NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Thursday the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition, in partnership with the Council of Western State Foresters concluded their 2015 Spring Meeting hosted by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

This event brought together leaders on Western forestry issues to learn about the future of forestry in a changing climate.

The two-day event attracted nearly 100 attendees from across the United States for a welcome by John Laird, California Secretary for Natural Resources and an opening keynote by Robert Bonnie, USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment.

“The Western Forestry Leadership Coalition consistently brings together thought leaders and practitioners to discuss issues of the day,” said Under Secretary Bonnie. “This meeting was focused on fixing how wildfire suppression activities are funded, the priorities of the USDA and the Forest Service, and opportunities for collaboration to advance the goals of the Cohesive Strategy for Wildland Fire Management.”

During the 2015 Spring Meeting, attendees had an opportunity to participate in a field tour to Tilden Park, Grizzly Peak Road Scenic Overlook and a short visit to Oakland, CA to meet with community leaders working on urban forestry projects including representatives from California Urban ReLeaf.

Cal Fire representatives helped to facilitate the tour and educate attendees on the complexities of wildland fire.

“With over 33 million acres of forestland, California is the perfect place to host a gathering of the leadership dealing with the resource management challenges we are collectively facing across the Western United States,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, California’s state forester. “The meeting provided an invaluable opportunity to exchange experiences and gain fresh perspective on critical fire and forest management issues.”

Key topics of the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition, or WFLC, Spring Meeting included wildland fire, natural resources policy in the United States and USDA Forest Service priorities in the Western United States.

Other notable speakers included Jay Jensen, associate director for Land & Water Ecosystems, White House Council on Environmental Quality; Jim Ogsbury, executive director, Western Governors’ Association and representatives from key partner organizations.

“Holding the WFLC Spring Meeting in California allowed participants to discuss the impacts of the complex issues facing our Western forests,” said Alex Friend, WFLC co-lead and director of the Pacific Southwest Research Station headquartered in Albany. “Now and in the years ahead, rigorous science will play a key role in helping land managers address these issues and restore resilience in forests across the West.”

The meeting concluded with a panel highlighting Western forestry priorities, initiatives and partnerships.

Panelists included Rebecca Barnard, National Wild Turkey Federation; Tom Fry, American Forest Foundation; Nadine Block, Sustainable Forestry Initiative; and Mike Beacom, National Association of Conservation Districts.

To learn more about the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition and the Council of Western State Foresters, please visit www.wflccenter.org .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Saturday, May 2, a Lake County resident placed third in the Toastmasters District 57 Spring speech contest. 

Greg Scott of Scotts Valley placed third in the Table Topic speaker contest out of seven contestants representing Division 7 of the district. 

These contestants had to have won at the club level, advance and win at the area level, advance and win at the division level to compete for the championship at the district conference.

Toastmasters District 57 covers from the Oregon border south to Oakland and the Bay Area.

It has more than 150 clubs each with a contestant in the speech contests, with winners finally reaching the district level.

Scott has achieved Distinguished Toastmaster by having completed all the Toastmasters International communications and leadership training and experience. 

He has serviced as an officer from the club level to being elected to international director to the Toastmasters Board for the 1998 to 2000 term. 

During the 1994 to 1995 term serving as the District 12 governor (Riverside, San Bernardino, East L.A.), he led the district to achieve President’s Distinguished, No. 3 district internationally.

In order for a district to be distinguished the goals of new membership, new clubs, and a number of educational goals must be achieved.

Scott currently is the club president of the Tenacious Talkers Club 8731 that meets every Thursday fro 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. at Allied Information Networks, 2150 Argonaut Road, Kelseyville.

All 21 members of this club invite you to be their guest and visit a meeting and find out what the Toastmasters program can help you improve both your communication and leadership skills.

You can contact Scott at 707-263-5350 for more information.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club will host a discussion of landscape design on Tuesday, May 19.

Landscape Designer Pat Novotney will speak to the group, which will meet at noon in the Scotts Valley
Women's club house at 2298 Hendricks Road, Lakeport.

It was 1969 when the Shaul Family returned home to Lake County after 22 years serving stints in Southern California and the Bay Area.

They were soon to discover that plentiful fresh water was much more than just a faucet away.

Their new home required drilling a 200-foot hole lined with an 8-inch casing, a 2,000-gallon holding tank, two pumps and a pressure tank.

Since then water depth has dropped from 70 feet to 90 feet and yield from 15 to two gallons per minute.

The drought and many more "straws" sipping away at the aquifer continue to threaten all water systems that depend on ground water.

Everyone can contribute to the solution of this ever-increasing problem by starting to use water wisely in whatever its use and avoid the wastefulness of the past.

Replace lawns with aggregate, rocks and drought-tolerant plants. Install water-conserving irrigation systems, use soil conditioners and mulches to hold water where it is needed and reduce evaporation by as much as 50 percent.

For more information regarding ornamental gardening you're invited to the May 19 garden club meeting and program.

The garden club meets at noon on the third Tuesday of each month – except July and August. A light lunch is served.

For more information please call Marva Brandt at 707-279-1625 or visit www.clttgc.org .

Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club is a member of Mendo-Lake District, California Garden Clubs Inc. Pacific Region and National Garden Clubs Inc.

Jerry Shaul is publicity chairman for the Clear Lake Trowel and Trellis Garden Club.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – May is Perinatal Depression Awareness Month in Lake County, and Mother-Wise is pleased to announce a premier screening of the film “Dark Side of the Full Moon” on Thursday, May 21.

The film will be shown beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Soper Reese Theater, 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport.

"Dark Side of the Full Moon" captures the experiences of women faced with postpartum depression, and reveals how this glaring problem is mostly unrecognized or dismissed in our culture.

Having a baby is supposed to be the happiest time of a woman’s life, but things don’t always go the way we plan.

One in five women has their world turned upside-down by perinatal mood disorders, like depression and anxiety.

Research indicates certain risk factors, like poverty and isolation, which contribute to higher rates of perinatal mood disorders.

With that in mind, it becomes easily apparent that Lake County's moms face higher overall risk.

Mother-Wise is a community service organization that helps moms find and maintain real support when they need it most. 

One of the simplest things they do is store donations of extra and used baby items for distribution to moms in need.

This service helps them meet more moms, and invite them to fun weekly groups where they can connect with other moms in the area, get tips for optimal bonding, and learn more about other local programs and services.

These groups include childcare for older siblings, so that mom and baby can have the best possible time together.

Finally, the organization's companion program provides a dependable, trained volunteer who becomes a mom’s dedicated supporter, including house calls by arrangement. 

Mother-Wise is funded by Lake County Behavioral Health-Proposition 63-The Mental Health Services Act and Lake County Children’s Council. 

Tickets to the May 21 screening are available at no charge by calling Mother-Wise, 707-349-1210.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – After a brief period of closed doors, Lake Co-op restarted operations in February of this year.

Customers of the well-loved online food ordering and delivery service were pleased.

“Our customers have shared their relief. They really became aware of how fortunate they were to have the fresh, organic and local produce and other products that the Co-op provided when they had to go without for a period of time,” noted board president and co-op farmer, Jim Leonardis.
 
Lake Co-op closed in August of 2014 with the sudden departure of key personnel.

It has since reorganized their offerings, moved operations and garnered a new management team, Val and Veronica Rasmussen.

“We just couldn't stand by and see this well-loved community-based organization with such an important roll in our community die,” said Val Rasmussen. “Veronica and I knew we had to step up and, fortunately, we're at a time in our lives when we can devote a lot of our time to community.”
 
Lake Co-op is the only cooperatively owned online ordering and distribution system in California and was founded in 2008 by a group of local citizens wanting to help shift the food system paradigm in Lake County.

“Technology, awareness of what was happening in the larger food system, and community involvement really created the conditions for our success at the time,” said JoAnn Saccato, a founding member of the co-op and current consultant to the board.
 
The co-op's model focuses on supporting local producers of organic products first, but their product offerings include a vast array of items to give their customers a wide selection.

“Some of our customers do all their fresh food shopping through the Co-op,” said Lake Co-op Board member Peggy Barthel.
 
From standards like local organic olive oil from The Villa Barone in Middletown, regional cheeses from Spring Hill Organic in Petaluma and fresh seasonal produce from Golden Rocks Permaculture Farm, Leonardis Organics and Ron & Bibana Love Farms, to the unusual, like sea veggies from the north coast, fair trade quinoa from Bolivia, or mangos from Mexico, Lake Co-op offers a large variety of products through their online shopping Web site.
 
Customers can pick up their orders at one of ten drop point locations throughout Lake County or receive home delivery for a nominal fee.

Orders are placed from Sunday, 12:01 a.m., through Tuesday, 12:30 p.m., and picked up on Thursday afternoons.
 
For more information on Lake Co-op, visit www.lake.coop or call 707-513-5226.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – For his senior project, Damian Lopez, a senior at Clear Lake High, is putting on a charity talent show on Friday, May 15.

All proceeds go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Save the Children charities.

The event is at Clear Lake High School in Lakeport, 250 Lange St., in the MAC Auditorium.

It starts at 6 p.m. and costs $8 for adults, and $5 for children under 18 and seniors.

The admissions fees will all be going to charity. There are many acts by people of all ages from Lake County.