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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez released the final, certified election results on Tuesday, the deadline for her office to complete the official canvass process.
Among the races awaiting the final count in order to be definitively called was the one for District 1 supervisor, which the final results showed was won by longtime Middletown resident and rancher Helen Owen.
Owen and John Hess, a retired congressional staffer and a Lake County Planning Commission member, had a tight race in the March primary, when Owen bested him by just 179 votes.
The race remained tight in November’s initial count. On election night, the preliminary numbers indicated that Owen led Hess by 118 votes.
The final results released Tuesday showed that, in the end, Owen pulled away from Hess in a clear victory, receiving 3,118 votes, or 57.63%, to Hess’ 2,292 votes, or 42.37%.
Owen led both in vote-by-mail ballots and in election day voting, based on the results.
One result that didn’t change much between the preliminary and final counts was Measure U, the question for the county’s voters on whether or not Kelseyville should have its name changed to “Konocti.”
The election night result put “no” votes at 5,429 or 71.99%, versus “yes” votes of 2,112, or 28.01%.
In the final count, the “no” votes totaled 17,934 votes, or 70.58%, compared to 7,474 “yes votes,” accounting for 29.42% of the vote.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to discuss those results at a meeting later this month.
City council races
In other election news, in the city council races, both saw mayors being voted out and, in the case of Clearlake, all of its incumbent council members losing their reelection bids to three challengers.
Those incumbents seeking reelection in Clearlake were Mayor David Claffey, completing his first term; Joyce Overton, who was seeking her sixth term; and Russell Perdock, who first won a council seat in 2014, resigned to apply for police chief in early 2018 only to run unsuccessfully later that year in a bid to return to the council, was appointed to a vacant seat in 2019 and won a write-in bid in 2020.
An eight-person field had developed for the three council seats over the summer, and in the end Mary Wilson, Tara Downey and Jessica Hooten won the available seats.
Wilson is an adult education specialist for Woodland Community College’s Lake County Campus, while Downey is a high school secretary in the Konocti Unified School District and Hooten is a real estate agent.
The race’s placements are as follows:
• Mary Wilson: 1,360 votes, 15.52%.
• Tara Downey: 1,262 votes, 14.40%.
• Jessica Hooten: 1,256 votes, 14.33%.
• James Rivera: 1,076 votes, 12.28%.
• David Claffey: 1,070 votes, 12.21%.
• Brett Freeman: 1,015 votes, 11.58%.
• Joyce Overton: 982 votes, 11.21%.
• Russell Perdock: 742 votes, 8.47%.
In the Lakeport City Council race, which similarly had a larger-than-ordinary field, incumbents seeking reelection included Kim Costa, an appointed incumbent seeking her first full term; Michael Froio, this year’s mayor who is completing his first term; and Kenny Parlet, a local businessman seeking his fourth term.
The challengers included Carl Porter, a retired teacher, and real estate agent Christina Price, with Andre Williams coming on late in the race as a write-in candidate.
In the end, voters did not return Froio, who finished just out of the running, but elected Costa and Price, and reelected Parlet.
The race standings are as following:
• Christina Price: 944 votes, 22.37%.
• Kenny Parlet: 896 votes, 21.24%.
• Kim Costa: 842 votes, 19.96%.
• Michael Froio: 769 votes, 18.23%.
• Carl Porter: 701 votes, 16.62%.
• Andre Williams (write-in): 67 votes, 1.59%.
Incumbent Brandon Disney ran unopposed for a two-year unexpired seat, receiving 1,803 votes.
School board races
Five school board races were on the November ballot.
In the race for the Yuba Community College District Governing Board Member Trustee Area 7 seat, incumbent Doug Harris topped challenger Jeffrey Dryden.
The seat covers Colusa, Glenn and Lake counties, and a portion of Sutter County. The two men had run against each other in November 2022 for the seat when it was a two-year unexpired term.
While Dryden led Harris by small margins in Colusa, Glenn and Sutter counties, in Lake County Harris more than made up the deficit.
In Lake County, Harris received 5,467 votes, or 56.20%, to Dryden’s 4,260 votes, accounting for 43.80% of the vote.
Altogether, in all four counties, Harris received 6,856 votes and Dryden received 5,772 votes.
In other school board races, retired Lucerne Elementary Principal/Superintendent Mike Brown was the top vote-getter by far in the race for the Kelseyville Unified School District Governing Board.
Three seats were up for election. Brown received 3,338 votes, or 35.80%, followed by another challenger, Sabrina Andrus, with 2,527 votes or 27.10%. Winning the third seat was incumbent Gilbert Rangel with 1,905 votes or 20.43%.
Another incumbent, Mary Beth Mosko, finished outside of the running with 1,555 votes, or 16.68%.
In the race for two seats on the Konocti Unified School District Board, Joan Shelley Mingori topped the three-woman field with 2,896 votes, or 35.41%. Mingori is a previous board member who narrowly lost reelection in 2022.
Winning the second seat is incumbent Zabdy Neria with 2,829 votes, or 34.59%. Challenger Tina Viramontes received 2,454 votes, or 30%.
The Lakeport Unified School Board had three seats on the ballot. Challenger Catherine “Cat” Dunne received the most votes, 2,727 or 34.29%, followed by another challenger, Scott Johnson, with 2,002 votes or 25.17%.
Incumbent Jennifer Richardson won the third and final seat with 1,738 votes, or 21.85%. The second incumbent seeking reelection, Dan Buffalo, finished outside of the running with 1,486 votes or 18.68%.
In the Middletown Unified School District Board race, Annette Lee, a former board member seeking to return to service, topped the field for two four-year seats with 2,149 votes or 39.45%, followed by incumbent Zoi Ann Bracisco with 2,085 votes, or 38.28%.
Challenger Frederic Lahey received 1,213 votes or 22.27%, finishing out of the running.
In the race for a two-year unexpired term on Middletown Unified’s Board, Patricia Pachie received 2,278 votes or 56.08%, defeating Nathan Willis, with 1,784 votes or 43.92%.
School bonds
Two school bond measures also were on the Nov. 5 ballot, both of which required at least a 55% majority to pass.
The Konocti Unified School District put Measure S before voters, seeking $50 million in bonds for school facilities projects.
The final count showed that Measure S passed after receiving 4,191 “yes” votes, or 60.03%, to 2,791 “no” votes, or 39.97%.
At the same time, Kelseyville Unified School District asked voters to approve Measure R, a $36 million bond measure to make upgrades to school facilities.
Measure R fell just short of the required 55%, receiving 2,927 “yes” votes, or 52.51%, to 2,647 “no” votes, or 47.49%.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
On Tuesday, the Lakeport City Council held its second and final reading of a tobacco retailer licensing ordinance, approving it 4-1, with Councilman Kenny Parlet being the loud and only dissenting vote.
Later that night following the Lakeport City Council’s vote, Lake County Health Services released a statement in which it announced “the culmination of years of dedicated collaboration and community engagement in achieving a Tobacco Retail Licensing ordinance, alongside critical Smoke-Free Outdoor Policies. These initiatives underscore Lake County’s commitment to protecting public health and reducing tobacco-related harm, particularly among youth.”
Lake County Health Services said the groundwork for these policies was laid beginning in 2017 with the city of Clearlake.
In an effort to work towards a tobacco retail license, the Clearlake City Council passed a moratorium preventing new tobacco retailers in 2018. This action set the stage for the development of a comprehensive tobacco retail license and smoke-free outdoor policies. By 2019, the city of Clearlake had extended the moratorium twice and adopted a smoke-free outdoor policy.
Concurrently, Lake County Health Services engaged with the Board of Supervisors to present the framework for tobacco retail licensing and smoke-free policies, including discussions on fee structures, enforcement and penalties. However, those efforts were temporarily paused due to the pandemic disruptions in 2020.
In 2022, the Board of Supervisors directed Lake County Health Services to revisit these policies.
In February 2023, a collaborative presentation detailed the public health benefits of tobacco retail licensing and smoke-free outdoor policies. Representatives from NorCal 4 Health, Tobacco Free North Coast, the Health & Social Policy Institute Communities Against Nicotine, Blue Zones Lake County and the Lake County Office of Education’s TUPE program joined the presentation, emphasizing the shared mission to curb youth tobacco use and improve health outcomes.
Countywide, achievements on this effort to date include the following developments this year.
Aug. 13: The Board of Supervisors passed the tobacco retail licensing ordinance with rigorous enforcement measures, setting a Jan. 1, 2025, implementation date.
Sept. 10: Adoption of a smoke-free outdoor air policy covering county-owned and leased properties, as well as multi-unit housing common areas.
Nov. 21: The Clearlake City Council passed the tobacco retail license ordinance, mirroring the efforts of the county of Lake.
Dec. 3: The Lakeport City Council joined efforts to provide a seamless plan across the county for the implementation and enforcement of the local tobacco retail license ordinance.
“It’s inspiring to see our community rally together to protect future generations from the dangers of tobacco addiction,” said Liberty Francis, project director of the Tobacco Education and Prevention program. “This united front demonstrates the power of collaboration.”
Francis was on hand at the council meeting Tuesday night and offered answers and clarifications on some of the issues raised during the meeting.
Health Services said the tobacco retail license ordinance and smoke-free policies represent “more than legislative victories; they are steps toward a healthier future for all Lake County residents. These efforts have already inspired ongoing partnerships with the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport, where TRL [tobacco retail license] ordinances have been adopted to mirror compliance and enforcement efforts.”
Lake County Health Services thanked the Lake County Board of Supervisors, local government leaders, public health organizations, and community members for their unwavering support.
“Together, they’ve achieved monumental progress in the fight against tobacco-related harm,” the agency said.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The comment period runs from Dec. 3 to Dec. 30 at 5 p.m.
This is an important opportunity for residents, business owners, community organizations and other stakeholders to help shape how Lake County prepares for, responds to and recovers from emergencies and disasters.
The EOP serves as the central framework for coordinating emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts across the Lake Operational Area.
It outlines critical roles, responsibilities, and procedures to manage emergencies effectively and ensure public safety.
The plan facilitates multi-jurisdictional coordination and includes processes for activating the emergency operations center, or EOC, during emergencies.
While the EOP sets the overall structure and operational framework, its Annexes provide detailed, function-specific, and hazard-specific guidance.
This review period focuses on the base plan, with current annexes under review and new ones in development.
To review the EOP and complete a brief survey designed to make feedback submission easy, please visit https://www.lakesheriff.com/about/oes/plans.
Officials said public input is invaluable in ensuring the EOP reflects the needs and priorities of our community.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
Thompson’s office said the comprehensive legislation will enhance the preservation of America's natural resources, wildlife and habitats.
Thompson served as an original co-sponsor for this legislation in the House of Representatives.
“Reauthorizing our most critical wildlife conservation programs just makes sense,” said Thompson. “I was proud to vote today to reauthorize ACE and ensure the longevity of our North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Program. NAWCA has already helped conserve over 32 million acres of wetlands across our country and I look forward to seeing its continued positive impact in the years to come.”
A longtime advocate for wildlife and land conservation, Rep. Thompson serves as a member of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, Land Conservation Caucus, and Wildlife Refuge Caucus.
To date, he's voted to conserve 2.8 million acres of land through the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission and sponsored legislation that led to the permanent protection of nearly 1 million acres.
The ACE Act includes the following legislation, among other bills.
North American Wetlands Conservation Act:
• Protects waterfowl, fish, wildlife resources, and wetland habitats.
• Supports local economies that depend on outdoor recreation, tourism, and agriculture.
• Preserves American traditions such as hunting, fishing, bird watching, family farming, and cattle ranching.
National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnerships Act:
• Strengthens partnerships and projects to help maintain healthy fish populations and aquatic ecosystems.
• While making major investments in conservation of natural resources, the bill also includes important measures to enhance accountability and reporting to ensure the effectiveness and transparency of funded projects.
Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
