News

UPPER LAKE – On April 10, 2010 the U.S. Postal Service named Maria Lane as the new postmaster of Upper Lake, Calif.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Lane was a former Postal clerk in Upper Lake. She is returning to Upper Lake after a serving the community of Hopland as its postmaster.

“I love my job at the Post Office,” Lane said. “I’m extremely happy to be back here in the Upper Lake community with all of my customers and co-workers.”

She said the Post Office belongs to the community and is glad to be able to once again serve Upper Lake. Lane said her first priority as postmaster will be service.

“I plan to continue the long tradition of excellent customer service here at the Upper Lake Post Office,” Lane said.

Lane joined the Postal Service as a part-time letter carrier in Lakeport in 1995. After a brief break, she began her career in earnest as a full-time clerk in Clearlake Oaks in 1997.

Her first tour of duty in Upper Lake began in 2000 and continued until 2008 when she became the postmaster of Hopland. She returned to Upper Lake late last year to replace former postmaster Marilyn Bryant, who moved on to the Clearlake Oaks Post Office.

Lane jokingly said work is her hobby. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at various schools for children’s sports activities. She has also been a soccer coach and helped with many team-mom positions including snack shack worker, team videographer, team shuttle driver and “just about every other duty that goes with being involved with your children’s sports activities.” Lane has also been a Brownie leader.

Married to husband Randy, Lane has four children, two girls – Erin 23 and Jessie 19 – and two boys, Terry 17 and Ootie 14. She has been a resident of Lakeport for the past 18 years. She attended the College of San Mateo where she studied aeronautics.

Lane is responsible for 916 deliveries. With four employees she serves two carrier routes and 955 Post Office boxes.

The Upper Lake Post Office was established in 1858 and Lane is the 23rd postmaster to serve the community.

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CLEARLAKE OAKS – The Clearlake Oaks/Glenhaven Business Association is sponsoring the 27th Annual Catfish Derby, from noon Friday, May 14, through noon Sunday, May 16, 2010.

 

Known by many as “the largest catfish derby west of the Mississippi,” the event features an Adult Derby and a Kids Derby for those under 16 years old. The grand prize winner of the Adult Derby will receive a new boat, motor, and trailer plus cash prizes and the winner of the Kids Derby will receive a Nintendo Wii System.

 

Derby headquarters will be located at the Clearlake Oaks Fire Station, 12655 East Highway 20, and will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. No registrations will be accepted after 11 p.m. on Friday.

 

Registration for the Adult Derby is $45 ($40 for those who pre-register on Thursday). Registration for the Kids Derby is $10.

 

Barbecues will be held both Saturday and Sunday, with a Saturday breakfast planned. Sunday will feature live music. A Catfish Derby Cook-Off will be held on Saturday. The entry fee for the cook-off is $20, with prizes awarded.

 

Proceeds from the event benefit community projects.

For applications, call 888-CL-DERBY, 707-998-1006; for information, 707-998-9563, www.clearlakeoaks.org.

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LAKE COUNTY – The deadline is fast approaching for those who want to vote to register with the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office.

Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley advised new residents of Lake County, and registered voters who have moved to a new address, changed their mailing address within the county, or changed their name, that they may need to re-register in order to be eligible to vote in the upcoming Statewide Direct Primary Election.

The last day to register to vote for the June 8 Statewide Direct Primary Election is Monday, May 24, Fridley said.

The completed voter registration form must be either personally delivered to the Registrar of Voters Office on or before May 24 or postmarked on or before May 24 and received by mail by the Registrar of Voters Office.

Pursuant to Section 2101 of the California Elections Code: “A person entitled to register to vote shall be a United States citizen, a resident of California, not in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election.”

Residents may register to vote at the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office, Room 209, Courthouse, Lakeport or may phone the Registrar's Office at 263-2372 for information.

Registration forms also are available at most local post offices, libraries, senior centers, city offices, and chamber of commerce offices, Fridley reported.

 

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LAKE COUNTY – The Miss Lake County Scholarship Program and Pageant, an official preliminary pageant to Miss California and Miss America, is in the process of recruiting contestants to participate in the upcoming pageant.

This year the pageant will be held on Saturday, Aug. 7, in the showroom at Robinson Rancheria Resort and Casino in Nice.

The scholarship program is open to all young women who live, work or attend school in Lake County.

The teen program is open to ages 13 to 16 and the Miss Lake County program is open to ages 17 to 24.

They also have a Princess Program for girls ages 6 to 12, which introduces the girls to the Miss America program. The young contestants participate in community events with the teen and miss contestants and will be introduced and “crowned” on stage at the August pageant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two orientation sessions are scheduled this month.

The first will be held on Saturday, May 15, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Konocti Dance Academy, located at 4274 Old Highway 53 in Clearlake.

The second will take place on Sunday, May 23, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Mendo-Lake Credit Union meeting room, 963 11th St. in Lakeport.

Prospective contestants need only attend one session.

Parents are invited to attend the orientation sessions with their daughters. All areas of the competition will be covered, including talent, lifestyle and fitness, evening wear, on-stage question and private interview. Academic achievement and community service also are considered in a contestant’s overall evaluation.

Rehearsals will start in early June and are usually held once a week. In addition to the regular rehearsals, they are offering, for the first time, yoga classes to all participants.

Even if this is their first year competing, young women will have a lot of fun and meet great girls. The volunteer committee members are there to support and mentor contestants throughout the program.

Organizers also are looking for community members who would like to join the program.

For more information, contact Executive Director Sandra Orchid at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone at 707-277-0707.

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LAKEPORT – The American Cancer Society Relay for Life Lake County is a special annual event involving participants from all over the Lake County who have joined in the battle to defeat cancer.

The event takes place this weekend at the Kelseyville High School Football Field, 5480 Main St. This year's theme is Hawaiian, so get out your Hawaiian shirts, dresses and leis and have fun with the group while supporting a great cause.

The relay begins with a Celebration Ceremony and Survivors' Lap at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 15, and continues with entertainment, games and contests all day. Fund raising for all teams will be held at each team site.

The Remembrance Luminaria Ceremony will start at dusk. The relay participants will continue walking all night.

The Fight Back and Closing Ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 16.

This year there are 57 participating teams made up of families, friends, organizations and school mates. Each person has their own reasons for joining in the fight against cancer.

 

 

This is Melisa Falgout's first year in the relay. Falgout is a registered nurse from Kelseyville whose employer, Keith M. Long, DDS, made a donation of $500 to Relay for Life which entitled him to sponsor a team.

Falgout convinced the office staff to have their own team, which is the relay's newest team this year, starting on May 6.

She said she will continue to have a team to celebrate cancer survivors and to remember those who lost their fight, adding that her goal is cancer education. She would like to start with the team captains so they could pass the information on to their team members and they, in turn, can pass the information on to family and friends.

 

 

This is Lucerne resident Beth Berinti's seventh Relay for Life.

Berinti, who lost her mother to cancer, is a cancer survivor herself since 1991. She started on a team from work her first year; was a team captain and committee chair for four years, event chair for two years and this year is online chair.

“I will be involved in Relay until there is a cure for cancer,” she said.

 

 

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