LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In addition to many state propositions, Lake County's voters will decide on several local ballot measures set to appear on the November ballot.

Nine local ballot measures are on this fall's ballot, according to Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley.

The measures are targeted to specific communities and uses, so all nine won't go before all county voters.

The fall measures include:

– Measure A: A $4 million bond measure for the Lucerne Elementary School District.
– Measure B: Raises the appropriations limit for the South Lake County Fire Protection District.
– Measure C: A cannabis cultivation tax in the county's unincorporated areas that exempts personal use but charges $1 per square foot on outdoor cultivation sites, $2 per square foot on a mixed-light cultivation sites and $3 per square foot on indoor cultivation sites, which will raise an estimated $8 million annually.
– Measure Q: A $33.5 million bond measure from the Yuba and Woodland community colleges aimed at continuing improvements to campuses.
– Measure V: A one-cent sales tax in the city of Clearlake that would be used for road maintenance and improvement. It's estimated to raise $1.6 million annually. It must pass by a two-third or supermajority of voters.
– Measure W: It would make Clearlake's city clerk position appointed, not elected.
– Measure X: Proposal to make Clearlake's city treasurer position appointed, not elected.
– Measure Y: A $29.6 million bond measure by the Konocti Unified School District for additional upgrades, modernization and new facilities at district campuses.
– Measure Z: A one-cent sales tax to improve Lakeport's roads, maintain and enhance public safety services, improve youth and recreational programs. Estimated to generate $1.5 million annually. A simple majority vote is required.

In a series of articles Lake County News will explain the measures, the intention behind them and opposition to their passage.

This article will focus on Measure A, Lucerne Elementary's bond, and South Lake County Fire Protection District's Measure B.

Measure A: Improving Lucerne Elementary's outdated school facilities

Lucerne Elementary School District is asking voters in its area to give the go-ahead on a $4 million bond, Measure A, that district officials said will fund much-needed improvements to facilities and technology, and modernize or – in some cases – build new classrooms.

The school, which is kindergarten through eighth grade, was first established in 1923. Today, it sits on a 6.5-acre campus at 3351 Country Club Drive, where the school was built in 1974. Last year's enrollment was estimated at between 250 and 260 students.

With the school in serious need of upgrades, including replacing nearly a dozen portable classrooms, this spring the district board approved beginning a telephone poll of voters, according to district officials.

At the June 8 board meeting, Superintendent/Principal Mike Brown presented the polling results, which were “very positive,” according to Lisa Cockerton, the district's business manager.

Under the provisions of Proposition 39, Measure A would need to pass by a 55-percent vote. Cockerton said polling results came in at about 70 percent.

The following week, on June 15, the Lucerne Elementary School Board held a special meeting during which it discussed and approved placing the bond measure before voters this fall.

“We're asking for the voters to approve a $4 million bond,” Cockerton explained.

The measure's language estimates that the tax rate to be levied to fund the bonds would be $30 per $100,000 of assessed valuation annually beginning in fiscal year 2017-18 and continuing through 2029-30.

Considering the district's tax base, Cockerton said the district only intends to seek a sale of $2 million in bonds initially if the measure is passed. The other $2 million would be pursued at some point in the future, as property values continue to improve.

Cockerton said the district hopes to be able to get some state matching funds, and it might qualify for hardship assistance due to the age of its facilities.

That hardship assistance, plus a state facility bond on the November ballot, ultimately could add another $2 million to the $4 million Measure A promises to bring in, she said.

Explaining the district's needs, Cockerton said that the majority of Lucerne Elementary's classrooms are portables that were installed from 1989 to 1991. They're well beyond their normal life expectancy of about 20 years.

“We've maintained them very well. You can't tell they're falling apart,” she said. However, “They're not going to last that much longer.”

If voters approve Measure A, Cockerton said the district would use a global priority list to help establish what projects to first pursue first.

Cockerton said a project at the top of the list is building a main wing with primary classrooms to replace five or six of the one dozen portables, starting with the oldest first.

As for technology, Cockerton said the district already has been spending a lot of funding on technology, with a brand new computer lab, and iPad and laptop carts, achieving a student-to-computer ratio of two to one.

Now, with good hardware at the ready, they would like to improve the IT infrastructure so the campus is fully wired, she said.

She said they're also looking at restructuring the entrance into the parking lot to make it broader, which would improve the flow of traffic. The parking lot also needs to be repaved.

Additionally, the school's aging playground equipment will be upgraded, Cockerton said.

How the bond's proceeds are used will be determined by a citizens' oversight committee, according to the measure's language.

However, the bond language also ensures that the bond funding goes only to projects – not to salaries, administration or overhead.

No arguments against the measure have been submitted to the Registrar of Voters Office.

Measure B: Raising South Lake Fire's spending limit doesn't raise taxes

This fall, the South Lake County Fire Protection District isn't asking voters to pay more.

Rather, Measure B will raise the district's appropriations limit on the amount of property tax funds it can spend, according to District Board President Jim Comisky.

“There's no change, there's no extra tax whatsoever,” he said.

Essentially, the district is asking voters for an override of spending limits set by Proposition 4, a state constitutional provision which voters approved in 1979 and which was updated by voters in 1988 and 1990.

Proposition 4 limits the level of appropriations from tax sources that many local and state entities can make in a given year, which generally is set at the limit for the prior year with adjustments for cost of living and population, according to state documents.

Those appropriations limits – or ceilings on what can be spent – must regularly be updated through measures such as Measure B according to Comisky.

Measure B would allow tax monies collected over and above Proposition 13 to be used to maintain the fire district's current level of service.

“It's allowing us to spend what we're able to bring in,” Comisky said.

Otherwise, if the limit isn't raised, anything that exceeded it would roll into the county's general fund. Voters wouldn't get it back, Comisky said.

If the measure were to fail, the district's annual budget would be reduced by one-third, which officials said would drastically reduce the district's staffing and services.

The last time the South Lake County Fire Protection District put a similar measure on the ballot was in November 2012, when Measure F – which did the same thing as Measure B proposes to do – was approved by a 64 to 35 percent margin, according to Registrar of Voters Office records.

No arguments against the measure have been submitted to the Registrar of Voters Office.

Editor’s note: A previous version of the story had the Lucerne Elementary enrollment lower based on an education reporting site. Cockerton gave the updated number.

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.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol recognizes National Teen Driver Safety Week Oct. 16 to 22, which provides an excellent opportunity for families to have lifesaving conversations with their teen drivers.
 
Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for teenagers, ahead of all other types of injury, disease, or violence.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that nationwide in 2014, 2,670 drivers age 15 to 19 were involved in fatal crashes, resulting in 3,004 deaths.

In 2014 in California, 262 teens were behind the wheel at the time of fatal collisions. Sixty-five percent of those young drivers were at fault.
 
“Even as teens become more independent, their families still have a strong influence,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said. “Young people whose parents or guardians set firm rules for driving typically engage in less risky driving behaviors and are involved in fewer collisions.”
 
Inexperience is the leading cause of teen collisions. The safest way for young drivers to gain experience is for a parent or guardian to ride with them frequently and monitor their progress.

By helping their teenager gain experience, parents and guardians should also highlight the five most deadly behaviors for new drivers:
 
– Alcohol consumption: Driving or riding with anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs can have deadly consequences.
– Driving without seat belts: Wearing a seat belt is one of the simplest ways for anyone to stay safe and survive in a collision, but too many teens and their passengers do not buckle up.
– Distracted driving: Eyes must be on the road and hands on the wheel all of the time.
– Speeding: Almost one-third of drivers under age 20 involved in fatal collisions in 2014 were speeding.
– Carrying extra passengers: Research shows the risk of a fatal collision goes up in direct relation to the number of passengers in the car.

As part of its commitment to educating the motoring public, the CHP has developed several programs for teen drivers and their families:

– Start Smart is a driver safety education class that targets new and future licensed drivers between the ages of 15-19 and their parents/guardians. The CHP has released a mobile application (app) for Start Smart, designed to assist young people through the process of obtaining their California driver license. The app includes a step-by-step guide covering everything from the Department of Motor Vehicles Driver Handbook and the final steps for obtaining a provisional license, to ultimately achieving an unrestricted California driver license.
– Every 15 Minutes focuses on high school juniors and seniors, challenging them to think about drinking, driving, personal safety, the responsibility of making mature decisions, and the impact their decisions have on family, friends, and many others.

The CHP also works with Impact Teen Drivers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through evidence-based educational programs that support good decision-making strategies behind the wheel.

“Although we focus on teens because they are uniquely vulnerable to car crashes because of their driving inexperience, the overarching mission is to change the culture of driving to one that is distraction-free. We partner with teen influencers – law enforcement, educators, and parents, to empower everyone in the community to commit to safe driving choices," said Dr. Kelly Browning, executive director of Impact Teen Drivers.
 
“National Teen Driver Safety Week is about bringing awareness to the well-being of newly licensed teen drivers who are hitting America’s roadways,” said Rhonda Craft, director of the Office of Traffic Safety. “By encouraging cautious and responsible driving habits among teens, we are helping to create safer roadways for everyone.”
 
The CHP is aware of the importance of role models in a youth’s development. Education of new drivers and their families is regarded as a critical function by the CHP to help keep everyone safe on California’s roadways.
 
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of safety, service and security to the people of California.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Saturday, Oct. 22, is a nationwide day of volunteering, known as “Make A Difference Day.”

For the 17th year in a row here in Lake County, there will be a collection of nonperishable food for local communities. The total amount of food collected in the first 16 years is 59,928 pounds.

Several years ago, Lake Transit Authority joined the effort and it was turned into the “Stuff-A-Bus” event.

Lake Transit will once again park two buses that will be stuffed with the food collected. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 22, North Coast Opportunities, Community Action and the Lake County Hunger Task Force will be staffing the two collection sites along with volunteers from the Kelseyville High School Interact club and AmeriCorps.

One bus will be parked at the Clearlake Grocery Outlet store in Clearlake and the other at Bruno's Shop Smart in Lakeport.

All of the food collected will stay in Lake County. Local pantries and senior centers are greatly in need of donations to fill their shelves. These pantries operate year-round, and are invaluable to their local communities.

This food collection will be split evenly between the Live Oak Senior Center, Lakeport Senior Center, Highlands Senior Center, Northshore Community Center, Catholic Charities Rural Food Project in Kelseyville, Helping Hand, Clear Lake Gleaners, The Bridge, CCHAP, Snake Lady Yvonne Cox, Lake Family Resource Center, One Step Away, Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, Healthy Start, United Christian Parish, United Methodist Church, Clearlake and Middletown, Fresh Winds and North Coast Opportunities.

There are barrels out now at several locations to collect food before the actual event. The barrels are located at the Lakeport Library, Peoples Services thrift stores and offices, Lake County Office of Education, Konocti Christian Academy, Meadowbrook Headstart, Woodland Community College, Clearlake campus Culinary club, Riviera Foods, Clearlake Grocery Outlet, Cobb Mountain Elementary School, Live Well Clinic and St. Helena Clinic in Clearlake, and Social Services.

If you would like to make a donation and are unable to bring it on Saturday, please take it to one of the above locations. Please, no expired or past dated food.

The effort is once again counting on the generosity of local people to make a difference.

Additional volunteers will be welcome at either site. They must be registered beforehand, so please call Tammy Alakszay at 707-994-4647, Extension 123; Lorrie Gray at 707-277-9227; or sign up at www.ncoinc.org .

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Harriet Lee Hammond Library in Upper Lake officially turns 100 years old this week, and as promised by the Lake County Library, a special Sunday celebration went on despite an afternoon punctuated by pouring rain.

However, as it turned out, the Sunday afternoon storms couldn't keep well-wishers, community members and library lovers away.

The afternoon celebration included music by the Upper Lake High School Band; a poetry reading by Wanda Quitiquit, a Pomo whose family hails from the Northshore; talks by Martha Fargusson of the Upper Lake Women's Protective Club, who helped fund the building originally, as well as Lake County Librarian Christopher Veach. There was also the chance for visitors to try a chocolate cake made with Winnie Riffe's famed 100-year-old recipe.

Hammond's great niece, Kit Everts of Mill Valley and her sons John of Vancouver, British Columbia, and Hamilton of Corte Madera also were on hand for the celebration. Hamilton Everts gave remarks at the event.

On display were silver name card holders that Harriet Hammond received from her brother-in-law, President Theodore Roosevelt, which the current owner loaned to the library for the event, along with some of Hammond's letters and an alphabet embroidery sampler she did as a child.

The Everts family also brought a large picture book that Harriet Hammond had kept of her time in Lake County, which Kit Everts said meant a lot to her great-aunt.

Linda Bushta, who had worked as a school librarian before coming to work at the Hammond Library 10 and a half years ago, called the event turnout “just wonderful,” especially since people had braved the wet weather to come out and hear the music and presentations, and pay a visit to the library's warm, welcoming environs.

While small, the Hammond Library – with its lovely redwood-paneled walls and craftsman styling – is comfortable, with tall rows of books, a few window seats and a fascinating history.

“It's a special place,” Jan Cook, a technician with the Lake County Library system who now works at the Lakeport Library but had worked at the Hammond Library for six years in the 1990s, told Lake County News. On Sunday she was among the featured speakers, discussing the building's history.

Part of what makes the library's atmosphere so welcoming is Bushta herself, with her twinkling eyes, genuine smile and her infectious affection for the building itself.

She pointed out that the library itself has weathered many storms over the years – from real physical ones to financial ones.

Yet, through it all, the library has remained a community fixture and a point of pride. And even in today's technologically driven world, in which the library now has a vast online catalog, its physical presence remains an important informational – and historical – resource to its community.

Discovering and building connections

Harriet Lee Hammond came from a prominent East Coast family, and had grown up in the affluent village of Chestnut Hill, located six miles from downtown Boston.

Her older sister, Alice Hathaway Lee, was the first wife of Theodore Roosevelt. Alice Roosevelt died of kidney failure on Feb. 14, 1884, at age 22, days after giving birth to the couple's only child, Alice.

Theodore Roosevelt would still maintain ties with his first wife's family after her death, as evidenced in his gifts to Harriet Hammond that were featured on Sunday. Hamilton Everts said his grandmother also was invited to the White House during the term of “Uncle Teddy.”

Hamilton Everts said Harriet Hammond grew up in the lap of luxury, yet would give that up to move to the West Coast in the late 1800s with her husband.

Kit Everts said her great-aunt met her husband-to-be, Charles Mifflin Hammond, while he was still a student at Harvard.

He graduated from Harvard in 1883, came to California to pursue agriculture, and then returned to Massachusetts and wed Harriett in 1888 in Chestnut Hill. “And then they came right back out here,” Kit Everts said.

In Upper Lake, the Hammonds had a 600-acre farm. Kit Everts said the crops they grew included figs.

The Upper Lake community began to discuss having its own library in about 1914, with the effort spearheaded by the Upper Lake Women's Protective Club, according to a library history provided by Bushta.

The club not only paid the first librarian – $16 per month – but aided in acquiring the land at the corner of Second and Main streets, which was purchased and donated by members Amy Murdock and Lottie Mendenhall.

The Hammonds supported that dream, but Charles Hammond wouldn't live to see it come to reality. He died in 1915.

In his memory, Harriet Hammond donated $6,000 for the building, and hired Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow – a prominent Boston architect who also was the nephew of famed poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – to design Upper Lake's library.

Construction on Upper Lake's library began in June 1916. By the time the construction was finished and the building's dedication took place in October 1916, Harriet Hammond already had returned to the East Coast, and to Chestnut Hill, which would be her primary place of residence for the rest of her life, Kit Everts said.

The library history recounts that Hammond had attorney H. E. Witherspoon read a letter – in which she presented the library to the town – on her behalf to the hundreds of community members who attended the dedication ceremony.

The townspeople, grateful for her generosity, began calling the new building the Harriet Lee Hammond Library.

Kit Everts remembers living across the street from her “Aunt Hattie” in Chestnut Hill, where other relatives also lived as well, in the 1920s and 1930s. Hammond died in 1936, when Everts was just 13 years old.

Harriet Hammond didn't talk much about her experiences in the West, said Everts, who guessed that silence was because the family didn't approve of her going out to California in the first place.

Everts said Harriet Hammond remained active in a variety of organizations, and while she made her home on the East Coast, Upper Lake remained close to her heart.

For the rest of her life she would offer the building her support. When she died in November 1936, Harriet Hammond had made yet another provision for the library in the form of a bequest that provided money to build an addition in 1937 that is today used as a meeting room.

Not long after she started work at the library a decade ago, Bushta said she met four women in Upper Lake who had remembered the building of the library. Realizing at that point that none of them were likely to live to see the building's centennial, she proposed and led the effort to hold a 90th birthday celebration for the library.

That event, she said, helped prepare her and the county library system for what to expect in putting on a centennial celebration.

As she'd hoped, it offered a chance to celebrate the people who had been alive to see the library built. One of the women remembered her father using a team of horses for the soil fill work to prepare the site.

And, as Bushta anticipated, all four of the women who she wanted to honor have died since then.

In the time since, Bushta forged new connections – this time, with the Everts, who until earlier this year didn't know a library had been named for their relative.

“We didn't have any idea this library existed,” said Hamilton Everts.

He stumbled across it while doing an Internet ancestry search. He called the library to ask about it, and ended up talking to Bushta, who has done extensive research on Hammond's family. “She knew more about our family than any of us do.”

That led Kit Everts and her two sons to make their first visit to Upper Lake on May 4 – which just so happened to be Harriet Hammonds' birthday. Hamilton Everts called the date of the visit “complete synchronicity.”

He said his mother, brother and he had tears in their eyes when they saw the building for the first time in May.

Since then, they've stayed in touch with Bushta, who kept them apprised of the plans for the celebration.

Kit Everts lauded Bushta for her work in recording and promoting the library's history.

The connection that has formed between the family and Bushta is genuine, with she and Hamilton Everts playfully calling each other “cousins.”

Hamilton Everts noted that his great-great-aunt was quite a book collector, and as gifts for Bushta he and his family brought two leatherbound books that had belonged to Hammond and contained her signature.

They also gifted Bushta with a silver brush that Charles Hammond has given his wife for their 25th wedding anniversary in 1913, just two years before he died. The brush is engraved with the occasion and the reason for the gift.

Bushta was amazed by the present. Kit Everts said it was nice to find somewhere for whom the brush would mean something.

“It does mean something,” said Bushta.

Standing in the library with visitors and new friends, sharing stories and looking at Harriet Hammonds' picture book, Hamilton Everts looked perfectly at home, wearing period attire topped by a bowler hat.

“I think you should dress like this more often,” Kit Everts told her son with a smile.

For additional background on the library visit http://bit.ly/2dqczA5 .

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. – Lake County's Long-Term Recovery Task Force, now focused on the Clayton Fire, will meet Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m.

The location of the meeting is the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum, second floor auditorium, located at 16435 Main St.
 
Lake County Fifth District Supervisor Rob Brown and County Administrative Office Carol Huchingson, co-coordinators for the county's Clayton fire recovery effort, encourage fire survivors to attend and hear recovery updates first-hand.
 
To answer questions raised at the Oct. 5 task force meeting: If you receive your election ballot by mail, please call the Registrar of Voters Office at 800-235-6730 to confirm your ballot has been mailed to your correct address. Office hours are 8a.m. to 5p.m., Monday through Friday. Please call before Oct. 24.
 
The Task Force is a partnership of local, state and community representatives working together to provide comprehensive services to aid in the recovery of Clayton fire survivors and the rebuilding of Lower Lake.

Meetings provide an opportunity for fire survivors to share their concerns and ask questions of members of the task force.
 
Task force meetings are broadcast live (and available for later viewing) on the Lake County OES Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/LakeCountyOES/ .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has more dogs and a cat awaiting homes this week.

This week's featured dogs include mixes of Chihuahua, Miniature Pinscher and terrier, plus a kitten and an adult cat.

To meet the animals, contact Marcia Taylor, the animal control outreach technician, at 707-994-8201, Extension 103, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, or contact Animal Control Officer Jenna Tuller at Extension 115 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. those same days or leave a message on Fridays or weekends.

Also follow Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook for the latest updates.

Below are this week's available pets.

'Ouzo'

“Ouzo” is a medium-sized adult female Labrador Retriever and border collie mix.

She has a short black and white coat.

Shelter staff said she is a lovable girl that likes to talk with you. She loves to go for walks or even jogging, and wants to be your best buddy and hang out.

Ouzo would do best in a home where she is the only dog, with no other pets.

'Savannah'

“Savannah” is a young gray and white short hair mix cat who is offered for a reduced adoption fee.

Shelter staff said she has been a wonderful mother and now is looking for her place in the world. She loves attention but can be independent as well.

She also loves to play, is very confident around dogs and will not run away, and is housebroken. She can be spayed prior to placement for an additional fee.

'Yogi'

“Yogi” is a male Anatolian Shepherd and mastiff mix with a short brindle coat.

“Yogi is a wonderful boy that is playful and full of love,” according to shelter staff.

He is good with other dogs and cats, and shelter staff said he will make a excellent best friend.

The staff all likes him and wants him to find a good loving home.

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.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – After completing a 40-acre prescribed fire last week, fire managers plan to burn approximately 20 to 30 acres of slash piles on the Upper Lake Ranger District.

Forest officials said the burns will take place from Monday, Oct. 17, through Wednesday, Oct. 19.

These prescribed fires will occur around the Lakeview Campground and High Valley area just northeast of Lucerne, the forest administration reported.

The recent moisture across the forest will help prevent fire from spreading into the surrounding vegetation, officials said. Smoke will be visible in various areas in Lake County.

The ignition of all prescribed fires is dependent on the availability of personnel and equipment, favorable weather, conditions that minimize smoke impacts as best as possible, and California Air Resources Board approval. 

The local air quality district manages the number of acres available to burn during allotted burn days based on the amount of projects proposed.