Tuesday, 25 February 2025

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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake Police Department is urging citizens to be aware that scammers are targeting the 707 area code with fraudulent Social Security calls.

As part of the con, scammers try to convince you to give up personal information, like Social Security numbers and bank account numbers, over the phone.

Alternately, a caller claims to be from “SSA headquarters” and asks you to confirm personal information, such as an SSN, "new" Medicare number, address and date of birth.

Many of these calls are “robocalls” or automated calls. In one robocall version of the scam, an automated recording declares that your Social Security number “has been suspended for suspicion of illegal activity,” and advises to contact a specific phone number immediately.

The robocall or caller may also warn that if you don’t call back, your assets or benefits will be frozen until your alleged issue is resolved.

“We want to warn the public to be cautious and to avoid providing information such as your Social Security number or bank account numbers to unknown persons over the phone or internet unless you are certain of who is receiving it,” said Clearlake City Manager Greg Folsom. “I and several other city staff members recently received calls from these scammers and they can sound fairly legitimate as they threaten to cut off your benefits.”

Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White added, “Be aware of suspicious calls from unknown sources, and when in doubt, contact the official entity to verify the legitimacy of the call.”

The Social Security Administration advises that if you receive a suspicious call from someone alleging to be from that agency, report that information to the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General at 800-269-0271.
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From left to right, Wine and Chocolate Committee member Flora Krasnovsky, quilter Susan Blair, Susan Cameron and Wine and Chocolate Committee member Gail Salituri on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, with a quilt donated by Blair for the Wine and Chocolate event on Saturday, February 2, 2019, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Volunteers and staff with the Lake Family Resource Center are in the final busy weeks of preparations for the “Wine and Chocolate” fundraiser, which supports the center’s many important social programs.

The 12th Wine and Chocolate will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, at Mt. Konocti Winery and Event Center, 2550 Big Valley Road, between Kelseyville and Lakeport.

As of Thursday, 20 wineries had signed on to participate, with 11 local restaurants to provide the “bites,” organizers reported. Two local breweries also will be pouring beer.

Sommelier Stephanie Green will once again offer a wine sensory class and there also will be olive oil tasting, plus raffles and an auction featuring a wide variety of items, from art to wine to gift certificates.

It’s a party with a cause, offering critical support for programs that assist Lake County’s most vulnerable, according to Lake Family Resource Center Executive Director Lisa Morrow.

The event wasn’t held last year. It was initially rescheduled from its normal February time frame to March 17 by then-Executive Director Jennifer Dodd. Four days before the event date, Dodd announced that Wine and Chocolate was being canceled, offering no explanation as to why.

The cancellation was greeted with dismay by community members, who have come to enjoy the event’s mix of local food and wine that directly benefits important services for area residents.

Morrow, who took over as Lake Family Resource Center’s executive director in April, said Wine and Chocolate is a significant fundraiser for the organization, annually raising between $20,000 and $25,000, and welcoming between 450 and 600 people.

“Not having it hurt quite a bit,” said Morrow.

Under Morrow’s leadership, Lake Family Resource Center moved forward with bringing Wine and Chocolate back.

Morrow said the reception she’s received regarding reintroducing Wine and Chocolate has been very positive.

Heading up the seven-member committee that’s guiding the event are Gail Salituri and Flora Krasnovsky, who both have longtime associations with Lake Family Resource Center, as both are former board members. In addition, Salituri, a well-known artist, has aided the event for years by donating a large amount of artwork.

They said that, in July, the volunteers and staff kicked off the planning meetings for this year’s event, an effort which was slowed a bit when, two weeks later, the Mendocino Complex began. Meetings continued but picked up steam in the fall, once the fire danger was past.

Salituri and Krasnovsky have been joined in their efforts by Barbara Szal, who has helped bring in more sponsors and donations.

On Tuesday, as Krasnovsky, Morrow and Salituri met at Lake Family Resource Center’s Kelseyville offices, local resident Susan Cameron and Susan Blair of Santa Rosa stopped by to donate a quilt made by Blair that shows Clear Lake and Mt. Konocti.

New this year is the sponsor room. So far 10 tables have been sold in that room, with more tickets available, Morrow said.

Morrow said there is less than 10 percent overhead, so that 90 percent of event proceeds go to support all of the center’s programs.

Lake Family Resource Center’s programs include its Freedom House domestic violence shelter and the domestic violence assistance program, teen parenting, differential response/child abuse prevention intervention and treatment, rape crisis services, behavioral health services, Early Head Start, housing stability and transitional housing, Cal-Hope and business services for other small nonprofits.

Donations will be accepted through the weekend. Call the center at 707-279-0563 for more information.

Presale tickets are $60 per person, with tickets at the door costing $70 each.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Lake Family Resource Center Web site.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.m. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. – A Clearlake man believed to have been responsible for a December armed robbery in Mendocino County has been arrested on weapons charges.

Brian Craig Cresci, 39, was arrested Thursday morning, according to a report from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, which was assisted in its investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Clearlake Police Department.

Mendocino County Sheriff’s Sgt. Andrew Porter said that late in December the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office was summoned to a reported robbery of approximately 40 pounds of processed marijuana from a resident of Redwood Valley.

During the investigation it was determined that Cresci was responsible for the robbery at gunpoint. This was Mendocino County Sheriff's Office case #2018-37387, Porter said.

Detectives from the Mendocino Marijuana Enforcement Team were able to obtain a search warrant for Cresci's residence, located in the 3900 block of Villa Avenue in Clearlake, Porter said.

Due to the nature of the crime and the fact that Cresci is a convicted felon, Porter said the Lake County Sheriff's Office SWAT team conducted the primary service of the warrant, supported by the Clearlake Police Department and detectives from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

During the service of the search warrant Mendocino County Sheriff’s detectives located ammunition and firearm accessories, including several high capacity magazines, Porter said.

Due to Cresci's status as a convicted felon, he was subsequently arrested by Mendocino County Sheriff’s detectives for the charges of felon in possession of ammunition and possession of high capacity magazines. Porter said Cresci was booked into the Lake County Jail where he was to be held in lieu of $15,000 bail.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office thanked the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Clearlake Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.

Anyone with knowledge of this investigation or the prior robbery investigation are encouraged to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office by calling the Sheriff's Office tip line at 707-234-2100 or the WE-TIP anonymous crime reporting hotline at 800-732-7463.
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Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced that two amendments he offered to H.R. 268, the Disaster Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019, passed the House on Wednesday afternoon.

The first amendment would increase funding by $50 million for the Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Fund, or CDF, program to assist with unmet recovery needs from the 2017 fires.

The second amendment would allow emergency funding in the underlying bill to be used to assist grapegrowers whose crops were damaged by smoke from the 2018 wildfires.

“People who have survived devastating disasters, like the fires our district has endured over the last several years, deserve to know their government is fighting to help them recover. That’s why I was proud that my amendments to provide critical disaster relief passed the House today,” said Thompson. “These amendments will provide for increased funding to meet outstanding needs after the 2017 fires in our community and assist our agriculture community. My fight continues to secure every federal dollar and resource to help our community rebuild.”

The underlying disaster bill to which Thompson’s amendments were offered now heads to the Senate for consideration.

You can click here to read Thompson’s amendment regarding increased CDF funding and you can click here to read Thompson’s amendment regarding damaged crops.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council heard the latest from city staff about its efforts moving forward to collect taxes from vacation rental owners who advertise on the Internet.

At the June 10 meeting, Assistant City Manager Alan Flora gave the council an update on the city’s collection in this new year of transient occupancy tax – or bed tax – and assessments for the new tourism district assessments.

He said the city collects a 9 percent transient occupancy, or TOT, tax. This year, thanks to the formation of the new tourism improvement district, another 1.5 percent will be collected. Those funds will be dedicated to marketing Lake County as a destination.

The city can retain 2 percent of what it collects to cover administrative costs. Flora said the tourism improvement district’s first year budget is $170,000. City Manager Greg Folsom sits on the district’s board.

Flora said in this year’s budget the city anticipated $285,000 in TOT tax. In the 2017-18 fiscal year, it took in $330,000.

The data showed a significant spike in TOT tax for the city in the 2015-16 fiscal year, with the total amount at just over $350,000.

“It is good to see the increase,” said Flora, adding that year’s TOT spike was due to the disasters in Lake County.

He said the city expects to the actual TOT income in this fiscal year to also be about $350,000.

Flora then updated the council about the city’s new approach to collecting TOT tax for short-term vacation rentals of 30 days or less – which normally are houses but could be just a room in a house – that are commonly used by tourists or vacationers.

He said they’re rented through a third party such as AirBNB, VRBO and FlipKey. Many of those vendors don’t require operators to collect the TOT tax that needs to be charged.

“That has changed somewhat,” said Flora, noting that some of those companies have agreements with jurisdictions for TOT collection, but it’s not a universal practice.

AirBNB, Flora explained, doesn’t disclose addresses until someone makes a booking, which makes it quite difficult to determine exactly where they are located and who owns them.

He said city code requires TOT collection for any location occupied for less than 30 days for lodging, including campgrounds. However, very few are paying.

Flora said city staff did some research and identified 16 listings and 10 owners. Another 10 listings have eight owners who aren’t identified.

On Jan. 1, the city sent out letters to the 16 identified vacation rental operators notifying them that they are required to pay both the TOT and tourism improvement district assessment going forward. Flora said the rentals listed online range from $53 a night for an apartment to more than $400, and many are on the lakeshore.

Councilman Dirk Slooten asked if the city requires a permit for them to operate. Flora said they are required to have a city business license.

Flora said staff is crafting a whole section of new city could specific to this type of use. The city currently doesn’t have a way to regulate them but expects to have that with zoning ordinance update.

Councilman Russell Cremer asked how the city is enforcing it now. Flora said they’re not.

He said that the city sent out the Jan. 1 courtesy letter, and will send a followup letter informing them of penalties and interest in February if there isn’t compliance. Penalties, interest, fines and retroactive TOT may be applied.

Flora said that, with the average listing renting for $140 a night, they’re expecting potential TOT revenue of more than $71,000 for all 26 listings and a little under $50,000 for the 16 sites for which the information letters were issued.

Clearlake resident Henry Bornstein, a member of the board of Highlands Harbor Community Association, said they have had plenty of problems with vacation rentals in their area, recounting young people in huge boats racing up and down the creek.

“If you want to know where they are, we can tell you,” Bornstein said.

New District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier said he calculated that the city of Clearlake alone would generate about $60,000 for the tourism improvement district.

Sabatier said he appreciated the tone of the letter from the city to vacation rental owners, noting that it offers a clean slate moving forward.

In other business, the council approved its 11th agreement with a cannabis business. The agreement is for Brian Galperin’s proposed cannabis manufacturing operations for Bliss X at 14915 Olympic Drive.

The council also rejected an offer in compromise to satisfy the abatement lien on 3800 Howard Ave. The owner, who said he purchased the property at a tax sale unaware that there was a large lien against it, asked for a 50-percent reduction, which would have had him pay $2,250.

The council also received a $49,826 check from Kin Ong, deputy general manager of the Public Agency Risk Sharing Authority of California; City Clerk Melissa Swanson went over with the new council norms and procedures; the council approved the mayor’s appointments for the year and appointed Sabatier and community member Sheryl Almon to the Measure V Oversight Committee; and adopted the recognized obligation payments schedule for the Clearlake Redevelopment Successor Agency.

City Attorney Ryan Jones said there is no reportable action from closed session to discuss labor and property negotiations.

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. – Wednesday’s brutal winter storm, which combined high winds and heavy rain, resulted in dozens of downed trees, arcing power lines, power outages impacting thousands of residents and flooded streets.

Throughout the day and into the night, authorities responded to trees that fell and blocked roads or went into power lines, and flooding city and county roadways, among the myriad of emergency reports.

As of 2 a.m. Thursday, National Weather Service observation stations reported 24-hour rainfall totals ranging from just over an inch an a half at Indian Valley Reservoir to just below 2 inches in Upper Lake, 2.26 inches in Lakeport, 3 inches in Kelseyville and Hidden Valley Lake, 3.33 inches in Lower Lake and 5.85 inches in the Boggs Mountain State Demonstration Forest.

Those rainfall totals helped the depth of Clear Lake rise by about half a foot to 2.89 feet Rumsey – the special measure for Clear Lake – by 2 a.m. Thursday. A full lake is 7.56 feet Rumsey.

The heavy rain generated a number of dangers throughout the day, one of them being stressed and falling trees.

On Wednesday shortly before 3 p.m., firefighters responded to a report of a tree that fell on a home in the area of Pine Summit and Gifford Springs in Cobb. The two residents and their pets were reported to need temporary housing due to the damage to their home, according to radio reports.

With the soils already saturated before Wednesday’s storm, across the south county predominantly, there were numerous reports of downed trees.

On Highway 29 in the area of Manning Flats near Lower Lake on Wednesday night, a tree was reported to have fallen on a vehicle. Firefighters at the scene reported it was a noninjury incident.

The storm’s main impacts were power outages impacting about 4,500 customers in the Clearlake, Clearlake Highlands and Middletown areas, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Some south county residents reported on Wednesday night that their power had come back on, but the PG&E outage maps indicated some outages remained in effect overnight, including one in the Kelseyville area that impacted 335 customers.

The storm conditions were reported to have caused a severe washout on Bottle Rock Road and Highway 175 near Kelseyville. There also were reported to be numerous trees and other debris across the road, based on radio reports.

The California Highway Patrol reported several other road closures on Wednesday night, including Highway 175 from mile marker 17.1 to 17.6, in the area of Adams Springs Road near Loch Lomond, which was closed due to downed power lines, as well as Soda Bay Road at the Lake County Waste Solutions transfer station, where flooding was occuring; at Bell Hill Road and Adobe Creek; and Clark at Gaddy Lane.

On Wednesday night, the city of Lakeport reported that some city streets were flooded and closed, including Martin Street between Forbes and Russell streets, Hartley and 16th Street, and Lakeshore Boulevard from Green to Sayer.

Pictures posted online by residents showed flooded streets in those same areas as well as water extending close to the Lakeport Elementary School.

The National Weather Service’s forecast for Lake County calls for rain to continue through Sunday night, at which point there is expected to be a break in the weather continuing until midweek.

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. – Caltrans urges motorists to be prepared and use caution when driving this winter.

Taking action and being proactive can help reduce the risk of injury and even death on the highways during the upcoming storm.

Operators of vehicles must use their best judgment in all types of weather.

Before traveling, Caltrans recommends checking weather and road conditions. Caltrans QuickMap is an online resource with real-time traffic flow information, chain control alerts, and closure information. It is available at http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ or as a Google and Apple app. Motorists can also call 511 or the Caltrans Highway Information Network at 1-800-427-7623 for travel information.

Live traffic cameras can also be useful to check conditions before traveling and are available at http://www.dot.ca.gov/video/ .

Winter driving tips:

– Reduce your speed to match driving conditions and allow more time to reach your destination. – Know that bridges and ramps may be more slippery than the roadway.
– Keep your fuel tank full. Bad weather may cause long delays or closures.
– Turn on your headlights to see and be seen. Be observant and maintain a safe distance behind snow removal equipment. Do not pass snow plows unless directed to do so.
– When driving in fog, reduce your speed and use headlights on low-beam along with fog lights. – Stay to the right along the white edge line and never stop in the road. If visibility is not adequate, pull off of the roadway when safe to do so.
– Do not drive through flooded areas. Safely turn around and find another route.
– If you start sliding on snow or ice, slowly take your foot off the gas pedal and steer in the direction you wish to travel. Do not lock your brakes. Pump the brakes if needed, or apply steady pressure if your vehicle is equipped with anti-lock brakes.
– Don’t use cruise control.
– Avoid in-car distractions while driving.
– If you are stalled, activate your hazard signals and stay with your vehicle. Conserve fuel by periodically turning your engine on and off while maintaining warmth, but be aware of possible exhaust and carbon monoxide issues.
– If you approach an emergency, maintenance, or any other vehicle stopped on the side of the road, move over when safe to do so or slow down.

Be prepared. The following actions can help prevent vehicle failures and help if you become stranded:

– Winterize your vehicle. Make sure your brakes, windshield wipers, heater/defroster, and exhaust system are in good working order. Make sure fluids are topped-off, especially windshield washer fluid.
– Make sure your tires are properly inflated and always carry tire chains.
– Pack an emergency kit in your vehicle with the following items: flashlight, blankets, extra clothing, water, snacks, towel, gloves, ice scraper, shovel, broom, sand, and carry a spare key on your person in case you lock yourself out of your vehicle.

All vehicles, including those with four-wheel drive or snow tires, should carry chains when traveling in snowy weather. Highway signs and QuickMap will indicate when chains are required, and drivers must stop and install chains. Motorists should pull off the roadway completely to install chains. If you need help, chain installers may be available to assist for a fee.

Please note, chain installers are not Caltrans employees. They are independent business people who are licensed to install chains. Once chains are installed, obey the speed limit of 25 or 30 miles per hour, posted at various locations.

Chain control information:

R-1: Chains, traction devices or snow tires with proper tread depth of 6/32” are required on the drive axle of all vehicles except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles.

R-2: Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels. (NOTE: Four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles must carry traction devices in chain control areas.)

R-3: Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no exceptions. (NOTE: R-1 and R-2 are the most common chain controls. The highway will usually be closed before an R-3 control is imposed).

For more information on winter driving, chain controls, and additional resources, visit http://www.dot.ca.gov/cttravel/winter.html.

Caltrans’ “Weathering the Storm” winter driving tips brochure is available at http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/winter_driving2015.pdf.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service said more rain is expected this weekend before a clear and sunny new week arrives.

The series of storms that just passed over Lake County dropped a large amount of rain, according to the National Weather Service.

The agency’s observation stations reported the following 48-hour rainfall totals, through 12:30 a.m. Friday:

– Bartlett Springs: 3.6 inches.
– Boggs Mountain: 7.01 inches.
– Colusa County line: 2.51 inches.
– Hidden Valley Lake: 4.11 inches.
– Indian Valley Reservoir: 1.68 inches.
– Kelseyville: 3.54 inches.
– Lakeport: 2.71 inches.
– Lower Lake: 3.79 inches.
– Lyons Valley: 2.75 inches.
– Soda Creek (near Lake Pillsbury): 3.36 inches.
– Upper Lake: 2.55 inches.
– Whispering Pines: 5.4 inches.

Forecasters said smaller amounts of rain are expected on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday is supposed to be mostly sunny, with warmer conditions also predicted on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Nighttime temperatures will dip into the low 30s while daytime temperatures are forecast to rise into the mid 60s, the National Weather Service reported.

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. – A “point-in-time” count of Lake County’s homeless is planned for Tuesday, Jan. 22.

The count will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at numerous locations around Lake County.

The Lake County Continuum of Care for the prevention of homelessness, or CoC, will carry out the county.

The CoC is a partnership of private and public agencies that strive to improve services for individuals and families who are homeless or are at risk of losing their housing.

The CoC’s goal is to decrease incidences of homelessness and the associated impact on the individual, their family and community.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development requires all homeless continuums to conduct a point-in-time count of homeless individuals/families during a specified week each year.

Site teams and mobile teams, composed of community volunteers and agency representatives, will be canvasing the community, and stationed at the following sites:

– Clearlake: La Voz de Esperanza, 14585 Suite B Olympic Drive.
– Clearlake Oaks: Big Oak Peer Support Center, Big Oak Shopping Center, 13300 East Highway 20, Suite O.
– Kelseyville: Lake Family Resource Center, 5350 Main St.
– Lakeport: The Harbor Youth Resource Center, 150 S. Main St.
– Lucerne: Lucerne Community Church, 5870 State Highway 20.
– Middletown: United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 15833 Armstrong St.

These sites will be offering flu shots, coats and cold weather items, and a warm place to escape the cold. Each person who is homeless and completes the survey will be given a bag of socks, hygiene supplies, and other items.

The survey will:

– Establish a count of homeless families/individuals on this day in time that will allow Lake County to be eligible for federal funding through HUD and other agencies for housing-related programs and support services.

– Results will provide a base for planning services to meet the needs of those who are homeless in Lake County.

If you know someone who is homeless, direct them to a member of the survey team at one of the survey sites on Jan. 22. All survey information is confidential and personal information will not be shared.
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NASA is focusing on its return to the moon. Photo courtesy of NASA.


The moon is a fundamental part of Earth’s past and future – an off-world location that may hold valuable resources to support space activity and scientific treasures that may tell us more about our own planet.

Americans first walked on its surface almost 50 years ago, but the next wave of lunar exploration will be fundamentally different.

Through an innovative combination of missions involving commercial and international partners, NASA’s robotic lunar surface missions will begin as early as 2020, focus on scientific understanding of lunar resources, and prepare the lunar surface for a sustained human presence, to include the use of lunar oxygen and hydrogen for future lunar vehicles.

The lunar surface will also serve as a crucial training ground and technology demonstration test site where we will prepare for future human missions to Mars and other destinations.

Since the beginning of its mission, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has imaged objects impacting the surface of the moon.

Such observations are of interest scientifically since they allow NASA to test and constrain models used to understand how water and other volatiles may be transported to the permanently shadowed craters near the lunar poles.

In the coming months, the first Israeli spacecraft will land on the Moon, and partnership with NASA has helped make this possible.

NASA will not only help with observations from LRO and communications support during the mission, but has also developed a laser retroreflector that will fly onboard the Israeli lander.

This past month, NASA held discussions with the China National Space Administration, or CNSA, to explore the possibility of observing a signature of the landing plume of their lunar lander, Chang’e 4, using LRO’s LAMP instrument.

For a number of reasons, NASA was not able to phase LRO’s orbit to be at the optimal location during the landing, however NASA was still interested in possibly detecting the plume well after the landing. Science gathered about how lunar dust is ejected upwards during a spacecraft’s landing could inform future missions and how they arrive on the lunar surface.

Since the Chinese landing, LRO instruments have been collecting data that are currently being analyzed.

LRO is expected to image the Chang’e 4 landing site on Jan. 31 in a manner similar to what was done on Chang’e 3.

NASA and CNSA have agreed that any significant findings resulting from this coordination activity will be shared with the global research community at the 56th session of the Scientific and Technology Subcommittee meeting of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space meeting in Vienna, Austria, Feb. 11 to 22.

All NASA data associated with this activity are publicly available. In accordance with Administration and Congressional guidance, NASA’s cooperation with China is transparent, reciprocal and mutually beneficial.

On the commercial side, NASA announced in November that nine U.S. companies are now eligible to bid on NASA delivery services to the lunar surface. These companies will develop and build robotic landers that will carry NASA and other customer’s payloads to the lunar surface.

As NASA works toward its plan to sustainably return to the Moon, it will be critical to collaborate with both commercial and international partners along the way. This approach will enable human expansion across the solar system and bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities.

To learn more, visit www.nasa.gov/moon-to-mars .
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Christopher Shaver has been named the new Public Works director for the city of Clearlake, Calif. He will take over the role after Director Doug Herren retires at the end of March 2019. Courtesy photo.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The city of Clearlake has selected its new Public Works director.

Christopher Shaver started work this week at the side of current Public Works Director Doug Herren.

Herren is planning to retire from the city of Clearlake at the end of March and Shaver will be working alongside him for the next few months in order to get up to speed on the numerous projects that are in the planning stages in Clearlake.

Shaver began his career in public service working for the city of Lancaster in Housing and Code Enforcement with the goal of building strong community ties and increasing property values neighborhood by neighborhood.

He also worked for several counties – Lake, Mendocino and Humboldt – where he used his administrative experience to manage projects, budgets and people for the betterment of the counties.

In Lake County, as a deputy county administrative officer, Shaver moved several important projects forward, such as the Clearlake Oaks Senior Center and the rehabilitation of the Lucerne Hotel.

In Mendocino, as a deputy county executive officer, he worked on the reorganization of fleet and facilities, which resulted in improved customer service, fleet standardization and the completion of many backlogged deferred maintenance projects.

In Humboldt, while working in the County Administrative Office, Shaver prepared and managed the county budget, financial forecasts and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements.

Shaver served in the US Army as an enlisted soldier in the 101st Airborne Division and as a commissioned officer in the US Army Reserve.

He has an MBA from the University of La Verne and a BA from UC Berkeley.

“We are very excited about the hiring of Christopher Shaver to become our new Public Works Director,” Clearlake City Manager Greg Folsom said. “He brings a lot of management and project experience that we need to continue the improvements we are making in Clearlake.”

Folsom added, “There are a lot of exciting projects that will be happening with Public Works this year as we move forward in making infrastructure improvements throughout the city. Doug Herren has been a great Director and we will miss him when he is gone, but we are fortunate that Mr. Shaver will be able to work with Mr. Herren for a few months to create a seamless transition.”
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department and Lake County Behavioral Health have entered a formal partnership to allow crisis staff to work directly with police officers in the field and at the police station.

Last year, the Lakeport City Council and Lake County Board of Supervisors authorized an agreement between the Lakeport Police Department and Lake County Behavioral Health Services to allow the agencies to work together in crisis response.

Starting this month, Behavioral Health crisis staff will be working out of the police station and with police officers in the field, according to Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.

Rasmussen said this agreement is part of a collaborative spirit between the two agencies and expected to help them provide better service to those in need of Behavioral Health assistance.

“Many of our police calls for service involve persons in need of behavioral health assistance,” Rasmussen said. “Although police officers do have special training in responding to persons in need of behavioral health care, this partnership will be valuable in providing more expertise and faster response to those persons in need.”

Lake County statistics show that approximately 60 percent of behavioral health clients have initial contact with law enforcement prior to being escorted to the hospital emergency departments, Rasmussen said.

With crisis staff housed at the Lakeport Police Department, this will allow them to be available to go out into the community with crisis and welfare checks coming in through police dispatch, Rasmussen explained.

Rasmussen added, “This allows a team of law enforcement personnel and Behavioral Health specialists to respond together, providing an invaluable blend of skills and techniques to use in crisis situations that ensure the utmost quality of services to the client while providing safety for law enforcement and Behavioral Health staff.”





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