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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Join the Clear Lake/Callayomi Masonic Lodge No. 183 on Sunday, Sept. 18, for the “Best Breakfast in Lake County.”
The full, sit-down breakfast is served from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Masonic Center, located at 7100 South Center Drive in Clearlake.
Choose your breakfast from a large menu including, eggs (any style), omelets, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, hot cakes, breakfast meat, toast, juice and coffee.
The cost is $8 for adults, $4 for children ages 6-12. Children under age 6 may eat for free and are served a special “kids breakfast.”
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Police Department said Tuesday that a road closure is temporarily in effect on 10th street due to a structure fire.
The closure is in place on 10th Street from N. Brush to N. High, police reported.
Reports from the scene shortly before 12:30 p.m. Tuesday indicated the fire was knocked down.
Police said the estimated closure time was about 30 minutes, or until about 1 p.m.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – For the people who have suffered the heartache and horrors of the Lake County wildland fires of this past year, it's an experience they're not likely to forget, and a project is now under way to capture those memories for the sake of history.
The Lake County Fire Oral History Project aims to record and preserve the oral histories of community members who have survived the county's notable wildland fires.
The project is administered by the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum and funded by the Lake Area Rotary Club Association and the Lower Lake Historical School Preservation Committee.
Lake County Museum Curator Tony Pierucci and his staff are participating in collecting the histories.
“It started earlier this year,” he said of the project, which has its roots in a discussion he and Lake County Library Director Christopher Veach began in December about an oral history project.
That led in April to the library and museum collaborating to produce a Book-to-Action series on oral histories, which grew out of the realization – following last year's “summer of fire – that survivors had stories to tell about the incidents.
That Book-to-Action series was funded by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian, as well as the California State Library in partnership with the California Center for the Book.
During the April series there were discussions, workshops and training sessions on collecting oral histories and a five-hour recording session of histories at the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum, as Lake County News has reported.
Pierucci said at that point there were volunteers eager to collect the stories, with he and his staff also wanting to be involved. He said the library also met with organizations involved in recovery to engage them in helping collect the oral histories.
While the project largely focused on the Valley fire originally, Pierucci said it has since been expanded to include the Clayton fire.
“So far we've collected about 30 oral histories from various different perspectives,” Pierucci said, with six more interviews scheduled.
Those histories are all audio recordings done by museum staff. Pierucci anticipates creating an index of what is discussed in the histories, which are not currently being transcribed.
He said the shortest of the interviews is about 20 minutes, while the longest is about two and a half hours.
Those whose personal experiences are documented so far include everyday people, along with county employees and volunteers who helped during and after the fire, Pierucci said.
“We're trying to get the whole perspective on the fire, not just the fire itself but the recovery effort as well,” he said.
“Overall, we just want to create a significant body of information,” Pierucci said. “An oral history collection is going to be very significant in the years to come.”
Especially, he noted, after people settle into new lives. “We really don't know what the aftermath is.”
Museum staff are aware that they're dealing with some very painful experiences and are using care as a result, Pierucci said. “This is a very personal thing. We're recording people's memories.”
The oral history collection will be a significant source for future research, according to Pierucci.
That audio collection is the first part of the project, which Pierucci said has been developed and expanded beyond its original scope thanks to the funding from Lake Area Rotary Club Association and the Lower Lake Historical School Preservation Committee.
Pierucci said the second part of the project is the creation of a 15-minute documentary on the fires. Bill Groody and his production company were hired to do the documentary.
As part of the video aspect, Pierucci said six proposed standalone videos will be compiled into a 15- to 20-minute mini-documentary on people's experiences of the fires.
Pierucci said two of those videos have been completed so far. They are shot on-scene in most cases and have a level of production that goes beyond a video of a one-on-one interview. “The closest comparison I can make is that they're like distinct mini-documentaries unto themselves.”
All of the videos will be available on the county's recovery Web site and the museum's Facebook page for free. Copies of the histories also will be stored at both museums in Lakeport and Lower Lake and also at the Lake County Library, said Pierucci.
“Our hope is that they will serve to highlight the county's resilience and uplift people's spirits – but also to underscore the bare fact that the county is still recovering and we have a long road ahead of us,” Pierucci said.
Ultimately, he said he wants to see the oral histories included in the oral history archives at the University of California, Berkeley, although he hasn't yet started outreach on that goal. The university doesn't accept raw audio, and usually wants it fully transcribed or indexed.
In addition to the oral and video recordings, Pierucci said the museum is collecting other fire-related items, including individual collections of photos and video people took during the incident that they are giving to the museum. “We're taking all of that.”
He said the oral history project will be continued through the end of the year.
For those who would like to participate and have their oral histories recorded, Pierucci encouraged them to contact the Lake County Museum at 707-263-4555 or at 707-995-3565.
The process includes a basic phone interview and preliminary discussion to help the interviewers tailor the questions to the person's experience. Pierucci said a sit-down interview for the recording session will then be scheduled.
Volunteers also are needed for the project. Anyone interested should call the museum at the numbers above. Pierucci said the museum will train and work with the volunteers in the oral history collection process.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – All kinds of dogs and a lot of little kittens are waiting for homes at Clearlake Animal Control this week.
This week's featured dogs include mixes of beagle, border collie, cairn terrier, Chihuahua, dachshund, Doberman Pinscher, Labrador Retriever and wirehaired terrier.
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.
'Nicki'
“Nicki” is a female dachshund and beagle mix with a short read coat.
Shelter staff said she needs a new home as soon as possible, as she has been at the shelter a long time. Her former owners never came for her after she was seized from a relative's property.
Nicki deserves a second chance in life with a stable environment. Shelter staff said she gets along well with others, had a set of shots and is potty trained.
'Butterfinger'
“Butterfinger” is a sweet young male Chihuahua mix.
He has a short brown coat with white markings.
'Cooper'
“Cooper” is a young border collie and Labrador Retriever mix. He's estimated to be less than a year old.
Shelter staff said he is a crack up, goofy and cautious all at the same time. He wants to be having fun but is a little scared he may get in trouble.
He will be very easy to train, as he cares what people think and doesn't want to step out of bounds.
Cooper comes with first set of shots and free wellness exam.
'Happy'
“Happy” is a young male wirehaired terrier and cairn terrier mix.
He has a white coat and a big grin.
'Latte'
“Latte” is a young male Chihuahua mix.
He has an adorable little dog with a short red and white coat.
'Rambow'
“Rambow” is a male Doberman Pinscher with a short red and brown coat.
He's a big dog who needs a strong person who can work with his big size and curious nature.
Shelter staff said he looks to have been really well bred, absolutely loves people and is extremely friendly. He's one of the shelter favorites.
Rambow comes with a free bag of dog food and wellness exam.
'Rocky'
“Rocky” is a young male Labrador Retriever and border collie mix. He's estimated to be less than a year old.
Shelter staff said Rocky is gentle and sweet, and is ready to have a family to love.
He loves people and is good with other dogs. He is very smart and wants to please.
Rocky comes with his first set of shots and a free wellness exam.
'Steve'
“Steve” is a young male Chihuahua mix.
He's got a short tan and white coat.
All sorts of kittens
Numerous kittens with different coat types and colors – tuxedos, tabbies and calicoes – are ready and waiting for new homes.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Library’s free lecture series Know Lake County will feature local author and columnist Gene Paleno and his recently-published book “Lake County History: A Mystical Adventure on Saturday, Sept. 17.
The event will take place beginning at 2 p.m. at the Lakeport branch of the Lake County Library, located at 1425 N. High St.
Paleno is well-known around Lake County for his columns and serial fiction published locally.
His new book covers Lake County’s history from the most ancient prehistory to the present in its 450 pages with excursions into such diverse topics as American Indian history, geology, ghost stories, Lake County’s suffragists, rustlers, the Bear Flag Revolt, prohibition, murders, a gnat’s funeral, gunslingers, celebrities and the Civil War.
Paleno will be telling stories of Lake County history and selling his book.
Lake County PEG TV records the Know Lake County presentations for re-broadcast on PEG TV Channel 8 and on www.lakecountypegtv.org . The presentations are also available on DVD to check out from the Lake County Library.
Speakers from an array of disciplines and organizations deliver programs for Know Lake County. Still to come in 2016 are the Boggs Mountain State Demonstration Forest, the Lake County Symphony Association and the symphony association’s youth orchestra.
The Lake County Library is on the Internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .
For more information about Know Lake County and other library programs call 707-263-8817.
Jan Cook works for the Lake County Library.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Aug. 14, in the shadow of the Clayton Fire, the 500th spay/neuter surgery of the Clearlake Pet Project was completed.
Over the past several months, Contra Costa County based nonprofit, Animal Refugee Response, in partnership with the SPCA of Lake County has been providing free spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations and parasite control to the cats and dogs of very low-income pet owners in Clearlake and Lower Lake.
Made possible by a generous grant from PetSmart Charities, the goal of the program was to help alleviate pet over-population in Lake County.
With support from the SPCA Board of Directors, community volunteers and dedicated vets and support staff committed to making a difference, that goal has been achieved.
Clearlake Pet Project was designed to help residents who otherwise would not have been able to afford to spay or neuter their pets.
In fact, for many of the 500 animals who qualified for free services, it was the first time they were ever seen by a veterinarian.
Transportation to and from appointments also was provided by the SPCA volunteers when needed.
Animal Refugee Response and the SPCA of Lake County are excited to announce continuation of the Clearlake Pet Project.
Underscoring the positive impact of the program, Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch of Napa County has stepped up to provide funding to Animal Refugee Response for the second phase of the program.
Between September and November 2016, another 300 spays and neuters will be provided to the pets of very low-income residents throughout the entire county of Lake.
Applications for the second phase of Clearlake Pet Project are available at:
– The SPCA of Lake County Web site, www.spcaoflakecounty.com .
– Animal Refugee Response Web site, www.animalrefugee.org , or call 707-330-3747; appointments will only be made when applications are received and qualified.
– From Me 2 U Second Hand Store in downtown Clearlake.
SPCA of Lake County is a 501c registered nonprofit organization working to promote animal well being throughout the communities it serves.
If you would like to contribute financially to the SPCA to assist with these great programs, please send your donations to P.O. Box 784, Clearlake CA 95422.