The Lower Lake Community Action Group (LLCAG) was actually preceded by the Lower Lake Civic Club. The LLCC didn’t have its own facility and reportedly met at various locations around Lower Lake including the Big Oak Café that was approximately where Small Town Ceramics is today, and the Odd Fellows Hall that was located on the south side of Main Street opposite the current location of the Methodist Church. They were early sponsors of the Lower Lake Daze Parade dating back to the 1960’s.
By the 1990’s the Civic Club evolved into the Lower Lake Community Action Group. In the early 1990’s of LLCAG the Lower Lake Daze Parade and Memorial Day celebration was co-sponsored with the Lakeshore Lions Club.
In 1997 the LLCAG incorporated under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code as a charitable benefit corporation and Muriel Kenzler became its first president, followed by Mary Tulanian 1998/99; Rosette Copsey 2000; Esther Allen 2001/2002; Judy Mullens 2003-2005; Sheila Bening 2006-2010; Mike Dean 2011-2022 and current president, Russ Cremer.
The group continued to meet at different locations in the 1990’s until the County closed their corporation yard on Mill Street, making the site available. An agreement was negotiated with the County for a longterm lease with LLCAG. Prominent Lower Lake rancher, Russell Rustici stepped up to fund the conversion of the corporation yard maintenance building into the LLCAG clubhouse and also provided the shade structures, tables and benches for what would become Russell Rustici Lower Lake County Park that exists today.
As with the Civic Club before, LLCAG’s focus was and is to monitor growth and development in Lower Lake and keep the community informed of issues impacting our community. Originally monthly lunches were held, usually with a guest speaker, to help with that task. In more recent years that has changed to dinners in order to accommodate more of our members. During the pandemic years of 2020 through 2022, the dinners were unfortunately suspended. Beginning again in 2023, this important service to the community has resumed.
As a 501(c)3, LLCAG has also added fundraising for numerous causes to its community services. Chief among these is the scholarship fund which provides up to $10,000 in scholarships to high school students to help continue their education. More recent causes include helping to fund and providing volunteers to create an emergency evacuation shelter at the Clearlake Community Center, maintenance and cleanup at Lower Lake Cemetery and financial support for youth groups at Konocti Unified School District.
And, of course, LLCAG has continuously sponsored the Lower Lake Daze Parade and Street Festival since 1992, taking over from the former Civic Club. A Christmas Parade and Street Fair was added to this in 2021.
