LAKEPORT, Calif. – “Prom” – the word evokes images of corsages, fancy gowns, limo rides, perfectly-posed portraits and carefree teens dancing their hearts out into the wee hours of the morning.
For many, this event is looked back upon fondly by adults. Unless you're a chaperone, however, you won't likely get to attend another prom after high school – until now.
The Lake County Theatre Co. is bringing back the popular adults-only (21 and over) prom on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport.
The event will feature the band The Fargo Brothers.
The theme of the prom will be “Bounce Back to the 1980s.”
Attendees are encouraged to come dressed to the nines from the 1980s and a costume contest will be part of the fun.
There will be prizes for the best-dressed and, of course, a prom king and queen will be crowned.
Aside from music our prom will feature a bar and refreshments, a photographer, contests, a raffle, and much more. Specific details will be updated at the theater company’s Web site at www.lakecountytheatrecompany.org .
This event is a fundraiser for LCTC's Joshua Phillips-Blair Memorial building fund. This nonprofit organization rents various buildings around the lake for storage, rehearsals and performances, but the vision is to have a building to call the theater home.
LCTC has steadily been raising money for the cause over the past few years with fundraisers such as the Mr. Lake County Pageant and the Crappy Christmas Carolers, and are excited to add adults-only prom to that list.
Advance ticket sales are $25 per person, $40 per couple. At the door, tickets will be $30 per person or $50 per couple.
The party officially starts at 8 p.m. Feb. 18. There will be dance lessons by Zoe and Larry Richardson at the start which might provide an edge for the dance contest later in the evening.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – This month, talented young poets from around Lake County will share their work and seek the chance to advance to state and national poetry competitions.
The Poetry Out Loud Lake County Competition takes place at the Soper Reese Theatre on Sunday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m.
This year's event features competitors from Middletown and Clear Lake High Schools. Winners at this event will go on to compete at the state level.
The public is invited to attend; entry is free of charge.
The event is supported and promoted by the Lake County Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation and the California Arts Council.
Poetry Out Loud is national program intended to help students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, learn about their literary heritage and compete for college scholarship funding.
Millions of high school students participate across the country with California as one of the largest.
Students begin with poetry recitations at the classroom level. Classroom winners advance to a school-wide competition and each school’s champion competes at the county level.
Winners of Feb. 12 Lake County competition advance to the state finals to be held in Sacramento on March 12 and 13.
The State Finals competition is usually held in the historic Senate Chambers and is Webcast and televised via the California Channel.
The county champions are honored with a dinner reception and each receives a certificate of recognition from their legislative representative.
The National Finals will be held in Washington D.C., April 25 and 26. Check out www.poetryoutloud.org for more information.
The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport and can be reached at 707-263-0577.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The senior centers in Lakeport and Kelseyville have released their menus for the week of Feb. 6 through 12.
The centers serve lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with Lakeport also serving Sunday breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m.
This week's menu – which is subject to changes or substitutions – is as follows:
• Monday: Roasted chicken with mashed potatoes. • Tuesday: Buttered white fish with wild rice. • Wednesday: Baked penne pasta topped with cheese. • Thursday: Barbecue chicken with roasted potatoes. • Friday: Chicken enchilada casserole.
The weekday luncheons include soup of the day, salad bar, entrée, dessert and beverage. Non-seniors pay $6 and seniors 60 and older pay a suggested donation of $5.
Soup of the day and salad bar – which includes two to three types of salads plus toppings and fruit – is $4.
The Kelseyville Senior Center is located at 5245 Third St., telephone 707-279-2175.
The Lakeport Senior Activity Center is located at 527 Konocti Ave., 707-263-4218.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The public is invited to a free beading class on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 2 p.m. at the Lakeport branch of Lake County Library, located at 1425 N. High St.
Library staff member Amy Patton will teach the class how to make a set of beaded earrings.
The free class is limited to 20 sign-ups and bead kits will be provided.
To register call the library at 707-263-8817, Extension 17105, or visit the library.
Patton has many years of experience with beaded jewelry and sells her work professionally.
Light refreshments will be served. For more information about the class please call 707-263-8817.
All too often poets shun simple, direct, and earthy words like “tea” in favor of others that sound more sophisticated, like Earl Grey or Lapsang Souchong. But fancy words put experience at a greater distance.
Here's a delightful poem by Jack Cooper, who lives in Los Angeles, and it depends for part of its effect on words like “goofy” and “waddle.”
Our experience of the poem is all the more “real” thanks to those words. Jack Cooper's most recent book of poetry is Across My Silence (World Audience Publishers, 2007).
L.A. River
I like how the mallard ducklings goofy and weak waddle up the cement incline then slide into this runoff of lawn sprinklers and car washes and how the great blue heron seems to be teleported here from the Jurassic to look for extinct species of fish but mostly I like the way the little birds fly in and out of the barbed wire with only a smear of water to keep them singing.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Card players throughout the country – and here in Lake County – will be celebrating National Cribbage Day on Friday, Feb. 10.
Cribbage is one of the oldest frequently played card games.
The game was created by Sir John Suckling in the early 17th century, and is derived from the old English game “noddy.”
Although the exact date that cribbage was created is lost to history, the Lake County 29ers Cribbage Club recognizes National Cribbage Day in honor of Suckling’s birthday, Feb. 10.
Millions of Americans of all ages play cribbage with their families at home or with friends at bars and social clubs.
The most common variant played is with two players, and score is kept on a cribbage board with pegs and 121 holes.
Locally, the Lake County 29ers Cribbage Club meets every Monday at 5 p.m. at Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.
Contact David Long at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-349-4494 for more information about local club’s social and tournament play or visit the group on Facebook.
The American Cribbage Congress is the governing body of cribbage, and runs tournaments and maintains a national ranking system. More information can be found at www.cribbage.org .
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Gene Paleno will discuss his new book about the Civil War at Gibson Museum’s Fireside Chat on Saturday, Feb. 11.
Titled “The Porter Conspiracy,” Paleno’s latest book honors Major General Fitz John Porter for his heroism at the Second Battle of Bull Run, with little-known anecdotes about other better known military figures.
Porter was court martialed and imprisoned for disobedience and misconduct; 20 years later, with the support of President Ulysses S. Grant, he was found innocent of all charges.
Paleno delighted a throng of guests at Gibson Museum’s Fireside Chat last April 30, reading from his book, “Lake County History.” Only Moke Simon’s appearance as last month’s Fireside Chat speaker topped Paleno’s Fireside audience.
The 90-year-old teller of tales met an even larger crowd at Gibson’s Civil War reenactment event last May, and will doubtless appear at this year’s two-day Civil War event June 24 to 25.
Paleno has written an amazing number of books as well as columns. By special request, Paleno will bring copies of his book, “The Cleo Chronicles,” about his cat Cleo, as well as “The Porter Conspiracy” for fans who wish to purchase them.
Fireside Chats begin at 3 p.m. at Gibson Museum, across the street from Middletown Square at the corner of Calistoga and Callayomi streets.
There is no charge, although donations to help support the museum’s displays are always welcomed.
Guests are advised to arrive a bit early, and to make reservations, as seating is limited. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone Janet at 707-987-0719.
NORTH COAST, Calif. – While the number of obstetrical providers in Lake and Mendocino counties continues to drop, the dedicated team of obstetricians and certified nurse midwives, or CNMs, at Care for Her is growing to meet the needs of local communities.
They delivered a “bumper crop in 2016,” according to Medical Director Dr. Karen Crabtree, ob/gyn, attending 578 of Ukiah Valley Medical Center’s 801 births last year.
Care for Her is a program of MCHC Health Centers, or MCHC, a federally qualified health center dedicated to providing the highest quality health care for people in Lake County and inland Mendocino County.
When Dr. Crabtree arrived in 2007, Care for Her delivered about 20 babies per month. Now they deliver approximately 50 babies per month with three full-time obstetricians and seven full-time certified nurse midwives.
“There are a few other midwives who deliver babies,” Dr. Crabtree explained, “But Care for Her delivers the vast majority, more than 70 percent at UVMC.”
Not only is Care for Her impressive in terms of quantity, they are also impressive in terms of quality.
Care for Her’s primary cesarean section rate is 13 percent, far below the national average. They have an 80 percent success rate with vaginal births after c-sections (VBACs), at a time when most community hospitals do not offer VBACs at all. And only 34 percent of Care for Her patients choose an epidural to manage pain, less than half the national average.
“I don’t think people understand the benefits of working with certified nurse midwives,” said Dr. Crabtree. “Certified nurse midwives are medical professionals with a master’s level education focused entirely on women’s health and the birthing process. They go through competitive, highly regarded medical training programs. In fact, only three CNM programs exist in California.”
Care for Her certified nurse midwives help patients feel safe during labor, and because of their 12-hour hospital shifts, certified nurse midwives are always present at UVMC 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This allows them to support patients throughout their entire labor.
Care for Her doctors and certified nurse midwives work together to care for patients in accordance with the highest standards, those set by American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
All team members are aware of any high-risk pregnancies, and all providers agree upon a care plan ahead of time to ensure continuity and safety for the patient.
If needed, the midwives can reach doctors any time, day or night, to address any unexpected complications. Doctors can view a patient’s fetal monitor readings on their computers or even their cell phones.
Dr. Crabtree said she and her Care for Her colleagues enjoy working at UVMC because of UVMC’s excellent nursing staff, facilities and approach to care.
“Everything we do at the hospital is easier because of the excellent OB nurses. We trust them and work really well together. We also appreciate the way UVMC puts patients first. They allow VBACs, which is rare for community hospitals, and they let patients choose how much medical intervention they want, as long as the patients are safe. UVMC has really changed with the times, allowing people to decorate birthing rooms, labor in spa tubs, and have more input into the decisions around their care,” she said.
Once babies are born, the Care for Her team introduces patients to the MCHC pediatric team, which recently expanded by adding two new pediatricians and two new nurse practitioners.
MCHC Health Centers provides care for patients of all ages so families can receive care for everyone at the same health center, whether it is Hillside in Ukiah, Lakeview in Lakeport or Little Lake in Willits.
“Because the need continues to grow, we continue to recruit new providers,” Dr. Crabtree said. “We’re currently looking for an additional ob/gyn for obstetrics and for gynecological care. In addition to delivering babies, we provide gynecological surgery, much of it minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery.”
Care for Her ob/gyns are conservative when it comes to surgery, preferring less invasive options when possible, but when surgery is called for, Dr. Crabtree and her colleagues, Dr. Adwoa Christy and Dr. Kristin Laporte, perform surgical procedures for everything from infertility to fibroids.
Care for Her’s part-time ob/gyn, Dr. Larry Hartley, and the organization’s two women’s health nurse practitioners also provide gynecological care, including well-woman exams, family planning, confidential testing for sexually transmitted disease and more.
For details, visit www.careforher.org or call 707-468-1010 and ask for Care for Her.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – After a grueling Saturday of tests and quizzes, Upper Lake High and Willits High School won the right to represent Lake and Mendocino counties, respectively, at the California Academic Decathlon.
The Lake and Mendocino County Academic Decathlon was held Saturday at Clear Lake High School's Marge Alakszay Center.
Upper Lake High School won the Lake County championship for the second year in a row and will advance to the state competition in Sacramento next month, along with Willits High School, returning this year to the combined Lake and Mendocino competition for the first time since 2012.
In the Lake County portion of the competition, Middletown placed second and Clear Lake High School Team One finished third. Kelseyville High and one other Clear Lake High team also were in the running.
At Saturday's event, Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg called the participating students and coaches “outstanding.”
Also acknowledged on Saturday were the administrators – in particular, the superintendents and principals – of the participating schools for their efforts to support the Academic Decathlon.
Portions of the competition had begun last month, with the Academic Decathlon culminating in Saturday afternoon's Super Quiz, which the public was invited to attend.
Herman Hughes, a retired Navy captain, college professor and pastor, led the teams through 36 questions on this year's topic, World War II, during the Super Quiz, which Clear Lake High School Team One won.
After the tallying of all the results, however, Upper Lake had come back for a repeat.
Before the final team awards were given, the top finishers in the speech competition – Kaitlyn Salata from Kelseyville High, in second place, and Jack Shrive of Middletown High, in first place – gave their winning speeches. Salata remembered her grandfather, and Shrive discussed advances in technology.
After the winning teams were announced, Upper Lake Coach Anna Sabalone said she was surprised – but in a good way – by the competition's outcome.
“We knew it was going to be close,” she said.
Angel Hayenga, who coaches alongside Sabalone, said this year they were blessed with the same kind of wild and crazy youngsters who they bring to the competition every year.
Also helping coach and comfort the team is Christal Coatney, who called herself the “co-co-coach” or the team's eccentric aunt.
Upper Lake Superintendent Patrick Iaccino called Saturday's repeat win for his team a “nice way to retire.”
Iaccino, who retires at the end of the school year, recalled his first Academic Decathlon 11 years ago, when Upper Lake – which had held onto the title at that point for several years in a row – had lost.
Since then, the school has remained a steady contender. Even through tough economic times for the school, Iaccino said there was never pressure to cut the Academic Decathlon program, which is a class at Upper Lake High.
“These are the programs that you have to keep,” he said, adding that the Mock Trial competition and robotics also fall into that group. Iaccino said it's important to find such programs for all students.
Keeping it as a class is important, said Iaccino, because the students involved also participate in a lot of other activities. If it was simply left for them to meet after school, they would have to choose between that and other commitments – such as sports or other clubs.
Iaccino called his Academic Decathlon team “just a wonderful group of kids,” who come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds.
Their parents also are very involved. “We have such supportive, amazing parents,” said Hayenga.
The students themselves devote countless hours to work and study necessary to succeed at the Academic Decathlon, a competition which Iaccino said is fun to watch.
Hayenga lauded Iaccino for his commitment to the program. “He has been our No. 1 fan.”
The team's top scorer this year was Casey Herman, who also had the most medals, seven, on the Upper Lake team. A senior, this is Herman's second year in the competition.
Asked why she stuck with such a demanding event, before she could answer, another young woman called out, “She's good at it.”
“I think it's a fun experience,” said Herman, who added that her Academic Decathlon classmates are her family.
Sabalone, who was preparing to go out to dinner with her team, said the Academic Decathlon class had been promised a movie day on Monday, and afterward were going to get to work preparing for the state competition, which takes place at the end of March.
Once they get the scoring from the Saturday competition, Sabalone said they will be able to look at areas where they need to strengthen their performance ahead of the state event, which a lot of the team members are looking forward to participating in for the first time.
The full results of this year's Academic Decathlon are shown below.
TEAM ROSTERS
Clear Lake High School Superintendent: Erin Smith-Hagberg Principal: David Chamberlain Coach: Kristi Tripp Team: Brenden Allen, Kaitlyn Avila, Miah Bullard, Alexis Burke, Michael Camacho, Candace Clayton, Zoe Cramer, Anna DelBosco, Dustin Domagalski, Dominik Helms, Brent Hinchcliff, Kyle Jensen, Subhagya Joshi, Christopher Lasher, Carina Martinez Lopez, Clinton Mather, Isabella Mattina, Courtney McIntosh, Nicolette Norcio, Anahy Olmedo, Sarah Pope, Nicolette Rivera, Felix Salinas, Andrew Scott, Connor Simons
Kelseyville High School Superintendent: Dave McQueen Principal: Matt Cockerton Coaches: Erick Larsen and Heather Koschik Team: Andrew Aceves, Samantha Darnell, Kelsie Engle, Cassidy Holmes, Christina Jimenez, Kyle Keener, Artem Laptiev, Sienna Longoria, Anna Pak, Megan Petersen, Tiara Richards, Merin Rixen, Savannah Rodriguez, Kaitlyn Salata, Hannah Smith, Nichole Stevens
Middletown High School Superintendent: Catherine Stone Principal: Bill Roderick Coach: Jeff Mielke Team: Robert Carey, Tyler Chorjel, Ella Dunsford, Donald Elder, Diana Espinoza, Carissa Forest, Olivia Glosser, Rachel Harvey, Ashley Hediger, Justin Hingston, Beckett Hoage, Moyra Horrell-Pyzer, Alixe Olson, Gary Pickrell, Jack Shrive, Colton Soderling, James Stalker
Upper Lake High School Superintendent: Pat Iaccino Principal: Sandy Coatney Coaches: Anna Sabalone, Angel Hayenga, Christal Coatney Team: Cyndal Ader, Daniela Estrada Flores, Jeff Fannon, Megan Franco, Casey Herman, Miranda Huntley, Anisha Kalan, Kehlani McKelvey, Katlyn Minnis, Cristal Nieves, Rue Owen, Elizabeth Rosas Moreno, Breanna Sanchez, Maria Tinoco, Sarah Williams, Jack Wurm
Willits High School Superintendent: Mark Westerburg Principal: Robert Chavez Coach: Mary Colvig Team: Katelyn Abernathy, Jace Atalig, Aiden Bertolino Haley, Oliver Campuzano, Hanna Corey, Eduardo Escobedo, Ryann Hee, Mychaela Nowlin, Tachyna Renick, Cheyanne Turner, Alisabeth Wilcox, Miranda Wilson
TEAM PLACEMENT
Lake County
First place: Upper Lake High School, 33,330 points Second place: Middletown High School, 31,463 points Third place: Clear Lake High School, Team One, 30,911 points
Mendocino County
First place: Willits High School
AWARDS
Poster contest
First place: Breanna Sanchez, Upper Lake High School Second place: Isabella Mattina, Clear Lake High School Third place: Shannon Fronsman, Clear Lake High School
The Lake County Arts Council provided awards of $25, $15 and $10, respectively, for the three top finishers.
Poetry contest
First place: Kehlani McKelvey, Upper Lake High School Second place: Isabella Mattina, Clear Lake High School Third place: Subhagya Joshi, Clear Lake High School
The Lake County Arts Council provided awards of $25, $15 and $10, respectively, for the three top finishers.
Super Quiz
First place: Clear Lake High School Team One Second place: (tie) Clear Lake High School Team Two, Middletown High School Third place: Willits High School
Language and literature
First place: Christopher Lasher, Clear Lake High School Second place: Casey Herman, Upper Lake High School Third place: Miranda Huntley, Upper Lake High School
Art
First place: Zoe Cramer, Clear Lake High School Second place: Maria Tinoco, Upper Lake High School Third place: Anisha Kalan, Upper Lake High School
Social science
First place: Casey Herman, Upper Lake High School Second place: Anisha Kalan, Upper Lake High School Third place: Jack Shrive, Middletown High School
Math
First place: Christopher Lasher, Clear Lake High School Second place: (tie) Alexis Burke, Clear Lake High School; Kaitlyn Avila, Clear Lake High School Third place: Subhagya Joshi, Clear Lake High School
Music
First place: Michael Camacho, Clear Lake High School Second place: (tie) Maria Tinoco, Upper Lake High School; Kaitlyn Avila, Clear Lake High School Third place: Casey Herman, Upper Lake High School
Economics
First place: Megan Franco, Upper Lake High School Second place: Casey Herman, Upper Lake High School Third place: (tie) Justin Hingston, Middletown High School; Jack Shrive, Middletown High School
Science
First place: Felix Salinas, Clear Lake High School; Second place: (tie) Subhagya Joshi, Clear Lake High School; James Stalker, Middletown High School Third place: Nicolette Rivera, Clear Lake High School
Essay
First place: Subhagya Joshi, Clear Lake High School Second place: Moyra Horrell-Pyzer, Middletown High School Third place: Miranda Wilson, Willits High School
Interview
First place: (tie) Anisha Kalan, Upper Lake High School; Ryann Hee, Willits High School Second place: (tie) Moyra Horrell-Pyzer, Middletown High School; Isabella Mattina, Clear Lake High School Third place: (tie) Hanna Corey, Willits High School; Megan Franco, Upper Lake High School
Mendo Lake Credit Union sponsored the interview contest, with awards of $125, $75 and $50 for the first, second and third place finishers, respectively.
Speech
First place: Jack Shrive, Middletown High School Second place: Kaitlyn Salata, Kelseyville High School Third place: Justin Hingston, Middletown High School
TOP FINISHERS FOR EACH ACADEMIC LEVEL
Honors category (3.75-4.00 grade point average)
First place: Christopher Lasher, Clear Lake High School Second place: Anisha Kalan, Upper Lake High School Third place: Kaitlyn Avila, Clear Lake High School
Scholastic category (3.00-3.74 GPA)
First place: Casey Herman, Upper Lake High School Second place: Megan Franco, Upper Lake High School Third place: Miranda Huntley, Upper Lake High School
Varsity category (2.99 GPA or below)
First place: Miranda Wilson, Willits High School Second place: James Stalker, Middletown High School Third place: Nicolette Rivera, Clear Lake High School
SECOND HIGHEST SCORING STUDENTS, PER SCHOOL
Clear Lake High School: Kaitlyn Avila Kelseyville High School: Tiara Richards Middletown High School: Justin Hingston Upper Lake High School: Anisha Kalan Willits High School: Ryann Hee
HIGHEST SCORING STUDENTS, PER SCHOOL
Clear Lake High School: Christopher Lahser Kelseyville High School: Merin Rixen Middletown High School: Jack Shrive Upper Lake High School: Casey Herman Willits High School: Miranda Wilson
The Lodge at Blue Lakes provided $100 scholarships for each of the schools' top-scoring students, along with additional gift certificates to the lodge.
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. – This week Lake County Animal Care and Control has cats ready and waiting for new homes.
The cats this week include two females and a male, and all three have been altered in preparation for adoption.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
For those looking for a barn cat to keep the rodents at bay, be sure to ask about the barn cat adoption program. Feral barn cats are adopted out for $1 each, which includes altering, ear notching and vaccines.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Shelter_Animal_Search.htm .
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Female domestic medium hair
This female domestic medium hair mix cat has a brown tabby coat and green eyes.
She already has been spayed.
She's in cat room kennel No. 38, ID No. 5022.
'Shadow'
“Shadow” is a handsome young male domestic short hair cat with an all-black coat and gold eyes.
He's been neutered.
He's in cat room kennel No. 99, ID No. 6237.
Female domestic short hair
This young female domestic short hair has a white and gray tabby coat, and blue eyes.
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
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 Public Services announced that the Eastlake Landfill and the Lakeport Public Services office will be closed Monday, Feb. 20, in observance of the Presidents’ Day holiday.
Both facilities will reopen on Tuesday, Feb. 21.
Normal operating hours at the landfill are 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
The Public Services office is normally open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you have any questions regarding this subject or any of the solid waste issues in Lake County, please call 707-262-1760.
This week in history is notable for brutal race riots and instances of political corruption.
Feb. 7, 1886
It is a sad irony that a country of immigrants has such a long history of brutality towards those recently arrived.
Few groups in America’s sordid history of prejudice suffered more than the Chinese.
The history of Chinese immigration to America began well before the mid-1860s.
High taxes after the Opium Wars of 1839 to 1842 and 1856 to 1860 had forced many peasants and farmers off their land, and political unrest led to economic desperation in China.
Coupled with several years of severe floods followed by drought, the promise of the “Golden Mountain” in California and elsewhere in the country led to a wave of immigration from China beginning in the 1840s.
Although immigrants would eventually make their way along railroad lines to all corners of the continent, the ports along the western United States were the first points of entry for those recently from China.
The cities of San Francisco, Portland and Seattle developed significant enclaves of Chinese communities that still exist to this day.
Very early on, these Chinese immigrants were forced to the margins of society. Official laws that targeted them directly compounded the personal enmity they experienced from most people.
In California, the new state legislature in 1850 adopted a Foreign Miners License Law, charging all non-U.S. citizens $20 per month.
Although the fee was eventually reduced, the law had served its purpose. When prejudice and xenophobia are made the law of the land, the fearful among us are given free rein to vent their hatred without worry of legal reprisals.
That was certainly the case in Washington, Oregon and California in the 1870s and 1880s as Chinese communities throughout the region were beaten, burned and murdered.
Even isolated Lake County did not escape the racist frenzy of those years.
Lake County in the 1870s had a growing population of Chinese, most of whom worked in one of the quicksilver mines in the area.
The largest concentration of Chinese outside of the mines was in the town of Lakeport, where several Chinese laundromats opened shop.
From the very beginning, anger over these new residents was given voice in the local papers. As the decade drug on, words became actions.
For two weeks at the end of November and beginning of December 1877, one of the Chinese laundromats in town was the scene of regular protests.
Like those similar protests in San Francisco, the ones in Lakeport occasionally turned violent and on a few occasions, bricks were hurled through windows and at the Chinese family living and working inside.
Although certainly violent, these minor protests in Lakeport were nothing compared to the larger riots in cities like Seattle.
On this day in 1886, a mob of several hundred men entered the Chinese quarter of the city. Under the cover of darkness, they bashed in the doors and drug out the occupants of dozens of homes.
Beating and harassing their victims, the mob forcibly removed the Chinese from the city. Some were lucky enough to have money for a fare to San Francisco, but others did not have enough time to collect their belongings before the angry crowd had dragged them from their rooms.
By the time the rest of the city became aware of what was happening, more than 400 Chinese immigrants were homeless.
Rather belatedly, federal troops were called into the city to quell the rioting. When the dust settled, all but a few of what had once been a thriving Chinese community were gone.
Feb. 11, 1812
“If at first you don’t succeed,” so the saying goes, “try, try, try again.”
Or just cheat the system.
That, at least, is what Elbridge Gerry did on this day in 1812. As governor of Massachusetts and a staunch Democratic-Republican, Gov. Gerry feared the growing power of the Federalist Party in his state.
The Democratic-Republican Party was essentially the very first “Republican” party in the United States.
Its champions were Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, who advocated for a decentralized government more in line with a republic than a monarchy.
Their opponents, led by Alexander Hamilton, were the Federalists. Friendly towards Great Britain, believers in a strong central government and opponents to Revolutionary France, the Federalists were the polar opposites of the Democratic-Republicans of the day.
Elbridge Gerry had a long history in American politics by the time he won the governorship of his state in 1810.
A delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, a U.S. Congressman for several years and a diplomat to Republican France under President Adams, Gerry remained consistently at the forefront of the nation’s politics.
Upon returning to his home in Massachusetts, he unsuccessfully ran for governor four times between 1800 and 1803.
Once he finally succeeded in attaining the governorship in 1810, the Democratic-Republican Gerry was stymied by the Federalist-controlled state legislature and he was unable to achieve much that first year.
When their party finally gained some control in the state Senate in 1811, Democratic-Republicans sought a means to consolidate their power.
In 1812, they devised a system of reorganizing state senate election districts to ensure a greater number of Democratic-Republican seats. On this day in 1812, Gov. Gerry signed the bill into law.
Although by no means the first time district lines had been altered to benefit one political party over another, some of the districts that resulted in the 1812 redrawing in Massachusetts were so tortured and meandering that the political motives behind the move were all too clear.
When mapped, one district in the Boston area was so contorted that it resembled the shape of a salamander.
A political cartoonist of the day was inspired and drew a hideous monster in the shape of the district and labeled his creation a “Gerry-mander” after the last name of the governor and the resemblance of the district to the amphibian.
To this day, the redrawing of district lines remains a common way for one political party to gain supremacy over another.
Unfortunately for Elbridge Gerry, his illustrious career as a founding father has been overshadowed by his one act as governor in the twilight of his life.
Not many people know who Elbridge Gerry was, but every high school civics student is taught about the corrupt practice of gerrymandering.
Antone Pierucci is curator of the Lake County Museums in Lake County, Calif.
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