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LAKEPORT – After a four-month hiatus from hosting performances in order to allow for the latest phase of its renovation project, the Soper-Reese Community Theatre will once again open its doors to the public beginning this coming week.
A Friday afternoon reception allowed community members to visit the building, located at 275 S. Main St., which has several new features after the latest renovation phase, which is being called “phase 2.1,” according to theater manager John Ross.
Most notably, the size of the stage has expanded, with new wheelchair-accessible walkways added on either side that extend out toward the audience. Those ramps were painted on Friday.
Also on Friday, the concrete for a new loading dock was poured.
Alongside of the building, facing Martin Street, is a new patio and courtyard area.
On Saturday, a new curtain will be hung across the stage, said Bert Hutt, the theater's artistic director.
The recent phase also included laying the foundation and doing the electrical work for the dressing room area that will extend out from behind the theater.
The Soper-Reese Renovation Project needs to raise a total of $1.3 million to complete it work.
The theater's first renovation phase cost $600,000, and phase 2.1 cost $220,000, said Ross.
In the next phase, they'll complete the dressing rooms, which Ross said will require $100,000. That phase also will include updates to the facade and the lobby, which will cost $350,000.
The theater's renovation has received $250,000 in federal Housing and Urban Development funds, $200,000 from the Lakeport Redevelopment Agency and funds from the county, including a recent allocation of $15,000, said Ross.
As the theater's fundraising committee goes about raising the rest of the money needed to finish the project, Ross said they're looking at all potential sources – including the community and grants.
Ross said the theater had stopped hosting events during the past four months to allow construction.
However events are starting up this next week and the theater will once again host a regular schedule of events.
Its first public event will be this Sunday, July 12, when the theater will host the memorial service for the late Joan Holman, an artist, writer, photographer and grand dame of local theater, who died June 5 at age 93.
“She has been a big supporter of the arts in Lake County,” said Hutt.
Later in the week, Lake County Community Radio, KPFZ 88.1 FM, will hold its inaugural Lake County Singer Songwriter Festival on Sundayy, July 19, at the Soper-Reese Theater in Lakeport. The event is a benefit for the nonprofit community radio station.
There are big hopes for the Soper-Reese, which will be one of the county's largest dedicated theater spaces.
In addition to hosting major events and performances, Hutt – who attended a community theater managers conference in Tacoma, Wash., earlier in the week – hopes to have a theater company based at the theater.
Visit the theater online at www.soperreesetheatre.com .
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
UPPER LAKE – If you are looking for a way to taste a variety of Lake County’s wines but can’t make a trip around the lake, Lake County Wine Studio should be your next wine destination.
Lake County Wine Studio is located across the street from the Blue Wing Saloon at 9505 Main St., Upper Lake.
The business showcases more than 20 wineries from around Clear Lake. Hours are Thursday through Sunday, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays.
Susan Feiler, the wine studio's owner, said she sees the business in a marketing role for the county's wines.
She wants to offer a tasting room experience to guests and locals who are seeking out the fine wines of Lake County and feature the boutique wineries and winemakers that do not have their own public tasting venue.
As well, she hopes to eventually represent and promote all Lake County wineries and artisan winemakers with at least one representative wine they produce in order to introduce their wine and present their story to wine aficionados and neophytes.
“I am also realizing my goal of presenting the talented artists of Lake County and their various mediums by showcasing an artist each month,” she said.
Wines are rotated on a regular basis so all wineries get their turn to be tasted. That offers visitors a good sense of the county's wine diversity.
“The list rotates and features five reds and five whites as well as a dessert wine,” said Feiler.
Feiler welcomes guests with her sunny personality and has a true passion for wine, especially the amazing wines Lake County has to offer. As she pours, the excitement shows on her face.
“You are going to love this wine,” she says as she pours a taste of Cabernet Sauvignon. Upon tasting, I agree with her.
When asked her philosophy on wine, Feiler explains, “Wine is a consumable work of art created by the conditions in which the grapes are grown and the talents of the winemakers. Enjoy your wine purchases in your lifetime. Create your special occasions and good memories with friends and family to celebrate your lives, the day, the triumphs and successes – for lesser reasons than scaling Mt. Everest or reaching your 50th wedding anniversary.”
On Fridays, the studio offers a revolving fondue menu. The first Friday of the month, the studio offers tasting of that month’s feature winery and patrons can view the new art to grace the walls. This offers the perfect way to start a weekend.
Monotony is not commonplace for the tasting menu. The revolution of the fondue and wine will leave anyone’s taste buds asking for a return visit. The ambiance, music, artwork as well as Feiler’s conversation will make it a regular stop on your weekend rounds, if not a monthly event to see the new art and taste the new feature winery.
For more information, call Lake County Wine Studio at 707-275-8030.
In the south county, Lake County Fire Protection Battalion Chief Willie Sapeta said they've seen just a few small fires in the district during the week, including a 50 by 50 foot area that burned on Thursday, and a few slightly smaller fires on Spruce.
The biggest fire recently occurred on Friday, July 3, and damaged the Kool and Cash building at 40th and Phillips Avenue, resulting in about $100,000 in damage, said Sapeta.
“We've been really fortunate so far,” he said. “We're holding our breath.”
Also on July 3, a fire off of Bridge Arbor North Road in Upper burned 10 acres in an orchard, according to Chief Jim Robbins of the Northshore Fire Protection District.
A fire lookout spotted the fire, said Robbins, noting that Lakeport Fire, Cal Fire and the US Forest Service also responded.
Robbins said he hasn't been able to find a cause for the fire, which occurred during the middle of the day. “Fires just don't start out in the middle of orchards by themselves,” he said.
That same day, Northshore Fire responded to a two-structure fire on E. Highway 20 and Oak Grove in Clearlake Oaks, said Robbins.
A large oak tree came down across power lines, sparking the fire, which scorched a fence and led to damage to the front of one house and to the garage of another. Robbins estimated damage at $80,000 for repairs to both homes.
Another small, two-acre grass fire was reported in Nice off of Spring Street before 5 a.m. Monday, said Robbins.
While neighbors claimed to have heard firecrackers prior to the fire being reported, Robbins said there was no evidence of fireworks, and the fire's cause is unknown.
Also on Monday, a six-acre fire was reported on Bartlett Springs Road. Robbins said the fire appeared to have come from a nearby campground before burning up a hill. That fire was handled by the US Forest Service and Cal Fire.
Kelseyville Fire reported a small, quarter-acre fire on Wednesday off of Clark Drive. The cause of the fire, located near homes, is under investigation.
Firefighters were able to quickly suppress a 22-acre fire in north Lakeport on Wednesday, as Lake County News has reported. Northshore and Lakeport Fire, as well as Cal Fire and the US Forest Service responded. The cause of the fire hasn't yet been reported.
On Thursday, a fire was sparked on Hutchins Road and Burpee Drive in Nice when a squirrel got into high tension lines. “It blew him up and the insulator,” said Robbins.
The explosion caught the ground on fire, burning just under an acre, said Robbins.
Conditions are so dry lately that fires can easily spark, and afternoon winds an add to the problem, he said.
No fires appeared to have resulted from illegal fireworks over the July 4 weekend, according to local fire chiefs.
“We went out and chased a bunch but never caught any,” said Sapeta.
Lakeport Fire Protection Chief Ken Wells noted that the holiday weekend was pretty quiet.
Lakeport Fire teamed up with Lakeport Police to confiscate illegal fireworks and make some arrests, including one felony case in which a man from San Francisco was found with a handheld flare launcher, Wells said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
On these occasions, however, I sometimes find it a little awkward to explain to them that I must also meet alone with the clients sufficiently in order to discuss their major decisions.
As explained below, there are very legitimate reasons why I, and any other attorney, must insist on meeting with the elderly clients alone.
First, an attorney is required to faithfully and confidentially serve the interests of his client(s) only. For that reason, the attorney must meet alone when discussing the client’s important estate planning decisions. The attorney can then assure his clients that he works for them only and that he would not divulge any confidences to anyone else (except with the client’s own permission).
With these assurances, the attorney is more likely to get to know his clients, their circumstances and their desires, and so become reasonably certain about his client’s true wishes.
On the other hand, were the client’s children to participate at the meeting the children might take charge of the discussion and might prevent the elderly parent(s) from saying something that they would prefer not to say with the children listening.
A confidential meeting protects both the attorney and the client’s true objectives should someone later-on, in attacking the estate plan, allege that the estate plan is the product not of the client’s wishes but of someone else’s wishes.
Next, the attorney must also be satisfied that the client has the required mental capacity to sign estate planning documents. That is, he must examine the elderly clients’ abilities to communicate and understand what is being discussed; to understand and appreciate the nature and consequences of their decisions to themselves and others; and to make reasoned choices.
For example, in order to sign a will, a person must understand that a will takes effect at death and that it directs the distribution of their estate. They must also know the character and extent of their assets (e.g., that they own a home, two cars, a savings and a checking account), and know and recollect their close family members. And, they must be able to devise a way of giving what they have to whom they want.
If the attorney is uncertain about a client’s mental capacity he may wish to see the client again at a time when the client may be more alert. He may also want to seek the opinion of the client’s primary care physician, or if necessary a specialist, regarding the client’s mental capacity. Where possible, these alternatives should be first discussed privately with the clients.
Even with testamentary capacity present, the attorney also needs to know that the client is acting out of free will and is not subjected to “undue influence” of others pressuring the client about their estate planning.
Consider an elderly person who lives with one child, or spends time only with one child, who is isolated and does not communicate much with other friends and family. One can easily foresee in that case how other interested persons could later on allege that undue influence was exerted over the elderly person in order to attack the estate plan as someone else’s wishes.
Lastly, after as a sufficient meeting, the family can return to the room. Then, they may perhaps provide further relevant information and the attorney, with the client’s permission, may answer some questions. The purpose after all, is not to distance anyone but to do right by the client.
Dennis A. Fordham is an attorney licensed to practice law in California and New York. He earned his bachelor's degree at Columbia University, his juris doctorate at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and his LL.M in taxation at New York University. He concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning and aspects of elder law. His office is at 55 First St., Lakeport, California. He can be reached by e-mail at dennis@dennisfordhamlaw , com or by phone at 707-263-3235.
LAKE COUNTY – Officials are still investigating the cause of a fire that burned near homes in north Lakeport on Wednesday.
Two fires merged and created a larger blaze, which Cal Fire investigators on Thursday said burned a total of 22 acres.
The fire threatened several dozen homes in the Lakeside Heights subdivision near Sutter Lakeside Hospital, as well as the subdivision's former clubhouse, now a private residence, and a recent development just east of the fire area.
A single structure, located 600 feet west of the nearest residence, was destroyed in the blaze. The building was used as a storage area as well as housing utility and service equipment specific to the subdivision.
Lakeport Fire Protection District Chief Ken Wells said he had two engines and a water tender on scene from his agency, along with three engines from Northshore Fire, and an engine and a water tender from the US Forest Service.
Cal Fire had four engines, one helicopter, one air attack, three air tankers and a hand crew on scene, said Wells.
Only the helicopter dropped water – mostly on the burning building – while the air tankers and spotter circled overhead. “I held them in orbit for a while,” said Wells, explaining that the planes can help spot additional fires in such situations.
Each successive water drop by the helicopter extinguished the building's fire, with the resulting electrical arcing reigniting the heavy wood framing left smoldering under the buildings collapsed tile roof.
Firefighters eventually extinguished the remnants of the structure but were initially ordered not to attack the building from the ground due to the live heavy voltage electrical connections contained therein.
Wells initially had organized the response, which was then handed over to Cal Fire because the blaze was located in the state responsibility area (SRA).
Later, Wells said he looked toward Nice and saw smoke coming from the Robin Hill area off of Lakeshore. There, they found a third and separate grass fire, measuring about 100 feet by 100 feet, which they extinguished.
Cal Fire Capt. Bob Farias was called to the scene late Wednesday afternoon and began his investigation as soon as the bulk of ground personnel had left the site.
He said he's trying to determine the ignition points of the two separate fires as well as the cause of each.
He returned Thursday and was joined by a Cal Fire command engineer, and they began dissecting the clues left behind in the charred fuel bed.
By the end of the day Thursday, Farias could not offer any solid conclusions as to the cause of the two fires.
Also on scene Thursday were three AT&T trucks working to restore communication lines. Pacific Gas and Electric workers appeared to have their work completed earlier in the day.
Elizabeth Larson contributed to this report.
E-mail Harold LaBonte at
The low weather system that has predominated throughout the week pulling cool air from the north will move across Lake County on Saturday, allowing warmer temperatures that are closer to normal July temperatures to move back into the area beginning Saturday afternoon into Sunday.
The Weather Channel predicts that highs Friday and Saturday will reach the mid- to upper-80s, and begin increasing into the 90s on Sunday, which will then usher in a return to normal beginning on Monday, when highs should reach the mid-to upper-90s.
Skies should be sunny to mostly sunny Saturday and Sunday, according to The Weather Channel forecasts, with lows in the mid-5 to upper-50s throughout the weekend.
Tuesday is expected to be the warmest day next week, with a high temp near 100 degrees, but cooling a few degrees each day through mid-week.
The National Weather Service in Sacramento forecasts that Lake County weather will be a few degrees cooler each day than The Weather Channel predicts.
For updated weather, please follow the "Forecast" link on the LakeCoNews homepage.
E-mail Terre Logsdon at