A lookout tower in Lake County destroyed by wildfire in 2018 will soon stand watch again. The High Glade Lookout near the southern Border of the Mendocino National Forest was once staffed seasonally to detect fires during the summer and fall. Now contractors are at work rebuilding it and once it is done, staff will be there again. Upper Lake District Ranger Frank Aebly calls the tower a critical piece of infrastructure for detection, education, and communication, with a 360-degree view of the surrounding forest and communities around Clear Lake. The lookout was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps at the same time as other lookouts. The replacement lookout tower will be similar in shape and size to the previous structure, a 10 ft. x 10 ft. square cabin sitting atop a 35 ft. steel tower. It will reopen in about a year.
A new working group in LAkeport will look at city-owned properties and recommend how to maximize their value to the city. The city says it has been getting a lot of inquiries about government-owned buildings and potential enhancements. The working group will review both current and proposed leases of the properties. Lake County News reports the idea of a group review came when city manager Kevin Ingram was reviewing agreements and found some he felt could be studied more closely.
Students in California elementary school will soon learn more about lessons on the mistreatment of Native Californians during the Spanish colonial and Gold Rush eras in California history. Starting January 1, schools will be required to include those lessons in social studies and related classes. tribal leaders call the requirement a good first step, but they’d like to see more education about Native American history and culture–not just tragedy–included in the state’s classrooms.
