Rushing invites the public to attend a Lucerne Community Town Hall Meeting at 1 p.m. Saturday, February 9, at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center.

County Staff will provide updates on the redevelopment process, local projects, a water update and other issues. The agenda includes an open forum to discuss issues of interest to the community of Lucerne.

Free tables will be set up for local groups, businesses or organizations wishing to distribute literature.

Lucerne Alpine Senior Center will be serving breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon. Come for breakfast and stay for the meeting!

The Lucerne Alpine Senior Center is located at 10th Avenue and Country Club Drive.

For more information contact Rushing, 263-2368, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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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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The annual Verna Morris Memorial Pancake Breakfast will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 10, at the Kelseyville Lions Clubhouse located at 4335 Sylar Lane (Sylar Lane is located southeast of the county park).

One of the Easter Seals Northern California Lake County services is assisting families with transportation costs for out-of-county medical visits for children.

Each year, through the generosity of the Kelseyville Lions Club with the assistance of the Big Valley Lions Club, a pancake breakfast is offered to raise money for this program.

Verna Morris, 1920-1996, was a founding member of the National Tuberous Sclerosis Association, the California Association of Neurologically Handicapped Children (Alameda/Contra Costa counties), and an active board member of the Sonoma County Respite and Atypical Infant Development Program.

According to her husband, Bill Morris, “Verna was a personal support system for hundreds of parents and individuals with disabled children and adults. She was an exceptional woman who gave to her community.”

Contributions from family and friends began the fund in 1996. The Kelseyville Lions Club has supported the Verna Morris program with one of their monthly pancake breakfasts that attracts approximately 150 children and adults.

The Big Valley Lions Club provides the serving of the food to the families. The breakfast is held at the Kelseyville Lions Clubhouse on the second Sunday of February.

Tickets will be available at the door for $6 per person. Children age 5 and under eat for free.

For further information please call 263-3949. Direct donations to the fund may be made to Easter Seals Northern Calif., 501 B N. Main St., Lakeport, CA 95453.

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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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