LAKEPORT
Lakeport Public Works Department updates on upcoming roadway improvements
The City of Lakeport Public Works Department would like to thank residents, businesses, and visitors for their continued patience during the ongoing underground utility work along Martin St, Lakeport Blvd, South Main St, and Lakeshore Blvd.
We understand that construction has impacted traffic and access in some areas, and we appreciate your understanding as we work to make long-term improvements to critical infrastructure.
As these underground utility projects near completion, the City has developed a plan to rehabilitate and upgrade the pavement on these roadways in the near future. These efforts have been made possible through strong coordination between the Public Works and Utilities Departments and through efforts to secure the necessary funding to restore and improve road surfaces once utility work is complete.
Paving and road rehabilitation projects will take place at various locations throughout the next year. More detailed schedules will be shared in advance of the work in each area.
Thank you again for your continued support and patience as we work to improve Lakeport’s infrastructure.
—Submitted
LAKEPORT
Clear Lake Flying Club completes successful youth aviation education series
The Clear Lake Flying Club successfully concluded its “Introduction to Aviation” series for Lake County youth this past Saturday, March 22, at Lampson Field Airport (1O2) in Lakeport, California.
The free three-part series provided an enthusiastic group of Lake County residents aged 9 to 13 with a detailed introduction to aviation including aircraft aerodynamics, controls, instruments, and power plants through hands-on learning experiences.
“Aviation offers exceptional career opportunities for young people in Lake County,” said Herb Lingl, Education Director of the Clear Lake Flying Club. “These educational initiatives can help our youth pursue highly paid careers in a field forecasted to see significant growth as they reach employment age.”
The program featured notable community involvement, with instruction from aviation professionals including:
- Kevin Soto, retired Boeing 747 pilot and certified flight instructor
- Tom Wasson, owner of Tom’s Aircraft Enterprises at Lampson Field Airport
- Lee Beery, 94-year-old retired United Airlines mechanic who continues to fly
- Jill Rothstein, pilot-in-training who taught students about Bernoulli’s Principle and aircraft magnetos
- Roberto Verbera, who brought his self-built Double Eagle aircraft for demonstration
The February class provided participants hands-on training with a sophisticated 5-screen flight simulator built by Kevin Soto.
During the final session, student Kyree Amos won a raffle prize flight in Herb Lingl’s 1946 Taylorcraft airplane, during which he was able to view his home in Lower Lake from the air.
The Clear Lake Flying Club was founded in 2019 to promote aviation education in Lake County.
To help build public awareness of the opportunities in aviation and the flying club’s programs, the club partnered with Santa Rosa EAA Chapter 124 to organize a Young Eagles rally at Lampson Field Airport in November 2019. Eleven pilots provided flights to 53 young people, with many more on a waiting list at that event.
The flying club has received significant support from the Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA). Dr. Bateman, former Director of AOPA’s Flying Club Initiative, arranged for AOPA ambassador Kay Sundaram to provide presentations on flying club formation and the AOPA Foundation High School STEM aviation curriculum at the 2019 Clear Lake Splash In.
Dr. Bateman has continued to make presentations at subsequent seminars organized by the Clear Lake Flying Club which ultimately resulted in the adoption by the Clear Lake High School (Lakeport Unified School District) of the AOPA aviation curriculum. Teaching of this class began in January of 2025.
The flying club is working to encourage other Lake County School Districts to begin teaching the AOPA Aviation STEM Curriculum.
Dr. Bateman will make a presentation about the curriculum on Friday, April 25 at 2pm during the 2025 Clear Lake Splash In.
The public is invited to this seminar as well as the dinner with seaplane pilots and subsequent screening of seaplane-related videos and movies which takes place at the Lakeport Yacht Club on Saturday, April 26 at 6pm. The Clear Lake Flying Club is providing Lake County residents who purchase a ticket for this dinner before April 14 a discount on admission to this event.
Additional information about this year’s Clear Lake Splash In is available at clearlakesplashin.com
For more information about the Clear Lake Flying Club and future aviation education programs, please contact Herb Lingl, Education Director of the flying club and 2025 Clear Lake Splash In coordinator at clearlakeflyingclub.com
—Submitted
LOS ANGELES
Children’s Defense Fund welcomes Jaren Sorkow as new State Director for California
The national youth advocacy organization Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) has named Jaren Sorkow the new state director of its Children’s Defense Fund-California (CDF-CA) office.
Sorkow steps into his new role with more than 20 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations in the Los Angeles and San Francisco metropolitan areas. Prior to joining Children’s Defense Fund, Sorkow served as the California director of strategic partnerships for BUILD.org, a national nonprofit focused on teaching entrepreneurship principles to high school students in marginalized communities. He also worked as the principal partnerships director for ProLiteracy, a nonprofit focused on improving adult literacy rates in the United States and across the globe.
Children’s Defense Fund Vice President and Chief Program Officer Sheri A. Brady said CDF is thrilled to welcome Sorkow to its staff as his previous work with children shows his commitment to advancing the well-being of all young people across the Golden State.
—Submitted
