LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Frederick (Fred) James Vincent died peacefully at home Sunday, May 29, 2016, after a long illness.
Born June 26, 1939 in Duncan Falls, Ohio, Fred learned at an early age the struggles of rural life and was determined to work smarter, not harder. That philosophy served him well through his varied and distinguished work career.
Fred was introduced to the world of electronic data processing on one of his first “paying” jobs. It sparked a lasting interest as he continued in that field in the US Navy (1958-1962), in the US Air Force (1964-1968) and into his next 22-year career as a highly proficient computer programmer for the federal government.
After Fred's federal retirement, he started a hobby career as owner/operator of Big Valley ICE. Known locally as the “ice man,” he serviced many of the local businesses and was always very much in demand during the fair season.
Fred is survived by his wife of 47 years, Ellen; son, Brian Vincent; daughter-in-law, Heidi Dunk; and grandchildren, Amanda McKibbin and Cole Jansen.
A special thank you to Debra Folla for all of her loving support, dedication and kindness through these trying times.
Private services will be held. Donations in Fred's memory can be made to the charity of your choice or to Fred's favorite charity, Abundant Life Ministries, P.O. Box 58, San Saba, TX 76877.
Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611 or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .
LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Anderson Marsh State Historic Park remains open and continues to hold monthly guided nature walks, followed by a tour of the Historic Ranch House Museum.
The final guided walk of spring 2016 is scheduled for Saturday, June 11.
Meet in front of the Ranch House at 8:15 a.m. for time to experience the early morning wildlife to be found in the Ranch House and Barn complex yard – the walk begins at 8:30 a.m.
Join Park Docent Roberta Lyons as she leads a leisurely walk to discover what the recent rains are continuing to bring to the Park.
Assuming the ground is dry enough, the guided walk will start along the grasslands of Anderson Flats, go up the hill past a vernal pool and then take the Marsh trail past the acorn woodpecker granary tree. The walk should take one and a half to two hours.
A ranch house tour will follow the walk. If rain cancels the walk the ranch tour will begin at 8:30 a.m.
Bring your binoculars. This time of year brings many migrating birds to the park, some to rest in the waters of Cache Creek and Anderson Marsh or in the nearby trees. There have been sightings of wintering eared grebes on the water and the white tailed kites have returned to the grasslands.
Anderson Marsh State Historic Park is located on Highway 53, between Lower Lake and Clearlake.
For more information about the walks, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-995-2658. More information about AMIA can be found at www.andersonmarsh.org .
There are so many sides to the man. Now, at news of his passing, so many people have expressed their own impressions of this transcendent figure. So many different words have shown up in articles and posts.
Of course, people often speak first of his athletic skill. A writer in The New Yorker said he had “physical wit.” A clever phrase but maybe still an understatement. He was a physical genius who, in his prime, raised heavyweight boxing up to the level of art. Others speak of Ali's bravery, confidence, humor, grace, kindness.
To me, Ali seemed to always be coming back from defeat. If I was ever aware of him as Cassius Clay, I don't remember that. I was only 9 when he refused to serve in Vietnam, and my earliest memories of him are of the controversy that followed and his unjust exile from the career he had rightfully earned with his fists.
Another word we're seeing is “sacrifice,” and few other public figures in our time have proved their beliefs by sacrificing as much as Ali.
He had all the riches and power that America had to offer him. He was “King of the World,” as he said. Yet he was willing to give it all up, to go to prison if necessary, in accordance with his conscience. It's something he gave us all to think about – which requires more courage, to follow the crowd to battle, or to stand alone and question the fight's purpose?
When he came back, I listened to his first fight against Jerry Quarry on my bed with my ear pressed against a handheld transistor radio. When he lost to Joe Frazier, I watched in the local theater. When he rope-a-doped George Foreman to finally regain the championship in 1974, I was 16, listening in the driveway on the radio in my first car, a 1962 Ford Fairlane.
Of course, he lost again. And he came back again. In the ring and in the world. Against younger boxers, against a doubtful public and against cruel disease.
He became possibly the most well known, and certainly one of the most admired men in the world. The word “icon” gets thrown around too casually these days. Ali was the real deal. To quote the dictionary, “a person regarded as a representative symbol of something.”
Yes, a representative symbol of those many words showing up repeatedly upon his death: skill, grace, wit, kindness and the rest. But each of those words by itself seems to be reaching for a more complete summary. There must be something about the man that encompasses yet exceeds all those words, such that, even though we might not agree with his every word or action, we see that something about him represents the best in us.
I think what finally seals Ali's indelible power in our hearts, what we see in him that we wish for ourselves, what he truly symbolizes – is triumph over injustice. That is what Muhammad Ali is and will remain to me – an icon of triumph over injustice.
And then there is my all-time favorite Ali quote – and I'm sure I won't be the only one to recall this now, because it so captures Ali's wit, charm and fierce sense of self.
In one of their many post-fight interviews, Howard Cosell reacts to Ali's bravado. “You're being extremely truculent,” he says. And Ali comes back without missing a half-beat: “Whatever truculent means, if that's good, I'm that.”
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – In loving memory of Walter “Walt” P. Hoertkorn, 69, of Kelseyville, Calif., who passed away on June 2, 2016.
Walt was born in San Francisco, later graduating from Junipero Serra High School and St. Mary's College of California with a Bachelor of Science in economics and business administration.
He served honorably as a radarman in the U.S. Navy.
He worked as a CPA for several years before moving to Hawaii for nearly 20 years. He worked there for the Department of Health in various facilities, but especially enjoyed his service a Kalaupapa Molokai. He retired from the Kelseyville Post Office in 2003.
Walt loved fishing, sailing, reading, being “Poppy” to his granddaughters, playing the comedian and having a nice cold beer on that hot summer day.
He is survived by his wife, Pearl; stepsons, James and Matthew Myers; stepdaughter, Jennifer Myers; granddaughters, Edea O'Neill-Jones and Nia Myers; daughter, Kolsoum Hoertkorn; son, Gary Hoertkorn; sisters-in-law, Carol (Joe) Lahoski and Pauline McAlhany. He is preceded by his parents Harold and Dolores Hoertkorn.
Visitation will be held at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 1625 N. High St., Lakeport on Friday, June 10, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. with military funeral honors at 11:30 a.m.
For further information please contact Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary at 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .
UPPER LAKE, Calif. – It isn’t too late to make reservations for the June 12 Lake County Land Trust Spring Celebration in the garden of the Blue Wing Restaurant and Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake.
This fun event is one of two fundraising gatherings presented by the Land Trust each year, with funds raised going to the Land Trust’s many projects, including the Big Valley Wetlands preservation effort and managing and maintaining the Land Trust’s current properties like the Rodman Preserve near Upper Lake.
The event is hosted by Bernie and Lynne Butcher, owners of the Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Café and will feature Lake County wine, hors d’oeuvres and music by David Neft.
The celebration is from 3 to 6 p.m. and tickets are $50 person; the public is cordially invited to attend.
A short presentation on current Land Trust efforts will be given by the trust’s president, Val Nixon, and will also feature introductions of new personnel.
Reservations are requested and can be made by calling 707-262-0707. Payment in advance is urged and can be accomplished by going to the Land Trust’s Web site, www.lakecountylandtrust.org and clicking on the donate tab and writing “Spring Celebration,” in the comments box when entering your payment information. Payment can also be taken at the gate to the garden.
The Lake County Land Trust has been campaigning to protect and preserve one of the last stretches of the Clear Lake shoreline, specifically between the Clear Lake State Park and south Lakeport area.
The Land Trust is a local nonprofit, founded in 1994, and is a member of the Land Trust Alliance and the California Council of Land Trusts.
The Lake County Land Trust is completely supported by local donations and small grants. To get in touch, you can call 707-262-0707 and leave a message, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
The Lake County Land Trust is also on Facebook, so you can “like” the page and visit it often for updates.
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – EcoArts of Lake County is announcing a change of venue for the EcoArts: Lake County Sculpture Walk’s 2016 exhibit.
The sculpture walk, originally slated to open on June 5 at the Middletown County Trailside Park with an 18-piece exhibit, will now spend this season at the Middletown Art Center in downtown Middletown, with a new opening date on June 25.
The Lake County Parks and Recreation Department notified the arts nonprofit that the park will not be ready to receive the public in time for this year’s event. EcoArts and the Middletown Art Center fully agree with the decision.
The 107-acre Trailside Park, located at Highway 175 and Dry Creek Cutoff, suffered severe fire damage and is closed for the foreseeable future.
“After being notified by the county, we spent time looking at options and other sites,” said Karen Turcotte, founder of EcoArts of Lake County.
“Some of the works were very specific to the park and involved ecologic stewardship, so they won’t be realized until sometime in the future,” Turcotte said.
She added, “We are encouraged that the county has expressed their desire for the sculpture walk to come back to the Trailside Park in future years. The park needs healing and restoration. There has been a lot of ‘reacting’ to the fire and this park closure provides time to formulate plans and ‘act’ in the best interests of this wonderful property.”
Many of the sculptures anticipated at the Trailside Park will now be exhibited at and around the Middletown Art Center grounds.
“Our location provides a wonderful opportunity for sculptures to be displayed in downtown Middletown. We’ll have the outdoor exhibit up in time for Middletown Days on June 17,” said Middletown Art Center Director Lisa Kaplan.
The public is invited to a festive opening reception for EcoArts at the Middletown Art Center and for the art center's next exhibit, “Multi Lingual,” featuring musical and spoken word performances by Edgewise and Lake County poets on June 25 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The Middletown Art Center is located at 21456 Highway 175, at the junction with Highway 29 in downtown Middletown.
To find out more about the exhibits and classes offered at the center, visit www.MiddletownArtCenter.org or www.facebook.com/ARTMiddletown , email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , call 707-809-8118 or visit at 21456 Highway 175 at Highway 29 in Middletown.
Notice of Completion of a Draft Environmental Impact Report Wild Diamond Vineyards Project
The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) (SCH #2016022084) for the Wild Diamond Vineyards Project is now available for public review.
Public comment on this document is invited for a 45-day period from June 6 to July 21, 2016.
Based on the information presented in the DEIR, the Wild Diamond Vineyard Project will not result in significant or unavoidable adverse impacts to the environment.
Where impacts existed, the DEIR found that environmental effects can be feasibly reduced to Less-than-Significant levels with the incorporation of the mitigation measures provided in the DEIR.
Project Name: Wild Diamond Vineyards
Project Applicant: Wild Diamond Vineyards, LLC
What is the Project/Brief Description of the Project: The project proposes to plant approximately 80 acres of new vineyards, construct a winery with the capacity to produce up to 52,800 cases of wine per year, a tasting room that will be open to the public, host 35 special events per year, and includes a self-guided interpretive center. Approval of the project would include a Major Use Permit for the agricultural related winery and tasting room and associated special winery events; a Grading Permit; and a Lot Line Adjustment between the Applicants parcels to provide appropriate building setbacks.
Where is this Project located?: The project site is located just north of the community of Hidden Valley Lake, approximately 1.3 miles east of State Route 29 and adjacent to Spruce Grove Road.
Where can you review documents for this Project? A copy of the DEIR and its technical appendices are on file and available for the public to review on the Lake County Community Development website or during normal business hours at the following locations:
1. Lake County Community Development Department, 255 North Forbes Street, Third Floor, Lakeport, CA 95453 2. Lakeport Library, 1425 N. High Street, Lakeport, CA 95453 3. Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake, CA 95422 4. Middletown Library, 21256 Washington Street, Middletown, CA 95461 5. Upper Lake Library, 310 Second Street, Upper Lake, CA 95485
The Lead Agency is Lake County Community Development Department, and inquiries regarding the project and/or DEIR should be directed to Peggy Barthel, Lake County Planning Department, at (707) 263-2221, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Public Comment/Review Period: If you want to comment on the DEIR, you may do so by sending letters or emails. Your letters and emails are a called “public comments.” Public comment regarding the Wild Diamond Vineyard Project and/or adequacy of the DEIR will be accepted in writing. Written comments can be mailed to Lake County Community Development, Attn: Peggy Barthel, 255 North Forbes Street, Lakeport, CA 95453. Comments can also be sent by email to Ms. Barthel at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
The period for public review and comment during which the County will receive written comments on the DEIR will begin June 6, 2016 and end on July 21, 2016. Public comment will also be accepted by the County Planning Commission during public hearings on this project, which will be scheduled at a later time.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The blues benefit for Hope City has been rescheduled to June 11 due to rain on May 21.
The Lake County Fire Recovery Blues Benefit No. 2 will be held at Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum, 9921 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville, which is one mile from Kit's Corner on Highway 29.
This outdoor concert will include local crafts, info booths, raffles and a silent wine auction. Food will be sold by Cactus Grill and Nay Nay's BBQ from Clearlake. Wine and beer from Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties has been donated for sale.
Tickets are $15 cash at the gate. Guest passes for the May date will be honored. Children age 12 and under may attend for free.
Gates open at 2 p.m. with music from 3 to 7 p.m. by 62 Blues, The Henry Oden Band featuring Rich Kirch, Lady Bianca and Craig Caffall.
Bring lawn chairs, hats, sunshade. Carpooling is recommended. There will be free hayrides, ATV and golf cart transport to the field. Parking near the barn is available for those who need close access. Americans with Disabilities Access accommodations will be available.
The barn and museum at Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum will be open for visitors during their regular weekend hours of 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – In the three-way race for the District 5 supervisorial race, the incumbent is leading with the most money raised, according to the latest financial filings.
This past week Lake County News obtained the latest required pre-election financial documents for the candidates in the supervisorial races for Districts 1, 4 and 5, with the District 1 and District 4 race financials published Friday and Saturday, respectively.
These latest pre-election financial reports – covering the period from April 24 through May 21 – had to be submitted by May 26 to the Registrar of Voters Office.
A Lake County News analysis of the financials estimates a total of about $114,000 has been raised in all three supervisorial races to date.
In the District 1 race, $64,636.45 has been raised so far. The District 4 race has two candidates estimating they have each raised less than $2,000, leading to a rough estimate of $30,000 overall for that race.
For District 5, Lake County News estimates a total of up to $19,856 has been raised.
On the ballot for the June 7 presidential primary are District 5 candidates including longtime incumbent Rob Brown of Kelseyville, and challengers Phil Reimers of Cobb and John Stoddard of Kelseyville.
Brown is the money leader, having raised $16,256 to date, with approximately $10,369.93 spent, based on the reports.
Both Reimers and Stoddard have filed paperwork with the Registrar of Voters Office declaring that they do not expect to raise more than $2,000 each.
Contacted by Lake County News and asked for more specific details, Reimers explained that he's self-funding his campaign.
“After the fire I decided to fund it myself,” he said.
He estimated that he's spent $1,600 so far – not counting filing fees with the county – on signage and advertising.
Stoddard did not respond to messages seeking more specific information on his campaign fundraising and expenditures.
He also has not responded to other messages, and did not participate in a forum for candidates hosted by Lake County News and the Lake County Economic Development Corp. last month, the video of which can be seen above.
The Registrar of Voters Office said the next financial statement is due in August.
A summary of the candidates' finances to date is below.
ROB BROWN
Contributions received
Total contributions received, year to date/overall: $16,256 Total contributions received for reporting period: $3,050 Monetary contributions, year to date: $11,314 Monetary contributions for reporting period: $3,050 Loans received, year to date: $0 Loans received for reporting period: $0 Nonmonetary contributions, year to date: $0 Nonmonetary contributions for reporting period: $4,942
Expenditures made
Total expenditures made, year to date: $10,369.93 Total expenditures made for reporting period: $8,025 Payments made, year to date: $10,369.93 Payments made for reporting period: $8,025 Loans made, year to date: $0 Loans made for reporting period: $0
1. Dan Fossa, Kelseyville, contractor, $1,850 2. Bill Brunetti, Lakeport, land developer, $1,500 3. Chris Pivniska, Kelseyville, business owner, $900 4. Ronald Bartolucci, Kelseyville, rancher, $750 5. Margaret Lewis, Cobb, Calpine, $510
Top three expenses
1. Chris Jones Consulting, Newcastle, $7,500 2. Econoline Signs, Santa Rosa, $1,209.84 3. Lake County Registrar of Voters, Lakeport, $1,115.08
PHIL REIMERS
Filed Form 470 stating less than $2,000 received.
JOHN STODDARD
Filed Form 470 stating less than $2,000 received.
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 four adult cats and a kitten ready and waiting for new homes this week.
They include a calico, tabbies and a black male kitten.
In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .
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”).
Domestic long hair kitten
This male domestic long hair kitten has an all-black coat.
He's in cat room kennel No. 20, ID No. 5020.
Domestic medium hair cat
This female domestic medium hair cat has an orange tabby coat.
She's in cat room kennel No. 80, ID No. 4986.
Domestic short hair mix
This female domestic short hair mix has a calico coat.
She's in cat room kennel No. 95, ID No. 4839.
'Mom'
“Mom” is a female domestic short hair mix with a gray tabby coat.
She's in cat room kennel No. 114, ID No. 4823.
Domestic short hair mix
This male domestic short hair mix has a gray tabby coat with white markings.
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.
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Lake County Republican Women Federated will host its monthly luncheon on Wednesday, June 8.
The meeting will take place at Howard’s Grotto, 14732 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake.
Members will gather for the meeting at 11:30 a.m.
The group will host speaker Debbie Bacigalupi, who recently attended the World Climate Change Conference in Paris.
The cost of lunch is $20 and includes a choice of a variety of entrées – filet of sole, chef salad or tuna salad – coffee or ice/hot tea. All other beverages are no host.
Reservations are required, with the deadline the Monday before the meeting.
For lunch reservations and menu choice, or for club information call 707-994-3543 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
“The force is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, it penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together … May the Force be with you.”– Ben Kenobi, in the movie, Star Wars
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Here in beautiful Lake County we can find innumerable insects, many of which are known to be beneficial, such as bees, ladybugs, dragonfly nymphs and lacewings.
According to the Encyclopedia Smithsonian, “Insects also probably have the largest biomass of the terrestrial animals. At any time, it is estimated that there are some 10 quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) individual insects alive. In the United States, the number of described species is approximately 91,000.”
Most of these little critters are harmless, but some, like the scorpion, pack a wallop if you are unlucky enough to encounter one up close and personal, as I once did. (I stepped on a baby scorpion in my den decades ago, and I still recall the intense pain it caused!)
According to National Geographic's Web site, the scorpion can live from three to eight years, and – hold onto your hat – there are nearly 2,000 species of the creepy crawlers on Earth!
The scorpion has an amazing ability to survive in a variety of harsh conditions and, since they burrow, all that they need is soil to thrive.
There are stories of scorpions' capability to endure freezing circumstances, and they can “revive” themselves once they thaw out!
The robust scorpion lives on insects, and employs his front pincers, or chelae, to capture prey, then stings it with the venomous stinger located on its “tail.”
When conditions are poor, the scorpion has the ability to downshift its metabolism to around one-third its typical rate to survive.
Scorpions court beginning by finding their true love through a potent mix of pheromones, and through unique vibrations and dance. After mating, the male literally hightails it out of the female's sight so that he won't be eaten!
Dozens of baby scorpions, or scorplings, are born, after around a year. Then, the scorplings are carted around on the mother's back until molting has occurred, usually several times.
Another surprising factoid about scorpions is that, if viewed under ultraviolet light, they glow eerily.
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.