A native of
Washington State, Roberta grew up in Jago Bay on Clear Lake. Her
family moved to the area in 1955 when they purchased the Clear Lake
Observer-American which they published for over 30 years. She
continues to work in her family's newspaper, now in Cloverdale, CA.
Roberta attended
Lower Lake schools throughout elementary and secondary school. She
attended Santa Rosa Junior College, Yuba Community College, and
received a BA degree in liberal studies from Sonoma State
University. She lives at the family home in Jago Bay with her husband, Harry Lyons, a professor at Clearlake
Campus of Yuba College. Their daughter Kate is a student at UC Berkeley.
Growing up on the
shores of Clear Lake, Roberta developed a deep appreciation for the
natural beauty of the lake and surrounding terrain of Lake County.
In her work at the Clear Lake Observer-American, she reported on
such issues as diminishing wetlands around Clear Lake, the impact of
geothermal development on Cobb Mountain watersheds, and various city
and county issues. The Clear Lake Observer-American was supportive
of the acquisition of Anderson Marsh State Historic Park. Local
activist, archeologist John Parker, used articles published in the
Clear Lake Observer-American to prove the case for the acquisition
at the state level. Roberta is presently a board member of the
Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association (AMIA) the cooperating
association for the State Park.
Beginning in the
late 1980s Roberta became active with the Redbud Audubon Society,
serving as president of that organization for five years. She
remains active with the Audubon Society as conservation chair and
newsletter editor. Also interested in historic preservation, Roberta
was a founding member of the Lower Lake Historical School
Preservation Committee. This committee was responsible for the
preservation and restoration of the historical Lower Lake brick
school that now serves as the south county museum.
After seeing the
difficulty in protecting sensitive habitats strictly through zoning
and planning regulations, it had become clear that a land trust, an
organization that would aid in the permanent protection of sensitive
Lake County lands, was needed. In 1993, Roberta and a small group of
friends founded the Lake County Land Trust. She served as the
charter president of the trust from 1993-1999 and remains active on
the board as newsletter editor, membership committee
chair, lands committee member, and publicist.
Roberta and her
family enjoy water activities on Clear Lake, including sailing,
waterskiing, kayaking and swimming. Other favorite activities are
bird watching, walking, photography and music. Lake County is
Roberta and her family's home and they hope that it stays a
beautiful and inviting place for humans and wildlife.
