LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lake County Fair Foundation is hosting a February fundraiser to support the goal of improving the county’s fairgrounds and hosting educational events.
The third annual Wrangler Round-Up Dinner and Dance will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, at Fritch Hall at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St. in Lakeport.
The evening will include a barbecue meal and a no-host bar, plus live music provided by a local band, the Time Travelers.
There also will be a live auction, raffle, and a dessert auction.
The cost is $50 per person or $90 per couple. Table sponsorships also are available.
Proceeds support the nonprofit foundation’s efforts at the fairgrounds, which include raising funds to purchase equipment, renovate facilities, and provide outreach to the community regarding agriculture and natural resources.
You can also contact Jeff Warrenburg at 925-381-0359 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Blair Smith at 209-269-6766 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — New legislation introduced Tuesday by Lake County’s two members of Congress seeks to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to protect the Walker Ridge area, which will be renamed in honor of the area’s tribal history.
Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-03) introduced the “Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act” (H.R.6366) with Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA-05) as the bill’s original cosponsor.
This legislation would expand the National Monument designated by President Obama in 2015 by nearly 4,000 acres to include an adjacent federally owned land parcel in Lake County known as the “Walker Ridge” tract.
The 330,780-acre National Monument covers Napa, Yolo, Solano, Lake, Colusa, Glenn and Mendocino counties. Two-thirds of it is located within Lake County.
In November 2019, the Board of Supervisors presented a proclamation declaring the town of Lucerne as the gateway to the National Monument following action by the Lucerne Town Hall in September.
“Conserving California’s special places has been a lifelong passion throughout my tenure in the state legislature, as deputy secretary of the Interior to President Clinton, and now as a member of Congress representing Lake County. Walker Ridge is one of those special places, and I am thrilled to continue working in Congress to conserve this unique landscape for future generations of Californians to enjoy,” said Garamendi.
“In 2016, I worked to designate the Berryessa Snow Mountain region as a National Monument to protect the pristine landscape and biodiversity of the region while creating countless recreational opportunities and boosting our local economy. This legislation will expand the Snow Mountain region to include Walker Ridge, protecting even more public land. I’m honored to work with Congressman Garamendi to ensure that our public lands are protected for generations to come,” said Thompson.
Congressman Garamendi’s bill also renames the entire ridgeline in Lake and Colusa counties from “Walker Ridge” to “Condor Ridge — which means “Molok Luyuk” in the Patwin language — befitting the area’s cultural significance to Native Americans like the federally recognized Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.
“Molok Luyuk — or Condor Ridge — is a special part of Northern California and deserves special protections. We appreciate Congressman Garamendi’s leadership on this and his insistence that Native American voices be part of the conversation,” said Chairman Anthony Roberts of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. “Our ancestors traveled and traded there for centuries. With these protections, the unique resources on Molok Luyuk will endure, and Californians will be able to enjoy its natural beauty for generations to come.”
Today, the area known as Walker Ridge attracts a wide range of people who use the Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, property to hike, ride horses, cycle, birdwatch, and drive legal off-highway vehicles.
The legislation would provide much-needed, lasting protection for Molok Luyuk along with the requirement for a Monument Management Plan within one year.
The legislation also would secure ongoing comanagement with affected federally recognized tribes by requiring federal agencies to consult with tribes in the development of the management plan, subsequent management decisions, and “continued meaningful engagement” in the implementation of the plan.
Don Amador, a longtime trail recreation and resource management professional, explained that Molok Luyuk’s management plan would make it easier for the BLM to designate routes that provide connectivity to increase public access and enhance recreation opportunities for all user groups.
“The expanded monument also would mark an important step toward helping the State of California and the Biden Administration meet the critical goal of protecting 30% of U.S. lands and waters by the year 2030,” added Elyane Stefanick, California program director for the Conservation Lands Foundation, in reference to California’s 30x30 Initiative and the federal America the Beautiful call-to-action.
"Conservation Lands Foundation supports Congressman Garamendi’s goal to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and ensure this remarkable landscape has a robust management plan,” Stefanick said. “The history of public lands is complex. The addition of Molok Luyuk honors the original stewards and caretakers of these lands and will help protect the area’s rich biodiversity.”
Many years of effort
Currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the area currently known as Walker Ridge is “a jewel of biodiversity,” said Nick Jensen, conservation program director for the California Native Plant Society, referring to Molok Luyuk’s 30 species of rare plants, ancient blue oak woodlands, rugged rock outcrops, wildflower meadows and extensive stands of McNab cypress.
For years, advocates called for lasting protection of Walker Ridge, helping to deter repeated development proposals for large-scale wind energy.
The wind energy proposals persist, despite the California Energy Commission’s finding that the area had only moderate to low energy potential.
In 2005 and again in 2011, CNPS submitted proposals to designate the region an Area of Critical Environmental Concern over worries that the area’s irreplaceable habitats would be permanently altered.
In 2014, Congressman Thompson championed bicameral legislation to establish the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, with then-Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Congressman Garamendi.
In July 2015, President Obama declared the federal land surrounding Lake Berryessa as a National Monument, at the Congressmen’s urging.
On July 29, 2021, Congressman Garamendi announced a public comment period on this draft legislation to expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument.
Over the nearly 200 public comments submitted to the Congressman’s office, all but one supported the proposed expansion.
“Congressman Garamendi has given California a precious gift by working to secure permanent protection for Molok Luyuk,” said Jensen. “We thank him for listening and responding to our Tribal partners and coalition of scientists, outdoor enthusiasts, and conservation advocates.”
“The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act will safeguard Molok Luyuk’s natural beauty, wildlife, rare plants, and indigenous treasures while respecting Tribal stewardship over the lands,” said Tuleyome Executive Director Sandra Schubert. “It will also secure continued recreation opportunities in the area while providing a boost for local communities that have long called for permanent protection of the area. We commend Congressman Garamendi for this historic legislation protecting Molok Luyuk and all of the Monument’s treasures.”
The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act would:
• Expand the existing National Monument to include approximately 3,925 acres of adjacent public land administered by the BLM in Lake County known previously as the “Walker Ridge” tract.
• Not impact privately owned, state, tribal, or nonfederal land in any way and does not include the portion of the BLM’s Walker Ridge tract in Colusa County.
• Direct the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service, or USFS, to finally complete the management plan for the National Monument, unfinished since 2015.
• Require the federal land management agencies (BLM and USFS) to engage in meaningful consultation with federally recognized Indian tribes regarding the development and implementation of the National Monument’s management plan.
• Provide opportunities for federal land management agencies (BLM and USFS) to enter into voluntary agreements with federally recognized Indian tribe for day-to-day management of the National Monument, including historic preservation, archaeological sites and forest health.
• Rename the BLM’s entire “Walker Ridge” tract in Lake and Colusa counties to “Condor Ridge” translated from “Molok Luyuk” in the Patwin language of the Yocha Dehe and other federally recognized tribes indigenous to the area.
Those endorsing the bill include the Lake County Board of Supervisors, Yocha Dehe, Sierra Club, California Wilderness Coalition, California Native Plant Society and the Woodland-based nonprofit, Tuleyome.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The appointment last month of a new member to the Middletown Unified School District Board of Trustees is being challenged by a group of community members through a rarely used process contained in state education code.
Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg told Lake County News that he received a petition on Dec. 30 challenging the provisional appointment of Annette Lee to the Middletown Unified board.
California Education Code section 5091 allows for challenges to provisional appointments if a petition with a sufficient number of signatures is submitted to the county superintendent of schools within 30 days of the date of the provisional appointment. Otherwise, the appointment remains in effect.
In October and November, two board members, LaTrease Walker and Thad Owens, respectively, resigned. Both were in their first terms, which end this year.
That led to a public recruitment process. The Middletown Unified School Board held a special meeting on Dec. 1, at which time the board members interviewed 10 candidates and selected Lee and Allison Berlogar.
However, only Lee is named in the petition, which seeks to terminate Lee’s provisional appointment and call for a special election to fill the vacancy.
Proponents listed on the petition are Cobb resident LaTrease Walker, who left the board in October after disagreeing with COVID-19 mandates; and Hidden Valley Lake residents Austin Pullman and Charles Green.
Tim Gill, Middletown Unified’s new superintendent, said he received a letter on Jan. 3 from Falkenberg informing him of the petition.
Lee said Gill notified her that same morning about the petition, with Falkenberg calling her that evening. By the end of the week, she had received a letter from Falkenberg notifying her of the situation.
Lee is an education veteran who teaches at the community college level and formerly was executive dean of Woodland Community College’s Lake County Campus, is trained as a chief business official and just received her doctorate in educational administration. She graduated from the Middletown Unified School District and has two children who attend school there as well.
She told Lake County News that no one had contacted her about the petition before she received the notifications from Gill and Falkenberg. “I didn’t have any indication that it was happening.”
Falkenberg said the petition doesn’t give a reason for targeting Lee.
Lee said she could only assume the reason she’s being targeted by the petition is because she suggested alternate language be added to a resolution the board considered on Dec. 15 that asked the state to recommend, not require, the COVID-19 vaccine for students and staff. A similar resolution has been accepted by several other county school districts in the county.
In an email exchange with Lake County News, Walker confirmed that the reason for the action arose from Lee’s statements during that December board meeting.
Lee had suggested new language emphasizing the need for choice, and calling for the district to uphold California citizens’ rights to provide informed consent and to petition the state to ensure and maintain the personal belief exemption in any and all upcoming COVID-19 legislation.
She told Lake County News that in offering that alternative language, she was considering the large number of parents that are against the district submitting a resolution to the state asking for no mandates.
Falkenberg said the petitioners must submit a petition with signatures totaling 1.5% of the 6,129 voters registered in the district’s last election to be successful. That means they need 92 verified signatures.
“My office has 30 days to review the qualification of the petition and to verify the signatures,” Falkenberg said.
Since his office is a small one, Falkenberg said he spoke with the Registrar of Voters Office which has agreed to assist in the signature verification process. He said the Registrar of Voters Office staff “has expertise and experience that my office lacks in the verification process.”
Falkenberg said he was working to confirm some details with his office’s attorney before sending the petition signatures to the elections office, which will oversee the work on its schedule.
“The timeline has started but the actual process has not,” said Falkenberg.
Registrar Maria Valadez confirmed she and her staff will be working with the Office of Education.
As of Monday, she said she had not yet received the petition from Falkenberg to begin the process, which now must be completed in less than three weeks.
While the names of the proponents are public information, Government Code section 6253.5 specifically prohibits the release of names on petitions done under Education Code 5091, which deals with how vacancies are to be filled.
“It’s a very unusual event or situation,” Falkenberg said of the petition to challenge Lee’s provisional appointment.
He said he’s reached out to about half a dozen bigger counties and they also haven’t seen the process used.
Valadez said it’s a first in her three decades in the elections office as well.
“Since I’ve been here, I’ve never seen one of these filed,” she said, adding that he checked with her predecessor, Diane Fridley, to find out if she was familiar with it happening in Lake County.
“We haven’t had one in at least the last 40 years,” Valadez said.
Troy Flint, chief information officer for the California School Boards Association, said the organization is familiar with the petition process because every vacancy that is filled by a provisional appointment — called that because voters have 30 days to file a petition with the County Supe challenging the appointment — is subject to challenge.
Without the filing of a successful petition in 30 days, the appointment becomes final, he said. If the petition is successfully filed, the appointment is vacated and the former appointee, if they so choose, has to run in a special election, Flint explained.
“As for frequency, it's not the norm, but it's not unheard of. I expect we will see this strategy more often as school board races occupy a bigger space in the political spotlight and public discourse,” Flint said.
The two seats Lee and Berlogar were appointed to fill are up for election later this year. However, rather than waiting, the petitioners want to have a special election called ahead of the fall election.
The petition states, “The Elections Division of Lake County has estimated the cost to conduct a special election in the Middletown Unified School District will be $50,000.”
“That’s a big chunk of change for our district,” said Lee.
Elections Code 5091 explains the next steps in the process this way:
“If the petition is determined to be legally sufficient by the county superintendent of schools, the provisional appointment is terminated, and the county superintendent of schools shall order a special election to be conducted no later than the 130th day after the determination. However, if an established election date, as defined in Section 1000 of the Elections Code, occurs between the 130th day and the 150th day following the order of the election, the county superintendent of schools may order the special election to be conducted on the established election date.”
Under Elections Code section 1000, established election dates include the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June in each even-numbered year that is not evenly divisible by four — which this year is the June primary for local, state and federal seats.
The timing suggests that if the Middletown Unified petition is determined to be sufficient, it raises the possibility that Falkenberg could seek to consolidate that special election with the state’s June 7 primary election. That, in turn, could reduce the cost to the district.
Petitioner explains action
Falkenberg said the petition requires that individuals who are supporting or backing it be identified. “It does not require that potential candidates be identified.”
One of the individuals sponsoring the petition is LaTrease Walker, the person who Lee succeeded on the board.
Walker, who was elected in 2018, abruptly resigned her Middletown Unified School Board seat in October during a contentious meeting. She cited disagreement with COVID-related mandates, including vaccination, among her reasons for leaving the board.
The following month, Trustee Thad Owens also resigned. He did not give a reason.
Lee and Alison Berlogar were appointed to fill the vacated seats in December in unanimous votes on Dec. 1. Lee said she was appointed to fill Walker’s seat.
Lee and Berlogar have so far served at just one regular meeting, on Dec. 15, since their appointment.
Lee said she didn’t know the resolution addressing state mandates was going to be considered until Lakeport Unified considered its version of the document less than a week beforehand. She only got the resolution in hand days later. “Everything happened so fast.”
She said she didn’t feel that a resolution was the best strategy for the district. “I really care about the community and I really wanted to bring the community together,” and since she had heard from both sides, she wanted to try to find something on which everyone could agree.
One of the big arguments offered in support of the resolution, said Lee, was that the vaccine is readily available. However, she noted the district’s former superintendent, Michael Cox, wouldn’t allow vaccinations to take place at district facilities, as other school districts had done. “
“To me that’s an equity and an access issue,” Lee said.
Walker said she does not intend to run to fill the seat she previously held in a special election.
Asked why she decided to file the petition against Lee's appointment, Walker wrote in an email response, “As a community, we felt Mrs. Lee's actions in the December board meeting were contradictory to how she answered the interview questions, asked of all candidates by the Board, during the interview process.”
When Lake County News asked if this decision was predicated on Lee’s suggestion of alternate language for the board's resolution on COVID-19 vaccine mandates last month, Walker wrote, “As a community, we feel medically related decisions should not be mandated.”
However, it should be noted, Lee specifically said the district should not initiate or implement local medical mandates as they were waiting to see what the state might do during the Dec. 1 interview. She also did not suggest local mandates at the Dec. 15 meeting when the resolution was discussed.
Lake County News also asked Walker if she had spoken directly to Lee or district officials about her concerns with Lee’s appointment before taking this action.
“As a community we have voiced our concerns,” Walker replied in the email.
In the email exchange, Walker did not identify a potential candidate when asked.
“With board appointment the board asked questions and then chose who they saw as the best fit without community input. As a community we believe in democracy. An election gives the community the opportunity to question candidates before choosing who they vote for. Hard questions need to be asked, our children deserve the most qualified board members. It's time to rebuild our district. In the 2018 election our district was granted a $42 million bond to modernize and grow our sites. In order to execute the projects we need someone with bond knowledge. New Assembly & Senate bills are coming to public schools as a community, we have the right to choose who sits on our board as the district navigates the implementation of these new bills,” she wrote.
Lee told Lake County News that she’s being encouraged by community members to run if a special election results.
“That would be my intent, to throw my hat in the ring and let the community decide,” she said.
Lee said Middletown Unified has been through a couple of really rough years, and now it’s “code red” for the district. The reason she got involved was to help it recover.
“There is a lot to do to get this district back on the right track,” she said, noting Gill is ramping up to do important work.
There are meetings planned every Wednesday night from now until the middle of March to work on the district’s issues as well as the Local Control and Accountability Plan. If Lee has to step down in expectation of a special election, she said that’s one less board member to do this important work.
“It’s a critical time that we need all five board members working hard,” she said, adding she’s ready to do the work.
The Middletown Unified School Board will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12. At that time, they will again consider the resolution asking the state not to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for students and staff.
The only differences between the resolution to be considered this week and the one the board put off voting on in December are the dates and the resolution numbers, based on a document comparison.
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. — The Lake County Wine Alliance recently held their check presentation ceremony for the beneficiaries of the 2021 Lake County Wine Auction, where over $250,000 was given to local organizations whose mission is to support those in need within the community.
Through the hard work of volunteers, board of directors, donors, sponsors, and auction attendees, the Lake County Wine Alliance was able to donate substantial amounts to several organizations.
This latest group of beneficiaries includes LC Rural Arts Initiative, Lake County Symphony Association, Adventist Shower/Trailer Project, Yuba Community College District, all LC FFA and Arts Programs, Lake County Senior Centers, Lake County Youth Services, Lake County Sheriff’s Activities League, Lake County Channel Cats, Totes for Teens, Hospice Services of LC, People Services, Lake Family Resource Center, Mother-Wise and Operation Tango Mike.
This year’s sponsors donated enough to cover the cost of the event, so all funds raised were able to go directly to these organizations.
Sponsors are Adventist Health, Sysco, California Exterminators, Six Sigma Ranch and Winery, Beckstoffer, Travel Center, Richard Knoll Consulting, Pabst Blue Ribbon Construction, Reynolds Systems, Sutter Health, Bella Vista Farming, Tribal Health, Cork Supply, Tricobraun WinePak, Calpine and West Coast Fire and Water.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday got an update from Public Health about the county’s COVID-19 situation and later in the meeting decided against closing its chambers to the public once again in response to concerns about an Omicron-driven case surge.
Dr. Gary Pace, who continues to serve as interim Public Health officer, gave the board its first COVID-19 update of the year.
“The situation’s really changing quickly,” said Pace, noting the large spike in cases due to the Omicron variant across the state and nationwide.
He said questions revolve around how protective the vaccine will be, how bad the hospitalization and death rates could be from the variant and how society will be impacted.
Schools and businesses are struggling with staffing; Pace said no lockdowns are being considered in Lake County due to Omicron.
Pace said that so far Omicron hasn’t been identified in Lake County through genetic sequencing. However, he said that’s a function of not doing a lot of sampling and having a testing lag.
Elsewhere around the region, however, Pace said he believes the spiking case numbers are due to Omicron. “It’s incredibly contagious” and the spread is “remarkable.”
Because of that spread, which is unlike that seen in previous variants, “You can’t really rely on your previous habits to keep you safe,” Pace said.
He urged people to continue to use masks — in particular, N95s — and to take part in fewer gatherings.
“There’s a lot of worry, there’s a lot of concern about what may be coming in the coming weeks,” he said, explaining that people who are vaccinated can get the variant and spread it.
Since July 1, 85% of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Lake County were not vaccinated while 15% had received the vaccine, said Pace.
He told the board he expects to see case numbers rising, noting that 200 cases are now being processed.
Looking at previous case increases, particularly in the late summer and fall due to the Delta variant and a year ago due to the original virus, Pace believes Lake County will surpass those totals in the coming weeks.
“This is not something to ignore or minimize,” he said.
Case data shows the highest case numbers now are in the 18 to 34 and 35 to 49 age groups. The middle and high school age groups also are seeing increases, Pace said.
He said 60% of Lake County residents, or 36,500 people, are fully vaccinated. Of that group, 36% have had boosters. Another 32%, or 19,500, remains unvaccinated and 8%, or 4,500 people, are partially vaccinated, Pace said.
From the public health viewpoint, Pace said the big question is, are enough people in Lake County vaccinated to keep the hospitals from being overwhelmed.
While people feel it’s their right to protect themselves in their own way, Pace referred to a “community responsibility” in protecting against the virus.
In addition to being vaccinated, he encouraged people to wear N95 masks, stay home when sick and not participate in large gatherings.
He noted that on Monday night, Sonoma County announced it was shutting down large gatherings and asking people to stay at home for the next few weeks.
While Pace said he didn’t see the same thing happening in Lake County, “This is the level of concern that we’re seeing in the area.”
He said Sonoma County is where a lot of Lake County patients go when hospitalized. “They’re kind of raising the red flag right now.”
The question, said Pace, is how to live life in this surge. “It’s a good time to lay as low as possible for the next four to six weeks,” especially if you have underlying health conditions or are unvaccinated.
Pace said there is a lot of interest in looking back now to see how useful the lockdowns were and how well vaccinations have helped fight the pandemic. “It seems like it has helped quite a bit” and more death and misery were avoided.
He said moving forward, the longer-term approach is living with COVID-19 like the flu, but it’s too early to make that shift.
Jennifer Baker, interim deputy director for Lake County Health Services, reported to the board during the update that they are working with the California Department of Public Health on sewage testing for COVID-19.
The testing will begin at the county’s wastewater treatment facility in Clearlake, the most populous area, and will take place three days a week starting at the end of this month. They expect to get the data in early February, Baker said.
She said other wastewater facilities are on a list of sites to be added as the testing is expanded.
Supervisors decide against closing chambers
In a later discussion, due to concerns of an impending Omicron surge, such as Pace described, County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson asked the board to consider closing the board chambers to the public again as it had last year, having the public participate virtually.
“I wish we weren’t back having this conversation. I have to start by saying that,” said Huchingson, noting they took action to close the board chambers at this time last year due to a growing number of cases in county facilities.
She recounted having more employees do work remotely in order to reduce in-office density, with the board chambers reopening later in the spring and summer months, at which time most county offices returned to work full time once conditions improved.
“In light of the impending Omicron surge, I’m asking you to look at that again,” she said, and to ask department heads to have employees work remotely to the amount that it’s reasonable.
Huchingson was concerned that if they wanted until things were out of control, they'd have waited too long.
She said she’s aware of 17 employees who have tested positive since Jan. 4, with the most recent positive test coming in on Tuesday morning.
The county’s workforce also has a low vaccination rate of less than 50%, which is less than the general public, she said. “We’re probably more susceptible to transmission.”
Huchingson said the vast majority of participation through board meetings — at 90% — is coming through Zoom.
As such, she recommended the board close the chambers to the public and reevaluate the action in 30 days.
She said they were planning to have 21 department heads in the chambers — which now has a COVID-related capacity of 24 — for a Jan. 20 governance workshop. “Bringing a lot of people into one room is a big concern.”
Huchingson said one county department now has six or seven employees who have tested positive and they had attended a large meeting or training together.
At the very least, Huchingson asked the board to remind department heads of their authority to have staff work remotely as much as possible to keep offices open.
Ultimately, board members decided against closing the chambers.
“It’s not a perfect situation, but it’s as safe as it can be,” said Supervisor Jessica Pyska, who added that staff is likely getting infected when not at work.
Supervisor Tina Scott suggested limiting the number of people who could come in the chambers at any one time, including having some supervisors attend virtually. She also wanted department heads to do their due diligence with staff and explore who could work from home.
Supervisor Bruno Sabatier said he felt it would be a mistake to close the chambers and that it would send the community a message that they haven’t learned anything over the course of the last two years.
Board Chair EJ Crandell said he supported the remote work policy as long as it was productive and there’s a way to measure it. He also worried about the impact if staff get the fast-moving variant and are unable to work.
Supervisor Moke Simon suggested moving the date of the governance workshop, which Huchingson said had been scheduled early in the year, before department heads start formulating their budgets, which are due around April 15.
Simon said that in every other year he would agree with that, and in 2023 it would be the plan to be on a normal schedule. “Fingers crossed.”
The rest of the board agreed to postpone that meeting. Huchingson said they will plan to determine a new date for the workshop at the board’s Jan. 25 meeting.
The board also reached consensus to have Huchingson write a message to department heads encouraging them to use the remote work policy based on their own judgment.
There also won’t be a special requirement for management — which Huchingson said had arisen during informal discussions — to be in the office a larger portion of the time when compared to other staff, due to the surge.
In other COVID-related business, the board on Tuesday voted unanimously to update the county’s COVID-19 workplace protocols to be in line with the latest state and federal rules.
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. — The Lakeport Planning Commission this week will discuss plans for a new shopping center and hotel development.
The commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. In accordance with updated guidelines from the state of California and revised Cal OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards, persons who are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19 are required to wear a face covering at this meeting.
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, Jan. 12.
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.
On Wednesday, the commission will consider an application from Fremont-based New Vista Developers for “Lakeport Hub Project,” a shopping center and hotel development on 15.5 acres at 1842 Todd Road.
The site, currently an old walnut orchard, is near “Hamburger Hill,” the site of numerous fast food restaurants at the intersection of Lakeport Boulevard and Highway 29.
The applicants are seeking an architectural and design review, tentative subdivision, use permit, zoning permit and environmental review for a new combined development for a vacant commercial property.
The project is proposed to include a service station, six to eight restaurants — including drive-thrus — along with two retail buildings and a 70-room hotel.
Also on the agenda Wednesday is a use permit application from the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians who wants to change a motel at 175 First St. to a residential use.
The project consists of redesigning previous motel rooms to provide seven one-bedroom residential units, one of which will be accessible by Americans with Disabilities Act standards, according to city documents.
“Each residential unit would consist of one bedroom, a bathroom, kitchen and living room area to provide the opportunity to house tribal members currently in need of safe, healthy living environments,” wrote Planning Director Jennifer Byers.
She said the applicant proposes to eventually tear down a building parallel to First Street that is being used as storage and replace it with a one bedroom manufactured unit and two new parking spots to the east of the new unit.
Byers said the shuttered motel has been a nuisance for several years. “Even if the site were to be reestablished as a motel, the circulation and parking would continue to be an issue. Due to the limited options for a viable commercial project and in light of the housing crisis, staff reviewed all the criteria applicable to this project and has determined that the proposed improvements are in compliance with the use permit standards set forth in the Municipal Code at this location.”
Staff is recommending that the Planning Commission approve the use permit application subject to conditions, including having fire alarms and sprinklers, right of way improvements, submission of a detailed landscaping plan and that the applicant/owner maintain a business license.
On Wednesday, the commission also will be asked to consider amending the Lakeport Municipal Code for compliance with Senate Bill 35, which requires that local jurisdictions provide a streamlined ministerial approval process for multifamily residential developments that meet specific eligibility requirements.
The commission also will hold a discussion and study session regarding a process to modify the zoning ordinance to allow a process to approve zoning permits as a replacement to the current COVID-19 emergency temporary zoning permits.
Last week, the Lakeport City Council chose to continue to allow the temporary zoning permits to allow outdoor dining in what the city is calling “parklets” while the commission develops the new requirements.
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.
Alexander Sundermann, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences and Lee Harrison, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences
The omicron variant quickly took over the global coronavirus landscape after it was first reported in South Africa in late November, 2021. The U.S. became the 24th country to report a case of omicron infection when health officials announced on Dec. 1, 2021, that the new strain had been identified in a patient in California.
How do scientists know what versions of the coronavirus are present? How quickly can they see which viral variants are making inroads in a population?
Genomic surveillance provides an early warning system for SARS-CoV-2. The same way a smoke alarm helps firefighters know where a fire is breaking out, genomic surveillance helps public health officials see which coronavirus variants are popping up where.
Labs sequence the genome in coronavirus samples taken from patients’ COVID-19 tests. These are diagnostic PCR tests that have come back positive for SARS-CoV-2. Then scientists are able to tell from the virus’s genome which coronavirus variant infected the patient.
By sequencing enough coronavirus genomes, scientists are able to build up a representative picture of which variants are circulating in the population overall. Some variants have genetic mutations that have implications for prevention and treatment of COVID-19. So genomic surveillance can inform decisions about the right countermeasures – helping to control and put out the fire before it spreads.
For example, the omicron variant has mutations that diminish how well existing COVID-19 vaccines work. In response, officials recommended booster shots to enhance protection. Similarly, mutations in omicron reduce the effectiveness of some monoclonal antibodies, which are used both to prevent and treat COVID-19 in high-risk patients. Knowing which variants are circulating is therefore crucial for determining which monoclonal antibodies are likely to be effective.
How does genomic surveillance work in the US?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leads a consortium called the National SARS-CoV-2 Strain Surveillance (NS3) system. It gathers around 750 SARS-CoV-2-positive samples per week from state public health labs across the U.S. Independent of CDC efforts, commercial, university and health department laboratories sequence additional specimens.
Each type of lab has its own strengths in genomic surveillance. Commercial laboratories can sequence a high number of tests, rapidly. Academic partners can provide research expertise. And public health laboratories can supply insight into local transmission dynamics and outbreaks.
Regardless of the source, the sequence data is generally made publicly available and therefore contributes to genomic surveillance.
What data gets tracked?
When a lab sequences a SARS-CoV-2 genome, it uploads the results to a public database that includes when and where the coronavirus specimen was collected.
The open-access Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) is an example of one of these databases. Scientists launched GISAID in 2008 to provide a quick and easy way to see what influenza strains were circulating across the globe. Since then, GISAID has grown and pivoted to now provide access to SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences.
The database compares a sample’s genetic information to all the other samples collected and shows how that particular strain has evolved. To date, over 6.7 million SARS-CoV-2 sequences from 241 countries and territories have been uploaded to GISAID.
Taken together, this patchwork of genomic surveillance data provides a picture of the current variants spreading in the U.S. For example, on Dec. 4, 2021, the CDC projected that omicron accounted for 0.6% of the COVID-19 cases in the U.S. The estimated proportion rose to 95% by Jan. 1, 2022. Surveillance gave a stark warning of how quickly this variant was becoming predominant, allowing researchers to study which countermeasures would work best.
It’s important to note, however, that genomic surveillance data is often dated. The time between a patient taking a COVID-19 test and the viral genome sequence getting uploaded to GISAID can be many days or even weeks. Because of the multiple steps in the process, the median time from collection to GISAID in the U.S. ranges from seven days (Kansas) to 27 days (Alaska). The CDC uses statistical methods to estimate variant proportions for the most recent past until the official data has come in.
How many COVID-19 samples get sequenced?
Earlier in 2021, the CDC and other public health laboratories were sequencing about 10,000 COVID-19 specimens per week total. Considering that hundreds of thousands of cases have been diagnosed weekly during most of the pandemic, epidemiologists considered that number to be too small a proportion to provide a complete picture of circulating strains. More recently, the CDC and public health labs have been sequencing closer to around 60,000 cases per week.
Despite this improvement, there is still a wide gap in the percentages of COVID-19 cases sequenced from state to state, ranging from a low of 0.19% in Oklahoma to a high of 10.0% in North Dakota within the past 30 days.
Moreover, the U.S. overall sequences a much smaller percentage of COVID-19 cases compared to some other countries: 2.3% in the U.S. compared to the 7.0% in the U.K., 14.8% in New Zealand and 17% in Israel.
Which COVID-19 tests get sequenced?
Imagine if researchers collected COVID-19 tests from only one neighborhood in an entire state. The surveillance data would be biased toward the variant circulating in that neighborhood, since people are likely transmitting the same strain locally. The system might not even register another variant that is gaining steam in a different city.
That’s why scientists aim to gather a diverse sample from across a region. Random geographically and demographically representative sampling gives researchers a good sense of the big picture in terms of which variants are predominant or diminishing.
Why don’t patients in the US get variant results?
There are a few reasons patients are generally not informed about the results if their specimen gets sequenced.
First, the time lag from specimen collection to sequence results is often too long to make the information clinically useful. Many patients will have progressed far into their illness by the time their variant is identified.
Second, the information is often not relevant for patient care. Treatment options are largely the same regardless of what variant has caused a COVID-19 infection. In some cases, a doctor might select the most appropriate monoclonal antibodies for treatment based on which variant a patient has, but this information can often be gleaned from faster laboratory methods.
As we begin 2022, it is more important than ever to have a robust genomic surveillance program that can capture whatever the next new coronavirus variant is. A system that provides a representative picture of current variants and fast turnaround is ideal. Proper investment in genomic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens and data infrastructure will aid the U.S. in fighting future waves of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Middletown Unified School District Board has rescheduled a meeting during which it will consider a resolution opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates for staff and students because a board member is in quarantine due to the virus.
The meeting originally had been scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12.
However, Superintendent Tim Gill told Lake County News that the meeting has been postponed until 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18.
“One of our board members is in Covid quarantine,” he wrote in an email. “With the vaccine mandate resolution on the agenda, we want all of our board members present.”
The Middletown Unified board is set to consider, for the second time, a resolution that asks that state not to mandate the COVID-19 vaccination for its students and staff.
It’s a resolution identical to those approved last month by the Lakeport Unified, Lucerne Elementary and Konocti Unified school boards.
Middletown Unified’s trustees originally had considered the resolution at its Dec. 15 meeting.
That was the first board meeting for new board members Annette Lee and Allison Berlogar, appointed Dec. 1 to fill two vacancies that resulted this fall from the resignations of LaTrease Walker and Thad Owens.
At that time, Lee suggested alternate language that emphasized choice, calling for the district to uphold California citizens’ rights to provide informed consent and to petition the state to ensure and maintain the personal belief exemption in any and all upcoming COVID-19 legislation.
The board ultimately didn’t accept that language and put off taking action on the resolution.
However, Lee’s attempt at taking all sides into account has made her the target of a petition to challenge her provisional appointment. Berlogar’s appointment has not been challenged and so has gone into effect.
The Lake County Office of Education is working with the Registrar of Voters Office to verify the signatures on the petitions, a process that must be completed by the end of this month.
In the meantime, the board is going to take up the resolution again. No changes have been made to it since it was considered last month.
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..
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — The Middletown Area Town Hall will start off the year with the election of its new board.
MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13, via Zoom. The meeting is open to the public.
To join the Zoom meeting click on this link; the meeting ID is 832 1989 2440. Call in at 669-900-6833 or 253-215-8782.
In timed items, at 7:50 p.m., final nominations will take place for the MATH Board of Directors.
That will be followed at 7:55 p.m. with the board elections.
Other items on the Thursday agenda include an update from Community Development Director Mary Darby at 7:10 p.m., discuss the Clean California Grant at 7:25 p.m. and hear from District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon and 7:30 p.m.
At 8:25 p.m., there will be public input, followed by a discussion of moving meetings back to in- person at 8:40 p.m. and consideration of agenda items for February at 8:45 p.m.
The MATH Board includes Chair Rosemary Córdova, Vice Chair Monica Rosenthal, Secretary Lisa Kaplan, and Ken Gonzales and Paul Baker.
MATH — established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 — is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.
For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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. — On Wednesday morning the Lake County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Clearlake Oaks man who authorities said was responsible for shooting at homes and who attempted to assault a deputy with bear spray.
Benjamin Wilkinson, 62, was taken into custody in the case.
The sheriff’s office said deputies were dispatched to the area of the 11000 block of Garden Court in Clearlake Oaks shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday on reports of shots being fired but were unable to identify the responsible party.
At 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Central Dispatch received numerous reports of shots being fired in the same area, the sheriff’s office reported.
Deputies arrived on the scene and set up a perimeter to ensure the community’s safety, the agency reported.
The sheriff’s office said deputies were able on Wednesday morning to identify Wilkinson as having been responsible for the shooting.
While deputies were arresting Wilkinson, he attempted to spray a deputy with bear spray. The sheriff’s office said a short struggle ensued before deputies took Wilkinson into custody.
No injuries related to the shots fired or Wilkinson being taken into custody were reported, the sheriff's office said.
Wilkinson was later transported and booked at the Lake County jail for felony shooting at inhabited dwellings, resisting arrest and misdemeanor illegal use of tear gas.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the incident and asks anyone with information related to this incident to contact Det. Jeffrey Mora of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — In its first meeting of the year, the Lake County Planning Commission will discuss the proposed expansion of a substance abuse treatment facility and several cannabis projects.
The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 13, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The webinar ID is 969 1770 2795, the pass code is 102691.
Access the meeting via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,96917702795#,,,,*102691# or dial in at 669-900-6833.
The meeting also can be viewed on the county’s website or Facebook page.
In an item timed for 9:10 a.m., the commission will hold a public hearing to consider an amendment to a major use permit, adoption of a major use permit and an addendum to a mitigated negative declaration for Hilltop Recovery Services Inc.
Located at 14725 Catholic Church Road in Clearlake Oaks, Hilltop Recovery Services is proposing to expand its substance abuse rehabilitation treatment facility to allow a total maximum capacity of 20 residents to serve only women in an existing residential home to be converted as a treatment facility.
The staff report says planning staff recommend approval of the project.
On Thursday, the commission also will hold public hearings on three cannabis projects, two located in Kelseyville and one in Middletown.
The full agenda follows.
AGENDA
9:05 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of a major use permit (UP 20-75) and a mitigated negative declaration (IS 20-88). The project applicant North Coast Select Inc., is proposing a co-location/clustering of permits for cannabis cultivation operation to allow 70,560 square feet mixed-light canopy area within greenhouses equipped with air filtration systems in a total of 168,680 square feet cultivation area. The project includes additional greenhouses for immature plants, a processing facility, a drying building, thirty-two 2,500 gallon water tanks, security and a perimeter fence. The project is located at 1496 Bell Hill Road, Kelseyville; and further described as A.P.N. (s): 017-002-02, 007-010-24, and 017-002-01.
9:10 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of an amendment to major use permit (UP 15-15), to adopt major use permit (UP 21-24) and an addendum to a mitigated negative declaration (IS 15-34). The project applicant Hilltop Recovery Services Inc., Lori Carter-Runyon, is proposing an expansion of a substance abuse rehabilitation treatment facility to allow a total maximum capacity of 20 residences to serve only women in an existing residential home to be converted as a treatment facility. The project is located at 14725 Catholic Church Road, Clearlake Oaks; and further described as APN(s): 010-046-06.
9:15 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of approving an amendment (MMU 21-20) of original major use permit (UP 18-43) and an addendum to a mitigated negative declaration (IS 18-58), The applicant Sunny S Ranch / Shannon Sanders is proposing four 2,499 square foot nursery areas (greenhouses) for immature cannabis plants in conjunction with previously approved project. The project location is 19424 Butts Canyon Road, Middletown; and further described as APN: 014-004-20.
9:20 a.m.: Public hearing on consideration of major use permit (UP 20-74) and a Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS 20-87). The applicant Mountain Green Farms, LLC/Cheryl Forberg is proposing for a cannabis cultivation operation to allow 21,000 square feet of mixed-light canopy area (Located within seven 3,000 square foot greenhouses) and 43,560 square feet of outdoor canopy area located within a total of 67,080 square feet cultivation area. The project includes a processing/drying building, a shed for fertilizer and pesticide storage, four 2,500 gallon water tanks, security and a perimeter fence. The project is located at 7661 State Highway 29, Kelseyville; and further described as APN(s): 009-022-33.
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. — The Clearlake Planning Commission will meet to consider the general plan consistency of a number of properties the city is suggesting be used for its homestead program.
The commission will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
Submit comments and questions in writing for commission consideration by sending them to Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Identify the subject you wish to comment on in your email’s subject line.
Most of the commission’s items of business for Tuesday night are on the consent agenda, and so are considered to be routine in nature and will be approved by one motion.
There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the commission requests otherwise, or if staff has requested a change under adoption of the agenda, in which case the item will be removed for separate consideration.
The items on the consent agenda involve 27 parcels proposed to be used for developing single- family housing as part of the homestead program.
On the consent agenda are the following items:
• Determination of general plan consistency and environmental determination prior to the conveyance of real property by a government agency, pursuant to Government Code 65402. The assessor parcel number of the property is 042-222-550-000, and is commonly known as 16502 5th Ave., Clearlake, CA 95422; Resolution No. PC 2022-01.
• Determination of general plan consistency and environmental determination prior to the conveyance of real property by a government agency, pursuant to Government Code 65402. The assessor parcel number of the property is 042-161-010-000, and is commonly known as 15789 25th Ave., Clearlake, CA 95422; Resolution No. PC 2022-02.
• Determination of general plan consistency and environmental determination prior to the conveyance of real property by a government agency, pursuant to Government Code 65402. The project parcel is located at 16564 5th Avenue, Clearlake, CA 95422, further described as assessor parcel number of the property is 042-223-590-000; Resolution No. PC 2022-03.
• Determination of general plan consistency and environmental determination prior to the conveyance of real property by a government agency, pursuant to Government Code 65402 for 23 parcels located in the City of Clearlake; Resolution No. PC 2022-04.
• Determination of general plan consistency and environmental determination prior to the conveyance of real property by a government agency, pursuant to Government Code 65402. The property is APN 037-382-470-000 located at 13696 Santa Clara; Clearlake, CA 95422; Resolution No. PC 2022-05.
There also will be reports from the city manager and commissioner, and discussion of future agenda items.
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.