LAKEPORT, Calif. – The three candidates seeking seats on the Lakeport City Council in November's general election will participate in a forum on Thursday, Oct. 16.
The forum, hosted by Lake County News and the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
Two seats on the council – currently held by Tom Engstrom and Stacey Mattina – are up for election on Nov. 4. Engstrom announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection.
Mattina is seeking a second term, and Robert Balentine and Mireya Gehring Turner also are running to serve on the council.
Community members are invited to attend.
Questions at the event may be submitted via index card. Alternately, questions may be submitted ahead of time by sending them to 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.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council has appointed Mike Vandiver to serve an unexpired term on the Clearlake Planning Commission.
Vandiver was selected from among a field of five candidates during Thursday's regular meeting at Clearlake City Hall.
The term, which was made vacant with the resignation of Albert Bernal, ends March 11, 2015.
The council conducted public interviews, asking each of the candidates a series of questions related to their knowledge of the position.
The planning commission is to hear and act upon land use applications; act as the advisory board for the city in connection with the administration of the Subdivision Map Act of the state and the city's subdivision regulations; act in an advisory capacity to the council on zoning, general plan and other land use matters; and perform the duties of a planning commission as prescribed by the state of California.
Candidates interviewed at the council meeting included Vandiver, who is a general contractor; Russell Cremer, farmer/management consultant; and Dirk Slooten, land surveyor business owner.
Additional applicants unable to attend Thursday's meeting included Mark Burkdoll, a clinical laboratory scientist; and Jack T. Gingles, a retiree who is a former planning commissioner for the city of Calistoga.
Members of the council expressed difficulty in choosing from among what they referred to as an impressive field of candidates.
Ultimately, the council selected Vandiver, recognizing his increased involvement in the community. After its last planning commission appointment, the council had suggested those applicants who hadn't been selected should increase their efforts in the community.
“Last time, one thing we said was, 'Get involved.' I'm swaying toward (Vandiver) right now,” Councilman Joey Luiz said.
Councilwoman Jeri Spittler said she would like to see the appointment of Slooten, who said he has been a permanent resident of the area for the past couple of years.
“I like his demeanor and his resume,” she said, adding, however, that she would support the majority selection of the council.
Mayor Denise Loustalot, recognizing a tough decision, said, “I want to see someone with heart for community and someone who knows where we've been and where we want to go in the future.”
Vandiver was appointed with a 4-0 vote.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton recused herself because of her role as volunteer executive director of Lake County Youth Services; Vandiver serves as a member of that organization's board.
Vandiver also has been actively involved in efforts supporting recent and current tax measures proposed in the city.
The Clearlake Planning Commission meets the first and third Tuesday of the month. Commissioners receive a monthly stipend of $25.
Planning commissioners are required to file, as public record, periodic statements of economic interest disclosing interest in real property, businesses and investments and sources of income in compliance with requirements of the Political Reform Act.
In other actions, the council approved a donation request of $250 in support of the inaugural Lake Leadership Summit, which was held Friday at Marymount California University in Lucerne.
The summit was designed for local business leaders, owners and entrepreneurs who want to develop and grow their businesses as well as grow Lake County.
City Manager Joan Phillipe said the contribution was consistent with the city's economic development priority goal.
Phillipe and Spittler both were in attendance at the summit the following day.
Email Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
LAKEPORT, Calif. – This week the Board of Supervisors will once again discuss the continuation of a drought proclamation issued earlier this year, and consider participation in the Great California Shakeout and an application for an invasive mussels grant.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport. TV8 will broadcast the meeting live, with the video available online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Boards/Board_of_Supervisors/calendar.htm .
In an untimed item, county Emergency Services Manager Marisa Chilafoe will take to the supervisors a request to continue the proclamation of emergency declaration for drought conditions that they originally passed in March. It must be reconsidered every 30 days, based on state law.
In another untimed item, Chilafoe also will offer the board a resolution of intent to participate in the Great California Shakeout for Earthquake Preparedness, which will take place at 10:16 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16.
“As recognized during the earthquake that struck Napa County on August 24, 2014, Lake County is not immune from natural hazards whether it be wildfire, flood, winter storm, drought or earthquake, and recognizes the importance of enhancing our ability to withstand these hazards through prevention, preparedness, response and mitigation,” Chilafoe wrote in her report to the board.
Chilafoe's report said county employees will exercise the courthouse evacuation plan on Thursday as part of the shakeout event.
In an item timed for 9:20 a.m., the board will consider authorizing Water Resources Director Scott De Leon to submit a grant application for the Quagga/Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention Program.
In other news, at 9:10 a.m. the board will present a proclamation commending Public Health nurse Mary Dietz for her 21 years of service as she gets set to retire.
At that time, the supervisors will issue a proclamation designating the month of October 2014 as Domestic Violence Awareness month.
On Tuesday the board also will honor Robert Morton Tone on the occasion of his 100th birthday.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
7.1: Adopt proclamation designating the month of October 2014 as Domestic Violence Awareness month.
7.2: Approve fifth amendment to the agreement between the county of Lake and Cerner Corp. for Anasazi Software and support for FY 14/15, in the amount of $70,000, and authorize the Chair to sign.
7.3: Adopt proclamation recognizing and honoring Robert Morton Tone on the occasion of his 100th birthday.
7.4: Adopt proclamation commending Mary Dietz, Public Health nurse, upon her retirement for her 21 years of service.
7.5: Approve salary of extra help emergency services assistant at Grade A20 ($18.46 per hour).
7.6: Adopt amendments to county policy regarding the use of extra help employees to comply with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
TIMED ITEMS
8.2, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of (a) proclamation commending Mary Dietz, Public Health nurse, upon her retirement for her 21 years of service; (b) proclamation designating the month of October 2014 as Domestic Violence Awareness month; and (c) proclamation recognizing and honoring Robert Morton Tone on the occasion of his 100th birthday.
8.3, 9:15 a.m.: Lake Family Resource Center annual update from Gloria Flaherty.
8.4, 9:20 a.m.: Consideration of resolution authorizing the director of Water Resources to submit a grant application for The Quagga/Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention Program and authorizing the director of Water Resources to sign said application and grant.
UNTIMED ITEMS
9.2: Consideration of memoranda of understanding with the Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association and the county of Lake for calendar years 2014-2015.
9.3: Consideration of continuation of the proclamation of emergency declaration for drought conditions.
9.4: Consideration of resolution of intent to participate in The Great California Shakeout for Earthquake Preparedness.
9.5: Consideration of ordinance of the Board of Supervisors of the county of Lake, state of California rescinding Lake County Ordinance No. 2990 and reestablishing county of Lake Health Services as a member of the existing Partnership Healthplan of California Commission under a new article.
CLOSED SESSION
10.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9(d)(1): Coakley v. County of Lake, et al.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LUCERNE, Calif. – Dozens of local leaders and business people gathered in Lucerne on Friday to consider new ways of pursuing prosperity – both personal and professional – as well as economic vitality.
The inaugural Lake Leadership Summit took place at Friday at Marymount California University's Lakeside Campus.
The sold-out event focused on collaboration, innovation, harnessing community and individual resources, and changing the conversation in – and about – Lake County.
Organizers said the goal isn't just business success, but the broader goal of a thriving, dynamic community.
Michelle Scully, executive director of Marymount California University's Lucerne campus, welcomed the group on behalf of the Regional Economic Development Committee that created the summit.
The group also is responsible for putting up a chalk walk in Lakeport – with other similar walls planned in other areas of the county – to capture positive input about Lake County.
The newly renovated Lucerne Hotel, which this semester opened for undergraduate studies as Marymount's third campus, was the ideal setting for the inaugural event, according to Scully.
“I think it's fitting that we're here to this beautiful building, which is a testament to an audacious vision,” she said, wondering what the building's developers were thinking when they constructed it in the 1920s.
She called the building an amazing blend of history and state-of-the-art technology, which now offers a place for Lake County residents to come and complete four-year degrees without having to leave home.
Scully thanked the county of Lake, the Lucerne Hotel's owner, for its efforts to renovate the building. “I hope we can all look around today and say, 'It was worth it'.”
In looking at the needs of business, Scully said her research focused on leadership, with a view to making not just businesses strong but improving the county both economically and socially.
“I've always found that when you step out in a big way, it's usually worth it,” she said.
Scully said everyone in the room has heard Lake County slammed in one way of the other, and that they were tired of it.
“We're ready to start a new conversation. Who agrees with that?” she asked, with a big round of applause the response.
She emphasized Lake County's rich natural and human resources, noting that it was the community's residents who won her over when she first moved here.
The summit, she said, is about capturing the love of Lake County.
Alan Flora, the county of Lake's deputy administrative officer and one of the summit's organizers, aid the Regional Economic Development Committee formed about a year or year and a half ago, and is composed of people from all over Lake County.
“We really want everyone at the table,” he said.
The ultimate goal, said Flora, is to help businesses grow and become a magnet for attracting visitors.
As the group looked at what they wanted to accomplish, they knew they needed an event, as well as ways to change the conversation, Flora said.
Building a world-class destination
Another of the event's organizers, Rebecca Southwick of Sutter Lakeside Hospital introduced David Woolson, president and chief executive officer of the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce, which was formed in 1875.
Southwick said she had heard about Walla Walla, Wash.'s transformation into a world-class wine destination and she wondered how they did it. So she reached out to Woolson, who agreed to be the summit's keynote speaker.
Woolson congratulated the group for a fabulous “first-out-of-the-gate” event.
His presentation was titled, “How a sleepy ag community changed its rep and became a world destination for wine drinkers.”
Walla Walla sits on the Oregon border “in the middle of nowhere,” said Woolson. Lewis and Clark passed through the area on their way home in 1805. It also was the site of the 1847 Whitman Massacre and was for a time the territorial capital of Washington.
Its primary agricultural crop is wheat, with Walla Walla sweet onions – the official state vegetable – being another crop. There also is a prison there dating from the 1880s that employs 1,100 people, a large Veterans Affairs medical facility and three colleges, Woolson said.
Walla Walla has become a world-class wine destination, with 145 wineries. Its American Viticultural Area was established 30 years ago, and it's known for its red wines, according to Woolson.
Woolson said a recently completed economic impact study shows a $600 million impact into economy from the wine industry. By 2022, 20 percent of all jobs in Walla Walla will be connected to the wine industry.
The area's winemakers approach their work with a sense of collaboration, sharing equipment and working together collectively to build a market, he said. At the same time, Walla Walla Community College has established a great enology program.
There is a thriving arts and music community, as well as a growing food scene populated by a number of James Beard award-winning chefs, he said.
Woolson, who worked in the film industry before returning to southern Washington, where he was born and raised, took over the chamber four years ago after it had been “in a deep coma” for a decade. He said he gave it a good hard shake.
“I'm a fan of what you're trying to do here,” he said.
He spoke about economic development projects under way in Walla Walla, including expansion of the fiber backbone, for which the city was named a Top 21 Intelligent Community, chosen from among 360 communities worldwide.
In comparing Lake County and the Walla Walla area, he said they are very similar in population, location and economy.
Keys to Walla Walla's success include collaboration, product development, thinking big, authenticity, promotions and having a strategic plan, which Woolson urged everyone to have both for their businesses and personally, noting that “a miracle happens when you write stuff down.”
Such plans, he said, create focus, force a person or business owner to ask themselves tough questions, and establish both priorities and metrics to measure progress.
Woolson suggested the following strategy questions:
1. What is in my toolkit? 2. Who is a friend and who is a foe? 3. What alliance and joint ventures can be built to help develop, executive and promote the strategy? 4. Anchor or propeller? Is a person, thing or activity propelling you forward or pulling you down? 5. How do you define success? 6. Fact or fiction – are you using good data for making decisions? 7. Where is the gate in this fence? (This is about finding solutions and overcoming obstacles.) 8. What is my feedback loop? 9. What are your three wishes – personally and professionally? 10. How do I promote the strategy and why should anyone care?
Woolson also offered his top tips to thrive and survive:
– It is better to make the wrong decision too early than the right one too late. – Things are rarely as they seem. – Stand for something. – Solve other people’s problems before asking them to solve yours. – Believe in yourself (but not your press releases). – Live in the moment. The past is gone and the future isn't here yet. – Ask yourself: What's the worst thing that can happen?
Creating ambassadors
Maureen McElroy, a certified tourism ambassador for Sonoma County Tourism Ambassadors, spoke about the certification program, which has 10,000 ambassadors nationwide.
Certification follows a four-hour class. She said the goal is to turn every visitor experience into a positive one, with the goal of inspiring people.
In the case of Sonoma County, more than 13,000 people visit daily, she said; double that number is how many opportunities the service industry has to make a good contact.
In the context of service, the person standing in front of you is the most important person in your life at that moment, she said. The willingness to focus on people and their needs can result in a transformative experience and make a difference in the lives of people who choose to travel to an area.
McElroy said visitors are vulnerable in new surroundings and need to feel safe and secure. They also want to be made to feel special and important. Just the act of remembering someone's name can make a huge difference and establish a sense of trust.
Following McElroy's talk, Flora announced that the county has researched the certified tourism ambassador program and wants to do it here in Lake County, with money included in the county budget to support the program in this fiscal year.
He said the county is working to finalize a partnership with Marymount California University to administer the program, with the contracts expected to go before the Board of Supervisors in the next few weeks.
As the largest employer in the county, the county of Lake said it believes it can make an impact with the program, and so has included in its budget enough to send at least 200 county employees through the program.
Other highlights of the day included a “speed dating” breakout session in which summit participants introduced themselves and their organizations or businesses to each other and looked for ways to collaborate.
An example offered of “arranged marriages” in local business was Carve Pilates and Mendo Lake SUP, which have collaborated to offer unique, on-the-lake exercise classes.
During lunch, Susan Jen of the Health Leadership Network discussed Lake County's selection in August as one of five “Wellville” communities nationwide. The goal is to produce visible improvements in several measures of health and economic vitality over the next five years.
Jen said it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, with a lot of community partnerships needed to succeed.
Other presentations included Robert Freedman, senior marketing director for Bay Area-based Focus Financial Partners, who discussed how to succeed on various social media platforms, and showings of a Ted Talk lecture by Rachel Botsman on the currency of the new economy and screening of a portion of “For the Love of Cities” featuring Pete Kageyama.
The event wrapped mid-afternoon, with participants offered the chance to pursue fun activities including a haunted walking tour in Lakeport, a Lake County scavenger hunt and a pirate's “bootycycle” tour of Kelseyville.
“It's been great,” Flora said of the day. “We feel really fortunate that you all came out to have this conversation with us.”
He said the organizers hoped those who participated loved Lake County even more after the summit.
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.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The second event of the Poet Laureate Reading Series takes place this Friday, Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Riviera Common Grounds Coffee House at 9736 Soda Bay Road, featuring the poetry of James BlueWolf.
Presented by current Lake County Poet Laureate Casey Carney and Common Grounds Proprietor Andrea Williams, the series is held on the second Friday of each month through April and is designed to promote local poetry by showcasing each of Lake County’s eight poet laureates in sequence, along with a guest poet and musician.
The poet laureate is an official appointment by a government or conferring institution for the purpose of promoting poetry in that jurisdiction. These appointments occur from local to national levels.
In Lake County, the two-year position began in 1998 with the appointment of Jim Lyle. In 2002, James BlueWolf was selected as the second poet laureate of Lake County.
BlueWolf – an internationally published poet, recording artist and youth mentor – has been a poet, author, lecturer and storyteller since the early 1970s.
He is the author, narrator and co-producer of the well-received documentary film “Hinth’el Gaahnula; A Narrative History of the Lake County Pomo to 1900.”
Produced in conjunction with the Big Valley Rancheria and the Administration for Native Americans, the documentary is archived in the Smithsonian Institute Libraries and available at the Lakeport Library.
“Hinth’el Gaahnula” covers 12,000 years of Pomo history and culture, with attention to the Bloody Island Massacre (Bo-No-Po-Ti), Bear Flag Rebellion, Gold Rush and treaties. It includes voice overs of family traditions and memories.
BlueWolf, a descendant of the Choctaw tribe, is a caucus member of the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers, and was chosen as their “Children’s Writer of the Year” for his 2007 book, “Speaking for Fire.”
Locally he has received three commendation proclamations from the Lake County Board of Supervisors for his work in coaching more than 500 local youth athletes.
BlueWolf’s latest project is as the host of “Wolf Tracks,” a combination music and spoken word show featuring poems, stories, Native American and classic baby boomer music. The show airs on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on KPFZ 88.1, radio and live Web streaming.
The Oct. 10 reading also will present guest poet Sandy Stillwell and percussionist Jason Norris.
Admission is free, with a $5 suggested donation.
Poets and musicians interested in being a guest artist during the series are encouraged to contact new Lake County Poet Laureate Casey Carney at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – This week the Clearlake City Council will discuss an appointment to fill a vacancy on the Clearlake Planning Commission and consider a contribution to an upcoming leadership summit.
The council will meet for a closed session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, for a conference with legal counsel regarding anticipated litigation before convening in open session at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
Under council business, council members will discuss appointing a new planning commissioner to succeed Al Bernal, who recently resigned. Bernal's term expires next March.
City Manager Joan Phillipe's report to the council said that five men have applied for the open seat: Mark Burkdoll, Russell Cremer, Jack Gingles, Dirk Slooten and Mike Vandiver.
Phillipe said the recommended process is for the council to interview each candidate while waiting for the others to remain in the city hall lobby.
The new appointment would be sworn in at the next Clearlake Planning Commission meeting, Phillipe said.
In other business, the council will consider giving a cash sponsorship of $250 to the Lake Leadership Summit, which will take place on Friday, Oct. 10, at Marymount California University's campus in Lucerne.
Phillipe's report to the council explained that the city was asked to become a sponsor and consider making a contribution toward the event's expenses.
“It is staff's opinion that this is an appropriate contribution and goes to continued support of economic development which is one of the (city's) four priority goals,” she wrote.
Items on the consent agenda – considered to be noncontroversial and accepted as a slate with one vote – include warrant registers and consideration of a temporary closure of a portion of Lakeshore Drive and Golf Avenue between Lakeshore Drive and Ballpark Avenue for the second annual Lake County Youth Services Trunk or Treat event, which will take place on Halloween night, Friday, Oct. 31.
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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