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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Two dozen artists interpret “Art in Dialog with Nature” with outdoor sculpture placed along the path in Middletown’s Trailside Park and opening on Sunday, June 7.
The opening reception, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., features live music, poetry and dance.
The park is off Highway 175 and the exhibit and reception are free to the public.
The 2015 Sculpture Walk features new and returning artists with all new work.
Artists use natural and repurposed materials, expressing a wide range of ideas, thoughts and feelings through their mediums and touching all the realms: political, spiritual, ecological.
The Sculpture Walk has steadily grown in popularity, with over 3000 visitors in 2014. It was the vision of Karen Turcotte and John Randall Williams, originally motivated by their desire to create a Lake County venue for their work.
More than 100 artists have exhibited since the Sculpture Walk’s inception with over 350 original works.
The Sculpture Walk Opening Reception is an annual celebration of Lake County community.
There will be poetry readings by local poets including Lake County poet laureates past and present, and music and dance performances featuring Shawn SanNicolas, The Hobos, The Peculiars, the children of Lake County International Charter School, the W’Nac’di Drum Circle and Shannon Malone Dance.
Middletown’s Trailside Park is an ecological remnant preserve, a place where you can experience the landscape that once existed everywhere in Lake County valleys.
The Sculpture Walk will be in place until Oct. 13. It is self-guided using the printed program available at the kiosk.
Bring water, a hat and wear comfortable shoes.
For more information please contact
Visit EcoArts on Facebook or at www.EcoArtsofLakeCounty.org .
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Robert Irwin, who owns and operates a local company offering sheep grazing services, will meet with Hidden Valley Lake Association representatives Tuesday to discuss the death of two of his sheep resulting from being hit by motorists on Friday night.
The deaths of the animals occurred on Highway 29 sometime between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m., Irwin said.
Deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol officers responded to the scene, according to Irwin, who owns Kaos Sheep Outfit.
The animals – approximately 416 of them – had just bedded down for the night when they suddenly left a fenced area and ran down an incline leading to Highway 29, Irwin said.
Irwin – whose sheep keep the weeds around garden-variety crops, vineyards, open space and “a lot of other stuff” under control – said he believed that the sheep had been “pushed out of an area by an unknown individual.”
“That’s my belief, but I can’t prove anything,” he said.
He dismissed the possibility that an animal of prey chased the sheep down to the highway.
Irwin said he and his two border collie dogs had dealt with sheep straying off before, “but not where they get hit on the road.”
He said certain signs point to the possibility that a human chased the sheep to the highway. For one, a mysterious hole in the fence.
Similarly, in a statement posted on its Facebook page, HVLA said investigating CHP officers “backtracked the stampede and discovered a fresh set of 'two-legged' prints to a new hole in the perimeter fence.”
That fence borders HVLA lots “and had been inspected just prior to the sheep arriving on Wednesday morning,” the association reported.
“Sheep go to bed at night,” Irwin said. “These were up under the trees and kind of away from the road. They got into a mob and ran down the hill in a mob.”
There was an electric fence around the sheep that discouraged coyotes from attacking them, added Irwin.
“The coyotes get shocked and they don’t like getting shocked,” he said.
Irwin said he moved his business and his residence to this area from Oregon about four years ago.
The sheep had only been on scene a few days when the animals were chased out of their pen.
HVLA recently had contracted with Irwin for his sheep providing weed control, and the sheep had arrived last week to begin eating down the weeds on association-owned parcels and common areas over the next few weeks.
The sheep are one prong of the association's weed abatement program, which also includes a contractor and a crew from the Konocti Conservation Camp, according to an HVLA report to residents.
HVLA said its representatives – including board Vice President Sky Pile, Director Jim Jasmin, General Manager Cindy Spears and HVLA Security – met with Irwin and the CHP immediately after the sheep were killed Friday.
The association reported that Irwin's insurance covers the loss of the animals and liability, with additional safety measures planned, which Irwin confirmed to Lake County News.
“I’ve got a plan in place to tend the sheep 24 hours a day,” he said.
Email John Lindblom at [email protected] .
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A new music video has debuted for Memorial Day to honor young local men who over the last decade have given their lives in the service of their country.
When he's not working as a Lake County supervisor or bail bondsman, Rob Brown spends time writing songs, a passion to which he's devoted more time in recent years.
This year, in honor of Memorial Day, Brown has written and produced “21 Guns,” a song that remembers three young men with Lake County ties who have died in the past seven years while serving overseas.
Those three men are:
– Lance Corporal Ivan Wilson, 22, of Clearlake, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in June 2008;
– Sgt. 1st Class David Hartman, 27, who died as the result of a roadside bomb in Pakistan in January 2010. He did not live in Lake County but much of his family does; and
– Sgt. Richard Essex, 23, a Kelseyville High School graduate who died in August 2012 in a Black Hawk helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan.
Brown said the song is not only meant to commemorate the three men, but also to remember the sacrifice made by their families.
“I would also like to dedicate this to all of those that have sacrificed for the freedoms that we enjoy,” he said. “That is what Memorial Day means to me.”
In addition to writing “21 Guns,” Brown did the song's vocals and also played guitar on the track.
He was joined on the song by other musicians who will be familiar to Lake County residents, including Pat Ickes on pedal steel guitar, Dan Prather on 12-string guitar, Don Hoberg on bass guitar and Don Prather on drums. Dan and Don Prather also did background vocals on the song.
The five-and-a-half-minute video, edited by John Jensen of Lake County News, can be seen above.
While the song honors all three men, the video primarily features scenes from the services for Essex in 2012 based on available footage.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Upper Lake community members are putting the finishing touches on the plans for the annual “Wild West Day” event, which celebrates the town's colorful history.
The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 6, on Upper Lake's historic Main Street, and is sponsored by the Northshore Business Association, Northshore Fire Protection District, Upper Lake Community Council and Upper Lake Odd Fellows No. 241.
The weather for Wild West Day is promising to be good: Forecasters are predicting a late spring day with daytime highs in the mid-80s.
The fun day will include good food – pancakes, tri-tip and a strawberry ice cream social – along with the annual parade, costumes, bonnets and beards, along with a children's carnival and street faire, Western skits and live music.
An addition this year is a water slide that will be hosted by the Upper Lake Parent Teacher Organization. There will be a charge for the slide.
The community is invited to come out and enjoy the full day of activities.
For more general information about the event, contact Debbie, 707-275-2000; for vendor information, contact Byron, 707-275-9515; or for details on the morning parade, email
The event's full schedule follows.
Schedule of events
– 7 to 10 a.m.: Pancake breakfast at the Upper Lake Fire House.
– 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Street faire.
– 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Early Day Engines and Tractor Association display.
– 9 to 11 a.m.: Costume, beard and bonnet contest; signups at the CPS booth.
– 10 a.m.: Parade on Main Street; awards ceremony for parade and costumes.
– 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Fun Western photo boards, water slide for the children (additional charge).
– 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Tri-tip barbecue, strawberry ice cream social at the Odd Fellows Hall.
– Noon: The Blue Canyon Gang with Western skits.
– 1 p.m.: The Blue Canyon Gang with Western skits.
– 1:15 to 4 p.m.: Live music and street dance featuring Second Sight.
– 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.: The Blue Canyon Gang with Western skits.
– 4 p.m.: Event closes.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has new kittens up for adoption, along with an adult cat.
The new Siamese mix kittens are featured this week along with an adult calico.
In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Female Siamese kitten
This Siamese kitten has a medium-length white coat with gray markings.
She's in cat room kennel No. 13a, ID No. 2146.
Female Siamese kitten
Like her sister, this Siamese kitten has a medium-length white coat with gray markings.
She's in cat room kennel No. 13b, ID No. 2147.
'Mom'
“Mom” is a domestic short hair mix with calico markings.
She's in cat room kennel No. 27, ID No. 2213.
Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .
Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Let’s hear it for Lake County, which, as it turns out, is one of the most cheerful places in the nation.
We know that because Danita Shook – a third-generation cheerleader from an area that is to cheerleading what North Carolina is to college basketball – discovered it.
As a matter of fact, Asheville, North Carolina is the area where Shook came from. Indeed it is as much a spawning grounds for cheerleading as it is college hoops.
Shook founded Lake County’s first competitive cheerleading program 20 months ago.
Already, the Lake County Diamonds All-Star Cheerleading team is establishing winning ways.
In just one example, the senior level 2 team ranked in the top 20 percent of all routines performed on the first day of the Hit Cheer and Dance National Championships held in Santa Cruz, bringing home the first-place banner from that event.
And already Shook's program has grown to between 40 and 50 members with new girls every week. Boys are welcome to join did the club as well.
“She holds five tumbling classes a week with 20 people in each class, so that’s about 100,” said Roslyn Griffin, one of the mothers in the Diamonds All-Stars program.
Speaking of Shook, Griffin added, “She’s incredible; that’s why the world should know about her.”
The 14-member team that won the national championship included co-captains Carly Gambill and Linda Ralosky and, in alphabetical order, Kaitlin Alire, Riley Brothers, Makaili Brown, Miah Bullard, Ruby Griffin, Megan Franco, Madeline Hoskins, Jiana Jaehn, Adriana Landa, Pailey Shook, Shaianne Sims and Mia Vandagriff. Each member of the winning team will receive a championship jacket.
“We were super-impressed that our senior girls won a national championship in their first year. That never ever happens,” said Shook. “We’ll have a lot to live up to next year.”
As important, there was an enthusiastic reception for the program in Lake County.
“It’s been great. It goes all over the county,” said Brianna Alfonso, the mother of a 10-year-old girl participant who also assists with the program.
“We have never been a part of a program like this. I wish it had been here earlier because every one of my (four) daughters could have benefited from his program,” said Griffin.
It was high praise for Shook’s program from a woman who has experience in administering youth activities such as gymnastics.
One of Griffin's daughters is registered is a Diamonds All-Star cheerleader. Her other daughters are too old to start the program at 15, 17 and 20. But all four have been involved in scholastic sports such as volleyball.
“Her confidence and her whole attitude has changed since she joined the All Star cheerleaders,” Gina Sims said of her 11-year-old daughter Shaiaine (pronounced Cheyenne).
“She could barely do a cartwheel when we started in April and now she’s doing cartwheels flop-overs and handsprings,” Sims said. “She is totally confident and helps other girls. There is just more commitment. She’s dedicated to it.”
Shook undertook the creation of the Lake County program as well as its directorship, choreographing and coaching after learning there was no cheerleading and tumbling program for girls and boys here.
She is assisted by Alfonso, who, as a teenager in Lake County, was a cheerleader before an auto accident broke her back.
Although Alfonso does not participate in the physical part of cheerleading and tumbling, she has proven to be an asset in helping Shook organize her program in Hidden Valley Lake.
Said Shook: “My daughter had been a cheerleader for basketball and football in North Carolina and competing with the Mountain League All Stars and there wasn’t even anything comparable here.”
It’s even hard to find gymnastics in the area, which Shook said left her to debate whether to drive her daughter to Santa Rosa – or to open a program in Lake County.
She chose the latter, with the very first practice taking place on Oct. 13, 2013. The Diamonds All-Stars team began to compete against other clubs in 2014.
Shook brings to her coaching a passion for cheerleading that began in her childhood.
“I cheered from the time I was a little kid all the way through high school and in high school I won the North Carolina state cheerleading championship,” said Shook.
For certain there were no families here who have made a tradition of cheerleading. Cheerleading is four generations deep in Shook’s family.
“It’s always been in our family,” she said. “My grandmother was a cheerleader.”
A combination of gymnastics tumbling, dance, acrobatics, and traditional cheerleading skills such as jumps and arm motions, Shook’s program has caught on fast.
Two of the girls on her squad are Clear Lake High School cheerleaders, she said, and there is a lot of youth from Hidden Valley Lake and Middletown who participate in the program.
Additionally, Middletown High School’s married junior varsity basketball coaches Jon and Roxi Hoogendoorn have two daughters in the program.
Levels the group competed in this year were tiny, youth levels 1 and 2 , and senior level 2. Ages run from 2 to 18, she said.
“Danita has made sure it’s all over Lake County,” said Griffin.
Griffin pointed out of the children who participate, “Everybody competes.”
That means that even children who are awkward at first remain with the club.
“Danita will not tell you if you’re not good enough,” said Griffin. “She keeps you and she teaches you how to cheer. Everybody learns.”
Some of the members will remain cheerleaders all the way through high school. Some don’t.
But Shook’s program is not patterned after the style of cheerleader teams who entertain at college and high school games when there’s a slack moment or a timeout.
The cheerleaders in her program are competitive in their own right against other teams.
“We’re going to get into more competition next year and we’re planning on bringing more national titles. So it’s really important for people to get behind it,” said Griffin, sounding an appeal for funding support.
“Cheering costs money, you know,” she added.
Shook encourages anyone who is interested in becoming part of her cheerleader teams or tumbling classes to access her program on Facebook or at her Web site, http://nobodysbiz.wix.com/lcdc .
Email John Lindblom at