LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Chi Council for the Clear Lake Hitch will once again take the summer off, with meetings to resume in the fall.

The next meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the Lake County Agriculture Center, 883 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport.

Minutes from the May 25 meeting are posted at http://lakelive.info/chicouncil/pdffiles/5.25.16minutes.pdf .

Faced by a loss, and perhaps by a loss of words, many of us find something to do with our hands.

Here's a poem about just that by Arden Levine, published in 2015 in an issue of Agni Magazine. Ms. Levine lives in New York.

Offering

She tells him she's leaving him and he
bakes a pie. His pies are exquisite,
their crusts like crinoline.

He doesn't change clothes, works
in slacks, shirtsleeves rolled.
Summer makes the kitchen unbearable

but he suffers beautifully, tenderly
cuts the strawberries, pours
into the deep curve of the bowl.

She hadn't missed his hands since
last they drew her to his body.
Now she watches them stroke the edges

of the dough, shape it like cooling glass.
When the oven opens, his brow drips,
he brings his hands to his face.
 
American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They do not accept unsolicited submissions. Poem copyright ©2015 by Arden Levine, “Offering,” (AGNI Magazine, 2015). Poem reprinted by permission of Arden Levine and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2016 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Central Committee will hold its regular monthly business meeting on Thursday, June 2.
 
The meeting takes place at the Kelseyville Senior Center, 5245 Third St. in Kelseyville at 6:30 p.m. Map link: https://goo.gl/maps/peEZFK7ZP7z .

The agenda for the meeting includes reports from representatives for Congressmen Mike Thompson and John Garamendi, Assemblyman Bill Dodd and State Senator Mike McGuire, as well as reports from the representative of the Lake County Democratic Club.
 
Meetings are open to the public and committee membership is open to all registered Democrats.
 
The Lake County Democratic Central Committee is the official governing body for the Democratic Party in Lake County.
 
For more information about the Democratic Party in Lake County visit www.lakecountydemocrats.org or www.facebook.com/LakeCountyDemocrats .
 
Contact the Democratic Party of Lake County at 707-533-4885 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a regular meeting on Thursday, June 2.

The meeting will begin at 3 p.m. in the city hall conference room, 225 Park St.

Agenda items include a discussion of unisex restrooms for all park facilities and a presentation by Dennis Rollins on lease, development and grant information.

There also will be reports on Library Park, Westside Park and Westshore Pool.

Commissioners include Ann Blue, Suzanne Lyons, Adam Newall, Suzanne Russell and Cindy Ustrud.

Monica Rosenthal is most definitely my choice for District 1 supervisor.

I have found her to be a woman of her word, which is by no means a common character trait these days.

Monica's agenda as county supervisor will serve the needs and interests of the people here who have been through massive change and loss due to the south county fire.

She listens when you speak to her and always brings solutions to the subject or the willingness to find those solutions. The Economic Outlook Conference here in south county was a great example of her astute recognition of what the county needs and how to plan recovery.

I know that Monica was county planning commissioner and as such she recognized the need to regulate marijuana growing outdoors and keep it away from family communities.

She stood against the Dollar General store coming into downtown Middletown because they weren't willing to compromise the appearance of their store to suit the area.

Monica acts on the facts. She is hard working and genuine. She is the “informed choice.”

Dayle Marshall lives in Lower Lake, Calif.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Soroptimist International of Clear Lake is holding its annual yard sale on Saturday, June 4.

The sale will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Coldwell Banker Realty parking lot, located on 14855 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake.

A large variety of items will be available for sale at very reasonable prices.

Also, anyone wishing to support the club with donations for the yard sale may contact Kathy at 707-994-3509 or Judy at 707-994-8609. 

The mission of club is to improve the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Republican Party will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, June 14.

The meeting will take place at Round Table Pizza, 821 11th St. in Lakeport.

Social time will start at 6 p.m. with no host food and beverages.

At 6:30 p.m. there will be a committee meeting and discussion of primary election results, filling of committee openings, the summer committee meeting schedule, candidate/member comments and other business.

Follow the local Republican Party on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Lake-County-CA-Republican-Party-401224996588222/?fref=ts or for more information contact Lake County Chair Dee Cuney at 707-235-2902.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Lake County chapter of the NAACP honored St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake and its Chief Executive Officer David Santos for improving access for those with disabilities.

On May 12, Santos was presented with a Silver Life Membership to the NAACP in recognition of his leadership, collaboration and commitment to civil and human rights.

Chapter President Rick Mayo and Roger Scuitto, life membership chairman, presented the award to Santos.

Mayo and Santos worked with the chapter’s ADA committee closely over the past two years to remedy access issues at the hospital and its affiliated clinics.

These improvements included changes at the outpatient lab, admissions area, rehabilitative services clinic and at the St. Helena Family Health Center-Clearlake.

With the installation of power doors, wider entrances and accessible equipment, these services are now more accessible and comfortable for those using wheelchairs, walkers and other mobility devices.

“Our goal is always to ensure that patients have access to our services, especially as we add new programs and welcome new providers,” explained Santos. “When we hear about barriers, we immediately work to find meaningful solutions so that the door is literally open to everyone in our community.”

Mayo appreciates the collaboration and action over the past two years. “Sometimes things don’t have easy fixes,” said Mayo. “However, we’ve appreciated the progress and collaboration with St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake.”

The improvements have already created a better experience for elderly and disabled patients, which reduces stress while providing better access to care. “Where you had no access or were struggling with a barrier, that door is now open,” Mayo said of his experience. “Those with disabilities can get the care they need.”

Though the recognition was presented to Santos, Mayo emphasized that it is given with the greater good in mind. “It isn’t about David, the project manager, me or the local NAACP executive team,” he said. “It’s about the people we’re serving.”

St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake is part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 75 communities in California. Visit www.sthelenahospitalclearlake.org for more information.

SACRAMENTO – Californians can help protect urban and wildland trees this summer by buying firewood local to where they will be using it and not moving it from one place to another.

Invasive insects and diseases can hitchhike on firewood, spreading to new locations where they can further damage trees and native environments.

“Time and time again we see invasive species spread long distances as a result of firewood movement. This is something we can all help stop. Keeping firewood local is such an easy way for all of us to help do our part to protect our trees and the forests we love,” said Katie Harrell, California Firewood Task Force chair.

Invasive species such as the goldspotted oak borer, shot hole borers, sudden oak death, and pitch canker are killing millions of trees in California, and all can move on firewood.

Over the past year alone, the goldspotted oak borer, Kuroshio shot hole borer, and polyphagous shot hole borer have spread to new counties in Southern California as a result of firewood and green waste movement.

Trees susceptible to one or more of these pests are found throughout most of the state, making it paramount that firewood not move outside of its local area.

Campers and homeowners looking for locally sourced wood can go to www.firewoodscout.org to identify where local firewood distributors are in a given area.

The site also offers information on invasive species of concern in California in addition to a set of questions consumers can ask firewood dealers to help assure the wood being purchased is low risk for invasive insects and diseases.

The California Firewood Task Force is a non-profit subcommittee of the California Forest Pest Council. It is a coalition of agencies, organizations, and other stakeholders working to protect the State’s urban and wildland forests as well as natural environment from invasive pests that can be moved on firewood.

For more information on invasive species in California’s forests or the risks of moving firewood and the California Firewood Task Force, go to http://www.firewood.ca.gov or contact Katie Harrell at 510-847-5482.