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NORTH COAST, Calif. – A single-vehicle crash on Sunday evening near Ukiah claimed the life of a Lakeport man and seriously injured his passenger.

The California Highway Patrol’s Ukiah Area office did not release the name of the 52-year-old man pending notification of kin.

The name of his passenger, a 52-year-old Lakeport woman who sustained moderate injuries, also was not released.

The CHP said the crash occurred at 5:47 p.m. Sunday on Eastside Calpella Road south of Highway 20 East.

The report said the man was driving a 2002 BMW sedan northbound on Eastside Calpella Road when he allowed the vehicle to travel off the road’s east shoulder.

The BMW overturned and came to rest on its roof, the CHP said.

The man, who was not wearing a seat belt, died of his injuries at the scene, according to the CHP.

His female passenger, who the CHP said was using a seat belt, was transported to Ukiah Valley Medical Center.

The CHP said the crash remains under investigation, with the cause yet to be determined.

The agency said on Monday that it did not yet know if drugs and/or alcohol contributed to the fatal wreck.

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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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Firefighters on Monday held the Snell fire to no new growth and raised containment enough that evacuations were lifted.

The fire, which overnight had grown by 90 acres to 2,490 acres, stayed at that size on Monday evening, with containment growing to 45 percent, according to Cal Fire.

The fire began on Saturday afternoon in Napa County, several miles southeast of Middletown.

While it threatened 180 homes in the area – including those at Berryessa Estates subdivision – Cal Fire said no structures have been damaged or destroyed.

The situation improved to the point on Monday where all evacuations and road closures were lifted. However, Cal Fire urged residents and the public to use caution as fire crews and emergency personnel are still working in the area.

A cooling trend is in the forecast, and Cal Fire said that should help fire suppression efforts.

The resources that remain assigned to the incident include 132 engines, 20 water tenders, 31 fire crews, seven helicopters, 20 bulldozers, six air tankers and 1,234 personnel, Cal Fire reported.

Cal Fire said the Snell fire’s cause remains under investigation.

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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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Bureau of Land Management Ukiah Field Office is temporarily closing the Knoxville Management Area, within the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, due to the proximity of the Snell fire burning southeast of Middletown in Napa County.

This temporary closure includes the Knoxville Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area, Northside Staging Area, Hunting Creek Campground and the Knoxville Area of Critical Environmental Concern.

The closure is necessary to protect public land users from active wildfire, to safeguard wildland fire fighters from recreational activities and to shield natural resources that may require rehabilitation after fire suppression. These areas will remain closed to public access until further notice.

The Snell fire started on Saturday afternoon along Butts Canyon and Snell Valley roads. As of Sunday night, the fire was 2,400 acres and 20-percent contained, burning primarily in grassy oak woodlands in difficult terrain, according to Cal Fire.

Evacuations are in place and portions of Berryessa Knoxville Road and Snell Valley Road are closed. The most current information is available at http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/2244.

The Cow Mountain Recreation Area sustained heavy damage during the Mendocino Complex fire and remains closed to all access.

All public lands managed by the Ukiah Field Office are under fire restrictions, which prohibit recreational target shooting and ban all campfires and open flame. Read more at https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-ukiah-increases-fire-restrictions-limits-shooting-Aug2018.

A complete listing off all fire restrictions on BLM-managed public lands in California is available at https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/california/fire-restrictions.

For specific questions, please contact the Ukiah Field Office, Monday through Friday, at 707-468-4000.
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The cast of Shakespeare at the Lake’s “As You Like It” in rehearsal in Library Park in Lakeport, Calif., during the summer of 2018. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Shakespeare at the Lake’s production of “As You Like It,” rescheduled due to the outbreak of the Mendocino Complex fires, is back on for two free shows.

As the old saying goes, the show must go on!

Sometimes that simply means putting an understudy onstage; other times, it means postponing a show for over a month, coordinating the schedules of dozens of people, finding a new venue and, quite literally, waiting for the smoke to clear.

The mandatory evacuation order for Lakeport was issued July 28, on what would have been opening night of “As You Like It.”

Six weeks after the originally scheduled performance dates, Shakespeare at the Lake’s production of As You Like It will become Shakespeare at the Soper Reese Theatre.

While it won’t be the same as the outdoor production with Clear Lake and Mount Konocti as the backdrop, Director John Tomlinson and the cast and crew are thrilled to finally present the play to an audience and are grateful to the Soper Reese Theatre for providing a venue.

The performances will be free of charge, as originally planned, at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16.

Doors will open 30 minutes in advance for first-come, first-served seating.

Love is in the air, peace and freedom ring out. Civil rights, women’s rights, human rights; themes of unity and acceptance; themes that were explored in Shakespeare’s works, more deeply visited in the 1960s, and are reborn in new form in our time.

Shakespeare’s wit shines in the perspective we reveal in the simple changing of gender caused by a simple changing of costume. Are words different if we think a man or a woman spoke them?

Placing the story in the 1960s was inspired by the description of Duke Senior’s band of outlaws. Now banished, he lives in the forest, “and a many merry men with him…like the old Robin Hood of England.” Somehow this conjured images of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters of the 60s, at odds with the society around them, and a concept was born.

The soundtrack and other design details, once the theme was set, continued to unpack the action of this play. Characters come into focus: a couple hippies here, an acoustic guitarist and a beatnik trading songs, high 60s fashion and tie dyes, and other groovy ideas continued to make the world of the play come alive.

Cast members include Tiffany Harz as Orlando, a young nobleman; Richard Smith, as Adam, his servant; Austin Mueller, his brother Oliver; Benjamin Lopez, as Charles, a wrestler; Hayley Martin, as Celia, the daughter of Duke Frederick; and Barbara Clark, as Rosalind, the daughter of Duke Senior.

Also performing are Annie Barnes, as Touchstone, a fool; Richard Grahn, as Frederick, the new Duke; Lacey Deas, Le Beau, a courtier; Ed Borg, Senior, the old Duke; Jeffrey Schmidt, Amiens, a courtier; Diana Schmidt, Jacques, a courtier; Zack Jordan, as Sylvius, a shepherd; Ashlyn Lesch, as Phebe, a shepherdess; and Zoe Richardson, as Hymen, God of Marriage. Jenifare Martin and Benjamin Lopez are cast as the police.

Members of the chorus and stage crew include Lisa Baker, Sue Bonera, Cindy Sobel, Kaleb Sanderson, Kelly Larsen and Zoe Richardson.

Tomlinson was aided by Laura Barnes, producer; Larry Richardson, assistant director; Lizzy Wold, stage manager; Cindy Sobel, assistant stage manager; Gary Deas, master carpenter; Adam Garrett, scenic painter; Kevin Moore, lighting design; Sarah Dutra, costume design; and Nick Biondo, sound engineer.

Set construction was under the direction of Ethan Miller, Larry Richardson, Kevin Moore and Phil Blair, with painting handled by the entire cast. Poster and program design was created by Tony Novelli, Mendocino College marketing and community relations specialist.

The Lake County Friends of Mendocino College and the Lake County Theatre Co. thank their generous sponsors for making this free production possible. Major donors include the Law Office of Judy Conard, Community First Credit Union, Education Leadership Solutions, Keeling-Barnes Family Foundation, Rotary Club of Lakeport, and Tomkins Tax Consultants.

Significant contributions were made by Linda Drake, Lake County Rural Arts Initiative, Lakeport Main Street Association, Dennis Rollins and Cindy Ustrud, Smith Family Trust, Strong Financial Network, Carl E. Olson, Joan Wadhams, and the Soper Reese Theatre.

Other sponsors include Peggy Campbell, CPA, Elva Hohn, Valerie Jensen, Jimmy’s Deli and Taqueria, Bill and Colleen Kranz, Donald and Lorene McGuire, Lilia Powers, SHN Consulting Engineers and Geologists, Jim and Wilda Shock and Margaret Silveira.

In-kind support for this year’s theatrical gift to the community has been provided by BiCoastal Media, Chacewater Winery, City of Lakeport, Kelseyville Lumber Company, Lake County News, Lake County Publishing, Lake Event Design, Lakeport Police Department, Mendocino College Foundation, Inc., Mendocino College Lake Center, Middletown Mercury, Rosa d’Oro Vineyards and R Vineyards.

Concessions, including beer and wine, will be available for purchase and all proceeds benefit student scholarships and production expenses. Please join us for this groovy twist on a classic Shakespearean comedy. Tie dye and other 60s apparel is encouraged.

“I want to thank them all – cast and technicians and performers, the efforts of many community members and sponsors – the showing of support and unity each year truly make my heart swell,” said Tomlinson.

The third annual production of Shakespeare at the Lake is presented by Mendocino College Lake Center and the Lake County Theatre Co. in cooperation with the Lake County Friends of Mendocino College and the City of Lakeport.

The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport; call 707-263-0577 for more information.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – This week the Board of Supervisors will honor the Utah firefighter who lost his life last month in the Mendocino Complex, consider a new planning commission appointment and discuss continuing local emergency proclamations.

The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx . Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.

At 9:45 a.m., the board will present a proclamation honoring Draper City Fire Battalion Chief Matthew Burchett for his dedication, service and ultimate sacrifice while responding to the Ranch fire on the Mendocino Complex.

Burchett, 42, died on Aug. 13 after he was hit by a falling tree, as Lake County News has reported.

Also on Tuesday, in an untimed item, the board will consider appointing Daniel Camacho as District 4 member of the Lake County Planning Commission.

In other timed items, at 10 a.m, the board will consider continuing a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer due to the Pawnee fire incident.

That will be followed at 10:01 a.m. by consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer due to the Mendocino Complex fire and a status report on the complex.

The full agenda follows.

CONSENT AGENDA

6.1: Adopt proclamation posthumously recognizing Battalion Chief Matthew Burchett for His dedication, service, and ultimate sacrifice while responding to the Ranch fire of the Mendocino Complex.

6.2: Approve county administrative officer request for authority to contract with CPS-HR during Fiscal Year 2018-2019 for up to three executive search recruitments at a cost of $10,500 to $17,000 per recruitment plus advertising and professional fees ranging from $3,000 to $7,000.

6.3: Authorize payment of Smart Phone stipend to Nathan Spangler, River/Ranch fire recovery coordinator given the unique nature of his temporary assignment.

6.4: Approve leave of absence request for Behavioral Health Client Support Assistant Melinda Daunis from July 20, 2018, through Oct. 20, 2018, and authorize the chair to sign.

6.5: Adopt proclamation designating the month of September 2018 as Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month in Lake County.

6.6: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Willow Glen Care Center for adult residential support services and specialty mental health services for fiscal year 2018-19 for a contract maximum of $50,000 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

6.7: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve the agreement between the county of Lake and Konocti Senior Support Inc. for senior support counseling services for fiscal year 2018-19 for a contract maximum of $108,378 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

6.8: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; (b) approve the agreement between county of Lake and Kings View Corp. for MIS Support Services for fiscal year 2018-19 for a contract maximum amount of $63,360 and to authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.

6.9: Approve long distance travel for Child Support Director Gail Woodworth and Deputy Director Tammie Widener to attend the Western Interstate Support Enforcement Council Annual Training Conference Oct. 14-18, 2018 In Omaha, Neb.

6.10: (a) Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Coleman Environmental Engineering Inc., for an amount not to exceed $17,193.00, for asbestos removal and demolition of sub-standard structure located at 145 Hamilton Lane, Lakeport (APN 028-321-10 - Ashley Potter); and (b) approve agreement between the county of Lake and Coleman Environmental Engineering Inc., for an amount not to exceed $21,443.00, for asbestos removal and demolition of sub-standard structure located at 6948 Junipero Ave., Kelseyville (APN 044-372-08 - Benjamin Espinoza III); and authorize the Community Development director to sign both agreements.

6.11: Approve the school and special districts resolutions requesting the consolidation of each districts’ election with the Nov. 6, 2018, Statewide General Election.

6.12: Adopt a resolution amending Resolution No. 2018-73 establishing position allocations for Fiscal Year 2018-19, Budget Unit No. 1341, Human Resources retroactive to Aug. 30, 2018.

6.13: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District, Board of Directors, approve purchase of budgeted Vac-Con Model V311E/1300 Hydro excavating/mainline cleaning vacuum truck for LACOSAN Southeast and authorize Special Districts Administrator acting as the assistant purchasing agent to issue and sign purchase order not to exceed $476,332.

6.14: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, approve purchase of budgeted Flygt lift station pumps for LACOSAN Southeast and authorize Special Districts administrator acting as the assistant purchasing agent to issue and sign purchase order not to exceed $93,000.

6.15: Sitting as the Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, approve purchase of budgeted 317hp 460V 3 phase lift station pump for LACOSAN Southeast and authorize Special Districts administrator acting as the assistant purchasing agent to issue and sign purchase order not to exceed $100,416.

6.16: Adopt resolution temporarily authorizing a road closure, prohibiting parking and authorizing removal of vehicles and ordering the Department of Public Works to post signs in Kelseyville for the Kelseyville Pear Festival (Sept. 28 to 29, 2018).

6.17: Adopt resolution temporarily authorizing a road closure, prohibiting parking and authorizing removal of vehicles and ordering the Department of Public Works to post signs on Main Street in Kelseyville for the Kelseyville Pear Festival Farm to Fork Dinner and Street Dance (Sept. 28, 2018).

6.18: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2 as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of the goods and (b) approve purchase of budgeted SCADA system for CSA-13 Kono Tayee authorizing the Special Districts administrator acting as the assistant purchasing agent to issue and sign purchase order not to exceed $41,000.

6.19: Approve long distance travel for Invasive Species Coordinator Angela De Palma-Dow to attend the Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species in Tacoma, Washington on Oct. 24 and 25.

TIMED ITEMS

7.2, 9:06 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of September 2018 as Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month in Lake County.

7.3, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing: Consideration of a resolution to commit program income in Community Development Block Grant Agreement No. 12-CDBG-8395.

7.4, 9:45 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation posthumously recognizing Battalion Chief Matthew Burchett for his dedication, service, and ultimate sacrifice while responding to the Ranch Fire of the Mendocino Complex.

7.5, 10 a.m.: Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer due to the Pawnee fire incident.

7.6, 10:01 a.m.: (a) Consideration of continuing a proclamation of a local health emergency by the Lake County health officer due to the Mendocino Complex fire; and (b) status report on Mendocino Complex fire also known as the River and Ranch fires.

UNTIMED ITEMS

8.2: Consideration of Appointment of District 4 planning commissioner.

CLOSED SESSION

9.1:Conference with labor negotiator: (a) Chief negotiator: M. Long; County Negotiators: C. Huchingson, P. Nichols and J. Puett; and (b) employee organizations: DDAA, DSA, LCCOA, LCEA, LCSEA and LCSMA.

9.2: Public employee evaluations title: Air Pollution Control officer.

9.3: Public employee appointment Pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b)(1): Appointment of interim Public Health officer.

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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Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. has signed an executive order to safeguard California’s unique plants, animals and ecosystems which are threatened by climate change.

“The new reality of climate change requires a more thoughtful and systemic approach that considers the connections and the vast web of relationships that tie together the myriad elements of California’s ecosystems,” Gov. Brown wrote in the order.

California is home to more species of plants and animals than any other state in the country.

The deserts, forests, mountain ranges, valleys, wetlands, woodlands, rivers, estuaries, marine environments, rangelands and agricultural fields of California provide refuge for a vast array of species including approximately 650 species of birds, 220 mammals, 75 amphibians, 70 freshwater fish, over 100 marine fish and mammals and approximately 6,500 native plants – of which 2,000 or more are rare.

Together, the state’s plants and animals co-exist to create the complex ecosystems upon which so much of California’s people and economy depend.

This executive order directs the Department of Food and Agriculture and the Department of Fish and Wildlife to work together to safeguard existing plants and animals while restoring and protecting habitat across both working and wild places.

The order also establishes Sept. 7 as California Biodiversity Day each year.

The action follows steps taken earlier this year to protect the state’s biological heritage. The enacted 2018-19 state budget allocated $2.5 million to launch the California Biodiversity Initiative in partnership with tribal groups, educators and researchers, the private sector, philanthropic groups and landowners. In May, Governor Brown also recognized International Day for Biological Diversity.

The steps outlined in the executive order and complimentary California Biodiversity Initiative will improve understanding of the state’s biological richness and identify actions to preserve, manage and restore ecosystems to protect the state’s biodiversity from climate change.

The text of the executive order can be found here.
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A Mendocino National Forest fire engine and crew on the Ranch fire on Saturday, September 8, 2018. Photo courtesy of the US Forest Service.


LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – After burning for a month and a half, the Mendocino Complex continues to hold just a few percentage points from full containment.

The 459,123-acre Mendocino Complex on Monday was at 98-percent containment, where it’s remained for nearly a week, according to a report from Mendocino National Forest spokeswoman Punky Moore.

The Mendocino Complex is being managed by Southern California Interagency Incident Management Team 3, Moore said.

The Ranch fire portion of the complex, which is 410,203 acres and also 98-percent contained, is the actively burning part of the complex, Moore reported. The River fire was fully contained nearly a month ago at 48,920 acres.

Moore said firefighters are working to contain the last section of the Ranch fire, patrolling firelines and doing suppression repair.

There are 672 miles of fireline that required suppression repair work. To date, crews have completed suppression repair work on 69 percent of the fireline, Moore said.

Fire suppression repair work consists of cutting hazard trees to ensure firefighters are working in safe areas, reducing dirt berms, spreading cut vegetation and building water bars to minimize soil erosion. Moore said additional suppression repair needs are being discovered as crews continue to work around the perimeter of the fire.

On Monday, both fire camps – in Ukiah and Stonyford – were condensed into one Incident Command Post at Stonyford, where the bulk of the suppression repair work remains, the Forest Service said.

Moore explained that relocating a fire camp involves numerous moving parts: all kinds of vehicles, crew buggies, tractor trailers containing shower and food preparation units, the wiring to connect each trailer with telephones, electricity, internet, a water source, place to camp and park trailers.

The person responsible for making this move seamless is a qualified logistics chief. Moore said the logistics section can organize a small town, even if it’s temporary fire camp for 3,000 people and 300 vehicles.

The Ranch fire area on the Mendocino National Forest remains closed as described in Forest Order 08-18-15. Moore said the purpose of the closure is to provide for public safety, and for the firefighters who are engaged in fire suppression and repair efforts within the Ranch Fire closure area.

The closure area applies to all public use, including hunting, the use of firearms and off-highway vehicles. The northern half of the forest is open for outdoor activities. Forest visitors can contact the ranger station nearest their destination for current information, Moore said.

Resources assigned to the incident include 645 personnel, 14 engines, 11 hand crews, two helicopters and 16 dozers, according to Moore.


A firefighter on the Ranch fire on Saturday, September 8, 2018. Photo courtesy of the US Forest Service.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A fire burning in Napa County grew by several hundred more acres on Sunday, with firefighters raising containment.

Cal Fire said Sunday evening that the Snell fire had reached 2,400 acres and was 20-percent contained. No structures have been damaged or destroyed.

The fire began Saturday afternoon near the Berryessa Estates subdivision southeast of Middletown.

Cal Fire said the blaze continues to threaten 180 structures. As such, evacuations remain in effect on the west side of Berryessa Knoxville Road from Pope Creek Bridge to Lake-Napa County line, Snell Valley Road and all roads to Snell Valley, and Berryessa Estates.

An evacuation center is located at Pope Valley Farm Center, 5800 Pope Valley Road.

Berryessa Knoxville Road from Putah Creek Bridge north to the county line and Snell Valley Road at the intersection of Butts Canyon Road remain closed, Cal Fire reported.

Resources assigned include 132 engines, 20 water tenders, 31 fire crews, seven helicopters, 24 bulldozers, six air tankers and 1,241 personnel, according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire said the Snell fire’s cause remains under investigation.

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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Retiring Kelseyville High School Principal Matt Cockerton with a Congressional Record honoring him for his decades of service. Courtesy photo.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Congressman Mike Thompson joined Kelseyville Unified Superintendent Dave McQueen in honoring retiring high school Principal Matt Cockerton at the recent annual back-to-school staff breakfast.

Thompson presented Cockerton with a Congressional Record thanking Cockerton for his service as an educator and a community member.

The congressional recognition reads as follows:

“Mr. Cockerton began his career in education as a Physical Education teacher, Athletic Director and Coach in 1985. In 1991, he became the Vice Principal and Athletic Director of Kelseyville High School. Mr. Cockerton was the Principal of Mountain Vista Middle School from 1996 to 1997. He has been Principal of Kelseyville High School since 1997…

“Mr. Cockerton has been active in our community. He is a long-time coach for Westshore Little League Baseball and has served on their board. He is also a coach for Westshore Youth Football where he has been the President of the organization…

“George Matthew Cockerton has served his community honorably as a school administrator and coach. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him here today.”

Kelseyville Unified Superintendent Dave McQueen speaking at the back-to-school staff breakfast on Monday, August 27, 2018, in Kelseyville, Calif. Courtesy photo.


Cockerton was one of seven retiring staff members recognized by the district, but he was the only one who grabbed the microphone and began sharing funny comments that had Superintendent McQueen shaking his head in mock disbelief and the whole room of Kelseyville Unified employees laughing.

In addition to bidding a fond farewell to outgoing teachers, McQueen announced the dedication of the Kelseyville Unified Board Room in honor of recently deceased board member Dr. Peter J. Quartarolo, who served as a district trustee for 26 years.

Quartarolo was the longest serving board member of any school district board of trustee in Lake County at the time of his death and all of his children attended the Kelseyville Unified School District.

His wife, Cherie, was present at the back-to-school breakfast and she spoke eloquently about how much her husband’s work on the school board meant to him.

Congressman Mike Thompson at the Kelseyville Unified back-to-school staff breakfast on Monday, August 27, 2018, in Kelseyville, Calif. Courtesy photo.


She accepted a plaque commemorating the Kelseyville Unified Board of Trustees’ renaming of the board room to the Dr. Peter J. Quartarolo Board Room.

McQueen also welcomed new staff members, reinforced the district’s values and priorities, outlined the professional development planned for the week, and took care of housekeeping issues like parking permits and communication protocols.

Finally, McQueen thanked Kelseyville Unified bus drivers who assisted during the recent fires, and he closed by thanking everyone present and letting them know how excited he is about this upcoming school year.


Cherie Quartarolo accepts a plaque commemorating the Kelseyville Unified Board of Trustees’ renaming of the board room for her late husband, Dr. Peter J. Quartarolo, at the Kelseyville Unified back-to-school staff breakfast on Monday, August 27, 2018, in Kelseyville, Calif. Courtesy photo.
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The California Department of Public Health reported that there are two confirmed deaths in California due to West Nile virus.

The deceased persons were residents of Glenn and Yuba counties.

“We are still in a peak period of West Nile virus transmission in the state so we urge everyone to take every possible precaution to protect themselves against mosquito bites,” said CDPH Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith.

As of September 7, CDPH has reported 56 human cases of WNV from 21 California counties this year.

Additionally, 422 dead birds from 18 counties have tested positive for WNV in 2018, and 1,606 mosquito samples from 28 counties have also tested positive for WNV this year.

The only WNV detected in Lake County so far this year have been four mosquito samples and one sentinel chicken, state officials reported.

West Nile virus is influenced by many factors, including climate, the number and types of birds and mosquitoes in an area, and the level of WNV immunity in birds.

It virus is transmitted to humans and animals by the bite of an infected mosquito. The risk of serious illness to most people is low. However, some individuals – less than 1 percent – can develop serious neurologic illnesses such as encephalitis or meningitis.

People 60 years of age and older and individuals with diabetes or hypertension have a higher chance of getting sick, and are more likely to develop complications.

CDPH recommends that individuals protect against mosquito bites and WNV by practicing the “Three Ds”:

– DEET: Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 according to label instructions. Repellents keep the mosquitoes from biting you. Insect repellents should not be used on children under two months of age.

– DAWN AND DUSK: Mosquitoes that transmit West Nile Virus usually bite in the early morning and evening so it is important to wear proper clothing and repellent if outside during these times. Make sure your doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep out mosquitoes. Repair or replace screens that have tears or holes.

– DRAIN: Mosquitoes lay their eggs on standing water. Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property by emptying flower pots, old car tires, buckets, and other containers. If you know of a swimming pool that is not being properly maintained, please contact your local mosquito and vector control agency.

California’s West Nile virus Web site includes the latest information on WNV activity in the state.

Californians are encouraged to report dead birds on the website or by calling toll-free 1-877-WNV-BIRD (968-2473).
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee will hold its next meeting this week.

The committee, or LEDAC, will meet from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The meeting is open to the public.

Lakeport Community Development Director Kevin Ingram will lead the group in the continued review of the city’s economic development element.

LEDAC members also will discuss implementation of the Lakeport Economic Development Strategic Plan 2017-2022, the business walk and survey, the guide to doing business in Lakeport and economic development pages online.

There also will be an update on city projects and citizen’s input.

Following the Wednesday meeting, the next LEDAC meeting will take place on Nov. 14.

LEDAC advocates for a strong and positive Lakeport business community and acts as a conduit between the city and the community for communicating the goals, activities and progress of Lakeport’s economic and business programs.

Members are Chair Wilda Shock and Vice Chair Denise Combs, Candy De Los Santos, Bill Eaton, Melissa Fulton, Pam Harpster, Judith Kanavle, Andy Lucas, Dan Peterson and Panette Talia. City staff who are members include City Manager Margaret Silveira and Community Development Director Kevin Ingram.

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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The arrest of Emile Henry at the Cafe Terminus on February 12, 1894, in Paris, France. Public domain image.

A lone man stalked the elegant cafes along the Avenue de l’Opera in Paris, France. He was ordinary, just one among many out for a stroll along the popular street of cafes. The only thing odd about him, if anyone even took the time to look closely, was that this ordinary man carried a metal lunchbox—like the type used by factory workers.

But like I said, such a detail would only have briefly registered with the occasional passerby.

This lone, completely ordinary man of middle age, carrying a metal lunchbox, turned into the Cafe Terminus and sat at a table.

The waiter arrived and took the man’s order: a beer and a cigar, please. His cigar arrived first, along with a box of matches and an ashtray. Picking one match out of the box, this ordinary man named Emile Henry struck one end of the match.

Cupping his other hand in front of the one with the match, Henry shielded the small flame and lit his cigar. Then he discreetly bent down and, with his newly-lit cigar, lit his lunchbox – or rather the bomb inside the lunchbox. Sitting up straight, Henry gathered his hat and ran out of the café just as the windows burst in a spray of glass, wood and shrapnel from his bomb. The ensuing carnage killed one and injured 20. Henry was wrestled to the ground as he tried to escape.

Emile Henry had arguably conducted the first act of modern terrorism.

* * *

Our idea of terrorism crumbled to pieces along with the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001.

Whatever we once associated with acts of terrorism, from then on we would picture only radical religionists.

But I think we are currently witnessing firsthand in our own country that politics and the furor of partisan ideology are potent enough on their own to poison one’s mind and – in extreme cases – bend one’s hand towards terror.

If we were to cast our minds back to Sept. 10, 2001, we might remember that the cry of the terrorist has not always been one of religious fervor, and that those selfsame maniacs have not always come from the Middle East. In fact, we might recall that Western Europe itself has bred its fair share of terrorist movements.

Before radical Islam, for instance, there was the radical ideology of the anarchists.

* * *

Emile Henry was just one of thousands of men and women who proscribed to the beliefs of anarchism.

Developed around the same time as communism, anarchy as a political ideology was really a cluster of many schools of thought, but all of them shared an embittered hatred of government and/or authority of any institutionalized sort.

Anarchists were, you could say, extreme individualists that held the rights of the individual at the same level others held God.

In the earliest manifestations of anarchism, the notion of nonviolence was esteemed just as highly as the divine right of the individual.

But, just as Christianity, which is based on the tenets of love and compassion, became the excuse for such atrocities as the Crusades and Spanish Inquisition, so too did anarchism over time lose its more pacifist tendencies. If anarchists were going to get rid of every sovereign, they began to think, they would have to do it forcibly.

Within a few decades, anarchists had developed the notion of “Propaganda of the Deed,” which was specific political action meant to inspire revolution and further acts of anarchy.

The shooting of President William McKinley on September 6, 1901. Art by T. Dart Walker. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.


In the early years, these deeds were acts of terrorism that solely targeted policemen and politicians. Things started to change in the 1890s, however, when anarchists began to spread their propaganda through deeds of indiscriminate murder.

One of the first to do that was Emile Henry and his lunchbox bomb. According to Henry, in setting off the bomb in a busy café, he had acted on his belief that “there are no innocent bourgeois.” Here was a man who targeted not a specific person or member of law enforcement, but anyone who happened to be in the café that day.

Anarchists seemed to have been inspired by this and other bloody acts of terrorism. Later that same year as Henry’s café bombing, another anarchist assassinated the president of France. Several years later, the king of Italy was killed.

In North America, politicians looked askance at all the turmoil caused by European anarchists and worried. Oh sure, America had already by then experienced anarchist violence – with the famous Haymarket Riots of 1886 in Chicago being a perfect example – but no high profile targets had yet to be successfully killed.

That all changed on Sept. 6, 1901, in Buffalo, New York when United States President McKinley was shot twice in the stomach by a 28-year old anarchist.

After he was rushed to the nearest doctor – a gynecologist was all they had on hand – McKinley began to recover reasonably well, so well that his vice president, Theodore Roosevelt, set out on a camping trip a few days later.

However, once his wound turned gangrenous, the president quickly faded and in the early hours of Sept. 14, 1901, America’s 25th president – and anarchism’s latest victim – lay cold.

Terrorism is not unique to any one religion, culture or political ideology. It is the manifestation of the basest of human emotions. For decades, the face of terrorism was the faceless European anarchist.

Today, it’s religious radicals. Tomorrow? Who knows?

Antone Pierucci is curator of history at the Riverside County Park and Open Space District and a freelance writer whose work has been featured in such magazines as Archaeology and Wild West as well as regional California newspapers.


The 1920 Wall Street bombing in New York City. Library of Congress photo.

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