CLEARLAKE OAKS – The county of Lake has won a statewide award for its efforts to revitalize Clearlake Oaks.
The California State Association of Counties (CSAC) has given the county its “Challenge Award” for counties with a population ranging between 50,001 and 200,000.
The award will be formally presented at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, during the Board of Supervisors' meeting in Lakeport.
The award specifically honors the county's Clearlake Oaks Revitalization Project.
CSAC's narrative on the award noted that Clearlake Oaks – a thriving resort town in the 1950s and 1960s – had deteriorated in recent decades, with small family resorts and vacation homes converting to year-round low-rent housing. “The community subsequently suffered from sagging property values, a stagnant economy, and high crime rates.”
The county created the Clearlake Oaks Task Force, worked to encourage investment in the town, and partnered with community members and businesses to make improvements.
County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox said the county's application for the Clearlake Oaks project included before and after photos of Nylander Park, the Plaza, Clark's Island and the Eskaton Senior Housing project.
They also noted in their application other projects in the Oaks that are currently under way or being planned – such as the water tank mural, the Highway 20 sidewalks for which the county recently obtained more than $1 million in grant funding, plus the new visitor and senior centers, and code enforcement efforts.
Cox said he and Northshore Supervisor Denise Rushing were very happy to receive the “great news” of the award.
“Although there are still more projects to come in Clearlake Oaks, we feel that great progress has been made and that we've really come a long way,” said Cox. “The community support for these project has been incredible – none of these improvements would have happened without the community's participation and support.”
The communitywide effort that has led to Clearlake Oaks' renaissance includes participation from the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association, Live Oak Senior Center and the Clearlake Oaks United Methodist Church, said Cox. He also credited private investment by Shannon Ridge Vineyards and the High Valley Vineyards tasting room.
Also key to the town's new life was the willingness of property owners Gary Nylander and Carlton Clark, who agreed to sell their property to the county for very reasonable prices, Cox said. The properties in question, Nylander Park and Clark's Island, have been central to the county's revitalization efforts in Clearlake Oaks.
Cox gave credit to county Deputy Redevelopment Director Eric Seely and the county's Public Services Department for their efforts in Clearlake Oaks.
Margaret Medeiros, president of the Clearlake Oaks-Glenhaven Business Association, said the county's efforts on behalf of Clearlake Oaks have been “absolutely outstanding.”
She said it's wonderful to see so many projects – like Nylander Park and The Plaza – completed when so many people had said they wouldn't see the work done in their lifetimes.
The improvements have been a boon for the town, said Medeiros, who moved to the area 20 years ago with husband, Philip.
She's been one of the community's most active volunteers, joining the business association in 1993 and starting a Neighborhood Watch chapter in 1995, and is the treasurer for the senior center. For her efforts, Medeiros won a Stars of Lake County Award for Volunteer of the Year in 2007.
Medeiros said there is a positive attitude in the community, which comes out in force for town hall meetings and other events.
“This is a wonderful place to live,” said Medeiros.
Things are improving all around, she said.
That's seen in a variety of community efforts. On Sept. 26, community members gathered for a community cleanup day that they called the Jim Crowley Clearlake Oaks Clean Up Day in honor of a longtime Oaks resident who died earlier this year.
Bill Stone, who worked on the cleanup along with about two dozen others, said Crowley had adopted a portion of Highway 20 in the Oaks and was constantly seen picking up trash and recycling in the area.
In past years, they'd picked up numerous needles and other drug paraphernalia, but this time they found only one needle, said Medeiros, who takes that as an indication that people are taking better care of the town.
“They're appreciating the improvements that we've made here,” she said. “Everyone has a lot of pride int his community.”
She said the community still has two big projects – a clock that will be located at Nylander Park on Highway 20. The clock's total cost is $17,000, of which the business association is raising $5,000.
Then there are plans for a new senior center. Senior Center Executive Director Pat Grabham is working with the county and the community on the plan, which Medeiros said is shovel ready.
She said the new center is on the horizon. “And it will be in our lifetime,” she added.
Anyone wanting to donate to the Clearlake Oaks clock project can contact Medeiros at 707-998-9563.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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