LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Democratic Club has announced that state Assemblyman Wes Chesbro will attend the group's third annual Summer Harvest event this Sunday, Aug. 15.

The event will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lakeport Yacht Club, 15 Fifth St., Lakeport.

Artists, musicians and government officials will join in the celebration, which is co-hosted by the Lake County Democratic Club and Lake County Democratic Central Committee.

Admission is $20.

Music will be provided by Without A Net.

Also invited are state Sen. Pat Wiggins, and state Senate candidate Noreen Evans. Lake County's Democratic candidates for local county and city offices also will be in attendance.

Information on various nonpartisan food providers, local food resources and environmental organizations, including the Lake County Community Action Agency, the Hunger Task Force, the Community Gardens Project and the Sierra Club will be available.

An authentic Mexican meal, wine and other beverages are included in the ticket cost.

A silent auction of art work and generous donations from local businesses also will be featured.

For reservations, phone 707-274-2765or 707.274-8392. Tickets also are available at the event.

Joseph Paul Ramirez, 31, of Reno was pronounced dead at Ukiah Valley Medical Center, according to a report from Capt. Kurt Smallcomb of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.

At 11 a.m. Tuesday Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies, Albion Fire Department, Mendocino Fire Department, Cal Fire and the US Coast Guard were dispatched to a diver in distress near Buckhorn Cove South of Little River, Smallcomb said.

When they arrived at the scene sheriff's deputies learned that Ramirez, who was spearfishing with a friend, became distressed for an unknown reason, according to Smallcomb. Ramirez's dive partner was unable to assist him and swam to shore to summon assistance.

Smallcomb said rescue personnel found Ramirez by boat. By that time he was unconscious and not breathing.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was immediately begun, and Smallcomb said Ramirez was taken to shore and airlifted by US Coast Guard to Ukiah Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

No official cause of death has yet been released.

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CLEARLAKE – The Friday Night Farmers' Market will host a workshop on how to build a solar cooker on Friday, Aug. 13, at Redbud Park in Clearlake.

Lake County Community Co-op members Hileri Shand and Barbara Christwitz will demonstrate and provide materials for those interested to make their own solar cookers. The workshop will begin at 6 p.m.

Solar cookers utilize the sun's energy to mimic an oven, sometimes reaching temperatures in excess of 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Christwitz has demonstrated their effectiveness at the market and other community events by baking cookies and heating beans. She utilizes a solar cooker at home for most of her cooking needs, including roasting chickens and making stews.

Solar cookers can be low cost, as will be demonstrated with the simple materials of cardboard and tin foil, and can be a low cost alternative to other types of cooking.

Shand and Christwitz also will offer vital information on the use of the cookers so participants can begin working with the cookers immediately.

Also at the market this week, local rock band sensation “Without A Net” will perform from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Friday Night Farmers' Market runs through September.

For more information, contact Market Manager Hileri Shand at 707-483-0785 or go to www.lakeco-op.org.

Now celebrating almost three years in community, the Lake County Community Co-op (LCCC) envisions cultivating an evolving community by nurturing values of social, economic and environmental responsibility.

The co-op wishes to support our local farmers and producers and provide a forum for community activities. They also encourage member input and participation for continued successful co-creation in community.

Looking northeast around midnight on Aug. 12-13. The red dot is the Perseid radiant. Although Perseid meteors can appear in any part of the sky, all of their tails will point back to the radiant. Courtesy of Science@NASA.

Thursday, Aug. 12, is such a night.

The show begins at sundown when Venus, Saturn, Mars and the crescent Moon pop out of the western twilight in tight conjunction.

All four heavenly objects will fit within a circle about 10 degrees in diameter, beaming together through the dusky colors of sunset. No telescope is required to enjoy this naked-eye event.

A sky map showing the planet conjunction on Aug. 12. Courtesy of Science@NASA.

The planets will hang together in the western sky until 10 pm or so. When they leave, following the sun below the horizon, you should stay, because that is when the Perseid meteor shower begins. From 10 p.m. until dawn, meteors will flit across the starry sky in a display that's even more exciting than a planetary get-together.

The Perseid meteor shower is caused by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle. Every 133 years the huge comet swings through the inner solar system and leaves behind a trail of dust and gravel. When Earth passes through the debris, specks of comet-stuff hit the atmosphere at 140,000 miles per hour and disintegrate in flashes of light. These meteors are called Perseids because they fly out of the constellation Perseus.

Swift-Tuttle's debris zone is so wide, Earth spends weeks inside it. Indeed, we are in the outskirts now, and sky watchers are already reporting a trickle of late-night Perseids. The trickle could turn into a torrent between Aug. 11 and 13 when Earth passes through the heart of the debris trail.

This is a good year for Perseids because the Moon won't be up during the midnight-to-dawn hours of greatest activity. Lunar glare can wipe out a good meteor shower, but that won't be the case this time.

As Perseus rises and the night deepens, meteor rates will increase. For sheer numbers, the best time to look is during the darkest hours before dawn on Friday morning, Aug. 13, when most observers will see dozens of Perseids per hour.

For best results, get away from city lights. The darkness of the countryside multiplies the visible meteor rate three- to 10-fold. A good dark sky will even improve the planetary alignment, allowing faint Mars and Saturn to make their full contribution to the display. Many families plan camping trips to coincide with the Perseids. The Milky Way arching over a mountain campground provides the perfect backdrop for a meteor shower.

Enjoy the show!

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, www.nasa.gov.

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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Artists, musicians and government officials will join in a “Summer Harvest Celebration” on Sunday, Aug. 15.

The event will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lakeport Yacht Club, 15 Fifth St., Lakeport.

The Lake County Democratic Club and Lake County Democratic Central Committee are co-hosting the celebration.

Admission is $20.

An authentic Mexican meal, wine and other beverages are included in the ticket cost.

Music will be provided by Lake County's own “Without A Net.”

Lake County's Democratic legislators, Assemblyman Wes Chesbro, state Sen. Pat Wiggins, and state Senate candidate Noreen Evans have been invited, and Lake County's Democratic candidates running for the local county and city offices also will be in attendance.

There will be a silent auction of local art work, crafts and some generous donations from individuals and local businesses also will be featured.

Information from various nonpartisan food providers, local food resources and environmental organizations, including the Lake County Community Action Agency, the Hunger Task Force, the Community Gardens Project and the Sierra Club will be available.

For reservations, call Carol at 707-274-2765 or Wanda at 707-274-8392.

Tickets also will be available at the event.

SACRAMENTO – The US Department of Agriculture has designated the week of Aug. 1 through 7 as National Farmers Market Week, and California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura is calling on Californians to recognize the state’s certified farmers markets for their roles in assisting with healthy diets and ensuring the overall success of farmers markets nationally.

“California’s certified farmers markets are an important venue to bring farmers and consumers together,” said Secretary Kawamura. “In addition to providing healthy food, certified farmers markets conduct outreach on nutrition and wholesome eating habits, and are a great way for consumers to buy California Grown.”

California leads the nation with nearly 600 certified farmers markets, serving as venues for an estimated 2,200 certified agricultural producers selling high-quality produce directly to consumers. CDFA created the Certified Farmers Market program in 1977 – the first in the nation – to provide consumers with the assurance that they are buying directly from producers.

“Farmers markets celebrate the relationships all consumers have with farms,” added Secretary Kawamura. “We are fortunate that many farmers markets operate year round because of our state’s ability to grow a cornucopia of different products.”

The number of farmers markets in the United States continues to grow dramatically, prompting state and national advocates of local farming to designate a week each year to take note of their benefits. California joins the nation in celebrating in National Farmers Market Week.

For a complete list of certified farmers markets in California, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/i_&_c/cfm.html.