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I want a Whole Foods Market in Clearlake.
Those people who regularly read my column know that I have always supported local businesses and patronize the mom ‘n’ pop stores whenever possible.
So it may seem odd that I am calling for another franchise chain to take up residence here, but I have several reasons why I think a Whole Foods Market would be a benefit to our community.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the model of Whole Foods, they are a grocery store that offers mostly organic food, homeopathic remedies, and unique house wares. They are not a discount grocery store, but what they offer is high quality produce and products that promote a healthful lifestyle.
I have a recurring list of things to pick up from Whole Foods Market whenever we are near one, unfortunately that ends up being twice a year.
The paradigm of Lake County is changing. The population is growing, wineries are popping up like dandelions and upscale homes and family neighborhoods are becoming more common. We have a growing interest in farmers markets, community supported agriculture, and in locally produced foods.
Lake County has a very organic, vegetarian, health conscious population yet there are only a couple of health food stores, and for the most part they are no larger than the size of my living room. I try to visit all of these stores but since the nearest one to me is 20 miles away I don’t visit any of them as regularly as I would like. These factors suggest that a Whole Foods Market would be a good fit for our expanding and evolving community.
I even have the perfect location for a Whole Foods Market. The Lakeport Safeway has recently been remodeled to look like a foodie’s tourist destination, and now the Clearlake Safeway is slated to get a similar upgrade in the near future.
Unfortunately this will consist not of a remodel of the current location, but will actually be a complete move to a brand new location. The plan is to build an entirely new Safeway where the defunct water park currently is, and while this is good news for Safeway, I call it unfortunate for a couple of reasons.
Being a resident of Clearlake Oaks, my twice monthly major grocery runs consist of a 14-mile round trip. When Safeway moves to the water park location, it will add a few more miles onto the trip. People in the towns of Glenhaven and Spring Valley who have to drive a good distance anyway will then have even longer trips to make. And the people of Clearlake will no longer have a grocery store in the center of town.
Almost all of the major grocery stores will be crowded on the southeastern side of the city – Safeway, Ray’s and Walmart, with its expanded grocery section, all will be within sight of each other, and Foods Etc. not very far away from them.
With the recent move of the Rite Aid drugstore out of the Burns Valley Center, when Safeway leaves too there will be no major anchor store to draw customers to the smaller businesses in the center and they will suffer.
Launching a Whole Foods Market in the current Safeway location would be a good draw to help support the smaller businesses, while keeping a grocery store in a location easily accessible to the population of Clearlake. In addition, another large grocery store like Whole Foods would offer dozens of employment opportunities and revitalize the center of the community.
I’m sure that just like I have to drive to the other side of the lake for sashimi grade tuna at Bruno’s market and people from Lakeport drive across the lake to get the amazing steaks at the Lakeside Market, other people also would be interested in the products and goods that Whole Foods can provide and would commute to acquire these goods. So not only would Whole Foods profit from the city of Clearlake and all of the towns that surround it but from people from the other side of the lake that don’t have access to Whole Foods diversity.
Whole foods has a list of stores in development but the problem is that most of them are many times in a reasonable driving distance of Whole foods markets already in existence. Here in Lake County we would have to drive over an hour and over at least one mountain to get to a Whole Foods Market. If they were to open a Whole Foods Market in Clearlake they would be opening their doors in truly virgin territory not just expanding by inching through the cityscape.
Here's the bribe.
So, regional president of Whole Foods, I’m calling upon you to get a couple of friends and associates together contact me and I will give you all a personal tour of our county. We’ll look at the local communities that you would serve, I’ll give you a personal wine tasting tour, and show you how you could be on the ground floor of this evolving community.
We’ll call it a working vacation, market research, or just a chance to get away from the wife and kids, but I think you would really love it here.
Ross A. Christensen is an award-winning gardener and gourmet cook. He is the author of "Sushi A to Z, The Ultimate Guide" and is currently working on a new book. He has been a public speaker for many years and enjoys being involved in the community. Follow him on Twitter, http://twitter.com/Foodiefreak .
If you're curious about great local food and wine, you can now follow me on Twitter. Log onto www.twitter.com/foodiefreak and see what events I’ll be attending.
Sept. 3-5
Lake County Fair. Adults, $8; kids, 6 to 11, $5; age 5 and younger, free. Rides, exhibits, food. For gate opening and closing hours visit http://www.lakecountyfair.com/general-information.html .
Sept. 4
Meet the Winemaker, Blue Wing Saloon & Cafe. High Valley Winery Dustin and Bobbie Brassfield will be pouring their wines. 9520 Main St., Upper Lake; 707-275-2233 or www.bluewingsaloon.com .
Meet the Winemaker, Lake County Wine Studio, Reynaldo Robledo will be pouring six wines with appetizers. Cost is $10. Also featured will be an art show featuring Bernard Butcher's black and white photography. 9505 Main St., Upper Lake; 707-275-8030.
Sept. 5
Labor Day Weekend Concert, Moore Family Winery featuring C.A.M. Jam blues and classic rock. Doors open at 5 p.m.; show starts at 6 p.m. Ribs, chicken and corn on the cob cost $10; hot dog meal costs $5. 11990 Bottle Rock Road, Kelseyville; 707-279-9279 or www.moorefamilywinery.com .
Sept. 7
Labor Day Blues Concert, Blue Wing Saloon & Cafe, Upper Lake. Premier slide guitarist Roy Rogers. Show starts at 5 p.m. and includes a set by Gerald Mathis and Starlight. Tickets are $30. Sponsored by Gregory Graham Wines. Tickets available at the Blue Wing Saloon or the Tallman Hotel. 9520 Main St., Upper Lake; 707-275-2233 or www.bluewingsaloon.com .
Sept. 12
Wildhurst annual Wine Club Harvest Party. Caribbean theme with steel drum entertainers. Caribbean cuisine will be served by Watercolors Restaurant. Holdenried Ranch, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m . $45 per person for members, $55 for non-members. RSVP: 707-279-4302.
Sept. 18-19
Lake County Wine Auction, Kelseyville. Tenth annual wine auction and black-tie gala is a must-attend event that benefits local organizations and programs that support the arts, health and community. Local and regional wineries provide ample wine-tasting opportunities while local purveyors serve gourmet foods. Guests can enjoy live music amid the buzz of a silent auction and the energy and excitement of a live auction and have the opportunity to enjoy other special events such as winemaker dinners scheduled throughout the weekend. Sponsored by the Lake County Wine Alliance. 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. National Guard Armory, Hill Road, Lakeport. Cost is $100 per person. 707-278-0129, www.winealliance.org .
Sept. 24
Tapas Thursdays, Teo’s Lakside Bistro, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Thursday through October 22. $35 per person. This week Michael Noggle will pour his Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. 2570 Lakeshore Blvd., Nice. Tickets and information:
Sept. 25
An evening with Cowboy singer Dave Stamey, Wildhurst Vineyards courtyard. 6:30 p.m. $25 per person. Proceeds benefit Kelseyville FFA. 3855 Main St., Kelseyville. Information: 707-279-4302.
Sept. 26
Kelseyville Pear Festival, Main Street, Kelseyville. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Food, parade, exhibits, art show and sale. Information: 707-279-9022 or www.kelseyvillepearfestival.com .
Pear specialty drinks, Kelseyville. In conjunction with the Kelseyville Pear Festival, sommelier Stephanie Cruz-Green will create wine-based pear cocktails, such as pear-tinis and pear bellinis for festival-goers to enjoy. 3940 Main St. Information: 707-279-2112.
Harvest Education, Six Sigma Winery, Lower Lake. The Six Sigma Ranch vineyard team will lead a demonstration on "Harvest 101." The event includes grape picking followed by a light lunch served with Six Sigma wines. Cost is $25 per person. Reserve your spot by Sept. 21. Six Sigma Winery, 13372 Spruce Grove Road. Information: 707- 994-2086.
If you have a food or wine related event and would like to have it listed in the coming months, call Ross at 707-998-9550.
LAKE COUNTY – I don’t know about you, but for a fair weather, leisurely bike rider like me, the annual Konocti Challenge Bike Ride on Saturday, Oct. 3, is an awe-inspiring event.
Hundreds of intrepid bicyclists come from all over to tackle this challenging and beautiful ride.
There are four ride options, the 65 or 100 mile course following the circle of the lake, or the 19 or 30 mile family ride. All of the choices offer beautiful views and first class rest stops.
Pre-registration is Friday, Oct. 2, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lakeport Yacht Club. This is a benefit for the Rotary Club of Lakeport.
The ride release times for the 100, 65 and 30 miles rides are from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday morning with the 19 mile family ride having a mass start at 10 a.m.
I give the sponsors great credit for their honesty in their descriptions of the courses. While the really serious riders want this information so they can line out their strategy, the rest of us just gape in wonder at the changing elevations they expect you to be able to make.
The short version of the rides is as follows (for the nitty, gritty details you can get them on their Web site at www.konoctichallenge.com ).
The 100-mile ride is for riders who are really ready to test themselves, knowing they really earned the absolutely great steak and chicken dinner at the end a great day in the saddle.
The 65-mile ride is also not for the faint of heart! Like the 100 mile ride you will ease into the ride as you enjoy coasting along the beautiful Clear Lake shoreline keeping Mt. Konocti in your sights from across the lake. The 65 mile ride also offers some of the Challenge's greatest vistas. The Web site says you may want to pack a camera.
The 30-mile ride sets you on a course traveling south of Lakeport through rows of engaging orchards and quiet country roads.
The new 19-mile fun ride is designed for you and your family to spend a wonderful day of riding together enjoying beautiful Lake County and each other.
All rides offer full SAG support and rest stops along the way.
There really isn’t anywhere else that offers more beautiful countryside and magnificent views than Lake County, so if you choose to participate in one of the rides or just go out and cheer the riders on, it is a great way to spend a beautiful fall day in Lake County and support a great organization.
Pre-registration fees are $60 for the 100-mile ride, $50 for the 65-mile ride, and $40 for the 30-mile ride and $10 for 12 and under and $20 for 13 and over for the 19-mile family ride. Add $10 to the fees if you wait to register at the event. You can also get an official ride jersey for $75.
For more information you can call 707-349-0815 or see their web site at www.konoctichallenge.com .
CHP, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lakeport Police Department and the Clearlake Police Department will conduct the joint sobriety checkpoint.
“Our agencies have a zero tolerance approach of impaired drivers on our city and county roadways,” said CHP Area Commander Lt. Mark Loveless.
Loveless said funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“The desired result is to save lives and make everyone’s family summer excursion, for both our community residents and those visiting our beautiful county, a safe and pleasurable memory,” Loveless said.
The sobriety checkpoint will be staffed by officers and deputies from each department who are trained in the detection of alcohol and/or drug impaired drivers.
Drug recognition experts, certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will be on site to provide on the spot assessments of drivers suspected of drug use.
The officers and deputies will also be equipped with state of the art hand-held breath devices which provide an accurate measure of blood alcohol concentrations of suspected drunk drivers.
Cal-Trans employees will be on site providing traffic control in order to ensure the safety of officers and motorists alike.
Lt. Loveless said that, traffic volume permitting, all vehicles will be checked and drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, or unlicensed, can be expected to be arrested.
“Our goal is to ensure the safe passage of each and every motorist by targeting roads where there is a high frequency of drunk driving,” Loveless said. “Driving under the influence enforcement patrols as well as sobriety checkpoints are effective tools for achieving this goal and are designed to augment existing patrol operations. By publicizing our efforts, we believe that we can deter motorists from drinking and driving.”
A 20-year-old Ukiah man drowned Tuesday evening, the most recent in a string of summertime drownings that have occurred in that body of water, according to Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
“This is the most out there that I can remember for a long time,” Smallcomb told Lake County News on Wednesday.
Smallcomb said that Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies, Redwood Valley/Calpella Fire personnel, US Army Corp of Engineers personnel and California Highway Patrol were dispatched to Lake Mendocino at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday on the report of a possible drowning.
Officers arrived at Lake Mendocino Pomo B Swimming area and learned that the victim – a 20-year-old Ukiah man – had been swimming in the area, just past the ropes when he went under the water, Smallcomb said.
The man's friends attempted to retrieve him from the water without success before they telephoned 911 and requested assistance, according to Smallcomb.
The Mendocino County Sheriff's Dive Team was summoned to the location and began efforts to locate and retrieve the victim, who Smallcomb said they found at 9:40 p.m.
Smallcomb said the victim's name is being withheld until proper notification is made to the next of kin, who are believed to be living in Mexico.
According to the witnesses and friends of the victim alcohol did not play a part in the victim's death, Smallcomb said. He said toxicology tests on the victim are pending.
A Cloverdale man drowned in July, weeks after the death of a young Redwood Valley man. Smallcomb didn't have information on the third drowning previous to this latest incident.
Smallcomb said alcohol appeared to have been involved in the previous drownings.
He's unable to explain the increase in drownings this year over last, when he recalled having two such deaths.
Smallcomb said the sheriff's office's calls for service to Lake Mendocino are less this year, and the lake also doesn't appear to be as busy as far as boat traffic.
“I have no explanation for that,” Smallcomb said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
High temperatures Thursday should top off near the average temperature of 91 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento (NWS). Lows are predicted to be near 52 degrees.
According to the Old Farmers' Almanac, the record high for this date was 113° in 1924, which the county will be well below. The record low of 40 degrees for this date was set in 1921.
NWS states that it will be partly cloudy later Thursday and Friday. Some Bay Area meterologists are predicting that Friday will be warm and muggy, due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Ignacio moving through the area, which a chance of higher-elevation thunderstorms.
Both Saturday and Sunday will in the normal range, with highs around 90 degrees and lows in the 60s, according to the NWS.
The Weather Channel's long-range forecast predicts that Lake County will cool off a bit throughout next week with highs topping off in the 80s.
For up-to-the-minute weather, visit the LakeCoNews homepage.
E-mail Terre Logsdon at