LAKEPORT – Westside Community Park is receiving a set of bleachers, a gift from the Lakeport Unified School District.

The school district recently donated the bleachers previously located at the high school baseball field to the Westside Community Park Committee, announced Dennis Rollins, chair of the Park Committee.  

The bleachers will be assembled in two five-row sections in Phase 2 of the park development, said Rollins.

“This will allow us to provide some seating at each of the baseball fields currently under construction,” Rollins said.   

The school district made the decision to donate the bleachers because they were not being used at the school’s fields.

Dave Norris, facilities director for Lakeport Unified School District, said the view from the bleachers had been obstructed by the construction of a new first-base dugout several years ago.

School district personnel and inmates from the Lake County Jail prepared the bleachers for removal.
Darryl Davis of Davis Fabrication & Ornamental Designs volunteered to cut the all-steel framework free and into sections which could be moved to the City of Lakeport’s Corporation Yard for storage.

Davis also will be involved in the assembly at the park site. The assembly is expected to take place in the late fall, following completion of backstops, dugouts and infields.

According to Rollins, the bleachers will be made to conform to current safety standards as a portion of the reconstruction process.

UCC Rental of Lakeport donated a trailer for use in moving the bleachers.  A group of seven volunteers was on hand to load them.

Westside Community Park is located off of Parallel Drive, behind the Kathy Fowler Auto Dealerships in Lakeport.  It is currently the site of soccer fields, a dog park and walking trail.

Grillin on the Green, the annual fundraising event for the park is scheduled for Aug. 4.

For more information about the park, call Rollins at 707-349-0969 or visit the Web site, www.westsidecommunitypark.org.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Clear Lake Riviera Community Association invites members and residents to attend a “roundtable" discussion on Saturday, March 3, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The meeting will be held at the community clubhouse, located at 9689 State Highway 281 (Soda Bay Road) Kelseyville.

Anita McKee, first vice president of the association board of directors and a local Realtor, will facilitate the discussion and encourages residents to come with questions and concerns.

“This is our first attempt to hold a meeting with this format and we hope the informal structure will encourage residents to come and learn more about the association and express their views about the community,” said McKee.

“The association is dealing with many important issues and we need clear direction from members to know where to target our resources,” McKee said. “While the diversity of the community brings many benefits it also, along with its size, creates challenges as the association attempts to set goals that are meaningful and of value to residents.”

This is the first of regularly scheduled resident meetings that are intended to give residents an opportunity provide input about issues important to them and also learn how they may become involved.

Residents who are unable to attend can email their thoughts or concerns to McKee at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. These can be read at the meeting if you so desire.

General Manager Diane Guzman also will be present to answer questions about association operations.

The Clear Lake Riviera Community Association is a nonprofit member organization formed in 1964.

The association includes 1,543 residential dwellings, 19 commercial properties and 1,248 undeveloped parcels over five square miles.

For more information about the upcoming meeting or the CLRCA, call 707-277-7281 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Chef, food writer and culinary instructor Esther Oertel will present a program on cooking with herbs at the Monday, March 12, meeting of the Hidden Valley Lake Garden Club.

Oertel believes fresh herbs provide interest, flavor, and nutrition to foods and will demonstrate ways to utilize them in the kitchen.

Attendees will be shown how to make lavender soda, rosemary walnuts, fresh parsley dressing, plus learn tips, techniques, history, lore, and the nutritional benefits of herbs. Tastings will be shared.

Oertel is the author of the weekly “Veggie Girl” food column which appears on Sundays in Lake County News. She also writes the column, “The HVLA Culinary Corner” for the monthly Hidden Valley Lake VIEWS.

She teaches culinary classes and is passionate about fresh, local produce.

Meetings of the Hidden Valley Lake Garden Club are free and open to the public on the second Monday of each month.

They are held in the activities room of the administration building of the Hidden Valley Lake Association, 18174 Hidden Valley Road.

Social gathering with refreshments begins at 9:30 a.m., business meeting and program 10 a.m.

For more information please contact Angela Birk at 707-987-0195, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

NICE, Calif. – Come enjoy a St. Patrick’s Day dinner and dance on Saturday, March 10, at the Sons of Italy.

The club is serving a corned beef and cabbage supper with all the fixings plus dessert at the club hall, 2817 E. Highway 20 in Nice.

The bar is open for socializing at 5 p.m. then dinner will be served at 6 p.m.

Enjoy dancing to music of Jim Williams right after the meal.

All tickets cost $15 at the door.

Everyone is welcome.

For information about this event or renting the hall for your own, call 707-274-2244.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Wine Studio (LCWS) is hosting a wine tasting event featuring wines from Olof Cellars with winemaker and proprietors Eric and Cindi Olof, and artist reception with a group showing by the Cobb Mountain Artists on March 2, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and March 3, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Musical guest during the Friday evening reception will be acoustic guitarist Travis Rinker and on Saturday will be MAJIDE! with Paul Kemp on keyboard and vocals by Machiko.

Erik and Cindi Olof started St. Olof’s Vineyards by planting the first of their vines in Big Valley in the year 2000.

St. Olof wine grape crops have sold to popular and award-winning wineries and winemakers in both Napa and Lake Counties in the past decade, with the most recent awards being presented to both Carruth Cellars and Lavender Blue for wines made with St. Olof Malbec and Nebbiolo grapes.

This year marks the commercial release of Olof Cellar vintages available for tasting and sale at Lake County Wine Studio.

The $12.50 wine sampler with paired appetizers will feature 2009 Chardonnay with a salad of quinoa and butternut squash on endive, 2010 Rosato d’ Barbera with options of cannellini and red chard dip and/or smoked salmon yogurt dip with vegetable crudités and crackers and/or chocolate covered brie bites, 2009 Nebbiolo with stuffed Crimini mushrooms, and 2009 Barbera with Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

Artist’s receptions and works on display for the month of March features members of Cobb Mountain Artists (CMA) with works from their Life Drawing series ‘Celebrating the Human Form.’   CMA was formed in 2004 as a cooperative association, open to artists and craftspeople of all skill levels to support members with mutual support, education and encouragement toward attaining excellence and to foster an appreciation of that excellence in the community.

Member artists participating in this showing are Glenneth Lambert, Jane MacLean, Marcie Ann Long, Alana Clearlake, Judith Loveless, Dawn Griffith, Sharon Lewis, Isha Jane Thanx, Odile Marcie Epps,   Lisa Kaplan, Karen Madnuson, K. Nikka Deacon and Phyllis Thiessen.

Lake County Wine Studio is located on the corner of First and Main Streets in Historic Upper Lake across from the famous Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon & Café.

For more information, call Susan Feiler at 707-293-8752.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A dinner dance, art and wine reception hosted by Park Study Club will be held on Saturday, March 10.

The event will take place from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Highlands Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Ave. in Clearlake.
 
Advanced tickets are available at a cost of $20 or at the door for $25.

Local wineries will be on hand pouring or donating their wines for tasting. Well-known local artists will be on hand to exhibit and sell their works.

Music for listening and dancing will be provided by Twice as Good.

There will be a buffet, raffle prizes, silent auction and door prizes.

Proceeds benefit the Park Study Club Scholarship Fund for local high school graduates.