LAKEPORT >> Applause filled the chambers of the Lake County Board of Supervisors Tuesday after the renaming of Douglas Road in Kelseyville to Forrest Road, in honor of Forrest Seagrave, was approved.
The board approved the name change with a 3-0 vote after holding a public hearing, with District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock and District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown absent.
Mary Behrens, Seagrave’s mother, requested the name change and his brother, Nick Wainwright, gathered more than 2,000 signatures in support of the name change.
“Every property owner has signed the petition to approve the road name,” Lake County Surveyor Gordon Haggitt said. All of the owners of property signed the request early in the process.
“In all of my years of service, I haven’t quite seen this many signatures on supporting a road change,” District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington said. “That’s pretty extraordinary.”
On Jan. 18, 2013, Seagrave was shot during a robbery at the Mt. Konocti 76 Station Store 24, which is located on the corner of Main Street and Douglas Road. He was 33 at the time.
“People, from both in and out of the area, had a good impression of the place because of meeting and spending time with Forrest,” Behrens stated in her request. “He did not contribute a building or a park or anything like that, but Forrest did contribute to a positive ambience for Kelseyville.”
Seagrave’s accused killer, Jonathon Antonio Mota, faces six felony charges that include the murder of Seagrave with a firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, robbery affecting interstate commerce, firearm and ammunition forfeiture. He awaits trial in federal custody.
Supporters of the change made it clear that while Seagrave did not hold a high position, he was a visible and respected member of the community.
“He was a prototype, perhaps, of the type of person we want in Kelseyville and an image of what we would like Kelseyville to be,” Behrens pointed out.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
