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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Close to 200 people turned out last Sunday at the Twin Pine Event Center for a dinner and auction that celebrated the first anniversary of the Gibson Museum and Cultural Center in downtown Middletown.
A devoted group of community members and volunteers spent a year refurbishing the facility, which formerly had housed the Middletown Library, in preparation for its opening in the spring of 2014.
It's named for Chauncey W. Gibson, who in 1929 contributed funds to build the Middletown Library.
The Gibson family has continued its generosity toward the town, with Harry Gibson – great-grandnephew of Chauncey – helping to underwrite the building's restoration.
Organizers said the success of the May 3 event – on the same date one year after the museum's ribbon-cutting ceremony was celebrated – surpassed expectations.
Although an exact figure wasn't immediately available, Middletown Historical Society President Voris Brumfield said the anniversary party raised enough money to ensure covering operating costs of the museum for a minimum of six months.
Altogether, community members purchased 160 tickets – at a recommended donation of $30 each – to attend the event, in addition to donating during the silent auction or taking part in a raffle, according to Brumfield.
The highlight of the fundraising effort came in the form of an $1,100 check the Middletown Rotary Club presented to the museum.
The Rotary donation is earmarked for an upgrade of the museum’s storage facility, Brumfield said.
Such financial gifts are crucial, as the museum – which the county of Lake supports by offering the building at no charge – is supported entirely by donations and operated only by volunteers.
Brumfield said the museum’s first year included four different main exhibits:
– Veterans of the military, from the Civil War to Vietnam;
– Christmas, including an exhibit of 38 Santa Claus figures from nations around the world and nativity scenes;
– Handmade rag dolls by Sophie Lauterborn and English dolls by Elizabeth Eaholtz; and
– Spas in the Middletown and Cobb Mountain region, including the oldest, Harbin Hot Springs, which is presently being exhibited.
For the museum’s second year of the operation, Brumfield said, “Our plans are to begin serious fundraising and create an endowment fund.”
She added that next month the society hopes to mount a display of Middletown families whose names are recalled on highway signs, buildings and other local landmarks.
The museum's success also has led it to issue a renewed call for volunteers.
For more information, email
Visit the museum's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CGibsonMuseumCulturalCenter or its Web site at http://www.cgibsonmuseum.com/ .
Email John Lindblom at
NICE, Calif. – A local man died Saturday afternoon from injuries he suffered when his pickup went off the road and hit two parked vehicles and a tree.
The name of the 57-year-old man from Nice was not released pending the notification of his family, according to the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office.
The CHP said the crash occurred at 1:48 p.m. on Lakeshore Boulevard east of Collier Avenue.
The man was driving eastbound on Lakeshore Boulevard in a white 2004 Ford F150 pickup at an unknown rate of speed when, for an unknown reason, he crossed the westbound lane and went off the roadway edge, the CHP said.
Investigating Officer Erich Paarsch told Lake County News at the scene that the man's pickup hit a parked Toyota pickup that was sitting in front of the Drift Inn RV Resort. The man then hit another Ford pickup and continued north until his pickup came to rest against a walnut tree.
A section of the park's white picket fence also appeared to have been knocked out due to the crash.
Northshore Fire and Cal Fire personnel responded, said Northshore Fire Capt. Dave Emmel.
When firefighters arrived the driver was unconscious and unresponsive, the CHP said.
Emmel said medics worked to revive the man at the scene.
Firefighters had asked REACH 6 to land at Sentry Market to transport the driver, which it did, according to radio reports.
However, instead of taking the injured man to the Sentry landing zone, Emmel said he was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital, where the air ambulance was told to respond instead.
The CHP said the driver was pronounced dead at the hospital just after 2:30 p.m.
Paarsch and two other CHP officers worked at the scene Saturday afternoon to take measurements and get witness statements.
He said the driver did not appear to have been wearing his seatbelt when the crash occurred.
The CHP's report issued later in the day said alcohol may have been a contributing factor in the crash.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Local high school students headed off to the next level in their education were honored at an annual reception on Monday.
The 10th annual Lake County University Admittance Reception was held at Kelseyville High School.
Each year, administrators, board members, counselors and college representatives all gather to honor the graduating seniors and their families who have been accepted to a four-year college.
This year, the schools invited 104 students, up from 95 last year.
Students are heading off to institutions of higher learning including California State Universities, Bakersfield, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Chico, East Bay, Humboldt, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Maritime Academy, Monterey Bay, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco Sonoma and Stanislaus.
Universities of California Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz, also are among the places where local students will continue their education this fall.
Out-of-state and private colleges were local students will attend include American University, Ave Maria University, BYU Idaho, California Baptist University, Carroll College, Chaminade University, Eastern Washington University, Hannibal-LaGrange University, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Pepperdine, Salem State, Stanford, St. Mary’s, The Master’s College, University of Nevada at Reno, University of the Pacific and Utah State.
Guests were welcomed by Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg, who challenged students to make sure the world knows just how great Lake County students are.
Senior Director Tim Gill also addressed the more than 240 attendees and shared his personal experiences of participating in the reception in past years as a parent.
Kelseyville High alumna and current Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student Blair Brookes revealed some insights as a first-year college student with the group, including the encouragement to try new things, remembering those you left at home and to never settle for being the small fish in the big pond.
Michelle Scully of Marymount California University’s Lakeside Campus shared her personal college experiences and advice with the audience, and congratulated all out of state and private college students.
Lower Lake High School Upward Bound Director Shannon Smith of Sonoma State University delivered the welcome bags to all of the students attending a CSU college next year and Jacqueline Ross and Blas Guerrero of UC Davis welcomed the UC students.
Michelle Malm and her staff at Kelseyville High School prepared the evening's buffet dinner, and band instructor Anna-Alicia Fullmer and the Kelseyville High School Jazz Band provided the event's entertainment.
Seating for the large group was made possible thanks to the loan of tables from Rick Malm of the CDF and the help of the high school custodial staff. Centerpieces containing seedlings were created by the students of Karen Jones’ CTE Floral Design class of Middletown High School.
During dinner service, guests were able to view a slideshow presentation featuring students’ career goals and special thanks to those that assisted them in achieving their college admission.
Students also were treated to a free raffle of prizes that included dorm survival bags filled with items such as first aid supplies, hand sanitizer, cotton balls, assorted screwdrivers, picture hanging kits, notebooks, tissue and other items that might come in handy as they venture off to college.
Thanks to the generous donations and loan of plants by Kelseyville Lumber, students were called onto the beautifully decorated stage to receive both recognition and small gifts.
All colleges were contacted and asked to send an item from their school as a welcome to the students. Many students received something from their college such as bags, pennants, water bottles and t-shirts. Every student received a tote bag from the Mendo Lake Credit Union and a deck of cards from Running Creek Casino.
The University Admit Reception was created 10 years ago to honor the hard work and dedication of our local students and families who achieved a challenging academic goal.
Another objective of the event is to introduce students to other students throughout the county who may be attending the same or nearby colleges in the hopes that they can form a support system for each other.
The Career and College Readiness Department is proud of all of our Lake County graduating seniors and wish special congratulations to this group of college bound students as they embark on their higher education endeavors.
If you would like more information about the University Admit Reception or would like to make a donation to support next year’s event, please contact Tammy Serpa, education specialist at the Lake County Office of Education,
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff's Office reported this week that the garden area at the has been completed.
While the jail has had numerous gardens in the past, this is one of the few times where not only the inmates, but several of the officers were responsible for spearheading the project, according to Lt. Steve Brooks.
Prior to taking office, Sheriff Brian Martin told staff that he wanted there to be a garden at the facility.
He explained that this would allow the inmates to not only have a sense of pride in the produce that they grow, but it would also instill a sense of ownership in the jail as well.
Correctional Officer Jeremy Pickens was the individual who had been pushing to have this project move forward and assisted with guiding it to completion, Brooks said.
However, Brooks said none of this would have been possible without the technical expertise of the Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Dolby.
Brooks said Dolby was responsible for constructing the enclosure and guiding the inmates in the construction of the raised beds and the sprinkler system.
There have been numerous donations made towards the project, Brooks said.
One of the largest donations was the expert guidance provided by Master Gardener Gabriele O’Neill. Brooks said she donated her time to guide an inexperienced crew of officers and inmates in building a successful garden. She also donated several plants for the garden.
The purpose of the garden is to help develop some pride for the inmates and be a source of nutrition for them, Brooks said.
If the garden does well, Brooks said there are ideas to donate the produce to the local senior centers and possibly sell any extra at the local farmer markets.
While this is not a new concept in the corrections setting, Brooks said the direction of education, ownership, sustainability and community pride is what the staff at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility are trying to achieve.
The Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility is no longer just about incarceration, Brooks said, but also about rehabilitation and education.
AccuWeather reports the persistent drought in California and other parts of the country continues to be a drag on the agricultural sector of the U.S. economy, according to the Federal Reserve.
AccuWeather.com long-range forecasters are predicting the historic California drought will only worsen this summer.
Agricultural conditions worsened slightly due to wet fields, drought and a cold winter between mid-February and the end of March, the Fed reported in its April 15 edition of the Beige Book, a compilation of economic conditions across the 12 Federal Reserve Districts.
The drought will have a significant and prolonged impact on the economy, AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions Senior Research Analyst Rosemary Radich said.
"As water resources become more scarce, price and demand will have disruptive effects on the economy for agriculture, retail and food service," Radich said.
Drought conditions continued to create challenges for many farmers, but those with adequate access to water benefited from favorable weather conditions in California, the Southwest and Pacific Northwest, the Fed said.
"Reduced water availability affected plantings of annual crops, including rice, corn and cotton," the report stated. "The need to purchase water or drill for water put upward pressure on the cost of production."
Drought conditions improved but still persisted in some areas of the Atlanta, Dallas and San Francisco districts, while wet field conditions slowed planting in parts of Richmond, Chicago, St. Louis and Dallas, according to the report.
California received some precipitation this winter, but it was not enough to halt the 4-year-old drought.
Very little snowfall accumulated in the Sierra Mountains during the winter, exacerbating the California drought.
Drought conditions are expected to expand into the Pacific Northwest, AccuWeather.com Expert Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said as part of the summer 2015 forecast. Temperatures are also expected to increase along with the dry conditions.
"Precipitation is way below normal," AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Dale Mohler said. "There will be some tough decisions to make: Where does the water go? People need the water to consume. You have to reduce consumption somewhere. It will be a tug of war."
"If there is too little rain, the crops get stunted," Mohler said. "California and Arizona rely on irrigation; otherwise, they would not have vegetables and fruits. Farmers absolutely have to rely on irrigation in the San Joaquin Valley."
Corn and soybean prices fell in the Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City districts, the Fed said. Chicago and St. Louis districts reported that less corn would be planted this year, being replaced by soybeans.
Farmers tend to split between corn and soybeans in the Midwest, depending on the market price, Mohler said. Soybeans, which yield between 30 and 50 bushels per acre, are about double the price of corn.
"The amount of rainfall, the temperature - basically the climate - determines what kinds of crops are planted," Mohler said.
Rainy weather is expected this summer in the southern Plains and the lower to mid-Mississippi Valley. Drought conditions may initially improve in parts of Texas but could reappear later in the summer, www.AccuWeather.com meteorologists forecast.
Mark Leberfinger is a staff writer for www.AccuWeather.com .
An international team of astronomers led by Yale University and the University of California-Santa Cruz have pushed back the cosmic frontier of galaxy exploration to a time when the universe was only 5 percent of its present age.
The team discovered an exceptionally luminous galaxy more than 13 billion years in the past and determined its exact distance from Earth using the powerful MOSFIRE instrument on the W.M. Keck Observatory's 10-meter telescope, in Hawaii. It is the most distant galaxy currently measured.
The galaxy, EGS-zs8-1, was originally identified based on its particular colors in images from NASA's Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. It is one of the brightest and most massive objects in the early universe.
Age and distance are vitally connected in any discussion of the universe. The light we see from our Sun takes just eight minutes to reach us, while the light from distant galaxies we see via today's advanced telescopes travels for billions of years before it reaches us – so we're seeing what those galaxies looked like billions of years ago.
“It has already built more than 15 percent of the mass of our own Milky Way today,” said Pascal Oesch, a Yale astronomer and lead author of a study published online May 5 in Astrophysical Journal Letters. “But it had only 670 million years to do so. The universe was still very young then.”
The new distance measurement also enabled the astronomers to determine that EGS-zs8-1 is still forming stars rapidly, about 80 times faster than our galaxy.
Only a handful of galaxies currently have accurate distances measured in this very early universe.
“Every confirmation adds another piece to the puzzle of how the first generations of galaxies formed in the early universe,” said Pieter van Dokkum, the Sol Goldman Family Professor of Astronomy and chair of Yale's Department of Astronomy, who is second author of the study. “Only the largest telescopes are powerful enough to reach to these large distances.”
The MOSFIRE instrument allows astronomers to efficiently study several galaxies at the same time. Measuring galaxies at extreme distances and characterizing their properties will be a major goal of astronomy over the next decade, the researchers said.
The new observations establish EGS-zs8-1 at a time when the universe was undergoing an important change: The hydrogen between galaxies was transitioning from a neutral state to an ionized state.
“It appears that the young stars in the early galaxies like EGS-zs8-1 were the main drivers for this transition, called reionization,” said Rychard Bouwens of the Leiden Observatory, co-author of the study.
Taken together, the new Keck Observatory, Hubble, and Spitzer observations also pose new questions.
They confirm that massive galaxies already existed early in the history of the universe, but they also show that those galaxies had very different physical properties from what is seen around us today.
Astronomers now have strong evidence that the peculiar colors of early galaxies – seen in the Spitzer images – originate from a rapid formation of massive, young stars, which interacted with the primordial gas in these galaxies.
The observations underscore the exciting discoveries that are possible when NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is launched in 2018, note the researchers.
In addition to pushing the cosmic frontier to even earlier times, the telescope will be able to dissect the galaxy light of EGS-zs8-1 seen with the Spitzer telescope and provide astronomers with more detailed insights into its gas properties.
“Our current observations indicate that it will be very easy to measure accurate distances to these distant galaxies in the future with the James Webb Space Telescope,” said co-author Garth Illingworth of the University of California-Santa Cruz. “The result of JWST's upcoming measurements will provide a much more complete picture of the formation of galaxies at the cosmic dawn.”