Soper-Reese opens its doors to the public
JANUARY — The Soper-Reese Community Theatre opened its doors with a production of the Winter Music Fest, “Vaudville 2008,” on Jan. 26 and 27. During an “interlude” between phases of construction, the Lake County Arts Council is making the theater available for performances.
Teen advances in ?Poetry Out Loud”
FEBRUARY — High-school student Rachael Weiss competed and won a local “Poetry Out Loud” competition in February 2008. Poetry Out Loud is a collaborative project of the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. It seeks to foster a love of poetry in the next generation of readers. For information, visit www.poetryoutloud.org.
?Creative Expressions” debuts in Record-Bee
FEBRUARY — A showcase of local writers” poetry and prose debuted in the Lake County Record-Bee. “Creative Expressions” is edited by Sandra Wade, Lourdes Thuesen and Mary McMillan. It appears on the second and fourth Saturday each month.
For information or to submit your original work, e-mail mtmcmillan@mac.com. Submissions are limited to 700 words in the body of an e-mail.
Lake County Publishing reserves the right to reprint submissions without compensation in any or all of its print or online media. All other copyright reverts to author upon publication.
McMillan appointed poet laureate
MARCH — At a reading on March 2, departing poet laureate Sandra Wade introduced her successor, Mary McMillan. Shortly afterward, the Lake County Board of Supervisors appointed McMillan as Lake County Poet Laureate.
McMillan is the fifth poet to serve as local poet laureate. The tradition began with Jim Lyle and continued in turn with James BlueWolf, Carolyn Wing Greenlee and Sandra Wade.
KPFZ broadcasts at full power on 88.1 FM
APRIL — Lake County Community Radio, KPFZ 88.1 FM, began broadcasting at full-power on April 25, 2008.
The station originally broadcast at 104.5 FM, a low-power frequency that reached only portions of the county, between 2001 and 2005.
KPFZ successfully applied with the Federal Communications Commission to receive a full-power license and began broadcasting in April thanks to local financial support.
County author wins Wordcraft award
APRIL — Local author James BlueWolf was honored by the Wordcraft Circle Of Native Writers and Storytellers with its national Children”s Writer Of The Year Award for 2006- 2007. Bluewolf received the award for his 2007 book, “Speaking For Fire,” illustrated by another Lake County author and poet, Carolyn Wing Greenlee.
The author and his wife, Bernie, were invited to Michigan State University to attend Wordcraft”s “Returning The Gift” Conference and receive the award.
BlueWolf is the second Lake County citizen to be honored by the American Indian organization. Clayton Duncan (Robinson Rancheria) received its 2005 Award for Storytelling.
Battle of the Bands in Kelseyville
JUNE — A Battle of the Band, featuring local teen performers, kicked off the first “Kickin” in the Country” street dance for Summer 2008.
The monthly dances are hosted each summer by the Kelseyville Business Association.
The June 19 concert drew an enthusiastic crowd. “Smooth,” consisting of Hamed Hokamzadah on keyboards, Alicyn Yaffee on lead guitar, David Ferrarrio on bass guitar and Isaac McQueen on drums, won first place in the competition. The group won $600 and received free studio time.
Theater companies merge into one
SEPTEMBER — Two local theater companies ? Lake County Repertory Theater and Lakeport Community Players ? formally merged this year into the Lake County Theater Company.
The two companies began collaborating in 2007, staging well-received performances of “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Little Women.” Their governing boards also began to collaborate together.
In September 2008, the company began to publicize its new name, with a sign on the back of its float in the Kelseyville Pear Festival parade.
The first production to appear on stage under the theater company”s new name was a musical of “Cinderella,” which was produced by theater classes through Mendocino College at the Soper-Reese.
CLPA celebrates 30 years of concerts
NOVEMBER — A special concert on Nov. 16 celebrated the 30th anniversary of Clear Lake Performing Arts and the Lake County Symphony.
CLPA was founded in 1978, under the tutelage of Jean and Lucien Mitchell, who had both been members of the San Francisco Symphony and Opera orchestras, and who wanted to help provide the same sort of cultural opportunities in Lake County.
The first performance of what came to be the Lake County Symphony took place at the Konocti Harbor resort. Two years later John Parkinson joined as director and conductor and has since built it into one of the largest and best small-market orchestras in California.
