LOWER LAKE, Calif. – A celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum was held on Saturday in Lower Lake.

The event included live music in the museum's vintage parlor, a slide show, games, refreshments and recognition of those responsible for preserving the landmark.

“It's so nice to see so many people here and enjoying this building,” said Jane Weaver.

Weaver and her late husband, John, were instrumental in the formation of the Lower Lake School Preservation Committee, which worked to save the building from demolition.

Weaver Auditorium, located on the museum's second floor, commemorates their efforts.

Retired Lake County Administrator Kelly Cox, who became involved when the committee formed in 1986, said a person can't come into the museum without mentioning the Weavers.

“They are a part of this building,” he said.

Cox commended everybody involved in the museum project, from the people who launched its preservation effort to those responsible for its continued care and operation.

“It's hard to believe it's been 20 years. We were in here trying to save it and it doesn't look anything like it did (then) now,” he said. “It's everything we dreamed of and more.”

He added, “All the people involved have been the right people. They care about the building and Lake County. It's more than just a building.”

The schoolhouse was built in 1877 and was used as a school until 1935. The auditorium upstairs served as a community center and events such as meetings, funerals, plays, traveling shows and graduations were held there. With the advent of motion pictures, silent films were shown in the auditorium.

The Masonic Lodge bought and remodeled the building in 1935. Sometime during the 1960s, the Masons traded the schoolhouse for a parcel of county property.

The building was then leased to the Grange, during which time little maintenance was done. The upper story of the building became nesting grounds for pigeons and bats.

In 1986 efforts to preserve the building were launched. Formal dedication of the building was held on Oct. 21, 1993, just a year after starting renovations on the interior.

Restoration improvements since 1993 include the addition of a two-story side building for storage use on the first floor, restroom accommodations on the second floor and an elevator.

In 2007, restoration of the bell tower, which was damaged in the 1906 earthquake, was completed, and landscaping improvements were made.

The museum hosts a collection of pioneer, early settler and American Indian artifacts, a restored schoolroom and a Victorian parlor with working player piano.

For more information, call the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum at 707-995-3565.

Email Denise Rockenstein at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A north Lakeport subdivision where several homes were damaged by a landslide earlier this year has witnessed more destruction this week, as one of the homes collapsed on Monday.

The Lakeside Heights home of Jagtar Singh had been halfway suspended on a hillside after part of its floor had fallen away earlier this year.

However, this week the back half of the house split off and slid down the hill.

The Singh home was among several damaged by the landslide, which began to crack and split through the hilltop subdivision in March.

Most of the damaged homes, including Singh's, were located along Lancaster Road.

The causes of the slide are still under dispute, but in some part appear related to saturation of the hillside by a water source.

The subdivision's property owners, who are preparing to file a lawsuit against the county, believe it's a county water system that is the source of the water that saturated the hillside. County officials maintain that leak tests don't support that conclusion.

Earlier this month, two of the damaged homes were demolished by Coleman Construction, which the county hired to carry out the abatements as part of an effort to winterize and stabilize the hillside.

As part of the contract with the county, Coleman Construction covered the slide area with tarps.

County officials are concerned about keeping the land dry in order to prevent the ground – which in recent months has stopped moving – from again become saturated and beginning to move.

Randall Fitzgerald, president of the subdivision's homeowners association, told Lake County News that the association, at its own expense, also had winterization work completed at the site to complement the county grading and tarping.

The additional work done included the building of a storm drain bypass and tarping all of the Lancaster Road area, Fitzgerald said.

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.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Veterans Day – Monday, Nov. 11 – the flags of fallen veterans will fly in display at cemeteries throughout Lake County.

The Lake County Veterans Memorial-Avenue of Flags Association, with the help of local volunteers, will install the flagpoles and mount the large flags along the avenues of county cemeteries.

These flags once draped the casket of a fallen veteran. Upon the completion of the internment ceremony, the family is presented the flag. The family has the option of donating the use of the veterans’ burial flag to the Lake County Veterans Memorial-Avenue of Flags Association.

On Memorial Day and Veterans Day the flags are flown to commemorate the memory of veterans who defended our country.

Avenue of Flags will be presented at the following cemeteries: Hartley Cemetery in Lakeport, Upper Lake Cemetery, Kelseyville Cemetery and Lower Lake Cemetery.

Installation of flagpoles and flags will begin at 7 a.m., weather permitting. Takedown of flags and flagpoles will occur at 4 p.m.

Volunteers would be appreciated at all locations. Further information is available from the following representatives: Upper Lake, Byron Green at 707-275-9515; Lower Lake, Dave Schober at 707-533-5843; Kelseyville, Paul Harris at 707-279-1115; and Hartley Cemetery in Lakeport, Dean Gotham at 707-350-1159.

Express your respect for fallen veterans and experience the pride of the magnificent display of our veterans’ flags. And never forget.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said that the man whose body was found along with that of a woman in a minivan in Fort Bragg earlier this month has been identified.

Jim Tat Kong, 51, of San Pablo was found in the front passenger seat of a minivan parked in the 31000 Block of Highway 20 on the afternoon of Oct. 17, according to a report from Lt. Greg Van Patten.

Authorities previously had identified the woman found in the vehicle's driver's seat as 38-year-old Cindy Bao Feng Chen of San Francisco, as Lake County News has reported.

Van Patten said forensic autopsies were performed on Kong and Chen on Oct. 18 in connection with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office's active homicide investigation into the death of the pair.

The preliminary results of the autopsies showed both died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the head, Van Patten said.

He added that toxicology and blood alcohol analysis remains pending.

The case is still being actively investigated by sheriff's detectives and anyone with information pertaining to the investigation is asked to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office "tip line" at 707-234-2100.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Local authorities on Monday arrested two Santa Rosa residents, and seized 112 pounds of processed marijuana and a firearm following a vehicle stop near Hidden Valley Lake.

Horacio Sierra Campos and Sandra Rivera-Sierra, both age 25, were arrested, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

At 4:30 p.m. Monday a patrol deputy was stopped near the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 175 in Middletown when he noticed a black Honda Ridgeline pickup travel past him, driving northbound on Highway 29, Brooks said.

The deputy observed several vehicle code violations and conducted an enforcement stop on Highway 29 near Putah Lane in Hidden Valley Lake, according to Brooks.

As the deputy approached the vehicle, he could smell the strong odor of marijuana emanating from it. Brooks said the deputy first contacted the vehicle's passenger, who was identified as Campos. When Campos rolled down his window to talk to the deputy, the odor of marijuana became much stronger. The deputy also contacted the driver of the vehicle, Rivera-Sierra.

As additional sheriff’s personnel arrived to assist, both Campos and Rivera-Sierra were asked to exit the vehicle, Brooks said.

He said a sheriff’s narcotics detection K9 unit arrived on scene. The deputy deployed his K9 partner to conduct an exterior sniff of the vehicle. As the dog approached the front passenger door of the vehicle, she produced a positive alert, indicating there was the odor of a controlled substance present.

Deputies conducted a search of the vehicle and located a .380-caliber pistol on the floor board, underneath the floor mat where Campos was sitting, Brooks said. Next to the firearm were a magazine and six live .380-caliber cartridges.

During the search deputies also located 113 individual bags of processed marijuana. The bags of processed marijuana weighed a total of 112.8 pounds, Brooks said.

Brooks said Campos was arrested for the possession of marijuana for sales, sales of marijuana, armed while committing a drug offense and possession of a concealed firearm within a vehicle. Jail records also indicated he was being held without bail on an immigration hold.

Rivera-Sierra was arrested for possession of marijuana for sales and the sale of marijuana, with bail set at $20,000, according to jail records.

They were both transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked, Brooks said.

The two Santa Rosans are the latest suspects to be arrested on drug-related charges following a vehicle stop.

In recent weeks, sheriff's deputies pulling over vehicles for vehicle code violations have discovered large amounts of marijuana and methamphetamine.

Last week, a deputy arrested a Sonoma man found with a pound of methamphetamine, the largest bust of that drug this year, sheriff's officials reported.

On Sunday, a Reedley man who had been stopped in a U-Haul van near Clearlake Oaks was arrested after deputies found 256 pounds of processed marijuana in the vehicle, authorities said.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Latino youth from around Lake County converged in Clearlake this weekend to learn more about opportunities to achieve a college education.

The Yuba College Clear Lake Campus hosted the “Si Se Puede” college conference this past Saturday, Oct. 26.

The conference was for local Latino youth in grades eighth through 12th and their families.

The morning started with breakfast prepared by Yuba’s culinary arts students.

Executive Dean Artemio Pimentel welcomed the families and acknowledged them for making a commitment to education on a Saturday.

Lake County Superintendent of Schools Wally Holbrook introduced keynote speaker Dr. Francisco Reveles.

“Francisco Reveles is a teacher. Not just a teacher of Math, English and lifelong learning. He is a teacher of the soul and spirit. He teaches all of us to open to the joy of learning,” said Holbrook.

Reveles, an internationally acclaimed speaker, moved many in the audience to tears. He had the youth and the parents interacting and participating. Many were visibly impacted as he spoke from the heart about the importance of family and community.

Parents and students also toured the campus. While touring the facilities all majors and programs were explained.

The tour focused on career technical, associate degrees and transfer education.

Professor Caryn Blyth presented an English lesson featuring a Latino poet. Students participated in the lesson experiencing firsthand what a college classroom feels like.

Culinary students provided a behind the scenes tour of the culinary operations. Professor Hubbard exposed the students to welding technologies and careers in welding.

Students and parents received information on financial aid, the Dream Act and scholarships.

Yuba College Board member Doc Saverse reported that one parent told him that learning that there is help and money available was the most valuable portion of the day for her. She said that everyone helped her to realize that higher education is actually possible.

Four Latino Yuba students – Alberto Macias, Pedro Miguel, Elizabeth Alvarez and Zabdy Neria – sat on a panel and told the group about their own experiences in education, their dreams and visions.

The room was silent as each of the young panelists shared their personal stories of how education has changed their lives.

The day ended with lunch, again provided by the culinary program, and access to community resources.

About a dozen community agencies presented information and resources to the families. Three institutions came from out of the area – Sonoma State University, the University of California at Davis and the Mexican Consulate from San Francisco.

The well rounded day gave youth and families inspiration and confidence to pursue a higher education.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The inaugural “Trunk or Treat” at the Clearlake Youth Center will take place on Halloween night.

The event takes place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Clearlake Youth Center, 4750 Golf Ave.

Come prepared to have fun with Halloween games, a haunted house, music and food, and various decorated trunks to visit and collect treats.

The event has been organized by a diverse community group and is sponsored by Lake County Youth Services.

There will be pumpkin races, bowling, basketball, angry ghost, bean bag toss, bobbing for apples, a bouncy house and many more games to play for free.

Featured will be a haunted house for everyone to satisfy their Halloween needs, absolutely free.

In addition, there will be music throughout the event with DJ Nemesis turning the youth center into a Halloween rave dance from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., free of charge.

The event will provide attendees with free hot dogs, chips and water.

Last, but not least, don't forget to walk through the vehicles parked, decorated and ready to hand out treats to all the trick-or-treaters.

To top it all off, Clearlake's Trunk or Treat will have a raffle every 15 minutes until 8 p.m. with a grand raffle prize as well.

Make sure to visit the information booth when you walk in and receive a Halloween bag with a free raffle ticket and obtain more for participating in other activities.

There also will be costume contests from from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for different age groups as well as best trunk and best booth contests.

For more information contact Bruno Sabatier via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , by phone at 707-695-0834 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TrunkOrTreatClearlake .

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The team of PGA Director of Golf Mark Wotherspoon and Club Official Reggie Osburn of Buckingham Golf & County Country Club of Kelseyville claimed title to the 2013 Northern California PGA Pro-President Championship with a score of 8-under par 60.

PGA Head Golf Professional Doug Hanson and President Mark Heald of Turlock Golf & Country Club were the runner-up team at a stroke behind.

The event pairs a PGA Professional with a golf club official.

The Monday event was held at the Claremont Country Club (Par 68) in Oakland, with 35 teams vying for the title. The event is presented by Club Car Inc and supported by Antigua.

Results are listed as pro’s name, residence, facility, official’s name, score:

1. Mark Wotherspoon, Kelseyville, CA, Buckingham GCC, Reggie Osburn, *28-32-60 -8
2. Doug Hanson, Denair, CA, Turlock GCC, Mark Heald, *32-29-61 -7
3. Rich Straass, Oakland, CA, Claremont, Chris Woodward, *33-30-63 -5
3. Alex Wright, Roseville, CA, Dominic Acia, *31-32-63 -5
5. Rodney Wilson, Burlingame, CA, Eagle Ridge, Steve Self, *33-31-64 -4
5. Bradley Cady, Sacramento, CA, Granite Bay GC, Craig Johns, *31-33-64 -4
7. Brandon Huneke, Oakland, CA, Sequoyah, Bruce Maximov, *31-34-65 -3
7. Demian Reddy, Healdsburg, CA, Windsor, Ken Rhodes, *31-34-65 -3
7. Michael Robason, Alameda, CA, Metropolitan Golf Links, Chris Hansell, *34-31-65 -3
10. John Creaney, Kingsburg, CA, Kings River G&CC, Mike Visser, *32-34-66 -2
10. Jason Boldt, Yountville, CA, Vintner's, Mike Muters, *32-34-66 -2
10. Cole Gibson, Roseville, CA, Rocklin GC, Ron Rodriguez, *35-31-66 -2
10. Shea Rollins, Modesto, CA, Spring Creek GCC, David Erb, *32-34-66 -2
14. John Vest, Oakland, CA, Alameda GC at Chuck Coric, Ed Downing, *33-34-67 -1
14. Kelly Runkle, Roseville, CA, David Lanza, *34-33-67 -1
14. Charlie Gibson, Roseville, CA, Morgan Creek G & CC, Joe Syufy, *34-33-67 -1
14. Tim Loustalot, Santa Cruz, CA, De Laveaga, Ken Silva, *33-34-67 -1

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) and the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) announced their joint support for the enactment of legislation to better manage California’s national forests.

“The growing bipartisan recognition that Congress must address proper management of our nation’s forests illustrates the need to enact healthy forest legislation in 2014,” said Kevin Cann, RCRC chair and Mariposa County supervisor. “The recent wildfires on U.S. Forest Service lands clearly demonstrate the results if Congress fails to act.”

Two weeks ago, RCRC and CSAC authored a joint letter to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources urging the creation of bipartisan legislation related to forest management reform.

Earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 1526 to provide a mechanism for better management of federal forests; however, most congressional observers believe that legislation will not be considered in the U.S. Senate.

“The health of our forests, the safety of our rural communities, and California’s natural resources are threatened by the current condition of our national forests,” said David Finigan, CSAC president and Del Norte County supervisor. “It is crucial that all of California’s forested counties experience a reform in the management of the forests to minimize fire threats, ensure a proper balance of animal life and vegetation, protect recreational opportunities, and help rural communities return to economic vitality.”

RCRC and CSAC argue that while components of the House of Representatives-approved legislation may not be acceptable to the majority of the Senate, reforms can be adopted to address active management, streamline environmental laws, and revise the U.S. Forest Service’s day-to-day approach to managing our forests.

The RCRC/CSAC joint letter to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources can be accessed here.

The Rural County Representatives of California is a 33 member county strong service organization that champions policies on behalf of California’s rural counties. Visit www.rcrcnet.org and follow @RuralCounties on Twitter.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – On Monday a Kelseyville man convicted last month of having had sex with a young teenage girl was sentenced to eight years in state prison.

Brian Barrett Stasko, 22, who was convicted of two counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child and two counts of statutory rape, was sentenced to the prison term by Judge Andrew Blum.

“An appeal will be taken from the judgment and sentence,” Stasko’s defense attorney, Barry Melton, told Lake County News.

Stasko was convicted of having sex with a 13-year-old girl who had fallen asleep at his home after drinking alcohol last fall, as Lake County News has reported.

Last month, the jury – which deliberated for a day and a half – came back with the guilty verdicts on the four charges, and acquitted Stasko of three counts of aggravated sexual assault on a child, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Ed Borg.

Borg said Stasko must serve his time in state prison because of the nature of the charges.

Stasko, who has remained in jail since his April arrest, has 234 days credit for time served. He has to serve 85 percent of the eight years because lewd and lascivious acts on a child is a violent felony, according to Borg.

Once Stasko is released from prison, he must register as a sex offender, Borg said.

Borg credited investigating officer Todd Dunia of the Lake County Sheriff's for doing a “great job on a difficult case.”

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 Fresno County man driving a U-Haul van was arrested Sunday night after Lake County Sheriff's deputies found 256 pounds of processed marijuana in the vehicle.

Jorge Jerson Tellez, 21, of Reedley was arrested for the possession of marijuana for sales and the transportation of marijuana, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.

At 10:15 p.m. Sunday a sheriff's patrol deputy was traveling eastbound on Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks when he observed a U-Haul box van – which also was traveling eastbound – cross over both of the double yellow lines. Brooks said the deputy conducted an enforcement stop in the area of Highway 20 and Keys Boulevard.

The deputy contacted the driver, identified as Tellez, and as they were speaking the deputy could smell the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, according to Brooks. The deputy asked why it smelled like marijuana in the vehicle and Tellez showed the deputy a partially smoked marijuana cigarette.

Brooks said the deputy asked what was in the back of the U-Haul and Tellez said boxes. When asked what was inside the boxes, Tellez told the deputy, “Bud.”

Deputies conducted a search of the cargo area and located nine large plastic containers and several large black garbage bags, all containing processed marijuana, Brooks said.

He said the deputies also located a duffel bag which contained 11 vacuum sealed bags of marijuana. Each vacuum sealed bag contained approximately 2 pounds of processed marijuana.

In addition, the deputies located a suitcase which contained nine plastic bags, each containing approximately 1 pound of processed marijuana, Brooks said.

The marijuana from the U-Haul was seized and later weighed. The packaged, processed marijuana had a total gross weight of 44.2 pounds. The loose processed marijuana in the plastic containers had a gross bulk weight of 212.5 pounds for a total combined weight of 256.7 pounds, according to Brooks.

Tellez was arrested and transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, where he was booked. Brooks said Tellez remained in custody Monday evening, with his bail set at $20,000.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County American Legion Post 194 recently sent a record number of outstanding local students to participate in the annual Boys and Girls State program.

The post honored five Kelseyville High school students, one student from Clear Lake High School in Lakeport and one student from Upper Lake High School, all of whom completed a weeklong trip to the State Capitol in June to represent the post at the 2013 American Legion Boys and Girls State program.

A dinner was held in their honor and each was presented an award for their participation.

The students selected are Kristina Bour, Justin Johnson, Max Lehman, Kyle Schmidt and Aaron Fultz from Kelseyville High School, Ian Seevers from Upper Lake High School and Brian Gatton from Clear Lake High School.

The schools recommend their most qualified students to the local American Legion, which in turn conducts interviews and selects its representatives for the program.

Only those who illustrate leadership, character, scholarship, loyalty and service in their schools and community are considered.

Lake County American Legion officials said the organization was excited to send a record number of students this year from Lake County because the American Legion Boys State is among the most respected and selective educational programs of government instruction for U.S. high school students.

A participatory program in which students become part of the operation of local, county and state government, Boys State was founded in 1935 to counter the socialism-inspired Young Pioneer Camps.

The program was the idea of two Illinois Legionnaires, Hayes Kennedy and Harold Card, who organized the first Boys State at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.

American Legion Auxiliary sponsors a separate but similar program for young women called Girls State.

At Boys State, participants learn the rights, privileges and responsibilities of franchised citizens. The training is objective and centers on the structure of city, county and state governments.

Operated by students elected to various offices, Boys State activities include legislative sessions, court proceedings, law-enforcement presentations, assemblies, bands, choruses and recreational programs.

Legion posts select high school juniors to attend the program. In most cases, individual expenses are paid by a sponsoring post, a local business or another community-based organization.