LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Join Tuleyome Board President Andrew Fulks, and Redwood Empire Mountain Bike Alliance on a 9-mile mountain bike ride on Saturday, Dec 3.

The ride is part of a series of events to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act.

Participants will meet at the High Bridge trailhead on Highway 16, arrange car shuttles, then drive to the Judge Davis trailhead.

The ride will start along Cache Creek Ridge – the eastern border of Cache Creek Wilderness and continue toward Lynch Canyon, to the Three Ponds Trail and end along the High Bridge Trail to Highway 16.

Although this is mostly a downhill ride with the only big climb at the beginning, it is strenuous.

Rain cancels the ride.

For more information contact Nate Lillge of Tuleyome, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 530-350-2599.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Literacy Program needs community members wanting to participate in its upcoming tutor training.

The training takes place from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Road, Clearlake.
 
The training is free, but a $25 materials donation is requested.

No experience is needed, and there is ongoing support and workshops.

For more information or to register call 707-263-7633.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Unitarian Universalist Community of Lake County has announced its new Religious Exploration program for children.

Beginning Sunday, Dec. 4, two classes will be offered that explore various religious traditions.

Unitarian Universalist values of love, acceptance, self-expression, social justice and the worth of all will be a part of the curricula.

Classes for younger children – pre-kindergarten to junior high – will be based on popular children’s books.

For older youth, from junior high through high school, the emphasis will be on “Qualities of a Justice Maker,” which will emphasize leadership skills and how young people can engage in social justice work.

Families who are in search of nonjudgmental religious education for their children are encouraged to attend.

The classes will take place during the regular service of the Unitarian Universalist Community of Lake County.

Parents are invited to attend the service which starts at 11 a.m. at the church, located at 3810 Main St. in Kelseyville.

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion with Jewish-Christian roots. It has no creed. It affirms the worth of human beings, advocates freedom of belief and the search for advancing truth, and offers a warm, open, supportive community for people who believe that ethical living is the supreme witness of religion.

For more information, call 707-279-4387.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake VA Clinic hosted a Thanksgiving luncheon for veterans on Nov. 23.

The luncheon was a complete Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings.

The San Francisco VA Medical Center’s Voluntary Services funded the majority of the meal by purchasing premade meals from a local grocer while Clearlake VA Clinic staff potlucked desserts, extra side dishes and hors d'oeuvres. 

The luncheon started at 11 a.m. with a line of veterans ready to eat. There was so much food, veterans were able to take home an extra plate for dinner.
 
For many of our local veterans, social worker Sheila Rockwell and member services representative Amanda Celli knew this would be the only Thanksgiving meal they would have.

The lunch quickly grew from serving homeless veterans to any and all veterans wishing to have a Thanksgiving meal.

The Clearlake VA Clinic served 37 meals on site and took 15 premade meals to a local homeless encampment where many veterans live. Leftovers of turkey, potatoes, stuffing and whole pies were taken to a local shelter.
 
It was a wonderful day filled with conversation, laughter and lots of pumpkin pie. For clinic staff it was an amazing way to show thanks and gratitude to those who so selflessly served in the Armed Forces.
 
Amanda Celli is member services representative for the Clearlake VA Clinic.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Bountiful boxes are back!

Once again, the Lake County Hunger Task Force will be offering for sale local foodstuffs in a beautiful gift box. 

The boxes contain all Lake County products, including comice pears, apples, walnuts, and either red or white wine, or olive oil. 

They are $50 each, with a limit of two per person, and only 100 will be sold.

Conceived as a fundraising idea by Michelle Scully in 201, as a benefit for the Hunger Task Force, they have proven to be popular holiday gifts, or simply food to share with friends.

The boxes will be available for pickup on Friday, Dec. 9, only, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Scully Packing in Finley.

Please contact Lorrie Gray at 707-277-9227 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to order.

The November 2016 election results indicate a continuing conservative shift in public viewpoints in the United States.

The results are profoundly disturbing, even frightening, for many Americans, as issues and policies that many of us deeply value seem to be threatened.

Among these is a potentially significant change in management focus for our public lands. These lands are our American heritage, and are important to our sense of wellbeing and our place in history as a nation and as individuals. Their protection and stewardship should be nonpartisan issues, but the recent election results suggest that this may no longer be true.

Together, we at Tuleyome have striven to protect and steward our public lands. We have been inclusive in our outreach and have developed a strong coalition of collaborators and supporters, including conservation organizations, sportsmen, businesses, ranchers and farmers, off-highway vehicle and other recreational users, elected officials, public agency staff and decision-makers, and many others.

Working together, Tuleyome has helped make important regional conservation stewardship gains over the past 15 years. Now it’s time to defend them. Now is not a time for inaction or depression; now it’s time to organize on behalf of our heritage. Fortunately, our job is made easier by the fact that the American people are on our side.

Here are some thoughts on things to do:

· Take a hike: This might be a stroll in a local park or a rigorous hike through wild lands in the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. If you are experienced take a friend along. Go on a Tuleyome walk. Take care of yourself in this stressful time.

· Really listen: There appears to be a schism in viewpoints among Americans at local, state and national levels. We need to talk to our countrymen, hear their concerns, understand their values and help them to accommodate the diversity that already exists in our country. Cooperation and collaboration can work, but it’s not always easy to accomplish. We can’t force others to understand our concerns, but we can do our part.

· Respect: It’s easy to be dismissive of differing opinions and values. But, we must not.

· Learn more: Learn the trees, the geology, and the animals that roam our public lands. Delve into the policies that protect them and our environment.

· Share with others: Yes, tell your story to family and friends, but more importantly, tell it to others. Talk from the heart: “I felt good on my walk. It was calming and peaceful. I treasure our public lands, where I can walk and be with nature.”

· Support public agency professionals: Dedicated individuals steward and protect our public lands. They care deeply, but are under attack. Let them know you appreciate their work.

· Be an activist: Be informed. Write letters. Make phone calls. Visit elected officials. Even go to Sacramento and Washington DC. Support causes and effective organizations (yes that includes Tuleyome!). Everyone can’t do all these things, but everyone can do something.

Even as we resist rollbacks at the national level Tuleyome will push forward with conservation agendas at regional, state, and local levels.

The proposed Inner Coast Range State Conservancy will be an inclusive program that promotes dialogue and collaboration to fund key projects in our region, including forest health and fuels reduction, water quality and recreational opportunities.

Tuleyome will provide information, offer training and publish action alerts, but we need your help to be successful. Do what you can, when you can.

Bob Schneider is senior policy director for Tuleyome, a nonprofit conservation organization based in Woodland, Calif. For more information visit www.tuleyome.org .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Highlands Senior Center will hold a holiday craft fair on Saturday, Dec. 10.

The fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the center, 3245 Bowers Ave.

In addition to various gifts and crafts, there will be snacks and drinks available and maybe you'll find that perfect holiday gift you've been looking for.

For those interested in vendor space, the cost is $20 per booth and all crafts (including baked goods) are welcome. Please stop by to get an application or call 707-994-3051.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lavender from the library’s garden and essential oils will be the ingredients for natural gifts in a free demonstration at the Lakeport branch of Lake County Library on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Amy Patton of the library staff and Janice Johnson of Young Living Oils will demonstrate the simple crafts at the library located at 1425 N. High St.

Guests will learn how to make a salt scrub, a sugar scrub, a lip balm, a detox bath and a shower tablet using “library lavender” and essential oils.

Recipes for the products will be available. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information about the class please call 707-263-8817. No registration is required and the class is open to the public.

Get more news about library events by signing up for the library’s email newsletter at http://library.lakecountyca.gov or by visiting the Lake County Library page on Facebook.

Get more news about library events by signing up for the library’s email newsletter at http://library.lakecountyca.gov or by visiting the Lake County Library page on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Authorities have reported that seniors in the North Coast region have been targeted in a scam related to Social Security benefits.

The scammers contact seniors claiming that their Social Security benefits have been suspended.

The goal of the scam is to get personal information or hard-earned savings from unsuspecting seniors.

Even if their call is not answered, the scammers may leave an “urgent” callback request.

Be aware that the Social Security Administration will never solicit your personal information from you over the phone or by email unless you initiate the contact.

If you do have questions or concerns about your benefits you can always contact the Social Security Administration directly by calling 1-800-772-1213 or visit www.ssa.gov .

Authorities urge seniors to never give out personal information to someone you don’t know, and to hang up immediately on callers who request such information.

Consider screening all calls to avoid answering a call from scammers. Seniors also can work with the phone company to block these unwanted callers.