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NORTH COAST, Calif. – Mendocino County authorities investigating a Monday wreck that killed a Washington family are putting out the call across the region for information about the victims’ whereabouts in the days leading up to the crash, and said they’re still trying to find the family’s three other children.

The Monday crash on a rugged stretch of the Mendocino coast claimed the lives of Jennifer Jean Hart and her wife Sarah Margaret Hart, both age 38, and their children, Markis Hart, 19, Jeremiah Hart, 14, and Abigail Hart, 14, all of Woodland, Wash., as Lake County News has reported.

However, authorities are still trying to locate the family’s three other children – Devonte Hart, 15, Hannah Hart, 16, and Sierra Hart, 12.

While it’s hoped that those children are staying with friends, Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman said the evidence so far suggests a more tragic conclusion.

He said they have every indication to believe all six children were with their parents, but the bodies of only three of the children have been recovered and identified by a family member.

Just after 3:30 p.m. Monday a passerby reported to authorities that the family’s 2003 GMC SUV was at the bottom of a 100-foot cliff, resting on a rock in the Pacific Ocean. The vehicle had gone off the cliff’s edge at a dirt turnout along Highway 1 at County Road 430, just south of Juan Creek in Westport, according to the reports so far.

On Wednesday, Allman said there are many unknowns about the wreck, one of them being just when it actually occurred.

He said the firefighters that repelled down the steep bank to the wreck site said the engine was already cold and water that had pooled in the upturned wheel wells was warmer than the ocean because of being heated by the sun, leading them to surmise the SUV had been there for several hours.

As a result, Allman said they were putting out the call to the public, particularly in the Bay Area, and asking for information from anyone who had seen the family in the 24 hours ahead of the crash – either at restaurants, hotels, gas stations or anywhere else. That would help to determine if all six children were with their parents.

He said that they couldn’t even confirm that the family was traveling northbound or southbound, although they believe they were traveling north.

Allman, who was at the crash site on Monday, said it was “a very confusing scene,” with no signs of skid or brake marks across the 70 or so feet of the dirt pullout that leads to the steep cliff edge where the vehicle went over.

During the Wednesday press conference, reporters asked Allman whether the crash could have been intentional.

“We have no evidence and no reason to believe this was an intentional act,” Allman said.

The California Highway Patrol, which also is working to put together a timeline of the wreck, has called in its Northern Division Multidisciplinary Accident Team, or MAIT, to investigate the crash, a process which will include reconstructing it and studying the factors that impacted it.

The CHP said the MAIT team includes one CHP sergeant who is the team leader, two or more CHP officers, one motor carrier specialist and one senior transportation engineer from Caltrans.

Allman said the MAIT team is involved to try to answer the many questions about the wreck.

Sgt. Christopher Dalin of the Northern Division MAIT team said every vehicle crash is its own event. Because they didn’t yet have the necessary data, he couldn’t yet say if the vehicle launched or rolled off the cliff.

Other key questions about the crash raised during the press conference included the fact that the children were not wearing seat belts and were thrown from the vehicle, while their parents were found inside.

Allman said his department is getting assistance from other agencies around the region and out of state to try to determine what occurred.

He said the agencies offering help include the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, which sent six deputies and two unmanned aircraft to assist with the search on Wednesday.

Allman said on Wednesday the unmanned aircraft photographed the coastline looking for personal effects and the three missing children. At the time of the press conference, Allman said he didn’t have information on the results of that coastline search due, in part, to the lack of cell service in the search area.

If bodies are found, he said recovery would be coordinated with the US Coast Guard.

So far, Allman said a lot of debris had been recovered, including a purse found floating in the ocean.

When Allman got to the scene on Monday, he said the SUV was still moving, with waves going in and out of it and pulling out all of the family’s personal items.

He said his agency has experience working with ocean conditions, explaining that his search and rescue team can predict when and where a body might surface based on wave temperature and direction.

Even so, “The Pacific Ocean is a very unpredictable body of water,” said Allman, explaining that they have had drownings on the Mendocino County in which the bodies were found near the Oregon border.

During the press conference there were references by reporters to media reports that stated the family had left their Washington home in a hurry on Friday after having been visited by Child Protective Services.

Allman said his agency had been contacted by the Cowlitz County Department of Social Services regarding CPS, adding that not a lot of information was provided and it appeared the Washington officials were waiting for details from Mendocino County.

On Thursday the search and rescue effort will continue, Allman said.

Because of ruggedness of the coast and ocean movement, Allman said they will survey the entire situation and determine whether putting a diver in the water is the best thing to do, explaining that when a body goes in the water, it doesn’t stay still. “This is not a gentle beach.”

Allman said a sheriff’s chaplain and debriefing team also had been at the scene to help offer crisis counseling to first responders to help them deal with the traumatic case.

Anyone with information about the family’s whereabouts in the days before the crash are asked to call the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office anonymous tip line at 707-234-2100 or dispatch at 707-463-4086.

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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On Tuesday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced that the California Department of Justice will be stepping in to provide independent oversight of the investigation into the death of an unarmed black man shot by Sacramento Police officers earlier this month.

Stephon Alonzo Clark, 22, died after officers shot about 20 rounds at him following a foot pursuit on the night of March 18.

The officers, who had responded to the area on a call reporting break-ins, chased Clark into his grandmother’s backyard, according to media reports.

The officers believed Clark was pointing a gun at them, but he only had a cellphone in his hand.

The shooting has sparked protests and outrage across Sacramento.

During a press conference with Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert and Sacramento community leaders, Attorney General Becerra pledged that the California DOJ will lend its experience to ensure a fair and impartial investigation.

The California DOJ will also evaluate law enforcement policies, procedures, and practices to identify ways to achieve safer outcomes, Becerra said.

“I stand together with Sacramento law enforcement, city and community leaders to announce that the California Department of Justice will lend our experience to ensure the investigation into the tragic death of Stephon Clark is fair, thorough, and impartial,” said Becerra. “We take on this responsibility in full recognition of the importance of getting it right – because there is nothing more important than respect and trust between law enforcement and the communities that they are sworn to protect as we work to keep all Californians safe.”

While investigations of this kind are generally handled by local district attorneys, the California DOJ is entering this investigation at the request of Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn.

As part of the agreement with the Sacramento Police Department, the California DOJ will also evaluate police department policies, procedures, and practices to help identify ways to achieve safer outcomes for community members and officers.
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Big Valley 4-H Club members Andrew Nave, Jayden Preston, Payten Preston, Ceci Knight, Jessica Mulka and Katey Brown with the blooming daffodils on Gas Hill in Kelseyville, Calif., in spring 2018. Photo courtesy of Michelle Brown.


KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Big Valley 4-H Club’s effort to bring bright spring color to Kelseyville is coming into full bloom.

The club is celebrating the bloom of the nearly 1,000 bulbs that were purchased with donations from generous community members.

Club members planted the bulbs last November on Gas Hill in Kelseyville – on Main Street near Live Oak Drive – as its community service project, according to Michelle Brown, Big Valley 4-H’s co-community leader.

Brown said Marilyn Holdenried had done the project the previous year with the help of some friends, but when the Big Valley 4-H Club learned about it, club members pitched in to gather donations and help plant.

“This was our first year, but we are so pleased with the results we will try to continue every year,” said Brown.

The Big Valley 4-H Club meets the second Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Kelseyville High School cafeteria.

For more information please send inquiries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The 4-H Youth Development program is part of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.

For more information on the 4-H program contact U.C. Cooperative Extension, 883 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport, telephone 707-263-6838.

Big Valley 4-H Club members Andrew Nave, Jayden Preston, Payten Preston, Ceci Knight, Jessica Mulka and Katey Brown with the blooming daffodils on Gas Hill in Kelseyville, Calif., in spring 2018. Photo courtesy of Michelle Brown.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. – On Wednesday the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office identified the married couple and their three children killed in a Monday crash near Westport, and said it is still trying to locate three other children.

The victims in the crash are Jennifer Jean Hart and her wife Sarah Margaret Hart, both age 38, and their children, Markis Hart, 19, Jeremiah Hart, 14, and Abigail Hart, 14, all of Woodland, Wash., according to Lt. Shannon Barney of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

On Monday at approximately 4:16 p.m., the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office was dispatched the area of Highway 1 at County Road 430, also called Juan Creek, in Westport regarding a traffic accident involving multiple fatalities, Barney said.

Barney said the incident had been reported to fire officials and the California Highway Patrol around 3:38 p.m. after a passerby used a pullout along the road and observed the vehicle off the embankment, upside down on the rocky shoreline.

While the sheriff's office was en route to the call it was learned there were possibly two adult females, two juvenile males and one juvenile female deceased at the scene, which Barney said led the sheriff's office to initiate a coroner's Investigation. Meanwhile, first responders continued recovery efforts until well after midnight.

At 8 a.m. Tuesday, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office confirmed the identity of the two adult females as Jennifer and Sarah Hart, a married couple who had previously resided in West Linn, Ore.

It was later learned that the couple had six adopted children, Barney said, three of whom died in the crash.

The three so far unaccounted for are Devonte Hart, 15, Hannah Hart, 16, and Sierra Hart, 12, Barney said.

After learning of the three additional children who were unaccounted for, the Sheriff's Office, the California Highway Patrol, and the United States Coast Guard out of Fort Bragg immediately initiated a second search and rescue effort in the ocean waters where the accident occurred, Barney said. The California Highway patrol launched a fixed wing airplane and a helicopter, the Coast Guard launched a rescue boat in the area, while the Mendocino County Sheriff's Search and Rescue responded to search the beach areas along the Highway.

One of the unaccounted for children is Devonte Hart, who Barney said drew widespread media attention in 2014 after having been photographed hugging a Portland Oregon Police sergeant during a demonstration related to the protests over the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Barney said the sheriff's office reached out to the Portland Oregon Police Department and learned that the family, due to intense media coverage, may have moved from Oregon.

The family was tracked to an address in Woodland, Wash., where, with assistance from the Clark County Washington Sheriff's Office, the family home was checked and the three missing children were not located, Barney said.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office was advised by the Clark County Sheriff's Office that it appeared the family may have left for a temporary trip as there were many family belongings still in the home as well as a pet and some chickens, according to Barney’s report.

On Wednesday Barney said the sheriff’s office positively identified the children who were found at the crash site with the help of family members.

As of the Wednesday afternoon report, Barney said it was unknown if the three missing children accompanied their parents on the trip to Mendocino County or if they might be staying with friends.

Also on Wednesday, Barney said the Alameda County Sheriff's Office responded to assist the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office by sending six deputies trained in the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles that are used for search and rescue incidents to assist with combing the coastline in an effort to locate the three missing children.

So far the ocean conditions have not allowed the use of rescue/recovery divers in the search efforts. Barney said the Mendocino County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team has divers on standby if the ocean conditions improve.

The cause of the wreck is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol’s Ukiah Area office. The CHP said its Northern Division Multidisciplinary Accident Team, or MAIT, has been assigned to investigate the crash.

The CHP said the MAIT program conducts in-depth investigations and analyses of crashes. Investigations include the reconstruction of an incident and a study of the factors that may have contributed to it. The factors include environmental, human and mechanical, and are associated with the three phases of a collision – pre-collision, at-collision and post-collision.

The MAIT team includes one CHP sergeant who is the team leader, two or more CHP officers, one motor carrier specialist and one senior transportation engineer from Caltrans, the CHP said.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office thanked the California Highway Patrol, the Portland Oregon Police Department, the Clark County Washington Sheriff's Office, the Grant County South Dakota Sheriff's Office, the Huron City South Dakota Police Department, the Cowlitz County Department of Social Services and the Alameda County California Sheriff's Office for their assistance in this case.

Anyone with information in the case can contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office at 707-463-4411 or the CHP’s Ukiah Area office at 707-467-4420.
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ACCUWEATHER GLOBAL WEATHER CENTER – AccuWeather reports storms packed a punch from coast to coast this winter.

Whether it was multiple storms undergoing bombogenesis off the East Coast or heavy rain triggering rivers of mud and rocks in Montecito, California, this past winter had no shortage of disruptive weather.

A piercing cold blast marked the shift from 2017 to 2018 in the eastern United States. At least 30 states experienced below-normal temperatures on New Year's Day morning.

In California, the state endured a distinctly dry weather pattern from November through early February, once again raising drought concerns in the state.

"Not only did the state lack significant rainfall, but more importantly, the snowpack across the Sierra Nevada was also in record-low territory," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Jordan Root.

However, a pattern change in late February brought the storm track across California, which led to rounds of rain and mountain snow for the state, according to Root.

Other parts of the winter were notable for a distinct lack of cold air.

Periods of unusually warm weather lingered throughout the eastern U.S. in February. In Florida, several major cities set new average record highs for the month.

Tampa, Florida, set a new average February high of 74.2 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking the old record of 70.1 from 1949. Other cities that set new average February records include Orlando, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Miami.

In the Northeast, cities such as Philadelphia and New York City approached 80 F on Feb. 21.

While some in the Northeast may have thought the surge of warmth in late February was a sign that winter was over, they would learn quickly that it wasn't.

Three consecutive nor'easters bombarded the region from March 2 to 14. While the frequency of the storms may have seemed unusual, it's actually not uncommon for multiple nor'easters to strike in succession over a period of a few weeks.

Even after the seasons transitioned from winter to spring, a fourth nor'easter unleashed more snow on the region on March 21.

Four back-to-back nor'easters in a month are not unprecedented, according to AccuWeather Chief Operating Officer and Expert Meteorologist Evan Myers. We've experienced barrages of snowstorms like this year's onslaught of nor'easters within the past decade.

"Here in the AccuWeather global headquarters, it's our goal to get out information, especially on these snowstorms, as quickly and as accurately as possible," said AccuWeather Chief Operating Officer and Expert Meteorologist Evan Myers.

While other sources forecast 12-18 inches of snow ahead of the most recent nor'easter in New York City, AccuWeather accurately predicted that 6 to 10 inches of snow would fall. In the end, 8 inches of snow fell in Central Park. That amount of snow is a once-in-22-years event for mid- to late-March.

Months before the set of back-to-back March storms pummeled the northeastern U.S. with snow, a team of the most talented expert operational meteorologists in the world warned that a snowier-than-average March loomed.

In a March poll, 68 percent of AccuWeather readers voted that they were done with winter storms and ready for spring warmth.

Twenty-six percent of people did, however, weigh in that they loved the snow and wished it would keep on coming.

Regardless of the poll outcome, spring arrived on Tuesday, March 20, and it's only a matter of time before warmer weather is here to stay.

Kevin Byrne is a staff writer for www.AccuWeather.com.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council will hold a special Tuesday meeting to discuss several contracts and swear in a new council member.

The meeting will take place beginning at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

At the start of the meeting, Russell Cremer, the newly appointed council member, will take his oath of office.

Cremer was appointed at the council’s Thursday meeting, as Lake County News has reported.

After the swearing-in, the council will adjourn into closed session to discuss a potential case of litigation.

When it returns to open session, the council will discuss awarding several contracts to firms for city projects.

The firms, projects and the not-to-exceed costs are as follows:

– California Engineering Co.: Highlands Harbor/Harbor Lane pavement rehabilitation project, design services, $37,923.75; Highlands Park frontage and off-site parking improvement project, design services, $17,519.50; Pine Street rehabilitation project, design services, $12,342.25.

– Coastland Civil: Country Club pavement rehabilitation project, design services, $29,140.

– Design Workshop: Austin Park improvement project, design services, $201,224 contract.

– Mortgage Lender Services: Foreclosure processing services, terms as outlined in the city’s fee schedule.

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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New Clearlake City Councilman Russ Cremer. Photo courtesy of Greg Folsom.


CLEARLAKE, Calif. – During a special Tuesday night meeting, the Clearlake City Council seated its newest member and approved several contracts for city road rehabilitation and parks projects.

Russ Cremer was sworn in at the start of the meeting.

The council appointed him last week to fulfill the remaining eight months of the term left vacant when Russ Perdock stepped down on Feb. 1 to pursue the city’s police chief job, as Lake County News has reported.

Cremer, who had been serving as the vice chair of the Clearlake Planning Commission, has volunteered for multiple organizations over the last 15 years, including the Lake County Fire Protection District Board, the Clearlake Rotary Club and the Lake Area Rotary Club Association, among others.

“It is an exciting time to be a part of the city council,” said Cremer. “I am proud to represent the citizens of Clearlake on the City Council and I’m looking forward to helping guide future policy and improvements in the city.”

According to City Manager Greg Folsom, “Russ Cremer is going to be a great addition to the city council. He brings a wealth of experience in Clearlake and is a very common-sense person who is very well-respected in the community. I’m looking forward to working with Councilmember Cremer and the rest of the city council as we continue to implement our strategic plan to make Clearlake a cleaner, safer, better city.”

The city will be accepting applications for the open position on the planning commission now that Cremer has been appointed to the city council.

The Clearlake Planning Commission meets on the first and third Tuesdays. Applicants must be a resident in the city of Clearlake in order to be appointed to the commission. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, and the council will consider appointing an applicant at the April 26 council meeting.

In other business at the Tuesday night meeting, the council approved several road rehabilitation design contracts, a design contract for frontage improvements and off-street parking improvements for Highlands Park, and a design contract for Austin Park.

The road projects include pavement rehabilitation of Country Club and Kings Lane between Lakeshore Drive and Arrowhead, pavement rehabilitation of Pine Street between Olympic Drive and Division Avenue, and the pavement rehabilitation of Harbor Lane and Highlands Harbor Drive.

All of these projects are Measure V projects and construction is anticipated to begin this year.

“These road projects are directly related to the trusted votes we received for Measure V and this is only the beginning,” said Mayor Bruno Sabatier.

“Approving these design contracts is a critical step forward to improving our city,” said Folsom. “Once the construction drawings are complete, we can put these projects out to bid and start making the improvements that our residents have been asking for. It’s going to be a very exciting construction season this year.”
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A helicopter was involved with the recovery of crash victims in a fatal wreck near Westport, Calif., on Monday, March 26, 2018. Photo courtesy of the California Highway Patrol Ukiah Area office.


NORTH COAST, Calif. – A solo-vehicle wreck on the Mendocino Coast on Monday claimed the lives of five people.

The California Highway Patrol said the crash victims were two women from West Linn, Ore., and three children, two boys and a girl. None of the victims were identified, and the children’s cities of residence were not reported.

The CHP said the wreck occurred on Highway 1 south of Juan Creek, near Westport.

“We don’t know what time the collision occurred,” said Officer Olegario Marin of the CHP’s Ukiah Area office.

The CHP said the female driver drove the 2003 GMC SUV into a large dirt turnout on the west side of the highway and, for unknown reasons, allowed it to continue in a westerly direction off a large cliff.

The SUV went down the cliff and overturned, landing on its roof on a large rock in the ocean, and came to rest facing in a southerly direction, according to the CHP report. The vehicle appeared to be just out of the water.

The CHP said the children were found outside of the vehicle while the two adults were still inside. The children were not using safety equipment, but the adults were wearing their seat belts.

All of the victims died at the scene, the CHP said.

As of its Tuesday report, the CHP said neither drugs nor alcohol are considered to be factors in the crash.

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. – The Lakeport City Council will hold a special meeting to discuss goals for the upcoming fiscal year.

The council’s special meeting will begin at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The meeting is for the purposes of holding a workshop to set goals for fiscal year 2018-19.

The council annually holds the special workshop for goals setting, which is part of its budget process, as it will guide priorities for staff in crafting a new budget.

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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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Office of Education announced the three winning schools for the 2018 Attendance Challenge.

The winners were determined based on the highest average attendance achieved for the week of March 19 through March 23, 2018.

The winning schools are:

– Elementary school category: Coyote Valley Elementary School – Middletown Unified School District.
– Middle school category: Terrace Middle School – Lakeport Unified School District.
– High school category: Clear Lake High School – Lakeport Unified School District

“Cheers to Clear Lake High and Terrace Middle School,” says April Leiferman, superintendent of the Lakeport Unified School District, which had two of the three winning schools.

Leiferman added, “Lakeport Unified is extremely proud of all of our schools. The continuous effort by the parents, staff, and exceptional students make our schools a great place for children.”

The competition for the top spots was fierce, particularly in the elementary school category.

Upper Lake Elementary placed second, by only 0.2 percent, a difference of two additional students in attendance throughout the week.

Eastlake Elementary in Clearlake Oaks (Konocti Unified School District) placed third.

Mountain Vista Middle School in Kelseyville placed second, and Upper Lake Middle School placed third in the middle school category.

Clear Lake High School not only had the top attendance for all high schools, they had the top attendance for all Lake County schools with an average attendance rate of 96.67 percent.

Kelseyville High School placed second, and Middletown High School placed third in the high school category.

“Thank you to the students, families, teachers and school staff for taking the Attendance Challenge seriously,” said Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.

Falkenberg also thanked the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Tribe for donating $500 to each winning school.

The winning schools are encouraged to use their $500 awards to support and celebrate good attendance.

“The leadership of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Tribe is proud to support the efforts of Lake County Office of Education to spotlight the importance of and promote school attendance,” said Sherry Treppa, chair of the tribe’s executive council.

The Lakeport Cinema 5 donated 200 movie passes. The passes were shared among all the schools, to be used as incentives for students throughout the week.

Rob Young, Lake County Office of Education’s emergency services/special projects coordinator, organized the event.

“Our goal was to have an event that would stimulate positive conversation about attendance,’ Young said. “Based on the feedback I’ve received from the schools, it worked.”
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LUCERNE, Calif. – The Northshore Fire Protection District is asking voters across its territory to support a new special fire fee.

Measure E is scheduled for a special election on Tuesday, April 10. Absentee voters will have already received their ballots in the mail.

Fire Chief Jay Beristianos said Measure E will increase the current fire fee on property tax bills.

He said the increase is needed to keep the district sustainable. While the district currently is stable, Beristianos said they have to project their needs into the future.

“Our revenue is pretty much flat but our expenditures continue to go up,” he said.

He added, “Just like everyone else who had a job we need a raise,” noting the district’s fire fee hasn’t been raised in 22 years in all areas but Clearlake Oaks, where there was a fee increase in 2004.

Currently, the fire fee on property tax bills for single family residences in Upper Lake is $45, $57.50 in Nice, and $60 in Clearlake Oaks and Lucerne, Beristianos said.

He said Measure E would increase the fire fee for all areas of the district to $120 for a single family residence.

Beristianos said that breaks down to $10 a month, which he said is relatively inexpensive when considering that it will fund his agency’s efforts to keep the communities safe.

A brochure on the measure explained that the district will need to look at a number of alternatives in the upcoming years if a revenue increase isn’t available. It said that could include closing stations, limiting emergency medical services, public assists or other community services.

Because it’s a special tax, Measure E must receive a two-thirds supermajority vote, or 66.7 percent, Beristianos said.

If approved, Measure E would go into effect on July 1 and would first be reflected on the property tax bills due this December and next April.

Beristianos said the district has 23 paid staffers across its 357-square-mile district, which makes it one of the largest districts in California in land size. It has seven stations, three of them volunteer, and 38 pieces of equipment to serve a population of 12,000 people.

Right now, the district has no money for equipment replacement plans. Some of its frontline equipment is 40 years old, and Beristianos said it has been purchasing equipment that other agencies are surplusing out.

The district’s call volumes also are increasing. In 2012, it had a total of 2,531 calls for service, of which 2,050 were medical calls and 481 were fire incidents. In 2016, it had 2,952 calls for service, of which 2,161 were medical calls and 791 were fires, the district reported.

Measure E will help the district afford to pursue goals including hiring staff to keep the Upper Lake station staffed around the clock, he said.

The district currently has no money to remodel the Upper Lake station, built in 1946. “It needs love,” he said.

Beristianos said the district isn’t able to depend on volunteers as much as it has in the past because of the personal expense for training and equipment, as well as general lack of availability.

He said about 20 volunteers are on the roster, but only about six to eight are actually active and responding to calls. Many of them have to balance their volunteering and the continuing need for training with their day jobs. It also can cost about $3,000 for a volunteer to get outfitted in basic gear.

“It’s not for everybody,” he said.

Among its three volunteer stations – Spring Valley, Glenhaven and Blue Lakes – Spring Valley is the most active, said Beristianos. It has one full-time paid person and three volunteers, while there are no volunteers for Blue Lakes and Glenhaven.

A lack of volunteers isn’t just a Lake County problem, Beristianos said. It’s nationwide.

If it secures Measure E, another of the district’s goals is to create a paid-call volunteer firefighter program like South Lake County Fire has in place. Beristianos said it’s hoped that such a program would give people an incentive to work for the district and offer greater accountability.

“We’re doing whatever we can to staff stations,” he said. “You have to be pretty creative nowadays.”

He said they district is trying to catch up with its many needs. “We’ve been able to stretch the money out as far as we possibly can.”

Beristianos said the district’s need for the revenue increase is “simply business math.”

“We’re not waiting to the last minute,” he said.

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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NORTH COAST, Calif. – A three-county coordinated tsunami warnings communications test is set to take place this Wednesday in Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties.

The test will take place from noon to 1 p.m.

This cooperative effort will include Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties as well as the National Weather Service and the California Office of Emergency Services, according to Lt. Shannon Barney of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office.

North Coast residents may see or hear test notifications broadcasted over the television and radio. Some residents may hear local tsunami sirens sound and observe the Civil Air Patrol flying along the coast with an audible message.

In Mendocino County people may hear tsunami sirens being activated in the cities of Fort Bragg and Point Arena, and they may get a test message in limited areas within these two cities, from a test of the county's emergency phone notification system, Barney said.

Registered Humboldt Alert users will receive a test notification during this time, in addition to listed landlines, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.

The test coincides with Tsunami Preparedness Week on the North Coast.

A tsunami warning is the highest level of tsunami alert and is only issued when flooding of land that is usually dry is expected, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said. They’re focused on a tsunami coming from far away.

If you hear that an official tsunami warning has been issued, move away from the beach and out of harbor areas. Tune into local radio or television stations for more information and follow the evacuation directions of local authorities, officials urged.

If a strong earthquake occurs close to our coast that lasts for 20 seconds or longer, a tsunami may follow. In this case, officials said there will be no time for an official warning to be issued. You must rely on recognizing the natural warning signs of a tsunami. An earthquake is the most likely natural warning sign that a tsunami is coming.

Other natural warning signs include the ocean water drawing back and exposing the seafloor, or hearing a loud roar from the coast. If you are in a tsunami evacuation zone and observe any of these warnings, move to higher ground or inland on foot as soon as possible. There may be as little as 10 minutes between the earthquake and a tsunami, officials said.

Officials said it’s also important to remember that surges may continue to arrive for 24 hours or longer.

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