LAKE COUNTY – For the third year, the Lake County Arts Council will be participating in Poetry Out Loud (POL), a national recitation contest sponsored through a partnership with the California Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and the state and jurisdictional arts agencies of the United States.

California's Poetry Out Loud competition builds on the resurgence of poetry as an art form and, as seen in the slam poetry and hip-hop music movements, by inviting the dynamic aspects of the spoken word and theater into the classroom.

Students in grades nine through 12 have the opportunity to learn about the great poets through memorization and performance, giving them an opportunity to master public speaking, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.

Instructors have the opportunity to guide the students while fulfilling their teaching requirements and adding a new dimension to the classroom. Students may also be home schooled or enrolled in an alternative teaching program, as was Rachael Weiss, the winner of the 2008 Lake County competition.

The competition works on a pyramid structure with first the school competition, and then with the winner proceeding to the county competition and then on to state competition.

First place at the state competition receives $200, and the school receives $500 for poetry books. The runner up receives $100 and the school $200 for poetry books. The first place contestant continues on to the national competition in Washington D.C.

If you'd like to learn more about POL, please call Michael Krueger at 707-928-6768 or visit the California Arts Council's Web site, www.cac.ca.gov .

 

Santa’s God: A Children’s Fable About the Biggest Question Ever

By Neale Donald Walsch. Illustrations: by Em Claire.

(OR: EnNin Books, October 2009. 32 pp. $19.95, ISBN 978-1-57174-596-5)

Children’s Picture Book/Christmas

If you could ask Santa one questions what would it be?

In “Santa’s God” little Melinda is just certain that this is her night to meet Santa and she has her question ready.

Well – like any child she has many questions at the tip of her tongue, but when she finally asks all of the questions you might imagine a child would want to know (How do you get to every house in one night? How do you get down the chimney and what do you do when there is no chimney?) she asks the big one.

Little Melinda wants to know, “Who is the real God?”

Santa is so surprised he drops his cookie!

In addition to asking surprising questions, our young heroine also has a startling knowledge of Santa in many cultures.

She knows the names of Santa around the world. Many will be familiar to you, like the Dutch Sinterklaas or the English Father Christmas but you may learn some new names for Santa like Kurohsu in Japan or Joulupkki in Finland! Em Claire’s illustrations of these Santas are also charming.

People looking only for the biblical Christmas story may be disappointed, but if you are looking for a Santa story that teaches about God’s love and the sacred worth of all people, this may be the Christmas book you’ve been looking for.

Geri Williams is a local book fancier.

 

 

LUCERNE – Lucerne Elementary School teacher Melissa Seymour's kindergarten students are busy making decorations from recycled materials for the Christmas tree at the Harbor Village Artists, which will host a tree decorating contest this Saturday, Dec. 5.

Kindergarten through third grade classes from Lucerne to Upper Lake are making decorations for the tree. The most imaginative decoration will win an award and the student's class will receive a gift certificate.

Graciously accepting the task of judging the ornaments are Denise Rushing, Kelly Cox and Richard Seiser. The judging will take place at 2 p.m.

See the students' decorations at the Harbor Village Artists complex from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the complex, located at 6197 E. Highway 20 in Lucerne.

 

 

 

 

MIDDLETOWN – It is a family affair for the 16th annual Middletown Renaissance Pageant as five sets of families are participating.

Dr. Kimberly Fordham, Lady Greystone, is joined by her daughter Emily and father Gregg; Jon Haber, Lord Greystone and his wife Stephanie Haber, Lady Montvale; Dennis Fay, Lord Berkshire, and Jo Anne Fay, Lady Fairfax; twins Jasmine and Jaime Rainey are tumblers, Barbara Clark, Lady Alexandra Fairfax is joined by her son Robert Clark who plays Cedric.

An additional 14 persons round out the cast for the two hour event which features a three-course meal, 17 songs, dancing, games and audience participation.

If four or more tickets are purchased a $5 discount is available from the $35 price. No tickets are sold at the door.

Join them at Greystone Castle – aka the Historic Middletown Community United Methodist Stone Church – on Friday, Dec. 4, through Sunday, Dec. 6, and Friday, Dec. 11, through Sunday, Dec. 13, for this year’s Renaissance Pageant and Feast.

Tickets are at the Arts Council Gallery on Main Street in Lakeport, Neft & Neft Realtors on Calistoga Street in Middletown and by phone at 707 987-2653.

Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Guests are asked to arrive between 15 and 20 minutes early as there is no late seating. Special seating is provided for groups of four or more.

The pageant is produced by the Middletown Community United Methodist Church and community players.

"Greystone Castle” is located at 15843 Armstrong Street, at Washington, one block east of Highway 29.

For tickets call 707-987-2653. For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or check www.middletownmethodist.org .

 

 

 

MIDDLETOWN – The Rotary Club of Middletown is pleased to sponsor the premier of Wine Country Saddle Trees of Middletown art exhibit on Saturday, Dec. 5.

The exhibit will be open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 21168 Calistoga St. (Highway 29) in downtown Middletown.

It will remain open for free viewing from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, and Monday, Dec. 7.

The premier, a benefit for the Wiloth Equine Therapy Program on Saturday, includes great art, interesting artists, acoustic music, wine and refreshments. A door charge of $10 per person will help support Wiloth’s equine therapy programs.

A saddle tree is the seat and horn form of an equestrian saddle before it is padded, leathered, tooled and becomes a working saddle.

There are nine saddle tree works in the exhibit. Artists were asked to provide sculptural reinterpretations of the form.

The exhibit explores themes and concepts that are closely linked to the artist’s experiences. The viewer will be struck by the widely varied interpretations in these pieces.

Beauty, history, fantasy and personal struggle are some of the themes captured within the formal concerns of color, shape and texture. The effect is an intriguing synergy of expression and purpose.

Featured artists are Glinda Addington, Reeba Barrows, Christalene Loren, David McMillen, Julia Regina, Jeanne Marble Tennison, Karen Turcotte and Larry Williams.

The exhibit is a project of EcoArts of Lake County and has been over a year in the making. Wine Country Saddle Trees of Middletown premiers in Middletown before traveling to the Gualala and Mendocino Arts Centers.

EcoArts of Lake County, 501©3 nonprofit arts organization, is dedicated to bringing visual arts opportunities and ecologic stewardship to the resident and visitors of Lake County.

For more information visit www.EcoArtsofLakeCounty.org .