LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has new dogs to offer for adoption this week.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of chihuahua, corgi, dachshund, German shepherd, husky, pit bull and Rottweiler.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control website not listed are still “on hold”).
This female Rottweiler-shepherd mix is in kennel No. 12, ID No. 14575. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female Rottweiler-shepherd
This female Rottweiler-shepherd mix has a medium-length black and red coat.
She is in kennel No. 12, ID No. 14575.
This male Chihuahua is in kennel No. 13, ID No. 14572. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Chihuahua
This male Chihuahua has a short red coat.
He is in kennel No. 13, ID No. 14572.
This female German shepherd is in kennel No. 17, ID No. 14566. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female German shepherd
This female German shepherd has a medium-length black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 17, ID No. 14566.
This female pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 22, ID No. 14486. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull terrier
This female pit bull terrier has a short blue and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 22, ID No. 14486.
This female pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 26, ID No. 14550. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull terrier
This female pit bull terrier has a short red and white coat.
She is in kennel No. 26, ID No. 14550.
This female Rottweiler-pit bull mix is in kennel No. 27, ID No. 14551. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Rottweiler-pit bull mix
This female Rottweiler-pit bull mix has a short black coat.
She has been spayed.
She is in kennel No. 27, ID No. 14551.
“Brutus” is a male pit bull terrier in kennel No. 28, ID No. 14507. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Brutus’
“Brutus” is a male pit bull terrier with a short gray and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 28, ID No. 14507.
“Apollo” is a male husky mix in kennel No. 31, ID No. 14569. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Apollo’
“Apollo” is a male husky mix with a medium-length red and white coat and blue eyes.
He is in kennel No. 31, ID No. 14569.
“Ghost” is as male husky mix in kennel No. 32, ID No. 14563. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Ghost’
“Ghost” is as male husky mix with a white coat and blue eyes.
He has been neutered.
He’s in kennel No. 32, ID No. 14563.
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.
On Friday, the California Department of Public Health provided an update on the Beyond the Blueprint Framework for the state’s June 15 reopening.
Beginning on June 15, all industry and business sectors listed in the current Blueprint Activities and Business Tiers Chart may return to usual operations with no capacity limits or physical distancing requirements, with limited exceptions for mega events.
“Californians should be proud of the work we’ve done together to get through the worst of this pandemic,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, State Public Health officer and director of the California Department of Public Health. “Relaxing many of our public health measures is possible because we’ve chosen to get vaccinated against COVID-19, worn masks and kept our distance. We urge Californians who are eligible to get vaccinated and continue taking common sense prevention steps so we can keep our forward progress in defeating this virus.”
Employers will be subject to the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards, if applicable to them, and CDPH will continue to provide updated guidance for youth, healthcare, and high-risk congregate settings.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — With Lake County in the midst of drought conditions, the city of Lakeport is asking its residents to conserve water this year.
On May 11, the Lake County Board of Supervisors approved a drought emergency proclamation due to the worsening drought conditions in the region, as Lake County News has reported.
The city of Lakeport relies on groundwater wells in the Scotts Valley area along with treated water from Clear Lake for its potable water needs. Both sources are vulnerable due to the current and forecast drought conditions.
The city is reminding its water customers that it is always prudent to practice conservation, whether it is water or any other resource.
Everyone can do their part in conserving this important resource by voluntarily reducing their water consumption.
The city is asking every customer to voluntarily save 15 to 20 gallons of water per day.
Here are some simple water-saving ideas you can use at home:
— Install water-saving shower heads and take shorter showers – five minutes or less. — Turn water off when brushing teeth. — Let lawns go dormant in the summer. — Water plants deeply and less often. — Flush the toilet less. — Check toilets, faucets and pipes for leaks and promptly repair if necessary.
For more water conservation tips and resources, visit the city’s website.
A NASA team has found that organic salts are likely present on Mars.
Like shards of ancient pottery, these salts are the chemical remnants of organic compounds, such as those previously detected by NASA’s Curiosity rover.
Organic compounds and salts on Mars could have formed by geologic processes or be remnants of ancient microbial life.
Besides adding more evidence to the idea that there once was organic matter on Mars, directly detecting organic salts would also support modern-day Martian habitability, given that on Earth, some organisms can use organic salts, such as oxalates and acetates, for energy.
“If we determine that there are organic salts concentrated anywhere on Mars, we’ll want to investigate those regions further, and ideally drill deeper below the surface where organic matter could be better preserved,” said James M.T. Lewis, an organic geochemist who led the research, published on March 30 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. Lewis is based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Lewis’s lab experiments and analysis of data from the Sample Analysis at Mars, or SAM, a portable chemistry lab inside Curiosity’s belly, indirectly point to the presence of organic salts.
But directly identifying them on Mars is hard to do with instruments like SAM, which heats Martian soil and rocks to release gases that reveal the composition of these samples.
The challenge is that heating organic salts produces only simple gases that could be released by other ingredients in Martian soil.
However, Lewis and his team propose that another Curiosity instrument that uses a different technique to peer at Martian soil, the Chemistry and Mineralogy instrument, or CheMin for short, could detect certain organic salts if they are present in sufficient amounts. So far, CheMin has not detected organic salts.
Finding organic molecules, or their organic salt remnants, is essential in NASA’s search for life on other worlds. But this is a challenging task on the surface of Mars, where billions of years of radiation have erased or broken apart organic matter.
Like an archaeologist digging up pieces of pottery, Curiosity collects Martian soil and rocks, which may contain tiny chunks of organic compounds, and then SAM and other instruments identify their chemical structure.
Using data that Curiosity beams down to Earth, scientists like Lewis and his team try to piece together these broken organic pieces. Their goal is to infer what type of larger molecules they may once have belonged to and what those molecules could reveal about the ancient environment and potential biology on Mars.
“We’re trying to unravel billions of years of organic chemistry,” Lewis said, “and in that organic record there could be the ultimate prize: evidence that life once existed on the Red Planet.”
While some experts have predicted for decades that ancient organic compounds are preserved on Mars, it took experiments by Curiosity’s SAM to confirm this.
For example, in 2018, NASA Goddard astrobiologist Jennifer L. Eigenbrode led an international team of Curiosity mission scientists who reported the detection of myriad molecules containing an essential element of life as we know it: carbon. Scientists identify most carbon-containing molecules as “organic.”
“The fact that there’s organic matter preserved in 3-billion-year-old rocks, and we found it at the surface, is a very promising sign that we might be able to tap more information from better preserved samples below the surface,” Eigenbrode said. She worked with Lewis on this new study.
This is the first photo ever taken on the surface of Mars. It was taken by NASA’s Viking 1 spacecraft just minutes after it landed on the Red Planet on July 20, 1976. Credits: Credits: NASA/JPL. Analyzing organic salts in the lab
Decades ago, scientists predicted that organic compounds on Mars could be breaking down into salts. These salts, they argued, would be more likely to persist on the Martian surface than big, complex molecules, such as the ones that are associated with the functioning of living things.
If there were organic salts present in Martian samples, Lewis and his team wanted to find out how getting heated in the SAM oven could affect what types of gases they would release. SAM works by heating samples to upward of 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 degrees Celsius). The heat breaks apart molecules, releasing some of them as gases. Different molecules release different gases at specific temperatures; thus, by looking at which temperatures release which gases, scientists can infer what the sample is made of.
“When heating Martian samples, there are many interactions that can happen between minerals and organic matter that could make it more difficult to draw conclusions from our experiments, so the work we’re doing is trying to pick apart those interactions so that scientists doing analyses on Mars can use this information,” Lewis said.
Lewis analyzed a range of organic salts mixed with an inert silica powder to replicate a Martian rock. He also investigated the impact of adding perchlorates to the silica mixtures. Perchlorates are salts containing chlorine and oxygen, and they are common on Mars. Scientists have long worried that they could interfere with experiments seeking signs of organic matter.
Indeed, researchers found that perchlorates did interfere with their experiments, and they pinpointed how. But they also found that the results they collected from perchlorate-containing samples better matched SAM data than when perchlorates were absent, bolstering the likelihood that organic salts are present on Mars.
Additionally, Lewis and his team reported that organic salts could be detected by Curiosity’s instrument CheMin. To determine the composition of a sample, CheMin shoots X-rays at it and measures the angle at which the X-rays are diffracted toward the detector.
Curiosity’s SAM and CheMin teams will continue to search for signals of organic salts as the rover moves into a new region on Mount Sharp in Gale Crater.
Soon, scientists will also have an opportunity to study better-preserved soil below the Martian surface. The European Space Agency’s forthcoming ExoMars rover, which is equipped to drill down to 6.5 feet, or 2 meters, will carry a Goddard instrument that will analyze the chemistry of these deeper Martian layers.
NASA’s Perseverance rover doesn’t have an instrument that can detect organic salts, but the rover is collecting samples for future return to Earth, where scientists can use sophisticated lab machines to look for organic compounds.
Lonnie Shekhtman works for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
The Sun isn’t the only star to produce stellar flares. On April 21, 2021, a team of astronomers published new research describing the brightest flare ever measured from Proxima Centauri in ultraviolet light. To learn about this extraordinary event – and what it might mean for any life on the planets orbiting Earth’s closest neighboring star – The Conversation spoke with Parke Loyd, an astrophysicist at Arizona State University and co-author of the paper. Excerpts from our conversation are below and have been edited for length and clarity.
Why were you looking at Proxima Centauri?
Proxima Centauri is the closest star to this solar system. A couple of years ago, a team discovered that there is a planet – called Proxima b – orbiting the star. It’s just a little bit bigger than Earth, it’s probably rocky and it is in what is called the habitable zone, or the Goldilocks zone. This means that Proxima b is about the right distance from the star so that it could have liquid water on its surface.
But this star system differs from the Sun in a pretty key way. Proxima Centauri is a small star called a red dwarf – it’s around 15% of the radius of our Sun, and it’s substantially cooler. So Proxima b, in order for it to be in that Goldilocks zone, actually is a lot closer to Proxima Centauri than Earth is to the Sun.
You might think that a smaller star would be a tamer star, but that’s actually not the case at all – red dwarfs produce stellar flares a lot more frequently than the Sun does. So Proxima b, the closest planet in another solar system with a chance for having life, is subject to space weather that is a lot more violent than the space weather in Earth’s solar system.
Solar flares – like this one captured by a NASA satellite orbiting the Sun – eject huge amounts of radiation.NASA/Wikimedia Commons
What did you find?
In 2018, my colleague Meredith MacGregor discovered flashes of light coming from Proxima Centauri that looked very different from solar flares. She was using a telescope that detects light at millimeter wavelengths to monitor Proxima Centauri and saw a big of flash of light in this wavelength. Astronomers had never seen a stellar flare in millimeter wavelengths of light.
My colleagues and I wanted to learn more about these unusual brightenings in the millimeter light coming from the star and see whether they were actually flares or some other phenomenon. We used nine telescopes on Earth, as well as a satellite observatory, to get the longest set of observations – about two days’ worth – of Proxima Centauri with the most wavelength coverage that had ever been obtained.
Immediately we discovered a really strong flare. The ultraviolet light of the star increased by over 10,000 times in just a fraction of a second. If humans could see ultraviolet light, it would be like being blinded by the flash of a camera. Proxima Centauri got bright really fast. This increase lasted for only a couple of seconds, and then there was a gradual decline.
This discovery confirmed that indeed, these weird millimeter emissions are flares.
What does that mean for chances of life on the planet?
Astronomers are actively exploring this question at the moment because it can kind of go in either direction. When you hear ultraviolet radiation, you’re probably thinking about the fact that people wear sunscreen to try to protect ourselves from ultraviolet radiation here on Earth. Ultraviolet radiation can damage proteins and DNA in human cells, and this results in sunburns and can cause cancer. That would potentially be true for life on another planet as well.
On the flip side, messing with the chemistry of biological molecules can have its advantages – it could help spark life on another planet. Even though it might be a more challenging environment for life to sustain itself, it might be a better environment for life to be generated to begin with.
But the thing that astronomers and astrobiologists are most concerned about is that every time one of these huge flares occurs, it basically erodes away a bit of the atmosphere of any planets orbiting that star – including this potentially Earth-like planet. And if you don’t have an atmosphere left on your planet, then you definitely have a pretty hostile environment to life – there would be huge amounts of radiation, massive temperature fluctuations and little or no air to breathe. It’s not that life would be impossible, but having the surface of a planet basically directly exposed to space would be an environment totally different than anything on Earth.
Is there any atmosphere left on Proxima b?
That’s anybody’s guess at the moment. The fact that these flares are happening doesn’t bode well for that atmosphere being intact – especially if they’re associated with explosions of plasma like what happens on the Sun. But that’s why we’re doing this work. We hope the folks who build models of planetary atmospheres can take what our team has learned about these flares and try to figure out the odds for an atmosphere being sustained on this planet.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Clearlake Animal Control has a new dog joining the ranks of the canines available for adoption this week.
The following dogs are ready for adoption or foster.
“Cleo.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘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.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Bear’
“Bear” is a male American Staffordshire terrier mix with a short brown coat.
He has been neutered.
He is dog No. 3476.
“Dorito.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘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.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Dusty’
“Dusty” is a male American Pit Bull Terrier with a tan and white coat.
He is dog No. 4750.
“Inky.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘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.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘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.” Photo courtesy of Clearlake Animal Control. ‘Toby’
“Toby” is a friendly senior male boxer mix.
He has a short tan and white coat.
Toby is house trained and neutered.
He is dog No. 4389.
Call the Clearlake Animal Control shelter at 707-273-9440, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to inquire about adoptions and schedule a visit to the shelter.
Visit Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook or on the city’s website.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County’s acting Public Health officer reported that the county’s COVID-19 case rate continues to be low and he encouraged residents to be vaccinated as the time nears for California’s economy to fully reopen.
Lake County’s testing positivity and case rates have recently trended in the minimal-moderate range.
Public Health said Lake County remains in the orange tier of the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
State Public Health officials expect California’s economy to fully reopen June 15. Read Friday’s detailed announcement here.
With COVID-19 transmission relatively stable in Lake County, the last daily update of the Health Services Department’s data pages will occur Thursday, May 27.
Starting the week of May 31, updates will occur Mondays and Thursdays before 3 p.m.
“Now is the time to help us all move forward in our lives; to safely return to community events and gatherings, to safely patronize our business and get our children to school, and ultimately to get back to normalcy,” said Evan Bloom, MD, MPH, Lake County’s acting Public Health officer. “Getting vaccinated is the single greatest action you can take to protect yourself against this virus, as well as to protect your loved ones and all those living and working in Lake County. Seventy percent vaccination coverage among residents remains our goal. We can do it together.”
Bloom added, “To those who have received their vaccinations: a heartfelt thank you. For the half of the county who have not yet received their COVID vaccination: please help us all breathe easier!
Dr. Bloom said he appreciates all people have sacrificed to keep others safe.
“I know this hasn't been easy,” he said. “Thank you to all Lake County residents and others in our communities for taking COVID-19 so seriously. Thank you for changing your lives to protect yourselves and your loved ones from the serious effects of this highly communicable disease. From my work in clinical settings and with the Health Services Department, I know the steps you have taken have made a difference.”
Actualización de COVID-19: Ayúdenos a todos a respirar mejor y a volver a la normalidad - Vacúnese
La página de datos de COVID-19 del condado de Lake se actualizará los lunes y jueves antes de las 3 de la tarde a partir del 31 de mayo
Condado de Lake, CA (21 de mayo de 2021) — La Positividad de las Pruebas y las Tasas de Casos del Condado de Lake recientemente han tendido al rango mínimo-moderado. Permanecemos en el Nivel Naranja del plan estatal para una economía más segura. Los funcionarios estatales de salud pública esperan que la economía de California se reabra más completamente el 15 de junio. Lea el anuncio detallado de hoy aquí: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Beyond-Blueprint-Framework.aspx .
Con la transmisión de COVID-19 relativamente estable en el condado de Lake, la última actualización diaria de las páginas de datos del Departamento de Servicios de Salud ocurrirá el jueves 27 de mayo. A partir de la semana del 31 de mayo, las actualizaciones ocurrirán los lunes y jueves antes de las 3:00 pm: http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/COVID-19_Data.htm
El 50% de los residentes elegibles del condado están ahora vacunados; juntos, podemos alcanzar nuestra meta del 70%
“Ahora es el momento de ayudarnos a todos a avanzar en nuestras vidas; para regresar de manera segura a los eventos y reuniones de la comunidad, para patrocinar de manera segura nuestro negocio y llevar a nuestros hijos a la escuela y, en última instancia, ¡volver a la normalidad! " enfatiza Evan Bloom, MD, MPH, Oficial Interino de Salud Pública del Condado de Lake. “Vacunarse es la mejor acción que puede tomar para protegerse contra este virus, y para protegerse así como contra sus seres queridos todos los que viven y trabajan en el condado de Lake. La cobertura de vacunación del 70% entre los residentes sigue siendo nuestro objetivo: ¡podemos hacerlo juntos!"
“Para aquellos que han recibido sus vacunas: un sincero agradecimiento”, continúa Bloom. "Para la mitad del condado que aún no ha recibido la vacuna COVID: ¡ayúdenos a respirar mejor!"
Las citas de vacunación se pueden programar en https://myturn.ca.gov/. La información y los recursos centrados en el condado de Lake están disponibles en http://health.co.lake.ca.us/Coronavirus/Vaccines.htm .
Si desea vacunarse y necesita ayuda para superar las barreras, llame al 707-263-8174.
Se espera que el mandato estatal de enmascaramiento permanezca en vigor hasta el 15 de junio.
Los funcionarios estatales esperan alinear la guía de enmascaramiento de California con el 15 de junio de los CDC. Hasta ese momento, el requisito de usar revestimientos faciales en la mayoría de los ambientes interiores permanece vigente. Las pautas estatales (actualizadas 5/3) están disponibles en https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/guidance-for-face-coverings.aspx .
El Dr. Bloom agradece que todas las personas se hayan sacrificado para mantener a los demás a salvo:
“Sé que esto no ha sido fácil. Gracias a todos los residentes del condado de Lake y a otras personas en nuestras comunidades por tomar COVID-19 tan en serio. Gracias por cambiar sus vidas para protegerse y proteger a sus seres queridos de los graves efectos de esta enfermedad altamente contagiosa. Por mi trabajo en otros lugares clínicos y con el Departamento de Servicios de Salud, sé que los pasos que ha tomado han marcado la diferencia.”
Pictured, left to right, Lower Lake High School Principal Victor Uribe; Classified Employee of the Year, Lower Lake High School Campus Supervisor Juan Hernandez; Konocti Unified School District Superintendent Becky Salato; Konocti Unified Chief Business Officer Dan Janakes; and Konocti Unified Assistant Superintendent Chris Schoeneman. Courtesy photo. 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.
Classified Employee of the Year, Lower Lake High School Campus Supervisor Juan Hernandez. Courtesy photo. Burns Valley School – Brittany Rohrbacker
Burns Valley School, or BVS, chose Brittany Rohrbacker, media integration specialist and para educator, as their classified employee of the year because of her extraordinary support of BVS students and staff.
Colleagues said, “She has literally done every job and task sent her way. She is always willing to take on new things and learn new skills. Brittany has been an asset during this unprecedented year!”
East Lake Elementary – Christa Vandagriff
At East Lake School, Christa Vandagriff, media integration specialist and para educator, was named classified employee of the year by colleagues who described her as someone who worked very hard this year, often going beyond the call of duty to help students access the resources they needed to be successful.
Konocti Education Center, or KEC – Elizabeth Medina
The KEC classified employee of the year is site secretary Elizabeth Medina.
Medina’s colleagues said, “Elizabeth has a work ethic that is positively inspiring; she never shirks a duty, and she is efficient, thorough, and conscientious about the quality of her work. Elizabeth knows KEC’s families and KEC’s systems, and her attendance is impeccable; indeed, her knowledge is surpassed only by her reliability.”
Lower Lake Elementary – Jennifer Schultz
Lower Lake Elementary announced para educator (classroom aide) Jennifer Schultz as classified employee of the year.
During a year when flexibility was key, Schultz “handled herself professionally and did an amazing job covering for others. Jennifer has been very flexible and willing to do any job we ask of her. She also offers to step in when she sees that help is needed.”
Colleagues noted Schultz’s positivity and warmth as a welcome respite to the challenges they faced throughout the year, saying she is friendly with fellow employees and “always has a smile on her face.”
She commonly greets students by their name and makes a point to engage them in conversation, even if it is just a quick hello.
One colleague said, “She treats children the way that I would want someone to treat my own child. Plus, she is funnier than heck.”
Pomo Elementary – Marisa Ornelas-Gudino
Pomo Elementary named bilingual liaison Marisa Ornelas-Gudino as classified employee of the year. Ornelas-Gudino started at Pomo Elementary in the spring of 2015 and quickly built a reputation as someone who could be depended on in times of need.
If people need translation services, she is there: during parent conferences and meetings, for parent correspondence, during home visits to get students engaged, in the district office Nursing Department, and more.
According to colleagues, Ornelas-Gudino has also “been amazing at assisting all students with any tech issues that arose throughout the school year.”
Child Nutrition Office – Herminia Navarro
Even during a pandemic, people need to eat. Thanks in part to cook Herminia Navarro, Konocti Unified students received the food they needed.
Her supervisor said Navarro was chosen as her department’s classified employee of the year because of her dedication and teamwork.
Her supervisor said, “When we have issues on the fly, she is always willing to help out. When we have work that comes up on a day off or weekend, she never hesitates to help and pick up the extra hours. Her dedication is much appreciated!”
Maintenance and Operations – Dionicio Santana
Groundskeeper Dionicio Santana earned the classified employee of the year for the Maintenance and Operations Department.
His colleagues said he is always willing to help when needed, and that even when asked to help in other areas, he gets his core work done.
They said, “He is a valuable asset and we are very lucky to have him on our team.”
Transportation – Joleen Nichols
The Transportation Department chose bus driver Joleen Nichols as their classified employee of the year. Nichols does more than get students to and from school on time.
Her colleagues said, “not only is she a safe and professional driver, she is patient with kids no matter the circumstance.”
Nichols exemplifies the idea that the school bus is an extension of the classroom. She has a positive attitude, and she makes sure every student is happy and safe.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The California Citizens Redistricting Commission will begin redrawing congressional, State Senate, State Assembly and State Board of Equalization districts this summer and is inviting Lake County residents to be a part of that crucial process.
Every 10 years, the commission redraws those state and federal district boundaries based on the latest census data.
The resulting district boundaries will determine how funding and other resources are allocated to communities.
The commission’s work is separate from a process now getting underway to redraw the Lake County Board of Supervisors’ district boundaries. At its May 11 meeting, the board approved a contract with the firm Prentice Long that’s not to exceed $35,000 to provide consulting on the county process.
Seated in August, the state commission has 14 members, including five Republicans, five Democrats and four members with no party affiliation.
Derric Taylor is one of the Republican commissioners. He’s an investigator with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and is an active volunteer in the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley areas.
Although he’s a Southern California resident, Taylor is working on outreach to counties on California’s North Coast, including Lake.
A married father of three, Taylor said he became interested in joining the commission because it’s a way of modeling how to be a good citizen for his children.
It’s also great to be a witness to the democratic process, he said.
“We’re working for everybody,” he said of the commissioners, noting he doesn’t make decisions solely for his outreach zones and that it’s his duty to consider the people of the entire state. “I’m standing up for all Californians.”
The commissioners are 14 very diverse individuals who are working hard for California, Taylor said.
As part of their work, they are meant to educate the public and also to take as much public input as possible so Californians know their voice is heard in the process and that their opinions impact the final outcome.
Taylor is keen for people to know about the commission, its process and how to participate. He said the commission wants community input to help determine what the boundaries ultimately will look like. “This is a collaborative process in order to make the best possible district lines for reaching community members.”
He added, “To the best of our abilities, given a COVID environment, we want to reach out to all areas of California.”
The outreach team is taking into account the challenges to the rural environment, like broadband, and are trying to address those concerns, he said.
The commission has a nonpartisan purpose. “The goal is fair representation, and I don’t believe that has any affiliation. That’s the ultimate goal,” Taylor said.
They’re already receiving input not just from the public at large but from government bodies like the Lake County Board of Supervisors.
At its April 6 meeting, the board adopted a resolution to send to the commission urging it to keep Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties within the same congressional district due to sharing many interests that “provide strong ties and long-term relationships among our three counties, making common representation and advocacy in a shared Congressional District truly critical.”
The resolution also said that the board found that the three counties’ residents will be best served by remaining in the same congressional district.
The commission has met so far but hasn’t yet gotten down to the work of district boundary work. So far it has focused on organization, hiring staff, holding subcommittee meetings, meeting with state leaders and setting up its community of interest — or COI — tool, which can be found on its website.
The COI tool allows anyone to draw a map, give an explanation of their community and why it should be kept in one district. That tool is available in 12 languages.
Maps that are drawn on paper also can be submitted.
The boundary drawing can’t begin until the commission receives the census data it needs.
While the U.S. Census Bureau released apportionment data during the last week of April, Commission Chair Alicia Fernandez said that data is not what will be used for the redistricting work.
The U.S. Census Bureau said states are expected to receive redistricting data by Aug. 16 and the full redistricting data with tool kits for ease of use will be delivered by Sept. 30.
From there, the commission reported that it will need to format the data in order to use it.
Taylor said the census data — delayed due to the pandemic — is putting the commission in a time crunch, giving them about four months, half a month less than normal.
Just when the commission’s work will be completed “is the million dollar question,” said Taylor. He said the Supreme Court has given the commission until Dec. 15 to put out the maps.
The commission reported that it’s aiming to have one or two draft maps out for public comment before the final maps are completed.
One of the tasks the commission will have to undertake is adjusting lines to account for California’s loss of one congressional district seat because of the shifting population, which the new census data revealed.
California will now have 52 congressional districts, and the commission must redraw the lines to make sure those districts will have near equal populations while following a number of rules that include:
— ensuring minorities have an equal opportunity to elect representatives of their choice; drawing districts contiguously; — minimizing the division of cities, counties, neighborhoods and communities; — creating geographically compact boundaries; — and when practicable creating Senate districts composed of two complete and adjacent Assembly districts, and Board of Equalization districts composed of 10 complete and adjacent State Senate districts.
One new aspect of the process is that the commission will reallocate inmate numbers from their prison locations to their last known addresses, as state legislators have asked them to do.
It’s meant to more accurately reflect California’s population, although it’s not anticipated to have much of a change on the final lines.
Visit the commission’s website at https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/ to learn more about meetings and the community of interest tool, or for a community group to schedule a presentation with a commissioner.
The commission also can be reached by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone, 916-323-0323.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 88 of Lake County announces the week of May 22 through May 28 as National Safe Boating Week.
This yearly campaign is to remind boaters to always boat responsibly, to follow safety guidelines while on the water and for all boaters and passengers to have life jackets and to wear them.
This week, the city councils for Clearlake and Lakeport and the Board of Supervisors separately approved proclamations declaring National Safe Boating Week.
On Thursday, Flotilla 88 representative Dorothy De Lope told the Clearlake City Council that the group will be out doing patrols this weekend on Clear Lake.
“We’re back in action again,” De Lope said.
In the United States, 613 people died in boating-related accidents as reported in the United States Coast Guard recreational statistics for 2019.
Of these 613 fatalities, 439 were due to drowning and 362 of these boaters would be alive today had they worn their life jackets.
The summer months of June, July and August are the most active boating months with 308 of nationwide fatal boating accidents occurring in these months.
Use of alcohol while boating was the leading contributing factor with 113 fatalities followed by operator inattention, inexperience, excessive speed and machine failure.
As the COVID-19 restrictions which were ordered for all flotillas by the United States Coast Guard begin to lift, Lake County Flotilla will resume free vessel inspections, offer safe boating classes and once again resume safety patrols on Clear Lake.
Flotilla 88 of Lake County urges all boaters to join the nation in observing National Safe Boating Week by boating responsibly throughout the boating season and to always wear your life jackets.
For information regarding the safety classes, vessel exams and joining Flotilla 88, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Clearlake City Council voted unanimously on Thursday night to approve an exclusive negotiating agreement with an Arcata developer who has plans for a $50 million housing development in the city.
Danco Communities is proposing to build an 84-unit mixed income multifamily housing project on a five-acre parcel at 14795 Burns Valley Road, which was part of a 31-acre property the city closed escrow on in December.
The discussion begins at the 2:42:45 mark in the video above.
City Manager Alan Flora said the city has been working on plans for the larger property that include a sports complex and a new city Public Works corporation yard.
He said the northeastern portion of the property near an existing development and the community center was identified as a site for some type of housing development. In order to do that, the city needed to declare that portion of the property as surplus.
“Danco has expressed interest in doing a project there,” said Flora. “We believe they're a well-qualified developer.”
The project will apply in July for disaster tax credits, which Flora’s written report said will be the primary funding source.
Chris Dart, Danco Communities president, said the company has projects all over the state, 190 employees and six diverse companies mostly related to housing.
Dart said Danco is the development company and has two construction companies. They have brought 800 affordable housing units to the market so far and have roughly that number in the works now all over California.
The company is vertically integrated, Dart said, meaning they develop and construct projects, then hold and manage them for the long haul.
“We don’t build these projects and sell them or flip them,” he said.
Dart said they are primarily focused on multifamily developments for members of the workforce, and they also develop exclusive communities for seniors and supportive housing for veterans.
He highlighted some of the projects they’ve completed, including the 35-unit Church Hill townhomes multifamily development in Eureka, the 40-townhome Aster Place, the 18-unit Creamery Row in Arcata and the Phyllis Rex Samoa townhomes, which is a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units with a view of Pacific, the bay and Eureka, of which 20 percent are set aside for families experiencing homelessness in Humboldt County.
Dart said the proposed Clearlake project is being designed by DG Architects, the same firm that designed the Phyllis Rex Samoa townhomes.
He said they just rolled out the site plan for the Clearlake project and that they’re in the very early phases. Dart showed a basic sketch of the development, which would include 84 units, of which 24 would be one-bedroom and 36 would have two bedrooms, along with 18 three-bedroom and six four-bedroom units.
Project plans so far include a 3,000-square-foot community room, an exercise room, lounge area, computer room, management offices, a large community kitchen that would open up to an outdoor patio, a community garden, tot lot, basketball courts and barbecue pits, “and many more amenities” to be offered on site, Dart said.
Dart said they help the city cover some off site improvements related to the adjacent park area.
Flora said the company has experience and he thinks the company has a great product. “They’re willing to move really fast,” he said, which is why he asked for the council to authorize the agreement and allow them to pursue the disaster tax credits, which come up once a year, as they don’t want to miss out on that opportunity.
He said the city should also be able to leverage some of the infrastructure development for the sports complex as part of the funding package for Community Development Block Grants, or CDBG.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton asked about how much of the CDBG funds would be used for the project.
Flora said they don’t have an exact number but expect it to be between $3 million and $4 million of the CDBG 2018 Disaster Recovery funds which were allocated to the county and which the Board of Supervisors agreed last month to relinquish to the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport.
Overton asked how much will be invested in the project. Flora said the initial estimate is $50 million.
Mayor Dirk Slooten said the entire city of Clearlake is an opportunity zone, which may benefit the project.
Councilman Russ Cremer moved to approve the city’s exclusive negotiating agreement with Danco Communities agreement, with Councilman Russ Perdock offering the second and the council voting 5-0.
In other development-related action, the council voted 5-0 to declare a 29-acre property at 2890 Old Highway 53 as surplus so it can reoffer the property to developers.
The council, which also acts as the Clearlake Redevelopment Successor Agency, approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with Summitt Development in December following a presentation in which the company had proposed eventually purchasing the property for a housing project.
However, Flora said Summitt notified the city on May 9 that it isn’t moving forward on the plan, so the city needs to start again with putting the property out for development. Like the Burns Valley property being offered for development, the council needed to first declare the Old Highway 53 property as surplus.
While Flora said there are a lot of hoops to jump through, the city already has had discussions with potential developers, and has a meeting set up with an interested developer next week.
He said he’s optimistic that the city will be able to land a developer for the property.
In other business, the council presented a proclamation declaring May 22 to 28 as Safe Boating Week. Flotilla 88 representative Dorothy De Lope thanked the council and said the group will be back out patrolling on Clear Lake this weekend.
The council also proclaimed May as California Tourism Month, heard the Lake County Tourism Improvement District’s annual report and received an update from Pacific Gas and Electric on its public safety power shut-offs and wildfire safety work.
Council members and staff held a budget workshop before the regular meeting as they work to finalize a budget document for the upcoming 2021-22 fiscal year.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
The Hunger Task Force Team enjoying Hike for Hospice in 2019. Courtesy photo. LAKEPORT, Calif. — Hospice Services of Lake County is presenting the sixth annual Hike for Hospice, a fundraising and friend-raising event, on Saturday, June 12, at Highlands Springs Park near Lakeport.
It’s time to lace up those shoes and enjoy a leisurely walk in a beautiful country setting; or for the more serious hiker, a rigorous trek and longer trail is an option.
Participating is free, easy and fun for the whole family or a group of friends while supporting a great cause.
Individuals who want to participate may preregister online at www.lakecountyhospice.org, pick up a registration form at one of the Hospice thrift stores located in Middletown, Clearlake or Lakeport, or contact Hospice to have a registration form mailed.
Hikers are encouraged to donate to Hospice as part of their hiking experience and many participants ask for sponsorships from friends and family to help raise funds. Participants with a minimum donation of $25 will receive an event T-shirt.
On the day of the hike, registration and check-in is from 8 to 9 a.m. at the picnic area near the reservoir.
Hikers taking the 4.5-mile route will start at 8:15 a.m., with 3-milers starting at 8:30 a.m., and the 1- and 2-mile hikers hit the trail at 9:15 a.m.
In the tradition of past Hike for Hospice events, hikers are encouraged to form or join teams. Creative apparel is highly encouraged. Solo hikers are welcome.
When hikers return, the fun continues with refreshments, music, and awards. Prizes will be presented for individual hikers and teams for most money raised and most creative attire.
Highland Springs Park is located at 3600 E. Highland Springs Road in Lakeport, off of Highway 29 past the Lampson Field Airport.
Donations from this event help provide care to residents of Lake County in their last months of life and the organization’s Wings of Hope grief counseling services for children and families who have experienced the death of a loved one.
For more information, to register to hike or to sponsor a hiker, go to www.lakecountyhospice.org, call 707-263-6270, Extension 112, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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