LAKEPORT – Are you a senior 55 years or older with a lifetime of experience to share? Would you like to give back to other seniors and learn how to age gracefully yourself?

The Senior Peer Counseling program of Konocti Senior Services Inc. is accepting applications for the fall volunteer training for this enriching opportunity to help seniors talk through a discouraging time, solve a problem, access services, cope with losses and adapt to the challenges of older age.

Volunteers will share their experiences with other inspirational volunteers, engage in lively discussions, and receive weekly training in the gifts and challenges of aging.

They also will learn skills such as compassionate listening, strategic coping, clear communicating, as well as the secrets of increasing peace of mind, reducing stress, recovering from a loss, building healthy relationships and exploring the spiritual advantages of later life.

As a volunteer, you will spend a total of about four hours a week with clients and attending a group supervision session in Lakeport or Clearlake.

The program is now accepting a limited number of applications for volunteers throughout Lake
County for this free training facilitated by licensed psychotherapist Kim Baughan Young MFT, clinical consultant.

The training – which will include experiential practice, movie clips, lively group discussion and even free lunches – will be held on three Mondays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Oct. 20.

Konocti Senior Support’s Senior Peer Counseling program has helped hundreds of Lake County seniors and is rapidly expanding, so please call Kim Baughan Young MFT at Konocti Senior Services Inc. now for your application at 995-1417.

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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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LAKEPORT – A meeting later this month will looks at redevelopment projects in Lakeport.

The Lakeport Redevelopment Agency in conjunction with the Lakeport Main Street Association will conduct a public workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The intent of this meeting will be to update the community on the status of the downtown Redevelopment projects, including:

• Issuance of redevelopment bonds;

• Façade Grant Program;

• Third Street/City Hall parking lot project;

• Draft Waterfront Redevelopment Plan;

• Conceptual Harbor acquisition and development;

• Retail recruitment efforts;

• Hotel project request for qualifications;

• South Main Street – Lakeport Boulevard projects;

• Five Year Implementation Plan; and

• Future public and private project development.

Anyone interested in the future of downtown Lakeport is encouraged to attend and participate in this workshop.

For more information call Redevelopment Manager Richard Knoll at 263-8840.

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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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