LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Voters across Lake County who aren't voting as absentees will be heading to the polls on Tuesday to take part in the presidential primary and to cast votes in several local races.
In addition to presidential and Congressional primaries, state seats, a bond measure for the Kelseyville Unified School District and the Board of Supervisors' seats for District 1, 4 and 5 are on this year's primary ballot.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Lake County's vote-by-mail – or absentee – registration percentage has been rising over the last decade, and in recent years more absentee than precinct ballots have been cast. Those trends have held true in the last two presidential primaries.
Absentee ballots were mailed out in early May, and Lake County Registrar of Voter Diane Fridley and her staff began processing them on May 17, work that will continue through Election Day and into the official canvass period that follows. However, the results of those absentee counts won't be released until after 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Some voters may not have received their primary voting materials yet, and for those who didn't, Fridley advised them to call call her office at 707-263-2372 so they can be given the location of their polling place.
Voters needing materials also can visit Registrar of Voters Office – which is located in Room 209 on the second floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport – before 8 p.m. Tuesday to cast a ballot.
Fridley urged people who need the materials to contact her office as soon as possible, as no ballot may be cast or counted past 8 p.m. on Election Day.
For those vote-by-mail voters who haven't yet put their ballots in the mail, the California Secretary of State's Office reported that mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Tuesday, June 7, and received by the county elections office no later than June 10.
Absentee voters who have sent in their ballots and want to check to see if the ballot arrived at the elections office and has been counted – and, if not, the reason – can find a ballot return status check on the Registrar of Voters' Web site at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/ROV/BStatus.htm or call 888-235-6730.
Lake County News will post ballot count updates beginning after 8 p.m. Tuesday.
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. – A conservation organization has received a state grant that will allow it to complete the purchase of a 1,280-acre property near Clearlake Oaks that in the near future will be opened up for public use.
At its quarterly meeting on Thursday, the Wildlife Conservation Board approved $17 million in grants for 20 projects that will help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California.
Among the grants approved is $440,000 for Woodland-based Tuleyome, which will use the funds to finalize its purchase of the 1,280-acre Silver Spur Ranch.
The purchase is meant to protect a habitat that includes blue oak woodland, riparian areas and chaparral, and to provide for potential future wildlife-oriented public use opportunities, according to the Wildlife Conservation Board's announcement.
It was exciting news for Andrew Fulks, Tuleyome's board president who has been working on the property acquisition over the last three years.
Noting the amount of work that went into negotiations, Fulks said, “You kind of have to get all the stars to align.”
Tuleyome has worked on significant wilderness conservation projects around Northern California, most notably successfully promoting the creation of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, which encompasses 330,780 acres managed by federal agencies in Lake, Colusa, Glenn, Mendocino, Napa, Yolo and Solano counties.
President Barack Obama used his executive power under the Antiquities Act to create the national monument last year. The monument was dedicated in March.
Fulks said the Silver Spur Ranch is located almost exactly in the heart of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, in the narrowest area.
It is easily accessed off Indian Valley Road, and a mile of the north fork of Cache Creek runs through the property, Fulks said.
He said it will be a boon to Lake County's economy, with an increase in recreation and tourism dollars. It adds another destination for visitors to come and enjoy, and spend money in the county. “We're happy to be a part of that.”
The Sierra Club Redwood Chapter, which has supported Tuleyome's efforts both with the national monument and Silver Spur Ranch, welcomed the news of the grant award.
“Tuleyome’s acquisition of the 1,280-acre Silver Spur Ranch builds on last year’s designation of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, which surrounds the property,” said Lower Lake resident and Sierra Club Redwood Chapter Chair Victoria Brandon. “It means that the rare plants and rich wildlife habitat of this amazing place will be maintained and restored, and that hikers, bikers, equestrians and campers will be able to enjoy it – it’s good for the land and good for our community.
Another local organization supporting the project is the East Lake Resource Conservation District.
“East Lake RCD is delighted to learn that Tuleyome's purchase of the Silver Spur Ranch has been finalized, and eager to partner on restoration projects such as erosion control and invasive plant eradication,” said the district's president, Charlotte Griswold. “This is the kind of conservation purchase that is critical to preserving sensitive habitat and to maintaining water quality in Cache Creek.”
Fulks said the $440,000 state grant is the balance of the purchase price negotiated with the land's current owners, the City of 10,000 Buddhas, based In Ukiah.
“This allows us to close escrow and take ownership of the property,” he said.
The total purchase price is $500,000, which was lower than its appraised value and a “bargain sale,” he added.
Fulks said he expects escrow to close within 60 days. Once the sale is concluded, he said Tuleyome plans to get in and work on some management-related issues, in particular, some necessary cleanup of old hunting shacks that have collapsed and abandoned vehicles, installing signage and fences, and analyzing rare plant areas to protect them from impact.
Once those matters are addressed, the organization wants to move forward with opening the land up for people to enjoy, he said.
“One of our main principals is if we take public funding for a property acquisition then the public should have some access to the property,” Fulks explained.
He said Tuleyome is looking at partnering with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife through its Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement, or SHARE, Program, which supports private owners in allowing for public use of their property.
The SHARE Web site also explains that the program compensates participating landowners with monetary payment and liability protection in exchange for providing access to or through their land for recreational use and enjoyment of wildlife.
Fish and Wildlife will administer that public use – including taking reservations for primitive camping, horseback riding, mountain biking and bird watching – which Fulks said takes the burden off of private landowners.
While most of the uses of the land will be nonmotorized activities, Fulks said there is the intent of allowing for some off-highway vehicle, or OHV, use on the far northern part of the property, where fire roads already have been turned into OHV trails.
He said Tuleyome is working with the Bureau of Land Management on a right-of-way for formalized use of that area for OHVs, a plan that is meant to keep riders out of the heart of the property. Fulks added that the organization is all for legal OHV use when it's in an area that doesn't cause disturbance.
Fulks said this latest project builds on the campaign for the national monument and the partnerships it created with other organizations.
“We wanted to show with this that we're really serious in continuing those partnerships and making sure everybody gets a little bit of something,” he said.
He said Tuleyome wants to work with the Back Country Horsemen on camping and multiuse trails, and Audubon for birding opportunities, among others.
Then it will be a matter of encouraging these partner organizations and the public to get out and use the property, he said.
Having people out legitimately using such lands reduces destructive use, Fulks said.
Fulks said the Silver Spur Ranch acquisition and future public use will open up another 3,700 acres of BLM land just west of the ranch itself that was previously landlocked and could only be reached by crossing private property.
Members of the public will now be able to cross the Silver Spur Ranch and enjoy the BLM property, he said.
In addition, the Silver Spur Ranch is near lands in conservation easements, such as one area on the Colusa County side of Walker Ridge, and constitutes a key piece in the center of a landscape that is being preserved.
On March 1, Bob Schneider, Tuleyome's senior policy director, went to the Board of Supervisors to make a presentation on the Silver Spur Ranch as well as the establishment of a Northern Coast Range Inner Coastal Conservancy. At that time, the board voted unanimously to support the purchase and also approved a letter in support of the conservancy.
Schneider reported at the time that the City of 10,000 Buddhas allowed the property to be purchased for less than its appraised value of $670,000 because the organization wanted the property protected, and also was seeking a deed restriction that doesn't allow hunting or fishing on the property because of their “high respect for all forms of life.”
Fulks said that support from the Board of Supervisors was very helpful, as was support from organizations like the Sierra Club and the Eastlake Resource Conservation District, and state Sen. Lois Wolf and Assemblyman Bill Dodd.
“All of our partners that were supportive, we couldn't have done it without them,” he said.
At the Wildlife Conservation Board's Thursday meeting, Fish and Wildlife Director Chuck Bonham noted that the importance of stakeholders coming together to support projects, Fulks said.
In related news, Schneider reported that SB 1396, the Wildlife Conservation Board: Inner Coast Range Program – which he also spoke to the Board of Supervisors about in March – passed the California Senate on Thursday.
The conservancy is meant to facilitate additional funding and local collaboration for conservation protection and economic development. Counties that are eligible to participate include Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Trinity, Tehama and Yolo. Participation is optional.
The bill, by Wolk and Dodd, now heads to the State Assembly.
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 Board of Supervisors has a full agenda for its first meeting in June, including proposed updates to marijuana cultivation rules, consideration of a recommendation on the Cristallago development, a swearing-in ceremony for several new sheriff's office employees and honors for Valley fire volunteers.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 7, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
In an item timed for 10:15 a.m., the supervisors will discuss making changes suggested by the Medical Marijuana Ad Hoc Committee to amend Article 72 of the Lake County Code, otherwise known as Measure N, which went into effect in 2014.
The changes are suggested in order for the county to develop a permitting and taxing process for medical marijuana consistent with the regulatory structure the state is implementing as a result of the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act, which was enacted in September.
Most of the proposed changes appear to relate to permitting requirements, and would not change the prohibition against growing in neighborhoods and community growth boundaries.
In other business, at 10 a.m., the board will hold a public hearing to consider the Lake County Planning Commission's April 28 recommendation to approve a two-year extension of time for Cristallago Vineyards' amended general plan of development. The development is to be located in the north Lakeport area, off of Hill and Scotts Valley roads.
Originally envisioned as a development that would be centered around an 18-hole golf course, the project now will include 624 acres – including a 292-acre Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard – along with a commercial center, 475 residential lots and 325 resort units that include a hotel.
Also on Tuesday, at 9:06 a.m., the board will host Sheriff Brian Martin's swearing-in ceremony for his new deputy sheriffs Scott Berger, Joseph Lyons, Anthony Garber and Nathaniel Newton, and Dominic Robles, a new correctional officer.
Following that ceremony, at 9:10 a.m. the board will present proclamations commending Valley fire volunteers Joey Brodnik, Lori and Gene Thornton, and Sharon Thornton.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
7.1: adopt proclamation commending Joey Brodnik for volunteer efforts to the Lake County residents affected by the Valley fire.
7.2: Adopt proclamation commending Lori and Gene Thornton for volunteer efforts to the Lake County residents affected by the Valley fire.
7.3: Adopt proclamation commending Sharon Thornton for volunteer efforts to the Lake County residents affected by the Valley fire.
7.4: (a) Waive the competitive bidding process; and (b) approve agreement between the county of Lake and Richard Bachman, DVM for FY 2016/17 veterinary services in the amount of $140,000 and authorize the chair to sign.
7.5: Approve long distance travel for Animal Control Officer Alicia Brisker to Durango, Colo., Aug. 29 to Sept. 3, 2016, to attend the Equine Investigators Academy on a partial scholarship.
7.6: Approve agreement between Aurora Santa Rosa Hospital and county of Lake for acute professional psychiatric inpatient services for fiscal year 2015-16 for a new contract maximum of $126,200 and authorize chair to sign.
7.7: Approve first amendment to the agreement between Davis Guest Home and the county of Lake for adult residential support for fiscal year 2015-16 for a new contract maximum of $34,770 and authorize chair to sign.
7.8: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Dimension Reports LLC for access to Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) County claim reports for fiscal year 2015-16 for a contract maximum of $16,500 and authorize the chair to sign.
7.9: Approve resolution approving an agreement between Lake County Health Services Department and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) for Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Capacity Building Funds in the Amount of $15,000 and authorizing the director of Health Services to sign said agreement.
7.10: Approve amendment one to the agreement between the county of Lake and SHN Consulting Engineers & Geologists Inc., for technical services in support of the implementation of cleanup and Abatement Order R5-2015-0713 at the Eastlake Landfill in the amount of $13,460 for a new contract maximum of $36,260 and authorize chair to sign.
7.11: Adopt resolution approving right-of-way certification for the emergency roadside repair project on Soda Bay Road PM 9.2 - Federal Aid Number # EO-ER-28C1 (002).
7.12: Adopt resolution amending Resolution No. 2015-119 to amend the adopted budget for FY 2015-16 by canceling obligated fund balance for road improvements in the CSA #23 Zone F Piner Court Maintenance Fund.
7.13: Approve request to pay late travel claim of $81 for Social Worker Supervisor Carrie Bridges while attending mandatory training at UC Davis from Feb. 23 to Feb. 25, 2016.
7.14: Adopt resolution authorizing Special Districts administrator or his designee to sign and submit a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding application for County Service Area #20, Soda Bay Water System.
7.15: Sitting as the Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors, approve project agreement between the state of California Department of Water Resources and the Lake County Watershed Protection District for LCWPD - Levee Patrol Road Gravel Repair in the amount of $45,639 and authorize the chair to sign. TIMED ITEMS
8.2, 9:06 a.m.: Swearing-in ceremony for deputy sheriffs Scott Berger, Joseph Lyons, Anthony Garber and Nathaniel Newton, and correctional officer Dominic Robles.
8.3, 9:10 a.m.: (a) Presentation of proclamation commending Joey Brodnik for volunteer efforts to the Lake County residents affected by the Valley fire; (b) presentation of proclamation commending Lori and Gene Thornton for volunteer efforts to the Lake County residents affected by the Valley fire; (c) presentation of proclamation commending Sharon Thornton for volunteer efforts to the Lake County residents affected by the Valley fire.
8.4, 9:15 a.m.: Renewal of proclamation of local health emergency.
8.5, 9:30 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of Planning Commission's recommendation of approval for general plan amendment (GPA 14-01) from community commercial to service commercial and certification of mitigated negative declaration on approximately 8.5 acres; project located at 5846 Live Oak Drive, Kelseyville (APN 008-061-26); applicant is Doug Bridges.
8.6, 9:45 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of Planning Commission's recommendation of approval for general plan amendment (GPA 15-12) from Agricultural and Community Commercial to Service Commercial; Rezone (RZ 15-04) from "A/C2-DR" Agriculture/Community Commercial-Design Review Combining to "C3-DR" Service Commercial-Design Review Combining; and certification of mitigated negative declaration on approximately 3.72 acres; project located at 3463 and 3447 Stone Drive, Finley (APNs 008-021-39 & 47); applicant is Jase Harrell.
8.7, 10 a.m.: Public hearing, consideration of Planning Commission's recommendation of approval for a two-year extension of time (GPD EX 15-01) for amended general plan of development (GPD 05-05) known as Cristallago Vineyards; applicant is Cristallago Development Corporation; project located at 3595, 3851, 3907, 4051, 4141, 4151, 4161, 4283, 4483, 4637 and 4687 Hill Road and 3580 Scotts Valley Road, Lakeport (APNs 003-046-66 and 67, 005-009-04, 05, 06 and 07, 005-010-05, 16 and 17, 005-011-06 and 07 and 005-012-33).
8.8, 10:15 a.m.: Discussion and Consideration of Medical Marijuana Ad Hoc Committee's recommendations to amend Article 72 of the Lake County Code.
UNTIMED ITEMS
9.2: Consideration of the following appointments: Child Care Planning and Development Council Emergency Medical Care Committee, Kelseyville Cemetery District and Lake County Public Authority Advisory Committee.
9.3: Consideration of sublease agreement between the county of Lake and the Lake County Department of Child Support Services for sublease of the Gard Street School facility.
9.4: Consideration of approval of amendment number two to the memorandum of understanding between the county of Lake and the Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association for calendar years 2014-15.
9.5: Consideration of memorandum of understanding with the Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association and the county of Lake for calendar years 2016-2017.
9.6: Consideration of approval of classification and compensation committee findings and recommendations.
9.7: Consideration of agreement by and between the county of Lake and the South Lake County Fire Protection District for the Submittal of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program DR-4240 project sub-application and authorize the chair to sign.
9.8: Sitting as Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors, consideration of resolution authorizing the Lake County Watershed Protection District to file a grant application for a California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways Quagga and Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention FY 2015/2016 for a Clear Lake Mussel Prevention Improvement Project - planning grant and signature authorization to execute agreement and authorize chair to sign.
9.9: Sitting as Lake County Watershed Protection District Board of Directors, consideration of resolution authorizing the Lake County Watershed Protection District to file a grant application with the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways Quagga and Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention FY 2015/2016 - Implementation Grant and Signature Authorization to execute agreement and authorize chair to sign.
CLOSED SESSION
10.2: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to Litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9 I(d)(2)(e)(1) – One potential claim.
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. – This week the Lakeport City Council will consider the second and final reading of an ordinance to address solicitation in the city, take up the resolution to call for this fall's municipal election and discuss moving forward on a sales tax measure.
The council will meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, for conference with labor and property negotiators before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
On Tuesday's agenda are two public hearings.
The first is the second reading of an ordinance regarding solicitation, including panhandling, that was accepted on its first reading last month, as Lake County News has reported.
If accepted, the ordinance would require a permit for soliciting, with an express exclusion for religious and political activities.
Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen said in his report to the council that the ordinance would give police additional tools to deal with the kind of aggressive soliciting that has been on the rise in the city over the last two years.
In the second public hearing, the council will consider adopting a proposed resolution approving the additional Supplemental Activity to the 2014-CDBG-9883 grant for the use of additional business assistance loan funds.
In other business, the council will consider a resolution calling for the city's Nov. 8 general municipal election and requesting approval for election services from the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office.
Three council seats will be up for election this year. The seats currently are held by Mayor Marc Spillman, who has said he won't seek reelection, and his fellow Council members Martin Scheel, who is running for District 4 supervisor, and Kenny Parlet.
Also on Tuesday, City Manager Margaret Silveira will take to the council a request to authorize city staff to move forward with vendor selection and work on a public education and outreach project for a revenue sales tax measure.
As part of that item, Silveira is asking the council to authorize an increased budget appropriation from the general fund reserve in the amount of $25,000 to fund the work related to the measure.
On the meeting's consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the May 17 meeting; the May 25 warrant register; Application No. 2016-015 with staff recommendations for the Lake County Arts Council and the Main Street Art Gallery for the Spring Bazaar to be held in and around the Yacht Club on June 11; adoption of a resolution of the Lakeport City Council setting forth the terms of the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee; and initiation of proceedings on delinquent utility accounts for sewer and water charges.
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. – While the race for the District 4 supervisorial seat is one of the most hotly contested of this year so far, a review of the latest campaign financial filings shows that the amount of money raised puts it in the middle of the pack when compared to other races.
The five-person race for the District 4 seat includes Ted Mandrones, a former Lakeport City Council member and president of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce Board; Finley farmer Phil Murphy; local businessman Ron Rose; Lakeport City Councilman Martin Scheel; and Lakeport Unified School District Board member Tina Scott.
The race culminates in the June 7 presidential primary.
Candidates in all of the races were required to file their latest pre-election financial reports – covering the period from April 24 through May 21 – by May 26, the Registrar of Voters Office reported.
Lake County News obtained the documents earlier this week. Based on an analysis of the documents, it's estimated that, in the race so far, just under $30,000 has been raised, less than half of that raised by the four candidates in the District 1 supervisorial race, as Lake County News has reported.
Because one of the candidates does not have a firm estimate of funds, that $30,000 estimate could be high by several hundred dollars.
The independent calculation does not directly mirror the final numbers given in the campaign documents, which were found to include minor accounting discrepancies.
To date, the candidate with the largest war chest is Scott, whose total is $12,699. Mandrones has raised $9,603.09, with Scheel raising $6,620, based on the filings.
Murphy and Rose filed paperwork declaring that they will raise less than $2,000 each.
Contacted for more detail, Murphy said he has taken no campaign contributions. “I've taken no money from anyone, and sent back the checks people mailed me.”
He said he has “well under $1,000” for his campaign. Of that, $511 went to pay for the ballot statement, and he offset the overall filing fees by getting hundreds of signatures.
Murphy said he put about $35 total into campaign materials – paint, brushes and Web site domain name – and all of his campaign signs are made from debris that he and his girlfriend picked up from the roadside, which he suggested makes him the most frugal and environmentally minded candidate.
Rose told Lake County News that he has only taken one campaign contribution of $100 and is covering the rest of the expenses himself.
An in-depth analysis of the financials showed that most of Scott's contributions came from her husband, Doug.
Overall, Doug Scott has contributed $11,000 to his wife's campaign, making him the largest single contributor of any of the supervisorial races so far this year.
Scott took in another $1,500 from Supervisor Anthony Farrington, who currently holds the District 4 seat but has chosen not to seek reelection, and $100 from Bob Bridges, a retired county counsel. She also received an additional $99 in non itemized cash contributions.
When asked about the contributions from her husband, Scott said, “I have not done any fundraisers because of the fact that I'm planning on giving 20 percent of my income back to nonprofits.”
She says she believes it's necessary for her family to donate the money for the race.
Asked how she would decide which organizations she would donate to if elected, Scott said she hasn't yet figured that out, but that the emphasis would be on organizations that offer support to youth and seniors.
Farrington is the second-largest contributor in the race for the District 4 seat. In addition to the funds his election committee gave Scott, he is the largest contributor to the Mandrones campaign, which received $2,000 from him, bringing Farrington's total contributions to $3,500.
Scheel's top contributor is the California Real Estate Political Action Committee, based in Los Angeles, which gave him $750, with a number of smaller donations coming from local business owners.
Loans also are playing a role in the campaign financing for District 4, with Mandrones loaning himself $3,500 and Scheel loaning his campaign $2,900. Murphy, Rose and Scott have not reported making loans to their campaigns.
Contributions go beyond finances
Beyond the purely monetary aspects of the District 4 race, there have been contributions of another sort, in the form of allegations brought by Farrington against Scheel and by Board of Supervisors Chair Rob Brown against Mandrones.
Farrington has led the attack on Scheel, raising issue with a sunken crane that had belonged to Scheel and which went into the lake in the Clearlake area in November 2010 during a contracting job, as Lake County News has reported.
Scheel was unable to remove the crane on his own, and his business closed not long afterward. He signed over the crane to the county, which paid $59,000 to remove it. The county also scrapped it, recovering $4,000, according to Board of Supervisors Chair Rob Brown.
Both Scheel and Brown have maintained that Scheel had asked the county for a bill repeatedly but hadn't received one. In April Scheel and the county reached a formal payment agreement, which is expected to come to the Board of Supervisors later this month, Brown said.
After the crane went into the lake, Farrington did not initially show any animosity toward Scheel, to whose 2012 Lakeport City Council campaign Farrington donated $100.
Scheel said the two men had been friendly and had tried to work out an arrangement over the thorny issue of the South Main Street corridor, which the city of Lakeport eventually wants to annex. County government has been resistant since it's the most lucrative commercial area for sales tax in the county, and Farrington's interactions with the city of Lakeport had become increasingly sour on the topic.
Scheel said he and Farrington were still talking and socializing up until late last year, shortly before Scheel announced his plans to run in December. They had sat down together over beers and discussed the upcoming election, with Scheel telling Farrington he was thinking of running, but Farrington not committing either way.
Scheel said Farrington didn't raise any issues with his potential candidacy at that point, so he has no idea what led to Farrington attacking him weeks later, although he said it's possible it may have gone back to the annexation issue.
Farrington subsequently circulated to the media a dossier that included Lake County News' original reporting on the sunken crane and records of several thousand dollars in Internal Revenue Service liens, which Scheel said he has been paying down for years, and which is less than the total filed with the county.
The dossier also included a 2009 drunk driving arrest for Scheel in Mendocino County and a 1990 case in which he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor grand theft in Sacramento County.
Scheel explained that, while a 21-year-old college student, he worked for the state Controller's Office in planning and facilities management. Two of his co-workers, who did computer and networking for the agency, submitted their timecards in such a way that it bypassed the normal payroll process and the three received paychecks at a time when other state employees were only getting IOUs.
It was a stupid thing to do, Scheel said, adding that they thought they were “rebels,” since state legislators themselves were still getting paid.
He doesn't recall how much he was paid, but said it was over $400, thus the misdemeanor grand theft charge. Scheel said he pleaded no contest and paid everything back.
He added that none of his past has been a secret, and he had told the story to friends over the years.
Farrington told Lake County News that he is endorsing both Mandrones and Scott, whose signs are featured on his Lakeport law office.
Brown has maintained his support of Scheel and also has waded into the fray in response to a campaign flier circulated by Mandrones that focused on the crane issue and which Brown said took statements he made at a 2011 board meeting about the crane out of context.
In a letter to Lake County News (“Brown: Lyin' Ted,” May 24, www.bit.ly/1Pt08oq ), Brown faulted Mandrones' work at the county's Valley fire donations center and as manager of the former Piedmont Lumber store in Lakeport. The company closed down and the Lakeport store was purchased by Mendo Mill.
Brown also questioned why Mandrones continues to include in his campaign team an individual facing prosecution for forcible rape.
Brown was referring to Rick Hamilton, a local sign business owner who sits on the Lake County Chamber of Commerce Board with Mandrones.
Hamilton was arrested in October for attempted rape, stalking and sexual battery, as Lake County News has reported: www.bit.ly/1GZNUKv . Charges against him now also include forcible rape. He was to have gone to preliminary hearing in the middle of May, but the hearing has been held over to July 7.
Court records show Hamilton also previously stood trial for rape in Sacramento, but two mistrials resulted in the case being dropped.
Mandrones has confirmed to Lake County News that Hamilton is a part of his campaign; Hamilton has claimed to be managing Mandrones' campaign on social media.
Endorsements for the candidates
Despite Farrington's attack on Scheel, Scheel has racked up a list of endorsements from Brown; Congressman Mike Thompson; Assemblyman Bill Dodd; Supervisor Jim Comstock; Tom Engstrom, Lakeport's retired police chief and a former city councilman; and Lakeport City Councilwoman Stacey Mattina; and the Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association.
Mandrones' endorsers include Farrington, District Attorney Don Anderson; former Lakeport City Councilman Buzz Bruns and his wife, Jan; and a host of local business people, including Christian Ahlmann, Bill Brunetti, Bill Kearney, Tom Lincoln, John Tanti and Rick White, and former owners of Piedmont Lumber, Bill and Vicky Myer.
Scott counts Farrington and Lake County Assessor-Record Richard Ford as her key endorsers to date.
In the case of Murphy, he told Lake County News, “I have no endorsements, in the remote chance that I make the runoffs I know I can get some good ones but didn't want people to stick their necks out for me with such long odds.”
Another development for Murphy was the District Attorney's Office's decision last week to drop a marijuana case against him, as Lake County News has reported.
Authorities said Murphy had too much marijuana at his farm for personal use, but Murphy said it wasn't for his own use but for several people with legal medical recommendations. District Attorney Don Anderson said the case was dropped because he didn't think a jury would arrive at a guilty verdict.
Murphy said he hoped that the case being dropped would change some people's' minds about him and give him a boost in the election.
Rose told Lake County News that he has received no endorsements but hasn't pursued any.
As far as outreach to voters, Rose faulted the Lake County Chamber of Commerce for not sending him a questionnaire that had been sent to other candidates, with their responses published in the local newspaper. He said chamber Chief Executive Officer Melissa Fulton lives right down the street from him but made no attempt to contact him directly.
Rose said he believes the oversight is more a matter of Mandrones being the chamber board president.
For more information on the candidates, visit the following Web sites:
The next financial statement is due in August, according to the Registrar of Voters Office.
A summary of the candidates' finances to date is below.
TED MANDRONES
Contributions received
Total contributions received, year to date/overall: $9,603.09 Total contributions received for reporting period: $1,233.10 Monetary contributions, year to date: $5,319.99 Monetary contributions for reporting period: $450 Loans received, year to date: $3,500 (to self) Loans received for reporting period: $0 Nonmonetary contributions, year to date: $783.10 Nonmonetary contributions for reporting period: $783.10
Expenditures made
Total expenditures made, year to date: $9,126.32 Total expenditures made for reporting period: $1,390.81 Payments made, year to date: $7,875.73 Payments made for reporting period: $140.22 Loans made, year to date: $0 Loans made for reporting period: $0
1. Committee to Elect Anthony Farrington, Kelseyville, $2,000 2. William and Victoria Myer, Kelseyville, retired, Piedmont Lumber Co., $1,120 3. Ruby Pritchard, retired, Vancouver, Wash., $1,000 4. (Tie for amount) Robert Schall, Lakeport, Tri Star Properties, $250; Scott Knickmeyer, president, Lake County Association of Realtors, Lakeport, $250
Top three expenses
1. Mailrite, Sacramento, brochure and postcard mail runs, $1,730.92 2. Lake County Registrar of Voters Office, Lakeport, voter pamphlet statement and filing fees, $1,357.11 3. Econoline Signs, print ads, $993.98
PHILIP MURPHY
Filed Form 470 stating less than $2,000 received. Murphy estimated to Lake County News that he has received well under $1,000, $511 of which went to the ballot statement. He said he put $35 total into campaign materials and got several hundred signatures to offset the filing costs.
RON ROSE
Filed Form 470 stating less than $2,000 received. Rose reported to Lake County News that he has received one check for $100 but has sought no other donations. He said expenditures for his campaign signs and associated costs have come out of his own pocket.
MARTIN SCHEEL
Contributions received
Total contributions received, year to date/overall: $6,620 Total contributions received for reporting period: $900 Monetary contributions, year to date: $3,720 Monetary contributions for reporting period: $900 Loans received, year to date: $2,900 (to self) Loans received for reporting period: $0 Nonmonetary contributions, year to date: $0 Nonmonetary contributions for reporting period: $0
Expenditures made
Total expenditures made, year to date: $8,750.77 Total expenditures made for reporting period: $1,243.56 Payments made, year to date: $5,542.17 Payments made for reporting period: $2,144.06 Loans made, year to date: $0 Loans made for reporting period: $0
1. California Real Estate Political Action Committee, Los Angeles, $750 2. Alma Guillerno Lepe, Lakeport, owner/manager, Rancho de la Fuente, $320 3. (Tie for amount) Hansen Grocery Inc., Lakeport, $300; Donna Goff, Nipomo, retired, $300 4. (Tie for amount) John Tanti, Lakeport, property manager, AAA Boat and Mini Storage, $250; Kelly Butcher, Lakeport, owner/manager, Lake County Property Management, $250; Paul Onorato, Napa, senior staff member for Congressman Mike Thompson, $250; Laura Santarelli, Lakeport, real estate broker, ReMax Lake County Realty, $250
Top three expenses
1. Hareline Graphics, West Sacramento, information technology costs, $2,250 2. Lake County Registrar of Voters Office, Lakeport, campaign filing and research, $1,198.88 3. Accounting Champion, Lakeport, accounting services, $1,100
TINA SCOTT
Contributions received
Total contributions received, year to date/overall: $12,699 Total contributions received for reporting period: $1,500 Monetary contributions, year to date: $12,699 Monetary contributions for reporting period: $1,500 Loans received, year to date: $0 Loans received for reporting period: $0 Nonmonetary contributions for reporting period: $0
Expenditures made
Total expenditures made, year to date: $11,898.25 Total expenditures made for reporting period: $1,603.56 Payments made, year to date: $11,898.25 Payments made for reporting period: $1,603.56 Loans made, year to date: $0 Loans made for reporting period: $0
Top five monetary contributors, campaign to date (Scott's filings include only three cash contributors)
1. Douglas Scott, Lakeport, electrical engineer, $11,000 2. Committee to Elect Anthony Farrington, Kelseyville $1,500 3. Robert Bridges, Lakeport, retired county counsel, $100
Top three expenses
1. Gotprint.com, Burbank, print ads, $4,889.84 2. Vista Print, Lexington, Mass., campaign paraphernalia/etc., $2,330.53 3. Lake County Registrar of Voters, Lakeport, voter registration info, $1,458.95
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 race for the District 1 seat on the Lake County Board of Supervisors has so far raised more money than other local contests this spring, according to new financial filings submitted to the Lake County Registrar of Voters.
Voris Brumfield, Monica Rosenthal, James Ryan and Jose “Moke” Simon III are seeking this year to succeed retiring Supervisor Jim Comstock.
The first leg of the race culminates in the presidential primary on June 7.
The latest pre-election financial reports, which covered April 24 through May 21, were due May 26. The next reports will not be due until after the primary in August, the Registrar of Voters Office reported.
A Lake County News analysis of the documents concluded that approximately $64,636.45 has been raised in the District 1 race so far.
That tally is the result of an independent calculation and does not directly mirror the final numbers given in the campaign documents, which were found to include some minor discrepancies.
That overall total for the District 1 race is nearly twice what has been raised in the District 4 race and more than the District 4 and 5 races combined.
Rosenthal, a businesswoman who is a member of the county's wine industry and a former county planning commissioner, has raised the most money in the race so far.
Having announced her candidacy in February 2015, she got a head start on fundraising, bringing in $16,383 by the end of last year.
As of May 21 she had raised another $13,068, for a total of $29,451.
Among her contributors are well-known North Coast winemaker Andy Beckstoffer, who gave her campaign $5,000 last year.
Brumfield, who served on the board in the 1980s and more recently has been a lay minister with the Methodist Church, also entered the race in the spring of 2015.
She raised $1,100 by the end of last year, with $1,000 of that total a loan to herself. That $1,100, combined with the rest of her fundraising to date, totals $15,271.45, based on the latest filings.
Her largest contributor to date is Middletown rancher Michael Browning, who gave her $2,000, contributing the same amount to Simon's campaign.
Simon, the longtime tribal chair of Middletown Rancheria – which owns Twin Pine Casino – has so far raised $13,293.
A large part of his contribution base has come from gaming-related interests, including the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, attorney Rob Rosette of Arizona – an attorney who has worked with local tribes on their gaming projects – and the Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians.
James Ryan, a longtime Sonoma County Sheriff's deputy and a Hidden Valley Lake resident, has raised $6,621 to date, based on the filings.
Ryan's larger contributors include family members and law enforcement colleagues, as well as the North Bay Labor Council AFL-CIO.
Loans have played a large part in the campaign funding so far, the filings showed.
Brumfield has loaned herself $6,050. Rosenthal has loaned her campaign $4,000, and Ryan's wife has loaned his campaign $2,400. Simon has no loans in his total.
Each of the candidates also has landed key endorsements.
Brumfield early on landed the nod from Comstock, who intends to retire after the end of his second term. She said she has not sought out other endorsements.
Rosenthal has received endorsements from Congressman Mike Thompson, Assemblyman Bill Dodd, State Board of Equalization Chair Fiona Ma, the Lake County Farm Bureau, the North Bay Association of Realtors, Clearlake City Councilman Bruno Sabatier and Board of Supervisors Chair Rob Brown.
Key endorsements for Ryan include the Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Association and the Peace Officers Research Association of California, of which he is secretary.
Simon said he's been endorsed by the United Pomo Nations Council and Evolve California. In April he also received the National Indian Gaming Association's Wendell Chino Humanitarian Award for his leadership during the Valley fire, as Lake County News has reported.
For more on each of the candidates visit the following sites:
Total contributions received, year to date/overall: $15,271.45 Total contributions received for reporting period: $1,749 Monetary contributions, year to date: $9,221.45 Monetary contributions for reporting period: $1,749 Loans received, campaign to date: $6,050 (to self) Loans received for reporting period: $0 Nonmonetary contributions, year to date: $0 Nonmonetary contributions for reporting period: $0
Expenditures made
Total expenditures made, year to date: $11,504.99 Total expenditures made for reporting period: $3,593.66
1. Michael Browning, Middletown, $2,000 2. Stanley Reed, Santa Rosa, $1,001 3. (Tie in amount) Barbara Thornton, Middletown, $1,000; GBP, A Limited Partnership, Sacramento, $1,000; and Bob Pestoni, Rutherford, $1,000
Top three expenses
None listed.
MONICA ROSENTHAL
Contributions received
Total contributions for campaign overall, 2015 and 2016: $29,451 Total contributions received for reporting period: $1,300 Total contributions received, year to date: $13,068.00 Monetary contributions, year to date: $12,213 Monetary contributions for reporting period: $1,300 Loans received, campaign to date: $4,000 (to self) Loans received for reporting period: $0 Nonmonetary contributions, year to date: $855 Nonmonetary contributions for reporting period: $0
Expenditures made
Total expenditures made, year to date: $13,106.21 Total expenditures made for reporting period: $8,032.11 Payments made, year to date: $17,570.61 Payments made for reporting period: $5,319.40 Accrued expenses (unpaid bills): $2,712.71 Loans made, year to date: $0 Loans made for reporting period: $0
1. Andrew Beckstoffer, Rutherford, $5,000 2. R.S. Devoto, Kelseyville, $2,000 3. (Tie for amount) Leon Ballew, Middletown, $1,000; Max Schlienger, Ukiah, $1,000 4. Ladonn Morgan, Hidden Valley Lake, $941
Top three expenses
1. Chris Jones Consulting, Newcastle, $10,554.49 2. Clelia Baur, campaign paraphernalia/misc., Kelseyville, $3,595.73 3. Accounting Champion, Lakeport, $2,350
JAMES RYAN
Contributions received
Total contributions received, year to date/overall: $6,621 Total contributions received for reporting period: $2,525 Monetary contributions, year to date: $4,130 Monetary contributions for reporting period: $1,300 Loans received, year to date: $2,400 (from wife, Lesley Ryan) Loans received for reporting period: $1,200 Nonmonetary contributions, year to date: $91 Nonmonetary contributions for reporting period: $25
Expenditures made
Total expenditures made, year to date: $6,038 Total expenditures made for reporting period: $2,117 Payments made, year to date: $5,947 Payments made for reporting period: $2,092 Loans made, year to date: $0 Loans made for reporting period: $0
1. Lesley Ryan, Hidden Valley Lake, $1,200 2. Joy Ryan, Hidden Valley Lake, $1,000 3. (Tie in amount) Margaret M. Byrne, Sebastopol, $500; North Bay Labor Council AFL-CIO, Santa Rosa, $500; Patrick Torres Jr., Sebastopol, $500
Top three expenses
1. VistaPrint, Waltham, Mass., $2,993 2. Lake County Registrar of Voters, Lakeport (filing fee and candidates' statement), $1,053 3. Dirt Cheap Signs, Lago Vista, Texas, $768
JOSE 'MOKE' SIMON III
Contributions received
Total contributions received, year to date/overall: $13,293 Total contributions received for reporting period: $7,250 Monetary contributions, year to date: $13,250 Monetary contributions for reporting period: $7,250 Loans received, year to date: $0 Loans received for reporting period: $0 Nonmonetary contributions, year to date: $43 Nonmonetary contributions for reporting period: $0
Expenditures made
Total expenditures made, year to date: $7,819.77 Total expenditures made for reporting period: $4,708.80 Payments made, year to date: $7,819.77 Payments made for reporting period: $4,708.80 Loans made, year to date: $0 Loans made for reporting period: $0
1. California Nations Indian Gaming Association, Sacramento, $5,000 2. Robert Rosette, Chandler, Ariz., $2,500 3. (Tie in amount): Michael Browning, Middletown, $2,000; and Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians, Santa Ynez, Calif., $2,000. 4. New Albion Surveys (John M. Webb), St. Helena, $1,000
Top three expenses
1. Bennett Solutions, Middletown, $2,686.32 2. Gotprint.com, Burbank, $2,324.12 3. Lake County Registrar of Voters Office, Lakeport, candidate statements fees, $735.09
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. – A conservation organization has received a state grant that will allow it to complete the purchase of a 1,280-acre property near Clearlake Oaks that in the near future will be opened up for public use.
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