LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has a few little dogs and several big ones hoping to get out of the shelter and into new homes.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of chow chow, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, pit bull, rat terrier and shepherd.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets hoping you'll choose them.

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

Male Chihuahua mix

This male Chihuahua mix has a short tan and white coat.

He is in quarantine kennel No. 4a, ID No. 9807.

‘Tippy’

Tippy is a female rat terrier mix with a short black and white coat.

Thanks to an anonymous donor, she is free to the first approved application.

She’s in kennel No. 6, ID No. 9793.

‘Penny’

“Penny” is a female Labrador Retriever-pit bull terrier with a short black coat with white markings.

She already has been spayed.

Shelter staff said Penny needs a home with children age 12 and above. While very friendly and a good girl she can be rambunctious, so she would benefit from training and needs an experienced owner.

She’s in kennel No. 7, ID No. 9852.

Female chow chow

This female chow chow has a long black coat.

She’s in kennel No. 9, ID No. 9810.

Shepherd mix

This young male shepherd mix has a medium-length brown and black coat.

He is in kennel No. 13, ID No. 9819.

Labrador Retriever

This male Labrador Retriever has a short yellow coat.

He’s in kennel No. 22, ID No. 9860.

Female German Shepherd

This female German Shepherd has a medium-length tan and black coat.

She’s in kennel No. 27, ID No. 9706.

Female German Shepherd

This female German Shepherd has a medium-length tan and black coat.

She’s in kennel No. 28, ID No. 9710.

Female German Shepherd

This female German Shepherd has a short black and tan coat.

She’s in kennel No. 29, ID No. 9709.

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A 3.2-magnitude earthquake occurred Saturday afternoon near The Geysers geothermal steamfield.

The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 3:36 p.m. Saturday two miles north of The Geysers, five miles west of Cobb and seven miles west northwest of Anderson Springs, just inside the Sonoma County border.

The quake’s depth was about sixth-tenths of a mile, according to the report.

The survey received five shake reports, three of them from Kelseyville, one from Glenhaven and one from San Jose.

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.

BOULDER, Colo. – As Curiosity rover marches across Mars, the red planet’s watery past comes into clearer focus.

In early 2017 scientists announced the discovery of possible desiccation cracks in Gale Crater, which was filled by lakes 3.5 billion years ago.

Now, a new study has confirmed that these features are indeed desiccation cracks, and reveals fresh details about Mars' ancient climate.

"We are now confident that these are mudcracks," explained lead author Nathaniel Stein, a geologist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Since desiccation mudcracks form only where wet sediment is exposed to air, their position closer to the center of the ancient lake bed rather than the edge also suggests that lake levels rose and fell dramatically over time.

"The mudcracks show that the lakes in Gale Crater had gone through the same type of cycles that we see on Earth," said Stein.

The study was published in Geology online ahead of print on April 16.

The researchers focused on a coffee table-sized slab of rock nicknamed "Old Soaker."

Old Soaker is crisscrossed with polygons identical in appearance to desiccation features on Earth.

The team took a close physical and chemical look at those polygons using Curiosity's Mastcam, Mars Hand Lens Imager, ChemCam Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometer and Alpha-Particle X-Ray Spectrometer.

That close look proved that the polygons – confined to a single layer of rock and with sediment filling the cracks between them – formed from exposure to air, rather than other mechanisms such as thermal or hydraulic fracturing.

And although scientists have known almost since the moment Curiosity landed in 2012 that Gale Crater once contained lakes, explained Stein, "the mudcracks are exciting because they add context to our understanding of this ancient lacustrine system."

"We are capturing a moment in time," he added. "This research is just a chapter in a story that Curiosity has been building since the beginning of its mission."

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – They’re tiny brown bird with very loud voices, and you can hear them this time of year in the forests and wetlands. They’re wrens!

A wren featured prominently in the old fable about how songs came to earth. According to the story, all of the birds of the world had gathered together to see which one could fly the highest and snatch the songs from the heavens.

One by one each bird species tried and failed, and then an eagle tried his hand (or wing) at reaching the heights. Eventually his stamina failed him, as well, and he started to fall back to earth.

But just then a tiny wren that had been hiding in the eagle’s neck feather burst out, flew up into the heavens, and brought the songs back to the planet with him. And that’s why his songs are some of the longest and loudest.

In California, we have several different species of wren, but for this article we’ll focus on two: the marsh wren (Cistothorus palustris) and the house wren (Troglodytes aedon).

The two species look very much alike: they’re small relatively drab birds that weigh less than half an ounce, and males and females both look pretty much the same.

The wrens have barring on their wings and tail, and the marsh wren usually holds its tail up behind it when it sings.

The two species also primarily eat insects and spiders, although the marsh wren will sometimes also eat vegetable matter and small water invertebrates, and the house Wren will sometimes eat the shells of snails for their calcium.

The greatest difference between the birds is where and how they build their nests.

When it comes to nest building, both the house wren and the marsh wren select several different nesting sites at the same time in the same general area.

Once they’re done, the male wrens then flit from nest to nest, singing their loud songs to attract females. It’s the female who selects which nesting spot she likes the best for her egg-laying purposes.

House wrens build their nests in the cavities of trees – or actually just about anywhere there’s a nook or cranny they can fit into. Some house wrens have been known to nest not only in nest boxes provided by humans, but also in buckets, boots and empty cans.

Aggressive little things when seeking a good nesting spot, house wrens will sometimes evict birds much larger than themselves, like wood ducks and flickers, and take over their nesting cavities.

The cavities are then lined with twigs; some of which are used like “guard rails” if the entrance hole is large enough to let in larger birds and other predators, while others are used as the base for the cup-shaped “mattress” on which the female will lay her eggs.

This cup inside the nesting cavity is lined with grass, feathers, animal (or human) hair, spider egg sacs (to feed the babies when they hatch), and other things.

Marsh wren nests are more elaborate. Rather than nesting in a cavity, the male marsh wren builds three or four intricately woven dome-shaped nests out of the “skin” of wet tules and cattails, dried grasses and other vegetation.

When building these nests, the male will start with a base in the shape of a cup that is woven between several upright branches or tules. Then he builds the roof, moving in and out of the nest as he works on it, taking breaks occasionally to sing or chase off rivals.

When the construction of all of the nests is finished, the male starts advertising his newly built homes by singing … sometimes for up to 18 hours a day.

Once a female has chosen a nest she likes the best, the other nests sit vacant, available to other birds, mice, wasps or anyone else who wants to move into them. The nests are not reused from season to season, so each year the males have to start from scratch.

When there is a lot of competition for space and food, the male marsh wren is known for going into the nests of other marsh wrens and breaking the eggs in them, so its competitor’s offspring don’t make it to the hatching stage.

Although one brood of three to 10 eggs is common, they can have up to two broods per year (especially if the first brood isn’t successful).

Tiny but loud, both species of wren are very visible (and audible) this time of year, so keep an ear and eye out for them.

Mary K. Hanson is a Certified California Naturalist, author and nature photographer. Tuleyome is a501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, Calif. For more information, visit www.tuleyome.org.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – People Services Inc. invites community members to mark their calendars for fun at this year’s annual Chicken-Que, scheduled for Saturday, June 2.

The event will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St.

The Chicken-Que with a country picnic theme will feature food, music, children’s activities, a raffle, auction and door prizes.

“Come join us for fun, delicious food, and top-notch entertainment,” said People Services Executive Director Ilene Dumont. “The Chicken-Que is not just about chicken – the chicken is delicious, by the way. We’ll have meal alternatives, however, and we are planning a 50-50 raffle, a silent auction and a children’s activities area.”

Music will be provided by the LC Diamonds, known for its upbeat vintage tunes. “The Diamonds play a variety of dance songs – from rock and blues to rockabilly and surf - always entertaining!” said Dumont.

Chicken meals will include “tasty barbecued chicken, the best baked beans ever, salad and a roll,” said Dumont. For those who prefer hamburgers or hot dogs, meals featuring those entrees will be available.

“We also will have a special plate for our vegetarian friends,” Dumont added.

This year’s event will include a special partnership with Paradise Skating “to enhance your entertainment choices for you and your little ones.”

The annual event is a fundraiser for the nonprofit People Services, which serves as the local community agency, providing the delivery of quality services for people with disabilities.

People Services has been in business for more than 40 years, and this is the 44th year of the Chicken-Que.

Tickets are $10 each or four for $30. For ticket and event information, call 707-263-3810 or visit www.peopleservices.org.

Sponsors for this year’s event include Westamerica Bank, Umpqua Bank, North Lake Medical Pharmacy, Figg Creations and Savings Bank of Mendocino County.

Dumont says there is still time to join the "team of sponsors" that represent the driving force behind the success of this event. Sponsorships start at $250. For information, call Dumont at 707-263-3810.

For more information about People Services’ services and programs, visit www.peopleservices.org.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – District 3 Supervisor Jim Steele announced this week that the three area town halls in his district now have Web pages.

These Web pages can be found on the County of Lake’s Web site.

The three area town halls in District 3 are municipal advisory councils designed to increase resident participation in decisions affecting the community.

The three town halls are:

East Region Town Hall, or ERTH: The eastern region of District 3 from Paradise Cove East to the county line and north to the High Valley area.

Lucerne Area Town Hall, or LATH: Lucerne community growth boundary.

West Region Town Hall, or WRTH: The western region of District 3 includes Upper Lake, Nice, Blue Lake, Bachelor Valley and Lake Pillsbury.

Agendas for the town hall meetings are posted on the new Web pages.

Meetings are open to the public and there are no membership requirements; however, to take part in any action taken by the town hall, persons must reside within the area boundaries for that town hall.

Each town hall also has a governing council whose members are appointed by the Board of Supervisors. When council vacancies occur, applications for the governing council’s openings can be found on the new Web pages.

“These groups are the arm of the board,” Steele stated. “They advise me about the community issues and help move the message of county government into the local community; and they promote this district themselves.”

Steele, continued, “There are so many things that can be done, but they can only be done when you talk with the community in a forum. This is where accomplishments are going to happen locally – at these community councils.”

Residents in the various District 3 areas are encouraged to participate in upcoming town hall meetings.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Authorities in Ukiah this week investigated a Facebook post that had raised concerns for the safety of students at Mendocino College, with the man responsible for the post later arrested on an unrelated charge.

Capt. Gregory Van Patten of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said that just before 4 p.m. Thursday deputies were dispatched to a suspicious circumstance at Mendocino College in Ukiah.

When deputies arrived at the campus they contacted school administrators who wanted to report a concerning post which appeared on the Facebook page of student Lyle Luke Vincent, 31, of Ukiah, Van Patten said.

Van Patten said the Facebook posting contained the wording "feeling sad" with an image of a semi-automatic pistol – which looked like it had been obtained from the Internet – with the location tag being "Mendocino College.”

School administrators advised Vincent's class schedule showed he was not scheduled for any classes on campus on this specific day, Van Patten said.

Deputies located Vincent's maroon Dodge 2500 pickup truck parked in a parking lot stall in front of the main pedestrian path into the campus. Van Patten said the pickup truck was unlocked, with some windows partially down and the key was in the ignition.

Van Patten said deputies conducted an immediate hasty search of the campus and buildings in an attempt to located Vincent.

When this hasty search ended with negative results it was decided to lockdown and evacuate the campus to ensure the safety of college staff, students, and visitors who were actively on campus, Van Patten said.

He said a reverse 911 advisory message was issued for a half-mile radius of the college campus advising of the lockdown and evacuation.

Once the lockdown and evacuation was completed a systematic search was conducted of the campus. Van Patten said the search concluded at 8 p.m. Thursday without Vincent being located and the campus determined to be safe for repopulation.

At 8:40 p.m. Thursday Mendocino County Sheriff's Office deputies developed information that Vincent was at a residence in the 200 block of Vineyard Oaks Drive in Redwood Valley, Van Patten said.

When the deputies arrived at the location, Van Patten said they contacted Vincent and determined he was not an active threat.

Vincent subsequently was arrested on an unrelated incident for violation of a domestic violence restraining order, Van Patten said. Vincent was booked into the Mendocino County Jail where was later released after posting bail.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office thanked the Mendocino College administration, facility and security staff along with Cal Fire, California Highway Patrol, Mendocino County Office of Emergency Services and the Ukiah Police Department, which responded to the college and assisted in the search.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Friday the California Highway Patrol held its cadet graduation at the CHP Academy in West Sacramento.

CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley and California State Transportation Agency Secretary Brian Annis were on hand for the morning ceremony, during which 82 new officers were sworn in.

Throughout 28 weeks of training, these men and women have been preparing to provide the highest level of safety, service, and security.

Following Friday’s graduation ceremony, the new officers will serve in communities throughout the state.

CHP spokeswoman Jaime Coffee said that of those new officers four are assigned within Northern Division, the jurisdiction that includes Lake County.

Of those four, three will report to the Humboldt Area and one is being assigned to Ukiah Area, which is the office next to the Clear Lake Area office, which is located in Kelseyville.

This colorful image, taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, celebrates the Earth-orbiting observatory’s 28th anniversary of viewing the heavens, giving us a window seat to the universe’s extraordinary tapestry of stellar birth and destruction.

At the center of the photo, a monster young star 200,000 times brighter than our Sun is blasting powerful ultraviolet radiation and hurricane-like stellar winds, carving out a fantasy landscape of ridges, cavities, and mountains of gas and dust.

This mayhem is all happening at the heart of the Lagoon Nebula, a vast stellar nursery located 4,000 light-years away and visible in binoculars simply as a smudge of light with a bright core.

The giant star, called Herschel 36, is bursting out of its natal cocoon of material, unleashing blistering radiation and torrential stellar winds (streams of subatomic particles) that push dust away in curtain-like sheets. This action resembles the Sun bursting through the clouds at the end of an afternoon thunderstorm that showers sheets of rainfall.

Herschel 36’s violent activity has blasted holes in the bubble-shaped cloud, allowing astronomers to study this action-packed stellar breeding ground.

The hefty star is 32 times more massive than our Sun, and 40,000 degrees Kelvin. It is nearly nine times our Sun’s diameter. Herschel 36 is still very active because it is young by a star’s standards, only 1 million years old. Based on its mass, it will live for another 5 million years. In comparison, our smaller Sun is 5 billion years old and will live another 5 billion years.

This region epitomizes a typical, raucous stellar nursery full of birth and destruction. The clouds may look majestic and peaceful, but they are in a constant state of flux from the star’s torrent of searing radiation and high-speed particles from stellar winds. As the monster star throws off its natal cocoon of material with its powerful energy, it is suppressing star formation around it.

However, at the dark edges of this dynamic bubble-shaped ecosystem, stars are forming within dense clouds of gas and dust. Dark, elephant-like “trunks” of material represent dense pieces of the cocoon that are resistant to erosion by the searing ultraviolet light and serve as incubators for fledgling stars. They are analogous to desert buttes that resist weather erosion.

The Hubble view shows off the bubble’s 3D structure. Dust pushed away from the star reveals the glowing oxygen gas (in blue) behind the blown-out cavity. Herschel 36’s brilliant light is illuminating the top of the cavity (in yellow). The reddish hue that dominates part of the region is glowing nitrogen. The dark purple areas represent a mixture of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.

The image shows a region of the nebula measuring about 4 light-years across.

The observations were taken by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 between Feb. 12 and Feb. 18, 2018.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., in Washington, D.C.

The video below takes a trip through the Lagoon Nebula.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A proposed update to the county’s master fee schedule was the main item of business at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, with a cannabis program fee totaling more than $5,000 being the key item of discussion.

County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson and her staff presented a resolution amending the master fee schedule with regard to 14 different fees for the Administrative Office, Water Resources and the county’s new cannabis program.

Regarding the fiscal impact of those fees, Huchingson’s report said, “There will be a modest increase in revenue that will offset the cost of doing business for the County departments.”

The significant changes included a proposed new $5,073 cannabis program fee that is to be paid prior to any permit being issued; the striking of the $65-per-month boat slip rental fee the Administrative Office charged for Holiday Harbor, which the county has sold; the striking of a $10 flood zone check and the implementation of a new base flood elevation determination from Water Resources; a new $30 hunting permit and a new $50 permit fee for group activity/gathering at Highland Springs; a $60 permit and a $20 annual fee for regulatory buoys; and a $10 lake use fee per registered boat in for-profit fishing tournaments and boating events.

Deputy Administrative Office Steve Carter said Water Resources had wanted to adjust fees and create new fees, including the hunting permit at Highland Springs and annual fees on regulatory buoys.

However, Carter said interim Water Resources Director David Cowan wanted to take off the $10 lake use fee for boats in for-profit events and bring back updated department fees in July.

Supervisor Tina Scott said she also was concerned about the $50 fee for group events at Highland Springs.

Cowan said Scott had a good point. He said he had talked to staff about the fees and they didn’t know much about the boat fee, so he wanted to reevaluate it.

He agreed with Scott’s concerns about Highland Springs. Cowan said he believed the previous director, Phil Moy, was looking at a way to generate income from Highland Springs. “But perhaps there are other ways to get that.”

Board Chair Jim Steele said there also are cleanup costs for the park, and Cowan agreed, noting they have a new caretaker.

Supervisor Rob Brown suggested having a $100 deposit which would be returned if groups cleaned up after using the park.

“I know this may sound odd and come as a shock to some, but I question the hunting,” continued Brown, explaining that with equestrian activities, bicyclists and other outdoor activities going on, “it doesn’t necessarily mix” to have hunting taking place at Highland Springs.

“I share those same sentiments,” said Cowan, adding he would like to explore it.

Cowan said that when he found out they had hunting with hiking and equestrian activities he was concerned, and added that the department’s map that shows where hunting is allowed “is sorely lacking.”

Brown said he wanted to review it at some point, adding that the allowed activities should be consistent with what is done at Mount Konocti County Park.

As for the setting of the permit amounts, County Counsel Anita Grant explained, “The permit costs are supposed to represent the county’s out-of-pocket costs,” and can’t simply copy another county.

Huchingson told the board that the Water Resources fees were sourced by staff from the prior director, Moy, and she suggested the board have staff pull them and work with Cowan.

New cannabis fee intended to cover county costs; growers concerned

The item that proved to be the biggest concern for community members who spoke to the board related to the $5,073 cannabis fee.

Huchingson said that at the board’s March cannabis workshop, county finance staff gave the board a report on cannabis revenue projections, and at that time the proposal was to loan money from the general fund to frontload the cost of cannabis operations. She said the board gave staff direction to come back with a fee to frontload those costs.

Her written report said the fee would cover county expenses other than Community Development Department fees.

“The cannabis program services fee is to be collected prior to CDD issuing the minor or major use permit except early activation,” Huchingson’s written report explained, adding that the proposed fee does not include CDD staff since the current fee structure of $95 per hour covers all staff time.

However, the new cannabis fee does cover the additional accountant position, deputy sheriff position, services and supplies, and fixed asset needed to support county cannabis activities, according to Huchingson’s report.

Carter explained that the fee was built by taking that staffing into account for the rest of fiscal year 2017-18 and all of 2018-19, along with those services and supplies – including a fixed asset like a truck – and dividing it by the number of applicants to the state water board, which staff said totaled 88.

Huchingson said the fee would work if all 88 applicants come forward and get permitted. She said that number had increased by 22 since last month and could have increased more by Thursday, when the county’s cannabis ordinance went into effect.

As of Tuesday, only 32 of the 88 applicants to the state had stepped forward and asked for a preapplication conference, nine or 10 had been approved and others were working through the pipeline, she said.

Supervisor Jeff Smith asked if the program would have enough work for the county staff assigned to it. Huchingson said that it would at the start.

Steele asked about the black market, and Huchingson said there is an enforcement assumption for the deputy sheriff.

During public comment, Eric Sklar of Avalon Hot Springs asked if it was a one-time fee or if it was required annually. Huchingson said it would be one-time, upfront, but added that it would have to be looked at for fiscal year 2019-2020.

“There will be some fee in the future but we’re just not there yet,” she said.

Sklar said he supported the fee as it was stated.

Michael Green raised the issue of the item being more transparent on the agenda, and said he was concerned about lumping in enforcement against the black market with compliant growers. He said the county can’t ask compliant growers to pay for enforcement on illegal growers.

He also raised the issues of there being no differentiation in cost between small grows and big ones. “We’ve already lost most of our small growers,” he said, noting they’re getting hammered on planning and air quality fees, and now the $5,000 fee, which is putting a giant burden on small growers that larger growers don’t have.

Other growers at the meeting raised issue about the fee proposal in light of still other fees the county is charging, like $3,000 for self-certification and $150 for fingerprints, and with all of that they said they can’t even grow this year.

Some small growers said they were OK with paying the fees but questioned having more burdens added to them and whether the fee would help keep them safe. They said the barriers for them are being made so high that the black market in Lake County will continue.

Outgoing Community Development Director Bob Massarelli, who joined the discussion about midway through, said that the county had so far not issued any cannabis growing permits.

He said the first step in getting the permits is a preapplication process, and his staff had been having those meetings this week. Once those are complete, the applications have to go through a 180-day process that includes environmental reviews and approvals.

Massarelli asked if the fee would be refunded if a permit was denied, and Grant said yes, it would be, as the county is not supposed to be “unjustly enriched” in the issuing of a permit.

Middletown resident Tony Perkins said he wasn’t opposed to a fee, but suggested it should be on more of a sliding scale.

Scott asked if it had been proven that county staff would spend as much time with a small growers as a large grower.

Huchingson said she didn’t know how to the answer the question. They had the costs for the staff positions and 32 people in the process and “There are just so many moving parts to this.”

After taking a brief break, the board came back and resumed public comment, hearing more concerns about the fee from people who questioned whether it would cost that much to service the growers and who accused the county government of driving people out with its policies.

Returning to the podium, Green was one of those who questioned the staff time and the costs the county estimated it will incur.

“I don’t think staff has demonstrated a clear and convincing nexus that links the fees being requested with the actual services being provided,” said Green.

However, he added, “Let’s assume they did,” and suggested that collecting the fee is appropriate at the time the permit is issued, because the county isn’t incurring costs until then.

Huchingson suggested that the alternative was to collect the fee in two increments – the first half on April 19 or shortly thereafter and the rest at the time of permit issuance.

Steele said government is expensive. “We’re doing the best we can based on a brand new program.”

Supervisor Moke Simon said the county needed to do a tiered permit system. “Hopefully we can get it right in the future,” he said, promising growers they would improve it.

Brown said he had wanted to have a pilot program rather than opening up the permit program countywide. He said the result is the big growers are coming in and the small growers will pay the price, and it’s not fair. A pilot program, he suggested, would have made it more fair to small growers.

With regard to cannabis, “It’s a brave new world,” said Huchingson, explaining that other counties trying to establish regulations are all over the map cost-wise. Some have much higher fees; she said Sonoma County has conditional use permits that range between $15,000 and $17,000.

Ultimately, Huchingson said staff stood with what they proposed, and were not recommending a sliding scale or tiered approach.

Grant suggested the county require half of the cannabis fee be paid upon application with the remainder of any outstanding costs that are due, up to the maximum of the $5,073 fee, be paid upon the permit’s issuance.

Simon took that proposal and moved to approve the master fee schedule which Scott seconded. The board approved it 4-1, with Brown voting not.

Staff said the fee schedule adjustments went into effect on Tuesday following the board’s vote.

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.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Kelseyville Unified School District said that it’s looking for interested community members to apply for a vacant seat on its board of trustees.

Superintendent Dave McQueen announced that applications for the vacant seat will be available through April 30 at noon.

The seat the district is now seeking to fill had been held for many years by Dr. Peter Quartarolo, who died April 9, as Lake County News has reported.

Interested community members who live within the boundaries of the Kelseyville Unified School District and who are registered voters are welcome to apply for the vacancy.

Qualified candidates shall not be employees of the Kelseyville Unified School District.

The district said qualified candidates may schedule a time to meet with McQueen and receive an application at the district office, located at 4410 Konocti Road.

To schedule an appointment, please contact McQueen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or his secretary, Tami Barker, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call 707-279-1511.

All applications must be received no later than April 30 at noon.

Qualified candidates will be interviewed by the four current governing board members at a meeting scheduled for that purpose.

Anyone wanting to submit questions for the existing board members to consider during the interviewing process should do so by giving them to McQueen at the district office no later than noon on April 30.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – March was a good month for local real estate, according to a new report.

The Lake County Association of Realtors reported that the March median sales price for single family residences increased by more than 19 percent when compared to the February median.

The March median was $279,500 and the February median $234,000. On a year-to-year basis, the increase was 33 percent over the March 2017 median of $210,000, LCAOR said.

Month to month, March’s sales of 66 residences exceeded the 51 February sales by more than 29 percent. LCAOR said March 2017 recorded 71 sales, making the number of March 2018 sales 7 percent less than the previous year.

“The market is starting to move into the busy season and the March activity supports that,” said LCAOR Melissa Chapman. “On April 21st several members and agencies are planning open houses and interested parties should check our website at www.lakecountyopenhouses.com to find out what is available for viewing.”

Inventory levels remained in the five-month range which means if no additional properties were put on the market it would take five months to sell the existing inventory at the current rate of sales.

This is significantly different from neighboring counties, with the California Association of Realtors reporting a 4.1 inventory level in Napa, and a 2.9 month level in Sonoma. The statewide inventory level was reported at 2.9 months.

Conventional loan financing was used in 53% of the transactions with FHA loans being used in 9.1 percent of the overall deals. Cash financing was used in 21.2 percent of the sales.

The California Association of Realtors reported existing, single-family home sales in California totaled 423,990 in March on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, up 0.3 percent from February and up 1.6 percent from March 2017.

March’s statewide median home price was $564,830, up 8.1 percent from February and up 8.9 percent from March 2017.

Mortgage rates have been on the rise since breaking the 4.0-percent barrier in February. The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rates averaged 4.44 percent in March, up from 4.33 percent in February and from 4.20 percent in March 2017, according to Freddie Mac.

The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate also edged higher in March, to an average of 3.65 percent from 3.60 percent in February and from 3.21 percent in March 2017, Freddie Mac reported.

LAKE COUNTY NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

March 2018
Median price: $279,500
Units sold: 66
Median days to sell: 42

February 2018
Median price: $234,000
Units sold: 51
Median days to sell: 37

March 2017
Median price: $210,000
Units sold: 71
Median days to sell: 57