LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) announced Monday that his request for $2.28 million for Lake County’s chip seal project to address county roads in Lakeport, Kelseyville, Cobb Mountain and Hidden Valley was included in the infrastructure package that will be marked up later this week by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Thompson said this is an important step before a vote on the House floor.
“Lake County roads are a critical part of keeping this rural area connected, yet far too many of them have received a poor rating,” Thompson said Monday. “That’s why I supported a more than $2.28 million request for federal funding for the county’s chip seal project to improve 55 miles of county roads in the Fifth Congressional District. I am glad to see this funding included in the bill today and will work to ensure it’s included in the final legislation.”
Thompson was able to secure $19.03 million in federal funding as part of the Member Designated Project program that was started this Congress.
This includes $742,000 for the San Pablo Avenue Rehabilitation in Pinole in Contra Costa County, $2.28 million for the chip seal program in Lake County, $3 million for the Napa Valley Vine Trail in Napa County, $4 million for the State Route 37/Fairgrounds Drive Interchange project in Solano County, $2 million for the Highway 116/West Cotati Intersection Safety Improvement project in Sonoma County and $7 million for the State Route 37 Corridor Enhancement Program in Sonoma County.
This legislation is being considered in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this week and still needs to be approved by the full House and Senate and signed into law by President Joe Biden.
Thompson’s office said congressional leadership made important changes that allow members of Congress to provide greater input on how funding will be directed to specific state or local governments or eligible nonprofit recipients for Fiscal Year 2022.
Members of Congress are now allowed to submit 10 community funded project requests to the Appropriations Committee.
There are no guarantees that these community funded projects will all be funded, and the projects will be competitively evaluated by the Committee on Appropriations, Thompson’s office reported.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it is continuing its investigation into the circumstances that led to a boat capsizing on Clear Lake early Saturday morning, claiming the life of a Fresno woman as well as that of her fiance, who was trying to rescue her.
Webster Medley III, 51, and Novia Walton, 50, who family reported had recently become engaged to be married, were among five people on a boat that capsized offshore of Clearlake Oaks shortly before 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
Walton was pulled from the water and transported to an out-of-county hospital, where she died of her injuries on Saturday evening, said Lt. Rich Ward of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Medley, who went missing shortly after the incident, was the subject of an ongoing search that ended on Sunday morning, when his body was located in the lake, Ward said.
Ward said Medley’s body was found shortly after 10:15 a.m. Sunday about 50 feet from the Clearlake Oaks Park, just past the Island Drive boat launch, where the search for him had begun after the boat overturned.
Dispatch traffic at approximately 12:23 a.m. Saturday said that a caller had reported a boat had capsized about 500 yards offshore of Island Drive and that they could hear the people in the water.
Less than five minutes later, a medic unit from the Northshore Fire Protection District’s Clearlake Oaks station reported arriving on scene, estimating five people were in the water about 75 yards out and asking for additional assistance.
Based on the information authorities have gathered so far, Medley was driving a 19-foot 1985 Bayliner registered to him with Walton and family members on board for a fishing trip.
Ward said the reports indicate that Medley was backing up from the shoreline, with he and his passengers on the left side of the boat, when it capsized.
A witness statement to deputies reported that Medley had called out while in the water, saying he needed to help Walton, Ward said.
Scanner reports also had stated that when Medley was last seen, he was trying to pull someone from the water.
Three of the boat’s passengers were reported to have gotten to shore within a few minutes, but authorities were still searching for the couple, according to radio traffic.
Ward said Walton was found face down in the water.
Scanner traffic said firefighters were doing CPR on the fourth individual — Walton — who later was flown out.
Medley, however, wasn’t found, and deputies, firefighters and a REACH helicopter crew searched for him for hours without success.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol searched for Medley throughout the day on Saturday, as Lake County News has reported.
The search continued on Sunday, when Medley’s body was found midmorning by a California Department of Fish and Game officer who was first on scene, Ward said.
Ward said the next of kin of both Medley and Walton were contacted and notified of their deaths.
He said a family member told deputies that the Fresno couple had recently become engaged to be married.
As for what led to the boat overturning, Ward said the investigation is ongoing by the sheriff's Marine Patrol and the cause is yet to be determined.
The boat — which was removed from the scene several hours after the incident — is due to undergo a secondary examination by Marine Patrol deputies, Ward said.
Ward said there is no indication that speed, low water or unfamiliarity with the area were factors.
He said post-mortem examinations of both Medley and Walton also are planned.
Family member describes incident
In an email to Lake County News Monday afternoon, Medley’s family described what occurred.
Medley’s younger brother, Trey Maxwell, offered an account given to him by two cousins who were on the boat.
Maxwell said Medley and his four passengers launched the boat on Friday evening.
They coasted straight out of the boat launch and after traveling about 150 feet, Medley turned left to approach their destination, which Maxwell said was 100 yards away.
“As they got closer the passengers noticed water accumulating in the rear. Just as they were stopping to fish, Webster was notified of the now excessive water and started the bilge pump which immediately began pumping out water. His cousin yelled to him to get them back to the launch,” Maxwell said.
“Webster tried to counter the water by sending a second cousin to the front for balance. At the same time, Webster shifted the boat into gear to U-turn the boat but it wouldn't move. He then switched to reverse and the boat suddenly and immediately sank, end first,” Maxwell said.
“The second cousin (wearing his vest) was tossed into the water at the front of the boat, the others had no time to grab theirs and entered the water abruptly. Once the boat was under water and capsized, the visibility was at zero for the passengers,” Maxwell said.
“Webster called for his cousin screaming ‘Greg, Novia can't swim!’ Webster then screamed out again ‘Greg ... Novia ... I think she's drowning!’,” Maxwell continued.
Maxwell added, “This is when it appears Webster went under the water to search for Novia and neither survived.”
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.
The approach of summer in the U.S. means that it’s time to be ready for hurricanes and wildfires. The incidence of weather and climate disasters is increasing in the U.S., a trend due partly to climate change but also to human decisions.
Since the 1950s, population growth has increased significantly in Sun Belt states. Millions of people have moved to coastlines, from Texas to the Carolinas, putting more lives and property in harm’s way during hurricanes. Florida, the hurricane capital of the United States, now is the third-most-populous state in the nation.
Recognizing that Americans are increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather-Ready Nation initiative is helping communities plan for events like violent tornadoes, destructive hurricanes and widespread flooding. As a meteorologist and supporter of this effort, I believe that everyone should understand what kinds of severe weather hazards could affect their family and home and be ready for them. Here are some ways to do it.
What to do instead of taping windows
The U.S. experienced a record 22 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2020 that wreaked about US$95 billion in total damage. This included a historic hurricane season, with 30 named storms and seven billion-dollar tropical cyclones – the most in one year since NOAA started keeping track of billion-dollar disasters in 1980.
For Atlantic and Gulf coast residents, hurricane preparedness has to be a way of life. It means knowing whether you live in a designated evacuation zone. That’s key in the event of storm surge – when a hurricane pushes seawater up onto local beaches and inland areas. Readiness also means having a family and business disaster plan that details preparations, and maintaining a hurricane survival kit.
Another priority is knowing how to protect your home and business from damaging winds. Conducting a home insurance review with your agent and scheduling a wind mitigation inspection will identify what you can do to strengthen and protect vulnerable parts of the building such as windows, entry doors, garage doors and roofs.
Adding metal hurricane shutters or hurricane-resistant windows can help. So can retrofitting the attic or eaves with metal hurricane straps, which connect the rafters to the walls to prevent the roof from blowing off.
Here’s one step to skip: Putting tape onto windows for wind protection from a hurricane. Tape does nothing to reduce wind damage, so this is a waste of time.
Consumers also need to rethink how they shop for a new home in storm-prone areas. It’s OK to want granite countertops, walk-in closets and a safe neighborhood near schools and parks. But buyers should also consider how well a house is built, its age, the materials it contains, the shape and condition of the roof, and building code requirements at the time it was constructed.
And they should ask whether the house is located in a flood-prone area, has wind-resistant features or has been retrofitted against hurricanes. Even residents who don’t live in a zone where it is required should consider taking out flood insurance.
Storm-testing buildings
Florida International University’s International Hurricane Research Center, which is part of our Extreme Events Institute, was designated NOAA’s first Weather-Ready Nation ambassador in South Florida. Our Wall of Wind facility is capable of creating Category 5 hurricane conditions – winds with speeds over 157 mph.
Like crash testing for vehicles, wind testing can help ensure that structures, traffic signals and building components can hold up under stress. The Wall of Wind is part of the National Science Foundation’s Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure program.
For educational outreach, we host the yearly Wall of Wind Mitigation Challenge, in which teams of local high school students develop innovative wind mitigation concepts and solutions. And the Extreme Events Institute uses a risk equation to help the public understand and support measures to confront the “risk drivers” that lead to major losses.
NOAA’s National Weather Service is also investing in new forecasting tools and linking its forecasts to lifesaving decisions made in every state and county. The goal is to provide timely forecasts that emergency managers, first responders, government officials, businesses and the public can act on.
Across the United States, Weather-Ready Nation ambassadors are preparing for many types of extreme weather events.
Flooding can occur almost anywhere across the country, and hazards can develop quickly. In mid-May 2021, over 12 inches of rain fell on the Lake Charles, Louisiana, area in a single day, triggering flash flooding that completely submerged parked cars. Flooded roadways can be deadly, so take heed of NOAA’s “Turn Around Don’t Drown” message and avoid walking or driving in flooded areas – it could save your life.
Tornado safety is critical: So far in 2021, twisters have killed a dozen people, in Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and North Carolina. Tornado readiness includes knowing the safest room in your home – usually a windowless interior room on the lowest floor – and tuning in to NOAA Weather Radio, which will provide severe-weather information directly from your local National Weather Service office.
Apathy and complacency can also be dangerous when it comes to weather-driven disasters. In my view, weather readiness has to become a way of life – something that all Americans see as their responsibility. The best forecasts in the world may be useless if the public doesn’t respond or hasn’t taken the needed actions to protect themselves when extreme weather threatens.
Most importantly, remember to help your neighbors when needed, especially if they are elderly and can’t help themselves. In addition, consider supporting local nonprofits or churches that help residents in your community who have financial or transportation needs to be ready and safe. We are all in this together.
Storms from the Pacific set to swing into the rain-starved West Coast this week may end up turning detrimental, AccuWeather forecasters say, by whipping up gusty winds and heightening the risk of lightning-induced wildfires.
With over 87% of the Western states in moderate to exceptional drought, the news of Pacific storms poised to sweep onshore may sound good on the surface. However, the pattern will be a double-edged sword.
Each storm is expected to arrive with “very limited moisture,” according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
One such storm arrived Sunday night and continued into Monday, bringing only light showers to northwest Oregon and Washington state.
A second storm is forecast to reach the Northwest during the middle of the week. This storm may bring a more concentrated area of rain and thunderstorms to the northern Rockies Wednesday night, as well as the potential for some snow at the highest peaks.
Light showers in the Pacific Northwest Friday will mark the arrival of the third storm of the week.
On California’s North Coast, the forecast calls for slight chances of showers in Lake County on Friday night and Saturday.
As a whole for the week, temperatures will be several degrees lower than average across the region due to the more frequent clouds and chances for wet weather.
Meaningful rainfall will fall well short of reaching the Southwestern states where the worst of the drought is ongoing.
In addition to all of the rain staying north of the region, gusty winds will be kicked up to the south and east of the storms rolling through the Northwest.
“Wind will continue to be an issue through the middle of the week, with the strongest winds across Nevada,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Western U.S. blogger Brian Thompson said.
Red flag warnings were in effect from southern Oregon and California to Nevada, Western Arizona, Utah and Colorado in anticipation of the ramp-up of winds.
"This is not an unusual setup for this time of year, as we're still in that pre-monsoon season where the vegetation continues to dry out and temperatures are on the rise," Thompson added.
New wildfires can quickly be fanned into existence and ongoing blazes may grow farther beyond containment lines. Experts urge residents and visitors to avoid using outdoor flames in the dry, hot and windy pattern.
While moisture will be limited across the Sierra Nevada and southern Oregon Cascades, there may be enough energy in the upper levels of the atmosphere to set off spotty thunderstorm development. Given how dry it is, these thunderstorms can produce little to no rainfall but plenty of dangerous lightning that can be the spark for a new blaze.
Experts urge campers, hikers and anyone else spending time outdoors in the high terrain to keep a close eye on the sky and be on the lookout for tall, darkening clouds, which can indicate a developing thunderstorm.
In terms of temperatures, there will be some heat relief across the interior West by Thursday as cooler air pushes inland with the midweek storm. However, heat is likely to return as quickly as the weekend.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Rodeo Association is marking its return this summer after a year off due to the pandemic, and it has named a longtime county resident as its 2021 grand marshal.
Robert “Bob” Anton will serve as grand marshal for the 91st annual rodeo, which takes place July 9 to 10 at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport.
Bob Anton is a fourth generation Lake County resident who will celebrate his 101st birthday on July 3.
His ancestors came to the Lakeport area in the early 1800s and settled on a 400-acre ranch in Scotts Valley. They built a home and for many years raised cattle, horses and sheep, and grew alfalfa, hops and later planted a beautiful pear orchard.
Bob’s parents, Inez and J.C., moved into town on North Main Street where he was born on July 3, 1920.
The small hospital is still there, now called the Lakeport English Inn, and his birth certificate hangs on the wall in one of the rooms.
The Anton house was located on the shores of Clear Lake where Bob spent a large amount of his growing up years in and on the waters either boating, fishing or swimming. As a young adult he had the fastest racing boat on the lake.
Bob’s other love was horses. When he was 5 or 6 years old his parents purchased a Shetland pony named Topsy. Bob was hooked. His mother had also been very interested in horses as a young lady. She taught Bob much about their care, and at 8 years old Bob was thrilled to get his first full-sized horse named Barney.
At 13 Bob was challenged to get a wild horse that Paul Kiel, who owned Saratoga Springs, brought from Arizona. Bob named the mare Snooks, and he broke and trained her for a few months before he and his parents realized she was pregnant.
Months later Snooks gave birth to a colt they named Smoke. Bob trained Smoke over the next few years, and now mother and son could ride mother and son horses together. In later years, Bob’s two children and his niece and nephew all rode Snooks in a drill team at the Lake County Fair, directed by retired Colonel Norris L’Abbe.
In 1939 Inez and Bob were members of a Lake County 16-member mounted quadrille team that often traveled to events with their square dance caller Pat Patterson.
This talented team was honored to be invited to perform for five days on Treasure Island at the 1939 World’s Fair. Both mother and son riders and mother and son horses shared this special memory. Bob still rides horses vicariously by watching horse races and rodeos on TV.
When he finished high school Bob went to Sacramento City College to study aeronautical engineering. After college he worked for three years at Lockheed Aircraft Production and Manufacturing, and then he joined the Army Air Corps. He taught navigation for night flying for two years in Valdosta, Georgia, and then in Enid, Oklahoma, with his beautiful new wife Janice.
After completing his time in the Army Air Corps, Bob and Jan were happy to move back to Lakeport where they raised their children, Lynda and Tom, now the fifth generation in Lake County.
Bob owned the Chevrolet dealership in Lakeport for 25 years. He then got his real estate license and started Anton Realty with his brother, Baird. He later became a real estate appraiser for the Veterans Affairs and continued this work until he was 80 years old.
He was a member of the Lakeport Rotary Club for 25 years and also served a year as president. Not one to sit around, Bob stayed very busy in his free time gardening, fishing, golfing, and traveling with Jan and friends to Mexico in their travel trailer.
Though Bob is 100 years old he still gardens, cuts up his own firewood, mows his three-acre property with his tractor, and goes fishing with his good friend Doug Patten.
He goes to the Howling Dog in Lakeport several times a week to have coffee with the “good ol’ boys” and he and his cat Finley drive to Chico every other week to be with his daughter and family.
Bob Anton is a friend to many and he is truly loved by all who know him.
This male domestic shorthair has a gray and white coat.
He is 1 year old and weighs nearly 6 pounds.
He is in cat room kennel No. 120, ID No. LCAC-A-874.
Female yellow tabby
This female yellow tabby kitten has a short coat.
She is in cat room kennel No. 135, ID No. LCAC-A-822.
Male domestic shorthair
This young male domestic shorthair has a gray coat.
He is under 1 year old and weighs more than 2 pounds.
He is in kennel No. 150a, ID No. LCAC-A-836.
Female Abyssinian kitten
This female Abyssinian kitten has a short brown and black coat.
She weighs just over 2 pounds.
She is in cat room kennel No. 150, ID No. LCAC-A-837.
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.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — As safety guidelines related to the COVID-19 Pandemic relax, the Yuba Community College District is increasing the availability of face-to-face services and classes to support students.
Beginning June 1, all staff began a phased return to on-campus operations that will result in a full return to services on campus for the fall semester that begins Aug. 16.
While neither Woodland Community College nor Yuba College closed for the pandemic, most classes were transitioned to distance education, and many services transitioned to limited in-person operations.
The colleges deployed virtual options such as email, Zoom, and phone calls to process standard student service transactions in the interest of safety.
Beginning June 1, and ahead of the start of the Summer Session which takes place from June 14 to Aug. 5, services in person will increase.
“We’ve been successful in these online or virtual service modalities with our students,” said Dr. Dalexh Hunt, vice president of student services at Yuba College. “Students did not have to make a trip to our campus to move their registration or financial aid forward. However, some students need additional support or prefer doing so in person, so we look forward to returning to a walk-in model while still holding onto the online services.”
Offices will be open at both colleges from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, beginning on June 7.
Also, starting this summer, the ratio of in-person classes will increase.
“We typically plan our class offerings nearly one year out, so our fall course schedule was finished in January when our guidance was strict,” said Dr. Tawny Dotson, Yuba College president. “However, we planned where possible to have the flexibility to offer some courses in person with the hope that conditions would improve. We will see an increase in face-to-face courses this summer, and nearly half our courses will return to face-to-face for fall.”
In addition to the return to face-to-face services, both colleges will be supporting more students with federal funding provided by the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
In total, the two colleges will award students in the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years more than $10 million in additional financial support.
“We received over $3 million that will be disbursed directly to students impacted by COVID-19,” said Kasey Gardner, acting president of Woodland Community College. “Our colleges have been working together to outline a plan for students to access these funds that supports students who may otherwise stop attending, as well as supporting the return of students who put their education on hold due to the pandemic.”
In the first two rounds of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding students attending Yuba Community College received grants totaling more than $6 million in addition to their financial aid. Students attending in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years should expect to receive additional disbursements.
Enrollment for the summer and fall sessions is now open at both colleges. Visit http://yc.yccd.edu or http://wcc.yccd.edu to learn more about how to enroll in courses.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors this week will consider an appeal of a permit for a large cannabis grow near Hidden Valley Lake and hold a discussion on issues related to the drought, from future agriculture projects to water trucks that draw from Clear Lake.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 8, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 953 6118 9283, pass code 808217. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,95361189283#,,,,*808217#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
Zarina Otchkova, owner of WeGrow LLC, is proposing a commercial cannabis cultivation operation on a portion of a 309-acre property she purchased in 2020 at 16750 Herrington Road, 17610 Sandy Road and 19678 Stinson Road in Middletown.
The project — located next to Hidden Valley Lake — calls for nine acres of cultivation, 35 greenhouses, four 50-foot by 100-foot drying buildings, a 200-square-foot shed, four 2,500-gallon water tanks and fencing.
In other business on Tuesday, the board will get an update, scheduled for 9:06 a.m., on COVID-19 from Public Health officials.
At 9:30 a.m., the board will consider a $100,000 agreement with Management Partners for consulting services for the Lake County Community Development for the amount of $100,000 and while the department is transitioning back to a standalone agency, the board will consider appointing County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson or her designee as interim Community Development director.
At 1:30 p.m., the board will hold a public hearing on Brandon Strausser’s apparel of the Vicious Animal Abatement Case Number No. 859. That hearing was rescheduled from a previous meeting.
At 2:30 p.m., Board Chair Bruno Sabatier will ask the board to discuss issues related to the drought, including how to handle future agriculture projects, addressing water trucks that pull water from Clear Lake and handling illegal cannabis grows.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2020-151 Establishing Salaries And Benefits For Management Employees for the period Nov. 1, 2020, to Oct. 31, 2021.
5.2: Approve revised letter of support to Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District revising the date of water diversion to June and July 2021 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.3: Approve addition of special meeting dates to the board’s annual meeting calendar for 2021.
5.4: Appoint temporary representatives to meet for unrepresented management employees regarding salary and benefits.
5.5: Sitting as Lake County Air Pollution Control District Board of Directors, authorize the air pollution control officer to sign the grant agreement with the Kelseyville Unified School District for a School Bus Replacement Grant.
5.6: Authorize the closure of Behavioral Health Services offices from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, June 18, for summer all staff training meeting.
5.7: Approve amendment to lease agreement between the county of Lake and DFM Associates, for a five-year extension or until June 30, 2026, for Election Information Management System in the amount of $29,214.72 annually and authorize the chair to sign.
5.8: Approve request to waive 900-hour limit for extra-help facilities maintenance worker Lawrence Platz.
5.9: (a) Approve rental agreement between the county of Lake and Paul E. Lowen and Kevin Soto for storage hangar No. 1 at Lampson Field for the monthly amount of $300, and authorize the chair to sign; and (b) approve rental agreement between the county of Lake and Paul E. Lowen and Kevin Soto for storage hangar No. 2 at Lampson Field for the monthly amount of $500, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.10: Approve an amendment to the agreement between the county of Lake and Pavement Recycling Systems Inc. for the rehabilitation of Big Canyon Road in the amount of $109,200 for a total contract amount of $252,000, and authorize the Public Works director to sign the amended agreement.
5.11: Adopt resolution authorizing the Special Districts administrator to sign the notice of completion for work performed under Agreement 19-18, dated June 9, 2020, for the construction of the Soda Bay CSA-20 Redwood Tank Replacement Project.
5.12: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and CivicSpark in the Amount of $29,000 for One Civic Spark Fellows to develop and implement an ArcGIS based asset management program and authorize the Special Districts administrator to sign.
5.13: Approve third amendment to the lease agreement between the county of Lake and Lyon Real Estate LLC (formerly Margaret E. Lyon Survivors Trust) for the premises located at 8555 Highway 53 in Lower Lake and authorize the chair to sign.
5.14: Approve first amendment to the lease agreement between the county of Lake and Pauline Usher Revocable Trust for the premises located at 9245 Highway 53 in Lower Lake, in the amount of $6,078.12 per fiscal year, from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2024, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.15: Approve first amendment to the lease agreement between county of Lake and Charles Sawyer and Nancy Sawyer (formerly with Lower Lake JBRE LLC), for the property located at 9055 Highway 53, Suites A, B, and C in Lower Lake, in the amount of $134,926.47 per fiscal year, from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2023, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.16: Approve the distribution of excess proceeds in the amount of $331,723.02 from Tax Defaulted Land Sale No. 156 held on June 9, 2018 (per R&T §4675).
5.17: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Megabyte Systems Inc. for fiscal year 2021-22 MPTS property tax system maintenance, online business property filing licensing/support and the transient occupancy tax licensing/support in the amount of $197,368.13 and authorize the chair to sign; and (b) approve web services addendum to the agreement between the county of Lake and Megabyte Systems Inc. for fiscal year 2021-22 online tax bills and e-payment processing services, in the amount of $4,601.14, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:06 a.m.: Consideration of update on COVID-19.
6.3, 9:30 a.m.: (a) Consideration to waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to the Lake County Code Section 2-38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) consideration of agreement for consulting services for Lake County Community Development for the amount of $100,000; and (c) consideration to appoint the county administrative officer, or her designee, as interim Community Development director..
6.4, 9:45 a.m.: (a) Consideration of budget transfer in the amount of $120,000.00 from BU 1781 - Special Projects Account 717.55-07 to BU 1122 - Treasurer-Tax Collector Account 711.23-80 for services related to a second tax sale for fiscal year 20-21 and authorize the chair to sign; and (b) consideration of budget transfer in the amount of $50,000 from BU 1781 - Special Projects Account 717.55-07 to BU 1231 - County Counsel Account 712.01-11 to cover permanent salaries through the end of the fiscal year and authorize the chair to sign.
6.5, 9:50 a.m.: Consideration of budget transfer from BU 1781 - Special Projects Account 717.55-07 to BU 1671 - Buildings and Grounds Account 716.61-60 and new capital asset in the amount of $60,000 to correct deterioration to the pedestrian bridgeway and stairs on the south side of the courthouse and authorize the chair to sign.
6.6, 10 a.m.: Public hearing, discussion and consideration of appeal to Board of Supervisors, AB 21-01 for Major Use Permit, UP 20-22 and IS / MND 20-25, “We Grow LLC.”
6.7, 11a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of a resolution approving resolutions and capital fire facility and equipment plans submitted by Lake County fire agencies and updating the lake county capital fire facility and equipment plan.
6.8, 1:30 p.m.: Public hearing, appeal of Vicious Animal Abatement Case Number #859, located at 21852 Jerusalem Grade Lower Lake (Brandon Strausser).
6.9, 2:30 p.m.: Discussion on drought related issues: a) How to handle future ag projects; b) how to handle water trucks; and c) how to deal with illegal cannabis.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of (a) waiving 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) approval of the agreement between the county of Lake and Crestwood Behavioral Health for adult residential support and specialty mental health services for fiscal year 2021-22 for a contract maximum of $1,400,000.00 and authorize the board chair to sign the agreement.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with labor negotiator: (a) chief negotiator: M. Long; county negotiators: C. Huchingson and P. Samac; and (b) employee organizations: LCDDAA, LCDSA, LCCOA, LCEA, LCSEA and LCSMA.
8.2: Conference with (a) temporary representatives designated to meet with county department heads regarding salary and benefits and (b) unrepresented management employees.
8.3: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9 (d)(1): City of Clearlake v. County of Lake, et al.
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.
They’re the most consumed fruit in the United States and, if you exclude tomatoes (which aren’t really fruit from a culinary standpoint), they’re also the favorite fruit of the world.
Despite their ubiquity, there are some surprising things that you may not know about them. They’re far more than a creamy white fruit in a bright yellow jacket. Read on to discover a few banana facts that may be new to you.
There are pink hairy bananas and lots of other types, too.
Bananas are grown in more than 150 countries and it’s estimated that there are over 1,000 types worldwide. These include a wide variety of shapes, sizes, textures and colors, some quite exotic.
Blue Java bananas (also known as ice cream bananas) have blue skin and flesh that tastes like vanilla ice cream.
The tangy Apple banana, popular in Hawaii, has a tart apple-like flavor, and the square-sided Burro banana tastes like lemon when it’s ripe.
Diminutive Lady Finger bananas are just 3 inches long with a creamy texture and honey-like flavor.
The Macabu banana is black when fully ripe and the scarlet banana, native to China and pollinated by bats, has bright red skin.
As to the aforementioned hairy pink bananas, they’re grown mostly for ornamental purposes; however, the flesh is edible and sweet. Watch out for the seeds, though! Like wild bananas, the pea-sized seeds are hard and plentiful.
Don’t throw those skins away — you can cook with them!
While banana peels are common in some world cuisines (Southeast Asia and India, for example), in the last few years they’ve been trending as a culinary alternative in the Western world.
I recently read that British culinary superstar Nigella Lawson demonstrated a fragrant curry using banana skins and cauliflower on her television show, causing a bit of consternation in the British media. This led me to a flurry of research and to my surprise I found that using banana peels as a component of cuisine is becoming a popular topic.
I’ve learned that if banana skins are cooked with onions, garlic and barbecue sauce, they can become a no-meat alternative to pulled pork or chicken (“pulled not-pork,” as some like to call it), and that banana peels can also be made into an alternative for bacon.
Banana skins can be pureed to use in baked goods to punch up flavor (think banana bread or cake) and chopped bits of peel add texture.
If you’d like to try your hand at cooking with banana skins, be sure to buy organic bananas to avoid pesticides and scrub them well.
Banana skins are also good for some pretty surprising things!
I haven’t tested any of these claims, but banana peels are said to be useful for a plethora of ailments, bodily and otherwise!
They can be rubbed on the skin to remove ink, to soothe insect bites or to help loosen splinter fragments. Dusting plant leaves, polishing shoes, and even whitening teeth are in the banana peel’s repertoire.
Some have rubbed them on a scratched CD or DVD to prevent skipping. (They say this fills the scratches without damaging the plastic finish.)
Perhaps most surprising of all (at least to me) is that powder made from banana skins is used to clean heavy metal contamination from rivers and other water sources. Up to 65% is removed after just 40 minutes, and the process can be repeated.
Despite appearances, bananas don’t grow on trees.
Banana plants are not trees at all (though they’re called that colloquially); rather, they’re an herb distantly related to ginger. They’re classified as such because the stem is a succulent stalk rather than a woody trunk. In scientific circles the stalk is referred to as a “pseudostem.”
As a bonus, I’ll note that bananas grow in what are known as “hands” because of their fingerlike appearance.
Some scientists believe that bananas may have been the first fruit.
Bananas are believed to have originated in Southeast Asia, in the jungles of Malaysia, Indonesia or the Philippines, where many wild varieties still grow today. Some horticulturists believe they may be the world’s oldest fruit.
The first bananas were likely first cultivated some 7,000 years ago in what is now Papua New Guinea. They’re mentioned in ancient Hindu, Chinese, Roman and Greek texts, with the earliest, written in Sanskrit, dating back 5,000 years.
Apart from this and as an aside, Carl Linnaeus, an 18th century Swedish botanist, theorized that the fruit eaten by Eve in the Biblical story was a banana.
You can make paper and textiles with banana trees and it’s good for the environment!
Banana fabric is soft with a natural shine and is often compared to silk. It’s made from fiber from the stalks of the banana plant — the pseudo stem — which are often discarded once the bananas have been harvested. (This happens since fruit can only be harvested from the plant once in its lifetime.)
Fabric made from banana fiber is experiencing a rise in popularity, however, the process isn’t new. Textiles have been made in Asia from this resource since at least the 13th century, but the fabric fell out of favor with the rise of silk and cotton.
A leather-like, biodegradable paper is also made from banana fiber. Used mostly for artistic purposes or products like paper pens, notebooks, wallets, and business cards, it’s produced in a rainbow of colors.
Utilizing banana stalks in these ways drastically reduces the waste from banana agriculture which would otherwise negatively affect surrounding ecosystems.
Every part of the banana plant is useful.
The banana plant is quite generous. In addition to delicious fruit and the various beneficial uses of its skins and stalks, it offers its flowers and leaves for some interesting culinary opportunities.
Banana leaves are used in a variety of cuisines (Asian, Caribbean, Hispanic and Hawaiian, for example). They add a mild, sweet, earthy flavor to foods that are wrapped in them when cooked, and because they’re sturdy and large with a deep green color, they make decorative and practical serving vessels.
Banana flowers are subtly sweet, with a similar aromatic profile to a banana, though more delicate and less pronounced. They can be eaten raw, such as in a salad, or cooked, often in a stir-fry or soup.
Tea is made from the blossoms, as well, and is obtainable online if you’d like to try it.
Commercially grown bananas are clones and monoculture may be a death knell.
Bananas grown commercially are propagated through cuttings and not sprouted from seeds, making each banana a clone of the original. (Unlike wild bananas, the seeds of cultivated bananas are mere specks and not viable.)
There is no banana cloned more than the Cavendish variety. It’s the banana we commonly see in supermarket produce aisles.
Of the more than 1,000 varieties of bananas that are grown throughout the world, the Cavendish makes up a full 47% of global banana production.
This all means that bananas are grown in a monoculture system (i.e., planting just one type of crop rather than a variety), and while this can increase production, it makes the crop notoriously vulnerable to disease.
Before the Cavendish banana was the most popular variety, there was the Gros Michel (also known as the Big Mike), the first to be cultivated on a large scale. Unfortunately, a virulent fungus known as the Panama Disease descended on Gros Michel plantations, devastating the crop and rendering the Gros Michel banana virtually extinct.
A variety of the Panama Disease is successfully attacking Cavendish bananas because of its lack of genetic diversity and the fear of extinction once again looms.
On a brighter note, today’s recipe utilizes plantains, a member of the banana family popular in cuisine around the world, particularly in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Plantains are starchier and less sweet than other bananas, making them perfect for savory dishes like these griddle cakes.
Plantain Griddle Cakes
6 plantains, soft and very ripe (skin will be blackened) 1 cup milk, either dairy or plant-based ½ cup whole wheat flour 1 ½ cups cornmeal 4 tablespoons coconut oil, liquefied, plus more for the griddle* 1 small onion or medium shallot, chopped 4 scallions, chopped 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Chop and mash the plantains in a large bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients (other than the oil reserved for the griddle) and combine, stirring and mashing until thoroughly mixed but slightly chunky.
Cover bowl and refrigerate mixture for about 30 minutes.
Heat a large nonstick pan or griddle and brush with coconut oil.
Ladle ½ cup plantain mixture onto pan or griddle and spread it into a circle that’s roughly four inches in diameter.
Cook over medium heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking pan to allow excess fat to drain.
Repeat until all batter is used. This should make about 8 griddle cakes.
Serve hot and enjoy! (They’re yummy accompanied by black beans and avocado.)
*Note: If preferred, a neutral oil such as canola or sunflower can be used for the griddle in place of coconut oil.
Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa. She lives in Middletown, California.
To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here; the meeting ID is 986 6166 5155. To join by phone, dial 1-669-900-9128.
Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the City Clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9.
Please indicate in the email subject line "for public comment" and list the item number of the agenda item that is the topic of the comment. Comments that are read to the council will be subject to the three minute time limitation (approximately 350 words). Written comments that are only to be provided to the council and not read at the meeting will be distributed to the council before the meeting.
The main item on the commission’s agenda is a use permit and categorical exemption for a short-term rental Lois Langlois is proposing at 1270 Martin St.
Community Development Director Jenni Byers’ report to the commission explains that Langlois is proposing to rent out on Airbnb a unit that includes one bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchenette and family room on the ground floor of the two-story single-family residence. The unit will accommodate up to four people.
City requirements will include a business license for the rental’s operation, and working with the city to provide transient occupancy tax — or bed tax — from the rental, Byers’ report said.
Byers said staff is recommending approval of the permit and categorical exemption.
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.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is inviting all Californians to learn about — and join the fight against — harmful nonnative plants and animals that threaten our state’s natural resources.
The eighth annual California Invasive Species Action Week, or #CISAW, runs from Saturday, June 5, through Sunday, June 13.
Historically, agencies, nonprofits and volunteer organizations across the state have teamed up to host events for CISAW.
This year features both in-person and virtual events including webinars, videos and Facebook live events.
All Californians can help stop the spread of invasive species by taking small, everyday actions, such as landscaping with native plants, not releasing unwanted pets into the wild, reporting invasive species findings, and cleaning, draining and drying gear when recreating in bodies of water.
The Action Week website lists simple actions Californians can take all year long while visiting natural areas, boating or fishing, or at home.
Additionally, the winners of CDFW’s annual California Invasive Species Youth Art Contest will be announced on social media during CISAW. The theme of this year’s contest was “Be an Invasive Species Detective!”
The mission of CDFW’s Invasive Species Program is to reduce the impacts of invasive species on the wildlands and waterways of California.
The program is involved in efforts to prevent the introduction of these species into the state, detect and respond to introductions when they occur and prevent the spread of those species that have established.
For questions or more information about CISAW, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Authorities on Saturday continued their search for a man who went missing in Clear Lake after an early morning boating accident.
The man, whose name so far hasn’t been released, was in a boat with four other people offshore of Clearlake Oaks when the boat capsized shortly before 12:30 a.m. Saturday, as Lake County News has reported.
Radio reports described the missing man as a Black male in his 50s.
The man was reported to have been trying to rescue someone shortly before he disappeared.
The boat was recovered near the Clearlake Oaks boat launch and removed from the scene early Saturday morning.
Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office told Lake County News that the sheriff’s Marine Patrol had searched for the man throughout the day on Saturday but hadn’t located him.
Paulich said the search will continue on Sunday morning.
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.