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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Area Merchants Association is seeking concept sketches for a gateway to Middletown.
The gateway will span 15 to 20 feet wide and be about 12 to 18 feet tall.
It will be installed on the east side of Highway 29 in the open space near Perry’s Deli. This is not an arch over a road as much as it is an artful welcome to Middletown.
Design motifs or elements should include, or be inspired by one or several of the following: Mountains, trees, rustic, rural lifestyle, expansive skies and stars.
Materials should be sturdy and durable including metal or stone, with the possibility of a stone or concrete base for planters, or planters built into the design.
The committee is open to any combination of durable materials and design elements.
The gateway or arch should say “Middletown” or “Welcome to Middletown.” The design should also include a feature to hang banners from to inform the public of what’s happening in Middletown.
For this preliminary phase and call for work, a hand-rendered conceptual sketch or thumbnail is requested. Two or three submitted sketches will be selected by the MAMA Board and MAMA Beautification Committee to move on to the next phase.
In phase two, a small stipend will be provided to flush out selected designs, in a preliminary fashion, for community input and fundraising.
In phase three, the selected design concepts will be reworked, developed and engineered for safety and longevity.
Preliminary concept sketches are due no later than Saturday, March 14, via email or US post.
Please send scanned sketches or photos of sketches to
For questions, email is the same, or call 707-809-8118 and someone will return your call.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. – In a special Monday evening meeting, the Lakeport City Council approved a contract for a new sidewalk in Library Park.
In a 4-0 vote, the council approved awarding the Library Park Sidewalk Replacement Project to Granite Construction, which submitted the lowest of three bids staff opened last week. Councilman Kenny Parlet was absent for the meeting.
The project will remove and replace the sidewalk along the promenade that lines the lakeshore that was damaged, along with the seawall, in the 2017 and 2019 storms. West Coast Contractors is currently replacing the original damaged cinder block seawall with a sheet pile wall.
Public Works Director Doug Grider’s written report to the council said other aspects of the project will include installing trench drain and features, pipe sleeves, modification of existing light pole bases and relocation of existing light poles.
Because the storms triggered federal disaster declarations, Grider and his staff successfully pursued funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to build the new seawall and sidewalks.
Grider said Granite Construction was the lowest of three bidders at $399,495.
Grider said the other bidders were Mendocino Construction, $429,986, and Darren Taylor, $479,066.01.
The city engineer’s estimate for this project was $435,811.25, Grider said.
“We're very happy with these bids. We think they were very competitive,” Grider said.
Councilwoman Stacey Mattina asked when the work on the sidewalks will begin.
Grider said it will depend on when the seawall work is done, which it’s hoped will be completed by the end of March in order for the sidewalk work to start at the beginning of April.
In the meantime, Grider said it’s possible that they could do the center promenade which leads to the Carnegie Library.
Grider said the goal is to have the seawall and sidewalks done by Memorial Day weekend, with the rest of the finishing touches to the park – including placement of tables – to be completed by July 4.
City Manager Margaret Silveira told the council that the annual Wood and Glory show, which features classic boats and cars, has expressed interest in returning to Lakeport. That event takes place the week after Memorial Day.
Councilwoman Mireya Turner moved to approve the contract, with Mattina seconding and the council voting 4-0.
Grider told Lake County News after the meeting that the sidewalk work is expected to take three weeks to a month to complete.
The promenade area along the lakeshore will be 10 feet wide, with the middle 8-foot-wide section having a wood pattern stamped on the concrete and a 1-foot-wide unstamped plain concrete border on each side. That design, recommended by the Lakeport Parks and Recreation Committee, was approved by the council at its last meeting in December.
The other portion of the sidewalk work will extend in a t-shape from the lakeside to the fountain behind the Carnegie Library, said Grider. The fountain will remain in place.
That portion extending to the library fountain will be plain, unstamped concrete, so as to match the look of the other concrete around it, Grider said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
022420 Lakeport City Council special meeting agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
At the Clearlake City Council’s Thursday meeting, City Manager Alan Flora gave a report that included updates on efforts to pursue a wide variety of grants.
Flora said staff has been informed that the city has received a $268,500 grant from the California Office of Emergency Services to prepare for public safety power shutoff impacts.
He thanked City Clerk-Administrative Services Director Melissa Swanson and Police Chief Andrew White for doing most of the work on the application while he was on vacation.
The city also has preliminary approval for $160,000 in SB 2 planning grants for the purposes of increasing housing. Flora said uses include updating the zoning ordinance and new permitting software for the Community Development Department.
Flora said the city also is in line for at least $200,000 in noncompetitive Proposition 68 Per Capita Parks Grant funding. He said those funds will be used to upgrade the bathrooms at Austin Park.
Other funding the city is pursuing includes Community Development Block Grant disaster funding related to the Sulphur fire. Flora said the grant must be spent in the Clearlake zip code and it offers up to $1.1 million for multifamily housing.
He said the city has submitted the Hope Center project for consideration, and also is working on a proposal with the county for a veterans housing project on county-owned property behind Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital.
Flora said there is another round of funding the city wants to apply for from the same Community Development Block Grant funding source for the 2018 wildland fires. He said 80 percent of $1 billion has to be spent in four counties – Lake, Butte, Los Angeles and Shasta. Rules for that funding are pending as input is being taken, he said.
He said officials are set to visit the city this week to discuss the eligible programs for the 2018 fire grants. The grant proposals have to be focused on housing, but Flora said the city will try to argue for being able to spend the funds on economic development-related projects.
On Thursday, the city also submitted an application to GoBiz and Housing and Urban Development, Flora said.
Flora said the city has been working with Lake County Economic Development Corp. on the application for the grant which covers technical assistance for opportunity zone, housing tax credit programs and researching enhanced infrastructure financing districts.
The city has a good chance of getting those funds, he said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Little Red Schoolhouse in Cobb, located at 15780 Bottle Rock Road.
The dinner benefits Cobb Mountain Elementary School and its PTO’s goal to achieve nonprofit status.
Keeping with past tradition, there will be a silent auction, dessert auction and a raffle.
The silent auction will feature handmade items crafted by students and local artisans, themed classroom baskets and donations from local businesses.
The dessert auction will showcase decadent desserts made by community members.
Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. There is limited ticket availability. The event is for ages 21 and over.
The ticket price includes traditional St. Patrick’s Day dinner, live music, a raffle ticket and more. A vegetarian option is available. Appetizers are served before dinner. The Lions Club will provide a no-host bar.
Doors open at 6 p.m. Live music begins at approximately 8 p.m.
Tickets are available at Cobb Mountain Elementary School’s office and Mountain High Coffee & Books in Cobb during business hours, or may be purchased online (includes a small processing fee) here.
Cobb Mountain Elementary School is an anchor of the Cobb community and has provided stability during its many transitions throughout the years.
Everyone is invited to attend the event and support Cobb School and its programs.
If you cannot attend and would like to show your support, call, text or email Kristen Callahan to find out how, 707-791-9952,
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