Cloverdale remains committed to increasing the City’s resiliency to cope with and respond to drought conditions. While our reservoirs are currently operating at near full capacity, we are continuing with implementation of a comprehensive water meter replacement program using innovative “WaterSmart Meter” technology as part of the City’s continuing efforts to conserve water, enhance customer service, replace aging infrastructure, and be more efficient. The project will replace and upgrade approximately 3,300 existing water meters throughout Cloverdale to an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system.

WaterSmart Meter Installation Information

Residents can expect to see contractors installing new Smart meters in Cloverdale starting in August. The City’s contractor will replace and upgrade every customer’s water meter, equipped with communication technology that will allow customers to monitor their water use. If a customer’s meter box is damaged or if it is undersized for the new meter and equipment, the meter box will either be repaired or replaced. It is anticipated that customers might typically experience approximately 30 minutes of water shutoff during installation unless there are further complications. A door hanger will be placed on customer’s front door that the water meter is replaced.
The City’s contractor will also be installing antennas on City poles that will allow the customers’ AMI meter to communicate with the City’s Customer Service WaterSmart Portal. The City’s Utility Billing Team will be receiving equipment and software upgrades that would allow it to detect leaks in the water system and securely share water use information with customers through a web portal.

When completed, customers will be able to see their own daily water usage and make informed decisions on how to manage their water. As the project reaches completion, the City will provide updates and share how customers can connect to the WaterSmart web portal to monitor their own water usage.

Sample Door hanger that will be placed after meter replacement

The Details

City staff does not actively monitor the amount, time or volume of any customer’s water use. If a customer requests assistance, City staff will review the hourly water use with the customer when requested. The hourly data is a tool customers can use to better understand how they use water throughout the day, help identify leaks and prevent unforeseen high water bills.

The water meter measures the amount of water used over a one hour period. It is impossible to know what the water is being used for or the exact time of the use.

05/22/1919 – 06/04/2023

Harold W. Peters, longtime Cloverdale resident, passed away June 4, 2023 at 104 years of age. He was born on May 22, 1919 in Cherokee, Iowa to Ray and Laura Peters. Preceded in death by his wife Genevieve, brother Don Peters and sister Dorthey Ray. The family moved to the Dry Creek area of Healdsburg in 1921 working on and later owning a farm. During World War II, Harold served with the 91st Infantry Division taking part in combat in North Africa and Italy ultimately being awarded the Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Badge. After the War, he returned home to marry his wartime sweetheart Genevieve (Thornton) with whom he spent 63 years until her passing in 2008.

After Harold’s brief time as a watch maker and jewelry store manager in Santa Cruz, CA, they settled on a ranch in
Cloverdale in 1955 growing prunes, grapes and pears. He and Jenny were avid fishermen who loved nothing better than being out on the water. Harold is survived by three children: David Peters (Margaret), Nancy Yoast (Howard) and Steve Peters (Linda), 5 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. His family is deeply grateful to his caregivers at Pittsburg Skilled Nursing Facility. Burial services at a Veterans Cemetery and a Celebration of Life to be held at a later date.

May 8, 1945 – June 9, 2023

Val Howland Hanchett was born May 8, 1945 and died on June 9, 2023. He was 78 years old.

He was born in Everett, Washington on VE (Victory in Europe) Day while his dad was still engaged in the conflict in the Pacific.

Growing up in a newspaper family, Val would find himself helping from the age of 10 when his family moved to Woodland, Washington. His parents, Ross and Bonny, had purchased the Lewis River News and that is where Val got his first taste of the “back shop,” and hot metal printing. He learned how to operate the large sheet fed press and by the time he was a teenager, he was setting type on the Mergenthaler Linotype. Val was among the last of the printers to know the craft well, perfecting his printing and graphic arts skills from the time of hot metal through the transition to cold type.

After owning and operating the paper in Woodland, the family, which now included two sisters and a baby brother, moved to Lower Lake, CA where Ross and Bonny had purchased the Clear Lake Observer. Val began 30 years of helping to develop one of the best weekly papers in Northern California. He toiled many hours alongside his Dad putting the paper out every week. After a transition to offset printing, the grind lifted but it was still difficult.

As he worked at the Observer, he attended Lower Lake High School where he graduated in 1963. Several of his friends entered the printing trade as well, learning their craft while working at the Observer. The Observer was truly a “family,” newspaper with two and sometimes three of Val’s sisters working there along with younger brother Jon who was a photographer and pressman.

Val married young to Sandy Jones. They had daughter Lisa in 1964. After divorcing Val continued working at the Observer and met his second wife Franki Lininger who worked with him there. They had two children: Ross and Janelle.

Val was a stickler about the look of the paper; he knew typefaces like the back of his hand and after transitioning to offset he was soon publishing newspapers with full color photo features on page one, a difficult accomplishment in those days. He was a talented and creative man.

The Observer was the first to print the popular skateboard magazine Thrasher. Val used his graphics expertise to produce fine images and establish the concept for the still existing magazine. Val and his partners established a wine country magazine called The Wine Country Review; he was also a founder and board member for the Clear Lake National Bank.

The Observer sold in 1987 and the Hanchett family eventually came into possession of the Cloverdale Reveille newspaper. By then Val had moved to Santa Rosa but was soon working as publisher at the Reveille alongside his then widowed mom and his younger sisters, once again. Soon his current wife, Neena Tripathi, was at his side and the couple worked to produce another fine weekly paper until its sale in 2013.

During his time growing up in Lake County the family owned a home on Clear Lake in the Jago Bay area. Val had fond memories of swimming and diving off the community pier there on his few days off in the summer. He remained very fond of Lake County and retained many friendships there.

Val was a bright and complicated man. He had challenges but overcame them. In his later life he was a mentor to fellow members of his AA Fellowship offering important support and advice. His sense of humor was legendary and he was never above self-deprecation. He was close to his sisters and forever grieved the loss of his younger brother Jon who died at the age of 46. His children remember him as a dad who loved them and did his best to be there for them.

Val leaves his loving wife, Neena of Cloverdale and three children, Lisa Davey-Bates and her husband, Perry Bates of Ukiah; Ross Hanchett and his wife, Sara Katey Hanchett, of Lincoln; and Janelle MacDonald and her husband Charles MacDonald in the Netherlands. He is survived by his sisters: Mary Stowell of San Diego; Roberta Lyons of Lower Lake; and Kathryn McKaig of San Jose. He will be missed by six grandchildren: Lauren Young and Lindsay King, John, Lucy and Oliver Hanchett, and Ava, Charles, Georgia, and Arlo MacDonald. He also leaves four great-grandchildren. His two nieces and a nephew will miss him as will his cousins in Washington and Idaho and his many good friends all over Northern California. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ross and Bonny Hanchett and his younger brother Jon.

The family is planning an open house in remembrance of Val’s life to be held in Cloverdale on August 20, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Fire Creek Lodge at Clover Springs, 210 Red Mountain Dr.  All of Val’s family and friends are welcome.

Cooking with David Maciel

Sponsored by Ray’s Food Place, Furber Plaza

With August comes fresh corn on the cob and I love the way this corn comes out. It’s a bit of work but you’ll be way happy with it. You might want to make more than one per person. The corn is a wonderful buttery garlicky juiciness of corn heaven.

• Ingredients
  4 fresh ears corn on the cob with husks attached
• 1 cube of unsalted butter
• 3 fresh chopped cloves of garlic or more if you like garlic
• 16 sheets of double thick aluminum foil, cut to wrap the corn

Pull the corn husks back to the end of the stock leaving them attached. Clean the silk off.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat & then add the garlic. Let simmer for a few minutes.

Cut a piece of aluminum foil long enough to cover the corn cob. Lay the corn cob over the foil and spoon on the garlic butter on one side. Wrap the corn cob tightly with the foil. Then pull the husks back over the foil wrapped corn cob and wrap the entire corn cob and husks in a large sheet of foil.

Place the corn indirectly on a hot BBQ and let cook for 30 to 40 minutes turning a few times. To serve, pull the outer layer of foil and husks back, then with a sharp knife cut the husks off. You can serve the corn this way and let your guests unwrap each cob.

Note, you can also do this is the oven at 350 degrees for the same cooking time as above.