KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Attendees of the June 22 Ely Stage Stop and Country Museum’s inaugural “Picnic on the Porch” had a wonderful time.

Greeted by old time music performed by Uncorked – composed of Don Coffin, Andy Skelton, Eleanor Clark and Dan Harris – everybody got in the mood quickly. There was toe-tapping, hand-clapping and even some dancing in the parking lot.

Barbara White modeled a typical traveling woman’s outfit she would have worn riding the stage line. Other period clothing was on display inside the house as well as on the porch.

Old-fashioned aprons and teapot collections were on display, compliments of several Lake County Historical Society members who are local historians. Select pieces of their collections were loaned for the day’s event. Both displays were very impressive, taking guests back to another time.

A delicious box lunch catered by Rosey Cooks was enjoyed at noon on the porch. Docents provided an elegant setting for 80 guests. White linens accented by green checkered tablecloths adorned each table. Fresh floral arrangements in green Ball mason jars were offset with yellow linen mats complimenting the country decor. The weather was perfect for al fresco dining that day.

After lunch seven themed baskets were raffled off. District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown helped to encourage raffle ticket purchases in the final minutes with his own version of the “stretch.” Silent auction items continued to collect bids during the lunch and raffle. Winners were announced as each item closed.

Guests were encouraged to self-tour the new barn where several agricultural pieces were displayed. Items in the barn and on the grounds had been smartly labeled to help with their identification.

Seating for Ely Stage Stop events is always limited so remember to get a ticket early when the next event is announced. It would be a shame to miss it.

Be sure to visit the Lake County Historical Society’s and the county of Lake’s newest museum, located at 9921 Soda Bay Road (Highway 281) in Kelseyville, near the Clear Lake Riviera. Current hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.

Visit www.elystagestop.com or www.lakecountyhistory.org , or go to the museum’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ElyStageStop .

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Taylor Observatory will open to the public on Saturday evenings through Saturday, Aug. 10.

In addition to planetarium shows, summer night-sky viewing will be held at the Taylor Observatory from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays.

Guests can see the moon, planets and other astronomical deep sky objects with the facility’s 16-inch Meade LX-200 and other telescopes.  

The planetarium full dome movies, include “IBEX – The Search for the Edge of the Solar System,” “Two Small Pieces of Glass – History of the Telescope,” musical shorts and much more.

Admission is free. Suggested donation is $5 for adults and $3 for ages 3 to 11.

The summer Saturday night offering will run through Aug. 10.

Public support, of the summer hours, will determine whether we add extra hours during the year.

Lake County’s “Window to the Universe” will still be held on the third Saturday of each month, July 20 and Aug. 17.

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

For more information about the observatory, call 707-262-4121 or go to www.taylorobservatory.org .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – Karen Tate – speaker, sacred tour leader, and published author of award-winning books that stand boldly against the patriarchal denigration of women and the Sacred Feminine – will be the guest on “Women's Voices” on KZYX at 7 p.m. Monday, July 15.

Show host Janie Rezner will play excerpts from Tate’s recent interviews on her blog talk radio show, “Voices of the Sacred Feminine,” with Fr. Roy Bourgeois of SOA watch and defender of Liberation Theology, recently excommunicated from the Catholic Church for ordaining a woman, and Matthew Fox, former Catholic priest, supporter of the movement Creation Spirituality, the work and life of Hildegard of Bingen, and Liberation Theology, also excommunicated from the Catholic Church for among other things, calling God, "Mother."   
 
The show will air at 90.7 FM Philo, 88.1 FM Fort Bragg and 91.5 FM Willits and also can be heard live at www.kzys.org .

It will be archived at http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/contributor/4206 or google Janie Rezner radio.

LUCERNE, Calif. – Lucerne Alpine Senior Center’s Board of Directors is in a state of transformation.  

The board is welcoming new members Dr. John Zebelean and Dave Templeton.  

There are still four board slots available and interested parties should call Lucerne Alpine Senior Center at 707-274-8779 to ask for application packets.

Members can be from any part of Lake County and more than 60 years of age.  

The board is being left by Ted Shimizu and Jerry Morehouse who will remain active volunteers and mentors to new board members during the transition period.  

“Change is always challenging and exciting, I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to work with the new board members and delighted  to continue to work with the 'old' members as our volunteers,” said Executive Director Rae Eby-Carl.

Lucerne Alpine Senior Center is a nonprofit serving the senior populations on the Northshore.

Lunches are served on site Monday through Friday. The donation is on $4 for seniors and is a full meal with beverage, soup, salad, entrée and dessert. Reservations are not necessary.  

Meals on Wheels is available for the Northshore.

Call 707-274-8779 if you have any questions about serving on the board, other volunteering or lunches.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Planning Commission's regular meeting on Wednesday, July 10, has been canceled.

The commission's next regularly scheduled meeting is 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District Finance Committee will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, July 9.

The committee will meet from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the HVLCSD administration office boardroom, 19400 Hartmann Road.

Agenda items include a review of projected revenues and expenses for fiscal year 2013-14, development of fiscal year 2013-14 budget recommendations and public comment.

Public records are available upon request. Board Packets are posted online at www.hiddenvalleylakecsd.com . Click on the “Board Packet” link on the agenda tab.

In compliance to the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special accommodations to participate in or attend the meeting please contact the District Office at 707-987-9201 at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting.