve individuals in the community who are high utilizers of local services, whether that be time in the hospital or encounters with the local police.

Project Restoration involves the partners in addressing an individual’s whole needs, instead of each agency focusing on a particular issue.

The goal of this approach is to better serve these “super-utilizers” while freeing up time and resource for local agencies to address other community concerns and goals.

Russ Perdock, mayor of Clearlake, first prompted the creation of Project Restoration in response to homelessness in the city.

“We have a lot of work to do, and this partnership lays a great foundation for our greater vision,” Perdock said at a gathering of the Project Restoration partners following a ribbon cutting. “Kudos to Adventist Health and all the partners for pushing the red tape out of the way to say ‘what can we do to help people and make our city better?’”

Marylin Wakefield, manager of grants and community outreach at Adventist Health Clear Lake, shared stories about the first client enrolled in the program and the success he is seeing so far.

Wakefield is managing the Restoration House program with Rev. Shannon Kimbell-Auth.

Clearlake Mayor Russ Perdock adds his signature to a frame that will be hung on the walls of Restoration House on Friday, September 8, 2017, in Lower Lake, Calif. Courtesy photo.


The home will welcome its first client on Oct. 3 and will have on-site management 24 hours a day.

All clients will be enrolled in Adventist Health Clear Lake’s intensive outpatient case management program.

“With this home and our approach to address all 16 domains of care, we have the ability to create wholeness beyond shelter,” Kimbell-Auth said.

Tim Celli, acting Clearlake Police chief, echoed Wakefield’s happiness in the client’s success.

“Through this project, we are seeing real results,” Celli said. “It encourages our officers, builds community trust and ultimately helps those who need us most.”

Adventist Health Clear Lake’s Community Wellness team has been working hard to set up the home as an inviting space.

“Project Restoration is approaching one client at a time,” said Shelly Mascari, director of community wellness. “However, we hope that this is a seed that helps Lake County reach a point where we are effectively addressing homelessness.”

If individuals would like to learn more about Project Restoration or donate needed items to Restoration House, they are invited to contact Marylin Wakefield at 707-995-5831.

A furnished room at the Restoration House on Friday, September 8, 2017, in Lower Lake, Calif. Courtesy photo.
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Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017

00:00 EXTRA PATROL 1709030001
Occurred at Senior Center on Bowers Rd. , Clearlake. COMMUNITY GARDEN AREA 594 TO THE GARDEN AND HOSE. Disposition: Log Note Only.

01:04 MUSIC/DOGS/ETC 1709030002
Occurred at Walnut Grove on Smith Ln. , Clearlake. Loud music. Disposition: Log Note Only.

01:06 RESIDENTIAL ALARM 1709030003
Occurred on 43D Av, Clearlake. Master bedroom closet. Disposition: False Alarm.

03:30 EXTRA PATROL 1709030004
Occurred at People Services on Lakeshore Dr. , Clearlake. NEAR THE BUSES DUE TO SUBJS SIPHONING THE GAS. Disposition: Log Note Only.

03:59 SUSP CIRCS 1709030005
Occurred on Konocti St, Clearlake. Left of rp wma jumping over fence into rps yard lives in travel trailer rp could see flames not sure if it is a bar b que. Disposition: Counseled.

06:59 SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE 1709030006
Occurred on Pamela Ln, Clearlake. WHITE VAN ON THE PROPERTY WITH ONE SUBJ WALKING AROUND IT. RP CALLED BACK STATED THERE ARE 3 SUBJS AROUND THE VAN. Disposition: Counseled.

08:12 PETTY THEFT 1709030007
Occurred on Cedar Ave, Clearlake. CAUGHT A SUBJ STEALING GAS CANS OFF THE PROPERTY RPS HUSBAND IS OUTSIDE WITH THE SUBJ NOW. Disposition: Log Note Only.

08:35 SUSP CIRCS 1709030008
Occurred on Cedar Ave, Clearlake. DAUGHTER / AT THE RESD RP WAS GRANTED AN ORDER AFTER HEARING WITH A MOVE OUT ORDER/ THE RESTRAINED HAS NOT BEEN SERVED WITH THE CH130 DAUGHTER IS CAUSING THE RP AND ANIMALS TO BE AGITATED. Disposition: Log Note Only.

09:23 SUSP CIRCS 1709030009
Occurred on Locust, Clearlake. **2nd hand information** on the property breaking security lights and harassing the rps brother. Disposition: Log Note Only.

10:17 SUSP CIRCS 1709030010
Occurred at Jims Mini Storage on Industrial Ct. , Clearlake. TAN BWM RIGHT AT THE GATE MALE IN THE VEH UNRESPONSIVE. Disposition: Arrest Made.

10:35 911 WIRELESS HANGUP 1709030011
Occurred on Ridgeview Dr, Clearlake. COULD HEAR 415V AND AND MENTION OF JL MARKET VOICEMAIL ON CALL BACK
2ND CALL FEMALE MENTIONED RESTRAINING ORDER WOULD NOT GIVE ADDRESS VM COMES BACK TO HX OF CALLS FROM NUMBER 6300 RIDGEVIEW DR / ATTEMPTED MULTIPLE CALL BACK NEG ANSWER. Disposition: Log Note Only.

10:57 VANDALISM 1709030012
Occurred on 27TH Ave, Clearlake. RP STATES THAT HE HAS A WITNESS THAT THE MALE NEXT DOOR TO THE RESD ATTEMPTED TO GET INTO HIS CARGO TRAILER/ THERE ARE SCRATCHES ON TRAILER. Disposition: Counseled.

11:00 ROBBERY COLD 1709030013
Occurred at Mendo Mill And Lumber Company on Old Highway 53. , Clearlake. STOLE ITEMS WITH A FAkE RECEIPT AND ATTEMPTED TO RUN THE RP OVER BLK FORD LSH TOWARDS LAKE SHORE HMA WEARING ALL BLACK TANK TOP AND BLACK SHORTS. Disposition: Report Taken.

13:03 HIT AND RUN COLD 1709030015
Occurred on 34TH Ave, Clearlake. Whi sports car w/ 2 hma's hit the fence between the rps and neighbors resd and drove away heading towards irving. Disposition: Log Note Only.

13:26 RESIDENTIAL ALARM 1709030016
Occurred on 38TH Ave, Clearlake. Aud front door neg resp. Disposition: False Alarm.

13:46 PETTY THEFT 1709030018
Occurred on .clearlake, Clearlake. MOTHERS PHONE WAS STOLEN OFF OF A PORCH SOMEWHERE IN CLEARLAKE LAST NIGHT COULD NOT PROVIDE LOCATION STATES WHOEVER HAS THE PHONE IS SENDING MESSAGES DEMANDING MONEY FOR THE RETURN OF THE PHONE. STATES MOTHER CAN NOT TALK TO MAKE THE REPORT BECAUSE SHE IS TOO UPSET OVER IT RP WANTS TO TELL THE PEOPLE HE WILL MEET THEM WITH THE MONEY AND HAVE AN OFFICER WITH HIM TO ARREST THEM. Disposition: Log Note Only.

13:50 SUSP CIRCS 1709030019
Occurred at Rays Food Place on Dam Rd. , Clearlake. 2ND HAND INFO ON THE TRAIL TO THE TRANSIENT CAMP BELIEVES SAW A 1144 BODY. Disposition: Log Note Only.

14:07 VANDALISM 1709030020
Occurred at Leisure Mobile Home Park on Park St. , Clearlake. DAUGHTER SLASHED RPS TIRES AND WOULD LIKE HER ARRESTED. Disposition: Gone On Arrival.

14:56 SUSP CIRCS 1709030021
Occurred on Olympic Dr, Clearlake. WMA BRO SHAGGY HAIR BLUE HOODIE SWEATER WITH SLEEVES CUT OFF MAN WITH A LARGE KNIFE AND A SHARPENER SHARPENING THE KNIFE LAST SEEN WALKING WITH IT TOWARDS SAFEWAY. Disposition: Gone On Arrival.

15:24 TRAFFIC COMPLAINT (SPEEDING, ETC) 1709030022
Occurred on Arrowhead Rd, Clearlake. The rps neighbor across the street spinning his tires on the road in front of the house sil 2door sports car. Disposition: Counseled.

17:00 EXTRA PATROL 1709030023
Occurred on Madrone, Clearlake. SUSC ACTIVITY IN THE AREA. Disposition: Log Note Only.

17:25 WELFARE CHECK 1709030024
Occurred on 7TH St, Clearlake. WAS TELLING THE RP THAT HE IS DEPRESSED AND WANTED TO 1056 /CALLED THE NUMBER SPOKE TO ANOTHER MALE STATES THAT THE SUBJ WAS WITH HIM AND IS NO LONGER THERE BELIEVES HE WENT HOME/ STATED THAT TOLD HIM THAT HE IS JUST SAD AND LONELY / RP STATED THEY USED TO LIVE ON AND HAVE JUST MOVED TO DOES NOT BELIEVE HE WOULD GO BACK TO THE ADDRESS MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE WENT TO THE ADDRESS. Disposition: Log Note Only.

17:40 SUSP CIRCS 1709030025
Occurred on Pomo Rd, Clearlake. RP IS ADVISING THE RESD ACROSS FROM THE EMPTY RESD DIRECTLY BEHIND HER RESD / THE SUBJS IN THE HOUSE ARE SHOOTING OFF FIREARMS HAPPENS ALMOST EVERYDAY ADDRESS POSSIBLY. Disposition: Counseled.

18:00 AREA CHECK 1709030026
Occurred at Lakeshore Dr/Kern, Clearlake. MALE IN A ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR PARTIALLY IN THE ROADWAY IN A PARTIAL BLIND SPOT ON A HILL REQ TO HAVE THE MALE CHECKED ON DUE TO THE LOCATION. Disposition: Gone On Arrival.

18:05 PATROL CHECK 1709030027
Officer initiated activity at Burns Valley Mall, Olympic Dr/Old Highway 53, Clearlake. Disposition: Log Note Only.

18:17 PATROL CHECK 1709030028
Officer initiated activity at Redbud Park, Ballpark Ave, Clearlake. Disposition: Log Note Only.

19:13 DRUNK IN PUBLIC 1709030029
Occurred on 31ST Ave, Clearlake. AX ST TWO DOORS TO THE RIGHT TOWARDS BOYLES/BEIGE HOUSE W/ CHAIN LINK FENCE BLU CHEV PK SIL CAR IF/SUBJ ON PORCH OF HIS HOUSE WHI/RED PLAID SHORTS TENNIS SHOES NO SHIRT WMA -- BEEN OUT THERE FOR ABOUT HALF HOUR/RP STATES HE HAS BEEN RUNNING IN THE ST YELLING @ CARS AND CAME TO RPS HOUSE THREATENING AND HARASSING HER AND HER COMPANY /NO WEAP. Disposition: Log Note Only.

19:24 BATTERY COLD 1709030031
Occurred on Mullen Ave, Clearlake. MOM WAS ATTACKED BY RPS SISTER GMC TAHOE DRK GRN WHILE GETTING DROPPED OFF AT RPS HOUSE/STATES THE MOTHER CAME BACK WITH BLOOD ON HER FACE/UNSURE WHAT HAPPENED BUT MOTHER IS WANTING TO MAKE A POLICE REPORT. Disposition: Log Note Only.

19:25 ANIMAL CONTROL CALL 1709030032
Occurred at Lower Lakeshore Dr/Lakeshore Dr, Clearlake. 1 K9 ON CORNER OF LOWER LAKESHORE/LAKESHORE RESD DESC BLU W/ MOTORHOME IF HAVE BEEN ATTACHED TO THE PORCH ALL WEEKEND WHI/BLK DOG UNKNOWN BREED WATER BOWL IS TURNED OVER. Disposition: Log Note Only.

19:26 PATROL CHECK 1709030033
Officer initiated activity at 13TH St, (Unknown Address), Clearlake. Disposition: Log Note Only.

19:48 SUSP CIRCS 1709030034
Occurred at 15TH Av/Boyles Ave, Clearlake. /BOYLES. BELIEVES SOMEONE IS TRYING TO HURT HIM/WAS HYSTERICAL AND VERY HARD TO UNDERSTAND. Disposition: Log Note Only.

19:57 RESIDENTIAL ALARM 1709030035
Occurred on Country Club Dr, Clearlake. POE: BACK DOOR ALARM RESP: UTC. Disposition: Disregard From Alarm Company.

20:49 ANIMAL CONTROL CALL 1709030038
Occurred at Grant/Jefferson, Clearlake. WHITE HOUSE W/ GRAY MINIVAN IN FRONT YARD BUT APPEARS NO ONE IS THERE/SMALL DOG ON THE CORNER BEEN OUT ON THE BACK PORCH OF RESD ALL DAY W/ NO FOOD AND WATER. Disposition: Log Note Only.

20:54 SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE 1709030039
Occurred at Davis Av/Phillips Ave, Clearlake. WHITE SUV UNK LIC PARKED IFO HOME W/ REAR WINDOW BUSTED OUT AND SOMEONE WAS DIGGING THROUGH IT A FEW DAYS AGO/SAW SOMEONE NEAR THE SUV W/ A FLASHLIGHT, HOOD OPEN, AND A BICYCLE -- STATES IT'S BEEN THERE ABOUT A WEEK. Disposition: Log Note Only.

21:49 COMMERCIAL ALARM 1709030044
Occurred on 18TH Ave, Clearlake. Poe: silent panic alarm emergency room resp: haven't been contacted. Disposition: Disregard From Alarm Company.

22:06 ANIMAL CONTROL CALL 1709030047
Occurred on 21ST Ave, Clearlake. STATES NEIGHBORS SENT THEIR DOG TO COME AFTER RP AS RP WALKED PAST THEIR HOUSE/RP STATED THE DOG (GERMAN SHEPARD) WAS COMING AFTER HIS AGGRESSIVELY BUT NEVER BIT HIM/RP IS NOW INSIDE HIS RESD BUT WOULD LIKE OFC TO TAKE THE DOG BACK TO ITS RESD IF IT'S STILL OUT/STATES ANY TIME HE WALKS PAST THE HOUSE THEY SEND THE DOG AFTER HIM. Disposition: Log Note Only.

22:07 PATROL CHECK 1709030048
Officer initiated activity at 13TH St, (Unknown Address), Clearlake. Disposition: Cited.

22:24 SUICIDE ATTEMPT 1709030049
Occurred on Cass Ave, Clearlake. COUSIN IS WANTING TO DRINK HIMSELF TO DEATH/NO WEAP BUT IS CURRENTLY INTOXICATED/WHILE ON 21 RP STATED THE SUBJ HAD GOTTEN INTO A VEH (BURGUNDY HONDA) W/ HIS MOTHER WHO IS A MENTAL HEALTH WORKER AND SHE IS TAKING HIM TO HER RESD TO STAY W/ HIM FOR THE NIGHT AND TAKE HIM TO THE HOSPITAL TOMORROW. Disposition: Gone On Arrival.

23:00 EXTRA PATROL 1709030050
Occurred at Redbud Park on Ballpark Av. , Clearlake. PATROL THE PARK AND LOCK THE BATHROOMS /COP PROJECT. Disposition: Log Note Only.

23:39 911 WIRELESS HANGUP 1709030051
Occurred on Pineview Dr, Clearlake. BARELY CONNECTED. Disposition: Log Note Only.
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LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Anderson Marsh is known for its wildlife, and on an outing this summer one man captured two bears playing in the area.

Floyd Hayes said he was canoeing at Anderson Marsh, south of Garner Island, one morning in July with a friend when they spotted something unusual.

“We were shocked to see two black bears swimming and then playing with each other in the water,” Hayes said.

He said they were a long way away, but he was able to capture the bears at play with his telephoto lens.

Hayes took a sequence of photos which he then put together into the video above “to illustrate them enjoying the bear necessities of life.”
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In July, packets were sent to individuals who received debris removal services from government contractors in the wake of the Valley fire.

These packets included invoices, to be submitted for insurance consideration and reimbursement.

Around 1,050 packets were distributed to survivors who had insurance coverage at the time of the fire.

In August, letters with statements to be signed under penalty of perjury were sent to those who had stated they were uninsured at the time of the Valley Fire.

Second notices are going out to parties who have not responded this week.

If you or someone you know received services from a county contractor, and have not received any letters or invoices from the county, don’t wait for your second notice. Please contact the County Administrative Office immediately, at 707-263-2580. It is likely the county does not have your current contact information.

All documents can also be emailed, upon request. Please send those requests to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Many Valley fire survivors attended a series of three July public meetings for those who had insurance.

District 5 County Supervisor Rob Brown and District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon attended and co-facilitated all three meetings, alongside County Administrative Officer and Valley Fire Recovery Coordinator Carol Huchingson and county staff. The California Department of Insurance also sent representatives to two meetings.

“Those meetings were powerful reminders of the enormous reach of the Valley Fire disaster,” shared Huchingson, “So many families were impacted, and we continue to hear from people who, nearly two years later, are battling to settle insurance claims and still deeply struggling with the effects of the fire.”

Some insured individuals have expected that the county will be filing insurance claims on behalf of Valley fire survivors. This is not the case, it is the property owner’s responsibility to file a claim with their insurance.

Survivors who received state services have been asked to complete an insurance authorization form. The county will be verifying and fulfilling insurance company requests for additional information, only, not submitting claims.

“Right now, we want to make sure you get the county’s invoices to your insurance company, so we can all meet our obligations to the state and continue to recover as a community,” said Supervisor Brown. “Some insurance companies insist you file your claim within two years of your date of loss, and we are getting close to that date.”

While it is customary for all insurance claims, even those related to a declared state of emergency such as the Valley fire, to be filed within two years of the date of loss, the California Department of Insurance, State Sen. Mike McGuire’s office and county staff have confirmed that there is no formal two-year limitation in statute.

In fact, “No time limit of less than 24 months” can be imposed, and extensions can be granted in the event that “good cause” is demonstrated, per California Insurance Code section 2051.5. The text specifically states, “Nothing in this section shall prohibit the insurer from allowing the insured additional time…”

Some have suggested that this two-year guideline is most specifically related to payment of replacement cost for a loss, and reimbursement for debris removal should be excluded.

January 23, 2017, California’s Supreme Court, in Association of California Insurance Companies, et al, v. Dave Jones [California’s Insurance Commissioner], ruled 7-0 that “debris removal and demolition expenses, and overhead and profit,” are included in consideration of the replacement cost of a home.

If anyone has difficulty getting appropriate insurance reimbursement, with good cause, a request for assistance may be filed with the Department of Insurance at https://cdiapps.insurance.ca.gov/CP/login/.

Many members of the public have expressed concern and frustration regarding the costs of the State-facilitated programs.

Supervisor Simon consistently reminded survivors, “You are only responsible for the amount reimbursed by your insurance. We are collecting these funds because this is mandated by the State. We know how hard this is for all of you; our districts were completely devastated. I’ll say it again, you are only responsible for the amount reimbursed by your insurance.”

For most residents’ properties, the amount covered by homeowner’s insurance is less than the state’s costs for trucking and disposal, alone.

A few Valley fire survivors have reported that they received funds from their insurance company for debris removal, and no longer have the money to reimburse the state.

If an individual is unable to pay their full obligation at this time, they may request a meeting with county staff to develop a repayment agreement. Once your final obligation is determined, they may be able to allow repayment over 12 to 24 months.

“We hope that survivors know we are working alongside you,” Simon stated. “We are here to help.”

For more information, please contact the County Administrative Office at 707-263-2580 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake officials shared an upbeat presentation on the latest efforts to improve the city’s offerings, its image and its commerce in the second annual “State of the City” address last week.

The event, held Aug. 30 at the city’s community center, is the second that the city leadership has hosted to update community members on the progress it’s making in turning Clearlake toward a brighter future.

City Manager Greg Folsom, under whose leadership the annual updates have been implemented, said the city is at the beginning “of a long journey” to reach the vision the city council has created for it, which includes a wide variety of improvements and a new image.

An estimated 150 people attended the three-hour event, which began with an hour-long open house in which community members could speak to representatives of various city departments, view the student art mural project that was sponsored by the Children’s Museum of Art and Science and the Art House Gallery, and cast votes for the city’s photo contest submissions, with the top vote-getters to be displayed at city facilities and on the city’s Web site.

Leading off the evening’s presentations was Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce President Denise Loustalot.

Loustalot recognized the volunteers and donations that made the opening of the new visitor center possible this spring.

In particular, the extraordinary efforts of Mike Vandiver and Doug Herren – both of whom put in enormous hours on the project – were lauded.

Mayor Russ Perdock also spoke, asking for reflection on the loss of several prominent community members and some of the troubles happening in the nation before introducing members of the Clearlake Planning Commission, the Clearlake City Council, city department heads and other VIPs in the audience.

During his part of the presentation, Folsom offered an extensive overview of the city’s numerous accomplishments over the last year, including completing the general plan update, the passage of the Measure V road sales tax, the recently passed universal solid waste collection ordinance, code enforcement statistics, cleanup efforts and crime reduction efforts, the city’s strategic plan and specific steps being taken to reach the council’s vision for the future of Clearlake.

He said that Measure V, passed by voters in November, went into effect in April. Beginning in July, the city started receiving proceeds from the tax, which so far have amounted to more than $350,000. Of that amount, more than $100,000 was allocated to the project on Phillips and 18th Avenue, which has primarily been funded with about $2 million in grants.

The city also is planning frontage improvements – including curb, gutter and sidewalk – at the civic center property at the corner of Olympic and Lakeshore, plus a rehabilitation on Country Club, he said.

There also are big plans for Highlands Park and Austin Park, where master plans have been completed and the city is pursuing grants for improvements, Folsom said.

Folsom said plans for Highlands Park include a gazebo, horseshoe pits and bathrooms, while they want to build a bandshell for outdoor concerts at Austin Park, with other improvements to include a new pier, relocation of the playground equipment and a dog park.

He said the city is moving forward with the work to move its corporation yard from the airport property – which is to be the location of a new shopping center – to land the city purchased on Ogulin Canyon Road.

At the same location on Ogulin Canyon Road, Folsom said the city plans to build a new animal control facility, a project which has been delayed due to the loss of its city engineer. A new engineer is expected to start soon and the goal is to go out to bid on the project in the spring.

Folsom also reported on new commercial projects, including the opening of a new bakery, Classy Cakes, to be located at 15090 Olympic Drive; a new gas station that’s been approved at the site of an old station at Lakeshore Drive and Old Highway 53; and expansion projects for Subway, Walmart and the Patriot gas station.

He said there also are plans for a market rate housing project, a motel expansion and a possible office project, and said work is moving forward “slowly but surely” on the airport shopping center.

Folsom said the city is preparing to issue a request for proposals to sell the Austin Resort property, which has been identified as a catalyst site. He said they’re hoping to attract a hotel use for that location.

Among the projects that received special notice at the event was Two Dude Brew, a brewery and restaurant to be located at 14265 Lakeshore Drive, just north of Highlands Park.

“I’m very excited about this project,” said Folsom.

He added, “This is going to be a really big deal. It’s going to be a catalyst project for the whole Lakeshore Drive, I think.”

Folsom said it will be the only lakeside brewery in California.

There also was an update on the former Ray’s Food Place property on Dam Road, which has been purchased by the Eureka-based Carrington Co., which is negotiating leases with several national retailers and planning complete upgrades to the building and property.

With all of the good news, Folsom said the city’s leadership needs the support of residents.

“We can’t do this alone. We need community support,” he said.

“Just imagine if everyone cleaned their yard, put a fresh coat of paint on their house. That alone would make a huge difference,” said Folsom. “Take a look at your own little spot in the world and see what you can do to make your little spot better.”

Folsom compared the process of improving Clearlake to eating an elephant – it has to be done one bite at a time.

He also put out a call to action, asking people to promote the positive. “Let people know that the city is changing,” he said, adding that Clearlake is not waiting around for the state or the federal government to save it. “We’re doing something about it.”

People voted for change, and the mantra moving forward, said Folsom, is to make Clearlake cleaner, safer and better.

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.
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Scientists on NASA’s Juno mission have observed massive amounts of energy swirling over Jupiter’s polar regions that contribute to the giant planet’s powerful auroras – only not in ways the researchers expected.

Examining data collected by the ultraviolet spectrograph and energetic-particle detector instruments aboard the Jupiter-orbiting Juno spacecraft, a team led by Barry Mauk of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, observed signatures of powerful electric potentials, aligned with Jupiter’s magnetic field, that accelerate electrons toward the Jovian atmosphere at energies up to 400,000 electron volts.

This is 10 to 30 times higher than the largest auroral potentials observed at Earth, where only several thousands of volts are typically needed to generate the most intense auroras – known as discrete auroras – the dazzling, twisting, snake-like northern and southern lights seen in places like Alaska and Canada, northern Europe, and many other northern and southern polar regions.

Jupiter has the most powerful auroras in the solar system, so the team was not surprised that electric potentials play a role in their generation.

What’s puzzling the researchers, Mauk said, is that despite the magnitudes of these potentials at Jupiter, they are observed only sometimes and are not the source of the most intense auroras, as they are at Earth.

“At Jupiter, the brightest auroras are caused by some kind of turbulent acceleration process that we do not understand very well,” said Mauk, who leads the investigation team for the APL-built Jupiter Energetic Particle Detector Instrument (JEDI). “There are hints in our latest data indicating that as the power density of the auroral generation becomes stronger and stronger, the process becomes unstable and a new acceleration process takes over. But we’ll have to keep looking at the data.”

Scientists consider Jupiter to be a physics lab of sorts for worlds beyond our solar system, saying the ability of Jupiter to accelerate charged particles to immense energies has implications for how more distant astrophysical systems accelerate particles.

But what they learn about the forces driving Jupiter’s auroras and shaping its space weather environment also has practical implications in our own planetary backyard.

“The highest energies that we are observing within Jupiter’s auroral regions are formidable. These energetic particles that create the auroras are part of the story in understanding Jupiter’s radiation belts, which pose such a challenge to Juno and to upcoming spacecraft missions to Jupiter under development,” said Mauk.

“Engineering around the debilitating effects of radiation has always been a challenge to spacecraft engineers for missions at Earth and elsewhere in the solar system,” Mauk said. “What we learn here, and from spacecraft like NASA’s Van Allen Probes and Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) that are exploring Earth’s magnetosphere, will teach us a lot about space weather and protecting spacecraft and astronauts in harsh space environments. Comparing the processes at Jupiter and Earth is incredibly valuable in testing our ideas of how planetary physics works.”

Mauk and colleagues presented their findings in the Sept. 7 issue of the journal Nature.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft.

For more information visit https://www.nasa.gov/juno and https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu.

The public can follow the mission on Facebook and Twitter at https://www.facebook.com/NASAJuno and https://www.twitter.com/NASAJuno.

This image, created with data from Juno’s Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph, marks the path of Juno’s readings of Jupiter’s auroras, highlighting the electron measurements that show the discovery of the so-called discrete auroral acceleration processes indicated by the “inverted Vs” in the lower panel. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/Randy Gladstone.
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Many people rely on joint accounts and pay on death, or “POD,” accounts to manage their finances and to transfer what remains at death without probate.

These are sometimes used as alternatives to trusts where the remainder of a person’s estate is less than $150,000 in gross value and there is no intention for any inheritances to be held in further trust.

A joint account is a financial account payable upon request by any one or more of the joint parties to the account.

In California, if the parties are married to each other then the account is presumed to be a community property asset and subject to all community property laws, unless clear and convincing evidence to the contrary is provided.

A joint account, therefore, between spouses is a very appropriate place to deposit retirement monies and social security earned during the marriage.

Some people also create joint accounts to add their children as parties in order to allow them to manage their finances without the necessity of a power of attorney.

This approach can sometimes lead to unintended gifts at the parent’s death to any child who was added as a party when other children were not also added.

Any account where more than one party can withdraw funds is a joint account regardless of whether there are explicit survivorship rights transferring a deceased party’s interest to the surviving parties.

In California, while parties to a joint account are alive, each party’s interest in the account is based on his or her net contribution; how much each party deposited less how much they withdrew from the account, plus their share of any interest.

If any party to a joint account withdraws more than his or her net share, then the remaining party, or parties, each have a claim for their share of the excess withdrawal against the withdrawing party.

California amended its Probate Code in 2013 to overturn a 2005 California court decision involving one party to a joint account who made a very large excess withdrawal after she learned that her engagement to her fiancé (the other party) was over.

The court found that the fiancé made a gift of the excess withdrawal, albeit unintended, because he had contributed the money into a joint account that allowed either party to withdraw all the money on deposit.

When a party to a joint account dies, unless there is clear and convincing evidence to the contrary, the deceased party’s share of the account is divided equally amongst the surviving parties.

Thus, each surviving party increases his or her original share of the joint account and the deceased party’s share in the account does not pass by the decedent’s will.

Only when the last surviving party to a joint account dies is the account included in that party’s estate at which time it passes pursuant to the deceased party’s will, or else by intestacy.

Another frequently used bank account is a pay on death account.

A POD account is one which is payable to one or more parties during their lifetime(s) and then payable outright to one or more POD “payees” after the last party has died.

As each party to the POD account dies any remaining parties share equally in the deceased party’s share of the POD account.

A POD account can, therefore, be completely exhausted during the lifetime of the parties leaving nothing for any surviving POD payee(s).

If none of the designated POD payees survive, however, the POD account is included in the estate of the last party who died and passes according to that party’s will, or else intestacy.

Joint accounts and POD accounts each have their place in estate planning. While they do not cost any money to establish they are also very limited in what they can accomplish and can sometimes have unintended results.

Dennis A. Fordham, attorney, is a State Bar-Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, Calif. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and 707-263-3235. His Web site is www.DennisFordhamLaw.com.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A new owner has taken possession of the former Ray’s Food Place property, and has plans to renovate the property and bring new retailers to the city of Clearlake.

Last fall, Medford, Ore.-based C&K Market, the parent company of Ray’s Food Place, announced its plans to close the store, which took place by year’s end, as Lake County News has reported.

C&K had owned the property, located at 15930 Dam Road, since 1995.

However, the property is now under new ownership. The Carrington Co., based in Eureka, finished its purchase of the site this spring, according to Greg Cutler, the company’s regional director of acquisitions.

At Clearlake’s second annual “State of the City” event on Aug. 30, City Manager Greg Folsom called the property and the plans for it a “significant economic development project” for the city, and one he’s asked about a lot.

So he introduced Cutler, who gave a brief overview of the Carrington Co.’s plans.

Cutler said the company purchased the property from C&K Market, with the sale closing about three months ago.

“Our intent is to redevelop the property and bring in some new business and some new activities,” said Cutler.

Cutler, who is based in Sacramento, said the Carrington Co. owns properties in 27 states.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to find something local,” he said, noting, “We found something literally between Sacramento and Eureka and so we’re motivated to work this out.”

The Carrington Co. likes to focus its efforts on well-positioned properties with potential in more rural “tertiary” markets, rather than looking for sites in San Francisco or Portland, he explained.

“One of our niches is buying vacant boxes, repositioning those boxes, leveraging our capital, our speed and our relationships with national and super-regional retailers to come back in and fill voids where there is currently an opportunity,” he said.

The Carrington Co. now is speaking with a handful of national, publicly traded retailers to come in and fill the property. He said those proposed lease agreements are still being worked out, with many moving pieces.

“But we’ve made significant progress,” he said.

Cutler also lauded Folsom for his efforts. He said he works in a lot of communities and markets where government officials are roadblocks.

“I can tell you that that’s the absolute opposite here,” Cutler said, noting that Folsom has been an ally, which is aiding the negotiations with the retailers.

Cutler asked the community to bear with the company as it’s working on the project.

“Our intentions are a full redevelopment of that property,” he said.

Cutler said the expectation is there will be two to three tenants who will fill the building.

Plans include a complete exterior remodel and new facade – which will include three entrances for the different retailers – as well as a new parking lot, new LED parking lot lights, enhanced landscaping throughout the property, a complete remodel of the building’s interior, new roof, new paint, and services of sweeping, landscape and security, he said.

Cutler said they believe the project will be well-received with the retailers, and that the retail offerings to be housed there will fill a void in Clearlake.

“We’re excited about it,” he said, noting he will continue to pass along updates on the progress to Folsom, “as he’s kind of riding shotgun with me on this project till we get it finished up.”

He said they hope to make traction on the leases with the new tenant retailers within the next couple of months.

And while it may turn out that they’ll be ready for construction as soon as the rain starts again, Cutler said they’ll make sure they’re ready to hit the ground running.

Cutler said architects, surveyors and construction crews already have been all over the building in anticipation of beginning the extensive remodeling process as soon as they can.

He thanked everyone for the opportunity to speak and said he looked forward to being a contributing member of the community.

Folsom said the company will be making big changes and bringing new businesses to town.

“I’m really excited about that project,” said Folsom.

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.

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