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Former Congressman Hosted at Lake County
Land Trust’s Annual Dinner
A record sell-out crowd gathered on Saturday, Sept. 23 for the Lake County Land Trust’s annual dinner at Boatique Winery on Red Hills Road near Kelseyville.
The evening started with delicious hors d’oeuvres served by Kelseyville High School volunteers as guests perused the silent auction and listened to the band Indie Groove.
The Land Trust was pleased to host former California Congressman Pete McCloskey as keynote speaker. The focus of the former Congressman’s talk was that it is up to local people and local government to protect the environment and natural beauty of Lake County. He stressed that organizations like the Lake County Land Trust are vital for this protection and should be supported.
“It is up to the residents here to keep an eye on local government to make sure that decisions being made are not going to hurt this area,” he noted. He commented that he moved from Southern California to Northern California decades ago, in part because he was struck by the beauty of this area. He said one of his goals since that move has been to protect this area and not allow the unbridled growth that occurred in Southern California to happen here. He stressed the importance of the Lake County Land Trust in protecting the natural beauty here, saying that Clear Lake was a “gem,” when he first saw it, and remains a “gem,” to this day.
McCloskey was introduced with an original song by former Yuba College biology professor, Dr. Harry Lyons. The song pointed out the congressman’s numerous accomplishments including pushing for important environmental legislation including the Endangered Species Act, The Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act, as well as his decorated service in the Marine Corps during the Korean War.
McCloskey introduced and praised his wife, Helen McCloskey, who is active in environmental concerns in the Capay Valley where they now make their home. They are especially concerned about the possible harmful effects of industrial marijuana development in Yolo County, warning about the same possibility in Lake County.
Another highlight of the evening was honoring the supporters of the year: John Sheridan and Andrea DuFlon of Portland, OR. The couple have been long time supporters of the Land Trust and were honored for helping with acquisition projects from the first Land Trust acquisition, the Rodman Preserve near Upper Lake, and the most recent, the Melo property as part of the Big Valley Wetlands habitat preservation project that is an ongoing effort by the Land Trust.
Sheridan, who was on hand to accept the award, spoke of his long-term relationship with the Land Trust and how “giving,” has helped him through many difficult periods of loss. He read a beautiful poem about the benefits of giving. He and his wife, Andrea, donated $20,000 to help purchase the Melo property which was crucial in the effort to raise the $100,000 local matching grant required to purchase the property.
Those attending enjoyed a great silent auction featuring local artwork and many other items and services. A delicious meal, served with donated Lake County wines, was prepared by Rosey Cooks. Land Trust president, Val Nixon spoke about the recent accomplishments of the Lake County Land Trust and thanked donors and sponsors of the dinner: Homestake Mining Co., Brad and Kathy Barnwell, Roberta and Harry Lyons, Law Office of Dennis Fordham, Katzoff and Riggs LLP, and Jonas Heating and Cooling. Winery support came from Chacewater, Steele Wines, Langtry, Laujor, Olof Cellars, R Vineyards, Six Sigma Ranch and vineyards and Shannon Ridge.
A new event added to the dinner this year was an exciting live auction. Four items were auctioned off: an “Instant Cellar,” of wines, a collection of 30 bottles of Lake County wines representing over 17 different varietals; two beautiful mixed-media works of art by Ben vanSteenburgh III; a two night stay at the fabulous McCallum House in Mendocino and an overnight stay at the Bechtel House on the Pepperwood Reserve in Sonoma County.
The Lake County Land Trust is a local non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of Lake County’s wildlife habitat, including wetlands, streams, and shorelines as well as properties with unique natural, scenic, cultural, agricultural, educational or historical value to the community. For more information about the Lake County Land Trust go to www.lakecountylandtrust.org.
Land Trust’s Annual Dinner
A record sell-out crowd gathered on Saturday, Sept. 23 for the Lake County Land Trust’s annual dinner at Boatique Winery on Red Hills Road near Kelseyville.
The evening started with delicious hors d’oeuvres served by Kelseyville High School volunteers as guests perused the silent auction and listened to the band Indie Groove.
The Land Trust was pleased to host former California Congressman Pete McCloskey as keynote speaker. The focus of the former Congressman’s talk was that it is up to local people and local government to protect the environment and natural beauty of Lake County. He stressed that organizations like the Lake County Land Trust are vital for this protection and should be supported.
“It is up to the residents here to keep an eye on local government to make sure that decisions being made are not going to hurt this area,” he noted. He commented that he moved from Southern California to Northern California decades ago, in part because he was struck by the beauty of this area. He said one of his goals since that move has been to protect this area and not allow the unbridled growth that occurred in Southern California to happen here. He stressed the importance of the Lake County Land Trust in protecting the natural beauty here, saying that Clear Lake was a “gem,” when he first saw it, and remains a “gem,” to this day.
McCloskey was introduced with an original song by former Yuba College biology professor, Dr. Harry Lyons. The song pointed out the congressman’s numerous accomplishments including pushing for important environmental legislation including the Endangered Species Act, The Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act, as well as his decorated service in the Marine Corps during the Korean War.
McCloskey introduced and praised his wife, Helen McCloskey, who is active in environmental concerns in the Capay Valley where they now make their home. They are especially concerned about the possible harmful effects of industrial marijuana development in Yolo County, warning about the same possibility in Lake County.
Another highlight of the evening was honoring the supporters of the year: John Sheridan and Andrea DuFlon of Portland, OR. The couple have been long time supporters of the Land Trust and were honored for helping with acquisition projects from the first Land Trust acquisition, the Rodman Preserve near Upper Lake, and the most recent, the Melo property as part of the Big Valley Wetlands habitat preservation project that is an ongoing effort by the Land Trust.
Sheridan, who was on hand to accept the award, spoke of his long-term relationship with the Land Trust and how “giving,” has helped him through many difficult periods of loss. He read a beautiful poem about the benefits of giving. He and his wife, Andrea, donated $20,000 to help purchase the Melo property which was crucial in the effort to raise the $100,000 local matching grant required to purchase the property.
Those attending enjoyed a great silent auction featuring local artwork and many other items and services. A delicious meal, served with donated Lake County wines, was prepared by Rosey Cooks. Land Trust president, Val Nixon spoke about the recent accomplishments of the Lake County Land Trust and thanked donors and sponsors of the dinner: Homestake Mining Co., Brad and Kathy Barnwell, Roberta and Harry Lyons, Law Office of Dennis Fordham, Katzoff and Riggs LLP, and Jonas Heating and Cooling. Winery support came from Chacewater, Steele Wines, Langtry, Laujor, Olof Cellars, R Vineyards, Six Sigma Ranch and vineyards and Shannon Ridge.
A new event added to the dinner this year was an exciting live auction. Four items were auctioned off: an “Instant Cellar,” of wines, a collection of 30 bottles of Lake County wines representing over 17 different varietals; two beautiful mixed-media works of art by Ben vanSteenburgh III; a two night stay at the fabulous McCallum House in Mendocino and an overnight stay at the Bechtel House on the Pepperwood Reserve in Sonoma County.
The Lake County Land Trust is a local non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of Lake County’s wildlife habitat, including wetlands, streams, and shorelines as well as properties with unique natural, scenic, cultural, agricultural, educational or historical value to the community. For more information about the Lake County Land Trust go to www.lakecountylandtrust.org.