KELSEYVILLE, Calif. –  Taylor Observatory will host its monthly “Window to the Universe” stargazing and observatory event on Saturday, June 28.

It will be held from 8 to 11 p.m.

This month's talk is titled, “Model Rocketry – It's Not Rocket Science … Oh, Wait, Yes It Is!”  

Before the talk, speaker Bill Bordisso and his students will launch a rocket – so plan to arrive early.

Taylor Observatory is located at 5725 Oak Hills Lane in Kelseyville.

SAN FRANCISCO – Nationally, U.S. Postal Service letter carriers collected 72.5 million pounds of food on May 10 – 391,136 pounds in the San Francisco Postal District alone.

The San Francisco District stretches from Smith River on the Oregon border down the US101 corridor to Sunnyvale on the Peninsula.

Donations were received from thousands of communities throughout America for the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

This represents the 11th consecutive year the event has surpassed 70 million pounds and adds to the more than one billion pounds of food collected since the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive began in 1993.

Stamp Out Hunger, the nation’s largest single-day food drive, was launched in 1993 by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and is supported by the Postal Service.

Canned and nonperishable items are collected by 230,000 letter carriers and other postal employees in 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam.

About 50 million Americans – including 16 million children – lack sufficient food, according to Feeding America, a partner in the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive and the nation’s leading domestic hunger relief charity.

With most school lunch programs suspended during summer months, millions of children must find alternate sources of nutrition.

This year’s effort generated an outpouring of appreciation and gratitude from Feeding America-affiliated food banks across the country, helping illustrate the impact the food drive has had in local communities for more than two decades.

In addition to the Postal Service, NALC and Feeding America, other Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive national partners include: AARP, Campbell Soup Company, the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, Valpak Direct Marketing Systems, United Way Worldwide, the AFL-CIO, Valassis, and Uncle Bob’s Self Storage.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Southshore Little League is having a car wash on Sunday, June 22.

The car wash will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Four Corners Builders Supply, 14975 Olympic Drive in Clearlake, across from Safeway.

In addition to washing vehicles, the group will have baked goods for sale.

Proceeds will pay for All Star Baseball.

 
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake Co-op Operations Manager Robyn Bera announced that they will begin offering organic-raised whole chicken fryers from local Red Neck Chickens beginning June 29.

The fryers will be available through Lake Co-op's weekly online ordering Web site at www.lake.coop .

Customers who order the chickens can either pick them up at the Co-op's pop up store on Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 307 N. Main St. in Lakeport, or have them delivered directly to their home through the Co-op's regular Thursday delivery route.

Lake Co-op is offering free home/office delivery on orders over $50 for the month of July to help encourage the purchasing of the ancient heritage birds.
 
Red Neck Chickens of Kelseyville are offering the Transylvania Naked Neck breed chicken that are known for their “superior meat texture and very thin skin which crisps to perfection when roasted, smoked, or barbecued,” said owner/farmer Ken Bouche.

“The lineage is over 2,000 years old and is resistant to common disease, lays an extra large brown egg, has a calm disposition, and the bird's naked neck can tolerate heat and cold comfortably,” he added.
 
According to Bouche, his naked neck chickens are raised with the highest nutritional feed (GMO free, certified organic  feed, locally sourced sprouted grains, cover crops, medicinal herbs, and pro-biotics).

The flock is pastured on an open rotational pattern under certified organic walnut trees (which, as a bonus, helps add fertility to the soil for the trees).

“We grow as much of the poultry's food at our farm as possible,” said Bouche.
 
“Before slaughtering, the flock undergoes a 14-day rest period where they consume locally grown organic grain and goat milk whey from Yerba Santa Dairy to produce an exquisite texture, nutritional density, and superior flavor. The naked necks will provide you with the highest quality, ecologically raised chicken you can buy,” Bouche said.
 
Lake Co-op customers will be able to purchase the unique organic Lake County raised and processed chickens during their normal order cycle beginning June 29.

Lake Co-op ordering happens weekly from Sunday, 12:01 a.m. through Tuesday, 12:30 p.m., with pick up and delivery on Thursdays at varying times throughout the county.

“We look forward to offering more options for receiving the chickens in the near future, but are starting with Lakeport and home delivery to ensure the smoothest and safest process for our customers,” explained Bera.

The chickens will be frozen for delivery.
 
Customers who order more than $50 on an order throughout the month of July are eligible to receive a $5 account credit, which is the cost of home/office delivery.
 
Lake Co-op has 12 easily accessible pick up points around Lake County, offers home/office delivery for a small fee and also has a “pop up” store with overage and other local delectables in downtown Lakeport at the Lake Made store next to Watershed Books, at 307 N. Main St., on Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
 
Lake Co-op also offers its customers convenient online or telephone ordering and owner discounts.

“It's never been easier to get locally grown and produced organic products. We're expanding our product line all the time,” Bera said. “Our model supports everyone – our producers, customers and owners. And it keeps our dollars more local.”
 
While shopping with Lake Co-op is open to the public, owners of the Co-op receive a discount on their purchases.

First time customers can now enjoy the owner discount (though are not afforded the one vote per membership that is a hallmark of cooperative ownership) for their first 30 days through registering as a trial-owner with the co-op.
 
For more information and to sign up with Lake Co-op, visit www.lake.coop or call 707-513-5226.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The winning design for California’s 2014-2015 Duck Stamp will be selected at a judging event scheduled June 24 in Davis. Fourteen artists from around the country submitted original art for consideration for the stamp.

The contest, sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), required entrants to paint, draw or sketch the species chosen by the California Fish and Game Commission, which this year is the scaup.

The contest will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the CDFW Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Headquarters, 45211 County Rd 32B (Chiles Road) in Davis.

The judges’ panel, which will consist of experts in the fields of ornithology, conservation, art and printing, will choose first, second, and third place winners and an honorable mention.

Since 1971, the California Duck Stamp Program’s annual contest has attracted top wildlife artists from around the country. All proceeds generated from stamp sales go directly to waterfowl conservation projects throughout California.

In past years, hunters were required to purchase and affix the stamp to their hunting license.

California has moved to an automated licensing system and hunters are no longer required to carry the stamps in the field because proof of purchase prints directly onto the license.

However, CDFW will still produce the stamps, which can be requested by interested individuals on CDFW’s Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/collectorstamps/ .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – This weekend's second annual Lake County Spring Fair will feature a car show on both Saturday and Sunday.

The show will feature antique, classic and custom cars. Car owners are invited to display their vehicles between 2 and 6 p.m. on either day.

The Lake County Spring Fair includes a Butler Amusements carnival, commercial exhibits, a car show, and vocational education exhibits. Other attractions include a variety of fair food, two stages of local entertainment, motorized grandstand activities, and a laser tag building.
 
Events in the grandstand arena include mud bogs on Friday evening, tuff truck and buggy and ATV races on Saturday evening, and stock car races on Sunday evening. All grandstand shows start at 7:30 pm. Local participants are also encouraged all three nights.
 
Spring Fair gates open all three days at 2 p.m., and admission is $5 per person for ages 6 and older. Children under age 6 may attend for free.

Carnival unlimited ride wristbands will be $25 each at the fair. Parking is $5 per car, and benefits the Kelseyville High School softball program.
 
More information about the Lake County Spring Fair can be found at www.lakecountyfair.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-Fair/138978582794813 .