Tuesday, 04 March 2025

Register

News

Posted On

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol will offer a free “Start Smart” traffic safety class for soon to-be-licensed, newly licensed, and teenage drivers and their parents or guardians on Wednesday, Feb. 28.

The class will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Clear Lake Area CHP office, located at 5700 Live Oak Drive in Kelseyville.

The CHP said a teenager is killed in a traffic collision every four hours nationwide. That equates to more than 1,870 teenagers killed each year. Another 184,000 teenagers are injured in traffic collisions.

These deaths and injuries can be substantially reduced or prevented by eliminating high-risk driving behaviors through education, and the CHP said its “Start Smart” program can help prevent these tragedies.

The Start Smart program focuses on providing comprehensive traffic safety education classes for teenagers and their parents.

Start Smart employs innovative techniques to capture the attention of teenagers and parents, providing a lasting experience.

The curriculum includes information on collision statistics, teen driver and passenger behaviors, graduated driver’s license laws, cultural changes in today’s society and the need for stronger parental involvement in a teenager’s driving experience.

Space is limited for this class. For more information or reservations, call Officer Kory Reynolds at the CHP office, 707-279-0103, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Ever since 2003, Ginny Craven of Kelseyville has been rallying volunteers to help her nonprofit organization, “Operation Tango Mike,” send up to 100 care packages per month to soldiers who are stationed in battle zones such as Afghanistan and Iraq.

In the military, “Tango Mike” is radio signaling jargon which means “Thanks much.” It is used as a sign-off phrase like the more familiar, “roger,” “copy that” or “over and out.”

Craven named her nonprofit Operation Tango Mike because the care packages send a “thanks much” message to our soldiers who are putting their lives on the line for us.

American soldiers overseas always appreciate correspondence from home; whether it’s in the form of cards, letters or care packages which contain snacks, toiletries or other useful and thoughtful items.

“If for only one day, their mood is lifted, I’m good with that,” Craven said.

Craven holds a “packing party” on the third Thursday of each month at Umpqua Bank, 805 11th St. in Lakeport. The next one is on March 15.

“We need helping hands. Give us an hour once a month. All ages attend the packing parties. Children are given the job of decorating the packages with colorful stickers. Kids are the world’s best decorators,” Craven said. “These kids will be the next generation of humanitarian volunteers.”

Since she began fifteen years ago, 20,000 care packages have been sent at a cost of about $43 per box.

To learn about fundraising events or how to make material or cash donations, Craven can be reached at 707-349-2838 or go online to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Posted On

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week is set to hold a special meeting to get an update on its road sales tax measure as well as a regular meeting in which it will discuss filling a council vacancy.

The council will meet beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive, for a joint meeting with the Measure V Citizen Oversight Committee.

That special meeting will be for the purpose of receiving a report on Measure V’s progress and to evaluate expenditures.

That will be followed at 6 p.m. by the regular council meeting.

One of the key items of business at Thursday’s regular meeting will be the discussion of options for filling the unexpired term of Councilman Russell Perdock, who resigned on Feb. 1 in order to apply for the Clearlake Police Department’s chief position, as Lake County News has reported.

Perdock’s term expires in November, and city staff is recommending that the council adopt a resolution directing City Clerk Melissa Swanson to prepare an application for qualified applicants and schedule interviews with those who apply.

Swanson’s report to the council explained that, rather than seek applicants, it may adopt a resolution calling a special election to fill the vacancy. However, by law, that special election would have to occur on Nov. 6, which is the date when Perdock’s seat would have expired.

In that second scenario, Swanson said the seat would remain vacant until the regularly scheduled election on Nov. 6.

The council also will consider a second reading and adoption of an ordinance amending the city’s commercial cannabis rules allowing commercial cannabis cultivation west of Highway 53 and repealing an urgency ordinance that instituted a moratorium on grows on the west side of the highway.

On Thursday the council also will hear a presentation from Adventist Health Clear Lake regarding the 340B drug program, get the annual audit report for the fiscal year ending 2017 and the annual Clearlake Police Department report from interim Chief Tim Celli.

On the consent agenda – which includes items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers and the minutes of the meetings on Nov. 9, 16 and 30, and Dec. 14 and 21.

The council also will hold a closed session to discuss two cases of existing litigation, Rosa Aleman v. City of Clearlake and Matamoros v. City of Clearlake.

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.
Blog Left ad
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Child Care Planning Council, a program of the Lake County Office of Education, invites you to nominate an Early Childhood Educator that has made a positive impact in Lake County.

Nominations will be accepted through March 9.

Winners will be announced at the 11th annual Early Childhood Educator Awards Night on May 4 at Konocti Growers in Kelseyville.

“Early Childhood Educators contribute significantly to our communities. Quality early childhood education dramatically impacts high school graduation rates, keeps our communities working, and helps Lake County develop productive, effective citizens of the future,” said Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg.

“Many of these educators have devoted decades to their profession. The goal of the Early Childhood Educator award program is to recognize them for their quality work,” said Local Planning Council Coordinator Angela Cueller-Marroquin.

Nominations are being accepted in the following categories:

– Preschool teacher;
– Infant/toddler teacher;
– Leaders in the field;
– Child advocate;
– Any other notable person who works in early education.

Nominations can be made online at www.LakeCountyChildCarePlanning.com or www.LakeCoe.org. You can also email any nomination to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Please call Local Planning Council Coordinator Angela Cuellar-Marroquin at 707-262-4162 for more information.

Ceuller-Marroquin reminds people to be as detailed as possible in their nomination form. “Incomplete nomination forms will not be considered for award recognition.”

Awards will be based on nomination forms and detailed interviews with the nominees.
Posted On

Jason Kishineff. Courtesy photo.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – An American Canyon resident said he is joining the race for the House of Representatives seat held by Congressman Mike Thompson.

Jason Kishineff, 48, representing the Green Party, said he is running for the Fifth Congressional District seat as part of a mission to get corporate influences out of the United States electoral system, a goal he and other progressives plan to accomplish through a constitutional amendment prohibiting corporate campaign contributions and making elections publicly funded.

Kishineff believes that the planet is at risk from climate change, fracking, military pollution and an ever-growing network of oil pipelines.

He believes that health care, college education and housing should be considered human rights, that policing should be demilitarized policing, that our water is contaminated in many places and should be cleaned up, that wars for profits and oil should be be halted, and that no one who works 40 hours a week should be living in poverty.

Other priorities for Kishineff include addressing the growing gap between rich and poor is largely responsible for a great deal of crime.

Kishineff is refusing all donations from corporate super PACs, which gives him a financial disadvantage that he is embracing.

He said Democrats like his opponent, Mike Thompson, have failed to represent labor, failed to represent the environment, failed to represent immigrants, failed the anti-war movement and failed the American people as a whole.

Kishineff is endorsed by Bernie Sanders' Our Revolution group, Lt. Governor candidate Gail McLaughlin, Napa Valley College Trustee Amy Martenson, the Sonoma County Green Party, the Solano County Green Party and has been working closely with the Napa County Green Party. He has spoken at the marijuana forum at the Napa library in January and has appeared on KPFZ radio in Lake County.

He has signed the Contract For American Renewal and has signed an agreement to co-sponsor a term limits bill. He's also ready to answer any and all of your questions.

Kishineff can be reached through his Web site at www.kishineff.org.
Posted On

From right, Janice Sue Harper, 48, and Emmanuel Yagnye Yennyemb, 58, of Lakeport, Calif., were arrested on Wednesday, February 7, 2018, on charges of child abuse involving two boys. Lake County Jail photos.


LAKEPORT, Calif. – Two Lakeport residents have been arrested for child abuse after police said an investigation revealed they had abused two boys.

Emmanuel Yagnye Yennyemb, 58, and Janice Sue Harper, 48, were arrested on Feb. 7, according to Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.

Rasmussen said that on Oct. 26 his department’s school resource officer received a call from Lakeport Unified staff regarding two boys, ages 10 and 14, who were possible child abuse victims.

The officer went to the school office and met with officials and the 14-year-old, who had visible injuries, Rasmussen said.

The teen told the officer that Harper and Yennyemb had inflicted the injuries on him. During the interview Rasmussen said the officer found out that the 10-year-old was at home.

Rasmussen said the officer contacted Child Protective Services which, at the officer’s request, met the officer at the school and then responded to the home.

He said the 10-year-old also was found to have suffered from a traumatic injury, and CPS took custody of both juveniles.

The Lakeport Police Department detective subsequently took over the case and conducted an extensive investigation with the help of the District Attorney’s Office’s criminal investigations division, Rasmussen said.

The investigation included multiple interviews, two search warrants that were served on two Lakeport residences and a third search warrant for the forensic examination of an electronic device, according to Rasmussen.

Rasmussen said the investigation was completed on Jan. 5 and sent to the District Attorney’s Office, which filed charges against Harper and Yennyemb on Jan. 24.

A Lake County Superior Court judge signed warrants for their arrests and they were taken into custody for child abuse by a Lakeport Police officer on Feb. 7, Rasmussen said.

Both were booked with bail set at $150,000. Rasmussen said they later posted bail and were released.

Yennyemb is the clinic operations manager for Lake County Tribal Health, while Harper, a registered nurse, is outreach manager, according to the organization’s Web site. A request for comment sent to Tribal Health’s executive director about the arrests was not responded to by the time of publication.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff said Harper and Yennyemb were each charged with two counts of willful infliction of cruel or inhuman corporal punishment or an injury resulting in a traumatic condition.

If convicted, they face up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $6,000 fine, or both, he said.

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.
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The county of Lake is now seeking community members interested in serving on a number of advisory boards and commission.

The following is a list of vacancies. Memberships on all of the listed boards and commissions are voluntary.

If you have questions regarding a vacancy on one of these advisory boards, please contact the clerk of the Board of Supervisors at 707-263-2368.

Applications are available at the Lake County Courthouse, Clerk of the Board Office, Room 109, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport, or online at www.co.lake.ca.gov on the Board of Supervisors page.

Vacancies:

Animal Control Advisory Board: Four vacancies – one representative from supervisorial Districts 2, District 3, District 5 and members-at-large.

Big Valley Groundwater Management Zone Commission: Seven vacancies – one member-at-large, four agriculture users category and two water district category.

Building Board of Appeals: Five vacancies – one representative from supervisorial Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Child Care Planning and Development Council: Seven vacancies – two consumer, one public agency, one community representative, two discretionary appointee and one child care provider.

Countywide Parks and Recreation Advisory Board: Five vacancies – one representative from supervisorial Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Emergency Medical Care Committee: Nine vacancies – one community college district, one California Highway Patrol representative, two EMT representatives, one private ambulance company, one fire department and three consumer interest group.

Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee: One vacancy – Supervisorial District 2.

Heritage Commission: Seven vacancies – one representative from supervisorial Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and two members-at-large.

In Home Support Services Public Authority Advisory Committee: Eight vacancies – four senior consumer, one disabled community representative, two provider and one senior community representative.

Kelseyville Cemetery District: Two vacancies – general membership (must live within the district boundaries and be registered to vote in Lake County).

Library Advisory Board: Two vacancies – supervisorial District 2 and District 3.

Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Advisory Board: Two vacancies – general membership.

Mental Health Board: Three vacancies – one member-at-large, one family member of a present/past consumer and one consumer member.

North Bay Cooperative Library Advisory Board: One Lake County representative.

Public Defender Oversight Committee: One vacancy – one member of the general public.

Solid Waste Appeals Panel: Two vacancies – one public member and one technical expert.

Solid Waste Task Force: Two vacancies – one public representative and one other.

Upper Lake Cemetery District: One vacancy – general membership (must live within the district boundaries and be registered to vote in Lake County).

Western Region Town Hall: One vacancy – member-at-large.
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The latest round of Stars of Lake County winners was announced at the awards ceremony on Saturday evening at the Soper Reese Theater.

The sold out event celebrated 66 nominees from around Lake County.

U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson who has been a participant in Stars since its inception presented his personal certificate to every recipient.

The selection committee met for four hours on Feb. 1 after being given less than a week to read all 66 nominations. Their secret ballots were cast as they completed a discussion on each of the 21 categories.

Selection committee members this year were Robert Boccabella, Linda Diehl-Darms, Brock Falkenberg, Susan Feiler, Greg Folsom, Trena Pauly, Beth Rudiger, Yvette Sloan, John Tomkins, Sandy Tucker and Hedy Montoya.

The full list of winner is below.


2018 Stars of Lake County Award Winners


Marla Ruzicka Humanitarian Award: Janet Taylor, Lakeport

Senior of the Year: Gene Paleno, Upper Lake

Volunteer of the Year: Ginny Cline, Lakeport

Female Student of the Year: Grace Davidson, Kelseyville

Male Student of the Year: Raul Gomez, Clearlake

Youth Advocate, Volunteer: Kristin Amparo, Upper Lake

Youth Advocate, Professional: Stephanie Figueroa, Clearlake

Organization – Nonprofit: Adventist Health Clear Lake

Organization – Volunteer: Citizens Caring 4 Clearlake

Environmental Award: Kathleen Blair, Cobb

New Business Award: Dusty D Work Wear, Lakeport

Small Business Award : Fresh and Bangin’ Eatery, Lucerne

Large Business Award : Lake County Tribal Health Consortium, Lakeport

Best Idea of the Year: 100+ Women Strong of Lake County

Local Hero Award: Vietnam Veterans, Chapter 951

Joshua Blair Memorial Amateur Arts Award: Tim and Laura Barnes, Lakeport

Arts Award Professional: Sage Abella, Middletown

Woman of the Year: Janeane Bogner, Clearlake Oaks

Man of the Year: Gary Deas, Lakeport

Lifetime Achievement: Bill Kearney, Kelseyville

Spirit of Lake County: Soroptimist International of Clear Lake
Posted On

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Animal Control has big and little dogs waiting for new homes this week.

The available dogs are Raider, Robbie, Oliver, Magnolia, Jessie, Hutch and Buttercup.

To meet the animals, call Clearlake Animal Control at 707-994-8201 and speak to Marcia at Extension 103 or call Extension 118, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, or leave a message at any other time.

Below are this week's available pets.

“Raider.” Courtesy photo.

‘Raider’

“Raider” is a male fun-sized terrier mix who loves to cuddle.

He is about a year old, weighs 12 pounds, has been neutered and has a short brindle coat.

Shelter staff said he’s good with other dogs, is timid at first but warms up quickly.

He was picked up from a red-tagged home and is ready for a new life with a family of his own.

“Robbie.” Courtesy photo.

‘Robbie’

“Robbie” is a young and happy-go-lucky mix – possibly Labrador Retriever and Rottweiler.

Shelter staff said is he around a year and a half old and weighs 50 pounds.

He walks well on a leash, makes friends with other dogs, and is playful but not super active.

Robbie is vaccinated and will be neutered prior to adoption.

“Oliver.” Courtesy photo.

‘Oliver’

Oliver is a very handsome 9-month-old male mixed breed who weighs about 90 pounds and has a short black and white coat.

Shelter staff said he is good with children, treat motivated and eager to please. He’s also a quick learner.

“Magnolia.” Courtesy photo.

‘Magnolia’

“Magnolia” has a short brown and white coat.

Shelter staff said she loves walks and commands you rub her belly. She wiggles over then flops over for the rubs.

She came in as a stray and is already spayed. Staff estimated she is around 2 years old and weighs about 60 pounds.

Magnolia is very social and friendly. She is fine with other dogs, and walks well on leash.

“Jessie.” Courtesy photo.

‘Jessie’

“Jessie” is a small female shepherd mix, weighing about 20 pounds and estimated to be 4 months old.

She has a short tan coat with black and white markings.

Shelter staff said she is good with other dogs and with children.

Jessie is very spunky and on the go, and loves to play chase and zoom around. Staff said she is quickly learning to walk nicely on leash.

“Hutch.” Courtesy photo.

‘Hutch’

Hutch is a calm shepherd mix estimated to be between 1 and 2 years old, with a short brown coat and weighing 55 pounds.

Shelter staff said he appears to be good with other dogs, and is attentive.

He walks great on leash but also likes to just chill on his bed.

“Buttercup.” Courtesy photo.

‘Buttercup’

“Buttercup” is a female Chihuahua-terrier mix who is estimated to be between 6 and 8 months old.

Shelter staff said she weighs about 20 pounds, is good with other dogs and with children.

She is shy but warms up quickly, and has young pup manners.

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.
Posted On

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A former community college dean who was convicted in a local elder abuse case in 2005 and in September was sentenced to jail in Sacramento for identity theft cases involving his grown children is now facing a new criminal case for embezzling from a Lake County company.

Deputy District Attorney Rachel Abelson said a case was filed on Feb. 7 and an arrest warrant issued by the Lake County Superior Court the following day for George Tanner McQueen II, 61, who formerly lived in Lake County and now lives in the Sacramento area.

Documents included in the filing show that the sheriff’s office forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office a complaint of embezzlement against McQueen in September after investigating a case involving a local couple and their construction company.

In a declaration, the couple said they had hired McQueen’s company, McQueen and Associates, to do their bookkeeping, payroll and tax returns, with payments made to McQueen for his service by check, not wire or other kinds of automated bank transfers.

Altogether, McQueen transferred more than $103,000 from their accounts – $60,000 from personal accounts and $43,000 from a business account, according to case documents.

One of the victims said he had known McQueen for 45 years and McQueen had been their accountant for 25 years.

In an August interview with detectives, the couple said they found McQueen had been wiring money from their business and personal accounts into his own account. When they confronted McQueen, he claimed it was a mistake. However, bank statements showed that the funds were transferred over the course of several days and different transactions that occurred in August.

When a sheriff’s detective called McQueen to ask how the couple’s money got into his accounts, he also claimed it was a “glitch.”

Although McQueen had promised the couple that he would return the money, it wasn’t returned to their accounts, according to the investigation’s findings.

The couple discovered the missing funds just weeks before McQueen was sentenced in Placer and Sacramento counties for separate cases of felony identity theft involving his adult children.

On Sept. 6 in Sacramento County he was sentenced to one year in jail and five years of formal probation for one count of felony identity theft in a case involving the use of his son Nathan McQueen’s personal information.

Then, on Sept. 7 in Placer County he pleaded no contest and was sentenced for one felony count of identity theft for using the personal information of his daughter, Sarah Cunningham.

In the Placer County case George McQueen received four years of formal probation, was ordered to pay $10,891.06 in restitution to the victims and received 120 days in county jail to run concurrently with the one-year sentence he received in Sacramento County, officials said.

Lake County News published a full account of the cases involving his children in September: http://bit.ly/2CxrYKN .

In 2005 McQueen – who at one time had served locally as a Yuba College dean and had worked for the Lake County Office of Education – was arrested in Lake County for forgery, elder abuse and grand theft after it was discovered that he had stolen funds from the trust of a friend who had named him executor that were intended for the man’s elderly mother. The funds were used by McQueen for personal uses, including expensive family vacations.

He later would reach a plea agreement with the District Attorney’s Office in which he was convicted of elder abuse. He was sentenced to a year in jail and required to to pay $185,000 in restitution.

Abelson, who prosecuted McQueen’s original case in Lake County, had confirmed to Lake County News in September that, because of McQueen’s ongoing business ties to Lake County and the potential for local identity theft and fraud victims, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Lake County District Attorney’s Office had begun an investigation.

So far, she said just the two victims included in the complaint filed this month have been identified in Lake County.

“I suspect that there’s more in the Sacramento area,” she said.

Since publishing a story about McQueen’s sentencing in September, Lake County News has received inquiries from other potential victims and former clients from outside of Lake County who reported issues including getting fines from the Internal Revenue Service after McQueen filed their taxes.

McQueen has been serving his most recent jail sentence in Sacramento County’s Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center since September. Jail records show that he is due to be released on March 3.

Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said that before the Sacramento County jail releases McQueen next month, they’ll check his records.

At that time, the newly filed Lake County warrant should pop up and instead of being released McQueen will be transported to Lake County to face this latest case, Paulich said.

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.
Posted On

The Carnegie Library in Lakeport, Calif. Photo by Elizabeth Larson/Lake County News.


LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council this week will consider awarding a contract for accessibility upgrades for the city’s historic Carnegie Library.

The council will meet in closed session at 5:30 p.m Tuesday, Feb. 20, to discuss negotiations with Lake County Tribal Health for property at 902 Bevins Court before the public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

Community Development Director Kevin Ingram will present to the council the proposed award of a construction contract for the Carnegie Library Accessibility Upgrade Project to R & C Construction.

Ingram’s report to the council explains that the project is to provide Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant access to the building, which turns 100 this year.

“There will be an elevator installed providing access to the second floor. Both bathrooms will be remodeled, making one ADA compliant. New water and sewer lines will be installed for service to the building,” Ingram wrote in his report.

Ingram said the two bids received were opened Feb. 12. R & C Construction put in the low bid at $385,381, while the second bidder, FRC Inc., came in at $479,000. The engineer’s estimate for the project was $425,000.

He said construction is estimated to start March 19.

The project will be funded by the 2016 Community Development Block Grant, said Ingram.

In other business, the council will hold a public hearing to consider updates to the city’s ordinance regarding the Park and Recreation Commission.

At its meeting Feb. 6 the council discussed and gave initial approval to proposed changes involving allowing one at-large, non-city member from the 95453 zip code and establishing monthly meetings.

Also on Tuesday, Bonnie Sharp, the new permit technician, will be introduced to the council.

Items on the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are ordinances; minutes of the council’s regular meeting on Feb. 6; the Feb. 7 warrant register; approval of Application 2018-004, with staff recommendations, for the Child Festival in the Park event to be held in Library Park on April 21; approval of Application 2018-005, with staff recommendations, for the July 4th Arts and Crafts Fair to be held in Library Park; approval of Application 2018-006, with staff recommendations, for the Taste of Lake County event to be held on Main Street on Aug. 25; approval of Application 2018-007 and waive application fee, with staff recommendations, for the Trick or Treat Main Street event, to be held Oct. 31; approval of Application 2018-008, with staff recommendations, for the Dickens’ Faire to be held on Main Street on Nov. 24.

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.

022018 Lakeport City Council agenda packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd

Posted On

The Anderson Marsh ranch house in Lower Lake, Calif., has reopened to the public. Photo by Lucy Llewellyn Byard.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – After a hiatus, a local landmark, the Anderson Marsh ranch house, is once again open to visits from the public.

A group of 11 people met three Anderson Marsh tour docents in the parking lot of Anderson Marsh State Historic Park at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, for a walking tour of the marsh that culminated in a tour of the ranch house, opened for the first time since the contents of the house were evacuated to protect them from the 2016 Clayton Fire.

Docents Roberta Lyons, Dr. Harry Lyons and Henry Bornstein, members of the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, led the group along the Cache Creek Nature Trail.

Along the way they stopped to point out bluebird houses and one of seven types of oak trees, the valley oak, along with natural grasses on the 540 acres, acreage set aside from the 1,065 total acreage of the State Historic Park as the nature preserve.

Two white-tailed kites scoured the marshlands for prey. A blue kingfisher dove for food in the creek.

Walking along the wooden boardwalk built by the volunteer group Telephone Pioneers of America, gave the crowd an intimate view of the creek.

Each season brings different flora and fauna. Bornstein said that it’s possible, if hikers come early morning, that a herd of deer, sometimes numbering 400, can be seen drinking from the creek.

Springtime brings neon pink California native roses in a stand along Marsh Trail. The honeycombed-shaped common teasel, which is currently brown and dry, flowers in the spring, creating a field of purple.

Roberta Lyons halted the tour several times to point out trails leading back to the ranch house, for those who wanted to take a shorter tour.

Approaching the Ridge Trail, through the Blue Oak woodland, naked and looking like arthritic fingers reaching upward, the crowd had thinned to four, plus the guides.The tour also stopped at the stunning acorn woodpecker granary tree, the woodpeckers’ storage site.

The distance for this monthly tour was two-miles and took roughly two and a half hours. Once back in the parking lot, the group gathered again for the tour of the ranch house.

A view from the boardwalk built by volunteers of Telephone Pioneers of America at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park in Lower Lake, Calif. Photo by Lucy Llewellyn Byard.

The house was built in three sections, with the original, middle section, dating back to the 1860s. Most of the furnishing was used by the Anderson family.

Access to the sleeping room – which slept the Anderson’s six children – upstairs is prohibited as the ceiling is in a weakened state.

The spacious parlor was added on in the 1880s, made completely out of redwood for the floors, walls and ceiling.

Cooking was done over wood outside until a stove was brought into the Craftsman-style kitchen wing, built in the 1920s, and eventually replaced by the current stove.

The area was originally inhabited by Native Indians – Koi, Miwok and Pomo – as far back as 14,000 years ago.

In 1885 the John Anderson family bought the ranch and occupied it until the 1960s. The house and land were then sold to rancher Raymond Lyons and eventually bought by the California State Parks in 1982.

It is now a protected part of the archeological and nature site, maintained by the 100 volunteers of the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, with some help from the Californian State Park system.

Free guided nature tours and tours of the ranch house are conducted on the second Saturday of the month, except January, September and December, starting a 8:30 a.m. Binoculars and sturdy shoes are recommended.

Dogs and horses are not allowed; their scents will scare native wildlife from the area.

Lucy Llewellyn Byard is a Lake County News correspondent. She lives in Lucerne.
The Craftsman-style kitchen wing of the historic Anderson Marsh ranch house, built in the 1920s, in Lower Lake, Calif. Photo by Lucy Llewellyn Byard.

LCNews

Responsible local journalism on the shores of Clear Lake.

 

Memberships:

 

Search