The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

Gregory Gill will ask the council to approve his plan to operate a bed and breakfast inn at 2-16^th St., a decision which previously deadlocked the Lakeport Planning Commission, resulting in an automatic denial, as Lake County News has reported.

The matter has been discussed at several previous meetings, where both Gill and his neighbors – several of whom are against the project – have addressed the council.

A petition with more than 40 signatures against the project has been submitted to the city.

At the Tuesday meeting, the council and Lakeport Redevelopment Agency will convene a joint meeting during which they'll discuss approving a contract with California Engineering Co. to train housing staff on the HOME Program First Time Homebuyer's and Owner Occupied Rehabilitation programs.

The council and agency also will approve contract change orders for the City Hall Parking Lot and Third Street Improvement Project, and approve paving of an alley west of City Hall.

Other items on the agenda include:

– A resolution approving and confirming the report of delinquent utilities charges and requesting Lake County collect such charges on the tax roll.

– Approval of an application for the Lakeport Main Street Association to display seaplanes on Main Street between First and Seventh streets during the Taste of Lakeport event on Friday and extending to Saturday morning.

To see the agenda and associated staff reports, visit the city's Web site at www.cityoflakeport.com/departments/docs.aspx?deptID=43&catID=35.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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3.The Tallman Hotel today, following its extensive restoration. Courtesy photo.

UPPER LAKE – Upper Lake’s Tallman Hotel was notified this week that it has been officially listed on the California Register of Historic Resources as a Point of Historical Interest.

The California Historical Resources Commission approved this designation unanimously at its meeting on July 25 in the chapel of the Presidio at Santa Barbara.

The Tallman Hotel, originally constructed in 1896 by Rufus and Mary Tallman as the Lake County terminus of stage lines from Cloverdale and Ukiah, fell into disuse and disrepair by the mid-20th Century.

Derelict since 1962, the hotel was purchased in 2003 by Lynne and Bernie Butcher, who lovingly restored the building and converted it into a state-of-the-art boutique country hotel.

“We’re really happy with this California Register designation,” Bernie commented. “It confirms the fact that we did everything possible to preserve the heart and soul of the old building while adding tasteful period design elements and all the modern conveniences.”

The Commission confirmed the view that the hotel is historically significant because of its simple western vernacular architecture, its connection to the pioneer Tallman family and, most important, the central role it played in the development of Upper Lake and Lake County as a transportation, tourism and agribusiness center at the turn of the 20th Century.

Mr. Butcher thanked all those who actively supported the nomination, including Supervisor Denise Rushing and the County Board of Supervisors, Congressman Mike Thompson, Andy Peterson (past head of the North Shore Redevelopment District), County Marketing Director Debra Sommerfield as well as Tony Marchese and Randy Ridgel of the Lake County Historical Society.

In a letter to the Commission, County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox stated that he was “intimately familiar with this building, both in its dilapidated former state and as fully restored ... The Butchers not only saved the building, but fully restored it and, better yet from our perspective, returned it to its original use as a hotel.”

The Tallman Hotel joins seven other Lake County buildings similarly listed on the California Register, including the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse and Lakeport’s St. John’s Episcopal Church.

The Tallman Hotel (then called Riffe

As the procession bearing the body of Lance Corporal Ivan Wilson moved through Clearlake on Thursday, law enforcement, military members and veterans offered a respectful salute. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

CLEARLAKE – About 100 local residents, accompanied by dozens of law enforcement officers and veterans, gathered at Austin Park Thursday afternoon to witness the solemn return home of a young Marine who died in Afghanistan last month.

Lance Corporal Ivan Wilson, who died at the age of 22 on July 21 in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, made his final trip home on Thursday, carried through Clearlake in a motorcade.

Wilson's death in Afghanistan made him the first member of the military from Lake County to die in the current conflict in the Middle East.

The Marine's body was flown from Dover, Delaware to Sacramento, and then brought home with the motorcade escort.

The California Highway Patrol led the motorcade as it passed through the county and the city. The motorcade included fellow Marines and family members, with a small motorcycle escort of Patriot Guard Riders. Immediately following the private vehicles in the motorcade were close to 100 more motorcycles.

Dozens of police, rescue, fire and sheriff's personnel, as well as area veterans groups, members of the Clearlake City Council and seven uniformed Marines were among those who welcomed Wilson home.

Officials had placed two ladder fire engines on either side of the roadway – one from Lakeport Fire Protection District and one from Lake County Fire Protection District – with an American flag draped between them, a color guard standing close by. Nearly two dozen police and fire vehicles lined both sides of Olympic Drive near the Clearlake Police Station, the vehicles' emergency lights turned on.

As the hearse carrying the young Marine's flag-draped casket passed, fellow members of the military, past and present, as well as the many officers and deputies from different agencies offered Wilson a salute.

Once the motorcade passed a special tribute area for the public at Austin Park, it made its way to Lower Lake to Jones and Lewis Funeral Home.

The U.S. flag at Clearlake City Hall and at Austin Park flew at half-staff on Thursday, with Mayor Curt Giambruno asking for a moment of silence at the beginning of that night's City Council meeting.

On Friday, a daylong closed-casket visitation for Wilson will be held at Jones and Lewis Funeral Home, 16140 Main St. in downtown Lower Lake, from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Wilson's funeral will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at Queen of Peace Catholic Church, 14435 Uhl Ave., in Clearlake. He will be interred at the Lower Lake Cemetery.

Elizabeth Larson contributed to this report.

E-mail Harold LaBonte at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Fellow Marines were on hand to honor Wilson during his final homecoming. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

Patriot Guard Riders escorted the motorcade, which traveled from Sacramento to Lower Lake. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

Lakeport Fire and Lake County Fire Protection Districts had ladder trucks bearing the American flag over the roadway. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

Flags in the city, such as this one at Austin Park, were at half-staff on Thursday. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

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The Lake County Fire Safe Council will hold a special public meeting on Thursday, Aug. 21, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, at the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes, Lakeport.

Residents are invited to attend this free event to learn how to prepare their homes and family for wildfire, and to learn about the new Lake County Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

"Wildfire is an ever-present threat in Lake County,” said Supervisor Denise Rushing, who is spearheading the effort. “Our ability to prevent and respond to wildfire depends upon our level of planning, education, and preparedness.”

She said a solid Community Wildfire Protection Plan will help the various community fire councils and agencies to obtain the resources they need to both prepare for wildfire events and prevent potential damage and loss of life.

Jeff Tunnell, fire mitigation and education specialist for the Bureau of Land Management, and a member of the Fire Safe Council added, “This year has been an especially busy and hard year for the residents and fire fighters of California and the nation. We have experienced fires earlier and in greater numbers than most can remember. The Fire Service has also experienced an unacceptable occurrence of injuries and fatalities on fires this year.”

Tunnell said they want everyone to contribute to the safety of the public and our firefighters by doing what is necessary around their property to reduce the threat of fire or the severity of fires if they start.

“You can make the difference in our efforts to fight fires, save your home and come back to our families at the end of the day,” he said. “A positive way to accomplish these goals is to participate in your local Fire Safe Council. You will learn what you can do, how you can help others, and focus attention on the problem of wildfires in Lake County. Please join us in the fight to prevent and mitigate wildfires."

The new Lake County Community Wildfire Protection Plan will be introduced at this meeting. The Plan (or CWPP as it is in known in fire circles) will be developed over the coming year to identify priorities to reduce wildfire hazards and risks.

Tracy Katelman of ForEverGreen Forestry (www.forevergreenforestry.com/fire.html) is writing the plan.

“We will hold a series of 10 community meetings throughout Lake County in October to provide residents an opportunity to share their concerns and ideas regarding how to make Lake County ‘fire safe,'” said Katelman, a California Registered Professional Forester. “We encourage anyone interested in the plan and/or Fire Safe Council to join us on Aug. 21 to learn more about both of these important actions for Lake County’s future.”

Linda Juntunen, of the West Lake Resource Conservation District and a member of the CWPP Planning Committee, encouraged residents to attend the Fire Safe Council meeting to learn about the planning process.

“Public input is vital in developing the Community Wildfire Protection Plan,” Juntunen said. “Lake County is a big county, and we need the people that actually live in these areas to tell us what’s most important to them.”

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with displays, information and refreshments.

For more information, residents can contact Linda Juntunen at 263-4180, Extension 16; Mireya Turner at 263-2368; email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; or look for the “Lake County Fire Safe Council” link on the Lake County Board of Supervisors’ home page (www.co.lake.ca.us).

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Shavon Vestal, 27, of Clearlake filed the claim in the matter of the death of her father, David Vestal, who was shot to death on June 30 at York's Trailer Park on Old Highway 53.

Clearlake Police said David Vestal had brandished a shotgun at officers, resulting in the fatal shooting, as Lake County News has reported.

Attorney Don Anderson filed the claim against the city on behalf of Shavon Vestal, who is still being held in the Lake County Jail on several charges, including battery, vandalism, causing harm to an elder or dependent, a probation violation and a bench warrant, according to jail records. Also named as filed on the document are her young son and her boyfriend, Sean Bremer.

Shavon Vestal's claim specifically seeks $20 million for herself, and $5 million each for her son and boyfriend.

The Clearlake City Council will consider the claim at its meeting Thursday night. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

City Administrator Dale Neiman's report to the council recommends the claim be rejected.

Anderson told Lake County News that he anticipated the council would reject the claim. However, if the family chooses to file a lawsuit against the city in state court, they have to go through the claims process.

Lt. Mike Hermann of the Clearlake Police Department said the agency wouldn't offer a comment on the claim.

As to the case itself, he said the officer-involved shooting is still being investigated by the District Attorney's Office. The Clearlake Police doesn't plan to release any additional information on the case until the District Attorney's Office makes its finding.

Although it's not 100-percent certain yet, Anderson said he thinks the family likely will pursue a lawsuit over the shooting. His office also is conducting its own investigation into the case, and is waiting for the district attorney's report as well.

Anderson said Shavon Vestal's young son witnessed the shooting, and was standing so close to his grandfather when he was killed that he had blood on him.

Clearlake Police, who reportedly went to the trailer park on the report of a fight, stated that David Vestal had come out of his home carrying a shotgun. Anderson said his investigation disputes that statement.

“We have three witnesses who will swear that the deceased never had a firearm on him,” Anderson said.

Anderson said he believes, based on his investigation, that several things were done contrary to police procedures in the Vestal case.

He's not sure why David Vestal wasn't tasered, although Bremer was.

The law firm of Carter and Carter is representing Shavon Vestal, who remains in jail.

Attorney Angela Carter said Shavon Vestal's criminal matters have been settled pending sentencing. She faces a maximum of three years, eight months in prison for the charges.

The settlement, Carter said, involved a dismissal of all charges stemming from the night her father died.

Carter said the law firm arranged for Vestal's release for her father's funeral, and also persuaded the court to release her for a second time in order to handle some other family matters.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The deadline to file to run for the three seats on the November ballot had originally been Friday, but with Mayor Willis “Buzz” Bruns not seeking reelection, the deadline was extended to Wednesday at 5 p.m., according to City Clerk Janel Chapman.

Chapman reported late Wednesday that the field of candidates who have qualified for the ballot include challengers Virginia “Ginger” Ingersoll, Suzanne Lyons, Marc Spillman and George Spurr, and incumbents Roy Parmentier and Bob Rumfelt.

The election will take place on Nov. 4.

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