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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. — Two locally owned Lake County restaurants will receive a financial boost from the California Restaurant Foundation and The PG&E Corporation Foundation from grants to invest in equipment upgrades, workforce training and more — all intended to help keep them in business and thrive.
The PG&E Foundation’s $1.1 million charitable contribution is funding $5,000 grants to 188 hometown restaurants in 29 counties in Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s (PG&E) service area.
The contribution also provides operating support for the California Restaurant Foundation, which administers the grant program. The funding comes from PG&E shareholders, not customers.
Lake County’s winning restaurants are Angelina’s Bakery and the Ripe Choice Farm and Catering, both located in Lakeport.
The PG&E Foundation’s contribution to CRF’s Restaurants Care Resilience Fund will help grantees pay for equipment and technology upgrades, unforeseen hardship, employee retention bonuses and training to help restaurant owners invest in their business and people.
Grants were made available to California resident restaurant owners with fewer than five locations and less than $3 million in revenue, and prioritized minority- and women-owned businesses.
Since 2021, PG&E and the PG&E Foundation have contributed $4.3 million in funding to the CRF’s Restaurants Care Resilience Fund, providing grants ranging from $3,000 to $5,000.
In total, PG&E has funded grants to 675 restaurants and caterers in Northern and Central California.
“Our North Coast restaurants — many of them owned by local families who live in our communities — are the places where we love to gather, celebrate and make memories. These small businesses also help drive our local economies. We’re grateful for our partnership with the California Restaurant Foundation that allows PG&E to support local restaurants and ensure their ongoing success,” said Dave Cany, vice president of PG&E’s North Coast Region.
For more information on the California Restaurant Foundation, Restaurants Care, or the Restaurant Resilience Fund, visit restaurantscare.org.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Redwood Credit Union, or RCU, is helping bring fresh, local food to more tables through a $10,000 grant to the Good Farm Fund, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening local economies and increasing food access across the communities it serves.
RCU’s longstanding partnership with Good Farm Fund supports the economic viability of small farms in Lake and Mendocino counties.
By financially empowering local farmers, RCU ensures that the benefits of sustainable agriculture are accessible to those who need it most.
This funding is part of RCU’s broader mission to create social impact by aligning its core business with community investment.
“We are very fortunate to have the support of Redwood Credit Union, an organization which has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to supporting local farms and food security across the region,” said Caroline Radice, project coordinator of Good Farm Fund.
Through the grant from RCU, Good Farm Fund is providing agricultural producers with essential funding for capacity-building projects critical to their business success.
With RCU’s support:
• Walnut grower Round River Farm purchased machinery needed to shift from wholesale to consumer packaging due to changing market conditions.
• Peace and Plenty Farm, the largest grower and producer of saffron in North America, purchased and installed a temporary greenhouse helping to extend spring and fall growing production.
• Fourth generation family-owned Oak Valley Farm installed fencing to protect its melon and squash crops from wildlife.
“By expanding access to healthy food, we’re not just nourishing bodies—we’re helping build stronger, more resilient families, farms, and communities,” said Matt Martin, RCU’s SVP of community and government relations. “Grants like this one reflect our purpose: to inspire hope and elevate the financial well-being of our communities one person at a time, through good times and bad.”
Previous RCU grants to Good Farm Fund have provided direct support for small farms including Cerro Negro Farm, Coming Home to Country Farm, Folk Life Farm, Headwaters Grazing, Inland Ranch Organics, Irene’s Garden, Rancho Mariposa & Cinnamon Bear Farm and Wavelength Farm.
RCU’s partnership with Good Farm Fund exemplifies its dedication to fostering economic vitality and food equity across the region.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Jacobs Engineering, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s lead engineering design contractor, is hosting a virtual small business outreach event on July 30.
The event, which will take place from 9 to 11 a.m., will explore upcoming business opportunities at the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine in Clearlake Oaks.
The 160-acre Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine site is an abandoned open pit mercury mine on the shoreline of Clear Lake south of Clearlake Oaks.
The EPA is leading the cleanup of the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine site under the CERCLA program, also known as Superfund.
Engineering designs are currently being developed for the estimated $94 million cleanup action, which is expected to be constructed in four phases over about five years, starting in 2026.
Jacobs Engineering is the EPA's lead engineering design contractor and will also provide oversight throughout the project's construction. EPA and Jacobs recognize that skilled local subcontractors have an essential role to play in the success of this project.
There are a range of activities that Jacobs is seeking to subcontract to local businesses in the near term and a much wider range of opportunities to bid on over the next several years.
To receive log in/call in information for this virtual event, please fill out the brief questionnaire at https://forms.office.com/r/6q3znv7sM0.
For additional information about the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine Superfund site, visit http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sulphurbankmercury.
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- Written by: Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce
CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce will host its next dinner meeting on Tuesday, July 29.
The meeting will be held at Highlands Bar & Grill.
For more information, email or