LAKEPORT, Calif. – The elevated level of Clear Lake is having a major impact on the city of Lakeport’s sewer collection system, but city officials said recent water conservation efforts by residents are making a difference.
The high water levels have drastically increased intrusion entering the collection system as water finds its way into the system’s pipes via cleanouts, manholes and cracked or broken pipes.
This inundation of lake water in addition to normal winter flows is making it difficult for the city’s lift station pumps to keep up.
The conservation efforts by Lakeport residents over the past two days is having a noticeable effect on reducing overall flows into the city’s sewer collection system, the city reported.
Officials asked that residents continue to conserve water in any way possible to help alleviate this extra volume.
Conservation measures include reducing showers, laundry, dishwashing, flushing toilets and other activities which causes water to go down the drain.
They appreciate community members’ efforts as the city and its residents work together to ride out this #Clearlakeflood2017.
The city will continue to provide updates on the flood conditions through city of Lakeport and Lakeport Police Department Facebook, Twitter and Nixle accounts.
For additional information contact the city of Lakeport Emergency Operations Center at 707-263-5614.
COBB, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol said Friday evening that Highway 175 at Harrington Flat Road in the Cobb area is closed due to utility companies removing hazardous trees.
The road is expected to be open around midnight, the CHP said.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Due to recent road closures leading to the Lakeport Unified School District campuses, those dropping off students are requested to take several actions in the short-term.
City and school district officials ask that community members taking children to school do the following:
– Please make an effort to drop your child off at school any time after 7:30 a.m. and before 8 a.m. This will reduce the amount of traffic coming onto campus immediately before school begins and help ensure students arrive to school on time. – Note that you can also use the north entrance into the campus via Howard Avenue and exit that way as well to help reduce the congestion on Giselman and Lange streets. – Whenever possible, send your child on the school buses to reduce the traffic flow.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Many roads around Lake County remain closed as Clear Lake’s flood waters begin to recede.
One of the main local roads to be impacted by the flooding, the Nice-Lucerne Cutoff, remained closed on Thursday, with no estimate yet form the Lake County Public Works Department regarding when it may reopen.
Road crews on Thursday removed two large trees that had been hung up on the bridge over the slough, as there was no room under the bridge for the trees to pass under.
The department reported that the crews had to pull the trees up and out of the water with heavy equipment.
In Lakeport, where many city streets also remain closed due to flood, the Lakeport Police Department issued a reminder on Thursday asking motorists not to drive on closed roadways or through streets with standing water.
Wakes created by passing vehicles are causing damage to properties in flooded areas, police said.
The full list of road closures and advisories for areas around the county follows. Information was compiled from reports from Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol, the Clearlake Police Department, Lake County Department of Public Works, Lakeport Police Department and the Napa County Sheriff’s Office.
In the map below, areas marked with the flooding symbol and the red triangle indicate closures; the rockslide icon indicates those areas where there are slides but which remain open.
CLEARLAKE
All city boat launches remain closed.
Lakeshore Drive between Lower Lakeshore Drive and Kings Lane is closed to traffic due to sewage spill and heavy equipment in the area. Use alternative routes.
Lakeshore Drive between Howard Avenue and Alvita Avenue has water partially blocking lanes. There is no traffic control in this area at this time. Use extreme caution and reduce speed.
CLEARLAKE OAKS
High Valley Road: Road conditions from Brassfield Winery to Bartlett Springs Road are unknown at this time.
Island Drive: Closed from Highway 20 to the bridge due to flooding.
Keys Boulevard: Closed due to flooding.
Lake Street: Closed due to flooding.
Old Long Valley Road: Open with slide activity.
Widgeon Way: Closed from the Plaza to Shady Lane due to tree across the roadway.
COBB
Maple Shadows: Closed at the south end from Highway 175 to Parnassus due to culvert failure.
Socrates Mine Road: Road slip out at MPM 3.8. Down to one lane in this area.
KELSEYVILLE
Bell Hill Road: Closed at Adobe Creek low water crossing.
Park Drive: Closed to through traffic due to flooding.
LAKEPORT (CITY)
All city boat launches remain closed.
Library Park continues to be closed due to the extreme danger and flood conditions.
City parking lots at Third Street, Fourth Street and Fifth Street are closed.
– Esplanade Street. – K Street. – Konocti Avenue. – Lupoyoma Avenue. – Helena Avenue. – Lily Cove Avenue. – Oak Knoll Avenue. – E Street. – Martin Street from N. Forbes Street to Russell Street.
Giselman Street from Lakeshore Boulevard to Sayre Street: Closed due to flooding. A detour has been set up: Northbound traffic will use Green Street to Sayer Street to Giselman Street, southbound traffic will use Giselman Street to Sayer Street to Green Street. Please drive with caution on these streets as there will be school children using them.
Lakeshore Boulevard: Closed to all traffic from Giselman to the north city limit boundary at Beach Lane. Lakeshore Boulevard across from Jones Street appears to be undermined and may be structurally unsafe. Avoid the area.
Royale Avenue: Closed to all vehicles at Pike Drive.
LAKEPORT
Hill Road: Closed between Sutter Lakeside Hospital entrance and Lakeshore Boulevard due to mudslides across the roadway.
Lakeshore Boulevard: Closed from Park Way to Alterra Drive due to flooding.
Lakeshore Boulevard: Closed from Park Way to 2,500 feet north due to flooding and a power pole leaning into the roadway.
Reeves Lane: Closed at Land’s End due to flooding.
LOWER LAKE
Morgan Valley Road: Closed at the Lake/Napa line due to numerous trees and mud slides on the Napa County side.
NICE
Lakeshore Boulevard: Closed from Stokes Avenue to Carson Street due to flooding.
Nice-Lucerne Cutoff: Closed due to flooding.
Stokes Avenue: Closed from Stokes Court to Nice-Lucerne Cutoff due to flooding.
UPPER LAKE
Bartlett Springs Road: Closed at MPM 18.0 due to mudslide.
Elk Mountain Road: Roadway closed at MPM 29.6 due to road washout. No estimate of when road will be reopened.
Laurel Dell Road: Currently open with closure pending due to flooding.
COLUSA COUNTY
Highway 20: One-way controlled traffic from 5.5 miles east of the junction of Highway 16 to “E” Street in Williams due to flooding.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Saturday, Feb. 18, the Clear Lake Cardinals hosted this year’s Boy’s Coastal Mountain Conference (CMC) Championship Wrestling Tournament.
The top three placers in each weight division advance to the Boy’s North Coast Sections (NCS) Championships.
The Cardinals entered three wrestlers into the CMC tournament and one advanced.
Ozod Ermatov (138 lbs.) won the bronze medal and the chance to advance to the NSC tournament on Feb. 24.
A senior, first year wrestler and foreign exchange student, Ermatov gave it everything he had.
In his first match he would fall to the No. 1 seed, eventual champion and outstanding middleweight wrestler from Kelseyville.
Then, Ermatov would come back in a hard-fought decision battle to beat the No. 3 seed from Willits and win the bronze medal.
Frankie Sturr (126 lbs.), another senior and first-year wrestler, won fourth place, just short of advancing to the NCS tournament.
Sturr had some tough matches along the way and some very questionable calls, but he fought to the end of each match.
First up Sturr would fall to the No. 2 seed from Willits. After having him flat on his back, it was not to go Sturr’s way.
Still bound and determined even after injuring his knee in the previous match, Sturr continued on to pin his next opponent from Kelseyville, in another physical match. Then, in one more exciting battle, Sturr would fall to the eventual bronze medalist from Lower Lake.
After missing his weight, Freshman Thomas Lairson decided to wrestle up at (132 lbs.). He gave it all he had, but was just too much to overcome.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Bonnie left us after 95 years of loving kindness and community activity, including California Senior Legislature, Board of Nice Water Co., Board of Lucerne Senior Center, Board of North Coast Opportunities, awarded Star of Lake County in 1999 and many years at the Nice office of Noble Realty.
Her son Bryant C. Blewett joined her on Jan. 24, 2017.
Bonnie is survived by her loving husband, Glenn; two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; two stepchildren and four step-grandchildren; and 9 step-great-grandchildren.
A celebration of Bonnie’s life will be announced at a later date.
Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Sen. Mike McGuire is helping to lead the way on a new Senate Environmental Protection Legislative Package introduced to shield California from potential harmful changes in federal law.
California is home to 45 million acres of federal Wildlands which feature millions of acres of forest, scenic rivers and watersheds – which is the drinking source for millions of residents – open spaces and the rugged California coast.
“The threat from the Trump Administration to our federal public lands is real and the consequences are great if the state doesn’t advance proactive policies to protect the Golden State’s treasured natural resources,” Sen. Mike McGuire said. “Our federal Wildlands and National Parks are America’s gathering grounds, our nation’s backyard. These bills will help protect the 45 million acres of federal lands that exist in California from devastating strip mines along with invasive oil and gas drilling.”
Sen. McGuire represents seven counties in Northern California, including Lake, with 3.3 million acres of federal lands exist in the North Coast district.
The North Coast has, in fact, more federal lands than any other area in California, McGuire said.
These public lands protect sensitives species, are valuable for carbon sequestration, are a source of drinking water and are one of the largest economic drivers for rural communities thanks to the tourism they draw.
“California has the most to lose under the dangerous policies of President Trump,” McGuire said.
McGuire also pointed out that 45.8 million acres – or 45 percent – of California is federal land.
Additional details related to the legislative package can be found below. In the press conference video above, McGuire speaks at the 11:30 mark.
PROPOSAL DETAILS
SB 49: The California Environmental Defense Act
· Makes current federal clean air, climate, clean water, worker safety, and endangered species standards enforceable under state law, even if the federal government rolls back and weakens those standards.
· Directs state environmental, public health, and worker safety agencies to take all actions within their authorities to ensure standards in effect and being enforced today continue to remain in effect.
· Federal laws in these areas set “baselines,” but allow states to adopt more stringent standards. This bill simply ensures CA does not backslide as a result of rollbacks and damage done by the new regime in Washington DC.
· In 2003, when the Bush Administration attempted to enact similar rollbacks of federal clean air standards, the Legislature passed SB 288 (Chapter 476 statutes of 2003), the Protect CA Air Act. This measure builds on that platform.
SB 50: The Public Lands Protection Act
· This measure establishes a new state policy to discourage conveyances of federal lands to private developers for resource extraction and directs the state Lands Commission, which oversees much of the federal lands in the state, to establish a right of first refusal by the state of any federal lands proposed for sale or conveyance to other parties.
· In doing so, this measure would ensure (a) that the state reviews any transactions involving federal lands here in CA to ensure those lands are protected, and (b) where feasible, important lands are protected via state action.
SB 51: The Whistleblower and Public Data Protection Act
· Attorneys, engineers, scientists and other professionals working for federal agencies are often licensed to practice in California. US EPA attorneys and scientists who report cover ups, destruction of information, or other wrongdoing may have federal whistleblower protection but could still lose their professional certifications under California law.
· This measure would ensure federal employees do not lose state licensure for revealing violations of law, unethical actions or dangers to public health and safety. It also would direct state environmental and public health agencies to protect any information or data under state law, even if parties in Washington DC order their censorship or destruction.
· In 2003, the Legislature passed a similar law to provide state whistleblower protections (see AB 2713 of 2002). That bill was vetoed by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Salvation Army has started a meal service at the emergency evacuation center for Lake County residents who have been affected by the flooding.
A team from The Salvation Army Napa Corps will provide meal service and spiritual support at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lakeport, 1111 Park Way.
Local Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services management plans for meals to be served through Monday afternoon, and staff will continue to assess if further assistance will be needed for the foreseeable future.
Monetary donations are only needed at this time. The Salvation Army uses 100-percent of disaster donations in support of local disaster relief operations.
To give, visit www.gosalarmy.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769) and designate “Disaster Services.”
Donations by mail may be designated “Disaster Services” and sent to: The Salvation Army, PO Box 348000, Sacramento, CA 95834.
In-kind donations are not currently being accepted outside the disaster area. However, these gifts are vitally important to your local Salvation Army. To give items locally, visit www.SATruck.com or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Alberta Celia Mills passed away at her home the morning of Feb. 13, 2017, at the age of 79 surrounded by her family.
Her husband of 63 years, David Mills, sat beside Alberta with his hand in hers, thankful for a lifetime shared.
Her children, Mark, Tamah and Rena, sang to her as she ended her race.
As a testament to her influence and dedication to her family, many of her 16 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren were with her at the end of this life and the start of the next.
Two of her other children, Marsha and Malcom, waited to greet her in heaven when she drew her last breath, and together now enjoy an eternity free of fear, pain and loss.
Alberta lived her life according to three principles: faith, family and fervency. Her foundation in Jesus Christ, dedication to her family, and the fervency in which she devoted her thoughts to these principles spread like wildfire through those she encountered.
Her impact as a mentor, mother, teacher and friend can still be felt throughout her sphere of influence. Her sagacity and apologetics guided pastors, community leaders, educators, and missionaries in their ministries and occupations, and her words continue to guide her family in their walk with God.
Though fiery and fiercely protective of her family, Alberta and Dave’s home had an open door policy for those who needed prayer, a meal or simply an ear to listen.
Despite the hardships and loss she endured throughout her life, Alberta’s three principles still resonate in the lives of her family and friends, and though she has passed on, her legacy continues in profound and influential ways.
On Saturday, March 4, at Grace Church in Kelseyville, there will be a celebration of life service for Alberta starting at 10 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, David requests that donations be made to any of Alberta’s favorite ministries: Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), CBN/700 Club or Voice of the Martyrs.
Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – On Saturday, Feb. 25, the docents and volunteers of the Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum welcome Richard Schmidt, award-winning artist and author, to the latest “Living History Day.”
The event takes place from noon to 2 p.m. at the stage stop, located at 9921 State Highway 281 (Soda Bay Road) in Kelseyville, near the Clear Lake Riviera, just north of Highway 29 at Kit's Corner.
Admission is free and refreshments are furnished by the Ely volunteers. As always, donations are gratefully accepted.
Schmidt, a longtime resident of Lake County, will share some readings and stories of local interest.
On the fourth Saturday of each month local historians come to the Ely Stage Stop to visit with guests and answer questions regarding different aspects of Lake County history.
The visits are video recorded, preserving the stories of Lake County's history for future generations.
