UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Following several months of work to recruit a new superintendent, the Upper Lake Unified School District Board on Wednesday night unanimously approved the contract with the veteran school administrator who it has selected to head the district for the next four years.

The district board formalized its agreement on Wednesday with Dr. Giovanni Annous, Ed.D., who officially begins work on July 1.

“I’m thrilled, I’m excited,” Annous told the board Wednesday evening.

Annous, who is from Southern California, has been in the district this week meeting with officials and touring facilities, and also working on finding a home for him and his family, which includes his wife and 9-year-old son.

Before the vote to approve Annous’ contract was taken, Board President Keith Austin offered Annous the opportunity to speak.

Standing at the podium, Annous said Wednesday had been his first full day in the district.

He said the experience so far with the district has been very rewarding, exciting and enriching.

“I cannot wait to get started,” Annous said.

After the vote, Austin said he was looking forward to adding to the character of the faculty through Annous’ hiring, although he acknowledged there also was sadness due to the upcoming departure of Superintendent Patrick Iaccino, who is retiring.

Iaccino, who is now completing his 11th year as superintendent in Upper Lake, and whose last official day on the job is June 30.

Annous shook the hands of all of the board members after the vote, also shaking the hands of district administrators, telling Iaccino that he had “big shoes to fill, sir.” He then shook the hands of the small group of audience members.

After Iaccino, Annous will be the second superintendent to head the recently consolidated district, which includes what had formerly been the elementary and high school districts.

Before being chosen to head the consolidated district, Iaccino – who also originally came from Southern California – had been principal and superintendent of the high school district.

Iaccino was one of the champions of the consolidation, which was completed in 2016, and also has led an update of campus facilities, supported a variety of academic programs including Academic Decathlon, Mock Trial and robotics, and worked to expand career technical education training.

He also has started to lay the necessary groundwork for the district to pursue a new bond in 2018 to further improve its facilities.

The selection process

Upper Lake Unified had begun its search for Iaccino’s successor in January. The process included community forums to gather input from district residents, advertising of the job, screening and finally interviews, according to district officials.

Iaccino said they received 30 applications from as far away as Alaska, New Mexico and even England.

Austin said all 30 applicants were screened on paper, and eventually two candidates were recommended to the board for interviews, leading to Annous’ selection.

This is Annous’ second superintendent job. He was hired as superintendent for Rim of the World Unified School District – headquartered in Blue Jay, not far from Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino County – in June 2015.

He gave notice of his resignation from that job at in April, with the effective date June 30, according to reports in the Mountain News and Alpenhorn News.

Press reports indicate the district’s teacher’s union had raised issues with Annous’ leadership over, among other things, administration salary settlements as well as complaints filed by teachers.

One complaint alleged harassment and a hostile work environment that developed due to Annous’ reaction and concern after finding out that a California Assembly member had been invited to address a high school class a week before the November election. Annous told the media in February that false allegations had been made against him in the complaints.

Asked by Lake County News on Wednesday about the issues at Rim of the World, Annous framed them as primarily unique to the district and, more specifically, financial in nature in regard to meeting a nearly $4 million budget shortfall.

He added that he believes that district is going to do amazing things in the future.

Austin said the Upper Lake Unified Board was aware of what had occurred at Rim of the World. “I have no concerns at all,” he said.

He said Annous was very candid with the board about the situation and the environment that led to the controversies in his previous role during the confidential and comprehensive interview process that led to his selection in Upper Lake.

Austin said the contract contains normal termination clauses that allow for cause or no cause, and he thinks they did a good job of setting up the document to protect the district.

However, they are expecting the best.

Four years is the longest term that can be offered for a superintendent’s contract, Austin said.

With the four-year contract approved on Wednesday, Austin said the board meant to show its full support of Annous.

“Not only did he choose us but we chose him, and that makes it a little bit more of a balanced partnership,” said Austin.

The four-year contract the district board approved, which is shown below, calls for Annous to receive a base salary of $145,000 per year (for 247 days of work), annual step advancements of 3 percent, 26 paid vacation days that Annous must be paid for if they go unused and 1.5 sick days per month. He also will receive medical, dental and vision insurance, and up to $5,000 in moving expenses.

In addition to that salary and benefits package, Annous will receive 5 percent of his annual salary which will be directed to either or both a tax-deferred annuity of life insurance of his selection.

For comparison, Iaccino currently makes $157,000 annually and has a similar benefits package, however, he does not have an additional annuity paid for by the district.

In his previous position Annous also had a four-year contract with benefits that are similar to those included in his new contract with Upper Lake, particularly the annuity. The Mountain News gave his salary as of June 2016 at Rim of the World as $175,000 annually, after having initially received an annual salary of $145,000 in his first year at that district.

Looking forward to what’s ahead

“I’ve been blessed,” Annous told Lake County News in an interview following the meeting.

He holds numerous academic degrees from institutions including California State University, Long Beach and the University of La Verne.

Born in Lebanon, Annous speaks three languages – English, Arabic and French – and came to the United States in September 1982 when he was 17, with a little money in his pocket but a lot of determination.

He signed up to learn English, worked many jobs and later went on to attend community colleges before beginning his university-level study. Annous also brought his family – including his parents and sister – to the United States.

While his initial educational background was in electrical, biomedical and clinical engineering, Annous said he fell into education by mistake but quickly found himself hooked.

He said his parents are retired educators and his sister, who started as a French teacher, also is a school administrator.

His entry into education started when he decided to go through the process to become a substitute teacher to help with his sister’s French class.

He started teaching in 1994 and never looked back, eventually moving into administration and getting additional degrees – two master’s degrees and a doctorate in education.

His educational resume includes 20 years working in the Fontana Unified School District as a principal before taking the principal’s job at Rim of the World High School in 2014 and the superintendent’s job at Rim of the World Unified School District the following year.

He credits serendipity with putting him on the path to applying for the job in Upper Lake.

Annous and his wife, Majda, a school psychologist, met in San Francisco. He said they have always liked Northern California and thought it was the place they wanted to be.
 
One day earlier this year Annous opened up an educational publication and saw the advertisement for the Upper Lake superintendent’s position.

He applied to Upper Lake and a few other places, receiving more than one offer. Annous said he ultimately accepted Upper Lake’s position because he liked the fit, the opportunities and how the community is approaching education of its children.

At the end of the meeting, Austin told Annous, “We look forward to what the future holds.”

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. – This week Cal Fire is busy preparing its firefighting forces for what is anticipated to be a busy summer fire season.

On Monday and Tuesday, hand crews trained near Thurston Lake on the skills needed for clearing brush and other vegetation in order to keep fires from spreading.

In the video above, Cal Fire officials describe the training and discuss its purpose.

Also this week, Cal Fire reported that Boggs Mountain Copter 104 is now staffed for the 2017 fire season and will be conducting training throughout Lake County.

The helicopter will be frequently seen and heard flying around Lake County over the next few weeks, Cal Fire reported.

Cal Fire advised residents not to be alarmed, that this is normal training activity in preparation for the upcoming fire season.

The agency also asked Lake County residents to prepare the defensible space around their homes before fire season arrives.

If you need more information regarding defensible space please download the new Cal Fire “Ready for Wildfire” phone app or visit www.readyforwildfire.org .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Three months after he disappeared without a trace, a Rohnert Park man last seen in Clearlake remains the focus of efforts by law enforcement and his family to find him.

Tuesday marked three months since 34-year-old Fernando Ruben-Miñón was last seen in Rohnert Park by his mother, Diane Gamber-Miñón.

In the time since then, there has been no activity on his credit cards or cell phone, and no solid leads as to his whereabouts, according to his mother and law enforcement officials in Lake and Sonoma counties.

“We still have an active missing persons investigation,” said Sgt. Jeff Justice of the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety Investigations Unit.

Gamber-Miñón said her son is diabetic and has Asperger’s, a syndrome which is considered to be on the higher-functioning end of the autism spectrum.

On Feb. 9, Ruben-Miñón said he was going to a friend’s house in Santa Rosa to watch a movie, and borrowed his mother’s silver 2016 Kia Soul to go, authorities said.

Gamber-Miñón said her son hadn’t seemed depressed when he left. When he didn’t come home, she said she texted him the following day.

The original report from law enforcement said Ruben-Miñón sent his mother a text saying he would be home on Feb. 14. She would not hear from him again.

Justice said Ruben-Miñón was last seen on Feb. 12 in Clearlake, where he stayed with acquaintances.

Those individuals told investigators that they last saw Ruben-Miñón driving away from their home, and Ruben-Miñón hadn’t indicated where he was going, Justice said.

So far, there have been no other sightings of Ruben-Miñón. “From everything that we’ve found to this point, the last place that he was seen was in Clearlake,” Justice said.

Justice said Ruben-Miñón’s mother reported him missing on Feb. 16 when he failed to return home as he had said he would.

In the months since, the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety has been working with the Clearlake Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office on leads, Justice said.

Justice said the agencies have received reports from people who thought they saw Ruben-Miñón in local businesses. However, when following up with surveillance video, investigators concluded it wasn’t him.

Besides there being no verified sightings of Ruben-Miñón, Justice said there hasn’t been any electronic trail, as Ruben-Miñón’s cell phone appears to have been shut off since Feb. 12. The last call from the phone was made to a Clearlake pizza restaurant on that day.

Gamber-Miñón also said there has been no activity on his bank account or credit cards since he was last seen.

The most significant finding in the case came on April 1, when the Kia Rio Ruben-Miñón had been driving was found near Highway 53 and Ogulin Canyon in Clearlake. Justice said the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Clearlake Police Department were requested to assist on the case.

Found in the unlocked car were Ruben-Miñón’s wallet, which still had $23 in it, plus another $20 under the seat, his house key, diabetes kit, pants and shoes, Gamber-Miñón said. She added that he usually kept another pair of shoes and pants in the car in case he went hiking.

Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the vehicle’s brake pads were rusted, leading investigators to believe that the vehicle had been there for longer than just a few days.

The same day as the car was found, a search of the surrounding area was launched by the Lake County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team, as Lake County News has reported.

Brooks said cadaver dogs were brought in to help in the search, and the dogs got a scent hit near a pond.

The pond subsequently was completed drained, but nothing was found, Brooks said.

Brooks said the sheriff’s office is acting in an assisting role to Rohnert Park officials in the Ruben-Miñón disappearance.

While they continue to work the case, the sheriff’s office also has had no new leads or information as to what happened to Ruben-Miñón, Brooks said.

Gamber-Miñón said the family has bombarded the area with fliers seeking information.

Likewise, Justice said his agency has sent out press releases and numerous fliers around Lake, Sonoma and Mendocino counties and other parts of the region in hopes of getting leads, but nothing solid has been reported.

“We don’t have any further information at this point as to where he currently is,” said Justice.

Justice said Ruben-Miñón is in the missing person’s system and his department also is working with the California Department of Justice’s Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit, which notifies agencies of any possible matches with unknown live and deceased individuals. There have been no matches, Justice said.

Authorities and Ruben-Miñón’s family are making a renewed appeal to the public in an effort to locate him.

Ruben-Miñón is described as being 5 feet 10 inches tall and 170 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.

He’s known to frequent coffee shops and is very social.

If you have seen Fernando Ruben-Miñón or have information as to his location, please contact the Lake County Sheriff's Office Dispatch at 707-263-2690 or the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety at 707-584-2630 or 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.

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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Water Resources Department has investigated the recent appearance of dead fish along the shore of Clear Lake.

The agency had received several reports of dead fish washing up on the shores and, upon investigation, Water Resources Director Phil Moy, PhD, has determined that it appears the fish likely succumbed to a rapid temperature change in shallow water during spawning.

The fish he observed were predominantly adult crappies, a few bass and several large carp. These are all fish that spawn in the spring in shallow water.

“Until recently, we were enjoying a cool spring then suddenly had a spate of rather hot weather,” Moy said. “The rapid temperature change in nearshore waters where these fish spawn, in addition to the normal stresses of spawning, likely caused the mortalities.”

On May 10, Moy observed dead crappie and carp on the north shore of the lake and an accumulation of dead crappie, carp and few bass at Austin Park in Clearlake.

“It is unlikely the fish all died in the waters off Austin Park,” Moy said. “The fish were predominantly accumulated on north-facing shorelines with some adjacent to the water and some farther up on the shore, suggesting a strong north wind and waves carried them from other parts of the lake.”

The fish were in various states of decomposition suggesting that the cause of the mortalities was more chronic than acute – that is, taking place over a longer time frame than a single rapid event.

The distribution of dead fish all of similar species distributed around the lake suggests the die-off was not a singular event involving a single location, but rather a lake-wide phenomenon which, in consideration of the rapid cool to hot weather changes further suggests thermal environmental stress rather than a toxic algal bloom.

For more information you may contact Phil Moy at 707-263-2344 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Fire managers are preparing to burn a 45-acre unit of the Howard Mill Prescribed Fire project about five miles north of Upper Lake on the Upper Lake Ranger District early next week.

Crews are planning the potential burn day between Monday, May 15 and Wednesday, May 17, depending on weather and environmental conditions, forest officials said.

Forest officials said smoke may be visible from Highway 20, Upper Lake and surrounding areas. 

The unit is predominantly timber with pine litter understory and smoke should disperse quickly after ignitions are completed, according to the forest’s report on the project.

Prescribed fires are an essential part of the Mendocino National Forest’s fire management program.

They are used to improve forest health, reduce hazardous fuels, restore nutrients and create future fire breaks.

The burns are conducted within a “prescription” that is determined by appropriate fuel moisture, temperature, humidity, wind, and ventilation.

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.