CLEARLAKE, Calif. – It was a packed house at the Clearlake Senior Center on Saturday night as Team Ellie put on the Cinco de Mayo-themed 'Celliebration' benefit to raise funds to assist TJ and Melissa Swanson in covering medical expenses resulting from the cancer treatments to their 6-year-old daughter, Ellie.

During the month of February, the Swanson family learned that Ellie was suffering from ganglioneuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancer.

Ellie will have to go through multiple chemotherapy treatments in order to shrink the tumor – which is the size of two adult male fists – before she can undergo surgery to have it removed.

The benefit was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Saturday, but doors opened early as groups of supporters began showing up to purchase tickets at the door.

The tables were full as the band 60 fingers began to play, and the live and silent auctions received an enthusiastic response from the crowd.

Ellie’s father, TJ Swanson addressed the crowd at one point during the evening, expressing his thanks.

Team Ellie would like to thank the following businesses and individuals who donated items to the auctions and helped make this benefit a success: Foods Etc., Clearlake Lions, Lakeshore Feed, Barreda’s Lower Lake Feed, Eleven Roses Ranch, Kevin Ness Jewelers, Clearlake Bait & Tackle, Catfish Coffee, Four Corners Hardware, Grocery Outlet, Valley Glass, Lower Lake Ceramics, Bob Rider Photography, Brassfield Wines, Enterprise Towing, Funtopia, JT Couture, Happy Yogurt Bar, Cactus Grill, Cecil’s Pizza, Griffin’s Furniture, Walmart, Cabos, Tapia’s Tees, Fancy Paws, Grinder Steep, Howard’s Grotto, 60 Fingers, One Stop Automotive, Salon Wine Country, Hospice, Lower Laker Sober Graduation, Marie’s Feed, Burrell’s Automotive, Mendo Mill, Radio Shack, Clearlake Auto Parts, Hardesters, Sheerwood Forest, Mike’s Marine, Tire Pro’s, Alterations 4 You, Theresa Bennett, Fawn Williams, Theresa Copas, Darlene Serpa, Jessica Henson, Karen Ness, Brenda Crandall, Amanda Celli, Beverly White, Mark Colp, Randy Hare, Levi Kraft, Kelley Slater, Terri Dillingham, Reiko Hattori, Floraine Chalk, Beverly Gumina, Roberto Reyes Jr., Joey Luiz, Remy McCosker, Melissa Paik, Wendy Newsome, Deana Clausen, Gloria Pulido, Joan Phillippe, Chuck Leonard, Ed Strohmeyer, Bob Kraft Muffler and Brake and Roberto Reyes Jr.

If you would like to make a contribution to the Swanson family, an account has been established at Bank of the West in the name of Swanson Family Benefit.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport Cleanup Day, which took place this year on Saturday, April 26, saw approximately 50 community volunteers bringing out their brooms, ladders and their muscles for three hours of work.

Organizers reported that the cleanup was a huge success.

Clear Lake High School students from Oscar Dominguez’s biology class were present and ready to work, along with members of the Mormon church, Andrew Britton from the city of Lakeport and many community members.

Coffee and hot chocolate was provided by Harbor House, donuts from Bruno’s and Lakeport Disposal donated the trash cans and dumpster for all the debris collected.  

The Lakeport Main Street Association thanked all of those who attended or showed support for this year’s event.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – The Mendocino National Forest will be hosting five open houses over the next two weeks to discuss the forest roads system and looking at the relationship between roads and various resource impacts.

The open houses are part of public engagement for Subpart A of the 2005 Travel Management Rule.

The forest completed Subpart B in 2008 – designating roads, trails and areas for motor vehicle use, resulting in the Forest Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM).

“Subpart A looks at the core issue of travel analysis – providing sustainable access,” said Mendocino Forest Engineer Shannon Pozas. “We have initiated a science-based process to take a whole-forest look at our road system and the risks and benefits to visitors and various resources.”

Open houses will be held:

• Tuesday, May 6 – Willows, Mendocino National Forest Office, 825 N. Humboldt Ave., 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 7 – Upper Lake Ranger District Office, 10025 Elk Mountain Road, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, May 8 – Covelo, Round Valley Library Community Room, 23925 Howard St., 3 to 6 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 13 – Ukiah, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Field Office, 2550 N. State St., 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. (Please note, while this is being held at the Bureau of Land Management office, this open house is about the Mendocino National Forest system roads.)
• Wednesday, May 14 – Red Bluff, Lake Red Bluff Recreation Area Camp Discovery, 1000 Sale Lane, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

“This is a great opportunity for our visitors and interested members of the public to interact with a variety of resource specialists to discuss both the positive and negative impacts of our road system, as well as to share their comments as we continue analysis,” Pozas said.

The Mendocino National Forest must have this analysis complete by October 2014. To date, resource specialists have gathered data and developed maps, which will be shared at the open houses.

“To be clear, this is not a proposal or decision document, but a transportation study that will help inform future road management planning and can serve as an additional resource in future multiple resource projects,” said Pozas. “Similar to the MVUM, this document will continue to evolve and change over the years, with opportunities for interested public to share their thoughts and engage in the process.”

For more information on Subpart A and the Mendocino National Forest’s Travel Analysis, please visit www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino or call 530-934-1137.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Rd, will present a free program on “Essential Oils for Everyday Use” on Wednesday, May 14, at 5:30 p.m.

Aromatherapists Theresa LeGarie and Susan Walker have been using and studying essential oils since 1996.

Their aromatic, uplifting program will cover using essential oils in new ways and audience members will have an opportunity to experience the aromas of therapeutic essential oils.

This free program is open to the public.

For more information contact Redbud Library at 707-994-5115.

Redbud Library is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesdays, noon to 7 p.m.

Redbud Library is a branch of the Lake County Library, which can be found on the Internet at http://library.co.lake.ca.us and at Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The regular meeting of the Clearlake Planning Commission scheduled for Tuesday, May 6, has been canceled.

The commission is next scheduled to meet Tuesday, May 20, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – One hundred and 50 years ago this month, Confederate General (and former Vice-President of the United States) John C. Breckinridge was faced with a tragic dilemma during the Battle of New Market.

Does he order his his army to retreat, or does he send in his only reserve, 257 young boys from the Virginia Military Institute, to save the day?

The Civil War Roundtable will discuss the New Market tragedy during its next gathering at 6:15 p.m. Monday, May 5, at the Tallman Hotel, 9550 Main St. in downtown Upper Lake.

Breckinridge’s intentions were that the students would remain behind the lines and be used as back up only in an emergency.

Among the company of cadets were many of Virginia’s finest sons. One was a direct descendant of George Washington and another was Thomas Garland Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson’s grandson.

As fate would have it, the situation grew bad for the Confederates and one of Breckenridge’s staff suggested sending in the untested cadets.

“I will not do it,” Breckinridge replied.

“General, you have no choice,” responded the desperate officer.

“Put the boys in,” Breckinridge ordered, “and may God forgive me for the order ...”   

Immediately, a Union artillery shell killed or wounded several. But the cadets bravely closed ranks and did their duty and went on to help win the battle for the South.

Dr. Bill Cornelison, professor of history at Yuba College, will review the events leading up to the Battle of New Market, at the next Redwood Empire Civil War Roundtable. He will be focusing on the human consequences of war.

In addition to Dr. Cornelison's presentation, Zane Jensen will review the start of the Overland Campaign, in which Gen. Grant began his long and deadly offensive against Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Jensen will cover the Battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania, where over 60,000 men became casualties in just a few weeks.

There will also be a review of the events of May 1864, as the group has been following the war month by month in recognition of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

Admission is free and everyone is welcome.  

For more information, contact Phil Smoley at 707-264-4905 or Zane Jensen 707-349-6390.