Sponsored by Lake County Office of Education, Taylor Observatory will host an educational series entitled “Introduction to Astronomy.”

The guest presenter is Dr. Gerald de Bané, astronomy professor at Santa Rosa Junior College.

The eight-class series will be held at the observatory in Kelseyville.

Classes start on Feb. 22 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Seating is limited – guarantee your reservation by calling today.

To register for the class or for more information, please call the Taylor Observatory at 707-262-4121 or visit the observatory's Web site at www.taylorobservatory.org .

Attendees as a past fashion show enjoy their lunch. Courtesy photo.

LOWER LAKE – Tickets are still available for the Lower Lake Historical School Preservation Committee’s 16th annual Fashion Festival on Saturday, Feb. 20.

The show will begin at noon at the Lower Lake Museum’s Weaver Auditorium, 16435 Main St. in Lower Lake, and includes a delicious luncheon, entertainment, a hat contest, raffle and fashion show featuring Lisa’s Sizes 3-60 of Clearlake.

Tickets are $20 and groups may reserve a table for 10.

Reservations are required and seating is very limited. Call 707-995-3565 to reserve tickets.

Due to “Stars” we have been able to acknowledge more than 1,300 individuals, organizations and businesses throughout the county.

That recognition has been made possible by the nominations that have come from the communities of Lake County.

Recognition from people taking time to write a nomination letter informing us of someone (person, business or organization) that gives to our communities without regard for recognition, but because they want to make life better in Lake County.

This year we have moved Stars to April 10, and it will be held in the large concert room at Robinson Rancheria Resort and Casino.

We will have a special “Stars Entrance” directly into the concert room from the north parking lot area, with the event beginning at 5 p.m.

Greg Bennett and Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa were integral components to the presentation of Stars since its inception twelve years ago, providing the Chamber with a more than supportive venue. We have been able to help the many hundreds of nominee’s experience their well deserved “Star” status through the assistance afforded us by Greg and Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa.

The Stars nomination form is available now on our Web site www.lakecochamber.com , so please begin now to think about who should be nominated.

Category descriptions are included in the nomination form, which will also be printed in the newspapers, both print and online.

Don’t wait for someone else to make the nomination, if you feel someone is deserving, take time to write out the information on why you feel they deserve recognition.

Remember, it is not the number of letters for each nominee, but rather the details provided for the Selection Committee to review which enables them to make their choices.

The Selection Committee comes from various communities throughout the county, people who know their communities and who cast their votes based upon the substance of information provided on each and every nominee.

This year the categories are:

• Man of the year;

• Woman of the year;

• Large business (20+ employees);

• Small business (less than 20 employees);

• Youth advocate professional (paid);

• Youth advocate volunteer;

• Student of the year, male;

• Student of the year, female;

• Agriculture award;

• Arts award professional (paid);

• Arts award amateur;

• Volunteer of the year;

• Marla Ruzicka Humanitarian Award;

• Senior of the year;

• Best idea of the year;

• Organization, nonprofit;

• Organization, all volunteer;

• Life time achievement;

• Local hero of the year;

• New business of the year;

• Environmental award.

Nominations must be received no later than 5 p.m. Friday, March 12.

The Selection Committee will be provided with a copy of every nomination in every category, to review for approximately one week.

They will then meet for approximately four to five hours, discuss all the nominees and cast secret ballots on each category.

The results of those votes will be known only to the Awards Production Committee until the presentation.

The Stars will be announced on the evening of April 10 at the Stars of Lake County Community Awards Program.

For more information, contact the Lake County Chamber of Commerce office at 707-263-5092.

Melissa Fulton is chief executive officer of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.

NICE – Sons of Italy is holding an indoor flea market from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 6.

The market will be held at the Sons of Italy Clubhouse, 2817 Highway 20 in Nice.

Gates open at 7 a.m. to set up inside the building.

Inside tables are available for $10 on a first-come, first-serve basis.

They also are having a bake sale inside the building and lots of vendors will be selling nice items.

The club’s kitchen and bar will be open to sell drinks and Italian sausage sandwiches.

Everyone is welcome.

For information about this event or renting the hall for your own call 707-274-9952.

Jo and Jerry Shaul receive the Penny Pines plantation from Ann Blue, Mendo-Lake garden club district Penny Pines chair. Photo by Barbara Swanson.

LAKE COUNTY – Mendo-Lake District honored Jo and Jerry Shaul with a Penny Pines plantation at the winter general meeting.

Ann Blue, district Penny Pines chair, said the group usually focuses on how their contribution helps the National Forest Service in restoring forest lands that have been damaged by fire or disease; and by presenting the certificate for Jo and Jerry Shaul, they are recognizing and honoring members who stand out for their contributions to the Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club.

The Shauls have been members of Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club since 1976 and Jo Shaul is past president of CLTTGC and past district director of the Mendo-Lake District.

They have both held several offices at club level, district level and state level. Their two-acre California native plant gardens gives Jerry Shaul much to write about in CLTTGC’s “Trellis Talk” newsletter and also CGCI’s “Golden Gardens” magazine.

Ukiah Garden Club hosted the meeting and lunch.

The California Garden Clubs Inc. President Maryanne Lucas was a special guest at the meeting.

Mendo-Lake District is one of 28 districts in the state of California. There are six garden clubs all within the Mendo-Lake District (www.mendolakedistrict.org).

All the districts in California are under the Calif. Garden Club Inc., www.CaliforniaGardenClubs.org , then within the Pacific Region (www.PacificregionGardenClubs.org ), and then the National Garden Clubs Inc. (www.gardenclub.org). These Web sites contain a wealth of information – check them out.

All are welcome to visit the garden clubs. The district meets quarterly and the public is invited to attend any of the meetings. Watch for future announcements of meetings and activities.

GinaBelle Smith is the Mendo-Lake District Director. For further information check out any of the above Web sites or call 707-964-3798.

LAKE COUNTY – The last day for residents of Lake County to take advantage of the current Waste Tire Amnesty program will be Saturday, Feb. 27.

Up to nine passenger or light pickup tires, with or without rims, will be accepted at no charge. The charge for oversized passenger tires during the amnesty is $5 without rims and $7.50 with rims. The amnesty does not apply to commercial, farm or heavy equipment tires.

Tires can be delivered to either South Lake Refuse & Recycling at the entrance to the Eastlake Landfill on Davis Street or to Lake County Waste Solutions at 230 Soda Bay Road in Lakeport. The Department of Resources Recovery and Recycling provides the funding for the amnesty program.

California law prohibits anyone from hauling more than nine tires without a permit. If you have tires bigger than 8R19.5 or more than nine tires, please call 707-263-1980 for additional information.

Customers are asked to show proof of residency and sign a form showing the number and origin of the tires. No commercial tire, auto repair or salvage businesses are allowed.

Beginning March 1, 2010, the recycling centers will resume charging $2 for passenger tires without a rim and $3 with a rim. Recycling fees for oversized passenger tires are $10 without a rim and $150 with a rim.