KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Kelseyville High School split its wrestling squad last Saturday with the girls group traveling to Santa Rosa while the boys went to Fort Bragg.

At the Orange and Black Invitational at Santa Rosa High School, the Kelseyville High girls took second in the team standings.

First place medalists included Kylie Marlin-Ambriz, 101 pounds; Bailey Huggins, 126 pounds; Vanessa Gonzalez, 145 pounds; and Brianna Christian, 235 pounds.

Jasmin Clarke, at 235 pounds, took a second-place finish, while third place finishes were earned by Korbyn Marlin-Ambriz at 101 pounds and Brianna Thomas at 121 pounds.

Melanie Guerrero, 137 pounds, did not place but got her first career win at the Saturday event.

The boys group also had a successful run while traveling to the Holiday Bash in Fort Bragg, where they placed third as a team.

Alex Garcia, at 145 pounds, won first place, while second place Javontee Gregoire, 182 pounds, lost his finals match to Mike Cavender of Fort Bragg, the front runner in the league at that weight. Aaron Teal also a runner up at 195 pounds.

Third place finishers were Nika Metreveli, 138 pounds, and Bryan Carrillo, 170 pounds. Carrillo lost in the first round to a tough wrestler from Hoopa High School and was able to avenge that loss by meeting him again in the third place match in convincing fashion. 

Fourth place finishers were Bryce Mandaville, 126 pounds, and Patrick Mick, 152 pounds. Mick medically forfeited the third place match after injuring his shoulder in the consolation semifinals match from an illegal slam.  

Alex Garcia was voted the outstanding wrestler in the tournament's "lightweight" category.

Both squads are traveling to Brentwood on Dec. 22 and 23 for the Lou Bronzan Invitational tournament.

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Mendocino National Forest offices will be closed Monday, Dec. 26, in observance of Christmas Day, and on Monday, Jan. 2, for the New Year’s holiday.

Christmas tree permit sales end Friday, Dec. 23. Permits are $10 each, one per household, and trees may be removed through Saturday, Dec. 24.

Please call 530-934-3316 or check the Forest Web site at https://www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino/ for information about permits, roads, recreation and more.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Kelseyville Presbyterian Church will hold its Christmas Eve Candlelight Service on Saturday, Dec. 24, at 7 p.m.
 
The church, located at 5340 Third St. in downtown Kelseyville, has been a part of the Kelseyville community for 144 years, and would like to invite everyone to this hour-long service of music and prayer, ending with singing outside under the stars, weather permitting.
 
On Christmas Day, Sunday, Dec. 25, the church will hold its worship service at 11 a.m., followed by a free Christmas dinner put on by the church for anyone who would like a hot meal and companionship on Christmas Day.

Santa is expected to arrive that day as well, so bring the family to enjoy Christmas with the Kelseyville Presbyterian Church. 
 
For more information, please call 707-279-1104.

Inspiring Girls Expeditions is accepting applications through Jan. 31 for free summer science and wilderness expeditions in Alaska and Washington for girls ages 16 to 17.

Three teams of up to nine teenage girls and three instructors will spend 12 days exploring and learning about mountain glaciers or fjords with tidewater glaciers. They'll conduct scientific field studies with professional glaciologists, oceanographers, artists and mountaineers.

The three Inspiring Girls trips of 2017 will include Girls on Ice Alaska, Girls On Ice Cascades and Girls in Icy Fjords. They are operated through the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Natural Science and Mathematics and the International Arctic Research Center.

Here are details for each expedition:

– Girls on Ice Alaska: Girls ages 16 to 17 sleep under the midnight sun and explore an Alaska glacier from June 16–27, 2017. Girls from Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, Yukon or California are eligible to apply.
– Girls on Ice Cascades: Girls ages 16 to 17 explore Mount Baker, an ice-covered volcano in Washington, from July 16–27, 2017. Girls from all states and countries may apply.
– Girls in Icy Fjords: Girls ages 16 to 17 explore Bear Glacier and its marine environment near Seward, Alaska, while also learning to kayak. Girls in Icy Fjords is new this year and will run from August 11-22, 2017. Girls from all states and countries may apply.

All Inspiring Girls programs help girls learn about the natural processes related to glaciers as they develop critical thinking skills and explore the connection between science and art. Participants design their own experiments and work as part of a team.

Girls participate in these programs tuition-free through small grants, gifts from individuals and support from the National Science Foundation, the Alaska Climate Research Center and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

For more information, and to learn about the application process, go to https://www.inspiringgirls.org .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Saturday, Dec. 24, St. John's Episcopal Church will hold its annual Christmas Eve candlelight service.

The service will begin at 8 p.m., with the Rev. Wendy Watson presiding and Melvin Taylor playing the organ.

All are welcome.

St. John's is located in Lakeport at 1190 N. Forbes St., at the corner of Clearlake Avenue.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – With New Year’s Eve rapidly approaching, now is the perfect time to think about making some resolutions, according to Lakeport-area SERVPRO franchise owners.

While resolutions typically involve committing to personal changes and reaching goals, these clean-up and restoration professionals say the single most important resolution both business and home owners can make for 2017 is to “Resolve to be Ready.”

“Preparing in advance to deal with the unexpected can make a world of difference in how quickly and completely property owners can put the pieces of their lives back together,” said Sue Steen, Servpro Industries Inc. chief executive officer. “Emergency readiness plans are the foundation for effective and timely emergency response.”

SERVPRO disaster remediation professionals in the Lakeport area encourage all property owners to take advantage of the no-cost emergency planning tools available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, at www.ready.gov/publications , as well as SERVPRO’s Emergency READY Profile and READY Plan Mobile App ( http://ready.servpro.com ).

For homeowners:

• FEMA resources include guidelines for a creating a Family Emergency Plan and Emergency Supply List, with additional tips for pet owners, seniors, people with disabilities, and even commuters.
• SERVPRO offers their free SERVPRO READY Plan app, which stores critical contact and property information electronically in advance, where it can be accessed with a mobile device in seconds if disaster strikes.

For business owners:

• FEMA offers materials on topics ranging from creating a Business Continuity Plan to an Insurance Discussion Coverage Form in addition to guidelines for creating an Emergency Response Plan.
• For businesses, SERVPRO offers a no-cost facility assessment and assistance in creating a comprehensive Emergency READY Profile® (ERP). The ERP includes information about emergency contact numbers, priority and high/risk areas, shut-off valve locations and more that can then be stored
in the READY app.

“The time to gather and store information like emergency contact numbers; insurance contacts; and the location of fuse boxes, fire suppression system controls, and such is before an emergency strikes, not during an emergency,” said Steen. “Having this information at your fingertips can help emergency responders react as quickly and effectively as possible, helping to limit loss of property and even lives.”

SERVPRO specializes in disaster restoration, cleanup and repair services, helping to remediate damage, making it “Like it never even happened,” for both commercial and residential customers.

For more information on SERVPRO, please visit www.servpro.com .

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Come celebrate the joy of Christmas at the Upper Lake Community United Methodist Church candlelight service on Saturday, Dec. 24, at 7 p.m.

The candlelight service is a reminder of Christ’s coming for the whole family.

Everyone is given a small candlestick and to close the service, the lights are dimmed, candles are lit and the singing of “Silent Night,” as they exit the sanctuary, fills the air.

This service will include a music medley by pianist Michelle Wells, songs performed by the Chancel Choir, “O, Holy Night” solo by Alexander O’Meara, Christmas carols sung by the congregation, lighting of the Christ Candle and ringing in Christmas Day.

Scripture reading participants will be Valerie and Nick Reid, Jeannie and Jeff Markham, Toni James, and Darla and Gary Lewis. The service will be officiated by the Reverend C. R. Green.

The offering, again this year, will go to benefit the Shoes for School Children Program. In supporting the program they ask people to remember how difficult it is for children to concentrate on learning when their shoes are too small, or too large, or are so worn out that they provide little or no protection from the elements. Those in need will truly appreciate and bless donors for their help.

There will also be a Christmas Day worship service on Sunday at 11 a.m.

All are welcome.

The United Methodist Church is located on the corner of First Street and Clover Valley Road in the town of Upper Lake.

The church's motto is “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.”

NOTICE OF INTENT TO ADOPT A CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION
AND NOTICE OF PROPOSED MINOR USE PERMIT
BY THE LAKE COUNTY ZONING ADMINISTRATOR 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Lake County Zoning Administrator of the County of Lake, State of California, will consider approving Minor Use Permit 16-32 with no public hearing if no written request for a public hearing is submitted by 5:00 P.M., December 30, 2016 to the Community Development Department, Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, California.  Should a timely request for hearing be filed, a public hearing will be held on January 11, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. in Conference Room C, 3rd Floor of the Courthouse.

Minor Use Permit 16-32. The property is located at 15870 Shawnee Cir., Loch Lomond, APN 052-261-05. The project applicant Timothy Toye has requested approval of this permit in accordance with Lake County Code to allow an accessory structure to exceed the height limitation of 20 feet, for a total height of 24 feet.  Project planner: Tricia Shortridge, (707) 263-2221 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Copies of the application, environmental documents, all reference documents, and staff reports associated with each project are available for review through the Community Development Department, Planning Division; Telephone (707) 263-2221.


COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Robert Massarelli, Director


By: ____________________________________
Danae Bowen, Office Assistant III

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) on Monday commissioned a new research vessel as a state-of-the-art replacement for the San Carlos, which since America’s bicentennial year has been monitoring water quality in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and upper San Francisco Estuary.  

The Sentinel is a floating laboratory whose mission is to protect water quality.

The flagship of DWR’s Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) enables staff to conduct water quality, nutrient and lower trophic (phytoplankton, zooplankton and benthos) monitoring of the Delta.

The research vessel plays a critical role helping to meet water quality objectives and the mandated requirements of biological opinions issued by the courts to guide water quality issues in the Delta.

The Sentinel was named by DWR Director Mark W. Cowin, who is retiring at month’s end after a 36-year career at the Department.

Cowin named the vessel to honor the late Laura King Moon, DWR’s former chief deputy director who died in 2015.

“Laura King Moon worked tirelessly as a guardian of California’s water supply and its environment,” Cowin said. “This new research vessel is dedicated in her memory.”

Moon was an environmental champion who dedicated her 38-year career to resource and water policy.

The Sentinel’s commissioning took place aboard the historic Delta King on the Sacramento River in the Old Sacramento Historic District.

During the ceremony, Cowin drew a comparison between the era of the Delta King’s commissioning in the 1920s and the current era.

“We are experiencing a period of great change – climate change, political change and changes in water management,” he said. “I think we can agree that the Sentinel is a welcome change.”

The Sentinel replaces the San Carlos, which provided valuable service for the past 40 years gathering information that informed water quality analysis, biological opinions and State Water Project (SWP) decisions.

Cowin said it was time for a “new guardian of the Delta waters to greet new challenges.”

Design and construction of the Sentinel was accomplished with funding from the SWP’s 29 contractors.

The construction project began in February 2015, and the vessel was launched by builder Vigor Industrial of Seattle, WA, in October 2016. Sea trials have been occurring since the launch.

The Sentinel’s characteristics:

· Length: 60 feet.
· Beam : 24 feet.
· Draft – 3 feet, 6 inches.
· Weight: 36 tons.
· Engines – twin Cummins QSB 6.7 conventional propulsion – 419 HP.
· Speed – 20 knots.
· 14-foot work skiff with 30 HP motor.
· Overnight accommodations for five people.
· Meets U.S. Coast Guard’s safety regulations for passenger vessels.
· Lab area – 266 square feet.
· Aft deck work area – 337 square feet.
· Air-conditioned.
· Lab raw water manifold with remote value operations.
· 30 Local Area Network connections.
· 4G wireless.
· Three 3,300-pound-capacity cranes, one with direct connection to the lab.