LAKEPORT – It just wouldn't be the Lake County Fair without a barn full of livestock raised by local youth, shown Thursday and Friday in fierce competition to see who has raised the best lamb, hog or steer, and then sold to the rhythmic patter of the auctioneers and the roar of the crowd on a warm Saturday afternoon.

The auction is sponsored by Umpqua Bank, which provides immediate payment to the youthful sellers, then collects from the buyers in the days just following the sale.

 

The annual Junior Livestock auction kicks off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, and is expected to offer around 230 lots of prize winning livestock, poultry, and rabbits for potential buyers from throughout Northern California.

A registered buyer's luncheon immediately precedes the sale at 10:30 am, offering a tri-tip barbecue to all registered buyers under the auspices of the Kelseyville FFA boosters. The luncheon is provided in part by Safeway of Lakeport, and ends when the sale starts at 1 p.m.

In recent years, the sale has been split into two sales rings which operate at the same time, making for a total sale length of around three and a half hours and providing buyers with plenty of time to visit the rest of the Lake County Fair.

An average of around 230 lots have been offered for a number of years, and the 2007 total auction proceeds were nearly than $277,000.

“It's a real indication that the community supports youth programs like 4-H and the Future Farmers of America," said Fair Chief Executive Officer Richard Persons, adding, “those programs teach kids about agriculture, which is Lake County's largest economic sector, and about teamwork, sportsmanship, honor, and responsibility. We're hoping the community continues to support these programs, and we'd like to set a new record sale this year. Many of these kids save the money for college or other educational efforts, and eventually return to Lake County to become farmers and ranchers, so in the long run the whole community benefits.”

Steers, lambs, hogs, meat goats, turkeys, rabbits and chickens are offered during the auction, with grand champion winners crossing the auction block at the start of the program.

Two buyers are allowed to join together for the purchase of one lot, and buyers who are unable to attend can arrange for a proxy to buy on their behalf.

People who don't have enough space in their freezer to purchase at the auction may still have a chance to purchase prize winning meats, as a number of local grocers purchase at the sale and then offer the prime cuts at the meat counter in their stores.

 

Regular admission prices for the 2009 Lake County Fair are $8 for adults and $5 for children ages 6 through 11. Admission prices are unchanged since 2007. Children under 6 years old are admitted free everyday.

 

The Lake County Fair traditionally occurs Labor Day weekend each year at the fairgrounds in Lakeport. The 2009 fair dates are Thursday, Sept. 3, through Sunday, Sept. 6.

The Lake County Fair is one of Lake County's favorite summertime events, and is enjoyed by more than 37,000 people each year. The fair features a variety of entertainment, food, exhibits, a carnival, and livestock shows. This year's theme is “Fun in the Sun!”

LAKE COUNTY – Over Labor Day weekend, Girl Scouts of Northern California will be running a fun program for girls in grades six through 12.

This exciting and challenging event is called the “Amazing Race.” If you're familiar with the TV show, it's a challenge race, but instead of traveling around the world and winning a million dollar prize, this race will have 13 teams of four travel to many Northern California Counties participating in fun challenges. One leg of the race is being held right here in Lake County.
 
The Girl Scout version of the Amazing Race has been run for several years now, but mostly in Sonoma County.

This year, the program team from Girl Scouts of Northern California is trying to highlight other areas, especially Lake County. Girls and adults from the Bay Area and other areas of Northern California will come to Lake County and experience this wonderful area.

One day during the three-day weekend, teams will participate in challenges at the fairgrounds, Yoxagoi Orchard, Clear Lake State Park and Darling's Vitamin Connection.
 
If you're out and about this weekend, look for the Girl Scouts competing in challenges and wish them good luck!

LAKE COUNTY – TV8 is the public access cable channel for all cable wired Lake County. It is available for all public and noncommercial private uses. TV8 is also the only local TV station of any kind located in Lake County.

TV8 could become critical in managing an emergency. Not only is visual media more effective for conveying certain types of information but some disasters that might affect our local radio broadcasters on the west shore of Clear Lake may not disable a cable operation on the south end of the lake. It's good to have options.

As many of you know, TV8 is located in a secure and convenient location inside the Clearlake City Hall building which also houses the police department. People would be shocked if this valuable public resource were not fully utilized in a life threatening emergency.

There are several ways agencies responding to an emergency can use TV8. The county has their connecting equipment in the Board of Supervisors chamber (They have the ability to override our signal remotely with just a phone call and begin broadcasting live). But their normal operator lives in Ukiah and others who can operate the equipment are not in emergency services.

The easiest way to go live directly is to relay as much information as possible to the Clearlake Police Department and let them be the on camera spokesperson. At this time, no one has been designated from Clearlake to receive the brief instructions necessary to go live unassisted.

In all parts of the county, emergency managers can use TV8's Web Nexus interface to broadcast their emergency messages via the Internet on TV8. They would need to contact TV8's volunteer station manager, Allen Markowski, to get a user name, password, and again, some brief instructions. This is not to be confused with our old standby of sending submissions to the scrolling bulletin board through TV8's Web site.

Although authorities may feel more comfortable using other notification procedures, they may not be operational when they are needed most or they might not reach all residents who need and expect timely warnings and instructions.

LUCERNE – Northshore school board candidates will address the Lake County Democratic Club on Saturday, Sept. 12, at noon at the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center in Lucerne.

The senior center serves breakfast from 9 a.m. until noon.

Valerie Duncan, an incumbent, and Claudine Pedroncelli, candidates for the Upper Lake High School Board, and Matt Barnes, candidate for Upper Lake Elementary School, will talk about their campaigns.

There are three seats to be elected on both the high school board and the elementary school board. The election is Tuesday, Nov. 4.

The public is invited. Membership in the Lake County Democratic Club is open to registered members of the Democratic Party.

The senior center is located at 3985 Country Club Drive (corner of 10^th and Country Club) in Lucerne.

For more information contact the Lake County Democratic Club at 707-277-0713 or via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

 

 

 

 

 

CLEARLAKE – On a warm Saturday in August 2009, with smiles and tears of joy, Habitat for Humanity, Lake County celebrated the completion of the organization’s 13th new home.

The new homeowner, Kim Eggers and her two sons, along with family, many volunteers and others from the community, joined together to bless the new home.

For Eggers, the journey of completing the application process, helping others build their homes and then putting her own labor into building her home (sweat equity), all culminated with the completion of her home.

The theme of the dedication was the concept of “pass it on”, whereby a receiver of a good deed will pass on a good deed to others who are in need.

The United Methodist Church of Clearlake’s music ensemble lead all the attendees in an inspiring rendition of the song “Pass It On,” made popular by Willie Nelson.

Pastor Karl Parker conducted the blessing of the home and stressed the biblical importance that to have a full life it is imperative for all to give a helping hand to one another.

The ceremony ended with the surprise arrival of the Grocery Outlet’s team carrying gifts of food and households items. It was a sight to be seen.

The mission of Habitat for Humanity, Lake County is the elimination of substandard living conditions in our community.

Only through the efforts of individual volunteers, business support and donors has it been possible to provide affordable homes for low-income families from the community.

If you are interested in helping, call the Habitat office at 707-994-1100 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKE COUNTY – The PEG Channel, TV Channel 8, has released its schedule for the coming week.

The following schedule is for Tuesday, Sept. 1, through Saturday, Sept. 5.

Tuesday, Sept. 1

Start Time Title

1:39:53 AM Rise of the 4th. Reich

3:21:10 AM JFK II

4:56:36 AM Skull & Bones-part 2

5:46:03 AM Masters of the Universe

6:34:28 AM White Haze and Jet Trails

7:00:00 AM Jazzercise

7:33:30 AM Hinthel Gaahnula

8:52:22 AM What The Heck-07

9:00:00 AM Board of Supervisors

6:00:00 PM Clearlake Planning Com.

10:05:00 PM Bulletin Board

10:40:00 PM Omissions & Distortions

11:36:29 PM Peace Works

Wednesday, Sept. 2

Start Time Title

12:10:01 AM End Game

2:34:21 AM Innocents Betrayed

3:33:39 AM JFK II

5:07:05 AM What The Heck-News Brief 04

5:15:34 AM Bulletin Board

5:55:34 AM Fiat Empire

7:00:00 AM Jazzercise

7:30:30 AM Join In-JoAnn Saccato

8:00:00 AM Yuba College

8:06:54 PM Cub Scouts-Pack 144

8:17:16 PM 911 Mysteries

9:52:19 PM The Obama Deception

11:48:35 PM Fabled Enemies

Thursday, Sept. 3

Start Time Title

1:34:54 AM Lake Co. Sheriff K-9

2:00:00 AM Connecting-New Beginning-pt 2

2:43:43 AM Boat Safe on Clearlake

2:58:08 AM What The Heck-News Brief 09

3:11:05 AM 911 Revisited

4:39:19 AM Terrorstorm II

7:00:00 AM Jazzercise

7:32:30 AM Energy Non-Crisis

9:00:00 AM Yuba College

4:42:58 PM Cafe Victoria Open Mic 03-09

5:40:05 PM Bulletin Board

6:00:00 PM Clearlake City Council

10:05:00 PM Zeitgeist

Friday, Sept. 4

Start Time Title

12:10:03 AM 911 In Plane Site

1:27:43 AM Zeitgeist Addendum

3:37:44 AM Aaron Russo by Alex Jones

4:50:04 AM Money as Debt

5:40:01 AM Loose Change

6:44:52 AM Boat Safe on Clearlake

7:00:00 AM Jazzercise

7:32:30 AM Aids Walk 2009

8:00:00 AM Yuba College

5:05:40 PM Bulletin Board

5:33:40 PM Friday Night Farmers Market

5:52:40 PM Busted

6:43:35 PM Lake Co. Sheriff K-9

7:10:14 PM Aerosol Crimes

8:56:45 PM Masters of the Universe

9:45:15 PM SUNS of GOD

11:12:46 PM Emperor of Hemp

Saturday, Sept. 5

Start Time Title

12:15:55 AM Skull & Bones-part 2

1:05:42 AM Bush Family Fortunes

2:10:42 AM Open Lines-TV8

4:15:42 AM Omissions & Distortions

5:12:10 AM Economic Hitman-John Perkins

6:26:00 AM Eating

8:05:50 AM The World According to Monsanto

10:00:00 AM LCCCP Finley Farmers Market

11:06:20 AM Boat Safe on Clearlake

11:22:13 AM Cub Scouts-Pack 144

11:32:35 AM Town Hall Meeting 1

12:39:43 PM Town Hall Meeting 2

2:00:00 PM Open Lines-Live!!!

4:05:00 PM Bulletin Board

5:00:00 PM MATH 08-13-09

6:20:27 PM Rise of the 4th. Reich

8:00:00 PM Cafe Victoria Open Mic 03-09

9:02:07 PM Skull & Bones-part 2

9:51:54 PM Missing Links