LAKE COUNTY — The 11th Annual Stars of Lake County Community Awards program will take place on Sunday, March 30, beginning at 4 p.m. at Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa. The evening features a variety of performers:
Lauren Dorsey Berlinn
Lauren Dorsey Berlinn is 16 years old and was crowned as the first Miss Lake County”s Outstanding Teen 2008. Lauren is the daughter of Ms. Shawn Berlinn and Mr. John Berlinn Her platform issue is to curb the companion abuse animal overpopulation crisis. During her reign she will raise awareness about the ongoing battle of companion care and animal abuse. Lauren hopes to obtain a Bachelor of Zoology and a PHD.
Lauren was a member of the Clear Lake High School Choir and has played the clarinet in the band for 5 years. She will be singing a couple of songs at Stars of Lake County this year.
Amanda Betat
Amanda Betat was crowned Miss Lake County in August of 2007; she is the daughter of Dr. David Betat and Mrs. Marinela Betat She is currently attending Pacific Union College in Napa County. While in high school she was on the Gold Honor Roll for 4 years, Junior Class Valedictorian; Senior Class Valedictorian and recipient of the Rio Lindo Academy GPA Merit Scholarship (4 semesters). She is a recipient of the Pacific Union College Leader Scholarship and the Pacific Union College High Achievement Semi-Finalist Scholarship.
Amanda”s platform during her year of service as Miss Lake County is to approach various organizations such as The Confidence Club and the Boys and Girls Club to help promote self-confidence and community service awareness. In addition, she will try to partner the Miss California Organization with those institutes to inform girls of the true nature and benefits of local and state pageants, and encourage them to participate and earn scholarship money. She hopes to impact children, teenagers, and adults alike on the importance of having and building self confidence, as well as getting involved in helping their community. Amanda has completed 9 levels of music theory and was a 2nd place winner of the Music Teacher”s Association Senior Advanced Piano Competition. As a pianist she will be providing entertainment for Stars of Lake County this year.
Saundra Combs
Saundra Combs began singing and performing at a very young age. She first sang at Stars of Lake County when she was 13 years old. In 2006, she sang for Stars of Lake County when she reigned as Miss Lake County; the same year, she received the Stars of Lake County Amateur Arts Award.
Pageantry has been a large part of Saundra”s life; she has held the titles of California”s National Teenager 2005, as well as Miss National Sweetheart 2004. She organized and directed the first Miss Lake County”s Outstanding Teen Pageant in 2008, and is now the director of marketing and public relations.
She is a member of the Elite USD Choral Scholars. With this group, Saundra has performed at the Vatican, St Mark”s Cathedral, the Pantheon and St. Peter”s Basilica in Italy, at St. Kinga”s Basilica in Poland, the Royal Cathedral, and the Eucharistic of the Infant Jesus in Prague. Saundra is attending the University of San Diego on a 4 year, $40,000, music scholarship.
She is the founder/President of “Let”s Get Physical/Big Champ Little Champ Foundation” ? a program that enlists college students and athletes to interact with primary school children to encourage fitness and healthy choices. Her hope is that by instilling a healthy lifestyle in our youth, obesity will decline in the United States.
David Neft
David Neft started piano lessons at age 7. He played solo piano and assorted keyboards, been in “garage” bands and involved in every level as a professional musician all his life.
He received his BA and Credential in Music from California State College at Hayward (now known as the highly-respected East Bay University).
David has been the Broker/Owner of Neft & Neft Realtors for 31-plus years in Middletown.
He has lived in Cobb since 1980 with wife Ellen ? married 30 years ? and has three grown children.
After college, David toured four years with Syndicate of Sound (their hit ? “Hey Little Girl”) in the Western States and Canada.
David is an experienced studio musician. He accompanied several Lake County musicals including “Sound of Music” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”
David is currently with “Bill Noteman and the Rockets,” who have opened for BB King and the Steve Miller Band at Konocti Harbor Inn and will open for “Tower of Power” this summer (Aug. 6, 2008).
He is a very proud winner of 2007 ? Stars Award “Spirit of Lake County.”
Erika Tibbetts
Erika Tibbetts, a 16 year old home schooler, has taken voice lessons for the past four years with Viki Jay upon her arrival in Lake County, and has participated in several recitals. She had her first experience with theater in last fall”s Fiddler on the roof as a chorus member, and sang for the first time at the Winter Music Festival in January. Her first CD is at the end stages, and hopes that all of this experience and the great passion she has for music, will help her on the road to Julliard: School of Music, or the Royal College of Music, in London.
