Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, are cooking up an alien atmosphere right here on Earth.

In a new study, JPL scientists used a high-temperature "oven" to heat a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,100 Celsius), about the temperature of molten lava.

The aim was to simulate conditions that might be found in the atmospheres of a special class of exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) called "hot Jupiters."

Hot Jupiters are gas giants that orbit very close to their parent star, unlike any of the planets in our solar system. While Earth takes 365 days to orbit the Sun, hot Jupiters orbit their stars in less than 10 days.

Their close proximity to a star means their temperatures can range from 1,000 to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (530 to 2,800 degrees Celsius) or even hotter.

By comparison, a hot day on the surface of Mercury (which takes 88 days to orbit the Sun) reaches about 800 degrees Fahrenheit (430 degrees Celsius).

"Though it is impossible to exactly simulate in the laboratory these harsh exoplanet environments, we can come very close," said JPL principal scientist Murthy Gudipati, who leads the group that conducted the new study, published last month in the Astrophysical Journal.

The team started with a simple chemical mixture of mostly hydrogen gas and 0.3 percent carbon monoxide gas. These molecules are extremely common in the universe and in early solar systems, and they could reasonably compose the atmosphere of a hot Jupiter. Then the team heated the mixture to between 620 and 2,240 degrees Fahrenheit (330 and 1,230 Celsius).

The team also exposed the laboratory brew to a high dose of ultraviolet radiation — similar to what a hot Jupiter would experience orbiting so close to its parent star.

The UV light proved to be a potent ingredient. It was largely responsible for some of the study's more surprising results about the chemistry that might be taking place in these toasty atmospheres.

Hot Jupiters are large by planet standards, and they radiate more light than cooler planets. Such factors have allowed astronomers to gather more information about their atmospheres than most other types of exoplanets.

Those observations reveal that many hot Jupiter atmospheres are opaque at high altitudes. Although clouds might explain the opacity, they become less and less sustainable as the pressure decreases, and the opacity has been observed where the atmospheric pressure is very low.

Scientists have been looking for potential explanations other than clouds, and aerosols – solid particles suspended in the atmosphere – could be one.

However, according to the JPL researchers, scientists were previously unaware of how aerosols might develop in hot Jupiter atmospheres. In the new experiment, adding UV light to the hot chemical mix did the trick.

"This result changes the way we interpret those hazy hot Jupiter atmospheres," said Benjamin Fleury, a JPL research scientist and lead author of the study. "Going forward, we want to study the properties of these aerosols. We want to better understand how they form, how they absorb light and how they respond to changes in the environment. All that information can help astronomers understand what they're seeing when they observe these planets."

The study yielded another surprise: The chemical reactions produced significant amounts of carbon dioxide and water. While water vapor has been found in hot Jupiter atmospheres, scientists for the most part expect this precious molecule to form only when there is more oxygen than carbon.

The new study shows that water can form when carbon and oxygen are present in equal amounts. (Carbon monoxide contains one carbon atom and one oxygen atom.) And while some carbon dioxide (one carbon and two oxygen atoms) formed without the addition of UV radiation, the reactions accelerated with the addition of simulated starlight.

"These new results are immediately useful for interpreting what we see in hot Jupiter atmospheres," said JPL exoplanet scientist Mark Swain, a study coauthor. "We've assumed that temperature dominates the chemistry in these atmospheres, but this shows we need to look at how radiation plays a role."

With next-generation tools like NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, set to launch in 2021, scientists might produce the first detailed chemical profiles of exoplanet atmospheres, and it’s possible that some of those first subjects will be hot Jupiters. These studies will help scientists learn how other solar systems form and how similar or different they are to our own.

For the JPL researchers, the work has just begun. Unlike a typical oven, theirs seals the gas in tightly to prevent leaks or contamination, and it allows the researchers to control the pressure of the gas as the temperature rises. With this hardware, they can now simulate exoplanet atmospheres at even higher temperatures: close to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,600 degrees Celsius).

"It's been an ongoing challenge figuring out how to design and operate this system successfully, since most standard components such as glass or aluminum melt at these temperatures," said JPL research scientist Bryana Henderson, a coauthor of the study. "We're still learning how to push these boundaries while safely handling these chemical processes in the lab. But at the end of the day, the exciting results that come out of these experiments is worth all the extra effort.”

Calla Cofield works for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The editor is Tony Greicius.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council and community members gathered on Thursday to bid farewell to City Manager Greg Folsom, with the council voting later in the evening to appoint Folsom’s assistant city manager as his successor.

Alan Flora received the council’s unanimous vote to become the next Clearlake city manager, effective March 28.

Flora, who has held both the city’s assistant manager and finance director job this past year, is a former county of Lake deputy administrative officer and also worked for the county of Mendocino as its assistant chief executive officer. He recently was appointed to the Lakeport Fire Protection District Board of Directors.

Folsom, who joined the city in June 2015, begins his new job as city manager of Suisun City on April 2.

“While I am going to miss being city manager of Clearlake, I can’t think of a better successor than Alan Flora,” Folsom said following the meeting. “Alan has been a leader in this county for many years and I believe he will continue the positive momentum that we have built in Clearlake over the last few years.”

Honors for popular city manager

Ahead of Thursday’s council meeting, an hour-long farewell reception for Folsom – complete with a big cake featuring the city of Clearlake logo – was held at City Hall.

Folsom – wearing one of his signature colorful ties, a bright green one for St. Patrick’s Day – received well wishers including business and nonprofit leaders, residents, other local officials and friends.

When the meeting got under way, the council presented a farewell proclamation to Folsom. The entire council came down off the dais to stand with Folsom in front of the audience for the reading.

Mayor Nick Bennett started off by reading a message from Ed Robey, a former city council member and county supervisor. In his congratulatory message, Robey said he’s observed every city manager since the city incorporated in 1980. “Greg Folsom is without a doubt the best city manager we've ever had.”

Bennett then read a proclamation that noted Folsom’s many achievements, poked playful fun at his “infamous red pen” and recognized his work to diligently spearhead projects – some of which he didn’t take credit for due to his humility.

A representative from Sen. Mike McGuire’s office also presented a proclamation honoring Folsom on behalf of both McGuire and Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry.

Bennett also offered appreciation to Folsom’s wife, Georgianna, for her support of her husband in his work for the city.

Folsom recounted he and his wife coming to their first council meeting nearly four years ago, when his contract was being considered, and listening as a community member asked what was wrong with Folsom and why would he want to come to Clearlake.

But Folsom came anyway, a decision he indicated was a good one. “The last four years were just the best of my life being city manager here,” he said, choking up.

He lauded his staff and said he’s had the best city councils; he said those councils are the reason the city is doing so much better. Folsom said he was the right guy, at the right place, at the right time with the right council.

It was a year ago that Folsom hired Flora, who initially served as finance director, later adding assistant city manager to his title.

“One of the best decisions I've made as city manager has been bringing Alan on,” said Folsom, adding that Police Chief Andrew White was another great hire.

Flora came forward with another presentation. He said the staff had given Folsom a big red pen they had all signed. “We just appreciate everything you've done for this city.”

He then gave Folsom a large framed portrait of himself. “I hope you get the recognition that you deserve because of what you’ve done here,” Flora said, adding, “Don’t forget about us.”

Folsom hugged his staff and then, after a pause, said, “All right, go away,” with everyone returning to their seats.

During public comment, former mayors Russ Perdock and Denise Loustalot both praised Folsom for his leadership, noting that he had gotten to the city just before the series of devastating fires that hit the county began.

Even so, Folsom rose to the challenge. Loustalot said he led the city, staff and community calmly and safely, and is leaving the city in a much better place.

Council approves Flora’s proposed contract

Attorney Paul Coble of the firm Jones and Mayer, which provides city attorney services to Clearlake, filled in at Thursday night’s meeting for City Attorney Ryan Jones.

Coble went over the basics of Flora’s proposed employment contract, which gives Flora a beginning monthly salary of $11,808.33 per month – which totals $141,699.96 annually – plus $400 per month for vehicle and cell phone expenses.

The contract’s other provisions follow Folsom's city manager contract, Coble said.

Flora’s contract is for a three-year term, with two additional years possible. Coble said that with Flora starting at a lower salary that Folsom – whose salary is $151,000 annually – there would be an overall net savings annually to the city's general fund plus short-term savings since he’s continuing as city finance director.

Loustalot, speaking to the council as the Clear Lake Chamber president, former mayor and a business owner, said that when she was on the council they didn’t have the luxury of having someone in the assistant city manager position, ready to step in.

She said she’s worked with Flora. “Knowing the direction the city is going, he's already in place, he's an easy fit” – and a good fit, she added.

Councilman Dirk Slooten, who is a neighbor of Folsom’s, recounted a conversation with him some time ago about needing to have his replacement ready if he left. And he did just that.

“I'm sure Alan is going to be a heck of a city manager, too,” Slooten said.

Councilman Russell Cremer said Flora “has certainly proven himself over the past year,” and that he and Chief White have brought the city into the 21st century with their knowledge of technology.

Councilwoman Joyce Overton said Flora was also lucky to have been trained by now-retired Lake County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox, who was well known for his budgeting acumen.

Overton said she expects more out of Flora than Folsom. “He set the bar high and I expect you to jump over it,” she said, adding, “I think you're going to do a fabulous job.”

Bennett said the sum total of Flora’s experience is impressive, that he has brought new information and technology to the city, and creates the best financial reports he’s seen in decades of working in government.

Councilman Phil Harris told Flora that the entire council and staff will support him and be there to make him successful. He added that he’s excited to see where the city is going.

“You’ve got big, big shoes to fill,” Harris said.

“I’m definitely the young, improved version of Greg,” Flora joked.

Cremer moved to approve the contract, with multiple council members offering the second. The vote was 5-0.

“Thank you for your support,” Flora said after the vote.

Folsom commended the council on a fine choice in making Flora the next city manager.

“You've done just a fantastic job for us over the last four years,” Cremer told Folsom, adding that he’s been the face of Clearlake.

Cremer also credited Folsom for giving the city back its credibility.

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.

031419 Clearlake City Council - Proposed city manager contract by LakeCoNews on Scribd

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors has voted to extend for another six months a program of Friday closures for key county offices in Lakeport.

The board voted 4-0 on Tuesday morning to extend the closure, requested by County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson. Supervisor Rob Brown was absent for the discussion.

In August, at Huchingson’s request, the board approved an initial six-month pilot program to close offices in and around the Lake County Courthouse in Lakeport on Fridays in order to let county departments work on backlogs, as Lake County News has reported.

“Today I’m requesting an extension for another six months of that pilot,” Huchingson said on Tuesday.

During the coming six months, there will be one exception to those closures: Huchingson said that the Auditor-Controller’s Office said it will need to be open to the public on the last day of the fiscal year, which is Friday, June 28.

Huchingson said she convened a committee of department heads after the initial pilot began to review problems that came up.

“The complications with this have been very minimal. All have been worked out as they have come up,” she said.

“Many of our department heads speak of the benefit of having the Friday closure day,” said Huchingson, which she added has enabled staff in some departments to focus on backlogs of work resulting from position vacancies.

As of this week, the county’s vacancy rate was 22 percent, according to Huchingson, as compared to 20 percent reported when the board first approved the closure pilot program in August.

“We are about at the same spot we were six months ago when your board recognized the need to do this,” said Huchingson.

Huchingson said both the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport are “permanently closed” on Fridays.

“It would appear that our public is sort of adjusting to that,” Huchingson said.

Supervisor Moke Simon moved to approve the request to continue the Friday closures, with Supervisor Bruno Sabatier seconding and the board approving it 4-0.

Sabatier told Lake County News in a followup interview that he felt it necessary to continue the closures because of the high vacancy rate.

Once the county’s vacancies get back up to the range of 85 to 90 percent, Sabatier said the board can reconsider the closures.

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. – Clearlake Police Chief Andrew White swore in his agency’s newest sergeant and Animal Control officer at the Clearlake City Council meeting on Thursday evening.

Taking the oath were Sgt. Ryan Peterson and Animal Control Officer Willow Goldtooth.

Sgt. Peterson has been with the Clearlake Police Department since 2007 and has held a variety of positions, including patrol, field training officer, and detective.

Peterson has developed a reputation as one of the top detectives in Lake County.

Goldtooth has been employed by the Animal Control Division as a part-time kennel technician since March 2018.

She loves animals and hiking, and has been looking forward to becoming an Animal Control officer and making a positive impact on the community.

“Sgt. Peterson has been an outstanding detective for the Clearlake Police Department and I am confident that he will be an outstanding sergeant as well,” said City Manager Greg Folsom. “I am also pleased that we have been able to promote Willow Goldtooth into the important position of Animal Control officer.”

MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – Mendocino National Forest officials have issued a new Forest Order for the Ranch fire area and locking gates to enforce the area closure.

Forest Order No. 08-19-01 is effective from March 13, 2019 until July 1, 2020.

The amount of work that needs to be done before the fire area is reasonably safe to open is immense, forest officials said.

“This wet winter is delaying our efforts to begin the hazard tree management work needed to provide a safe transportation system in the fire area. We appreciate your patience while we continue the recovery and restoration process,” said Forest Supervisor Ann Carlson.

Post-fire threats for the public, residents of private lands and agency personnel include flooding, debris flows, hazard trees and loss of ingress and egress along roads, trails, recreation areas, and facilities.

While the large Ranch fire area remains closed, there are over 600,000 acres of the Forest for people to explore when summer arrives.

Campgrounds in the northern portion of the forest generally open around Memorial Day weekend.

The maximum possible penalty for a violation is up to a $5,000 fine, six months incarceration or both.

Forest Order No. 08-19-01 supersedes Order No. 08-18-17 dated Nov. 22, 2018.

The order and maps are published below.

Mendocino National Forest O... by on Scribd

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A judge has ordered a Clearlake man to stand trial on charges that he set the Clayton fire – which destroyed hundreds of structures in Lower Lake – and a series of other fires in Lake County in the summers of 2015 and 2016.

Judge Andrew Blum handed down his decision at the end of the preliminary hearing for Damin Anthony Pashilk, 43, on Wednesday afternoon.

During the preliminary hearing – a proceeding which began on Feb. 14 and stretched over nine days – Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff presented evidence for 23 charges related to Pashilk’s alleged setting of the Clayton fire in August 2016 and 15 other fires between July of 2015 and August of 2016, plus an attempted start of a 17th fire that self-extinguished. The charge for one of the fires was dropped on Wednesday.

Hinchcliff called to the stand numerous law enforcement officers and investigators, the majority of them from Cal Fire, which had Pashilk under surveillance for more than a year.

The last witness in the case was Cal Fire Deputy Chief James Engel, who has been present with Hinchcliff throughout the proceedings. Engel oversaw Cal Fire’s investigation of Pashilk, and his testimony wrapped up on Wednesday morning.

Rather than lengthy closing arguments, Hinchcliff wrote a summary of evidence presented in the case and submitted it as an exhibit, which Blum accepted as the hearing reconvened on Wednesday afternoon.

During the afternoon session, Hinchcliff said in short closing statements that the prosecution believed there is sufficient evidence for Pashilk to face trial on all counts except for count 11, which related to a fire set at Crestview Drive and North Drive in Clearlake on July 17, 2016. Hinchcliff said he was not requesting a holding order on that count.

In his closing statements, defense attorney Mitch Hauptman, focused on count one, which relates to the Clayton fire, which destroyed 300 structures in and around Lower Lake, nearly 200 of them homes. The historic downtown also suffered significant losses.

For his alleged setting of the Clayton fire, Pashilk is charged with felony aggravated arson under California Penal Code Section 451.5.

That penal code section states that any person “who willfully, maliciously, deliberately, with premeditation, and with intent to cause injury to one or more persons or to cause damage to property under circumstances likely to produce injury to one or more persons or to cause damage to one or more structures or inhabited dwellings, sets fire to, burns, or causes to be burned, or aids, counsels, or procures the burning of any residence, structure, forest land, or property is guilty of aggravated arson” if one or more aggravating factors exists.

In Pashilk’s case, the factor that makes it aggravated arson is that the Clayton fire caused property damage and other losses in excess of $7 million.

On day five of the preliminary hearing, Marnie Patchett, an analyst in Cal Fire’s cost recovery unit, testified to conducting calculations for the costs to fight the Clayton fire, which she said totaled $22.7 million.

The sunset date of that aggravated arson statute, incidentally, was extended by a bill by North Coast Sen. Mike McGuire that was signed last year by then-Gov. Jerry Brown. McGuire, who had cited the Clayton fire case as a reason to pursue it, said the bill meant to ensure law enforcement agencies “maintain a valuable deterrent to prevent arson-caused wildfires.”

Hauptman called the statute “unusual.” He said that the aggravated arson count requires that several things be proved: that the setting of the fire was willful, malicious and premeditated.

“I don't think that's been proven. I don't think there's even a hint of that,” Hauptman said.

He added, “I think there is a significant difference between a willful and malicious act and premeditation.”

While Hauptman said he wasn’t conceding that Pashilk set any of the fires, he said that all but one fire prior to the Clayton fire had failed to cause any damage to structures, and that 16 prior efforts had resulted in no injuries, with the fires set in remote areas away from homes.

“It's not a casual argument that I'm throwing out here,” Hauptman said, explaining that, even at the low evidentiary standard of a preliminary hearing, he found there to be difficulty in establishing the elements that form the basis of an aggravated arson finding.

In his response, Hinchcliff said that Pashilk, in an interview with investigators, acknowledged that he knew fires can be deadly and that he had worked as a firefighter at a prison fire camp.

Hinchcliff said the prosecution didn’t have to prove that Pashilk acted with premeditation.

He pointed to a fire set on Seigler Canyon Road in Lower Lake on the evening of Aug. 9, 2016 – four days before the Clayton fire – that had burned a residence. He said Pashilk is alleged to have set numerous fires, over and over.

“He himself was well aware, as he said during his interview, that fire can be destructive and deadly,” Hinchcliff said, adding there is more than sufficient evidence to hold Pashilk to stand trial for the Clayton fire.

Judge reviews evidence, makes determination

Once the prosecution and defense had offered their brief closing arguments, Judge Blum offered his conclusions.

“In the summer of 2015 and 2016 we had numerous fires. They had a lot in common,” he said, explaining they all started in the same way, at the edges of roadway or turnouts, with no other sources and no indications that vehicles had sparked them.

“I think it's reasonable to interpret that each of these fires is arson caused. In fact, there's no other plausible explanation for them,” Blum said, adding that all were located in places where they could easily be set.

“So I certainly infer that each of these was arson caused,” he said.

He said that in each of the fires, Pashilk had been determined to have been close by within minutes.

Testimony throughout the preliminary hearing had noted that a green Subaru station wagon that Pashilk was known to drive in 2015 had been caught on two surveillance cameras at several fire sites on different dates. A gray Chrysler Sebring he drove the following summer also was seen in the area of fires by surveillance cameras and law enforcement officers.

Cal Fire law enforcement officers followed him into the fire areas, visually observing him and also tracking him with a GPS device that they had received clearance to place on both vehicles through a search warrant.

Pashilk was known to drive into remote areas where the fires started, and Blum said there was “no apparent lawful reason” for Pashilk’s driving pattern.

On Aug. 13, 2016, the day the Clayton fire was set, investigators followed Pashilk. He was shown on the GPS tracker to have pulled off onto Clayton Creek Road, where his vehicle was seen to have been about 90 seconds before a fire was sparked there. Cal Fire officers who tracked him discovered the fire, which immediately took off and, the next day, would tear through downtown Lower Lake.

Blum said there were several examples of Pashilk being in the immediate area before a fire started.

When he was arrested on Aug. 15, 2016 – by a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy who took him into custody for driving on a suspended license – Cal Fire confiscated the Chrysler and searched it at the Clearlake Police Department.

Blum said that in the car the investigators found matches and lighters and a lot of pieces of paper and paper napkins, including a twisted napkin like one that had been determined to be an ignition source on the Canyon fire on Aug. 9, 2016.

Investigators recovered an Otter Pop wrapper at the Clayton fire scene that they determined was the ignition source. Blum said the search of the Chrysler found another empty Otter Pop wrapper.

“It's only reasonable for the court to conclude that Mr. Pashilk started each of these fires,” Blum said.

“He has fought fires. He knows fires,” and he knows what fires can do, Blum said.

Blum said he had a strong suspicion that each fire was arson and that Pashilk had started them. He also found that each of the special allegations – including causing multiple structures to burn in the Clayton fire, and setting the Clayton fire and another fire on Highway 29 near Lower Lake on Aug. 7, 2016, in an area where the governor had declared a state of emergency – had been proven.

Regarding the ignition location of the Clayton fire, on an upward slope leading toward the town of Lower Lake, “You're trying to burn down things. You're trying to burn down structures,” said Blum.

Blum ordered Pashilk to be held to answer and stand trial on all of the counts except count 11 regarding the fire on July 17, 2016, on Crestview Drive and North Drive in Clearlake, as the District Attorney’s Office had requested.

The judge also ordered Pashilk to return to court on March 26 for the next steps in the case, beginning with another arraignment.

Charges and incidents

The following is a list of the fires Pashilk is alleged to have set, in chronological order, with each incident's corresponding count in the criminal filing and the charges:

• July 2, 2015, 7:32 a.m.: Highway 20 at Judge Davis Trail (“Judge” fire No. 1), Clearlake Oaks (Count IV); arson.
• July 2, 2015, 7:50 a.m.: Highway 20 at Walker Ridge Road (“Judge” fire No. 2), Clearlake Oaks (Count V); arson.
• July 29, 2015, 8:30 p.m.: Highway 20 east of New Long Valley Road (the “Long” fire), Clearlake Oaks (Count VI); arson.
• Aug. 8, 2015, 2:27 p.m.: High Valley Road and Cerrito Road, Clearlake Oaks (Count VII); arson.
• Aug. 13, 2015, 11 a.m. : Woodland Drive, Clearlake (Count VIII); arson.
• Aug. 14, 2015, 8:18 p.m.: Sulphur Bank Road, south of North Drive, Clearlake (Count IX); arson.
• Aug. 25, 2015, 3:47 p.m.: East Lake Drive, Clearlake (Count X); arson.
• July 17, 2016, 5:08 p.m.: Crestview Drive and North Drive, Clearlake (Count XI); arson.
• July 21, 2016, 5:08 p.m.: 18000 block of Morgan Valley Road near Staehle Lane, Lower Lake (Count XII); arson.
• July 23, 2016, 7:03 p.m.: Western Mine Road, Middletown (Count XIII); arson.
• July 26, 2016, 6:48 p.m.: Sulphur Bank Road, north of North Drive, Clearlake (Count XIV); arson.
• July 27, 2016, 7:23 p.m.: Lakeshore Drive and San Joaquin Drive, Clearlake (Count XV); arson.
• July 29, 2016, 2:47 p.m.: Ogulin Canyon Road, east of Highway 53, Clearlake (Count XVI); arson.
• Aug. 7, 2016 (start time not listed): Highway 29 near mile post marker 16.29, Lower Lake (Count XVII); arson.
• Aug. 9, 2016, 5 p.m.: Seigler Canyon Road, Lower Lake (Count XVIII); arson.
• Aug. 9, 2016, 5:25 p.m.: Clayton Creek Road, Lower Lake (Count XIX); attempted arson.
• Aug. 13, 2016, 5:01 p.m.: Clayton fire, Clayton Creek Road, Lower Lake (Counts I, II and III); aggravated arson, arson.

Special allegations include causing multiple structures to burn in the Clayton fire, and setting the Clayton fire and another fire on Highway 29 near Lower Lake this past Aug. 7, because both of those fire were in an area Gov. Jerry Brown has declared to be in a state of emergency.

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 Fire Protection District Board is exploring different approaches to getting its budget on track, including tightening up on expenses, and considering property and equipment sales, while preparing for this spring’s parcel tax election.

The board held its regular meeting on Tuesday evening at the district’s downtown fire station.

In recent months, the board has welcomed two new members: Alan Flora, who is the assistant city manager and finance director for Clearlake, and Bill Gabe, a retired Lakeport Fire lieutenant and high school and college teacher. They join Chair John Whitehead and board members Randy Williams and Don Davidson, the latter who was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.

The district also has a new interim chief, Rick Bergem, who succeeded Chief Doug Hutchison.

Bergem brings to the table decades of experience with the district. He told Lake County News that he has committed to serving as chief for a year before retiring. Taking the job allowed him to rehire one of the three firefighters the district laid off last year.

He’s received high praise from the members of the district’s professional firefighters’ union.

At Tuesday’s meeting, firefighter/paramedic Spencer Johnson, speaking on behalf of the union, thanked Bergem for his work as incident commander on fires and for the open and transparent communication with district personnel.

“It’s been a tremendous breath of fresh air that we've desperately needed,” Johnson said.

In the midst of responding to fires, meeting with other agencies’ chiefs and looking at ways to improve ambulance services for Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Bergem is overseeing the completion of a Federal Emergency Management Agency SAFER grant due later this month that aims to restore firefighter positions. He’s also looking at what surplus equipment the district can sell.

On Tuesday, Bergem presented to the board a 2019-20 strategic plan, which he explained is an overview of what he believes are priorities for this year. It’s divided into a list of monthly goals.

Tasks he’s working on include selecting a new full-time administrative assistant to succeed longtime staffer Linda Buckner, who is preparing to retire; hiring a new part-time administrative assistant; finalizing the FEMA SAFER grant; and beginning Measure M fire tax campaign activities ahead of the May 7 election.

The plan includes the recruitment for a new fire chief. Advertising will begin in July, the job application deadline and interviews are in August, a final selection is anticipated in September and the new chief is expected to start in October or November, after fire season.

Flora thanked Bergem for creating the document, and Whitehead said it will be put on an upcoming agenda to discuss it further.

The board also discussed preparation for Measure M, with staff explaining that all of the necessary paperwork has been submitted to the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office.

With the county in the midst of an ongoing recruitment process for the registrar’s job, Flora expressed concern about the county being able to handle the election. Buckner said she’d had repeated conversations with various county employees to ensure that everything is in order.

Flora has developed a five-year expenditure plan based on projections for what Measure M will bring in, starting at just over $1.2 million in year one and graduating to $1.3 million in year five. It’s meant to offer accountability for spending to voters.

Stabilizing the budget in the near term

While the district board hopes to bring in new revenue through Measure M, if the measure passes it will be close to a year before any of that new money comes in.

In the meantime, the board has to meet the district’s immediate and ongoing fiscal challenges.

Flora said they have been looking at a budget plan for the upcoming 2019-20 fiscal year, but haven’t made a lot of progress yet and are instead focusing on the current fiscal year.

“That's what really concerns me the most right now,” said Flora.

“It's going to take a lot of work, I think, to balance our budget by the end of this fiscal year,” Flora said, adding, “It’s extremely tight right now.”

Flora suggested the board take several immediate actions to address the budget situation.

The first is to have a discussion of the 2018-19 budget on every agenda through the end of the fiscal year.

“So ordered,” Whitehead said.

Flora said the board also needed to provide direction to the chief to not make any expenditures that aren’t critical through the end of the fiscal year and look at existing reserve balances for when there are critical needs.

He said it will be extremely difficult for the district to balance its budget, even with a FEMA reimbursement of about $248,000 for the River fire. They put $114,000 into the equipment reserve but Flora suggested they may need to use that elsewhere.

Bergem is looking at selling unneeded surplus equipment and Flora said they will need all the money they can get. “We're all going to have to get creative, I think.”

As of Tuesday, Flora said the district had a deficit in excess of $300,000. While it likely won’t be that bad by the end of the year, “We shouldn't assume that everything's going to work out fine,” he said.

District considering sale of Finley fire station

One possible action the district may take – which was first brought forward at a previous meeting – is the potential sale of the Finley fire station, which some board members are hesitant to pursue.

It hasn’t been used for a fire station in about 20 years, and is now used by the Clearlake Gleaners for its food program.

By the time of Tuesday’s meeting, Bergem said he hadn’t had a chance to speak with the Gleaners to see if the group is interested in purchasing the building. He said he can get an estimate of the cost for an appraisal.

However, Bergem also said he’s considering the potential benefits of putting the station back in service. Keeping a piece of fire equipment there could reduce the Insurance Service Office rating which could, in turn, improve homeowners insurance rates for area residents. He said the district also has three volunteers who live in the area and they could help take care of the boundary drop with Kelseyville Fire.

While there are concerns that a large fire truck may not fit in the building, one of the smaller type 2 units could, Bergem said.

Whitehead said he had spoken to the Gleaners previously and they indicated their interest in purchasing the building. However, he added that he and Davidson are reluctant to sell it right away, at least not until they have a new station – which could be made possible through the district’s grant-writing efforts. Williams said they also could use it for storage.

Buckner said they receive rent of $360 a month for the building, with $3,684 budgeted for rent last year. She said the rent increases 10 percent per year.

“I think it's good that we look at all options,” said Flora, noting that it doesn’t make sense to make a kneejerk, short-term decision that prompts the need to make another decision later.

Whitehead suggested they keep the Finley station discussion on future district agendas.

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 Police Department will be hosting a citizen academy next month.

The academy will begin on Wednesday, April 3, and will be held Wednesday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. during the month of April.

There will be one longer day – approximately seven hours – at the end of the academy to accommodate for certain training scenarios and graduation.

The academy will be open to anyone over the age of 18 who can pass a brief background check, has no felony convictions and has an interest in learning more about law enforcement, specifically the Clearlake Police Department.

Attendees who complete the course will have the opportunity to join the Clearlake Police Volunteer Program, also known as the VIP Program.

Those who decide to accept the challenge of joining the VIP Program will receive additional training to meet the requirements for the program.

Academy attendees can expect to enjoy an inside look at the Clearlake Police Department. Attendees will learn of the various programs and divisions, receive interesting information about the law and how to apply that information to scenarios and have the opportunity to see some exciting demonstrations.

Attendees will participate in classroom training along with practical exercises, hands-on learning and demonstrations throughout the academy.

The city of Clearlake and the Clearlake Police Department have made many positive changes and is continuing to make many more.

This is an opportunity for community members to learn about some of the things that are going on within the city’s largest department and to be a part of those future changes.

Police department officials believe that in order to make Clearlake a cleaner, safer city, they must enhance public safety by providing professional, trustworthy service in partnership with our community.

Through the citizens Academy you will have the opportunity to be a partner.
If you are interested in attending the academy please complete an application and return it by March 25.

Approved applicants will be contacted via telephone and invited to attend the course as applications are processed.

Pick up an application at the police department located at 14050 Olympic Drive in Clearlake or print one from the city of Clearlake website at www.Clearlake.ca.us and follow the prompts to the police department and locate “Citizens Academy.”

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Dr. Giovanni Annous, superintendent at Upper Lake Unified School District, was among the nearly 40 superintendents and other administrators recognized for successfully completing the AASA National Superintendent Certification Program, administered by AASA, The School Superintendents Association.

The recognition ceremony was part of AASA’s National Conference on Education, Feb. 14 to 16, in Los Angeles.

"It is with great honor and pleasure I am able to use these professional development opportunities to help me better serve the students and community of Upper Lake,” Dr. Annous said.

He said the program is among the best professional development opportunities he’s ever had as an educator. It focuses on a number of key skills successful superintendents need to thrive.

Launched in 2013, the certification process is spread across 18 months and is tailored for superintendents who have been in the job seven years or fewer.

The forums, seminars and coaching provide opportunities to define and examine issues that surface in real-life situations.

These issues include providing world-class instructional leadership; building and managing a district budget; mastering effective communication and political skills; using 21st century technology effectively in instruction and management; managing superintendent/school board relations; and designing a career path for oneself.

The AASA National Superintendent Certification Program is a collaborative effort with AASA state affiliates, the National School Boards Association, and business and corporate leaders. The master teachers and guest instructors have all been sitting superintendents and have demonstrable track records of success.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – After an initial unsuccessful recruitment – and with less than two months before the county’s next election – the Board of Supervisors has directed county staff to reopen the application period for the registrar of voters job, which continues to be held on an interim basis by the county administrative officer.

The job posting returned to the county’s Human Resources Web page on Monday.

It will remain open until 5 p.m. Sunday, March 31.

The salary range is $5,597 to $7,327 on a monthly basis. According to the job announcement, it requires “five years of work experience performing a variety of election administrative and support functions; or five years of current high-level management experience in voter registration and election organization with responsibility for election planning, budget administration, and personnel management; or five years of full-time administrative or managerial experience in a position which requires the application of laws and processes.”

The job first opened last month, after the resignation of interim Registrar Maria Valadez, as Lake County News has reported.

Valadez was the county’s longtime deputy registrar who was appointed in early December to fill the job on an interim basis effective Dec. 29, the day after Registrar Diane Fridley retired. Together, the two women had close to 70 years of experience in the office, as Lake County News has reported.

After the county made no attempt to keep Valadez permanently, she left on Feb. 22 to take a position with the county of Mendocino, where she is now the assistant clerk-recorder/registrar of voters.

In October, County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson had attempted unsuccessfully to have the board change the registrar’s job requirements to require a bachelor’s degree without the ability to substitute in experience, which would have prevented Valadez from succeeding Fridley on her retirement, despite having close to three decades of experience in the registrar’s office.

Although the board didn’t pursue that proposal after Fridley pointed out her staff wouldn’t be eligible, the supervisors didn’t give the the job to Valadez on a permanent basis, wanting to hold off on a permanent appointment for six months. With a higher-paying, permanent job offer available in Ukiah, Valadez departed.

On Feb. 12, Huchingson asked the board to add a special closed session discussion about filling the registrar’s job after the announcement of Valadez’s intended departure. In that closed session, the board voted 3-1 to appoint Huchingson the interim registrar of voters, effective at the close of business on Feb. 22, Valadez’s last day on the job. The vote was 3-1, with Supervisor Rob Brown voting no and Supervisor EJ Crandell absent.

Supervisor Bruno Sabatier said the intention is not to have Huchingson fill the job long term, but to cover it until a new registrar is hired.

New recruitment to be longer

When the county first opened its recruitment for a new registrar in February, it advertised for a permanent, not interim, election official, after the board had been unwilling to offer Valadez the job on a permanent basis.

The job’s initial recruitment period open to the public was nine days, following a brief period during which it was open only to other county employees, according to the Human Resources Department.

From that first posting Huchingson said the county received 13 applications. Of those, only three individuals met the minimum requirements.

At the end of February, after that first recruitment window closed, Huchingson told Lake County News that there was to be no extension of time in the recruitment.

Of the three candidates who met the qualifications and were invited to interview, the Board of Supervisors interviewed two candidates during a closed session at its March 5 meeting, Sabatier confirmed.

Sabatier said the board chose not to hire either person they interviewed. “We just said no because we didn’t feel it was a good fit.”

The decision was then made to readvertise the job. “Our hope from the very beginning is to fill that position as soon as possible,” said Sabatier, adding, “We don’t want to linger.”

He didn’t recall the board at the March 5 meeting giving any specific direction on the length of the new open recruitment, which is 20 days, compared to the previous 9-day period of time it was open to the public, not just county employees.

“We want to solve this issue,” Sabatier said.

One of the factors limiting the number of applicants, Sabatier said, is the pay the county offers.

Sabatier said he doesn’t know if the Human Resources Department is reaching out to any professional associations to find a candidate, but added that Human Resources Director Pamela Nichols has been using different avenues to advertise the county’s jobs, which he said has helped them get more applicants.

Nichols joined the county in August, four months after the board approved Huchingson’s request, tucked into a March 20 consent agenda item, to consolidate the Human Resources Department into a division of her department, the County Administrative Office.

Sabatier couldn’t confirm recent reports that the county went to Valadez, now in her new job, to ask her to return and take the registrar’s job – promising her the same pay she is now getting – and that she refused.

The county of Mendocino assistant clerk-recorder/registrar pay range is $76,918.40 to $93,475.20 annually, compared to $67,164 to $81,636 for the Lake County registrar of voters job.

Retired registrar offers assistance; Lakeport Fire officials concerned

One of Huchingson’s deputy administrative officers, Matthew Rothstein, has been assigned to work with the elections office while the recruitment continues.

The departure of both Fridley and Valadez left behind an office with only two employees, both part-time and with not enough experience to apply for either the registrar’s job or the deputy registrar’s position – which still hasn’t appeared on the county job board.

Meanwhile, Fridley confirmed to Lake County News that she has returned to help as a volunteer in the Registrar of Voters Office and that she’s willing to assist in the upcoming election.

“I don’t want the office to fail,” she said.

Sabatier said Fridley also has been part of the process to hire a new registrar.

Fridley said she was in the office on Tuesday helping clarify some issues on the Lakeport Fire Protection District fire measure, which is set to go to voters in a mail ballot in early May.

That election coming up is a concern for the county and the district alike.

“It’s an important election,” Sabatier said.

At its meeting on Tuesday evening, the Lakeport Fire Protection District Board discussed the ballot measure, with staff reporting that they had been communicating with multiple county staffers and double- and triple-checking to make sure that the registrar’s office had the information needed ahead of the election.

“It’s just very concerning that they’re going to be able to handle this measure successfully,” said District Director Alan Flora, who also is the assistant city manager for the city of Clearlake.

Flora said the district will have to keep checking to make sure everything is in order. “Obviously, it’s a big problem if they can’t uphold their responsibility and make sure it gets administered correctly.”

Sabatier said the county has just upgraded its election equipment and software, which will be in place for the fire district election. He said the company is supposed to both train county staff and help them with the election in May.

So far, it’s not clear how quickly a new registrar can be in place. On the county’s current time line, it’s likely that, at the earliest, it could be mid April before a candidate has been screened, vetted, interviewed and accepted the offer, which would give them less than a month to get up to speed.

Fridley pointed to the challenges ahead. “It’s not just learning the election, it’s learning the new system also.”

However, she said she feels the registrar’s office is moving in the right direction. “They’re on their way.”

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.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch, along with Lake County District Attorney Susan Krones and the district attorneys for Humboldt and Napa counties, announced Tuesday that no criminal charges would be filed against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. related to the October 2017 Northern California wildfires.

After an extensive review, each district attorney’s office determined that insufficient evidence exists to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that PG&E acted with a reckless disregard for human life in causing the fires, the standard necessary to sustain criminal charges.

The district attorneys consulted with the California Attorney General’s Office during the review of the cases and prior to the decision not to file charges.

After thorough investigations, Cal Fire determined that PG&E’s equipment caused numerous wildfires in the four counties, and referred their reports to the district attorneys to review for possible filing of criminal charges.

In June, Cal Fire released findings that the Sulphur fire in Lake County was caused by PG&E equipment, as Lake County News has reported.

Of the fires that originated in Sonoma County, Cal Fire determined that PG&E’s equipment caused the Adobe, Norrbom, Pocket, and Pythian/Oakmont Fires, but did not cause the Nuns Fire and the Thirty Seven Fire (along with the Tubbs Fire which originated in Napa County).

The cases that were referred for prosecution all required proof that PG&E acted with criminal negligence in failing to remove dead and dying trees.

Under California law, criminal negligence requires proof of actions that are reckless and incompatible with a proper regard for human life, and any charges must be proven unanimously to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt.

The district attorneys said proving PG&E failed in their duty to remove trees was made particularly difficult in this context as the locations where the fires occurred, and where physical evidence could have been located, were decimated by the fires.

In response to the announcement, PG&E released a statement Tuesday in which it said, “The safety of our customers, employees, contractors and the communities we serve remains our highest priority. We continue to focus on helping our customers and communities in these counties continue to recover and rebuild.”

PG&E remains on federal criminal probation and is a defendant in many private civil cases arising out of the wildfires seeking, among other remedies, financial compensation. Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties are among the counties suing PG&E over the October 2017, with the city of Clearlake also having filed suit against the company.

The district attorney’s offices would thanked Cal Fire for its outstanding work in battling these fires and investigating their causes.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Town Hall will meet this week to discuss several projects and appoint a new board member.

MATH will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 14, at the Middletown Community Center, 21256 Washington St.

Meetings are open to the community, and offer the opportunity for additional public input on items not included on the agenda.

On the agenda are presentations on the Diamond D Ranch vineyard project, an update from the Lake County Community Development Department and the Highway 29 and Hartmann Road intersection project.

There also will be updates on Trailside Park, the initial study for Harbin Hot Springs and the appointment of the vacant MATH Board member.

The MATH Board includes Chair Sally Peterson, Vice Chair Claude Brown, Secretary Paul Baker, and at-large member Marlene Elder.

MATH – established by resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 12, 2006 – is a municipal advisory council serving the residents of Anderson Springs, Cobb, Coyote Valley (including Hidden Valley Lake), Long Valley and Middletown.

Meetings are subject to videotaping.

For more information email 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.