CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A group of local college students is planning a bake sale to benefit the Lower Lake High School Dance Team.

The fundraiser will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 1, at Foods Etc., 15290 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake.

Stop by and support the effort to keep Lake Lake High students dancing.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A caregiver support group for families dealing with memory loss or other cognitive impairments will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

The group meets at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 14310 Memory Lane in Clearlake from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Social worker Jenny Johnson is the facilitator.

The groups are sponsored by Redwood Caregiver Resource Center (1-800-834-1636) and the Social Day Programs in Lake County.

For more information call Jenny Johnson at 707-350-3030 or Caroline Denny at 707-263-9481.

Respite is provided by the centers at no charge.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A Kelseyville teenager who is creating a program to help foster children has been named the winner of this year's Soroptimist International Clear Lake Violet Richardson Award.

Erica Illg, 14, has been named the award recipient for her “Backpacks for Foster Kids” project.

Each year Soroptimist Clubs around the country honor young women between the ages of 14 and 17 who donate their time and energy to causes that make the community and world a better place with the Violet Richardson Award.

Erica is a seven-year member of the Cole Creek 4H Club who has earned gold, silver and bronze stars for her community services, public speaking, 4-H events attended, and honors and recognition. She currently is working for her Emerald Star, the highest rank that can be achieved at her age.

Last April she decided to do the backpacks project, but funds were needed. Erica applied for and received a Revolution of Responsibility Grant of $1,000. Erica's project will be the first Revolution and Responsibility project achieved in Lake County.

She finished the paperwork, organized volunteers, interviewed social workers and foster care agencies, received letters of recommendation and agreement that the backpacks would be useful. She then obtained a letter from Lake County 4-H Director Julie Frazell.

Erica comes from a family that provides foster care for young children. She chose the backpack project by observing that the children who arrived at her home arrived with just the clothes they were wearing and nothing more.

Her backpacks contain essential items like toothbushes, toothpaste, hair brushes, socks, pajamas, blankets and stuffed animals.

The Violet Richardson Award program is named after the president of the first Soroptimist Club in 1921. Violet Richardson believed in personal responsibility and the motto, “It's what you do that counts.”

She lived her life accordingly and was as an active member of her community who was committed to creating opportunities for girls and young women. Soroptimist established the award to honor the memory of this unique woman and her dedication to volunteer action.

The Violet Richardson Award program begins at the local Soroptimist Club level, where the recipient receives a certificate and a cash award. Club level winners then become eligible for several other awards at the region level.

Soroptimist International Clear Lake raises funds for this and many other programs that benefit women and girls with the annual Spring Fling Luncheon and Auction, which is scheduled for March 1 at the Clearlake Senior Senior, 3245 Bowers Ave. The cost is $35 per person.

For more information about Soroptimist or the Spring Fling contact President Wanda Harris at 707-987-9027 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake Co-op announced a trial membership option for customers looking to experience the benefits of their variety of organic food offerings before becoming a co-op owner.

The 30-day trial owner membership will allow first time customers to receive the 15-percent owner discount for the first month of their membership, though will not allow the customers to have owner voting rights.

Those interested in signing up for the 30-day trial membership can do so at the co-op's Web site at www.lake.coop and follow the links to “Shop” and “Register Now.”

When the customer places their first order (order cycle is open Sunday 12:01 a.m. through Tuesday 12:30 p.m.) , they will be prompted to select a membership level. They can then choose the new “30-Day Trial Owner.”

“This gives our customers the opportunity to see what a great value we offer for high quality organic products without having to make the full commitment of becoming an owner and purchasing a share before they've even shopped with us the first time,” said Lake Co-op Operations Manager Robyn Bera.

Customers do not have to be owners in Lake Co-op to shop from either the online ordering system or the overages that are available on Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 307 N. Main St. in Lakeport at the new Lake Works store next to Watershed Books. However, owners receive a 15-percent discount from non-owner pricing.

“A 15-percent discount is a significant savings these days,” said Jim Leonardis of Leonardis Organics and Lake Co-op's board president.

Ownership in Lake Co-op is one of the distinctive factors of cooperative models of business. Lake Co-op is California's only cooperatively owned online food ordering and distribution system.

Ownership in Lake Co-op consists of purchasing 12 shares at $25 per share for a total investment of $300. Lake Co-op offers its owners the ownership opportunity with a minimum one share purchase ($25) per year.

“Owners can take up to 12 years to become fully vested,” said founding member and manager, JoAnn Saccato, “or they can purchase as many shares as they like, including the full one-time investment of $300.”

“The minimum annual share purchase of $25 can be earned back in the 15-percent discount in a matter of weeks,” added Bera. “Most co-ops are now giving patronage refunds at the end of the year rather than immediate discounts. We thought our owners would appreciate the upfront discount given the current economic situation.”

Once a customer decides to become an owner and purchases their first share, they have all the rights of ownership including the 15-percent discount, one vote, the opportunity to receive an additional 10-percent discount on Thursdays when working a Thursday warehouse or overage store position, and the opportunity to become an owner-worker. Owner-workers are eligible to receive an additional 10-percent discount on all purchases – online and overage – through the Co-op.

“Owner-workers need only fulfill a five-hour minimum per month (60-hours per membership year) work commitment in any of the co-op's work areas – not just the Thursday operations positions – and they receive the deeper discounts,” said Bera.

“You'd be amazed at how many people it takes to run the co-op. From telephone orderers, pick up and delivery drivers, Azure Standard coordination and so much more,” said Bera. “It takes a lot of cooperation each week to bring high quality organic products to our 12 drop points throughout Lake County.”

For more information on Lake Co-op and taking advantage of their new 30-Day Trial Membership, visit www.lake.coop or call 707-513-5226.

UKIAH, Calif. – On Monday Feb. 24, at noon the Cal Fire Mendocino Unit will begin conducting a vegetation management control burn in the Mill Creek watershed east of Ukiah.

Burning is planned for Monday, Feb. 24, and Tuesday, Feb. 25, weather and air quality conditions permitting.

The prescribed burning being done under this Vegetation Management Program (VMP) project will be conducted under specific climatic conditions to ensure control and minimize air quality and other impacts.

The primary goal of this prescribed burn is to reintroduce fire as a natural element of the ecosystem.

A second goal is to improve wildlife habitat by inducing new shoots from sprouting species to increase forage production, with islands of unburned fuel left within the burned area to provide shelter for small mammals.

A third goal is to reduce overall vegetation in order to decrease the chance of catastrophic wildfires in the future.

“In light of the current drought conditions, this prescribed fire will also provide a training opportunity for firefighters to practice putting out fire with tactics that don’t include the use of water,” said Cal Fire Mendocino Unit Chief Christopher Rowney.

Historically, areas covered in brush experience a fire every 15 to 20 years. Portions of the project site have not had a fire burn through for over 25 years, allowing the brush to become extremely thick and overgrown.

This has greatly reduced the ability of wildlife to move through the area and has reduced the flow of waters from creeks and springs.

The VMP program and other vital fire prevention and resource management programs received a nearly $12 million boost in funding in the 2013-14 budget from the state’s fire prevention fee.

To ensure visitor safety, the BLM will close the Valley View Trail and North Cow Mountain access road beginning Monday, Feb. 24.

The closure will remain in place during burning operations and possibly longer if forecast heavy rains occur.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The public is invited to the meeting of the Hidden Valley Lake Garden Club on Monday, March 10.

Gabriele O'Neil will be speaking on vegetable gardening in Hidden Valley Lake and how to adapt to less-than-ideal growing situations.

She is sharing from her nine years of experience growing vegetables in this area, as well as from the research and experience of colleagues gardening in this and similar environments.

The focus of her talk will be on what crops are most likely to be successful and when, how to deal with bad soil or no soil, adapting to Lake County climate extremes and pest protection for the kind-hearted.

Meetings of the Hidden Valley Lake Garden Club take place on the second Monday of each month, and are free and open to the public. They are held in the activities room of the Hidden Valley Lake Association administration building, 18174 Hidden Valley Road.

A social gathering with refreshments begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by a business meeting and program at 10 a.m.

For further information, contact club President Inge Rankin at telephone 707-987-6010 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .