LAKEPORT, Calif. – Two local law enforcement officers were honored on Tuesday for actions they took to save the lives of others at great risk to their own.

California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Garcia and Lakeport Police Officer Stephanie Green received commendations from the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday morning, with the Lakeport City Council approving a commendation for Green at a special meeting Tuesday evening.

Garcia was honored for rescuing Dow and Regina Walton from their burning pickup following a crash on the night of Sunday, Jan. 27.

Dow Walton had attempted to pass another vehicle and went off the road, flipping end over end and landing in a creek bed, according to the CHP report on the incident.

Garcia, the first to arrive on scene, found a passenger outside of the pickup but the Waltons still trapped inside and the pickup fully engulfed in flames by the time he reached it, the report said.

He managed to pull Regina Walton from the pickup first, dragging her to a safe location, before returning for Dow Walton, whose legs were pinned. But Garcia persisted and freed the trapped man, dragging him to safety.

For his efforts, Garcia was honored April 18 at the American Red Cross, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties' 10th annual Real Heroes Breakfast.

Supervisor Rob Brown, who presented the commendation to Garcia, said Garcia personifies the idea of “service above self,” noting that he first met him two years ago when a girl was being rescued from a canyon.

Garcia, Brown said, is the same man whether he's in or out of uniform.

After receiving the commendation with a handshake and a smile, Garcia didn't make any statement.

“Most of you who know Adam know if you're waiting for a speech you're waiting for a long time,” Brown said.

Supervisor Anthony Farrington presented the commendation to Green, who he said represents what's good about law enforcement.

On July 9 Green responded to the Regency Inn motel on the report of a drowning man.

When she arrived she found 32-year-old Shaun Rudd at the bottom of the pool, in 8 feet of water. Despite the fact that she doesn't swim, she jumped in and got Rudd to the surface, where firefighters pulled him out of the pool and began attempts to resuscitate him, according to the police report.

Rudd was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. He was placed on life support and never regained consciousness, and died July 11, police said.

Farrington gave Green a hug, and the chamber's audience – which included numerous local law enforcement officers and local officials, including Green's chief, Brad Rasmussen, and Lakeport City Manager Margaret Silveira – gave both Garcia and Green a standing ovation.

At the Lakeport City Council meeting Tuesday night, Rasmussen asked the council to approve the commendation for Green, who wasn't present, in anticipation of presenting it to her on Tuesday, Aug. 6, during the city's National Night Out block party at the Mormon Church on 16th Street.

Rasmussen said the police department also will issue her a police medal for heroism at the event.

He also plans to issue a special commendation to a 10-year-old girl who had gone to the swimming pool with Rudd and alerted motel employees after noticing something was wrong.

The council gave the commendation its unanimous support.

Mayor Tom Engstrom – also the city's retired police chief – asked Rasmussen if it was true that Green can't swim.

Rasmussen said it was, adding, “She swam that day. She took care of business.”

“That really makes it extra heroic,” said Engstrom.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – During a special Tuesday night meeting the Lakeport City Council approved bridge funding for city water projects and a commendation for a city police officer among other brief matters of business.

During the open portion of the meeting, which ran just under 45 minutes, the council took care of several issues that couldn't wait until its next regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 20.

The Aug. 6 meeting was canceled and instead the council will participate in the National Night Out event at the Mormon Church on 16th Street.

The main item of business was approval of two separate loan agreements and issuance of a series of water revenue notes, in an amount not to exceed $7,675,000, in order to give the city short-term financing for water projects.

While the city has US Department of Agriculture loans and grants to help with water and sewer system upgrades, City Manager Margaret Silveira and Mark Brannigan, the city's utilities and public works director, explained that the city needed bridge financing in order to keep the water system properly functioning, meet regulatory demand, and to design and prepare the approved projects for the USDA financing.

Silveira told the council that the loans are only being done for the water system, as the city believes it can cover its short-term sewer system needs and projects design with city funds.

Cameron Weist, the city's independent bond counsel, said two banks were found that were willing to offer a variable rate line of credit to the city. If the loans were issued Tuesday, Weist said they would be 1.9 percent, with the market recently showing about a half-percentage point jump.

With approval of the proposed resolution, he said city staff could continue to work with him on the transaction, which would close in a few weeks and lock in a rate.

Weist, who analyzed the city's existing debt profile, said the loan would be against the city's water fund only.

According to Silveira's written report to the council, the city's water enterprise fund has two outstanding obligations – USDA bonds issued in 2000 at a 4.75-percent rate, in the original amount of $3,050,000, which have a final maturity date of Aug. 1, 2039; and a WestAmerica Bank loan, originally issued on May 30, 2002, at an initial amount of $873,577.18 and a 5.10-percent rate, which matures Nov. 1, 2017.

Weist said they are proposing to pay off the WestAmerica loan with the water notes, which are at a lower interest rate, in order to save the city money.

Silveira's report provided a brief list of projects the city needed to pursue to met regulatory requirements and system functionality. They included acquisition and installation of water meters and a supervisory control and data acquisition system radio communication system, well relocation and protection for existing city wells located in Scotts Creek, and extension, construction and looping of the existing 14-inch water mains on Parallel Drive and S. Main Street.

Councilman Marc Spillman, who previously has raised concerns about the expense and necessity of new water meters, questioned their inclusion on the list and asked if they were mandatory.

Brannigan said they're not, but there is a requirement for water systems to have lead-free fittings, and so they are looking at the new water meters as a way of reducing the potential for lead content.

Councilman Kenny Parlet moved to adopt the resolution approving the water revenue notes, which the council approved 5-0.

Among the other items the council decided Tuesday was an addendum to the application for Shipwreck Day on Sept. 23 submitted by the Lakeport Main Street Association, which wanted to be able to have vendors inside Library Park.

The council also unanimously denied a claim for damages submitted by Jessica King, who was hit in a crosswalk at S. Main Street and Lupoyoma Heights in January.

Council members approved a commendation for Lakeport Police Officer Stephanie Green for her efforts to save a drowning man on July 9. Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said the commendation and a police medal will be awarded to Green during the National Night Out event.

They also voted to transfer a mobile home located at unit No. 12 at Clear Lake Marina Mobile Home Park, 1400 S. Main St., to a new owner.

The city's former redevelopment agency had granted a rehabilitation loan from the low and moderate income fund to the home's former owner, who defaulted on the loan and abandoned it in May.

A new income-qualified individual who the city identified through the assistance of People Services now will take over the unit.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council will hold a special Tuesday meeting during which council members will present a commendation to a police officer, discuss bridge loan financing for water improvements and consider transferring a mobile home's ownership.

The council will meet for a closed session beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 23, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St. Council members will discuss property negotiations for 1025 Martin St., space 6.

The public portion of the meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

On Tuesday evening the council will honor Lakeport Police Office Stephanie Green, who on July 9 responded to a report of a drowning at the Regency Inn swimming pool.

Green went into the pool and pulled 32-year-old Shaun Rudd to the surface, where Lakeport Fire personnel pulled him from the water and worked to revive him.

Rudd was flown to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. He never regained consciousness and died July 11.

Other agenda items include the Lakeport Main Street Association's application for “Shipwreck Day” event in Library Park in Sept. 23 and consideration of options for bridge financing for a US Department of Agriculture loan the city received for its water system.

The council also will consider adopting a resolution ratifying and approving the transfer of the mobile home located at 1400 S. Main St., Unit 12B, to an income-qualified disabled individual.

Also on the agenda, the council – based on the advice of the interim city attorney and Redwood Empire Municipal Insurance Fund – is expected to reject a claim filed against the city by Jessica King.

On Jan. 29 King was crossing the street at S. Main Street and Lupoyoma Heights when she was struck by a vehicle driven by Sarah Schultz, according to her complaint. The impact was so hard that her shoes reportedly landed 50 feet away.

Her claim faults the city for safety issues at the intersection. She is seeking more than $10,000, but no specific amount has yet been set.

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.

072313 Lakeport City Council Special Meeting

NORTH LAKEPORT, Calif. – County utility officials are issuing another call to water users in the north Lakeport area to conserve water, warning that a mandatory conservation order could be forthcoming if conditions continue to worsen.

On Monday, Lake County Special Districts issued a second request to customers in the North Lakeport Water System – CSA No. 21 – to conserve water, following an initial conservation notice released 10 days ago.

The agency said that since that first notice, lake conditions and challenges within the North Lakeport Water System have become worse.

Water users in CSA No. 21 reported to Lake County News over the weekend issues with water quality, with reports of brown water coming from faucets.

Special Districts said the north Lakeport water plant is continuing to be challenged in keeping up with the high demand for water and the reduction in storage reserves has reached a critical level.

If the situation does not improve soon, Special Districts officials said they will have to request that the Board of Supervisors adopt an emergency ordinance to require mandatory water conservation.

The elevated summer temperatures have adversely affected the lake water quality due to significant cyanobacteria bloom and placed an increased demand on water consumption, the agency said. The lake water chemistry has become unpredictable and conservation is essential in providing a continuous supply of water.

Special Districts has been purchasing water from the city of Lakeport through the intertie that was installed several years ago and must limit the amount of water received from the city so as not to stress their water system, according to Special Districts.

On Monday, the Special Districts administration requested that customers refrain from using water for irrigation/outdoor watering purposes, filling swimming pools, high pressure water cleaning applications and washing vehicles.  

In response to the reports of abnormally colored water, Special Districts said that as a result of the current water system treatment process, they are experiencing oxidation, which does cause a “slight discoloration” of the water. The water also may have a noticeable “chlorine” taste.

The agency said it's anticipated that the water quality issues will be resolved within the next several days.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors has directed county staff to move forward with relocating two long-held county historical artifacts to the Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum in Kelseyville.

Last Tuesday, Public Services Director Caroline Chavez went to the board to seek guidance on new homes for an early 1900s San Francisco cable car and the Old Lake County Jail.

She estimated that it would cost about $20,000 to move the cable car and $2,000 to move the jail to the stage stop museum, located on Soda Bay Road, where they would be safe and accessible to the public.

County Administrative Officer Matt Perry said the funds to move the cable car have been carried over in the budget for the last few years.

The county received cable car No. 38 in 2007 from the Lake County Fair, which had owned it for about 60 years, according to Chavez.

Chavez reported that the cable car was built around 1906 to 1907 and was a replica of the cars in the 1890s fleet that were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire.

It had been at the fairgrounds in Lakeport on display for decades but after it sustained damage from a lawn sprinkler, the fair considered returning it to the city of San Francisco, Chavez said.

The county reached an agreement with the fair to take possession of the cable car, restore it and make it publicly accessible, with the Lake County Historical Society to assist in the renovation, according to Chavez.

Her report to the board explained that the cable car was taken to the jail for renovation by the inmates, but those plans haven't worked out. Instead, a body shop was hired to make minimum repairs and paint the car.

“It has been in large part restored but it needs to find a home,” she told the board, noting during the meeting that Sheriff Frank Rivero wanted to use the awning that is sheltering the cable car for other uses.

Initially, the idea was to place it in the Courthouse Museum Park in downtown Lakeport, but during the discussion Chavez would explain the high cost and number of major change that would be necessary to create an appropriate space for the cable car at the park.

With the Ely Stage Stop now open, and with the Lake County Historical Society wanting to see the car moved to the stage stop – she took with her a letter of support from Lake County Historical Society President Phil Smoley – Chavez presented it as the most cost effective and best option overall.

She also proposed moving the Old Lake County Jail, which now sits at Saderlund Park in Kelseyville, to the Ely Stage Stop, where it would be safer.

“Unfortunately, it is in a highly vandalized area,” she said. “They're pulling the shingles off of it and throwing them in the barbecue. We need to get that out of there to preserve it.”

The historical society is interested in both the cable car and the jail, and Chavez said county staff can do the preparation work at the stage stop, including putting down the concrete pads needed for the artifacts.

The cable car will need to be rolled onto a flatbed for transport; at 38 feet long and 11,500 pounds, it can't be lifted with a crane, Chavez said.

Moving the cable car to the Courthouse Museum Park was estimated to cost a minimum of $60,000 just for the engineering needed to put in a foundation for the car, Chavez said.

At the Ely Stage Stop, a concrete pad can easily be installed and Chavez said the county was looking at putting up a prebuilt pole barn kit as a cover. “It would be protected out there.”

“These artifacts need to be preserved,” said Supervisor Jim Comstock, who remembered seeing the cable car at the fair when he was a child.

He agreed that the Ely Stage Stop appeared to be an excellent location.

“I would totally support moving both of these artifacts to the Ely Stage Stop,” he said. “Their presence enhances what's already been done there and what's planned for the future there. I like what's been done there and I think this is just another enhancement to it.”

Supervisor Anthony Farrington had concerns about whether the cable car fit with the county's agricultural history theme of the museum, as well as issues of cost.

Board Chair Jeff Smith said something had to be done to protect the cable car, and he said it made sense to put it at the stage stop museum, but he wanted to see a larger building erected to accommodate it.

Supervisor Denise Rushing favored giving the cable car and jail new and safer homes. “I think we have an obligation to preserve that which has been entrusted to us,” she said, adding that she supported the Ely Stage Stop location.

The board gave Chavez consensus to move forward with taking the cable car and old jail to the Ely Stage Stop.

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 OAKS, Calif. – Clearlake Oaks resident Jim Steele has announced that he will run for Lake County District 3 supervisor in next year's election.

District 3 currently is represented on the Board of Supervisors by Denise Rushing, who has said she will not seek a third term.

Steele joins a field that includes longtime Lake County businessman and former planning commissioner Marvin Butler, as Lake County News has reported.

Steele said his main reason for deciding to run for supervisor is Clear Lake.

As a young biologist, he fell in love with Clear Lake, the study of which was one of his early jobs.

“Clear Lake is the underpinning of our economy and essential to our quality of life. It is an ecological treasure with an abundance of wildlife and physical attributes that make Lake County a perfect place to live and visit,” Steele said. “I know I can help guide the decisions necessary to restore Clear Lake to its natural vitality. I have already begun meeting with groups and I look forward to continuing discussions with the community about the issues of importance to them including the potential hitch listing, affordable drinking water and more.”

Steele has an extensive science and business background, and has worked both in the private and public sectors.

In the private sector, he has owned three businesses – tax and business consultant, martial arts dojo and water rights consultant – and still consults on a selective basis, assisting farmers, landowners and others with water rights and permitting issues.

As a former consultant to the county of Lake, Steele conducted experiments with the University of Nevada to develop a method that stops quagga mussels should they infect the lake, and created a true or false test for boaters seeking quagga stickers.

In the public sector, Steele has worked as a biologist and ecologist. He also is a registered professional forester, has taught at the community college and state university levels and developed focus courses for agency specialists.

He led restoration projects on endangered species, coastal streams and fish populations, protection programs for old growth forests and investigated difficult water pollution problems.

Steele is a policy advisor and liaison to the Board of Forestry and the Water Resources Control Board and served two governors as technical advisor on environmental issues.

After a distinguished 30-year career with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Steele moved to Lake County in 2002.

Since moving to Lake County Steele has become actively involved in number of volunteer organizations.

He is president of the Lake County Search and Rescue Association, serves on a technical advisory committee that is analyzing information from satellite imagery to find solutions to the problems plaguing Clear Lake and has served on the Clearlake Oaks Water District Board. He writes a column on the lake and has a radio show focusing on Clear Lake twice monthly.

Steele said he wants to help build a thriving economic community by focusing on the restorative processes needed to return Clear Lake to its natural vitality, doing so in a way that maintains the integrity of the lake's ecosystem and beauty, and increases its destination appeal for tourists.  

An honorably discharged veteran of the armed services, he is married to Olga Martin Steele, currently representing District 3 on the Lake County Planning Commission.

For more information visit Steele's Web site at www.jimsteeleforsupervisor.com .