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LAKE COUNTY – Ten community organizations and agencies that work hard to make Lake County a better place have been chosen to receive the proceeds of this year's Wine Auction. {sidebar id=84}
Thirty-five groups applied for funding from the annual event, which over the last eight years has contributed more than $621,500 to local programs since the first event was held at Guenoc Winery in 2000, according to the Lake County Wine Alliance. The beneficiaries are selected by the Wine Alliance Board of Directors.
The beneficiaries from this year's event are Kids 4 Broadway, Lake County Special Olympics, Wiloth Equine Therapy and Riding Center, Hospice Services of Lake County, Adult Day Care/Respite of Clearlake, the Military Funeral Honors Team, Church Women United, Operation Tango Mike, the Lake Family Resource Center, the Lake County Literacy Coalition and the fine arts programs at five Lake County high schools.
The Buckingham Junior Golf Program will receive support through the auction of golf balls to fund activities of the Lake County Junior Golf Council, the Wine Alliance reported.
The ninth annual Wine Auction will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Buckingham Golf and Country Club, Kelseyville. This year's gala charity benefit is chaired by Congressman Mike Thompson.
Military Funeral Honors Team chosen this year
This is the first year the United Veterans Council's Military Funeral Honors Team has received a grant, said Rich Rich Feiro, the team's firing party commander.
Feiro, who founded the group, said they've offered military honors at 490 funerals since May 2001, the year they started. A retired Air Force man, Feiro formed the group because he wanted to see veterans receive an honorable and proper military ceremony when they are laid to rest.
The team currently has 24 members, mostly retired vets, including four buglers, a chaplain, numerous riflemen and Feiro. The team is certified by the Department of Defense.
It costs the team about $5,000 a year to travel to do its solemn work, said Feiro. Demand is growing; this past month, they had 13 funerals, which is well above the average. Most are World War II vets, who reportedly are dying at a rate of 1,000 each day across the United States.
When a veteran dies, funeral homes ask the families if they want a military funeral. If they do, the funeral homes call Feiro, who then swings into action, scheduling the team and making contact with the branch of the military to which the vet belonged. That branch then sends an active duty member to the funeral.
The team performs a three-volley salute at the funerals, the symbolism of which is part of a long military tradition going back to Roman funeral rites, he said. In more recent wars, when truces were called for the purpose of burying the dead, volleys signified the work of burials was done. Since the Civil War, the playing of “Taps” has been a party of military funerals as well.
For each funeral, Feiro estimates he spends at least two hours doing paperwork and making arrangements, including sending off the veterans' information to the Veterans Administration and Department of Defense, who track veterans' death.
The riflemaster, he added, spends at least an hour per funeral cleaning and doing any needed repairs on the group's seven 1903-era Springfield rifles, which the government gave the team for free.
Feiro said the funds the group receives will be used for everything from repairs on the team's bus, to meeting rising gas prices, replacing uniforms and repairing the rifles which, because of their age, require expensive parts and repair.
The group accepts private donations and is seeking more grants like that from the Wine Auction to keep up their work, said Feiro. Donations may be made to the United Veterans Council Military Funeral Honors Team at P.O. Box 1365, Kelseyville, CA 95451.
“Every penny helps,” he said.
An important opportunity for children, horses
Susie Wiloth of Wiloth Equine Therapy and Riding Center said she was excited by the news of receiving a grant from the Wine Auction. She said she was guaranteed to receive at least $2,500 from the benefit. This is the first year she's applied.
The school, operating since May 1, 2006, is located in Lower Lake in the Noble Ranch Estates.
Wiloth's school provides about half of its riding sessions to the mainstream public, with the other half devoted to therapeutic sessions with special needs children around the county. Her school is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and can be found online at www.wilothenterprises.com.
Wiloth said she will take the funds from the Wine Auction and match them to provide more free therapeutic sessions for children.
She works with all seven school districts to provide – at no charge – the therapeutic sessions to children who need them, either at her main facility or at a rented arena space in Kelseyville. Her mainstream business helps support the therapeutic side, Wiloth explained, as do weekend fundraiser rides.
In addition to helping children, the school helps horses. Many of the horses taking part in the therapy work have been rescued and themselves rehabilitated, an effort Wiloth plans to increase in order to have more horses for her school.
Caring for Alzheimer's patients, families
Adult Day Care/Respite of Clearlake is a multi-year recipient of funds from the Wine Auction, having received awards in previous years, including last year, said Director Eva Johnson.
The program offers day care for Alzheimer's patients, including classes and activities, said Johnson. It also benefits families by giving them some time away from caregiving.
Johnson knows firsthand the struggle to care for an Alzheimer's patient. Her husband was diagnosed in 1984 with Alzheimer's, a disease which wracked his family, including most of his siblings. He fought a losing, 13-year battle with the disease, dying in 1997.
“The year he died was the year I started the program up in Clearlake,” she said.
The program offers two days of care in Clearlake, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, at St. John's Lutheran Church. It's affiliated program in Lucerne offers a day of care on Thursdays, also at the Lutheran Church.
They have activities for clients, including projects like flower arranging, said Johnson.
She said of the clients, “We have them for a short time, but it allows them to have a place where they can have a special time.”
Johnson is also concerned about the increase in Alzheimer's cases that may result from the large baby boomer generation.
The day care and respite program is under the umbrella of the Senior Support Services program based at the Upper Lake Senior Center, located in the old courthouse on Mendenhall and First, Johnson said.
Johnson said the program is mostly volunteer, and more volunteers are needed. She also has a few paid staffers.
She said gets calls all the time from people seeking help, although she said she's troubled that most families still don't know about the services available to help them.
“It is a wonderful program and I'm very proud of it and how it's developed,” she said.
Many other worthy groups included
Other projects named as beneficiaries of this year's event include:
The Arts: Kids 4 Broadway will provide tuition scholarships for children ages 6-14 to participate in productions and learn the discipline of working in the theater; fine arts and performing arts programs at Clear Lake High School, Kelseyville High School, Lower Lake High School, Middletown High School, and Upper Lake High School.
Health: Lake County Special Olympics will use its funding to purchase sports equipment, uniforms and training supplies, and provide transportation to out-of-county competitions. Hospice Services of Lake County will continue its high quality, end-of-life care for all who need its assistance.
Community: Church Women United continues to provide shoes for school-age children in need. Operation Tango Mike prepares and ships care packages to Lake County residents deployed in military combat zones. The Lake Family Resource Center will operate separate summer camps for young men and women ages 12 through 17. The Lake County Literacy Coalition will train more tutors to serve adults needing help with reading and writing English.
The Lake County Wine Alliance is a nonprofit organization of wineries, winegrape growers and community members founded in 2000, according to a group statement. The all-volunteer group raises funds to benefit “the arts, health and community” of Lake County while promoting Lake County’s fine wines and its premier grape growing region.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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Larry Jack, 64, who served as Lakeport's finance and parks director for many years, died at his home in Puerto Rico late last week, said City Attorney Steve Brookes.
Jack was to be brought back to Lake County over the weekend, said Brookes, with funeral services to take place sometime this coming week.
Brookes said Jack joined the city's finance department around 1980, working his way up to leading finance and parks before he retired in 2002. During that time, he oversaw a significant portion of the city's growth, and would become one of the longest-serving city department heads.
Jack, a graduate of Pepperdine University, moved to Lakeport in the late 1970s, after having worked at Hughes Aircraft in Southern California, said Brookes.
He was good with numbers and also brought a sense of humor to his work, Brookes added.
While keeping busy in city government, Jack also found time to be a volunteer fireman, said Brookes.
Jack helped hire former Police Chief Tom Engstrom, who remembered Jack as a wonderful person to work with, a professional and “a great guy.” Engstrom expressed shock and sadness at his death.
“He's basically responsible for bringing me here to Lakeport, which is probably one of the best things that has ever happened in our family's life,” said Engstrom.
Jack's responsibilities made him close to being a city manager, said Engstrom. The city hired its first official city manager, Randy Johnsen, in 2001.
Engstrom recalled Jack's professionalism as he guided police chief candidates – including Engstrom – through the interview process. Serving as police chief in Soledad at the time, Engstrom said Jack visited the community to do a background check, and kept him up-to-date on what was happening when.
“So we got to know each other pretty well,” said Engstrom, who was a guest at Jack's wedding to his wife, Nidia.
Nidia Jack is originally from Puerto Rico, but the couple met in Lake County. Engstrom said Larry Jack purchased land in Puerto Rico and dreamed of building a home there after retirement, which he did. Jack showed Engstrom plans for his home – a concrete, hurricane-proof building – with views of the ocean.
Brookes said Jack had been in Puerto Rico about three years, and they had kept in touch. Engstrom said Jack extended invitations to all of his friends to come and visit him at his new home.
Engstrom said Jack was a good guy and a good family man, with two grown children – a son and a daughter. “He was very proud of his kids.”
Engstrom said he'll miss his friend, who gave him the opportunity to come to Lakeport. “I'll always be grateful to him for that.”
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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LAKEPORT – The first drawing in a memorial fundraiser for the county's domestic violence shelter campaign was held Sunday.
Artist Gail Salituri held the LaForge Memorial Fund drawing at her Inspirations Gallery, located at 165 N. Main St.
Gloria Flaherty, executive director of Lake Family Resource Center – which is spearheading the Freedom House domestic violence shelter effort – and businesswoman Kathy Fowler, secretary of the Lake Family Resource Center Board of Directors, were on hand for the afternoon drawing.
Watercolor artist John Clarke of Kelseyville drew the winning raffle ticket for a lithograph of his painting, “Golden Gate.” The winner is Karen D'Bernardi of Kelseyville.
Having Clarke be a part of the fundraiser was meaningful to Salituri, who said Clarke has been featured in her gallery for eight years.
“He is one of the most creative artists of today,” she said. “His paintings are magical, whimsical and unique. He is a true asset to our gallery.”
Clarke is known for using an eye-catching watercolor on silk technique, applying a watercolor block to hold some colors in place and other times, using various forms of alcohol to create movement and texture, Salituri explained.
“I admire John's willingness to create works of arts for various venues such as the Lake County Wine Alliance, and now our cause, the LaForge Memorial, to benefit The Freedom House,” she added.
Roger Rynearson won the silent auction for Salituri's original oil, “Lake County Hills Spring Bloom,” painted specially for the fundraiser.
The fundraiser, which began in April, has so far raised about $1,300 for the shelter effort, in memory of Salituri's friend and artist, Barbara LaForge. Over the weekend alone, $125 in raffle tickets were raised through the help of Marie Beery at the Saw Shop Gallery Bistro in Kelseyville, Salituri said.
“We met our goal on the first auction and raffle,” she said. “The support of Kathy Fowler and Gloria Flaherty has been a gift to us. The general public who is supporting this cause is helping to build the shelter.”
She also thanked the Lake County Arts Council for sharing their First Friday Fling last month with Salituri and Fowler, who spoke about the fundraiser at the event. Salituri also thanked the Saw Shop for showing and selling raffle tickets and extended thanks to all who have participated so far.
“Every day I am surprised by a cash donation from family and friends,” she said. “Thank you to all who made this first raffle and auction happen.”
Salituri's goal is to raise a total of $5,000 by Christmas time. She's already warming up her brushes, planning to offer more of her original works in the months ahead.
The next drawing will be Aug. 1, said Salituri.
Two items will be offered in the August raffle; "America's Pride,” a Thomas Kinkade print, custom-framed, measuring 14 inches by 17 inches, with a value of $350; and a custom-framed beveled mirror, 24 inches by 30 inches, valued at $650.
For the silent auction, Salituri will offer another of her original oils, “Overlooking Carmel, Monterey Pine,” measuring 8 inches by 10 inches. The painting, valued at $475, has an opening bid of $100.
For the Oct. 1 drawing, offerings include a custom-framed lithograph of Clarke's “Cable Car,” valued at $400; a framed photograph by Lyle Madeson, valued at $250; and Salituri's “A View of Lake County,” a 12-inch by 16-inch original oil with a value of $800.
The final raffle of the year will take place on Dec. 1. For that event, The Kitchen Gallery has donated a silver tray, the Gilliam Estate has offered various prints and Salituri will offer an original oil depicting koi, measuring 8 inches by 10 inches, and valued at $475.
Salituri is working to raise the profile of the shelter campaign, and do her part to bring it closer to reality.
Efforts like Salituri's are important to the shelter campaign, said Flaherty. They show community support, which is critical as Lake Family Resource Center pursues more grants.
Tickets for the raffles will be available at Inspirations Gallery, 165 N. Main St., Lakeport; Lake Family Resource Center, 896 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport; and the Lakeport Chamber of Commerce, 875 Lakeport Blvd.
For more information call Salituri at Inspirations Gallery, 263-4366, or visit her Web page, www.gailsalituri.com/Memorial.html.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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Being a cynic I thought, “Miracles? Yeah, right.” I mean, I still needed my knives sharpened, but I certainly wasn’t expecting a revelation.
So I called the man whose name was on the card, Richard Ethridge, and brought him my first round of knives.
He’s an open and very interesting person. Spending his youth in the Marine Corps and hanging out in San Francisco at the height of the Haight-Ashbury days, Ethridge is something of a free spirit and nomad. He got into knife sharpening in 1968 and fell in love with it.
“Steel makes sense to me,” he said.
With that talent under his belt he started wandering from place to place around the country, doing odd sharpening jobs to support himself, and picking up and leaving whenever he wanted to move on.
When he was in his 40s, Ethridge apprenticed with Exclusive Cutlery in San Francisco for two and a half years. He then worked for some of the large clothing manufacturers in the city, sharpening their tools.
He is now retired but likes to keep his hand in the sharpening business. And he does it for the love and the art and the craftsmanship of it, not just to make a buck.
Ethridge is an artist as well as a master craftsman, working in pencil, pastels, photography and graphic design, in addition to the metalwork. “But I always come back to working with steel,” he said.
He does all his work freehand, by feel and eye, something most people don’t do anymore. But just how good are his sharpening skills?
A couple of days after I dropped off my first batch of knives, he called me to say that they were done. When I arrived to pick them up he showed them to me, and not only were they exceptionally sharp but they were polished and more beautiful than the day that I bought them.
Then he demonstrated to me just how sharp they were by shaving the hair off a spot on his arm. Which makes me wonder, how is it anybody in the cutlery industry has any hair left on their arms?
That evening as I started dinner preparations I pulled out one of the newly sharpened knives and was absolutely amazed – no, not amazed – struck with fear at how sharp my knives had become. I mean, in the kitchen the knife is my tool, to do what I command, yet right then I had respect for the blade’s ability.
All I had to do was point my knife at an eggplant and just out of sheer terror it immediately fell apart into perfect slices, as if it would rather fall apart of its own free will rather that feel the blade. Maybe that is an exaggeration, but seriously, the knives Ethridge worked on are so sharp that they slide through their tasks without effort.
I have since brought to Ethridge every kind of knife I have to be sharpened: chef’s knives, filet knives, paring knives, even some of my favorite gardening tools like my asparagus knife, and my prized Japanese machete. My daughter even had him polish and sharpen her woodworking tools. Every time, I’m stunned with the beauty and the quality of the job.
I’m convinced that if you were to give Ethridge a rusty harmonica he could return it to you as a razor sharp kitchen tool that could still be in tune (not that you would want to have it near your mouth in any way)!
There are people everywhere who do a great job at what they do and I appreciate every one of them, but very rarely can I call someone a “master craftsman” without any hesitation or fear of overstatement like I can with Ethridge. He not only makes knives work to their full potential, but he also beautifies them beyond expectation.
Since he’s retired now and works in his own small space, Ethridge can’t really manage large items like swords or saws. He prefers to do fine cutlery restoration, to work with knives, scissors, clippers, and smaller garden tools.
His prices are very reasonable, especially considering the quality job he does. So reasonable that I have never asked him how much a job would be, I just ask him “What do I owe you?” when it’s time to pick up my knives. If the job is big enough, say a beauty shop or cooking school, he can do the work at their site, but with the cost of gas and everything I wouldn’t expect him to come to my house for my small amount of knives.
Ethridge is on my list of true hidden jewels of the county, and we are far richer to have him here.
You can get your knives sharpened with Ethridge by calling him at 707-631-1772. His place in Nice is easy to find in a beautiful park, 2570 Lakeshore Dr. No. A-3.
Ross A. Christensen is an award-winning gardener and gourmet cook. He is the author of "Sushi A to Z, The Ultimate Guide" and is currently working on a new book. He has been a public speaker for many years and enjoys being involved in the community.
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