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UPPER LAKE, Calif. – It is not too late to purchase tickets for the Lake County Land Trust’s annual fundraising dinner, which will be held on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Lodge at Blue Lakes, 5135 W. Highway 20.
The event begins at 4 p.m. with a social hour featuring delicious Lake County wines and appetizers.
During the social hour guests will be able to peruse and bid on silent auction items and enjoy the music trio of “Tom, Rick and Harry.”
Tickets may be purchased on line at www.lakecountylandtrust.org by clicking on the donate button, and choosing the annual dinner. Please indicate your choice of chicken or vegetarian in the notes section.
Tickets also may be purchased by calling the Lake County Land Trust at 707-262-0707 to reserve your seat and give your credit card number. Tickets are $75 per person and include dinner, wine, appetizers and dessert.
Guest speaker will be California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross and Congressman Mike Thompson will also be welcomed.
The Lake County Land Trust’s “Supporter of the Year,” will be honored and a brief overview of the Land Trust’s recent accomplishments will be given, including the recent grant approval for purchase of an important wetland parcel in the Big Valley area near Kelseyville.
Those who wish to enjoy a leisurely weekend are encouraged to stay at The Lodge at Blue Lakes. To reserve your room, call the Lodge at 707-275-2181 and mention that you are attending the Land Trust Annual Dinner.
Owners of the Lodge, Peter and Maryann Schmid, are offering a special rate and will donate 10 percent of the revenue from overnight bookings to the Lake County Land Trust. Be sure to mention you are attending the Land Trust dinner.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two North Coast credit unions – Mendo Lake Credit Union and Community First – have agreed to a merger, which officials said Tuesday will create a stronger institution and expand offerings.
At the same time, all branches, ATMs and employees will stay, according to Mendo Lake Credit Union Chief Executive Officer Richard Cooper.
“It's a big day with big news,” Cooper told Lake County News during a Tuesday interview.
Mendo Lake, founded in 1959, is headquartered in Ukiah. Over the last several years, under Cooper's leadership, it has built a stronger Lake County presence with an expanding menu of offerings to members, and more outreach and advertising in local media, including Lake County News.
Community First, founded in 1961, is headquartered in Santa Rosa, and serves Marin, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties.
“It's a perfect match for the two credit unions,” said Cooper.
“By combining, we make the financial cooperative the perfect size. We’ll be big enough to take advantage of the latest electronic conveniences for members, but small enough to maintain the personal service our members appreciate,” Community First CEO Todd Sheffield said.
Both credit unions were begun by local teachers and later converted to community charters to accommodate all local residents, the institutions reported.
Together, the combined not-for-profit financial cooperative will have assets of $423 million and nearly 48,000 members, and 10 branches across its coverage area, according to the Tuesday announcement.
One of the main changes will be the name. Cooper said the combined credit union will be known as Community First, which he said will have a broader appeal in the diverse areas it serves.
“At Mendo Lake we've put the community first for years, and now it gets to be our name. How cool is that?” Cooper said.
He said the merged credit union will use the Mendo Lake charter, which has advantages in helping low- to moderate-income households.
Cooper said the Mendo Lake charter is very valuable, with community development financial institution status, which he said gives it the latitude to help underserved segments of the community.
“The value is in keeping our charter but in expanding out of the two-county area,” he explained.
The merger also will boost the credit union's ability to do more and bigger lending, said Cooper, explaining that Community First is a much larger real estate lender than Mendo Lake is currently.
At the same time, it will make for a stronger overall institution, said Cooper, explaining that it has gotten harder and harder to be a small institution in today's competitive and regulatory environment.
As an example, he said the chief executive officer's job at Mendo Lake used to include compliance responsibilities related to government regulations. Now, he has two full-time staffers who work on compliance issues and is hiring a third.
Services like home and mobile banking also are very expensive, but become less expensive with more customers, Cooper said.
The biggest plus is the stronger institution that can withstand economic changes, he said. “This is going to make the credit union a good, strong place that will be there” and won't disappear during a crisis.
There is another important reason to seek the merger, as Cooper – after a 41-year career in the financial sector – plans to retire in January.
“The board considered several options, but felt a merger was best for members. As they looked for a local credit union with shared values and complementary services, Community First was clearly an ideal partner,” said Cooper.
Cooper said he and Sheffield have known each other for years. Cooper touted Sheffield's long career in the financial sector and his proven track record of growing institutions, and said Sheffield was the best CEO for the new institution that could have been found.
Sheffield also is a former Lake County resident, having lived in Cobb. “Here we've got somebody who's in the area and knows the neighborhood,” said Cooper.
“I’ve always appreciated Todd’s approach to financial management and his dedication to community service. I can retire with peace of mind knowing Todd will run the combined organization,” Cooper said.
There is no overlap in branches, as the two financial cooperatives provide banking services in separate but contiguous counties. Therefore, officials said all branches, ATMs, employees and managers are needed and will remain in their current locations.
The process still to come, said Cooper, is “cut and dried.”
Community First members must choose to adopt the Mendo Lake charter, so Community First members will vote on the merger, he said.
After the vote, the California Department of Business Oversight and National Credit Union Administration will review the merger and if all goes as planned, the two organizations will become one in early 2017, according to the Tuesday statement.
The two credit unions reported that it is also important to note that they are owned by their members. Unlike a bank merger, where stock and cash are often exchanged, no individuals or outside stockholders will profit from this process.
Sheffield said they are in the process of reviewing service offerings, rates, and fees, and choosing the ones that benefit their members.
“If Community First has better rates for members with savings accounts, we’ll use those rates. If Mendo Lake has lower fees for members, we’ll use that fee structure. We are all really pleased to be working together, because it is clear we will be able to offer our members even better products and services,” Sheffield said.
For an in-depth fact sheet on the proposed merger visit
https://www.mlcu.org/site/assets/files/3762/mlcu_memberssheet_final.pdf .
Email Elizabeth Larson at
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A late Monday night fire burned a Kelseyville residence, damaged a trailer and displaced several people.
The fire was reported shortly after 11:55 p.m. Monday in the 6100 block of Gold Dust Drive, according to reports from the scene.
The first units on scene found the single-story residence fully involved, with the occupants safely evacuated, radio reports indicated.
Responding agencies included Kelseyville Fire, Lakeport Fire and Cal Fire, according to Lakeport Fire Chief Doug Hutchison, who acted as incident command.
Hutchison said the fire burned a manufactured home with one occupant and damaged a nearby travel trailer where two adults and two teenagers were staying.
He said it took about 30 minutes to fully control the fire but mop up continued after Hutchison cleared the scene shortly after 2:15 a.m.
Hutchison said Kelseyville Fire had two engines, a water tender and a medic unit on scene, Lakeport Fire had one engine along with Hutchison himself, and Cal Fire sent two engines and a battalion chief.
He said the Red Cross helped the family of four who were staying in the travel trailer, while the man who lived in the manufactured home found other accommodations.
Hutchison said the fire remained under investigation by Kelseyville Fire.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has two eager dogs, a cat and many kittens waiting to go to new homes this week.
This week's featured dogs include mixes of Chihuahua, Miniature Pinscher and terrier, plus there is an adult cat and a variety of kittens.
To meet the animals, contact Marcia Taylor, the animal control outreach technician, at 707-994-8201, Extension 103, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, or contact Animal Control Officer Jenna Tuller at Extension 115 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. those same days or leave a message on Fridays or weekends.
Also follow Clearlake Animal Control on Facebook for the latest updates.
Below are this week's available pets.
'Pirate'
“Pirate” is a male terrier-Chihuahua mix with a short brown coat. He is missing his right eye.
He's a favorite at Clearlake's shelter, where staff said he is used to temperament test all the other canines because he is so easygoing with all dogs.
He has a great personality without all the excess energy, walks well on a leash, and is current on shots and vaccinations. Pirate also is potty trained, neutered and comes with a free wellness exam.
Shelter staff said he's come from a bad situation and deserves a second chance to have a good home.
'Sammy'
“Sammy” is a senior male Miniature Pinscher.
Shelter staff said Sammy needs to find a new home. He's fun and loves to go for walks but does not like living in the shelter's kennel.
He was found wandering the streets, and staff now hopes to find him a loving home and a lap to sit on.
'Savannah'
“Savannah” is a young gray and white short hair mix cat who is offered for a reduced adoption fee.
Shelter staff said she has been a wonderful mother and now is looking for her place in the world. She loves attention but can be independent as well.
She also loves to play, is very confident around dogs and will not run away, and is housebroken. She can be spayed prior to placement for an additional fee.
Lots of kittens
Clearlake Animal Control has many kittens waiting for new homes. Come and meet them.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Main Street Association is putting out the call to all pirates and landlubbers to join in its popular “Shipwreck Day” on Saturday, Oct. 15.
The event will take place in Library Park on Park Street from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The festival features a pirate costume and tattoo contest, activities for children, local café grub, grog tasting, message in a bottle contest, vendor booths, a treasure hunt and fun for the entire family.
There also will be a downtown merchant sidewalk sale.
Come in costume, sing along with pirate shanties, listen to Celtic music performers “From The Heart” or be serenaded by the Divas.
The event is structured for pirates of all ages.
In addition to the nonprofit Lakeport Main Street Association, event sponsors include Lake County Tribal Health and local businesses.
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Lake County Wine Studio (LCWS) is hosting a wine tasting event featuring wines from Red Lava Vineyards with Kristi Lawson, and artist reception with paintings by Cris Qualiana on Friday, Oct. 7, and Saturday, Oct. 8.
The event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday.
The $15 ($12/per person for studio club members) wine sampler and appetizers by Fresh and Bangin’ Eatery will showcase the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc with an arugula salad with candied nuts, goat cheese and a honey-pear vinaigrette, 2011 Syrah with eggplant ratatouille with tatziki drizzle, 2013 Syrah with Hummus and Chicken Sharma on a Pita Chip, and the 2013 Tempranillo with smoked tri-tip crostini with harissa sauce.
Bud and Kristi Lawson created Red Lava Vineyards together when they founded their first vineyard location in 1998.
Initially their focus was on the Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc grape varietals, but they found that the Tempranillo varietal thrived in the Red Hills just as grandly and they enjoyed a rapidly growing fan base for their Red Lava wines.
Kristi Lawson hails from generations of wine enthusiasts. Her Uncle "Shine" was known for “fortifying the families” during Prohibition, and she was told that he might have done a little jail time.
She grew up in the Napa Valley in an environment where a small amount of red wine with Sunday supper was traditional and not considered illegal.
Her family tree includes ancestors from the wine growing regions of France and Germany, and her foray into sensory wine evaluation classes led to a keen ability to "smell" rock and dirt for classification, consistent with the minerality of Red Lava Vineyards and their wines.
Bud Lawson passed away in August 2015. He stoically and persistently fought against a rare cancer (mantle cell lymphoma) and refused to let it keep him from his passion of farming grapes and producing their Red Lava wines. He was on his tractor working and enjoyed his purpose, family and friends right up until the day his life stopped.
Bud Lawson knew soil and even had a knack for divining water for wells. From many generations of farmers, he began his informal training as a child through observation and involvement with his family on their farm in Arizona. He served in the US Air Force and was a member of Local 3 Operating Engineers for 60 years.
Through his career as a land surveyor and work with construction companies he increased his knowledge, and concentrated his efforts on developing the unique characteristics of the soil in his vineyard and the alchemy of Red Lava wines. Kristi Lawson will be presenting her new wine releases this year at our receptions.
The protean and kaleidoscopic style of artist, Cris Qualiana, blends the humorous, whimsical, ethereal and cutting-edge, offering an invitation into worlds both strange and familiar. Early artistic prowess and promise led to a commission, at age twelve, to paint portraits of the Shah of Iran's family.
Impassioned curiosity and an insatiable wanderlust have been at the heart of Qualiana’s "travel education."
She took a brief foray into the world of music, managing several bands and touring internationally, pit-stopping in Los Angeles to create and direct subsidiaries for Epitaph Records (the largest independent record label in the world) promoting over fifty bands.
She designed promotional projects, ad campaigns, videos, and numerous record covers that can be found in music stores around the globe. While living on the road on tour, the World became her classroom. Hotel rooms doubled as studios.
The people and places she encountered – distinctive scents, sights, sounds and flavors-filled her sketch-books. And she met herself, again and again, in various incarnations, through her painting and drawing. Qualiana's artwork, paintings and illustrations have been continuously exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, London and Paris.
On May 7, 2012, Qualiana woke up unable to use her right arm and hand. Terrifying for anyone and devastating to Qualiana as an artist. A spinal tap confirmed that she has multiple sclerosis. Further tests revealed that her brain and spine were covered with lesions. She is unable to work any job according to her doctors. Regardless, she continues to create Art on a daily basis.
Lake County Wine Studio is a gallery for display and sale of art and a tasting room, wine bar and retail shop for the fine wines of Lake County. Artists’ shows are held on a monthly basis with art and wine receptions held the first Friday and subsequent Saturday of each month.
The gallery is located at 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake. The hours of business September through May is Thursday to Monday from 1 to 7 p.m., and Friday from 1 to 8 p.m.
The Qualiana art exhibit will be on display for the full month of October.
For more information call Lake County Wine Studio at 707-275-8030 or 707-293-8752.
