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Located at the site of the Lodge’s former restaurant, the special events center now offers panoramic views of scenic Blue Lakes, plus the Magic Ballroom, the Ice Bar, and the Waterscape Deck with gazebo.
The center is available for events of all types – from weddings and family reunions to meetings, retreats, even holiday parties.
Historic wall paintings, which still grace the center’s walls, hint at the colorful history of the old Lodge, which originally opened to weary stagecoach travelers in 1870 as “Blue Lakes Lodge” and, over the years, was subject to two fires, temporary closings and even a move across the lake to its present location.
Today, owners Peter and Maryann Schmid have lovingly refurbished what is now known as “The Lodge at Blue Lakes” to welcome guests from all over California – from fishermen to vacationing families to wedding parties – to relax, restore and remember.
“When we first bought this property, we envisioned it as a hub for families and friends to get together and share lifetime memories,” said Maryann Schmid.
She said that was their reason behind the recently completed restoration of the special events center, to create a place where those lifetime memories can be shared during family reunions, weddings, birthdays, holiday parties and more.
Known for its slogan, “Your Own Personal Resort on the Lake,” The Lodge At Blue Lakes is just that.
Nestled in the hills near the historic town of Upper Lake, The Lodge at Blue Lakes offers a combination of quiet natural beauty with luxurious modern touches where guests enjoy the peaceful setting next to the gentle waters of Blue Lakes.
The resort has 20 richly appointed rooms, many of which open right out to the lake, and range from mountain-view or lakeside rooms with hardwood floors, to kitchenette rooms with refrigerator, stove, and granite and stainless-steel finishes, to deluxe Jacuzzi rooms with luxurious whirlpool tub, king bed with canopy, fireplace, double shower heads, and a DVD player.
Guests can enjoy an eco-friendly paddle on Blue Lakes via complimentary kayaks. Or, they may choose to fish, hike, or just lounge by the pool or the lake and simply reflect.
A RESORT WITH A PAST
The original “Blue Lakes Lodge” was constructed in 1870 by Ebeneser Graham. The Blue Lakes Wagon Road Co. completed a toll road in 1867 connecting Ukiah and upper Lake County. Weary travelers would refresh, dine and rest their horses before continuing their journey.
By 1880, Theodore Deming bought the property and renamed it “The Blue Lake Hotel.” As the story goes, by 1896, local citizens grew tired of paying the fee to cross the toll road. In their rebellion, local volunteers constructed a free road passage on the opposite side of Blue Lakes. It was this historic passage that would later become Highway 20, one of Northern California’s major east-west routes, which winds from the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in the eastern part of the state westward to the Pacific Coast.
After a devastating fire in 1899, the hotel was rebuilt in 1900 and expanded to accommodate 50 to 60 guests. A second fire occurred in 1913, which led to the temporary closing of the hotel. Harry Kemp acquired the property in 1925, and sadly, very little is known of The Blue Lakes Lodge for the next decade.
It was built in its present location across the lake in the late 1930s. With the invention of the “horseless carriage,” The Lodge was enjoyed by fishermen and vacationing families from all over California. In 1978, The Lodge served as the location for the filming of the movie, “Magic,” starring Anthony Hopkins and Ann-Margret.
Located along scenic Highway 20 east of Ukiah, the area of Blue Lakes serves as the western gateway into Lake County, California’s hottest new wine country destination.
The Lodge at Blue Lakes is located at 5135 West Highway 20 in Upper Lake, California. To book a wedding or special event or to make a reservation, contact The Lodge at Blue Lakes at 707-275-2181, www.thelodgeatbluelakes.com.
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This new group is not a charity. It does not exit for the explicit benefit of the surrounding community. Neither is it a mutual benefit corporation. That is to say, it does not exist for the exclusive benefit of its members.
In fact, Clusters is not a nonprofit organization at all. Therefore, there is no need for bylaws or articles of incorporation with the California Secretary of State's office. This also means there are no dues or even long-term commitments required. And, why is that? Because Clusters is a SIG – a special interest group.
Joe Moss of the San Francisco Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation told an audience of the Middletown Merchants at Middletown High School back in September of last year about a SIG called "InfraGard" – a free educational forum regarding protection from numerous forms of terrorism.
Whereas Infragard focuses on keeping the public safe, Clusters is going to focus upon educating the small business community regarding marketing options – both online and offline. It will do this by facilitating the forming of four-person small groups with a fifth virtual person being added. By doing this, Clusters will encourage the utilization of online resources, mutual collaboration and netweaving ("looking out for Number 2").
Initially, Clusters will attempt to schedule meetings in the dining room of the Greenview Restaurant every Sunday, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. However, there may be additional venues added elsewhere other days.
For more information, visit www.squidoo.com/clusters or call Lamar Morgan at 707-709-8605.
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Revenues increased by $9.8 million, or 10 percent, to $105.6 million, with rate increases adding $6 million, sales to existing customers adding $3.6 million, and water usage by new customers adding $0.2 million.
Total operating expenses for the second quarter of 2008 increased by $6.7 million to $91.1 million. Water production costs increased by $3.1 million due to water usage being higher compared to the same period last year. Administrative and general and other operations costs increased $1.3 million, due primarily to increases in outside water quality laboratory fees, purchases of chemicals and filters, conservation program costs, and uncollectable accounts.
Fewer water system repairs resulted in a $0.3 million decrease in maintenance expense, which was $4.9 million for the quarter. Depreciation expense increased $0.9 million to $9.3 million as a result of increases in 2007 capital expenditures. Taxes other than income remained the same as last year.
Other income decreased by $0.5 million to $0.4 million, declining as a result of mark-to-market adjustments associated with the market value of assets in the company's non-qualified retirement plans and a decrease in interest income.
For the twelve months ended June 30, net income was $32.2 million and dilutive earnings per share were $1.55, compared to net income of $28.3 million and dilutive earnings per share of $1.41 for the same period in the prior year. Revenues for the trailing twelve months were $378.2 million, compared to $355.8 million for the same period last year.
"In the second quarter, we continued to work diligently with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on implementation of its Water Action Plan. As the quarter ended, several key regulatory decisions became effective, including one establishing a water revenue adjustment mechanism (WRAM) and modified cost balancing account (MCBA), and another authorizing rate increases throughout California to recover prudently-incurred costs," said President and Chief Executive Officer Peter C. Nelson.
"Overall it was a busy quarter, but the changes approved by the CPUC allow us to ramp up our water efficiency and conservation efforts, which we believe is critical given the current water issues in California," Nelson said.
Rate-related matters
As a result of a decision issued by the CPUC in February 2008 (D.08-02-036), three significant changes occurred on July 1, 2008: a WRAM became effective, decoupling water sales from revenues; conservation rates (also known as tiered or increasing block rates) were established in most California districts to reward residential customers for conservation efforts; and an MCBA was instituted to track cost changes, including supply mix variations, for future recovery or refund in rates.
Also effective on July 1, the CPUC approved incremental or step increases totaling $1.1 million for four California districts.
Most recently, on July 10, the CPUC approved a settlement between the CPUC's Division of Ratepayer Advocates and Cal Water, authorizing rate increases totaling $33.4 million for districts in Chico, East Los Angeles, Livermore, Los Altos, Mid-Peninsula (San Carlos and San Mateo), Salinas, Stockton and Visalia.
The decision also authorized Cal Water to request recovery in the remaining 16 districts for company-wide cost increases, including those related to water quality, engineering, and accounting, as well as increases in administrative expenses such as health care. $13.7 million in annual cost recovery has been requested and is now reflected in rates.
Acquisitions and new business
In the second quarter of 2008, Hawaii Water Service Co. (Hawaii Water) received approval from the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (HPUC) to acquire a wastewater system serving approximately 800 customers in the community of Pukalani on Maui.
Hawaii Water also signed an agreement to purchase a water and wastewater system serving approximately 250 customers in Kukio on the Big Island of Hawaii, which is pending HPUC approval. Additionally, in California, the company entered into an agreement to acquire Skyline County Water District, a 465-connection system adjacent to Cal Water's Bear Gulch District, which is now pending CPUC approval.
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Robert Rivinius, the association's president and chief executive officer, said the continued downturn in housing production makes it even more urgent that Congress and the president quickly agree on a comprehensive housing stimulus package that will help get the industry moving again.
“House and Senate leaders are working to complete action on legislation in the very near future that could stabilize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored lending giants, permanently raise conforming loan limits and create a much-needed first-time buyer tax credit,” Rivinius said.
“California homebuilders urge Congress and the president to quickly act to protect the American dream of homeownership and to help the industry recover from the worst downturn since World War II.”
According to statistics compiled by the Construction Industry Research Board, homebuilders around the state obtained 6,443 building permits during June, down 10.8 percent from May and down 43.9 percent from June 2007.
Single-family permits totaled 3,954, up 9.2 percent from May but down 54.9 percent from June 2007, while multifamily permits totaled 2,489, down 30.9 percent from May and 16.8 percent from June 2007.
During the first half of 2008, housing starts totaled 36,282, down 43.9 percent from the same period a year ago. Single-family starts were down by 54.9 percent and multifamily starts for condos and apartments declined by 22.2 percent. (A PDF table listing permit activity by metropolitan area is available here.)
CIRB now projects that for the entire year, only 77,600 permits will be pulled, forecasts that have been trending downward every month this year. CBIA’s chief economist, Alan Nevin, issued an even gloomier forecast at PCBC The Premier Building Show last month, projecting just 72,000 starts for the year.
Nevin noted that fully one-third of the decline in single-family housing starts took place in the Riverside/San Bernardino area, where permits declined from 11,023 in the first six months of 2007 to 3,473 in the first six months of 2008. In comparison, just three years ago, single-family permit activity in the Inland Empire totaled 31,529 units.
“As a result of urban apartment construction, the decline in multifamily construction was spread relatively evenly across the state,” Nevin said. “The decline in single-family permits is greatest in those locales that are most distance from employment centers, while the multifamily activity tends to be highly urban and proximate to employment centers. We see this as a continuing trend.”
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