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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The National Weather Service issued a frost advisory for Wednesday morning and also for frost conditions expected Thursday and Friday morning.
The area in Lake County expected to be affected is north of Upper Lake, including the Mendocino National Forest and Lake Pillsbury.
During the day on Wednesday and on Wednesday night, that area also is forecast to have double-digit winds — topping out at more than 20 miles per hour.
On Thursday, there is a 20-percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11 a.m.
Conditions in that area are forecast to have daytime highs in the low 60s and nighttime temperatures that drop into the high 30s.
Temperatures are expected to warm up as the weekend arrives, with temperatures during the day rising into the mid-70s and nighttime temperatures reaching the mid-40s.
Elsewhere around the county this week, in Kelseyville, patchy frost is expected on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.
On Wednesday, the south county could see winds of more than 20 miles per hour during the day and up to 44 miles per hour at night, when wind gusts could hit 55 miles per hour.
On Thursday night, south county winds are forecast to be around 16 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 21 miles per hour.
South county temperatures are predicted to rise into the mid 80s by early next week, with nighttime temperatures reaching about 46 degrees, the forecast said.
During the same time frame, the rest of the county is expected to see daytime temperatures in the high 70s with temperatures ranging form the mid-40s to the mid-50s at night.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. — After a year off due to the pandemic, the annual Catfish Derby returned this month, with record registrations and lots of big fish.
Timing is everything. The 37th annual Catfish Derby was canceled in 2020, one of the county’s first major events to be a casualty to the pandemic.
In 2021, the Derby planners had a tough decision to make: Forego the Derby one more year or change it up to meet the COVID-19 restrictions and, hopefully, get enough entries to cover the upfront cash outlay and prizes required.
“We made the right decision,” said Derby Director Dennis Locke. “We actually had a record number of pre-registrants and more total entries than in 2019.”
Locke added, “In 2019 it rained and we registered 781 anglers. This year, we registered 882.”
“The pandemic threw us for a loop. We spun our wheels a little then took a leap of faith,” said Camille Gouldberg, president of the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association.
For 37 years, the business association has sponsored the Derby. The proceeds support the Clearlake Oaks community including schools, sports, senior programs and other activities.
Throughout the three-day fishing tournament, the grins on the faces of the children and adults spoke volumes.
Seven-year-old Lillie Perez from Clearlake Oaks has been fishing with her parents since she was 2.
Lillie brought in her biggest catch ever, a 17.88-pound catfish, scoring fifth place in the 10 and under kids’ division.
In the same division, Scarlett Riordan of Lakeport scored first place, winning $100 with her 22.43-pound catch. Scarlett is 8 years old and has been fishing with her family since she was a youngster.
In the two kid divisions, seven of the 10 winners were locals, the remaining three were from Citrus Heights, Folsom and Marysville.
A complete list of the winners can be found on the Business Association website under derby standings, www.clearlakeoaks.org.
Robert Cooker, a first-time derby participant from Sacramento, was all smiles holding his $5,000 first prize check for his 23.72-pound catch.
Cooker said he remembered fishing as a kid but had only recently taken up fishing as an adult. “My birthday was May 11,” he said. “It’s been a good birthday week!”
Asked if he would be back next year, Cooker said yes. “Heck, I’ll probably be back next week!”
Donnie Hall, a longtime derby participant from San Jose, took second prize in the adult division, $1,000, for his 23.57-pound catch.
Unlike Cooker, Hall and his brother, Steve Johnson, are derby regulars. “We’ve been fishing in the Derby for 23 years and over time added others to our team, sparking a brotherhood we call the Katfish Posse,” Hall said. “Our numbers change from time to time but at present, there are 15 of us.”
In 2001, Hall’s brother broke the record derby catch with his 32.5-pound catfish, a record he still holds. That year, Johnson won a boat.
Hall and Johnson began fishing off the shore and soon learned boat fishing was a better way to go. “I helped my brother get his first boat and he always said if he ever won a boat, he’d give me his. He kept his word and the next year we had two boats and room for friends,” Hall said.
Of the decision to cancel the Derby in 2020 and the changes this year, Hall said the past year had been hard on everyone.
“I’m in the construction business and had to make big adjustments, so I understood why the 2020 derby was canceled,” he said. “Although I was not able to bring my wife, a disabled veteran, because of the weigh-in location, I’m so glad you brought back the Derby this year. Thank you all for what you do.”
On his way out, Hall thanked his old friend Locke, giving him a quick hug.
Locke, who led the Derby planning team through the ups and downs of a tough decision, said, “That’s what makes this all worthwhile. Guys like Donnie, who come back year after year, bringing their friends and families to Clear Lake.”
He added, “No awards ceremony, no music, no food and no raffles this year. Just fishing with family and friends and reconnecting after a long year of isolation, a build-it-and-they-will-come kind of moment.”
As in past years, Lower Lake High School student volunteers helped out the entire three days of fishing.
On the last day, Evelyn, a sophomore, was on hand early in the morning. Evelyn had already completed her community service hours but decided to volunteer anyway.
“Drama is my love and this is my first-time volunteering at the Derby,” she said. “I like the Derby and want to come back next year.”
This year, 66% of the Derby participants came from out of county and 34% from within Lake County.
For more information about the 37th Annual Catfish Derby and a complete listing of the winning entries, check the website, www.clearlakeoaks.org; the Facebook page, Catfish Derby At The Oaks; or send an email to
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The council will meet for a 5 p.m. budget preparation workshop before the regular meeting convenes at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 20, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.
The public may attend, however, the council chambers will have limited capacity and attendees must adhere to masking and social distancing mandates.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the city's YouTube channel or the Lake County PEGTV YouTube Channel. Community members also can participate via Zoom.
The agenda can be found here.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to Administrative Services Director/City Clerk Melissa Swanson at
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 20.
Each public comment emailed to the city clerk will be read aloud by the mayor or a member of staff for up to three minutes or will be displayed on a screen. Public comment emails and town hall public comment submissions that are received after the beginning of the meeting will not be included in the record.
Under council business, City Manager Alan Flora will ask the council to authorize him to execute an exclusive negotiation agreement with DANCO Communities for a portion of a property at 14795 Burns Valley Road.
The city previously closed escrow on a 31-acre property on Burns Valley Road with the intent of creating a mixed-use development, as Lake County News has reported.
Flora said staff have been working with the Burns Valley Sports Complex Ad Hoc Committee regarding designs for the recreation amenities at the property and have been in discussion with DANCO Communities, a housing developer from Arcata, about developing mixed income housing on a portion of the site.
“The project is still in the early design phase, but we currently expect development of approximately 85 units of mixed income housing. The project will be funded primarily with Disaster Tax Credits, which DANCO will be applying for on July 1st,” Flora said.
He said the city expects to commit a portion of the $7.5 million of the 2018 Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding that is allocated to the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport to this project.
Flora said the city and DANCO expect construction to begin in 2022.
Total investment in this project is expected to be approximately $50 million, Flora said.
In other business, Flora will ask the council, in its dual role as the Clearlake Redevelopment Successor Agency, to take action to declare a 29 acre property at 2890 Old Highway 53 as surplus so it can offer the property to developers.
In December, Flora said the successor agency approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with Summitt Development for future purchase of the property.
“Negotiations with the developer have been unfruitful and on May 9th Summitt Development notified the City they would like to withdraw from the agreement,” Flora wrote in his report.
To be able to reoffer the property, Flora said there are several steps that must be initiated, including declaring it surplus.
Also on Thursday, the council will get an update on May’s adoptable dogs, present proclamations declaring May 22 to 28 as Safe Boating Week and May as California Tourism Month, hear a presentation by Pacific Gas and Electric regarding the outlooks for its public safety power shut-offs and wildfire safety efforts, and get the Lake County Tourism Improvement District’s annual report.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are not considered controversial and are usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants; minutes of the April 14 Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting; and receive and file the Clearlake Waste Solutions notice of intent to adjust rates July 1.
The council will meet in closed session following the public portion of the meeting to hold another conference in ongoing negotiations with the Clearlake Municipal Employees Association, Clearlake Police Officers Association and Clearlake Middle Management Association.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
That announcement was in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new guidance last week that said fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
The California Department of Public Health said that, as of May 3, face coverings are no longer required outdoors except at crowded events, and for unvaccinated people, when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
In indoor settings outside of one's home, including public transportation and schools, face coverings continue to be required regardless of vaccination status, CDPH said.
“California has made amazing progress in our fight against COVID-19. With more than 34 million vaccines administered, we now have among the lowest case and positivity rates in the nation,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly.
On June 15, California plans to implement the CDC’s guidelines around masking to allow fully vaccinated Californians to go without a mask in most indoor settings, Ghaly said.
“This four-week period will give Californians time to prepare for this change while we continue our relentless focus on delivering vaccines, particularly in underserved communities,” Ghaly reported.
He added, “We urge all Californians to get vaccinated to ensure that infection and hospitalization rates remain low across the state and that we can all return to the activities we love.”
For more information, visit www.covid19.ca.gov.