LUCERNE – Lucerne will soon be showing a new mural on the Harbor Village landscape site.

As part of the Lake County Redevelopment Agency’s effort to bring new life, beauty and business to the Northshore, they have contracted with artist Gloria De La Cruz to paint a mural depicting a Lucerne landmark, the Lucerne Castle.

De La Cruz’s murals grace the walls of buildings in St. Helena as well as her paintings in oils and watercolors shown in galleries.

Since moving to Lake County six years ago, De La Cruz has created murals for Hot Rods in Clearlake Oaks and the Java Express in Clearlake as well as her continued artistic endeavors in other mediums.  

Contributing his expertise as a faux painter, Xavier Pina had done many homes and businesses in the Los Angeles area before moving to Lake County four years ago. Pina can paint a Tuscan village on your wall or even depict faux stone.

Watch the mural as it progresses at 6197 E. Highway 20 in Lucerne.

{mos_sb_discuss:2}

LAKEPORT – The Lakeport Parks and Recreation Commission will hold its next meeting this Thursday, March 12.

The meeting will begin at 4:15 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

Under old business, the commission will discuss the Forbes Creek Trail, Library Park, Westside Park and Westshore Pool.

New business items include providing recommendation to the Lakeport City Council regarding pursuing Proposition 84 grant funding, and discussion and possible action regarding moving meeting to second Thursday of each month.

The commission will then set the date of its next meeting on April 9 before adjourning.

{mos_sb_discuss:2}

If your mortgage debt is partly or entirely forgiven during tax years 2007 to 2012, you may be able to claim special tax relief and exclude the debt forgiveness income.

Normally, debt forgiveness results in taxable income. However, under the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, you may be able to exclude up to $2 million of debt forgiven on your principal residence. The limit is $1 million for a married person filing a separate return.

Taxpayers may exclude debt reduced through mortgage restructuring, as well as mortgage debt forgiven in a foreclosure.

To qualify, the debt must have been used to buy, build or substantially improve your principal residence and be secured by that residence. Refinanced debt proceeds used for the purpose of substantially improving your principal residence also qualify for the exclusion.

However, proceeds of refinanced debt used for other purposes (for example, to pay off credit card debt) do not qualify for the exclusion.

If you qualify, you claim the special exclusion by filling out Form 982, Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Discharge of Indebtedness, and attaching it to your federal income tax return for the year.

Debt forgiven on second homes, rental property, business property, credit cards or car loans does not qualify for the new tax-relief provision. In some cases, however, other tax relief provisions, (for example, insolvency), may be available. See Form 982 for details.

If your debt is reduced or eliminated you will receive a year-end statement, Form 1099-C, from your lender. By law, this form must show the amount of debt forgiven and the fair market value of any property foreclosed.

The Internal Revenue Service urges borrowers to examine the Form 1099-C carefully. Notify the lender immediately if any of the information shown is incorrect. You should pay particular attention to the amount of debt forgiven (Box 2) and the value listed for your home (Box 7).

For more information about the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, visit the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov.

A good resource is IRS Publication 4681, Canceled Debts, Foreclosures, Repossessions and Abandonments. Taxpayers may obtain a copy of this publication and Form 982 either by downloading from IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

{mos_sb_discuss:2}

LAKEPORT – The Lakeport Planning Commission will hold its next meeting this Wednesday, March 11.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

The main item on the meeting's agenda will be consideration of a general plan conformity report regarding the potential sale of a city-owned parcel at 902 Bevins Court.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the city of Lakeport will make available to members of the public any reasonable assistance necessary to participate in this meeting. Contact the Community Development Department at 263-5613, Extension 25, to make such a request.

Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting will enable the city to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.

{mos_sb_discuss:2}

NICE – The fifth-annual Festival of Tulips will be held March 28, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Tulip Hill Winery in Nice.

The event will feature wine, food, and entertainment set amid the winery’s gardens that bloom each year with more than 30,000 tulips imported from Holland.

Admission to the Festival of Tulips includes a Tulip Hill wine glass for unlimited tastings, sumptuous hors d’oeuvres from the Blue Wing Saloon & Café paired with red and white wines, desserts from

Angelina’s Bakery paired with dessert wines, live blues music provided by Bill Noteman and the Rockets, winery tours, barrel tasting and more.

During the event, tours of the winery will include the crush pad, the cellar, the bottling room, and everywhere in between. Special deals on wine and wine-related products will be offered during the festival.

Tulip Hill Winery opened in 2004 on the site where the Bartlett Springs Water Bottling Plant once operated. The first owners of Bartlett Springs began bottling mineral water as early as the 1870s, claiming the water cured many ailments.

Revered in Europe as well as the United States, the famous plant, which drew thousands of tourists to Lake County in the 1800s, had changed hands over the years, and closed down in the late 20th century. It wasn’t until the Brown family arrived that the historic site would once again have a purpose – this time for the production of wine.

In addition to its winery and tasting room in Nice, Tulip Hill Winery operates a second tasting room in Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs in Southern California.

Tickets to the Festival of Tulips are $25 per person per day in advance and may be purchased online; or $30 at the door. Tulip Hill Winery is located at 4900 Bartlett Springs Road, Nice.

For more information, call 274-9373 or visit www.tuliphillwinery.com.

{mos_sb_discuss:2}

LAKE COUNTY – On Tuesday, March 10, the Lake County Board of Supervisors will read and vote on a motion designating the week of March 15 through March 21 as Mediation Week in Lake County.

The proclamation will be included as an agenda item at the BOS meeting that begins at 9 a.m. on that day; the proclamation is scheduled to be heard at 9:10 a.m.

The meeting is located in the Board of Supervisors’ Chamber located at 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.

On Wednesday, March 18, a second event recognizing the public and civic benefits of alternative dispute resolution practices will recognize the “outstanding performance and lasting contribution to community and civil mediation” by 16 volunteers active in the county’s various mediation programs over the last two years.

A reception honoring these volunteers will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 380 N. Main St., Lakeport.

This reception will be hosted by the Lake Superior Court and Lake County Dispute Resolution Services (LCDRS) at the Superior Court’s Self-Help Center and will also include an “office warming” for a newly relocated LCDRS office adjacent to the Self Help Center.

LCDRS is a nonprofit agency that has been providing community-based mediation services to the Lake County community since 1993.

For more information call 263-6800 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

{mos_sb_discuss:2}