LUCERNE, Calif. – The Friends of Marymount California University Lakeside present the fall Distinguished Speaker Series, “Grape to Glass: The Past, Present and Future of Agriculture in Lake County” at Marymount California University Lakeside Campus in Lucerne.

The first of these programs is on Thursday, Oct. 6, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and will feature historian Tony Pierucci, curator of the Lake County Museums.

A $5 donation will benefit a scholarship fund for students attending the Lakeside campus.

Pierucci will provide a glimpse into Lake County’s intriguing agricultural past. From the first cattle brought into the Clear Lake basin by Mexican caballeros in the 1840s to the industrialized canning of pears and other products through the 1940s, Lake County has been at the forefront of the agriculture industry in California for many decades.

Using written records, oral histories and historic photographs, Pierucci will shed light on some of the lesser-known stories of local farmers, dairymen and ranchers.

But the stories of the different crops and the farmers do not alone make up the fascinating history of agriculture in Lake County.

Lake County experienced many of the same farm labor concerns as did the rest of the state. Racial tensions concerning Native American labor in the 1860s, Chinese labor in the 1870s, and Filipino labor in the 1920s ultimately culminated in the labor strikes of the 1930s.

By interweaving the records of crop yields and acreage with the far more conflicting history of the men, women and children used to tend the land, Pierucci will reveal an insightful look into Lake County’s past.

Pierucci arrived in Lake County in 2014 to start work as the Assistant Curator of the Historic Courthouse Museum and the Lower Lake Historic Schoolhouse Museum, becoming Curator of the Lake County Museums in 2015.

He received his master’s degree in art history, archaeology and museum studies at the University of Missouri, and for the past eight years has worked in museums, archives and archaeological excavations throughout the United States and around the world.

Researching materials from the museums and local sources, Pierucci is the author of “Lake County Schoolhouses,” a pictorial guide to early schools and their role in the communities. Copies of Pierucci's book will be available for sale at the event.

This first program is cosponsored with The Friends of the Lake County Museum. Wines for tasting are provided courtesy of R Vineyards and Shannon Ridge.

The second program on Nov. 3, sponsored by Community Development Services, will be a panel discussion about sustainable practices in viticulture and vineyard management.

Speakers are Christian Ahlmann, vice president of Six Sigma Ranch and Winery; Tracey Hawkins, owner and winemaker for Hawk and Horse Vineyards; and Paul Zellman, director of educational programs for the Lake County Winegrape Commission.

The final program on Dec. 1, sponsored by the Lake County Winegrape Commission, will be a presentation by Robert Bath, MS, CHE, professor of Wine and Beverage Studies at the Culinary Institute of America, Napa Valley, and member of the Court of Master Sommeliers, who will feature local sources of food products paired with Lake County wines.

Additional sponsors for the series include Lake County Farm Bureau, Lake County News, Lake County Resource Conservation District, Lake County Winery Association and Sierra Club Lake Group.

Each program will begin at 6:30 p.m. and conclude at 8 p.m.

MCU Lakeside Campus is located at 3700 Country Club Drive Lucerne. For more information and directions to the campus, call 888-991-5253 and leave a message.

Save

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The effort to fully contain a wildland fire burning in The Geysers area of Sonoma County close to the border with Lake County progressed on Monday, as the fire's size didn't grow and containment increased significantly.

The firefighting force on the Sawmill fire more than doubled on Monday, as did the containment on the fire, which began late Sunday morning on Big Geysers Road and Geysers Resort Road, 10 miles east of Cloverdale.

By Monday night, the fire remained at 1,500 acres, with containment at 45 percent, up from 20 percent that morning, according to Cal Fire.

Fire officials said no structures had been damaged or threatened.

There were, however, two minor injuries, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said that on Monday the firefighting force grew to include 1,033 personnel, 84 fire engines, 32 hand crews, 15 water tenders, 10 dozers and four helicopters.

Firefighters not only increased the containment line around the fire, but also begun working on pockets of unburned fuel within the fire perimeter, Cal Fire said.

Despite the progress, Cal Fire remained concerned about the area's warm temperatures and possible gusty southwest winds into the night.

The progress made on the fire led to officials lifting all of the mandatory evacuation orders and road closures as of 6 p.m. Monday, Cal Fire said.

The fire had early on threatened Calpine-owned facilities at the Geysers geothermal steamfield, according to reports from the scene.

The Geysers is the world's largest geothermal steamfield. Calpine operates 14 plants there, 10 in Sonoma County, four in Lake County. The Northern California Power Agency also operates plants at the steamfield.

Both Calpine and Northern California Power Agency facilities had been damaged in last year's Valley fire, according to reports from both organizations. This time around, however, no damage was reported.

Danielle Matthews Seperas, Calpine's manager of government and community affairs, said Calpine's first priority is always to keep its employees safe, and so on Sunday it ordered the evacuation of its Aidlin plant.

Aidlin is located in the area of Cloverdale Geysers Road and West Squaw Creek Road, one of the areas radio reports had indicated was being evacuated on Sunday afternoon.

On Monday, Calpine allowed its staff to return to the Aidlin plant, which returned to operational status, Matthews Seperas said.

“Our remaining plants at The Geysers continue to operate normally and our team is constantly assessing the situation and will take all steps necessary to ensure the safety of employees and the preservation of our facilities. We can also confirm that all of our employees remain safe and accounted for,” Matthews Seperas said.

Cal Fire said the Sawmill fire's cause remains under investigation.

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.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A wildland fire that began near Cloverdale on Sunday morning burned 1,500 acres by nightfall, with authorities implementing mandatory evacuations nearby.

The Sawmill fire began at approximately 10:43 a.m. Sunday in Sonoma County off Big Geysers Road and Geysers Resort Road, 10 miles east of Cloverdale, according to Cal Fire.

By Sunday night, the fire had reached the 1,500-acre mark, with containment at 10 percent, Cal Fire said.

The fire's huge smoke plume, which rose over the ridge and was visible from around Lake County, put many nervous Lake County residents on edge, with hundreds of concerned posts flooding the Internet and social media.

However, the fire still had not crossed into Lake County by Sunday night, according to Cal Fire.

Throughout the day Cal Fire had battled the fire hard from the air due to the steep, difficult-to-access terrain.

The agency called in additional ground crews from around the region, with Lake County's fire districts also sending help.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office also was reported to be assisting Sonoma County officials in the fire response.

On Sunday afternoon, a water tender responding to the incident rolled over on Geysers Road. Cal Fire did not identify the agency involved but said no injuries were reported.

Resources committed late Sunday included 473 firefighters, 36 fire engines, 13 fire crews, 10 dozers, eight airtankers, six helicopters and two water tenders. Cal Fire said still more units are on the way.

Cal Fire said vegetation – including grass and oak woodland – in the fire area is heavy and extremely dry due to the five years of drought conditions. Temperatures on Sunday were in the 70s with low relative humidity, and humidity expected to be in the low 20s through the night.

With structures threatened, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office ordered a mandatory evacuation for Geysers Road on the Cloverdale side from Pine Mountain Road to Geysers Resort Road, with an evacuation warning for the area of Geysers Road on the Geyserville side from Geysers Resort Road to Anderson Ranch Road, Ridge Oaks Road, Monkey Rock Road and Pocket Ranch Road.

The agency asked residents in the surrounding Geysers area to stay vigilant and prepare for possible evacuation. Residents are urged prioritize their personal safety, and do not wait for an evacuation notification if they feel their safety is at risk.

At 5 p.m. Sunday the American Red Cross opened an evacuation center at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Healdsburg, 1402 University St.

Cal Fire said the fire's cause is under investigation.

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.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The third annual Heroes of Health and Safety Fair set for Saturday, Oct. 15, promises to be full of opportunities to celebrate the people and organizations who work to create flourishing families in Lake County.

The day will feature interactive demonstrations for the entire family, free services and a host of giveaways.

The free, family-friendly event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St. in Lakeport.

More than 80 local health and safety organizations will be on hand to share lifesaving information and services.

Interactive demonstrations will teach safety through experience and show off the resources of local agencies.

Featured will be a “Jaws of Life” demonstration, medical helicopter liftoffs and tours of rescue vehicles.

Experts will teach CPR chest compression and boating safety, and car seat safety inspections will be available.

Children and teens are invited to bring their bikes for the kid’s bike course. Free bike tune-ups will also be available. Bikes for children of all ages will be raffled to lucky winners.

Free flu shots, health and dental screenings, EKG screenings and A1C blood glucose testing will be offered by local health care providers for the third year in a row.

Additional education and awareness opportunities will give attendees information about disaster preparedness, electrical safety, healthy lifestyle choices and more.

Prevention will be another focus of the yearly Heroes of Health and Safety event, with giveaways of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, bike helmets and life jackets.

“This is an incredible venue to showcase Lake County’s numerous health and safety resources,” said Siri Nelson, chief administrative officer of Sutter Lakeside Hospital. “I hope everyone will come to learn about these resources and other ways to keep their families safe and healthy.”

The 2015 Heroes of Health and Safety year brought health and safety education and services to over 2,000 attendees.

Sponsors include the Lake County Fire Chiefs Association, Sutter Lakeside Hospital, California Highway Patrol, St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake, Lake County Tribal Health, Lakeside Health Center, American Red Cross, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Office of Education, The Hero Project and Lake County Behavioral Health Services.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control is now taking applications from individuals and families who want to adopt cats found in the Clayton fire area.

The fire cats, which have not been reclaimed after weeks of being put on a special hold, are available along with several other felines who were not part of the fire recovery operation.

The Clayton fire cats are listed at the top, with the cats not from the fire area following.

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 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”).

CLAYTON FIRE CATS

Domestic medium hair

This domestic medium hair cat has a gray and white coat, and is recovering from injuries suffered during the Clayton fire.

Shelter staff said the cat, the gender of which has not been determined, was found in the Lower Lake area on Aug. 18.

The cat is in the Animal Care and Control clinic, ID No. 5856.

Domestic short hair

This young female domestic short hair mix has a gray and white coat.

She was found in the Lower Lake area on Sept. 16. She already has been spayed.

She's in cat room kennel No. 82, ID No. 6131.

Domestic short hair

This male domestic short hair mix kitten has a light orange-colored coat.

He was found in Lower Lake on Sept. 16. He already has been neutered.

He's in cat room kennel No. 84a, ID No. 6129.

Domestic long hair

This young male domestic long hair mix cat has a gray coat with white markings.

He was found in Lower Lake Sept. 15.

Shelter staff said he is already neutered.

He is in cat room kennel No. 84b, ID No. 6130.

Domestic short hair

This young female domestic short hair has a gray tabby coat.

She was found in Lower Lake on Aug. 24.

She's in cat room kennel No. 109, ID No. 5887.

Domestic short hair

This adult female domestic short hair has a brown tabby and white coat, and has green eyes. She already has been spayed.

Shelter staff said she was found in Lower Lake on Aug. 17.

She is in cat room kennel No. 110, ID No. 5842.

Domestic short hair

This male adult domestic short hair mix has a gray tabby coat.

He was found in Lower Lake on Aug. 16.

He is in cat room kennel No. 114, ID No. 5705.

Domestic long hair

This female adult domestic long hair mix has a white and gray coat and blue eyes.

The cat was found in Lower Lake on Sept. 7.

She already has been spayed.

She is in cat room kennel No. 116, ID No. 6050.

Domestic short hair mix

This young male domestic short hair has an orange and white coat.

Shelter staff said he was found on Sept. 16 in Lower Lake.

He already had been neutered.

He's in cat room kennel No. 146, ID No. 6132.

NON-FIRE CATS

Female domestic short hair mix

This female domestic short hair mix has a black and white coat and green eyes.

Shelter staff said she already is altered, which will lower her adoption costs.

She's in cat room kennel No. 78, ID No. 6068.

'Mom'

“Mom” is a domestic short hair mix with a dilute tortie coat and gold eyes.

She's in cat room kennel No. 90, ID No. 5880.

Tabby kitten

This female tabby kitten has a medium-length gray and brown coat.

Shelter staff said she has already been spayed.

She's in cat room kennel No. 119, ID No. 6135.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

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.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

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.

Save

Save