Lakeport >> Community members filled nearly every seat at Soper Reese Theatre Saturday night for the 18th annual Stars of Lake County. The awards celebration, presented by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, featured star-adorned trophies and certificates from Congressman Mike Thompson for 21 recipients. But talk of the night turned to the recent fires. During the presentations, the Valley Fire was mentioned when honoring 10 different star recipients. Many were victims of the fire. Others had been in the thick of the blaze or recovery.
Even the performers for the event, David Neft and Shelly Mascari, lost their homes. Their performances added to the theme of the evening, particularly when Mascari stepped up on stage to sing “From the Ashes.”
“This song I sort of identified as a personal theme song for me,” she explained to the crowd. “I dedicate this song to Lake County and the Valley Fire victims.”
Mascari, who thought she’d come to the event only to sing and present an award, was called to the stage after intermission in an touching moment. Chamber CEO Melissa Fulton told a story of a phone call she received in the aftermath of the Valley Fire, when she was informed that Mascari, 2014 star recipient for Best Idea, lost her award in the fire. The committee decided to replace the award without hesitation.
“It was really sweet,” said Mascari, who had no idea the gesture was going to happen. Even as Fulton began telling the story, Mascari said she still didn’t suspect the replacement award would be for her.
An abundance of tears were shed throughout the evening. When presenting the award for female student of the year to Gracie Pachie, a Middletown High School senior who lost her home in the fire, Brock Falkenberg had to collect himself before continuing. Fulton broke into tears when speaking about the fire. Barbara Flynn, owner of the Village Pub and recipient of two awards — Marla Ruzicka Humanitarian Award and Small Business — wiped tears from her eyes when she accepted her second trophy.
“I’m overwhelmed,” she said of her awards. “I feel like there’s so many people more deserving who weren’t nominated, probably because of the fire.”
Within hours of the reopening of Cobb, Flynn opened the doors to the Village Pub, where she invited everyone for a free meal, no questions asked. She did this for weeks straight and continues to do so. She’s organized multiple fundraisers for her follow Cobb residents and managed to secure 500 trees for replanting on the Cobb mountain.
Flynn added that she will be quick to nominate community members for next year’s event, and hopes others will do the same.
This wasn’t the first year tears were shed at the Stars of Lake County. Many people feel proud of the award recipients, and “pride brings tears,” Fulton explained. “I don’t know how many communities are like this … We care about each other.”
Without the fire, a few of the nominations and awards may have been very different. The professional arts award went to Lisa Kaplan, who lost her home in the fire. She’s also involved in the EcoArts Sculpture Walk, destroyed by the fire, and the Middletown Art Center (MAC), which was thankfully spared. Though she’s been working hard for art recovery in south county, Kaplan was honored to receive the award, but didn’t expect the nomination. “It was clear to me it was going to be focused on the fire,” she said, adding that artists across the county have done great work in response to the blaze.
The recipient of the Local Hero award went to Jim Wright, who received a standing ovation for his quick thinking during the Valley Fire. When four firefighters were trapped in walls of flame, Wright was able to reach them using roadside trees as a guide. Although the firefighters received burn injuries, all four made it out alive.
“They would not have survived without the actions of Jim Wright,” presenter Monica Rosenthal read from the nomination letter written for Wright.
“Obviously the Valley Fire is going to be a primary topic throughout Lake County,” Fulton said. “I feel the fires impacted all of Lake County … [Lakeport is] distant from it physically, we are not distant from it emotionally.”
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
