The Verna Morris Memorial Pediatric Transportation Fund was established by Easter Seals Northern California in 1996 to celebrate Verna's extensive volunteer work for the National Tuberous Sclerosis Association.

A major unmet need identified in Lake County was funding for transportation stipends to cover gas, bridge tolls, and parking fees for families traveling long distances in order to take their children to medical treatment and appointments.

Hundreds of families depended on these stipends to assist with their travel expenses to appointments at children's hospitals in San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento as well as specialized pediatric services in Santa Rosa, Ukiah, Napa and Petaluma.

The requests for assistance during this economic recession, have increased beyond the ability of the Verna Morris Fund to help families.

This holiday season, Easter Seals asks that community members consider making a contribution to this fund.

To make a tax-deductible donation, please mail check to Verna Morris Fund, Easter Seals Northern California, 501 B N. Main St., Lakeport, CA 95453.

For more information call the Easter Seals Northern California Lakeport office at 263-3949, or visit the Easter Seals Web site at www.noca.easterseals.com.

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KELSEYVILLE – For four years Amanda Mueller, the daughter of Sandra and Glenn Mueller of Kelseyville, has been growing her hair for someone else, the children that receive wigs at no cost from Locks of Love.

Amanda became interested in donating her hair when she saw how happy having beautiful human hair wigs made the children who received them from Locks of Love.

Rhonda at Bella Salon provided the hair cut and Diane Davis of Davis Photography photographed the experience to share.

In addition to her gift to Locks of Love, Amanda donated time to support the football team fundraisers, coached basketball camp for children, is a regular blood donor and participated in Relay for Life.

She is currently the co-president of the Kelseyville High School Senior Class, is on the soccer team, is a member of the cross-country team, and is on the basketball and softball teams.

Amanda is a member of the California Scholarship Federation as well as taking honors classes in preparation for her college career. She is a member of the Kelseyville Presbyterian Church.

Rhonda at Bella Salon cuts Amanda Mueller's hair for Locks of Love. Photo by Diane Davis.

Amanda Mueller looks at the hair that will be sent to Locks of Love. Photo by Diane Davis.

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Kelseyville High School Senior Amanda Bronson has done an incredible job in the old Pharmacy space, now vacant. Courtesy photo.

KELSEYVILLE – Kelseyville sure has the Christmas Spirit, thanks to the efforts of a local high school student.

Kelseyville High School Senior Amanda Bronson decorated an empty shop on the corner of Main Street for the Christmas holiday season.

Amanda and her mother, Michelle Nelson – owner of Huggins Uniform – got the community involved to undertake this heartwarming project.

Decorations were donated by Carolyn Fifer of CJ's Hairworks, some of which were her own hand-sewn teddy bears.

Also donating decorations were Lora Darling of Darling's Vitamin Connection and Dallas Shaul of Dallas Shaul Massage and Skin Care.

The building owners, Mike and Gary Lampson, were kind enough to allow access to the space and donate the cost of running the lights.

It is just amazing to see what this young woman has done, said Darling.

Another window Amanda Bronson decorated for the holiday season. Courtesy photo.

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The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the South Lake Courthouse, 700 S. Center Drive, Clearlake.

The group meets on the second Wednesday of every month. Meetings alternate between the north and south end of the lake.

Search and Rescue currently has 20 Search and Rescue volunteers in addition to the nearly 25 members of the KCORPS.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office employs five full-time employees designated as Search and Rescue coordinators who act as liaisons between the sheriff’s department and the volunteers.

Visit the Search and Rescue Association at www.lakesheriff.com/SAR for more information.

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SACRAMENTO – North Coast State Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) earned a perfect 100-percent on the Consumer Federation of California’s recently-released scorecard for state lawmakers.

She was one of only four Senators to vote correctly on all of the federation’s targeted legislation in 2008.

The San Mateo-based Consumer Federation of California (CFC) is a nonprofit advocacy organization. Founded in 1960, the CFC campaigns for state and federal laws related to privacy protection, food and product safety, and other matters of importance to California consumers.

For this year’s CFC legislative scorecard, State Assembly Members and Senators were evaluated on a number of issues, including campaign finance reform, financial privacy protection, health care reform, telecommunications subscribers’ rights, assistance to low-income consumers, and safety standards for consumer products.

Wiggins and her colleagues were graded on legislative proposals that the CFC sponsored, supported or opposed. Scores were based on the percentage of votes in which the lawmaker sided with consumers.

The CFC sponsored or otherwise supported five pieces of legislation (or bills) which were approved by both houses of the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2008.

Wiggins voted for all five, which are summarized as follows:

• AB 372, which reduces fees and shortens waiting time for consumer security freezes on credit reports;

• AB 583, which created a pilot project whereby candidates for Secretary of State will be eligible to receive public campaign funds for the 2014 and 2018 elections;

• AB 1860, which bans manufacture or sale of products recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission;

• SB 31, which makes it illegal to “skim” or surreptitiously read data from an RFID (radio frequency identification device) without the knowledge and consent of the ID holder;

• SB 1420, requiring restaurant chains to post nutritional information on menus or menu boards.

This year, Wiggins authored pro-consumer legislation of her own, including two bills – SB 780 and SB 1419 – protecting residents of rural and high-cost areas of the state against astronomically-high telephone bills. Both were signed into law.

She also co-authored SB 840, which would have made all California residents eligible for specified health care benefits under a single-payer system, but that bill was vetoed by the governor.

Wiggins, who is mid-way through her first term in the Senate, represents the state’s 2nd District, which includes parts of all of six counties: Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma.

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The family and their friends celebrate the home's completion. Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity Lake County.

CLEARLAKE – Smiles, laughter, tears of joy, and a pleasant surprise were the order of the day at the celebration of the completion of the 11th Habitat for Humanity home in Lake County on Nov. 22.

The new homeowners, Nick and April and their 3-year-old son, Steven, along with many others from the community celebrated the joy of the family becoming a homeowner. This will be their first Christmas ever in their very own home.

The surprise to the family was a load of groceries and household supplies that were delivered personally by Jeff and Jackie Hansen, owners of the Grocery Outlet in Lakeport.

Pastor Karl Parker lead a prayer of dedication and the music group from the Clearlake Methodist Church filled the home with beautiful sounds of joy.

The mission of Habitat for Humanity, Lake County is the elimination of poverty housing in the community. Currently Habitat for Humanity has another two homes under construction.

If you are interested in joining the volunteer team, please call 994-1100 for further information.

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