2013

Lake County Association on Realtors® Officers Installation Dinner at Buckingham Park HOA

December 13, 2013 by Rick White

I had a fun night on Saturday, December 7th 2013. I think many who attended did as well. The purpose of the gathering was to install the new Board of Directors and me as the President of the Lake County Association of Realtors®. The theme for the evening was Casablanca from the old Humphrey Bogart film that was done back in the early 40s. We had Rosie Martin from Rosie Cooks Catering prepare us a fantastic Moroccan style dinner. Later in the evening we were entertained by some belly dancers. Looking forward to a good productive year. Should be an interesting year as well.

Filed Under: Rick's Blog Tagged With: Association of Realtors®, California, Installation Dinner, Lake County, LCAOR, Real Estate, Realtors®, Rick White

Clear Lake Splash-In 2013, Lakeport CA

October 2, 2013 by Rick White

This video is a highlight of the annual event in Lakeport called Splash-In. Seaplanes from all over North America come to this event to show off their planes and demonstrate aquatic aviation.

Filed Under: Rick's Blog

HEAR YE HEAR YE! A BUYER FOR KONOCTI HARBOR!

September 7, 2013 by Rick White

Well this has been a great week with promising news about the prospect of Konocti Harbor re-opening. I received a survey this week from a company that is representing the buyer which is Resort Equities LLC. http://www.resortequities.com

It is exciting to learn from the news articles that some of the elements the buyer may restore include the indoor and outdoor concerts, the marina and possibly the dining and spa facilities. After watching this large compound deteriorating from neglect over the past 4 years I think any improvement will be positive. So far I like what I’ve read about this project and look forward to see what effect it may have on the real estate market in Lake County, primarily waterfront and lakefront property market values. I think lakefront property owners with property in the region of Konocti Harbor as can expect to see renewed interest in lakefront vacation rentals down the road. I wish I had a crystal ball so I could say for sure how this will eventually turn out. For now we will have to keep our eye and ears open and be supportive and hope that the county will support the buyer as much as possible. We really need this venue back and we need another good employer in Lake County.

Here is a letter from the President of Resort Equities:

Here are a few news articles:

Exclusive: Potential Buyer of Konocti Harbor discusses Plans, Permits Application. Thursday, 05 September 2013, Elizabeth Larson

New plan for Clearlake’s shuttered Konocti Harbor Resort and Spa | The Press Democrat

Filed Under: Rick's Blog

Opera Singer at Italian Village, Loch Lomond

September 1, 2013 by Rick White

Great treat we had after a fine meal in Italian Village.

Filed Under: Rick's Blog Tagged With: CA, California, Lake County, Loch Lomond, Music

Taste of Lakeport 2013

August 25, 2013 by Rick White

Click here to view these pictures larger

Filed Under: Rick's Blog Tagged With: Beer, California, Food, Lake County, Lakeport, Taste of Lakeport, Tasting, Wine

California Association of Realtors – Region 4 Presidents Dinner, 8-3-2013

August 4, 2013 by Rick White

Had a nice dinner in the barrel room at Wooden Valley Winery and Vineyard in Suisun Valley, California. Special guest were the 2013 CAR President, Mr. Don Faught and CAR Treasurer Chris Kutskey. This photo has LCAOR President Anita McKee, Past President Ray Perry, President Elect 2013 Rick White, LCAOR Association Executive Scott Knickmeyer, Don Faught and Chris Kutskey.

Filed Under: Rick's Blog Tagged With: Anita McKee, CAR Region 4 Dinner, Chris Kutskey, Don Faught, LCAOR, Ray Perry, Rick White, Scott Knickmeyer

Sudden Limb Drop

August 2, 2013 by Rick White

Tree limb fall I love trees and the cool shade they provide specially in the hot summer. While driving throughout the county this summer I’ve noticed a number of very large tree limbs down. I did a little research on this subject and found a phenomenon know as sudden limb drop. It seems the experts are still trying to determine what is the exact cause of this problem. While the experts are doing that I would just like to make you aware that it does happen. A local expert explained: ” Oak limbs contain a great deal of moisture adding weight during the summer. If any wood decaying organisms are present in the trunk or limbs subsequent failure can occur.” While on a rafting vacation and campout in the Sierra foothills, I had a whole tree land in my camp site one hot summer morning that really freaked me out. Now I really take notice of these kinds of things. If your a home owner and have very large trees around your house, road entrance or common areas take time to examine them. If the tree appears to have any signs of decease or rot then I recommend having an arborist either trim the tree accordingly or take it down. Some of the limbs that I see on the ground are very large and probably weigh many hundreds or thousands of pounds. So don’t take chances because if a limb comes down and your underneath it! Well, I think you get the picture. If you hear anything that sounds like twigs snapping in a tree get away from the tree as fast as you can. This was the warning I got when the tree finally snapped and fell into our camp site. Lucky for us nobody was hurt or killed. I will post a few pictures here showing some of the limbs on the ground this summer and some were very close calls to the houses and vehicles.

Filed Under: Rick's Blog Tagged With: CA, Lake County, Shade, Sudden Limb Drop, Summer, Trees

July 4th 2013 Fireworks show on Clear Lake

July 6, 2013 by Rick White

Here is another fun event in Lake County, CA. It’s the 4th of July Fireworks Show on Clear Lake. The fireworks are launched from a barge several hundred yards off shore from Library Park in Lakeport. We like to view the show by boat. The evening trip from Corinthian Bay to the viewing area in Lakeport is a lot of fun. We enjoy watching the evening sky change colors from amber and oranges to deep purple and black as the night sets in before the show. This year during the show the lake was calm and no rice flies! The cool temperatures were a welcome pleasure after having a bit of a heatwave for several days prior. The show lasted about 20 minutes but this is just a 5 minute highlight clip that shows the grand finale. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Rick's Blog Tagged With: 2013, 4th of July, Boat, Boating, CA, California, Clear Lake, FIreworks. Lakeport, Lake, Lake County

Free Fishing Day! Saturday, July 6th.

July 2, 2013 by Rick White

I just got this notice from the California Department of Fish and Game.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 2, 2013

Contacts:
Andrew Hughan, CDFW Communications, (916) 322-8944
Kyle Murphy, CDFW Fisheries Branch, (916) 323-5556

Free Fishing Day is Saturday, July 6

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) invites anglers to celebrate summer by fishing for free this Saturday. July 6 is the first of two Free Fishing Days in 2013, when people can try their hand at fishing without having to buy a sport fishing license.

All fishing regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures remain in effect. Every angler must have an appropriate report card if they are fishing for steelhead or sturgeon anywhere in the state, or salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity River systems.

CDFW offers two Free Fishing Days each year – usually around the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekend – when it’s legal to fish without a sport fishing license. This year, Free Fishing Days are set for the Saturdays following Independence Day and Labor Day (July 6 and Sept. 7). Note that on the Sept. 7 Free Fishing Day, ocean fishermen must have an abalone report card in their possession when rock picking or diving for abalone, but no fishing license is required (the abalone season is closed during the month of July).

Free Fishing Days provide a low-cost way to give fishing a try. Some CDFW regions offer a Fishing in the City program where anglers can go fishing in major metropolitan areas. Fishing in the City and Free Fishing Day clinics are designed to educate novice anglers about fishing ethics, fish habits, effective methods for catching fish and fishing tackle. Anglers can even learn how to clean and prepare fish for eating.

Anglers should check the rules and regulations at www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations for the waters they plan to fish. Wardens will be on duty to enforce them. For more information on Free Fishing Days, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/fishing/freefishdays.html.

Filed Under: Rick's Blog Tagged With: CA, California, Fishing, Lake County

Excellent Fire Protection provided by CalFire and Local Fire Departments in Kelseyville, CA.

June 28, 2013 by Rick White

Do you ever wonder about what kind of fire protection we have in Lake County? Well I think you will be impressed after watching this video showing Cal Fire and Local Fire Departments acting fast to quench a wild fire in Kelseyville at the base of Mount Konocti on June 20th 2013. We had all the key elements that day for a fire that could have gone out of control with wind, plenty of fuel and heat. Great job by all fire fighters!