Romance is in the air this month, as the Friends of the Lake County Library feature the Friends' canvas book bags filled with donated romance novels.

Library Friends members are preparing romance-theme bags filled with a selection of books which will sell for $15 during February.

Red and burgundy bags have a romance theme, and black bags have a broken-hearts theme. Bags alone are $10 and come in five colors: burgundy, red, cream, black and navy.

Proceeds from the Friends of the Library book sales and bag sales support the Lake County Library. The Friends of the Library Web address is www.co.lake.ca.us/Residents/Community_Resources/Index_of_Organizations/Friends_of_the_Lake_County_Library.htm.

To join the Friends, see the membership information on the Web site or pick up an application at your local branch.

Library branches are located at 1425 N. High St. in Lakeport, 14785 Burns Valley Road in Clearlake, 21267 Calistoga Road in Middletown and 310 2nd St. in Upper Lake.

The library Web site www.co.lake.ca.us/page386.aspx has more information about the library.

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Tom Del Beccaro is the vice chair for the California Republican Party, has been of several talk radio shows and manages an informative Web site called, Politicalvanguard.com.

Several months ago I sat at the Northern Republican Women's Convention in Monterey, absolutely in awe listening to several important topics from US economic policies to social programs.

On Monday night I has the chance to recapture and listen intently to each point of discussion; after the speech several important questions where asked, and then Del Beccaro spent time speaking and signing his book with new friends from Lake County.

The food and service at Rivera Hills Restaurant provided a wonderful atmosphere for Del Beccaro's sensational dinner engagement.

Martha Steward is vice president of the Lake County Republican Women.

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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger established the commission in December 2006 to “identify the extent of unfunded liabilities” in public sector pension and retiree health care obligations, review and analyze options for addressing them and recommend a plan to the Legislature and governor.

The 12-member commission, chaired by former University of California Board of Regents President Gerald Parsky, released its 212-page report on Jan. 7. The report contained a comprehensive, eight-point plan containing 34 specific recommendations.

The bills introduced Monday by Sen. Wiggins, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Employment and Retirement, and Assemblyman Hernandez, chair of the Assembly Committee on Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security, are designed to implement commission recommendations requiring legislation.

The Hernandez bill, AB 1844, will help increase transparency with regard to public employee benefits through enhanced reporting requirements and will also help to curb fraud in the various retirement systems by providing those systems with the tools they need to detect and prosecute fraudulent actions.

The Wiggins bill, SB 1123, is focused on increasing transparency and oversight of public employee benefits.

The two lawmakers will serve as principal co-authors of each other’s bills.

“The commission report reflects the fact that this diverse group was able to come together around some very important issues,” Wiggins said. “I am optimistic that implementation of these key recommendations will help stabilize employers’ costs with regard to worker pensions and retiree health care – and do so without negatively impacting retirees.”

Hernandez agreed, saying he thinks it is “imperative that we move forward quickly this year to implement these recommendations as this will help to stabilize the costs of pensions and retiree health care for employers while making sure we keep the promises we have made to our teachers, police officers, firefighters and other hard working public employees.”

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The vote means the bill now heads to the Assembly for consideration.

If approved by the Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, SB 157 would establish the “Non-profit Organization Equal Participation Act,” for the purpose of providing continuity and equal participation for non-profit organizations in sanctioned wine-related events and to provide orderly direction for wine producers.

Wiggins, who represents the premium wine-growing regions of Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties in the Senate, says her bill is “simply intended to provide continuity and clarity within the ABC Act for both winemakers and non-profit organizations participating in sanctioned wine related events.

Wiggins, who also chairs the Senate Select Committee on California’s Wine Industry, introduced related legislation in 2003 and 2007.

Under existing law, licensed winegrowers can conduct wine tastings off premises, and can accept orders for purchase of their wines off premises, but any sales transactions must be completed back at the winegrowers’ place of business.

Existing law also authorizes the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to issue a wine sales event permit to allow a licensed winegrower to sell their bottled wine at festivals, county fairs, civic/cultural celebrations or similar events held by a range of non-profit organizations as defined in the state Revenue and Taxation Code.

Until last year, the ABC permitted orders to be taken at wine-tasting events held by eight categories of non-profit organizations, but SB 108, authored by Senator Wiggins and signed into law by the Governor, expanded the list to include 11 types of nonprofit groups.

Visit Wiggins' Web site at http://dist02.casen.govoffice.com.

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These funds will be utilized to address the significant issue of methamphetamine use and its impact on families involved with Child Welfare Services by establishing models for assessment, intervention, treatment services and recovery from addiction.

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Mendocino College President Kathy Lehner receives a check from Kevin Erich, president of Howard Memorial Hospital. Courtesy photo.

UKIAH – Last week Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital in Willits continued to be a strong supporter of the Mendocino College nursing program by donating $10,000.

Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital has been donating to the nursing program since 2003, with the last donation of $3,500 coming in February 2007.

The donations have traditionally been used for student scholarships, but the recent donation will be used for faculty support in 2008-09.

“We currently have one full-time faculty member who is solely funded by grants and donations and we want to keep her on,” said Mendocino College Nursing Program Director Barbara French.

“We can’t keep the number of students up if we don’t have the qualified faculty to teach them,” French said.

Whereas the hospital has helped out the nursing program, the nursing program has contributed back to the hospital.

“They were in need of nurses and they have hired many of our graduates over the years. They hired seven graduates last year and have been happy with the nurses they get from our program,” French added.

Currently, there are 41 students in the nursing program and 22 students are scheduled to graduate this May.

Applications for the Fall 2008 Registered Nurse program will begin Feb. 4.

For additional information on the Mendocino College Nursing Program, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-468-3099.

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