News

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council will get an update on COVID-19 in the county, hold public hearings on a new safety assessment placard ordinance and the delinquent utility billing list, and consider approving a contract for off-site improvements for an apartment complex when it meets virtually this week.

The meeting will take place via webinar beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4

The agenda can be found here.

To speak on an agenda item, access the meeting remotely here or join by phone by calling toll-free 877-309-2074 or 213-929-4221. The access code is 887-783-896; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.

Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . To give the City Clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments prior to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Indicate in the email subject line "for public comment" and list the item number of the agenda item that is the topic of the comment. Comments that read to the council will be subject to the three minute time limitation (approximately 350 words). Written comments that are only to be provided to the council and not read at the meeting will be distributed to the council prior to the meeting.

On Tuesday, Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace will update the council on the progress to contain the COVID-19 outbreak in the county.

Also on the agenda is a public hearing for safety assessment placard ordinance.

City Manager Kevin Ingram’s report to the council explains that the ordinance establishes “a standardized system to inform the public of the condition of an inspected building and the conditions under which inspected buildings and structures may be entered and occupied after a natural or manmade disaster has occurred.”

A second public hearing is scheduled for the council to confirm and approve the utility billing delinquency list and the associated resolution. Council also is expected to direct staff to submit the list to the County Auditor-Controller’s Office for inclusion on the property tax roll.

In other business, Ingram will ask the city to authorize him to enter into a construction contract with Pacific West Builders in the amount of $650,000 for the completion of the Martin Street Apartments Off-site Improvement Project.

Also on Tuesday, Police Chief Brad Rasmussen will present his department’s after action report on the Independence Day fireworks operations.

On the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on July 21; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the Mendocino Complex fire; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the February 2019 storms; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the October 2019 public safety power shutoff; confirmation of the continuing existence of a local emergency for the COVID-19 public health emergency; receipt and filing of the draft minutes of the July 15 Measure Z Advisory Committee meeting; and approval of the proposed addendum to the professional services agreement between the city of Lakeport and Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC, for the services of the city attorney.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has an adult cat and several kittens set for adoption this week.

The following cats at the shelter have been cleared for adoption.

Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm for information on visiting or adopting.

‘Shadow’

“Shadow” is a male domestic short hair cat with an all-black coat and gold eyes.

He has been neutered.

He is in kennel No. 66, ID No. 6237.

Gray tabby kitten

This male gray tabby kitten has a short coat and green eyes.

He is in cat room kennel No. 108A, ID no. 13810.

Gray tabby kitten

This female gray tabby kitten has a short coat and green eyes.

She is in cat room kennel No. 108B, ID No. 13811.

Brown tabby kitten

This male brown tabby kitten has a medium-length coat and gold eyes.

He has been neutered.

He is in kennel No. 147A, ID No. 13779.

Tortie kitten

This female kitten has a medium-length tortie coat and gold eyes.

She has been spayed. She is in kennel No. 147B, ID No. 13780.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Saturday night two-vehicle crash on Highway 20 claimed the life of a man and child from Marysville and seriously injured a Stockton woman.

The crash, which involved a motorcycle and a car, occurred at 10:10 p.m. Saturday on Highway 20 five miles west of Walker Ridge Road and eight miles from the Lake-Colusa County line, according to the Sunday report from the California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office.

The CHP said a 42-year-old man and a 7-year-old boy riding as his passenger on a 2018 Harley Davidson motorcycle died following the crash. Their names were not released on Sunday pending notification of next of kin.

The report said the motorcyclist was driving westbound on Highway 20 at an unknown speed, approaching a slight right-hand curve in the roadway, with the child seated behind him.

Andrea Bales, 43, was driving a 2016 Mazda CX5 eastbound at approximately 55 miles per hour, approaching a slight left-hand curve in the roadway and the location of the motorcycle, the CHP said.

The CHP said the motorcyclist lost control as he approached the curve, with the Harley Davidson veering across the solid double yellow lines and crossing into the oncoming lane.

Bales began to negotiate the curve as she saw the motorcycle completely in the eastbound lane, directly in her vehicle's path of travel, the CHP said.

Bales tried to avoid a crash by sharply turning her vehicle to the left and heavily applying the brakes but was unable to, and the CHP said she collided head-on with the motorcycle.

Following the collision, the Marysville man succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene, the CHP said.

The child was transported by ambulance to Adventist Health Clear Lake, where the CHP said he died of his injuries.

The CHP said Bales also was transported to Adventist Health Clear Lake and was treated for major injuries as a result of the collision.

The report said all three individuals were using their safety equipment.

At the time of the Sunday report, the CHP said alcohol was not suspected to be a factor in the collision.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Thanks to a $50,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts made possible by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES Act, the Middletown Art Center will be able to support and expand its operations to better serve the Lake County community through the arts during the pandemic and beyond.

MAC is one of 855 grant recipients of 3,100 eligible organizations that applied to the NEA for CARES funding. Fifteen percent of the awards were given to rural organizations with budgets under $250,000, of which MAC is one.

The grant comes in the wake of the five-year anniversary of the MAC, an event which was overshadowed by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic and the resulting shutdown of MAC’s in-person programs.

Since then, MAC Programs Director Lisa Kaplan has scrambled to transfer scheduled classes and events to an online and/or socially distanced format and seek funding in an effort to keep the organization afloat.

The CARES grant, which provides funding from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, not only offers financial breathing room at a difficult time, it is a life saver for the art center, both now and for the future.

“This money is a bridge to help us get through the next six to 12 months. It was crucial to get a stimulus at a time when we might have had to close our doors,” Kaplan said.

While it is rare for grants to be awarded to nonprofits for operational costs, this one provides funds to pay for two current jobs and one new one and will help defray rent and utilities expenses.

The grant also serves to bolster the organization, enabling it to adapt its programs in response to social distancing requirements. Thanks to the grant, MAC will be able to provide a series of subsidized art making workshops.

According to Kaplan, the grant is a game changer. These funds are particularly critical now because there is no income from site-based events or space rentals at this time.

Even with the grant, community support is crucial to the MAC’s survival.

As Kaplan explained, “In order to sustain the MAC this year and beyond, we need community support in the form of attendance at our adapted programming, participation in classes (whether online or in person where distancing can be maintained), memberships, donations, and purchases of artwork.”

Artwork is now offered at a reduced cost to support artists, the MAC and art lovers. “There is an extra special feeling that one gets from being at home in a room where there is beautiful, original artwork,” Kaplan said.

To realize a larger vision of MAC, in January Kaplan began talking with Nicola Chipps, an interior designer and art curator from the Napa Valley, with the intent of expanding MAC’s outreach to artists outside Lake County, as well as helping local artists become known beyond our area.

Chipps, who owns the wine country design firm Chipps Interiors and served most recently as curator for the CAMi Gallery in Calistoga, has extensive contacts in the art world which can be leveraged to benefit the MAC and artists both inside and outside Lake County.

The grant will enable Chipps to join Kaplan in program development and serve as MAC’s curatorial advisor. Her role will be to put MAC artists on the map outside of Lake County by utilizing a variety of tools. Of these, digital strategies are of particular importance during this time of pandemic.

Chipps considers her involvement at MAC a passion project. She believes that Lake County is an underserved arts community and that getting the CARES grant is a wonderful step forward.

“I’m moved by the dedication, talent and ongoing efforts of those involved with the center,” Chipps said. “There is an extremely rich art community here and the grant will enable MAC to sustain its efforts through a highly uncertain year. It enables MAC to continue to be innovative, and, most of all, to be accessible.”

Chipps, Kaplan and Michael Chandler of Third Eye Visuals collaborated to create an annotated virtual tour of MAC's current exhibit, “DREAMS.” Virtual exhibits are one of the tools the MAC will continue to utilize to provide a viewing experience and extend MAC's reach. The virtual tour can be accessed here.

Also made possible by the grant is support for an outreach and development director to engage with tasks previously accomplished by volunteers or consultants and funding to bolster the operations coordinator's position. MAC will soon issue a call for applicants.

In its five-year history, MAC has been awarded grants for a variety of community projects, thanks to the California Arts Council, the NEA, and Kaplan and her grant writing team’s efforts. These include “Resilience,” “RESTORE,” “LOCUS” and “Being Leonardo,” all of which are featured on the MAC website.

It is important to note that the MAC opened its doors in March 2015, just six months before the Valley fire tore through southern Lake County and devastated much of Cobb, Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake.

Fully half of the artists involved in MAC at that time, about 30 people, lost their homes and/or studios in the fire, including nine out of 10 of the EcoArts/MAC board members.

Trailside Park in Middletown, the site of the yearly EcoArts Sculpture Walk, an outdoor exhibit, was forever changed by the fire. All pieces installed in 2015 were damaged or destroyed. The Sculpture Walk reopened in 2019, but this year's exhibit and festive opening were stymied by COVID-19.

These impacts, coupled with tremendous loss throughout our community, were the motivation for most of MAC’s activities, including the bulk of projects funded by grants, which have been focused on community recovery through art.

In the spirit of local resilience, several new sculptures are being installed at the park and a new collaborative sculpture, spearheaded by Marcus Maria Jung, was recently installed on Rabbit Hill in Middletown as part of the “LOCUS” project.

When asked what stands out most to her over the past five years, Kaplan shared that the “Being Leonardo” project was a personal favorite.

A partnership between MAC and the Middletown Unified School District, “Being Leonardo” integrated art and science inside and outside the classroom through a collaboration between artists and teachers. The goal was to deepen student understanding of the natural world, art appreciation and real-world applications of form and function. The project was unfortunately cut short by school closures during the shelter-in-place.

As an artist who is passionate about education, Kaplan enjoyed infusing art into the community through student participation in the “Being Leonardo” project. Kaplan believes that children can pass on an appreciation of art and the natural world to their parents, extending the education experience beyond their own.

“Art is a way to non-verbally express our experience and interpretation of the world around us. It’s another way to connect with and understand our children and a way for children to find their voice and world view,” Kaplan explained.

In the words of MAC Board President Amanda Martin, “The ‘Being Leonardo’ project reached 350 students in grades third through 12 and was on track to reach 450 until disrupted by the pandemic. It is so important, especially for the youth, that we draw them into what it means to build and sustain community, and especially community through sharing the arts.”

As to what’s on tap for the future, Kaplan envisions projects that synthesize the past, present and future of this place – Lake County – as well as more projects with schools.

She hopes that MAC can provide multi-racial educational components (in her words, “multi-chromatic education”), perhaps to include working with local tribal members to incorporate traditional native arts and designs into art projects and working more with local artists of color.

Kaplan noted that MAC artists (like many local residents) share a deep connection with nature. Many choose to work with natural materials or create work about nature.

Starting with the EcoArts Sculpture Walk established in 2003 by Karen Turcotte Williams and John Williams, the organization has presented projects and exhibits that foster a connection between art and nature. These include sculptures that dialog with nature or encourage ecosystem recovery, indoor exhibits, and programs that help the local community get outside to enjoy nature and to deepen their connection with it.

Kaplan likes to say that the overarching goal of the MAC is to weave the arts into the fabric of Lake County communities. The CARES grant will enable them to continue to do this at a time when so many nonprofit organizations have had to close.

To learn more about the MAC or to donate or become a member, you may visit them at www.middletownartcenter.org .

Esther Oertel is a writer and food columnist for Lake County News. She lives in Middletown, Calif.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Nestled in the green and beautiful Big Valley between Kelseyville and Lakeport lies a hidden treasure of a farm called Edenberry.

It’s possible you’ve spotted their white and red farm stand on the corner of Stone Drive and Soda Bay Road. Perhaps you’ve stopped in and discovered homemade jams and vinegar or farm-fresh eggs.

If not, it’s worth a trip.

Husband and wife team Mike Edenholm and Pauline Biron, who hail from upstate New York and western Maine, respectively, have a 10-acre holding, all flat, of which nearly half (4.5 acres) is planted with blackberries and raspberries available for public picking.

The couple made their way to Lake County via the Cayman Islands. They wanted their daughter, now 9, to grow up in a rural environment as they did.

Interestingly, they found their destiny here by getting lost.

During a visit to Lake County in 2008, they lost their way and ended up meandering around the countryside in the area where they now live. That experience left them feeling that they had found the spot where they wanted to settle.

They bought their place in 2009 and after building a family farmhouse, they began living here permanently in 2016.

Their defining passion is to make healthy, delicious food available to children and families and to provide an experience of this through visits to their farm.

Five varieties of thornless berries – two types of blackberry and three raspberry – thrive in the ample berry patch in alternating rows arranged for easy picking.

Late season berries are currently in different stages of ripening, and as I walked through the fruit garden on a recent day, I became mesmerized by the jewel-like knobs of purples, reds, pinks and greens. I was lucky enough to be able to pluck some especially ripe berries off the canes for tasting.

The canes, which produce fairly quickly, were planted in 2017.

In addition to the berries, the couple planted an orchard with a variety of still young stone fruit trees, a full 300 of them, which may be ready for public harvesting as soon as next year; if not then, shortly thereafter.

Currently their modest crop of these fruits from not-yet-mature trees – peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries and pluots – is made into jams and fruit-infused vinegars. These are sold at their farm stand and at local farmers’ markets.

Their market garden produces melons, tomatoes, peppers and the like, which can also be found at the farm stand or at farmers’ markets when in season. Everything’s certified organic, from the berries to the fruit trees to their vegetable garden.

When they purchased the property, it contained an old walnut orchard. The trees, planted in 1902, were dying and therefore unsalvageable and had to be pulled out. Some walnut trees in a different location survived, however, and these lush green giants stand along a fence line, visible in the distance from the rows of berries. A cluster of beehives shaded under their ample branches belongs to a friend who houses them there.

Through my visit to the farm, I learned of grants and assistance available to small farmers.

The couple recently discovered that the National Resources Conservation Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture with an office in Lakeport, will pay for a hedgerow along their property line to serve as a natural border between their organic holding and the conventionally farmed vineyard next door. They’re currently deciding what to plant, with native plants such as elderberry and California wild grapes among the contenders.

A grant from the Good Farm Fund paid for 100 of the fruit trees in their orchard. The Good Farm Fund is a local organization that seeks to improve access to fresh, locally produced food by assisting small farmers in Lake and Mendocino counties.

As pleasing as the berries were, what especially fascinated me during my visit was learning of Birons’ fruit-infused vinegars.

She brews vinegar at the farm using the fruits that they grow. In addition to the stone fruits noted previously, they use their farm-grown pears and apples.

Their vinegar mother was made on the farm two years ago from apple cider vinegar. “Mother” in this case simply means a form of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria that develops during fermentation. This is added to cider or other liquids, such as wine, to produce vinegar.

Each vinegar is brewed in small batches, no more than five gallons at a time. Fruit is added throughout the aging process. This typically takes three months, though in the case of some fruits (pear, for example), more aging produces better flavor.

Their vinegars are sold raw with the mother, which makes them healthy as well as tasty. Each new batch of vinegar has some of the original mother in it.

In addition to brewing their own vinegar, traditional and white balsamic vinegar is imported from Modena, Italy for infusing with their farm grown fruit.

According to Biron, the balsamic vinegars are good on salads, roasted vegetables or even as a base for a cocktail shrub, an old-fashioned drink using sweet vinegar, soda water and citrus peel. Any form of distilled spirit can be added – gin, vodka, rum or another favorite.

The traditional (dark) balsamic vinegar is sweeter, while the white has a crisp, clean taste.

Their vinegars are sold at local and Sonoma County farmers’ markets, as well as at their farm stand.

If you’d like to visit Edenberry Farm, they’re open for berry picking and fruit stand visits from Memorial Day through Labor Day from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Their products can also be found at the Lake County Farmers’ Finest markets in Kelseyville near Steele Winery on Saturdays and at Lakeport Library Park on Tuesdays, as well as at Two Sisters Antiques on Main Street in Kelseyville.

For more information about Lake County Farmers’ Finest and its markets, visit their website here.

And finally, if you’ve got a hankering for fresh peaches (and who doesn’t?), the couple recommends the Fuzzy Peach Pit Stop, a nearby farm located on Davis Drive in Lakeport.

I reached out to owners John and Jennifer Crosswhite and learned that they have 107 peach trees of the August lady variety. These are a late season peach and the crop should be ripe for the picking by mid to late August.

While the public typically picks their own fruit at the Fuzzy Peach Pit Stop, the Crosswhites are undecided as to whether that will be offered this year due to concerns about COVID-19. If not, they’ll have their peaches packed and ready for sale.

I’d suggest calling the farm at 707-845-0187 for details or checking out their Facebook page, where they post current information.

Today’s recipe is for a peach-raspberry cobbler, courtesy of Pauline Biron. If you visit Edenberry Farm for raspberries and the Fuzzy Peach Pit Stop for peaches, the cobbler can be made the same day with freshly picked fruit. Now doesn’t that sound delicious?

Raspberry-Peach Cobbler

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter-flavored or regular shortening
1/3 to ½ cup ice water
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cups peeled and sliced peaches
3 cups fresh red raspberries (blackberries can be substituted)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon sugar
Light cream or vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

For cobbler crust, combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually pour in water and blend to form a dough. Divide into two portions of one-third and two-thirds.

On waxed paper pat or roll two-thirds of the dough to form a 12-inch square. Fit into the bottom and up the sides of an 8x8x2-inch baking dish. Trim pastry even with top of dish.

In a large bowl stir together the 1 ½ cups sugar, the cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in peaches and berries. Transfer to pastry-lined baking dish. Dot with butter or margarine.

Roll remaining pastry into a 9x8-inch rectangle. Cut into 8 1-inch-wide strips. Arrange over fruit in a lattice. Trim to fit dish or tuck ends under bottom pastry.

Mix the egg yolk and the milk. Brush the mixture over pastry. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar.

Place on a baking sheet for about 1 hour or until crust browns and filling is bubbly. Serve warm and top with cream or ice cream if you like.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa, Calif. She lives in Middletown, Calif.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has a brand new, big group of adoption-ready dogs.

Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of Belgian Malinois, border collie, chow chow, dachshund, Great Pyrenees, Labrador Retriever, pit bull, shepherd and terrier.

Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (additional dogs on the animal control Web site not listed are still “on hold”).

Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm for information on visiting or adopting.

Male border collie

This young male border collie has a short tricolor coat.

He is in kennel No. 5, ID No. 13838.

‘Solito’

“Solito” is a male pit bull terrier with a black and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 6, ID No. 13839.

‘Oso Panda’

“Oso Panda” is a male border collie with a long black and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 7, ID No. 13840.

‘Manotas’

“Manotas” is a male German Shepherd-pit bull mix with a long black and brindle coat.

He is in kennel No. 8, ID No. 13841.

‘Pina’

“Pina” is a young female pit bull terrier with a short tan and brindle coat.

She is in kennel No. 9, ID No. 13842.

‘Luna’

“Luna” is a female German Shepherd with a medium-length black and tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 10, ID No. 13843.

‘Maraposa’

“Maraposa” is a female German Shepherd with a medium-length black and tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 12, ID No. 13844.

Male pit bull terrier

This young male pit bull has a short brindle and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 14, ID No. 13831.

Female pit bull terrier

This young female pit bull terrier has a short brown and white coat.

She is in kennel No. 15, ID No. 13832.

Male pit bull terrier

This young male pit bull terrier has a short tan and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 16, ID No. 13833.

Labrador Retriever-Great Pyrenees mix

This young male Labrador Retriever-Great Pyrenees mix has a medium-length tan coat.

He has been neutered.

He is in kennel No. 19, ID No. 13821.

‘Junior’

“Junior” is a male terrier-dachshund mix with a short red coat.

He is in kennel No. 20a, ID No. 13829.

‘Lucy’

“Lucy” is a female terrier with a short black coat.

She is in kennel No. 21, ID No. 13830.

‘Mugsy’

“Mugsy” is a male pit bull terrier with a short tan and white coat.

He is in kennel No. 26, ID No. 13797.

Female Belgian Malinois

This female Belgian Malinois Shepherd has a short black and tan coat.

She is in kennel No. 31, ID No. 13793.

Male chow chow

This male chow chow has a medium-length black coat.

He is in kennel No. 33, ID No. 13795.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.