Mendocino College Foundation Board of Directors members David Geck (above, left), and Wilda Shock (third from right), presented scholarship awards to recipients from Lake County. Courtesy photo.

UKIAH – The Mendocino College Foundation recently hosted a special awards ceremony to honor this year’s fall scholarship recipients and to acknowledge the donors’ generosity.

The event, held at Mendocino College Grove, Ukiah campus, recognized student success and provided an opportunity for recipients, donors and representatives of the foundation to meet.

This year, 75 students enrolled in Mendocino College were acknowledged with a total of $124,000 in scholarships.

Mendocino College Foundation Board of Directors members David Geck and Wilda Shock, presented scholarship awards to recipients from Lake County.

A total of 14 scholarships were awarded to Mendocino College students living in Lake County.

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Kelseyville Fire's antique fire truck is being restored, with hopes it will be ready for this month's Pear Festival Parade. Courtesy photo.

KELSEYVILLE – Around 1926, the Kelseyville School District purchased a small GMC school bus. Most of the buses, in those days, were built to hold 12 to 18 students. The school district used that bus until the late 1930’s

In the same time frame the Kelseyville Fire Department needed a fire engine. The department didn’t have a lot of money. The school district heard about the problem and wanted to help. In 1940 the two districts met and decided that the school district would donate the 1926 GMC to the fire department. The school bus could be cut down and made into a fire engine.

Kelseyville had a handy mechanic by the name of Seth Waite. Waite was a descendant of the Rickabaugh family. He worked at Norton Motors at the time and took on the job of converting the 1926 school bus into a fire engine. Being a craftsman, Waite was able to cut the frame and reweld it back together. To this day you can see the flawless seams that were welded by Seth Waite.

Fabrication complete, Kelseyville Fire Department had their new fire engine. The specifications were 1926 GMC chassis, Buick six-cylinder engine and 200 gallon water tank with a PTO water pump.

The engine was used for many years by the fire department. It was eventually either sold, given away or just parked. Those details are unclear.

In 1978 a group of Kelseyville Volunteer Firemen heard about the old fire engine and where it might be. After some investigation it was located at the Kelseyville Dry yard. How it got there is a mystery. Contact with Paul Mariani Corp. was made and an offer to purchase the old truck was made. Mariani didn’t want to sell the engine but offered to donate it to the volunteers. A stipulation was that some type of plaque be placed on the engine once restored. With that, Alvin Rentsch, Henry Eutenier, Gil Wells, Jim Marschall, Bill Merriman, Ken Wells and Jeff Row went to bring the engine home again.

Fore many years the interest in the engine kept up. A big problem was a place to store and work on the engine. Some work had been done but it had never come to full restoration. The engine is now housed in the bay of the old Kelseyville Fire Department building, adjacent to the new station. This location has made it convenient for restoration work to be done.

As with any project of this nature, funding is always a problem. On Nov. 27, 2007, Gilbert Leon “Gil” Wells passed away. Gil, a longtime Kelseyville resident, and one of the fire engine rescuers, was also a volunteer fireman for 17 years. In his memory, his family requested that donations be made to the “Kelseyville Fire Volunteer Fire Department Antique Fire Truck Restoration Project.” Numerous individuals have since made contributions to the Antique Fire Truck Restoration Project.

Early in 2008, former Kelseyville resident, Robert Seth “John” Waite passed away. He was raised in Kelseyville and was a graduate of Kelseyville High School. Seth Waite, the builder of the fire engine, was John’s father. When John Waite passed away, contributions were again made to the “Kelseyville Volunteer Fire Department antique Truck Restoration Project.”

These contributions have rekindled interest in the restoration of the fire engine. Kelseyville Fire Department employee Bill Merriman, as well as Myron Ferry and Milt Hodgkinson, have worked daily on the restoration. Schnabl’s Inc. has donated time and materials as well. Progress can be seen every day.

The target completion date is this month for the Pear Festival Parade.

Additional contributions are still needed to finish the restoration. Interested or curious? You are welcome to stop by the Kelseyville Fire Department to see the nearly completed antique fire engine restoration.

Contributions are welcome at the following address:

Kelseyville Volunteer Fire Department

Antique Fire Truck Restoration Project

P.O. Box 306

Kelseyville, Ca. 95451

Or

Kelseyville Fire Department

4020 Main Street

Kelseyville, Ca. 95451

You may also contact Bill Merriman at 279-4268 for more information.

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The fundraiser takes place at the Lakeport Senior Center, 527 Konocti Ave, Lakeport.

Doors open at noon.

Packs are $5 each, specials are $1 or 3 for $2.50. Snacks are available.

For more information call Pam Plank, 272-3665.

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The sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday at the Lucerne Clubhouse, 6319 E. Highway 20.

The sale promises to offer interested buyers just about everything, said Jim Swatts, a member of the club and the sale's organizer.

For more information call Swatts, 998-9253.

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The plan sets forth goals and objectives to address needs of seniors and people with disabilities in Lake and Mendocino counties.

The AAA is interested in receiving input from older adults, persons with disabilities, family and volunteer caregivers, agencies and advocacy groups serving these individuals, and other interested community members. AAA also will share information about the services available to seniors throughout Lake and Mendocino Counties.

The following is a schedule of the forums.

• Wednesday, Sept. 10, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; Middletown Senior Center, 15299 Central Park Road.

• Wednesday, Sept. 10, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Highlands Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Road, Clearlake.

• Wednesday, Sept. 17, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; Willits Seniors Inc., 1501 Baechtel Road, Willits.

• Wednesday, Sept. 17, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Ukiah Senior Center, 499 Leslie St., Ukiah.

• Thursday, Sept. 25, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; Lucerne Alpine Seniors, 3985 Country Club Drive.

• Thursday, Sept. 25, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Lakeport Senior Center, 527 Konocti Ave.

• Wednesday, Oct. 1, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., South Coast Seniors, 140 Main St., Point Arena.

• Wednesday, Oct. 1, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Redwood Coast Seniors, 490 North Harold St., Fort Bragg.

For more information, please contact the AAA at 463-7775.

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Kathy Fowler gets in the dunk tank to raise money for a new domestic violence shelter. Courtesy photo.

The event, which ran from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., featured several wineries from Lake County which poured their wines, along with food vendors, local artisans and music.

There also were games and a dunk tank. The resort's owners, John and Colleen McDonald, tried to convince businesswoman Kathy Fowler to go into the tank, an idea Fowler didn't take to at first.

But after the McDonalds went in, Fowler offered to follow if she could raise $500 for the Lake County Resource Center's Freedom House domestic violence shelter project.

The challenge proved irresistible to those attending the event, who pitched in to raise the $500, and Fowler went in.

It was the resort's chef who finally hit the paddle and sent Fowler into the water.

Kathy Fowler and Jeff Smith, winemaker at Napa Valley's Dusinberre Cellars, which was on hand to pour wine at the event. Courtesy photo.

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